We are all strategists. That is, we set goals, navigate threats, and tap opportunities. We leverage our resources and implement decisions and actions to reach our goals. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail.   (Adapted from Figure 1.1, Grant, 2022, p. 7) Please share an experience in which you played the strategist. What was your goal? Did the goal fit (or not fit) with the realities of the external environment and your resources? What implementation decisions and efforts did you make? Was your strategy successful or not? Why? Did strategy execution (i.e., implementation, monitoring, and control) play a key role in your strategy’s success or failure?

Four factors are important when assessing the global business environment: Political Risk Economic Risk Legal Risk Technological Risk For your Portfolio Project, you have been asked to move to a country of your choice and take over as a manager at one of your company’s subsidies that isn’t performing to its potential. The discussion for this week pertains to that scenario. Choose one of these four factors and discuss a ‘risk’ that could affect or has affected the company operations in the country you have chosen for your expansion plan. Describe how this risk relates to your selected country and organization.

Oriole Company received the following selected information from its pension plan trustee concerning the operation of the company’s defined benefit pension plan for the year ended December 31, 2025.     January 1, 2025   December 31, 2025 Projected benefit obligation   $1,490,000   $1,517,000 Market-related and fair value of plan assets   793,000   1,124,300 Accumulated benefit obligation   1,614,000   1,736,100 Accumulated OCI (G/L)—Net gain   0   (199,000) The service cost component of pension expense for employee services rendered in the current year amounted to $77,000 and the amortization of prior service cost was $122,100. The company’s actual funding (contributions) of the plan in 2025 amounted to $252,000. The expected return on plan assets and the actual rate were both 10%; the interest/discount (settlement) rate was 10%. Accumulated other comprehensive income (PSC) had a balance of $1,221,000 on January 1, 2025. Assume no benefits paid…

When privately-held Toys "R" Us filed for bankruptcy in fall 2017, it disclosed that it had $5 billion in debt and was spending about $400 million per year for interest on that debt. Toys "R" Us net debt was $109.0 million in 2005, just before being taken over by private equity buyers in 2005. In that takeover, the company incurred $5.3 billion in debt. Sales revenue in the twelve months before the buyout in 2005 were $11.2 billion. Sales in the twelve months ending October 2017 were $11.1 billion.During the bankruptcy and store closing announcement in March 2018, the Toys "R" Us CEO stated that the company had fallen behind on the general upkeep and condition of its stores, which contributed to the decline in sales. It has also faced intense competition from other retailers, such as Amazon.com and Walmart. Toys "R" Us had had plans during 2017 to invest in technology, upgrade its stores to have toy testing areas, and create other features that would draw customers into the stores, but…

D'Lite Dry Cleaners is owned and operated by Joel Palk. A building and equipment are currently being rented, pending expansion to new facilities. The actual work of dry cleaning is done by another company at wholesale rates. The assets, liabilities, and common stock of the business on July 1, 20Y4, are as follows: Cash, $45,000; Accounts Receivable, $93,000; Supplies, $7,000; Land, $75,000; Accounts Payable, $40,000; Common Stock, $60,000. Business transactions during July are summarized as follows: a. Joel Palk invested additional cash in exchange for common stock with a deposit of $35,000 in the business bank account. b. Paid $50,000 for the purchase of land adjacent to land currently owned by D'Lite Dry Cleaners as a future building site. c. Received cash from customers for dry cleaning revenue, $32,125. d. Paid rent for the month, $6,000. e. Purchased supplies on account, $2,500. f. Paid creditors on account, $22,800. g. Charged customers for dry cleaning revenue on account,…

Colleen Company has gathered the following data pertaining to activities it performed for two of its major customers. Jerry, Incorporated Kate Company Number of orders Units per order sales returns: Number of returns Total units returned Number of sales calls. 3 2,000 60 360 1 60 5 140 4 Colleen sells its products at $290 per unit. The firm's gross margin ratio is 20%. Both Jerry and Kate pay their accounts promptly and no accounts receivable is over 30 days. After using business analytics software to carefully analyze the operating data for the past 30 months, the firm has determined the following activity costs: Activity Sales calls Order processing Deliveries Sales returns Sales salary Cost Driver and Rate $ 700 per visit 460 per order 100 per order 210 per return and $5 per unit returned 80,000 per month Complete this question by entering your answers in the tabs below. Required 1 Required 2 Using customers as the cost objects, classify the activity costs into cost categories…

Journal Entries Rocky Mountain Tours Co. is a travel agency. The nine transactions recorded by Rocky Mountain Tours during June 20Y2, its first month of operations, are indicated in the following T accounts: Cash (1) 40,000 (2) 4,000 (7) 13,100 (3) 5,000 (4) 6,175 (6) 6,000 (9) 1,500 Equipment (3) 15,000 Dividends (9) 1,500 Accounts Receivable Accounts Payable Service Revenue (5) 20,500 (7) 13,100 (6) 6,000 (3) 10,000 (5) 20,500 Supplies (2) 4,000 (8) 2,200 Common Stock (1) 40,000 Operating Expenses (4) 6,175 (8) 2,200 Prepare the nine journal entries from which the postings were made. Journal entry explanations may be omitted. If an amount box does not require an entry, leave it blank.

Innovative Consulting Co. has the following accounts in its ledger: Cash, Accounts Receivable, Supplies, Office Equipment, Accounts Payable, Common Stock, Retained Earnings, Dividends, Fees Earned, Rent Expense, Advertising Expense, Utilities Expense, Miscellaneous Expense. Journalize the following selected transactions for October 2012 in a two-column journal. Journal entry explanations may be omitted. If an amount box does not require an entry, leave it blank. Oct. 1. Paid rent for the month, $2,500. 4. Paid advertising expense, $1,000. 5. Paid cash for supplies, $1,800. 6. Purchased office equipment on account, $11,500. 12. Received cash from customers on account, $7,500. 20. Paid creditor on account, $2,700. 27. Paid cash for miscellaneous expenses, $700. 30. Paid telephone bill for the month, $475. 31. Fees earned and billed to customers for the month, $42,400. 31. Paid electricity bill for the month, $900. 31. Paid dividends, $1,500.

Cash Accounts Receivable Supplies Prepaid Insurance Equipment Notes Payable Accounts Payable Debit Balances Credit Balances 20,350 37,000 1,100 200 171,175 36,000 26,000 Common Stock 50,000 Retained Earnings 94,150 Dividends 15,000 Fees Earned 429,850 Wages Expense 270,000 Rent Expense 63,000 Advertising Expense 25,200 Miscellaneous Expense 5,100 608,125 636,000