Reference no: EM132096426

COMPETENCIES

Capstone

The graduate integrates and synthesizes competencies from across the degree program and thereby demonstrates the ability to participate in and contribute value to the chosen professional field.

SCENARIO
For this task, you will demonstrate the competencies learned throughout your MBA training. Using the approved proposal and information from task 3, you will work with your client (or the client's designee) in the identified organization to resolve the business issue. You will work closely with your client by meeting on a regular basis as you develop a long-term solution that meets the client's needs. Use the attached "Executive Summary Template" in developing this client business report.

You will consult with your client as needed to clarify and guide your work. You will also conduct a final meeting to present your findings and recommendations.

Note: Any information that would be considered confidential, proprietary, or personal in nature should not be included in the actual task submission to WGU. Do not include the actual names of people, suppliers, the company, or other identifiable information. Fictional names should be used. Also, company-specific data, including financial information, should not be included but should be addressed in a general fashion as appropriate. Work performed for a client or for an employer is their property. You must obtain their permission to include the work. Use the linked "MBA Capstone Client Verification Form" to document your client's approval.

REQUIREMENTS
Your submission must be your original work. No more than a combined total of 30% of the submission and no more than a 10% match to any one individual source can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. An originality report is provided when you submit your task that can be used as a guide.

You must use the rubric to direct the creation of your submission because it provides detailed criteria that will be used to evaluate your work. Each requirement below may be evaluated by more than one rubric aspect. The rubric aspect titles may contain hyperlinks to relevant portions of the course.

A. Develop a formal business report (suggested length of 15-20 pages) using the attached "Business Report Template" by doing the following:

1. Provide relevant information about the chosen organization, including each of the following:

- history of the company

- detailed description of the product/service offerings

- target market

- number of employees

- location

Note: You may provide a range rather than specific numbers, if preferred by your client.

Note: You may provide a general region such as Midwest, Northeast, etc., if preferred by your client.

a. Summarize the business challenge that you identified in part A of task 3.

Note: Your recommendations in this task should address the same business challenge you discussed in task 3.

2. Analyze three functional areas (e.g., leadership, human resources, marketing, production, finance, IT) that are either contributing to or are impacted by the business challenge.

a. Discuss obstacles that have hindered organizational success.

3. Develop recommendations to resolve the client's business challenge while addressing each of the three functional areas from part A2.

Note: The appropriate number of recommendations will be based on the client's business challenge and may vary based on addressing each of the functional areas.

4. Create an action plan to implement each recommendation from part A3 that includes the following:

- people

- time

- equipment

- tools

- budget

- necessary processes to effectively implement recommendations

Note: This content may be presented as a detailed chart.

5. Create a visual timeline (e.g., Gantt chart, spreadsheet) that includes the start and end dates, milestones, and resources for each recommended action or activity from part A4.

6. Analyze the potential long-term financial return on investment the company may expect based on implementing your recommendations.

7. Discuss the broader organizational returns (e.g., morale, productivity, culture) the company may expect based on implementing your recommendations.

8. Provide a log of time spent with the client.

Note: This log should be a table/log of each meeting with your client, including a brief description of what occurred in each meeting. Submit the time log as a separate attachment.

9. Provide a reference list in APA format that includes three academic or business sources.

Note: References should be used to support recommendations and/or the long-term organizational benefits.

B. Develop an executive summary (suggested length of 1 page) using the attached "Executive Summary Template" that highlights the salient points of the business report from part A.