Final Essay Examination
The description and rubric for the research paper is presented as a separate document and posted in the resources area. The paper should be typed and doubled spaced with a minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 2,500 words. Be sure to include the cover, table of contents and references page. I expect research papers to be well researched and include several references and in-body citations.
This is not a team project. All students will do their own research, writing, editing and presentation.
Please use the MLA format for your citations and credible sources for your research. Wikipedia and About.Com are not credible are not credible research resources and should not be used.
The companies below are publicly traded companies
, so go to their websites and click on Investor relations to access their Annual or 10-K Reports under publications.
Suggested Cases for the Research:
LVMH Moët Hennessy- Louis Vuitton SA
True Religion, Inc
Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Tiffany Inc.
Antichi Pellettieri
Ralph Lauren Corporation
Coach Inc.
PVH Corp.
Fossil Group, Inc.
Elizabeth Arden Inc
Sample Table of Contents for the Research Paper:
Introduction, including the purpose of the paper (why are you writing the paper), products your assigned firm sells, or services they provide and how they do so to generate revenue, how long in business, market position, and location of the corporate headquarters.
Competitive strategy. Do they compete on low price, or premium price (differentiation)? If so, discuss.
Industry. Describe the industry the company belongs to, and the trends and forces that drive competition in the industry. You should also state and describe the government agency (s) that regulates the industry.
Short-term (measurable and specific objectives that can be achieved within a year or less) and long-term goals of the company. What are the strategies for achieving these short-term objectives and long-term goals?
Organizational structure of the firm. Is the company organized by department (function), product, division, or by geography? Does the structure creates too many layers for the firm, and slow down decision- making, or strategy implementation? If so, what are your recommendations?
Financial management. Compute and discuss the results of the following ratios for the firm: Current ratio regarding the liquidity of the firm, gross margin and net profit ratios regarding the profitability of the firm
Sample Formulas for Ratios:
Liquidity Ratios: Current ratio = current assets/current liabilities expressed as in decimals.
Profitability Ratios: Gross profit margin= sales – cost of goods sold/sales expressed as percentages, net profit margin = net profit after taxes/sales expressed as percentages, return on investment= net profit after taxes/total assets expressed as percentages.
Activity Ratios: Days of inventory = inventory/cost of goods sold/ 365 days, Average collection period = accounts receivable/sales per year /365 days
Leverage Ratios: Debt to asset ratio = total debt/total assets expressed as percentages.
Conclusion- no new information in a conclusion- just a brief statement of the top 2 or 3 points
References- be sure to offer multiple references
