Describe the value-at-risk method for measuring risk.
> Explain Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership styles and the two key behaviors associated with it.
> Briefly explain what a managerial grid is.
> What are the ten traits of effective leaders?
> Can an individual be too motivated? Discuss.
> Identify examples of pay-for-performance programs used by some organizations.
> What do you understand by the term open-book management? Is it effective?
> Briefly explain equity theory and what happens if there are iniquities at work.
> What are the different job design approaches to motivation?
> An unexpected ethical issue arose when Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria joined the European Union (EU). The start of the free movement of workers across the EU meant that workers from these countries could effectively undercut the domestic workforce. Wages
> How do goal-setting, reinforcement, and equity theories explain employee motivation?
> Describe each of the four early theories of motivation.
> What is motivation? Explain the three key elements of motivation.
> Explain the relevance of managers using shaping behavior
> On what basis does the attribution theory attempt to explain how we judge people differently?
> Discuss the impact of self-esteem on employee performance and job satisfaction.
> How does the cognitive dissonance theory seek to explain the relationships between attitudes and behavior?
> Satisfied and happy employees make for better productivity, lower absenteeism and turnover rate. Discuss.
> What are the goals of organizational behavior?
> Which employee behaviors are more critical to organizational success?
> How do you successfully manage a growing international company? Co-founder and chairperson of the Singaporean BreadTalk group, George Quek believes in a hands-on approach and believes that being physically present is key in navigating the often-complex p
> Everyone has a different personality. How would an organization make a diverse group of individuals work together harmoniously and effectively?
> Ethical communication includes all information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way.” Discuss
> Discuss the role of communication in customer service.
> How can changes in the physical work environment have a direct impact on communication systems?
> Define active listening.
> What are barriers to communication? What can managers do to reduce the chances of barriers to communication from occurring?
> Thanks a lot.” Can this phrase mean more than one thing? Explain why.
> Discuss whether men and women communicate differently.
> What is communication and how can a manager ensure proper communication exists in the organization?
> Describe the key benefits of teams.
> Although 44 countries have signed up for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Anti-Bribery Convention to outlaw bribery and corruption, the problem is still present. Let us consider Greece, which the OECD censored for failing
> Discuss how having clear goals can make a team more effective.
> Why are virtual teams not suitable for all situations?
> What are group norms?
> Discuss how group structure, group processes, and group tasks influence group performance and satisfaction.
> What is an informal group and can informal groups form within an organization?
> How does knowing the five stages of group development help you as the manager?
> What do you understand by the term family-friendly benefits? Give some examples of such benefits in action.
> List the factors that influence employee compensation and benefits.
> Distinguish between MBO and BARS as appraisal strategies.
> Describe the different types of training. How do organizations provide each type of training?
> In 2013, a clothing factory in Bangladesh collapsed, killing 1,138 people.25 Some 27 global brands, including Walmart and Benetton, were using the factory. One year on, these two corporations were amongst 22 of the 27 yet to contribute toward a compensat
> Mintzberg suggests that managerial roles should encompass interpersonal, decisional, and informational roles. Clearly, this is an idealized vision of the manager. They are encouraged to encompass all of these characteristics but this is an unattainable g
> What were some of the more obvious reasons for the SI crisis?
> The next expected dividend for Sun, Inc., will be $1.20 per share and analysts expect the dividend to grow at a rate of 7 percent indefinitely. If Sun stock currently sells for $22 per share, what is the required rate of return?
> Describe the main source of funds for credit unions. Why might the average cost of funds to credit unions be relatively stable even when market interest rates are volatile?
> Explain (using intuition instead of math) why stock prices may decrease in response to a higher risk-free rate according to the CAPM. In some periods, the risk-free rate rises in response to higher economic growth. Explain (using intuition instead of mat
> At the time that a management group of RJR Nabisco initially considered engaging in a leveraged buyout, RJR’s stock price was less than $70 per share. Ultimately, RJR was acquired by the firm Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts (KKR) for about $108 per share.
> Explain the meaning and use of implied volatility.
> Describe the role of the designated market maker on the New York Stock Exchange.
> Explain how underwriters use the overallotment option in IPOs.
> Explain why private equity funds use a very high degree of financial leverage, and how this affects their risk and potential return on investment.
> What are some possible disadvantages to investors who invest in stocks listed on a private stock market?
> Describe the dilemma of securities firms that served as underwriters for Facebook’s IPOs, when attempting to satisfy Facebook and the institutional investors that invested in Facebook’s stock. Do you think that the securities firms satisfied Facebook or
> Explain why some public firms decided to go private in response to the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act.
> Some critics argue that insider trading should not be regulated, because it allows market prices to more quickly reflect the inside information. Write a short essay that supports or refutes this opinion.
> Explain the incentive for private equity funds to invest in a firm and improve its operations.
> Businesses valued at less than $50 million or so rarely go public. Explain the limitations to such businesses if they did go public.
> Explain the dilemma of stock analysts who work for securities firms and assign ratings to large corporations. Why might they prefer not to assign low ratings to weak but large corporations?
> Explain how venture capital (VC) funds finance private businesses, as well as how they exit from their participation in a firm.
> Describe international ETFs and explain how ETFs are exposed to exchange rate risk. How do you think an investor decides whether to purchase an ETF representing Japan, Spain, or some other country?
> Explain how shareholder protection varies among countries. Explain how enforcement of securities laws varies among countries. Why do these characteristics affect the valuations of stocks?
> Denton Co. plans to engage in an IPO and will issue 4 million shares of stock. It is hoping to sell the shares for an offer price of $14. It hires a securities firm, which suggests that the offer price for the stock be $12 per share to ensure that all th
> Briefly describe the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Discuss how this act affects the monitoring performed by shareholders.
> How do you think accounting irregularities affect the pricing of corporate stock in general? From an investor’s viewpoint, how do you think the information used to price stocks changes in response to accounting irregularities?
> Describe spinning and laddering in the IPO market. How do you think these actions influence the price of a newly issued stock? Who is adversely affected as a result of these actions?
> The credit crisis that occurred in 2008-2009 could also be called an equity crisis due to systemic risk. Write a short essay to explain the impact of the credit markets on the equity markets during the crisis.
> Explain how the Financial Reform Act of 2010 attempted to prevent biased ratings of mortgage-backed securities by credit rating agencies.
> An insurance company maintains a large portfolio of U.S. stocks. Which of the following would be more appropriate? Sell stock index futures contracts. Remain unhedged. Defend your recommendation.
> Would you recommend high-risk or low-risk money market securities? Would you recommend high-risk or low-risk bonds? Why?
> Assume that the perceived risk of corporations in the United States is expected to increase. Explain how the yield of newly issued U.S. corporate bonds will change to a different degree than will the yield of newly issued U.S. Treasury bonds.
> How will economic growth in the United States be affected by the event? How might this influence the values of securities?
> Should investors have confidence in ratings by analysts who are affiliated with securities firms that provide consulting services to firms? Explain.
> What alternative sources of information about a firm should investors rely on if they cannot rely on financial statements?
> Should members of Congress be allowed to enact laws on accounting and financial matters while receiving donations from related lobbying groups?
> The government intervened to resolve problems in the mortgage markets during the credit crisis. Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of the government intervention during the credit crisis. Should the government intervene when mortgage market condi
> How will U.S. interest rates be directly affected by the event (holding other factors equal)?
> Why would a pension fund or insurance company consider selling stock index futures?
> Explain how the probability distribution of a financial institution’s returns is affected when it uses interest rate futures to hedge. What does this imply about its risk?
> Explain the difference between a long hedge and a short hedge used by financial institutions. When is a long hedge more appropriate than a short hedge?
> Describe the short selling process. Explain the short interest ratio. Investors can engage in short selling by selling a stock that they do not own. They must borrow the stock that they sell.
> Explain the difference between a market order and a limit order.
> How do earnings surprises affect valuations of stocks?
> Assume that the expected inflation rate has just been revised upward by the market. Would that change affect the required return by investors who invest in the stocks? Explain.
> Explain how economic growth affects the valuation of a stock.
> A consulting firm was hired to determine whether a particular trading strategy could generate abnormal returns. The strategy involved taking positions based on recent historical movements in stock prices. The strategy did not achieve abnormal returns. Co
> Explain how short sales work in the mortgage markets. Are short sales fair to homeowners? Are they fair to mortgage lenders?
> Explain how stock volatility changed during the credit crisis of 2008-2009.
> Estimate the real interest rate over the last year. If financial market participants overestimate inflation in a particular period, will real interest rates be relatively high or low? Explain.
> What are the risks of investing in stocks in emerging markets?
> Why can expectations of an acquisition affect the value of the target’s stock?
> What is the meaning of an initial return for an IPO?
> Describe the process of bookbuilding. Why is bookbuilding sometimes criticized as a means of setting the offer price?
> Are organized stock exchanges used to place newly issued stock? Explain.
> Explain why stocks traded on the NYSE generally exhibit less risk than stocks that are traded on other exchanges.
> Explain how ADRs enable U.S. investors to become part owners of foreign companies.
> Explain why the stock price of a firm may rise when the firm announces that it is repurchasing its shares.
> During the Credit Crisis. Explain why mortgage originators have been criticized for their behavior during the credit crisis. Should other participants in the mortgage securitization process have recognized that lack of complete disclosure in mortgages?
> Discuss the concept of asymmetric information. Explain why it may motivate firms to repurchase some of their stock.
> How do IPOs perform over the long run?
