Analysis and Synthesis of Prior Research

At professional conferences, blocks of time may be set aside for what are termed poster sessions. A hotel ballroom or large open area will be ringed with individuals who use displays such as posters or electronic presentations displayed via projectors. These sessions provide an opportunity to share one’s research in an intimate setting with a small group who share a similar interest gathered around. The seminar format of this course is very similar to this academic exchange

You will prepare an academic paper of 5–7 pages in APA format. This analysis will be an open-ended introduction to explaining how the management of working capital can be modeled and implemented in occupational settings. Your goal, as the presenter, should be to persuade your discussants that the approach(es) you have analyzed and synthesized is/are a sound means for challenging conventional methods and uses of traditional financial analysis models. You should acknowledge that there are other models, but you should strive to be as persuasive as possible that the specific concepts and operationalizations you have reviewed are exciting research avenues and that they are potentially breakthrough areas in the understanding of how working capital management and financial analysis contributes to more efficient operation, better forecasting, and more opportunity to add value to the corporation.

Your paper should contain the following elements:

An incorporation and analysis of at least five of the required resources from this pair of weeks

The incorporation and analysis of five additional resources from the Walden Library

An identification of principal schools of thought, tendencies in the academic literature, or commonalities that define the academic scholarship regarding your topic

An evaluation of the main concepts with a focus on their application to management practice and their impact on positive social change

Direct evidence of addressing the Learning Outcomes from this pair of weeks

In addition to the above elements, will focus thematically on:

Synthesizing the main points of working capital management, financial analysis and forecasting/planning

Selecting an aspect of working capital management—and the related analysis and forecasting techniques—and identifying, discussing, and evaluating the implications for practicing managers

Providing examples of how positive social change can be driven by the models or ideas presented

When encountered, the number of pages required for a student paper or report does not include the reference pages. For example, if an 8-page paper is requested, that is before the reference page(s) are added. Each component of the annotated bibliography would be from 200–400 words in length. The Instructor may provide an example upon request.