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Start with a broad topic.
To keep your sanity, it's best to start with a general area of interest. Once you've reviewed the literature on your general area of interest, it'll be easier to create a problem statement from what you've found. Basing your business problem off of the literature is going to save you a lot time and energy further down the road.
Students run into two major problems when they choose a business problem without looking at the literature first .
If you work for a company that has high employee turnover and you'd like to find more information about how to retain employees, these are the steps you could take.
Trying to locate data or statistics based on what you'd like see instead of what's available can be tricky. Your preconceived ideas for data or statistics may or may not exist. If they do exist, they may not exist in the way you expect.
The easiest way to locate a gap in the literature is to review the literature related to a topic you're interested in. While reviewing the literature, do you notice any themes, industries, or groups that aren't being addressed? Below are instructions for locating a gap in the literature.
Most dissertations will have a section discussing opportunities for further research. Those students have already done the leg work and have insight into the literature. If their idea for further study intrigues you, go out and research to confirm that there is still a gap in research.
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Departments.
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The Reinhardt MBA program develops in each graduate the skills necessary to analyze and interpret complex business situations, to seek and employ innovative methods for solving business problems, and to lead diverse groups of individuals effectively and ethically . Furthermore, the Reinhardt MBA teaches students to recognize strategic and operational advantages and to use analytical and critical thinking skills necessary for effective strategic and tactical decision-making. Reinhardt MBA students learn to utilize interpersonal skills to foster team consensus , leadership, business ethics, and individual as well as social responsibility.
Tony Daniel, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP Professor of Business 770-720-5638 [email protected]
Reinhardt University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, and masters. Questions about the accreditation of Reinhardt University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling(404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website ( www.sacscoc.org).
Reinhardt University's overall educational program emphasizes the study of liberal arts, sciences and professional studies within the University's historic commitment to the United Methodist faith and tradition. The University affirms that learning is best facilitated through a partnership between faculty members and students where the integration of faith and learning is essential. The University is committed to students who desire a small, caring community dedicated to personalized attention.
The MBA program shares the same commitments of the University's overall mission, but with a focus on the graduate student community. The MBA program challenges students academically and “puts them in the chair” of the decision maker in actual business situations. This is done by personal interaction and case study assignments with other students and with a unique faculty that is academically qualified and seasoned with of business experience.
MBA students demonstrate the following qualities, abilities, and skills upon completion of the program:
M1 Critical Thinking, Analytical and Problem- Solving Skills - analyze business situations using information and logic to make recommendations for problem solving and decision making.
M2 Interpersonal, Teamwork, Leadership, and Communications Skills - use team building and collaborative behaviors in the accomplishment of group tasks and will communicate effectively the problem alternatives considered, a recommended solution, and an implementation strategy in oral, written and electronic form.
M3 Ethical Issues and Responsibilities - recognize and analyze ethical dilemmas and propose resolutions for practical business solutions.
M4 Business Skills and Knowledge - apply best practices, established theories, and managerial skills to business situations and problems.
M5 Awareness of Global and Multicultural Issues - demonstrate awareness of, and analyze, global and multicultural issues as they relate to business.
M6 Knowledge of Research Methodologies - derive business decision-making applications based upon sound research practices and procedures.
All admission documents should be sent to the following address:
Office of Admissions Reinhardt University 7300 Reinhardt Circle Waleska, GA 30183 PHONE: 770-720-5526 e-mail: [email protected]
General admission to Reinhardt University graduate studies:
Official transcripts must be mailed from the granting institution, or delivered in a sealed envelope from the institution, or sent via a professional electronic transcript sending service.
Additional admission requirements for the Reinhardt MBA:
And, either
A Bachelor’s Degree in Business from a regionally accredited university with a minimum 2.75 GPA (alternate discretion criteria: a greater than 3.0 GPA in the last 60 credits)
Note: If the applicant’s undergraduate degree is not in Business, then, the candidate must have a Bachelor's Degree from a regionally accredited university with at least a 2.75 GPA.
Admission for Current Reinhardt University Undergraduate Students
Applicants who complete an a bachelor’s degree at Reinhardt University with a 3.0 GPA or higher-
Applicants who complete a bachelor’s degree at Reinhardt University with less than a 3.0 GPA-
No transfer courses are accepted for credit.
Over seven (7) weeks, students will spend a variable number of minutes per week in online lectures, class discussions, and in preparation of class projects and research papers. Instructional time includes a 3-hour final exam. Out-of-class work includes homework and preparation for exams and quizzes and is a variable number of minutes per week (6750 minutes for the semester).
Graduate Students are expected to participate each week in required assignments as scheduled by the instructor. This may require collaboration among classmates and outside research .
MBA students are expected to earn grades of “A” or “B” in their course work. Only one (1) course grade of “C” may be included in the computation for degree completion. A second course grade of “C” will result in Academic Probation. The course must be retaken to count toward degree completion. A third course grade of “C” or a first course grade of “F” will result in Academic Dismissal.
A student may appeal a dismissal by submitting a letter to the vice President for Academic Affairs describing the condition and identifying the reasons for seeking a positive decision of the appeal.
See also Grade Appeals and Enrollment Related Appeals under Appeals and Petitions .
See Academic Performance and Degree Completion Requirements .
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Business Administration (MBA)
New research suggests you're being exposed to thousands of chemicals, including hazardous substances, that can leach into the human body through food- and beverage-related material like plastic bottles and takeout containers.
It's not a surprise that our environment is full of contaminants, like microplastics , that can accumulate in our bodies
But researchers in a recent study were taken aback by just how many chemicals in our everyday items can migrate into humans, and said it's "concerning" that we don't fully understand the risks.
The researchers, led by scientists from a Swiss nonprofit called the Food Packaging Forum Foundation, looked at data on more than 14,000 food contact chemicals — substances in containers or other materials that touch what we eat and drink.
The study, published September 17 in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology , explained that 25% of the chemicals they were studying — about 3,601 substances — showed up inside the human body, in samples including skin, hair, blood, breast milk, and fat tissue.
That suggests manufacturing chemicals are migrating into our bodies from items we use to store, package, or cook our food. It's not just plastic either, since even paper or cardboard can contain substances like ink that can be problematic when it comes into contact with food.
Scientists are digging for clues to understand the impact of these chemicals on long-term health.
Some of these chemicals are known to be dangerous, including carcinogens (cancer-causing) substances and toxins linked to hormone and reproductive problems.
One such category is called PFAs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), known as " forever chemicals " because they linger and accumulate in our bodies and in the water and soil. PFAs exposure is linked to some cancers, liver damage, and more, as well as possible developmental defects in children.
Other hazardous chemicals the study found in food and our bodies include BPA (a toxic ingredient in packaging linked to hormone problems) and heavy metals that can cause harm to our DNA.
And there's a lot we don't know about many of the other chemicals found in human samples, including whether they might be harmful or what, if any, amount is safe.
The actual number of chemicals we're exposed to through food and drinks could also be much higher than the 3,601 estimated in the study, according to the researchers.
This same team of researchers previously published a study that found government regulations aren't doing much to prevent chemical exposure.
While there are some existing rules — such as limits on PFAs in drinking water — legislation is slow to keep up with the latest science, and sometimes too vague to enforce. Plus, there's so much we don't know about potential risks of chemicals that haven't been studied as closely.
The new study is one crucial step in understanding how chemicals in our environment (and in our food) could affect our health long-term, and how we might be able to reduce the risks in the future.
"This work highlights the fact that food contact materials are not fully safe, even though they may comply with regulations, because they transfer known hazardous chemicals into people," Jane Muncke, senior author of the study, environmental toxicology expert, and managing director at the Food Packaging Forum, said in a press release.
"We would like this new evidence base to be used for improving the safety of food contact materials — both in terms of regulations but also in the development of safer alternatives," Muncke said.
The aim of the article is to discuss the major issues concerning forecasting of sales and inventory distribution in traditional grocery retail stores, with a focus on a large supermarket company in Ecuador that operates with more than 200000 SKUs. It aims at the deployment of machine learning algorithms for efficient inventory management so that the business does not experience high stock or low-stock situations. The proposed approach includes the assessment of several supervised machine learning techniques such as Decision Tree, Random Forest, Linear Regression, and XGBoost techniques based on different performance measures that will help to select the best selling forecasting model. These findings underscore the fact that, with high demand uncertainty, heightened market demand rates and supply risks, shifting customer preferences, and ever-reducing product lifecycles, accurate demand forecasting can significantly lower supply chain costs. The study also establishes a need to maintain optimal inventory stock and the distribution of inventory across a number of warehouses. The research implication of the presented study indicates that the machine learning approach advocated for in the research would offer numerous benefits in the management of supply chain for retailers and enhance competitive advantage in the retail industry. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is novel in its use of sophisticated machine learning approaches to solve problems specific to the grocery retail industry context while also offering a real-world solution to the issues covered.
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Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Jaipur, India
Devesh Kumar & Gunjan Soni
Graphic Era (Deemed to be university), Dehradun, India
Bharti Ramtiyal
Jaipuria Institute of Management Jaipur, Jaipur, India
Lokesh Vijayvargy
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Correspondence to Gunjan Soni .
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Kumar, D., Soni, G., Ramtiyal, B. et al. Data-driven approach for rational allocation of inventory in a FMCG supply chain. Int J Syst Assur Eng Manag (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13198-024-02519-0
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Received : 26 April 2024
Revised : 15 August 2024
Accepted : 11 September 2024
Published : 19 September 2024
DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s13198-024-02519-0
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