Note: Additional running cases are provided on the companion website, including the Manage Your Health, Inc. case from the seventh edition of this text. Template files are also available on the companion website. This running case starts here and continues through Chapter 13. Tasks based on this case are explained in the following Tasks section; throughout the book, these tasks will build on work done in previous chapters and scenarios.

Economic inequality is a huge issue. A recent study found that the world’s 80 wealthiest individuals own as much as the entire world’s poorest 3.5 billion people. The richest 1 percent of the world’s population control half of the world’s total wealth.15 Many individuals, corporations, charities, and government agencies have projects and programs in place to attempt to tackle this and other important global issues such as sustainability, but there are many opportunities to do more.

A grassroots group of college students has decided to work together to do their part in making the world a better place. The students are from many different countries, and several of them met at global conferences, through study abroad experiences, or on various Internet groups. Strategic goals of this group include developing skills for both college students and for needy populations, sharing information on existing products and services that promote economic growth and sustainability, and promoting entrepreneurship. Leaders of this group were reviewing some ideas for projects (all with a significant IT component) that they could do to support their strategic goals:

• Global Treps: Many people are familiar with the television show called Shark Tank where entrepreneurs (sometimes called “treps”) present their business ideas to a group of investors or sharks. Several colleges, high schools, and even elementary schools throughout the world hold unique versions of a shark tank like event. You believe that creating a non-profit organization with one central mobile-friendly website/application to assist groups in organizing these types of events would spark even more entrepreneurs throughout the world. You would plan to hold several shark tank like events during the term of the project and create a site and applications to help continue developing more global treps. This site/application would include the following capabilities:
  • Provide guidelines and templates for running a shark tank type of event
  • Accept donations from potential investors targeted toward specific schools or organizations wishing to host an even (similar to the popular DonorsChoose.org site where people can fund teacher’s requests)
  • Accept ideas for needed new products or services
  • Provide the ability for organizations to create their own custom site to solicit local participants and sharks, accept applications, and promote the winners as well as losers
  • Research ideas for a mechanism where a certain percentage of all donations and profits earned by contestants are donated back to the Global Treps organization
  • Provide an online version of the events by showing videos or contestants and live reactions of the sharks while also getting live inputs and donations from viewers
• Change the Laws Campaign: Launch a global campaign to change laws to reduce further income inequality and promote social responsibility. This project would also involve creating a mobile-friendly website/application that would include information about current and proposed laws, allow discussions of potential ideas to change laws, organize people to contact appropriate lawmakers, etc.
• Wealthy Unite: Develop a system to enable the richest people in the world to provide their input on how they can make the world a better place. Provide information on what several people are currently doing (i.e., Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, famous celebrities, etc.) to promote philanthropy. Allow others to donate to suggested causes and recommend other ways to reduce economic inequality.
• Global Smart Shoppers: Develop a mobile app and website that recommends products and services produced by organizations that promote social responsibility. Customize the app so it works in any country in the user’s desired language. Work with large companies that do not currently sell products or services in certain countries to expand to regions in need. Allow small companies to easily add their products and services to the shopping network.

 

Tasks

Summarize each of the proposed projects using a simple table format suitable for presentation to top management. Include the name of each project, identify how each one supports business strategies, assess the potential financial benefits and other benefits of each project, and provide your initial assessment of the value of each project. Write your results in a one- to two-page memo to top management, including appropriate back-up information and calculations.Evaluate the four projects by preparing a weighted scoring model using the template provided on the companion website for this text. Develop at least four criteria, assign weights to each criterion, assign scores, and then calculate the weighted scores. Print the spreadsheet and bar chart with the results. Also write a one-page paper that describes this weighted scoring model and the results.

 

• Prepare a business case for the Global Treps project. Assume that the project will take six months to complete, use many volunteer hours, and cost about $120,000 for hardware, software, travel, and labor. Use the business case template provided on the companion website for this text. Be sure to research information on the television show and events held by colleges, and other groups, which have been sparked by the need for more successful entrepreneurs. Also visit DonorsChoose.org to see how that site operates and look into steps for forming a non-profit organization.

 

• Prepare a draft project charter for the Global Treps project. Assume that the project will take six months to complete and have a budget of $120,000. Use the project charter template provided in this text and the sample project charter provided in Table 4-1 as guides. You will be the project manager, and Dr. K. will be the project sponsor. Other team members will include Bobby, Ashok, Kim, and Alfreda. You plan to hold four shark tank like events plus develop the Global Treps site and application.

 

Prepare a change request for the Global Treps project, using the template provided on the companion website for this text. Assume that you have decided not to provide an online version of the show as it would be too much work for the initial project. Be creative when making up information.

This is not being done as it is not part of the project.

 

 

CHAPTER 04Running CaseNote:Additonal running cases are provided on The companion websiTe, including The Manage YourHealTh, Inc. case from The sevenTh editon of This TexT. ±emplaTe Fles are also available on The companionwebsiTe. ±his running case sTarTs here and contnues Through ChapTer 13. ±asks based on This case areexplained in The following ±asks secton; ThroughouT The book, These Tasks will build on work done inprevious chapTers and scenarios.Economic inequaliTy is a huge issue. A recenT sTudy found ThaT The world’s 80 wealThiesT individuals ownas much as The entre world’s pooresT 3.5 billion people. ±he richesT 1 percenT of The world’s populatonconTrol half of The world’s ToTal wealTh.15Many individuals, corporatons, charites, and governmenTagencies have projecTs and programs in place To a²empT To Tackle This and oTher imporTanT global issuessuch as susTainabiliTy, buT There are many opporTunites To do more.A grassrooTs group of college sTudenTs has decided To work TogeTher To do Their parT in making The worlda be²er place. ±he sTudenTs are from many di³erenT counTries, and several of Them meT aT globalconferences, Through sTudy abroad experiences, or on various InTerneT groups. STraTegic goals of Thisgroup include developing skills for boTh college sTudenTs and for needy populatons, sharing informatonon existng producTs and services ThaT promoTe economic growTh and susTainabiliTy, and promotngenTrepreneurship. Leaders of This group were reviewing some ideas for projecTs (all wiTh a signiFcanT I±componenT) ThaT They could do To supporT Their sTraTegic goals:1.Global Treps:Many people are familiar wiTh The Television show calledShark TankwhereenTrepreneurs (sometmes called “Treps”) presenT Their business ideas To a group of invesTors orsharks. Several colleges, high schools, and even elemenTary schools ThroughouT The world holdunique versions of a shark Tank like evenT. You believe ThaT creatng a non-proFT organizatonwiTh one cenTral mobile-friendly websiTe/applicaton To assisT groups in organizing These Types ofevenTs would spark even more enTrepreneurs ThroughouT The world. You would plan To holdseveral shark Tank like evenTs during The Term of The projecT and creaTe a siTe and applicatons Tohelp contnue developing more global Treps. ±his siTe/applicaton would include The followingcapabilites:a.Provide guidelines and TemplaTes for running a shark Tank Type of evenTb.AccepT donatons from poTental invesTors TargeTed Toward speciFc schools ororganizatons wishing To hosT an even (similar To The popularDonorsChoose.orgsiTewhere people can fund Teacher’s requesTs)c.AccepT ideas for needed new producTs or servicesd.Provide The abiliTy for organizatons To creaTe Their own cusTom siTe To soliciT localpartcipanTs and sharks, accepT applicatons, and promoTe The winners as well as loserse.Research ideas for a mechanism where a cerTain percenTage of all donatons and proFTsearned by conTesTanTs are donaTed back To The Global ±reps organizatonf.Provide an online version of The evenTs by showing videos or conTesTanTs and livereactons of The sharks while also ge´ng live inpuTs and donatons from viewers2.Change the Laws Campaign:Launch a global campaign To change laws To reduce furTher incomeinequaliTy and promoTe social responsibiliTy. ±his projecT would also involve creatng a mobile-friendly websiTe/applicaton ThaT would include informaton abouT currenT and proposed laws,allow discussions of poTental ideas To change laws, organize people To conTacT appropriaTelawmakers, eTc.

Attachments:

• 1495096326-Running_Cases_for_Chapters_04_thur_13 1 1.pdf
• 1495096327-Running_Cases_for_Chapters_04_thur_13 1.pdf