Write an original analytical report on the topic described below. This report should be based on your reading of chapters 10,11,12,13 and 19 of the Lesikar/Pettit/ Flatley textbook. A written progress report is due March 1; the final version of the report is due at the beginning of class on April 26 (100 % credit) or April 28 (75 % credit). Only papers submitted in class on the due dates will be accepted, so give yourself time for problems with research, writing, formatting, editing, and printing.
Topic: Compare two or three companies that you would like to work for. Choose a city not in California in which you might like to live, and find companies that hire people in that city. Narrow down the types of jobs you will be applying for if you can (all companies don’t hire all job fields). You will at a minimum need information that answers questions such as the following (DO NOT organize your report as a series of answers!!) What industry is your company in? Is it growing or shrinking? Stable or cyclical? What risks is it facing? Look in the company’s annual report (usually available on its web site): how much business does the company do every year? What products or services does it provide? Is business national or international? Can you get a picture of the corporate culture from the annual report or related business press articles? Does the Career Planning and Placement Office have information in a recruiting brochure?
As you locate and gather information on your company, begin to identify subtopics you can use to organize your final report. Remember that you are writing an analytical report, not just an informational one. What questions do you want to answer? How can you compare companies and their ability to provide a job you would like to stay in? What criteria will you use to choose a job after graduation? You will want to include a report section on the city where the companies are located.
Audience: Judith Gumbiner, Director, Career Planning and Placement Office, SDSU.
Assume that you are writing the report so she can give it to students interested in this career, companies, and city.
Progress Report : Your one-page progress report memo to Dr. Vik will identify the cities and companies you are investigating and the criteria you will be using. EMAIL her possible companies and city as soon as you can for approval—we may need to limit the number of people looking into certain companies.
Specific Requirements: The report should be typed (Arial 11 point or Times-Roman 12 point) with a 1 ¼ inch margin on the left and at least 1 inch margin on other sides of the page. Single space text, with double spacing between paragraphs and before headings.
Length: up to 2500 words maximum. Include at least one graphic.
Number of sources: Eight minimum (both internal—produced by the company—and external). Five sources need to be less than six months old. Document ALL sources, both quoted and paraphrased in your report (citations in the text and a list of sources at the end). Turn in copies of all sources, with the documentation written on your xerox copies. Plagiarism (using others’ ideas without giving credit) is grounds for turning you in to the Campus Judicial Authority and eliminating you from any business major code.
Grading: This assignment counts 15 percent of your course grade. Content, mechanics, and format all count in evaluation of the report.