Company Selections

Week 02 Course Paper - Company Selection

Jason Norris

Rasmussen College

Author Note

This research is being submitted on July15, 2012 for Mr. Rick D. Pretzsch G204/ECO2023 Section 01 Microeconomics course at Rasmussen College by Jason Norris

This week you begin your course paper. You are to select a company to observe and answer the questions below. Please refer to the Week 02 Course Paper - Introduction for an overview of the complete project for this class. This paper is meant to help you identify some of the economic issues that companies deal with in the "real world" of business. Throughout this course, you work on this project in pieces. Be sure to save all of your work. During the final week of class, you prepare an essay that summarizes how microeconomics affects your company.

Select a company that you are interested in to conduct your research. Make sure that you are able to obtain adequate information on the company. Your best bet is to select a company that is publicly traded since the information is readily available. Once you have selected your company answer the questions that follow. Remember that you will be following this company throughout the term, so make sure it is a company that is interesting to you.

Prepare an essay that addresses the following questions. Remember to cite your sources in APA format.

* What company did you select and why?

* What is the product and/or service sold?

* What are the limitations of your company's resources?

* What type of advantage does your company have in the marketplace?

The company that I will choose to do my course paper on is Harley -Davidson. William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson make available to the public the first production Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. They have been selling stock in the company since they incorporated in September of 1907 which was four years after their first bike was produced as a racer. Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) is one of the world leaders in the production, marketing and servicing of motorcycles in the US and throughout the world. The company manufactures a range of motorcycles and has established a network of dealerships in the US and overseas, and has a series of merchandising and selling strategies, including a growing financing business. Since that time Harley-Davidson's start in a small10 x 15-foot wooden shed with the words "Harley-Davidson Motor Company" crudely scrawled on the door, they have not made quite an impact on the economy