University of Toronto, Department of Economics, ECO 204, 2022-2023, Solo Project 1 Department of Economics (STG), ECO 204, 2022 – 2023 (Ajaz’s Sections) ECO204 2022-2023 PROJECT 1 YOU MUST DO PROJECT 1 ON YOUR OWN (I.E. PROJECT 1 IS AN INDIVIDUAL – NOT A GROUP – PROJECT) PROJECT 1: IMPORTANT FACTS/REMINDERS PROJECT 1 COMPONENTS (MAX) 5-PAGE BUSINESS REPORT WITH TECHNICAL APPENDIX + EXCEL MODEL PROJECT 1 OVERALL COURSE GRADE: 3% “RELEASE DATE” THURSDAY. OCT 27TH “DUE TIME/DATE” 11 PM, THURSDAY, NOV 17TH “WHERE/HOW TO SUBMIT” THROUGH QUERCUS AND CROWDMARK (SEE BELOW) PENALTY EACH DAY PROJECT IS LATE 100% OF THE PROJECT 1 SCORE “Admin Steps” Go to ECO204 Course Website (username and password was posted on Quercus) Front Matter: Course Materials/Platforms ECO 204 2022-2023 Harvard Business School Case Packet Purchase, download, and read the Container Transportation Company case (always stick to the facts in the case; never “go outside” the case [“Googling”, for example]) Install Microsoft Office (especially Excel and the “Solver” Excel Add-in). You may want to review the Excel Solver lessons posted under “Resources” on the ECO204 Course Website “Situation and Audience” You are Thomas Young, regional manager in the case. You will “analyze and solve” this case and write a (max) 5-page Business Report to “top management” with: A (brief) review of current operations and financials. Your “recommendations” on whether, if possible, CTC can earn higher revenues by adjusting the price per TEU for cargo emanating from each of the ten countries destined for Dubai (in the low and high seasons) as well as whether CTC should tighten or loosen any constraints. “The Business Report and Excel Model” (Max) 5-pages business report with a cover page and one-page executive summary (cover page and one-page executive summary don’t count towards the 5-page requirement.) plus an optional technical appendix. There are no specific restrictions/requirements on fonts, font size, margins, etc. You’re an adult – show us your creative side! You are writing a business-report not an academic research paper. Refer to your notes from the “writing tutorial”. Avoid “jargon”, “fluff”, “verbose”, and “overly technical writing”(for example, would you really want top management to read = or, gulp, ). Clear thinking is clear writing and clear writing is clear thinking. 2 University of Toronto, Department of Economics, ECO 204, 2022-2023, Solo Project 1 Make judicious use of graphs, tables, Excel screenshots, and pictures in the business report – don’t be that writer who crams their report with “filler/decorative” graphs, tables, etc. Do you have a “technical” graph which doesn’t “fit” in the report Put it in the technical appendix (which has “no page limit” within common reason). The Excel file should be properly formatted and labelled. For example: are the top rows “frozen” Did you adjust column widths to auto-fit data Are the numbers formatted to the same number of decimal places Are the axes labelled “Set up” the Excel file to make it easy for your “client/audience” to use your
model with different input/parameter values (why not shade the “input/parameters” yellow and the Solver cells green etc. ) We highly recommend “soft coding” formulas and “naming variables” making it easier for your client/audience to change the parameters, re-solve the problem, and view the “analysis” and “recommendations”. “Submitting Project 1” The business-report must be in pdf format titled “LastName_FirstNam3_Last 5 Digits of Student ID.pdf ” while the Excel file must be in either “xlsx” or “xslm” format titled “LastName_FirstName_Last 5 Digits of Student ID.xlsx/xlsm” Please submit the business-report and Excel file through the Quercus Project 1 Tab and submit the business-report through Crowdmark (latter: you will receive an e-mail in 48 hours with instructions on how to upload the report to Crowdmark). Please see the course policies page on the 204 Course Site. “Late Submissions” Penalty for submitting any component of Project 1 past the deadline: 100% of the project grade per day. “Academic Code of Conduct” It is your responsibility to read and abide by the Student Academic Code of Conduct. Please note that any attempt to “collaborate”, “receive/provide help” to any other individual/organization is a serious violation of the academic code of conduct. BUSINESS REPORT GRADING RUBRIC Excellent Good Fair Problematic Score: 3 2 1 0 Economic Argument, Concepts & Evidence Clearly stated argument & concepts. Economic reasoning is sound and indicates thorough understanding of concepts discussed in class. Fairly clear and convincing argument. Adequate use of economic concepts. Demonstrates understanding of topics discussed in class. Argument is confusing or contradictory. Weak definition/application of economic concepts. Demonstrates some understanding of topics discussed in class. No clear argument. Confused or no use of economic concepts. Poor quality and little if any displayed evidence of understanding of topics discussed in class. Organization & Flow Each main point is written in a separate paragraph, in a logical order. Paper closes with a clear and convincing call to action. Each reason is written in paragraphs, but not necessarily separate. Closing gives a fairly clear and convincing call to action. Reasons are not written in distinct paragraphs. Closing gives a call to action, although not well supported. Reasons are not written in good paragraphs and have questionable order. No clear or convincing call to action at close. Writing: Clarity, Conciseness, Sentence Structure, Grammar, Active Voice, Interest to Reader Easy to read, even for a non-specialist. Writing enhances understanding and interest. Short, clear, correctly structured sentences with active voice throughout. Minimal (if any) errors. Mostly easy to read. Mostly short, clear, correctly structured sentences with active voice. A few minor errors. Sentence/word level problems get in the way of understanding, distracting reader in places. Some passive voice and/or jargon. Significant sentence/word level problems make it difficult for reader to understand argument. Considerable passive voice and/or jargon.