Discussion 5: Projects and Processes 

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Topic

What is a project?

What is a process?

How do projects differ from business processes?

What are the main factors that cause projects to fail?

Instructions

Initial post will be due by Thursday and responses to at least two (2) other classmates’ posts between Thursday and Saturday. 

Responses to classmates’ posts should have at least 150 words. Responses should be substantive (having substance, more depth than just “I agree/disagree,” “Good answers”). Remember to be respectful and courteous to others when you are communicating in any online open forum. Your discussion comments and replies should be supportive and kind; do not be openly critical of what someone else posts.  If you do not like or agree with what another classmate has posted you do not need to reply to that student – simply reply to someone else’s initial post. And if you find something that someone else has posted to be offensive or grossly incorrect you should email your instructor about it.

For this assignment, you will create a sponsorship proposal on behalf of the Jayhawkville United FC team that will target a major sponsor. The target sponsor can be any existing brand in any product category. Your sponsorship proposal will include:

An in-depth description of the relevant features of the property (Jayhawkville United FC)

A detailed description (psychographics, demographics, other relevant features) of JUFC’s target market(s)

• A specific and detailed explication of the fit (target market, image, etc.) and relevance between the property and target sponsor
• A detailed description of the specific inventory (assets) being offered to the target sponsor
• The cost of the proposed sponsorship deal to the target sponsor. [While we hope to see some details and justification regarding the price points you estimate, we understand that gauging these numbers based solely on publicly available information can be challenging. Therefore, please provide estimates at whatever level of detail seems feasible. If providing only the total estimate based on existing examples is all you can do, that’s perfectly acceptable].
• Additional Instructions:
• A comprehensive evaluation of the target market will require reflecting on the MLS and soccer target market.

When evaluating the inventory offered, think about the specific types of benefits discussed in the textbook and the sample inventory included in the ‘Learning Resources’ for this module as well as what you know about Jayhawkville Unted FC and Jayhawkville Stadium.

Similar to your M5 Discussion post, you should estimate the cost by using elements of competitive market strategy approach (i.e., by exploring the costs of similar sponsorships in the market).

While we do not require adherence to any specific sponsorship proposal template, the proposal should be presented in the style of a business report or proposal. Below are a couple of examples for inspiration. Please note, these are just examples, and even if a template you prefer does not include a specific element outlined in the assignment prompt (e.g., discussion of fit), you still need to include it.

• Sponsorship proposal template #1 (Sponsorship Collective)Download Sponsorship proposal template #1 (Sponsorship Collective)
• Sponsorship proposal template #2 (HubSpot)Download Sponsorship proposal template #2 (HubSpot)
• Sponsorship proposal template #3 (University of Tasmania)Download Sponsorship proposal template #3 (University of Tasmania)
• Remember, the best proposals are going to be those that are backed up with relevant facts, statistics, and a rationale for each element of the proposal. Be thorough and include at least seven outside resources.

This assignment pertains to the content you learned in this module and Jayhawkville.

• Click on the “Jayhawkville” tab in the left-hand navigation.

Then select the “Community” tab

Choose “Sports Facilities”

Select “Jayhawkville Stadium”

Case 7 – Biased Feedback Increases Employee Exit Rates, Study Says

By Mark Feffer -September 22, 2023

Although the pervasiveness of bias in the workplace has gotten increasing attention in recent years, the on-the-ground challenges haven’t changed much, according to new research from Textio.

In the last decade, “what hasn’t changed are the same broad patterns of bias in feedback that show up in the workplace year after year,” said Textio CEO Kieran Snyder.

And there’s a clear connection between the quality of performance feedback and employee retention rates, the report said. A key finding: Employers can change their retention patterns by making sure all employees regularly receive clear and actionable feedback.

Research published last year by Textio found that women, Black and Hispanic workers systematically received significantly lower-quality feedback than their coworkers. This year, Textio’s report, Language Bias in Performance Feedback, found not much has changed during the intervening months: women and people of color continue to receive the lowest-quality feedback, and those groups are leaving their employers at the highest rates.

Low Quality, Low Action

Among the report’s findings:

Over 50% of employees received at least some feedback that was not actionable.

People receiving low-quality feedback are 63% more likely to leave their organizations than others, and 38% show risks of attrition in their current roles.

Black employees get 26% more unactionable feedback than non-Black employees, despite only receiving 79% as much feedback overall.

Most men, 83%, say they understand what’s required to earn their next promotion. In comparison, just 71% of women, non-binary and transgender people, and only 54% of Asian people of all genders, feel the same way.

People who get performance reviews containing “I think” hedging statements are 29% more likely to leave the company within a year.

In addition, women and people of color consistently receive lower-quality feedback than white men, the report said. As a result, they’re far more likely to leave their company within 12 months.

Bias About Bias

Those who believe generative AI and similar technologies will help address bias should bear in mind that end users – employees and candidates – aren’t sold on the idea. For example, a significant number of employed job seekers believe AI recruiting tools are more biased than their human counterparts.

Such concerns aren’t new. A 2019 report from NYU’s AI Now Institute found that, like most of the technology sector, the employees of companies building AI solutions are largely male and white.

“We live in a biased world, so AI systems absorb this training data and may correctly replicate decisions humans make,” John Harney, CTO of DataScava, a New York-based provider of unstructured data-mining solutions, said at the time. “Do we expect AI systems to somehow filter out bias when we can’t?” Solutions to that conundrum aren’t easy, he said. From a technical point of view, creating such filters can’t help but reduce a system’s intelligence – even though they produce unintended outcomes.

What is/are the problem/s?

What are the causes? (The article gives you a lot of possible causes, what do you think? Apply your subject knowledge and personal experience to understand why this issue is happening. The article mainly talks about things from an international perspective. How do these problems translate to a US context?)

What solutions do you propose? 

STRANDED ON A DESERTED ISLAND!

You and your college buddy decided to sign up for a “getaway” small boat cruise. Unfortunately, now you and several others are stranded on a deserted island following the sinking of your ship. Everyone agrees that the group must work together to survive and maximize the potential of a rescue but it is difficult to pull everyone together as most are still asking “How did this happen?” Clearer heads must prevail so you have decided to quickly take command of the situation: assess your surroundings, take inventory of provisions, identify risks that the group faces, and build a plan to maximize opportunities for survival and minimize threats.

THE ISLAND

• The island has a beach on the west and southwest sides.
• The eastern third of the island consists of high rock walls and rough surf.
• The island is approximately six miles long and two miles wide.
• About two-thirds of the island is tropical rainforest.
• There is a small lagoon or inlet on the forest side of the island.
• A freshwater spring emerges from the rock outcropping and forms a waterfall off the rock into the forest and pools before winding its way into the lagoon.
• Various types of wildlife inhabit the island.
• The island is away from marine shipping lanes, but there is another island visible several miles across the horizon to the northwest.
• There are some edible fruits and nuts on the island.
• The island is in a tropical weather zone.

PROVISIONS

• You have no means of transportation or communication with the outside world.
• You are equipped only with what would normally be considered standard provisions on a small boat.
• You have food to feed your group for one day.
• You have only five gallons of water.
• You salvaged about two gallons of gasoline from the boat before it sank.
• You have no firearms, but you do have one large knife and one pocket knife.
• You have a basic first-aid kit.
• You have no standard ignition sources.
• No one has extra clothes.
• One set of fishing gear was salvaged from the boat.

What are the risks that you face? What are the priorities (first, second, third)? What are your action steps to mitigate these risks and maximize opportunities for survival?

TO DO

You are tasked with the following:

• Post 1.) Import (upload) a simple table showing 5-6 Risks in Rank Order of Priority. Priority is based on your intuitive reasoning of likelihood and severity. Next to each, describe how you would mitigate this risk to maximize your survival. You may add a couple of summary sentences to your post to describe your overall logic.

Example Attached

Establish Budgeting Process and Cash Management standard operating procedures 

This SOP shall outlines the steps and guidelines for creating, reviewing, and approving the annual budget for the organization and outlines the procedures for managing cash flow, including cash collections, disbursements, and cash forecasting.. with supporting attachments.