MBA 502 Final Project Part II Guidelines and Rubric

Overview For this second part of the final project, you will produce a macroeconomic analysis paper related to the publicly traded company and its product or service that you chose for your microeconomic analysis. First, you will select three macroeconomic variables for the United States that directly impact the supply and demand of the company’s product or service you previously selected. Second, you will analyze the extent to which macroeconomic conditions in the United States have affected the financial performance of your chosen company over the last three years using macroeconomic and company performance data. Finally, you will evaluate how current monetary and/or fiscal policies in the United States are likely to impact your chosen company’s financial performance in the near future. This project addresses the following course outcomes:

 Assess how macroeconomic variables and policies impact the supply and demand of a company’s products or services based on trends in economic data

 Evaluate the effects of macroeconomic variables and policies on the financial performance of companies in the United States The project includes one milestone, which will be submitted in Module Eight to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. The final macroeconomic analysis paper will be submitted in Module Ten.

Part II Prompt Your macroeconomic analysis paper should respond to the following prompt: Analyze the extent to which the macroeconomic environment in the United States impacts the supply and demand of your chosen company’s product or service and assess the effects of macroeconomic conditions on your company’s financial performance. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Overview: Provide an overview consisting of a brief description of the chosen company, your chosen product or service, and annual sales.

II. Macroeconomic Variables For this section, you will utilize macroeconomic variables such as GDP growth, inflation, unemployment, and so on to relate trends in data to the supply and demand of your product or service. Include all calculations in an Excel file.

a) Select three macroeconomic variables in the United States that impact the supply and demand of your chosen product or service. Justify your selections.

b) Interpret the trends of the three selected macroeconomic variables for the past three years. Be sure to include gathered data. Based on the trends of the three macroeconomic variables, assess how they will impact the supply and demand of your chosen product or service.

III. Macroeconomic Policies a) Describe the current monetary and fiscal policies in the United States. Consider including how these policies affect your company and its

products and services. b) Predict how possible changes in monetary and/or fiscal policy may impact the supply and demand of your product or service.

IV. Macroeconomic Conditions and Company Performance

a) Describe the trends of two previously selected company performance variables (e.g., sales, stock pricing, net income) over the past three years. Keep in mind these are the performance variables selected in the microeconomic analysis.

b) Analyze the relationship between the two company performance variables and the three selected macroeconomic variables for the past three years using a correlation graph. Be sure to include the graph that represents the correlation.

c) Assess how the current monetary policy and fiscal policy in the United States may impact your chosen company’s financial performance in the short term (six months to one year). Justify your response.

Milestones

Part II Milestone: Overview and Macroeconomic Variables In Module Eight, you will submit the overview (Section I) and macroeconomic variables (Section II) components of your macroeconomic analysis paper. This milestone is a two-page paper structured as follows: First, it provides an overview consisting of a brief description of the chosen company, your chosen product or service, and annual sales. Second, it describes three macroeconomic variables in the United States that impact the supply and demand of your chosen product or service. Third, using graphs in Excel, it interprets the trends of the three selected macroeconomic variables for the past three years. Fourth, based on the trends of the three macroeconomic variables, it assesses how the trends will impact the supply and demand of your chosen product or service. Include all calculations in an Excel file. This milestone will be graded with the Part II Milestone Rubric. Part II Final Submission: Macroeconomic Analysis Paper In Module Ten, you will submit your complete macroeconomic analysis paper. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of Final Project Part II, including Sections III and IV. The final submission should first describe the current monetary and fiscal policies in the United States. Consider including how these policies affect your company and its products and services. Second, it should predict how possible changes in monetary and/or fiscal policy may impact the supply and demand of your product or service. Third, it should describe the trends of two previously selected company performance variables (e.g., sales, stock pricing, net income) over the past three years. Keep in mind these are the performance variables selected in the microeconomic analysis. Fourth, it should analyze the relationship between the two company performance variables and the three selected macroeconomic variables for the past three years using a correlation graph. Be sure to include the graph that represents the correlation. Finally, it should assess how the current monetary policy and fiscal policy in the United States may impact your chosen company’s financial performance in the short term (six months to one year). Justify your response. The final macroeconomic analysis paper should incorporate feedback from Part II Milestone and should also reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Part II Rubric.

Final Project Part II Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your final macroeconomic analysis paper should adhere to the following formatting requirements: 5–6 pages, double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font and the most current version of APA formatting. Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center. For more information, review these instructions.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Overview Meets “Proficient” criteria and expertly balances key detail with brevity

Provides an overview consisting of a brief description of the chosen company and product or service, including annual sales

Provides an overview consisting of a brief description of the chosen company and product or service, including annual sales, but overview has gaps in accuracy or detail

Does not provide an overview consisting of a brief description of the chosen company and product or service, including annual sales

5

Macroeconomic Variables: Impact

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the effects of macroeconomic variables on the supply and demand of the company’s product or service

Selects and logically justifies three macroeconomic variables in the United States that impact the supply and demand of product or service

Selects and justifies three macroeconomic variables in the United States that impact the supply and demand of product or service but selection has gaps in accuracy or justification is illogical

Does not select three macroeconomic variables in the United States that impact the supply and demand of product or service, justifying selections

11.25

Macroeconomic Variables: Trends

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the meaning behind trends in macroeconomic variables

Logically interprets the trends of the three macroeconomic variables for the past three years, including gathered data

Interprets the trends of the three macroeconomic variables for the past three years, including gathered data, but interpretation is illogical or data has gaps in accuracy or detail

Does not interpret the trends of the three macroeconomic variables for the past three years, including gathered data

11.25

Macroeconomic Variables: Assess

Meets “Proficient” criteria and shows sophisticated insight into the effects of macroeconomic variables on supply and demand of products or services

Assesses how macroeconomic variables will impact supply and demand of product or service based on trends

Assesses how macroeconomic variables will impact supply and demand of product or service but with gaps in accuracy or relevance to trends

Does not assess how macroeconomic variables will impact supply and demand of product or service

11.25

Macroeconomic Policies: Monetary and Fiscal Policies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and description includes key details about how U.S. policies affect companies

Describes current monetary and fiscal policies in the United States

Describes current monetary and fiscal policies in the United States but with gaps in accuracy or detail

Does not describe the current monetary and fiscal policies in the United States

11.25

Macroeconomic Policies: Possible

Changes

Meets “Proficient” criteria and shows keen insight into how monetary and/or fiscal policies impact supply and demand

Logically predicts how possible changes in monetary and/or fiscal policy may impact supply and demand of product or service

Predicts how possible changes in monetary and/or fiscal policy may impact supply and demand of product or service but with gaps in logic or detail

Does not predict how possible changes in monetary and/or fiscal policy may impact supply and demand of product or service

11.25

Conditions and Company

Performance: Variables

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of recent company performance variable trends

Describes trends of two company performance variables over the past three years

Describes trends of two company performance variables over the past three years but with gaps in accuracy

Does not describe trends of two company performance variables over the past three years

11.25

Conditions and Company

Performance: Relationship

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the relationship between company performance variables and macroeconomic variables

Analyzes relationship between company performance variables and selected macroeconomic variables over the past three years, including graph of correlation

Analyzes relationship between company performance variables and selected macroeconomic variables over the past three years, including graph of correlation, but with gaps in accuracy or necessary detail

Does not analyze relationship between company performance variables and selected macroeconomic variables over the past three years, including graph of correlation

11.25

Conditions and Company

Performance: Policy Impact

Meets “Proficient” criteria and shows keen insight into how current monetary and fiscal policies in United States may impact company’s financial performance in the short term

Logically assesses how current monetary and fiscal policies in United States may impact company’s financial performance in the short term, justifying response

Assesses how current monetary and fiscal policies in United States may impact company’s financial performance in the short term, justifying response, but assessment or justification has gaps in logic or detail

Does not assess how current monetary and fiscal policies in United States may impact company’s financial performance in the short term and justify response

11.25

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to- read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

5

Total 100%