Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, management homework help Business Finance Assignment Help

at least 500 words

Timberland, a New Hampshire– based manufacturer of rugged outdoor boots, clothing, and accessories, was long known for its deep commitment to corporate social responsibility. When VF Corporation, a huge apparel and footwear conglomerate ( and home to such brands as North Face, Wrangler, and Eagle Creek), acquired Timberland in 2011, many wondered whether VF would continue to support Timberland’s many social initiatives. 

Founded in 1918 in Boston by an immigrant shoemaker named Nathan Swartz, Timberland was run for almost a century by three generations of the Swartz family. Although the com-pany was taken public in 1987, the Swartz family and its trusts and charitable foundations continued to hold about 48 percent of Timberland stock until the acquisition. The compa-ny’s mission was “. . . to equip people to make a difference in their world. We do this by creating outstanding products and by trying to make a difference in the communities where we live and work.” Jeffrey Swartz, the grandson of the founder and the last member of the family to serve as CEO, put the commitment this way: 

(BLOCK QUOTE) At Timberland, doing well and doing good are not separate or separable efforts. Every day, everywhere, we compete in the global economy. At the center of our efforts is the premise of service, service to a truth larger than self, a demand more pressing even than this quarter’s earnings. While we are absolutely accountable to our shareholders, we also recognize and accept our responsibility to share our strength— to work, in the context of our for- profit business, for the common good. (BLOCK QUOTE)

Under the leadership of the Swartz family, the commitment to “ doing good” took many forms. In 1992, the company launched the Path to Service program, which provided em-ployees with numerous opportunities for community involvement— from engaging youth in art and cultural education in Kliptown, South Africa; to participating in rural medicine outreach in Santiago, Dominican Republic; to creating a 30- mile bike path along the sea-coast of New England. As soon as they were hired, employees were granted up to 40 hours of paid time per year to participate in company- sponsored community service activities. Although participation was voluntary, almost 95 percent did so, and most cited the pro-gram as one of the most valuable benefits offered by the company.

Timberland contributed more than 4 percent of its operating income as charitable gifts. In 2010, it gave more than $ 1million in cash donations, with hundreds of gifts of in- kind contributions— tools and materials for service events— and nearly $ 2 million in product donations. Timberland sent 25,000 pairs of shoes to Afghanistan so that schoolchildren there would have proper footwear. 

Timberland also focused on sustainability issues. By the end of 2010, Timberland had reduced its carbon emissions by 38 percent, from a 2006 baseline. The company had ac-complished this by installing LED lighting in its stores in the United States and directing its European stores to purchase renewable energy. Shortly before its acquisition by VF, Timberland unveiled new sustainability goals for 2015, committing the company to reduc-ing its carbon emissions by 50 percent and increasing its use of purchased energy from renewable sources to 39 percent of total energy consumption. Timberland established a baseline for its supply chain emissions and challenged all of its suppliers to meet Level 2 of the Global Social Compliance Program standards. “ Setting aggressive goals challenge us to go to places we never would,” said Timberland’s CSR Strategy and Reporting Manager.

In September 2011, right after the acquisition, Timberland celebrated its centennial birthday with a service event called Serv- a- Palooza at its corporate headquarters in New Hampshire. Timberland employees volunteered for various activities, including: 

• Touched by the suffering of families in tornado- devastated Joplin, Missouri, Timberland volunteers worked with Habitat for Humanity and framed four houses in its corporate parking lot to be shipped for final assembly in Missouri. 

• Timberland volunteers created a new outdoor community gathering and performance space, built an outdoor classroom at a local elementary school, and improved the high school athletic facilities in Newmarket, New Hampshire— the birthplace of Timberland. 

• Volunteers worked on “ greening” a community center for local nonprofit organizations, transforming the meeting space for local disabled veterans, and knitting blankets for families affected by the Missouri tornados. 

Many longtime Timberland employees were pleased to see that among the 566 volunteers were leaders of VF Corporation and their family members. “ Their involvement was impor-tant as we’re transitioning,” said a Timberland executive. “ People were wondering ‘ what now?’ To have VF and some of their outdoor brands participate in our annual day of ser-vice symbolized their commitment to understanding and experiencing something that is uniquely Timberland.” 

Sources: Based on author interviews and information from the company’s website at www. timberland. com. Both quotations by Jeff Swartz are from “ Doing Well and Doing Good: The Business Community and National Service,” The Brookings Review 20, no. 4 ( Fall 2002). Other quotes are from the company’s website. 

Discussion Questions

at least 500 words

1. Has Timberland balanced its economic and social responsibilities through its various programs, such as the annual Serv- a- Palooza event and sustainability goals? Are the company’s programs examples of enlightened self- interest? 

2. What are the arguments for and against Timberland’s social responsibility initiatives? 

3. If you were an executive of VF Corporation, would you support continuation of these initiatives? Why or why not?

Access (Due end of Week 4, Sunday, day 7 of Week 4).

Using Access, you will create a NEW database, including creating 3 tables (linked) (minimum 10 records per table, with minimum 5 fields per record), 2 types of queries, 2 types of forms, 2 types of reports, and advanced formatting tools.

Some sample Access ideas include: (1) inventory of technology at work, (2) inventory of your home/possessions for insurance purposes, (3) rolodex of all contact information you have on others.

Rubric/Grading Description —  Points (100 points, 15% of overall grade):
(1) 3 tables (10 points each) = 30 points.
(2) 2 queries (10 points each) = 20 points.
(3) 2 forms (10 points each) = 20 points.
(4) 2 reports (10 points each) = 20 points.
(5) Organized, formatted, and professionally presented Access file, including grammar items (correct spelling, etc.) = 10 points.
TOTAL Possible Points — 100 points total (15% of overall grade).

WEEK 4 DISCUSSION

WELCOME to the discussion for WEEK 4. We will be discussing some of the reading assignments pertaining to MS Access. Please note that participating in this discussion counts toward your class participation grade. You must respond in complete sentences for each question, unless directed to do otherwise, demonstrating in your reply that you have read the material in order to receive full credit. 

Readings: 

  Reading 1: Introduction to Reports
  Reading 2: Access Advanced Report Options
  Reading 3: Create a user interface (UI)

Deliverable for Week 4:

Discussion Topic: Filters (in regards to Access databases)

Your response:

There are FOUR items to each response:Item A (topic), Item B (definition), Item C (references), and Item D (discussion) unless specified otherwise. When you respond, they should be labeled accordingly.

Your response to Item C: You must provide one reference to an outside professional source such as a journal article, website, etc  formatting. Your response for Item D (see sample below) is required to be at least 70 words in length.. If your reply for this item is shorter, you will lose points. Note that in some cases you might have to give step-by-step instructions (see sample below)

Item A: Filter (is the topic) 
Item B: Define or describe the topic, including citations from sources. (“Access filtering is…”)
Item C: List the reference notation where this topic is discussed. (APA citation(s))
Item D: Discuss the importance of the topic. Cite specific examples from the readings. Include personal experience with the topic if appropriate. The answer to this item (Item D) must be at least 70 words in length. (“Access filtering is really useful because…”)

Consider the social issue identified by your Learning Team during Week 3 of this class.

** The social issue was homeless veterans.

Identify your target audience, and highlight their key characteristics and concerns.

**Target audience will be transitioning members, and veterans.

Develop a campaign to persuade the public to adopt the solutions that you identified during Week 3.  (You may modify the solutions that you proposed during Week 3, if you wish).

**We will be creating a Website that tracks the veterans and a workshop that provides all information needed for them.

Select the most appropriate media tools to persuade your intended audience to accept your proposed solution to your chosen social issue. Possible tools include a political campaign, a city council proposal, an editorial article, a commercial, a radio-style podcast, a comprehensive political pamphlet, an interactive game, a website, and so forth. Focus on creativity and on solid persuasive technique.

Create a presentation to summarize your campaign. Include the following in your presentation:

• ***A discussion of the key characteristics of your target audience(**this is my bullet, and I must have 3 slides with notes and references)
• An explanation of the main persuasive strategies and arguments that you will employ, and why you expect these to be effective
• Consideration of possible reasons your audience might reject your ideas.
• A discussion of ways to overcome these anticipated audience objections.

Organize your work in a Microsoft^® PowerPoint^® presentation of 10 to 12 slides. (This slide count does not include bookkeeping slides: title page, notes, etc. The slide count listed above should only include content slides.) Include detailed descriptions of audio/visual, internet, or other media used in your persuasive campaign.  (If your team has the skills, you may elect to create sample pieces, but this is not required.)

Format your assignment according to appropriate course level APA guidelines.