Assignment 1
In 1999, a Seattle man took a popular soft-drink company seriously when one of its commercials made an offer of a Harrier jet, the famous high-tech jump jet used by the U.S. Marines. In a television commercial that aired in 1995, the company jokingly included the Harrier as one of the prizes that could be received with a mere 7 million company points. Although that sounds like a lot of points to get from drinking the soft drink company's products (roughly 190 drinks a day for 100 years), the company also allowed customers to purchase points for 10 cents each.
The man did the math and discovered that the cost of the 7 million points needed for the jet was $700,000. He then put together a business plan, raised the $700,000 from friends and family, and submitted 15 points, the check, and an official order form with a demand for the Harrier jet.
The company wrote back, stating that the Harrier jet in the commercial was simply used to create a humorous and entertaining advertisement. They apologized for any misunderstanding or confusion people may have experienced and enclosed some free product coupons.
The free coupons did not satisfy the man, who then took the soft drink company to court. Finally, a federal judge for the Southern District of New York held that the company was only joking when it implied in its ad that it was giving away fighter jets. The judge noted that because the jets sell for approximately $23 million, no one could have concluded that the commercial actually offered consumers a Harrier jet. Instead, this was a classic example of a deal that was too good to be true.
Write a paper of 4-6 body pages that answers the following questions, including an in-depth explanation of the supporting rationale:
• What are the key legal factors present in the scenario?
• What are the 4 elements of a valid contract? How do they relate to the scenario in question?
• What is the objective theory of contracts?
• How does the objective theory of contracts apply to this case?
• In your own words but based on research and analysis of relevant legal concepts and cases, why do you think the court held that there was not a valid agreement in this scenario? Provide support for your position.
• Are advertisements generally considered offers? Explain.
• How does this case differ from a reward situation in which a unilateral contract is formed upon completion of the requested act?
• What recommendations (at least 2) would you make for a company considering an aggressive marketing campaign with giveaways of high value items? Explain the rationale behind each recommendation.
DISCUSSION
1. What process should managers use to determine who the stakeholders are in a project?
2. An important aspect of planning a project is to identify the risks that could be involved if the project is undertaken. Discuss the process that should be taken in the project risk management phase. How can this process identify potential ethical and legal issues that are uncovered?
Assignment 2
Winsome Manufacturing Company produces plastic storage containers and sells them to the home consumer through home sales events. At the company's quarterly meeting, the head of marketing described a new product to be introduced in the first quarter of the next fiscal year, approximately 9 months from now. The product will be a room-sized plastic storage unit suitable to the outside of the home; it is similar to a competitor's product but will have significantly more features. This product will open new markets for the sales channel, lay the foundation for add-on products, and generate new revenues. Management has only seen preliminary sketches of the potential product but they are very excited by the new product.
The project will require participation from the design, production, purchasing, shipping, sales, and marketing departments. Winsome Manufacturing owns a line of suitable injection molds, so all manufacturing will be done in-house. The project manager for this project has not yet been selected, but that decision is expected to be made in the next week.
A preliminary project initiation meeting will result in the identification of the project sponsor, selection of a project manager, and creation of the project charter. A manager in the production department who knows you are taking a college project management course asks you to prepare a brief report to help him prepare for the meeting by answering the following questions:
• Who are the project stakeholders? How will they be involved in the project?
• Who should be the project sponsor? Why?
• From which department should the project manager come? Why?
• What skills and experience are likely needed by the project manager for each phase in the project life cycle, and how do they differ between the various phases?
• What type of communication plan will likely be needed during the project?
o What information should be shared with the project stakeholders?
o What is the mechanism that could be used for each type of information?
o What is the frequency with which information should be shared?
o What should be done if project communications are not proving to be effective?
o What technology could be used for project communications?
o At what point could communication about the project become an ethical or legal issue?
• What information should be included in the following elements of the project charter:
o What is the problem the project proposes to address?
o What business opportunity might project completion create?
o What is the business case for undertaking the project?
o What is the financial impact of the project?
o What are the expected results of the project?
o What value will the project add?
o What are risks that might be involved with undertaking the project?
o What is the potential impact to the company if the project is not undertaken?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.