BUS_306_eCAMPUS_Quality Research Paper_Fa_2022 – Copy.docx 1 / 2 BUS306 Quality Case Study

BUS_306_eCAMPUS_Quality Research Paper_Fa_2022 – Copy.docx
1 / 2
BUS306 Quality Case Study
**100 points**
In Chs.9-10 we discuss many examples of companies that have ‘faulty products/services’ due to a quality issue(s). Some firms have recurring quality problems (Blue Bell, Chipotle, etc.). Quality issues lead to a minimum of two things: (1) higher costs and therefore lower profitability; and (2) often injuries (including death) to consumers (and sometimes employees).
Deliverable: Write a 4-5-page research paper (APA-format) in which you personally select a company that has had a major quality issue (nothing earlier than 2015 without pre-approval from professor and none of the cases discussed in class) and research the impact on the firm’s revenues, market share, costs (warranty, replacement, repair, etc.), etc. What actions (or inactions) led to the quality issue? Could it have been prevented? How? What can be learned from your study that you can apply going forward after graduation to your future employer(s)?
“Show what you know” from Ch.9-10
At minimum your paper should include the sections referenced below. Divide and label your research paper into clearly labeled sections as per below for ease of readability/understanding:
1. Executive Summary (1-2 paragraphs highlighting the KEY points from each section #2-#7 below)
a. An Executive Summary has the purpose of summarizing an entire paper/project into just a couple paragraphs for senior managers (who often have limited time)
2. Firm Overview (introduce the firm, product/service, industry)
3. Which of the 3 Quality Categories (see PowerPoint) does your chosen topic fit, and why?
4. Actions/Inactions (What was the quality issue and how did it happen? Were the specifications clear? Did the firm intentionally ship defective products? Were the instructions to customers unclear?)
5. Impacts to Consumer and/or Employees (injuries, deaths, etc.)
6. Financial Implications to firm (higher costs, lost revenue, bankruptcy, rework, lawsuits, etc.)
7. Conclusions (Has the firm recovered from the issue? Were there management changes? Loss of Market Share? Etc.)
8. Lessons Learned (What can you apply from this assignment to your future career?)
Deliverable:
· 5-6-page paper on the topic of Product (or Service) Quality
· Max 12-pt font, double-spaced lines, max 1” margins
o At the top of Page 1, include the following: Student name, BUS306 Quality Research Paper (Smith), Date
· APA format
o Site sources throughout your paper
o Include a basic Bibliography at the end, which is not counted as part of 5-6 pages
§ Basic APA format: author(s), date, article name, journal
· Expectations
o Appropriate business grammar, sentence structure, effective paragraphing, clarity of thought, spelling, etc.
o Focus on the overall quality/quantity/professionalism of your submission
o The most important part of any ‘real-world’ assignment is an Executive Summary—where you streamline the overall conclusion into a concise paragraph(s), often supplemented by bullet points
o Divide your paper into clearly labeled sections (see above)
o Cross-check your findings (i.e., one journal article is NOT sufficient); ‘triangulate’ across 3-4 articles
o Integrate course concepts (specifically Ch.9-10) into your paper
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You may reference national newspapers (ex. Wall Street Journal), scholarly/academic peer-reviewed journals (ex. those found in EKU libraries (either hard-copies or e-subscriptions), such as International Journal of Operations & Production Management), monthly business journals (ex. The Economist, Fortune, etc.), college textbooks, relevant books, and special publications (ex. industry or governmental reports). Typically, 5-6 citations are sufficient unless I say otherwise. Never cite Wikipedia as it is not a trusted source for objective business research. Well-written research papers integrate various citations across various mediums (journals, newspapers, books, etc.) for concluding major themes, issues, etc.
Adding pictures to your research paper is very effective and highly encouraged. You can reference pictures in a different section (i.e., a ‘Supplemental Appendix’) or you can include them throughout your paper itself (i.e., in the ‘body’ of the paper). Again, pictures are not ‘required’ but are very helpful in providing “context” to your essay. If you take time to insert pictures, consider printing/submitting your document in ‘color’ for the full effect. And of course, I’m looking for a certain quantity & quality of writing (i.e., lots of pictures and minimal writing will be frowned upon!)…don’t do the ‘bare minimum’…do a great job! “Don’t be average…be exceptional” J
For those of you unfamiliar with inserting pictures in a Word doc, follow these simple steps:
1. Open your Word doc
2. Go to Word doc options at top and click “Insert”
a.
3. Then click “Text Box”
a.
4. Select the type of Text Box you want (I usually just go with ‘Simple Text Box’)
5. You can ‘size’ (stretch) the Text Box both horizontally and vertically to the dimensions you want
6. Copy & paste your picture into the Text Box (then size/stretch) your picture to “fit” the dimensions of your text box)
a. You can also add ‘words’ in a text box; for example, c you can say what the picture represents)
7. “Drag” (place) the Text Box (w/ pic) at a relevant location within your paper