You are an investment advisor and your clients, Marilyn and David, require your services. Marilyn and David are both 65 and are about to retire. They have no assets other than $1,600,000 in cash savings, and they have no debts. They wish to maintain their current lifestyle during their retirement years. Their current annual living expenses are $120,000.

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Memo Assignment

Business Writing Across the Board (BWAC)

FINC 301

 

Background

You are an investment advisor and your clients, Marilyn and David, require your services. Marilyn and David are both 65 and are about to retire. They have no assets other than $1,600,000 in cash savings, and they have no debts. They wish to maintain their current lifestyle during their retirement years. Their current annual living expenses are $120,000. They have no children and they do not wish to bequeath any assets to charity (after their death). Marilyn and David are in excellent health and have a normal life expectancy. They are, however, concerned about the possibility of outliving their retirement income (i.e., longevity risk). They will rely entirely on their cash savings to support themselves financially during their retirement years. Furthermore, they have a strong aversion to risk.

Marilyn and David have decided to use their cash savings to purchase an annuity that will provide them with the necessary income to cover their living expenses over their retirement years. They initially consult with Ms. Sheila Young who is an investment advisor at Merrill Lynch about purchasing their desired annuity.  Ms. Young is a very experienced advisor and she claims that she could get Marilyn and David a much higher annual income than they require because she “knows” how to invest their savings in financial instruments that can yield at least 15% per year. This rate of return is well above the current and historical average return for U.S. stocks as measured by the S&P 500 index.

            Marilyn and David want you to provide a “second opinion” of the analysis done by the Merrill Lynch advisor.  Specifically, they want you to write a memo to Ms. Young that compares the two alternatives and highlights the risks and benefits of each alternative.  They feel certain that Ms. Young is not giving due consideration to assumptions and variables that will impact their decision (e.g., market risk, the clients’ risk tolerance, life expectancy, among others), but they don’t know how to articulate their concerns to her.  Therefore, since you speak “finance” they would like you to prepare this memo on their behalf.

 

Assignment

Write a memo to Ms. Sheila Young containing the following information:

  • Provide a professional and financially sound critique where you identify the problem(s), if any, with her investment analysis.
  • Conduct your own comprehensive investment analysis where you address any problem(s) identified using the appropriate methods (e.g., formulas, models, etc.) and assumptions; and provide the appropriate insight from your analysis.
  • Recommend one or more specific, clearly explained actions that address the problem(s) identified based on your investment analysis; and support your recommendations using your analytical results.

 

 

Grading and Instructions

The grade on this assignment will be equally divided (50/50) between the analytical quality of your argument (reasoning ability) and clarity of thought, correct use of grammar, punctuation, etc. (writing skills). Please note, simply providing “numbers” is insufficient to obtain a passing grade. Please provide your analysis in a clear and analytically sound memo that supports your final recommendations/conclusions. All supporting tables and graphs must be clearly presented and labeled.

 

Resources

I have made available the following supporting documents/files on the course website (i.e. Moodle):

  • Reasoning rubric
  • Writing rubric

You are encouraged to read all available documents before completing your work. Also, the following website may be a useful source of information. Here you can find detailed instructions on how to write a memo, sample memos and memo templates:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/01/

Compose a 1250 words assignment on socrates: political thought.

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Compose a 1250 words assignment on socrates: political thought. Needs to be plagiarism free!

In the Socratic dialogues, his extended conversations with students, statesmen, and friends invariably aim at understanding and achieving virtue {Gk. Gareth [aretê]} through the careful application of a dialectical method that employs critical inquiry to undermine the plausibility of widely-held doctrines” (Socrates, 2006). The purpose of rhetoric is persuasion. It uses a certain sort of discourse for attaining this end. It takes into account the type of audience present, and in using language the rhetoricians highlight the socio-political aspects of the place.

When we see it in the academic circles, we see emphasis placed on both writing and speaking.“In the fifth century, particularly in Athens, conditions encouraged the rise of the class of professional teachers who became known as sophists…their target audiences include the wealthy, the career-oriented young men who wanted to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the new democracy for advising the people and, in some cases for professional advancement” (Plato, 1998 p, 15-16).

The sophists were known as the itinerant lecturers. From the fifth century BC onwards these wise men taught the skills of civic life, and this was done by citing examples.Out of the two options, when a discussion arises as to which is more good and useful, Socrates advocates choosing what is more well and expedient. For Plato ignorance of the true good is the main reason for the moral corruption in his time. The rhetoricians claimed to know more about human good. How Socrates argues for rhetoric is well-clear in Phaedrus.

“…After Socrates concludes his Great Speech, the second speech, the dialogue transitions to a discussion of rhetoric and writing. Phaedrus has been influenced by the sophisticated view of rhetoric, which states that persuasion trumps truth in the art of rhetoric. Socrates challenges this argument by demonstrating the harmful influences of speaking without knowing the truth. Rhetoric, in fact, directs the soul. As such, the rhetorician must understand the souls of different audiences and speak accordingly.

Such understanding cannot be gleaned from books on rhetoric” (Plato, 2006).

Write a 2-3-page brief that identifies a necessary organizational change. Think of this brief as a summary document to be shared with SEG’s senior leadership. Your brief must address the following prompts: a. How would you describe SEG’s company culture? b. Describe your change initiative. Why is it necessary?

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JWI 556: Leading Change by Putting People First
Assignment 4
© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be
copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. This
course guide is subject to change based on the needs of the class.
556 Assignment 4 (1196) Page 1 of 5
Assignment 4: Case Study, A Cultural Transformation at Southeastern Grocers
Due: Sunday, Midnight of Week 9 (30% of total course grade)
Instructions:
Read the case A Cultural Transformation at Southeastern Grocers. You will likely need to read the case
several times and make notes. All yourself adequate time for this.
Assume the role of chief people officer at Southeastern Grocers (SEG). Create a plan for a change
initiative at SEG. Do not focus on sustaining the changes the company has already undergone. Instead,
determine what other change(s) SEG needs to make in addition to those mentioned in the case. Your
change initiative must be feasible, concrete, and HR-centric. Consider focusing on one particular
workforce topic (e.g., diversity and inclusion, trust in company leadership, attracting new talent) in which
HR can lead a significant change. Your plan should contain both an executive business brief and a
change vision video:
(1) Executive Business Brief
Write a 2-3-page brief that identifies a necessary organizational change. Think of this brief as a
summary document to be shared with SEG’s senior leadership. Your brief must address the
following prompts:
a. How would you describe SEG’s company culture?
b. Describe your change initiative. Why is it necessary?
c. Explain your change plan:
i. What is your change vision? How do you define it?
ii. Is there a sense of urgency? How will you generate it?
iii. How will you create a guiding coalition of key stakeholders and
early adopters?
iv. How will you communicate your change vision to SEG
employees?
v. What are the potential risks of your change initiative?
vi. How will you determine whether the change initiative is
successful?
(2) Change Vision Video
Using Zoom, create a 2-3-minute video that compellingly presents your change vision. Think of
this video as a pitch to SEG employees. You need their buy-in for your initiative to accomplish
anything; you have to generate excitement. Your main points should be simple and memorable,
and you should convey an appropriate amount of urgency. Make sure you answer the following
questions in your video:
a. What is the change you are implementing?
b. Why is this change important and necessary for SEG?
c. How will the company benefit?
JWI 556: Leading Change by Putting People First
Assignment 4
© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be
copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. This
course guide is subject to change based on the needs of the class.
556 Assignment 4 (1196) Page 2 of 5
d. How will individual employees benefit?
e. What does success look like?
Professional Formatting and Submission Requirements for Executive Business Brief:
• Typed, double-spaced, professional font (size 10-12), including headings and subheadings (to
identify main topics and subtopics), with one-inch margins on all sides.
• Use headings to identify each of the assigned prompts. Separate paragraphs by a single space.
• References must be included and provide appropriate information that enables the reader to
locate the original source. Application of course materials and resources is expected, and
additional research is welcome.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, the professor’s name, the
course title, and the date.
• The length is 2-3 pages, excluding your cover page and reference list. You may exceed 3 pages,
but be sure that what you write adds value to your submission and is not redundant.
Professional Formatting and Submission Requirements for Change Vision Video:
• Upload your video in .mp4 format. Include your first and last name in the filename.
• This should be a video of just you. No PowerPoint slides or props are needed.
• The length is 2-3 minutes.
JWI 556: Leading Change by Putting People First
Assignment 4
© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be
copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. This
course guide is subject to change based on the needs of the class.
556 Assignment 4 (1196) Page 3 of 5

Create a 7 pages page paper that discusses logistics and supply chain management.

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Create a 7 pages page paper that discusses logistics and supply chain management.

The specific topic that has been of great importance for SCM (Supply Chain Management) and logistics in construction is the use of the JIT (Just in Time) methodology (Koskela, 1992). It has allowed for great control of the resources in a construction project. The degree of myopia surrounding a project is very high. The use of JIT has ensured a holistic control over the complete set of resources.JIT (Just in Time) is a revolutionary kind of product strategy that seeks the improvement of business by the reduction of the inventory and the quantum of the carrying costs.

This method is also called the “Toyota Production System”. The meeting of the objectives is ensured by the use of the “Kanban” philosophy (Christopher, 2002). The focus of the JIT is on the constant improvement of the process. It also aims at the improvement of the ROI (Return on Investment), the quality, efficiency, and control of the process. The usage of the method has been widespread in the areas of construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and a number of other industries.

There are a number of local variations of the JIT like JIC (which stands for Just in Case). The overall growth of this methodology has been phenomenal.The field of construction has a number of variable costs. The bulk of the fixed costs come in the form of the materials for the inventory. The primary purpose of the use of the JIT was to engineer a change from the estimation of the demand to actual demand. The flows of the processes in the construction are mostly seen to be from upstream to downstream (the management decides the workflow, rather than the line supervisors).

This leads to the build-up of the myopic approach in the construction.