discussion post with references

Required Textbook:

Essentials of Corporate Finance Author: Ross, Westerfield & Jordon Evergreen Release

BNDL Essentials of Corporate Finance w/ Connect Publisher: McGraw Hill

ISBN# 9781264786169

1. WACC

What role does the cost of capital play in the overall financial decision making of a firms top managers?

2. DEBT VS EQUITY

Why do you think debt offerings are more common than equity offerings and typically much larger as well?

essay word doc

(Answer all questions; submit as a single, well-organized, properly formatted essay, including multiple APA references and citations)

Robertson Real Estate Recapitalization

Founded 25 years ago by CEO Steve Robertson, Robertson Real Estate (RRE) purchases commercial real estate (land and buildings), rents both to tenants. The company has shown consistent annual profits over the past 18 years, and shareholders have been pleased with the company’s management. Before he started RRE, Steve was also the founder and CEO of a now bankrupt Ostrich farm. This previous bankruptcy has made him extremely reluctant to undertake any type of debt financing, and he has financed the real estate company 100% with equity. Robertson Real Estate stock currently trades at $37.80 per share and has 8 million shares of common stock outstanding.

The company has been reviewing an opportunity to purchase a large segment of land in the southeastern United States for $85 million and plans to lease this property to one or more farming operations. The land purchase is expected to increase RRE’s annual pretax earnings by $14.125 million in perpetuity. Raylynne Givins, the company’s new CFO, determined the company’s current cost of capital is 10.2%. She feels the company would be more valuable if it added some debt to its capital structure, so she is evaluating whether the company should issue debt to fully finance the project.

Based on conversations with several investment banks, Raylynne believes RRE can issue bonds at par value with a 6% coupon rate. Her analysis suggests a capital structure using 70% equity / 30% debt would be optimal. If the company’s debt structure exceeds 30%, RRE’s bond rating would be lower and require a significantly higher coupon due to the increased exposure to financial distress and the associated higher financing costs. RRE has a combined state and federal corporate tax rate of 23%.

Questions:

• If RRE seeks to maximize total market value, should the company issue debt or equity to finance the land purchase? Explain.
• Suppose RRE decides to issue equity to finance the purchase.

1. What is the net present value (NPV) of the project?
2. Construct RRE’s market value balance sheet after it announces the firm will finance the purchase using equity.

• What would be the new price per share of the firm’s stock?
• How many shares will RRE need to issue to finance the purchase?
• Construct RRE’s market value balance sheet after the equity issue but before the purchase has been made.
• How many shares of common stock does RRE have outstanding?
• What is the price per share of the firm’s stock?
• Suppose RRE decides to issue debt to finance the purchase.

1. What will be the market value of RRE if the purchase if financed with debt?
2. Construct RRE’s market value balance sheet after both the debt issue and the land purchase. What is the price per share of the firm’s stock?

• Which method of financing maximizes the per-share stock price of RRE’s equity?

Strategic communication is an essential component of being an effective leader, especially when the business is going through a major change. One aspect of the position may be to alleviate concerns of various stakeholders.

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

• What are 2 ways a leader can alleviate concerns from various stakeholders at the beginning of a major change, before implementation? How do these ways vary from alleviating concerns after implementation?
• How do messages to different stakeholder groups differ? Why do some leaders find it necessary to change their message?

Assessment 1: Individual GRADED Q&A DISCUSSION (35%)

Welcome to the first graded assessment for MGMT3031 Business Strategy & Policy. This graded discussion forum provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of strategic management concepts, apply theory to a practical case scenario, and earn up to 35% of your final course grade.

Task 1: Your Discussion Questions

CASE STUDY: Strategic Stability in a Niche-Dominated Market

In St. Lucia, Heritage Logistics Services (HLS) is a medium-sized firm that has operated successfully for over fifteen years in a specialised logistics and transportation niche. The company focuses exclusively on secure transport and equipment handling for government agencies and regulated organisations.

Unlike many competitors, HLS has deliberately chosen not to expand its service offerings, instead refining internal processes, strengthening operational controls, and maintaining close relationships with a small number of high-value clients. This focused strategy has resulted in stable revenues, low staff turnover, and strong operational efficiency.

However, recent changes in the external business environment have raised concerns among senior management, including:

Increased regulatory requirements affecting transportation and security services

Technological changes influencing logistics tracking and reporting

Heightened expectations from government clients for transparency and accountability

Internally, HLS operates using a highly centralised functional structure, with most strategic decisions made by senior management. While this structure has ensured control and consistency, some managers believe it may limit organisational flexibility as environmental uncertainty increases.

You have been appointed as a Strategic Management Advisor and are required to assess the firms strategic position using ONLY concepts covered in Units 13 of the course.

Discussion Questions

1.Identify and discuss the MOST appropriate type of strategy currently being followed by Heritage Logistics Services. In your response:

-Clearly identify and define the strategy type

-Explain how this strategy is reflected in the firms long-term behaviour

-Use specific examples from the case study to support your discussion

2.a. Identify the MOST appropriate organizational structure for Heritage Logistics Services given its current operating environment.

b. Identify ONE (1) limitation of this structure and propose ONE (1) strategy to mitigate this limitation

3.Using ONE (1) external environmental assessment tool, analyze the key opportunities and threats facing Heritage Logistics Services in the St. Lucian context.

Your response should clearly explain how the selected tool helps managers understand and respond to external environmental forces.

Instructions for Your Submission

Your total response to all three questions must NOT exceed 800 words (references excluded).

Your response must be posted directly in the provided discussion forum.

Attachments are NOT permitted.

You must reply to the initial discussion topic posted by your Course Instructor, Mrs. Sheralin Monrose-Gustave, to submit your work.

APA 7 citations and references are mandatory.

Use Standard English, with correct grammar and spelling throughout your response.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Guidelines

This assessment follows AI Usage Level 2 Planning

Students MAY use AI tools to:

Brainstorm ideas and clarify concepts from Units 13

Improve grammar, sentence structure, and clarity of expression

Students MUST NOT use AI tools to:

Generate full answers or analytical paragraphs

Produce case analysis or application of theory on their behalf

All submissions will be reviewed for AI usage. Excessive AI-generated content may result in academic penalties.

Instructions for Turnitin Submission Graded Discussion

Before posting your final initial response to the graded discussion forum, you are required to submit it to Turnitin for plagiarism and AI detection review.

Submit only your final initial response to Turnitin (do not include peer replies).

You are allowed a maximum of three (3) submissions to Turnitin.

Submit early to allow time for revisions if required.

Only post to the discussion forum after completing the Turnitin review process.

Aim for a Similarity Index of 25% or less.

SI scores above 25% will be flagged and may attract penalties.

Failure to submit your initial response to Turnitin will result in an automatic penalty.

Task 2: Engage with Your Peers

Respond meaningfully (200300 words each) to two (2) peers.

Use the Reply link under each peers post.

Peer responses should extend discussion, provide insight, or respectfully challenge ideas.

Please note

This is a Q&A discussion forum. You must submit your response before viewing others posts.

Peer responses may take up to 30 minutes to become visible.

Avoid last-minute submissions.

Be analytical, creative, and professional.

Assessment 1: Individual Graded Q&A Discussion Student Rubric (35%)

Dimension	Criteria for Full Marks	Max Marks
1. Strategy Type Identification & Application	– Clearly identifies and correctly defines the MOST appropriate strategy type currently being followed by Heritage Logistics Services (HLS), using concepts – Clearly explains how this strategy is reflected in the firms long-term behaviour, decision-making, and market positioning. – Uses specific and accurate examples from the case study to justify the strategy choice. – Demonstrates a clear understanding of strategic stability and niche-focused strategies in the context of HLS.	10 marks
2. Organizational Structure Analysis	– Correctly identifies the MOST appropriate organizational structure for HLS given its size, operating environment, and strategic orientation. – Clearly explains why this structure is suitable using relevant organizational theory. – Identifies one (1) clear limitation of the chosen structure. – Proposes one (1) realistic and well-reasoned strategy to mitigate the identified limitation, aligned with the firms context.	6 marks
3. External Environmental Assessment Tool Application	– Selects one (1) appropriate external environmental analysis tool). – Correctly explains how the tool works. – Clearly identifies and explains key opportunities and threats facing HLS using the selected tool. – Demonstrates clear application of the tool to the St. Lucian business and regulatory context, rather than generic analysis.	10 marks
4. Peer Engagement and Contribution	– Provides meaningful, analytical responses to at least two (2) peers (200300 words each). – Responses extend the discussion by adding insight, examples, or constructive critique. – Demonstrates engagement with peers ideas rather than repeating content. – Maintains a professional and respectful academic tone throughout.	10 marks
5. Spelling, Grammar, and Clarity	– Writing is clear, coherent, and professional. – No significant errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, or sentence structure. – Ideas are logically organised and easy to follow within the 800-word limit.	4 marks
6. Citation and Referencing (APA 7)	– Uses reputable academic sources to support analysis. – All in-text citations are correctly formatted in APA 7 style. – All references are listed correctly at the end of the post. – Ideas from sources are paraphrased in the students own words, with no evidence of plagiarism or over-reliance on AI-generated text.	10 marks

SUBMISSION REQUIRED.

The following section of the chapter one should be submitted by Wednesday of this week 4:

• Theoretical and conceptual framework
• Research Questions
• Nature of the Study

By the end of this session the student should complete Chapter One by completing the following sections below and being approved by the Dissertation Chair in terms of to be enrolled to the next dissertation block: Chapter Two.

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Chapter One of the dissertation lays out the framework of the research plan, and it should include the following Sections:

• Problem Background
• Problem Statement
• Purpose of the Study
• Theoretical and conceptual framework,
• Research Questions
• Nature of the Study
• Significance of the Study
• Definition of the Terms

Chapter one should include exactly the following Sections in the order given in this template. Subsections and lower levels of sectioning can be included if deemed to be appropriate.

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

In the Theoretical and Conceptual Framework Section, describe the theories and/or the concepts that underlie your study. In general, these are theories or postulates that are commonly accepted to be valid. Still, their applicability in the situations pertaining to your research is not verified. The framework should not only be in general terms; therefore, specific example(s) should be included for clarity.

Subsection

Sub-Subsection

Research Questions

In this Section, you break your research purpose down into components that cumulatively lead you to achieve the studys goals. Research questions (RQs) should be simple components of the purpose of the research, which cannot be broken down further. A RQ should be stated in a simple interrogative sentence. RQs should not be in a composite sentence; neither should they be stated in a hierarchical structure. Each RQ should address one issue at a time. If you want to address several issues, address them separately with several RQs. Keep in mind that RQs should not be stated in a way that leads to binary answers. If this Section contains only RQs, it does not look good in the eye of the reader, and is not complete. Therefore, in addition to listing the RQs, you need to explain in separate paragraphs how the answers to the RQs cumulatively lead you to achieve the purpose of your research. Please number your RQs, and state them separately from the paragraphs that describe their significance. The RQs should be in alignment with the problem statement.

The wording of the RQs reflects the nature of the data to be collected and analyzed. Examples of RQs are provided below. Please note that at least three (3) RQs in precise terms, and in alignment with the purpose of the study, are required for dissertations. Please see the following two examples of the format of the RQs, aligned with the problem statements mentioned before. However, you are required to provide a minimum of three research questions in alignment with the purpose of the study as derived from your problem statement.

RQ 1: To what extent does the economy of UAE relate to the price of oil? (Quantitative)

RQ 2: What would be other investment option for the UAE to reduce the risk of dependence on oil and gas? (Qualitative)

Nature of the Study

This Section should include the following Subsections and any other additional subsections if deemed to be appropriate.

Explication of the Research Methods and the Consistent Alignments

This Subsection starts with the statement explaining that if the study is quantitative, qualitative, or both (mixed methods). The general explanation of the implementation of the research plan will then be provided. In addition, the alignment of the research plan with the purpose of the study should be evident per content of this Section, and be justified.

The Nature of the Data and the Procedure for Data Collection

This Subsection starts with describing the data needed for the research, and how the researcher will access the data. Accessibility of the data by the researcher is of crucial importance, as inaccessibility of the data makes the research to be impossible. Evidence of accessibility of the needed data should also be included in this Subsection.

Data Collection Instrument(s)

Description of the data collection instrument(s) planned to be used in the research, and the pilot study if needed (e.g., if the instrument is to be designed by the researcher).

The Population and the Sample(s)

In this Subsection the doctoral candidate identifies the underlying population, the unit of analysis in the research. The researcher then explicates the sampling procedure(s), including the sampling method (random, convenient, ), and the sample size.

Research Analytics

The content of this Subsection depends on the type of the proposed research. If the research is qualitative then its type has to be clarified and justified. The nature of the qualitative data coding that conforms with the proposed research has to be elucidated. If the research is quantitative, then the nature of the incorporated variables has to be clearly delineated. The quantitative methodology which is consistent with the nature of the research has to be addressed.

I attached what we did before to continue working on it .

Instructions

Over the past 4 weeks, you have examined many forms of communication. You are, once again, going to focus this information on a specific area…marketing. Please read all the articles in this week’s content section to give you a good idea of what you need to do to come up with a good marketing campaign. Create a fictional company and present a marketing campaign to brand that company. Make sure that you give some background as to what the company sells and who you are trying to reach, your campaign should target that audience. Think of yourself as a marketing executive and you are trying to convince the customer (owner of the company) why your marketing plan will be effective. You do not need to create an all-inclusive campaign; you just need to be able to clearly express your ideas to your client. These ideas should include how you intend to reach their target audience andshould be supported by researchto show your client that you have investigated their company as well as the market that they intend to sell. Please attach your paper as a Word document to this assignment.

Submission Requirements

Paper must include:

• Cover page
• 34 pages content
• Reference page

Additional sources: Wikipedia is not an acceptable source for this paper, please choose scholarly references including journals, textbooks, etc. Visit the Trefry Library at APUS for research assistance and scholarly works.

Be sure to review the following prior to submitting your assignment:

• Assignment Rubric
  • If you do not see the rubric in the blue horizontal navigation bar, select Course Tools, then Assignments. Select the appropriate assignment, and the rubric will be located near the bottom of the page.

For this assignment, you will revise the email that is provided as a PDF (attached to these instructions).

By revise, I mean that you must use the same ideas and basic content, but you can completely re-word, re-organize, and re-format those ideas. Pay attention to concise writing, specific details, section headers where necessary, tone, punctuation, clarity, “You” attitude, typographical cues (bullet lists, bold, etc.). If you choose to use AI, elaborate with a detailed analysis of what it did that you agreed with and what you didn’t agree with – and why.

TIP: You should use the information from the textbook regarding style, readability, etc. Once youre finished, simply upload the new email to this assignment folder on D2L.

NOTE: Although you will be using the email format, you will upload this assignment as a Word document. Just write the subject line at the top of the email, and then type the email content in the Word document.

Question 1

Select one of the following three questions to answer in this discussion:

1. Use AI to inquire about Bennis and Nanus’s (1985) determination that leaders who practice transformational leadership have four strategies in common. What are they? Compare your AI answer with the lesson about this topic. Are they the same? What is different? Give your opinions.

   OR

2. Review the case study in the week four lesson called Case Study – LMX and answer the questions at the end.

   OR

3. Review the case study in the week four lesson called Case Study – Transformational Leadership and answer the questions at the end.

Peer Reply Guidance:

Responses are substantive and encourage discussion by proposing a different point of view supported by an attribution to a source, personal example, or personal application. All responses include related follow-up questions to promote continued discussion.

Question 2

The assignment consists of two assessed components. The first component is a forum- based submission. The second component is the final individual submission. Attached file contains all details of this assignment.

Directions:

• Discuss your textbook’s concepts, principles, and theories. Cite your textbook and cite any other sources if appropriate.
• Your initial post should address all components of the question with a 500-word limit.
• Reply to at least two discussion posts with comments that further advance the discussion topic.