BA 101 Written Assignments BA 101 Introduction to Business Online Written Assignments

BA 101 Written Assignments

BA 101 Introduction to Business Online

Written Assignments – News Analysis Reports

Grade: 100 points each – 50% of the final grade.

Overview:

Part of learning about business is to be aware of current business events as reported in professional business publications, as well as web resources, for topics studied in this course. In addition, research and critical thinking and analysis skills are valuable in business and in college. The news analysis reports are designed to give you the opportunity to practice these skills while surveying current business information of interest to you. Grading is based upon relevance to course topics, neatness and clarity, and following instructions. To receive full credit for this assignment you must follow instructions carefully.

News Analysis Reports. Each week, beginning with week 2, you will research current business articles from an approved list of sources and write a structured summary and analysis. These reports will be worth 50% of your grade and must be completed on time for credit. You may submit reports early to accommodate your schedule.

Instructions:

You will research and write 8 reports on current business news articles from publications listed at the end of this document.

To receive full credit for these assignments, you will find it helpful to re-read these instructions while you are completing the first assignments. Make sure you are completing the requirements and that your documents are in the correct format, which is graded.

Report due dates are listed on the course assignment schedule. Submit these reports in the appropriate Moodle homework assignment link, beginning with week two.

Reports must be submitted in Word or PDF for credit. Reports submitted in .pages, google docs or any other format I cannot access will not be graded or receive credit.

Format:

There is a required format for these reports. You will find a memo example on your course Moodle site. Assignments are graded on format as well as on content.

Reports are to be typed and double-spaced. Follow course writing guidelines, including spell check and proofreading.

Content:

From the listing of approved business publications on the last page of this document, choose a current article of interest to you about a business event that relates to a course topic. It will likely take you some time (1 hr or more) to find an appropriate article. Read the article, and if necessary explore related links. Be aware that brief articles will likely not give you enough material for this assignment, and you may need to do further research. Current articles are defined as those written within the last 2 months and preferably since the term began.

You may not use ‘educational articles.’ Educational articles are materials that describe ways to better perform a business function and are not related to a current business event or announcement. For example, if the title and content includes phrases similar to “10 ways to market your product” or “How to make sure your employees are engaged” the article is not appropriate for this assignment.

Write a summary analysis of your article listing and answering the questions below. Be thorough with discussion and explanations in order to receive full credit.

Specifically answer the questions below and write enough to show that you have thought about the article (around 1000 words). Restate (type word-for-word) each question from below at the beginning of each answer paragraph.

Use the example memo format to begin your report. Please provide the source of your article in the title block of the memo.

Type these questions and their answers:

What is the main subject of the article?

How does the article relate to a topic in this course? From which chapter? You must cite at least three specific examples of the connection to the course and include a comparison of what is in the article to what is in the text. **** Important note **** This is where the majority of the points for this assignment will be awarded.

At this time there is considerable concern about a widespread economic recession.
In your opinion, and from what you have learned from this article do you think the article indicates there will be a greater or lower chance of a recession. Will its impact be felt locally, nationally, or internationally?

What is the impact to consumers?

Why is the article of interest to you?

Sources for News Analysis Reports

One of the purposes of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to research and read professional articles on business topics. Popular publications and online resources for the mass market or social media are not to be used for this assignment.

Research one of the following publications, or request instructor approval for an alternative. Please note all these publications are available in print format at your college or public library. Web addresses have been checked but may not be current.

Business 2.0

www.business2.com

Bloomburg Businessweek

www.businessweek.com

Entrepreneur

www.entrepreneur.com

Fast Company

www.fastcompany.com

Forbes

www.forbes.com

Fortune

www.fortune.com

Inc.

www.inc.com

Kiplinger

www.kiplinger.com

Money

money.cnn.com

SmartMoney

www.smartmoney.com/

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/home-page

Oregon Business

www.oregonbusiness.com.

Also:

CNN

BizJournal

Black Enterprise

Career Magazine

The Economist

Hispanic Business

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