As with many successful endeavors, ABCI was founded by a group of entrepreneurs. What are some of the advantages and benefits teams and teamwork bring to an organization? Why are entrepreneurial teams and teams in general important to organizations? What are some best practices to manage teams in the emerging business culture of diversity and inclusion? Since your organization is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the ability to raise financing (equity) is becoming increasingly hard.

The World Atlas reports that the stock market is down nearly 40% since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the United States. You need to purchase more 3D printers, but you do not want to take out a loan. Because of this, do you believe the value of the stock market will start to rise or continue to fall and why? Your organization is in the "people business", meaning that they sell products that people in large quantities need and want in order to enjoy themselves at a specific point in time.

Explain and provide an example how the soc-cultural environment of New Orleans differs from most cities in America. Identify and discuss the social responsibilities of your organization to your stakeholders:
a.) customers, b.) employees, and c.) society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a middle manager, you are responsible for planning at your organization. Of the types of plans (strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency), what plan is most suited to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. How would you use your chosen plan to guide your organization through this turbulent time by providing an example? You are the operations manager at ABCI. As such, you have a tremendous responsibility. 3D printing is not a 'waste-free' operation. The owners have entrusted you to dispose of the toxic liquids utilized to cool down both the plastics and the printers. The toxic liquid byproduct is stored in an on-site tank hooked up allowing both water and toxic liquids IN and both water and toxic liquids OUT.


A blank check for $50,000 has been put on your desk. Right before you complete filling out the check, you receive a phone call from your significant other to inform you that the test results came back on your 6-year-old daughter (your only child, medically, neither you nor your significant other can have another, your daughter was a miracle), positive for a rare form of cancer. There is a 100% chance that doctors can perform a non-FDA approved (still in the beta testing phase) life-shaving procedure but need you to come in within the hour (your significant other is overseas on business) and sign paperwork authorizing the surgery and your checkbook (this procedure is not covered by your insurance (experimental procedure) and will cost, ironically, $50,000). You've checked your finances, spoken with your family and friends, contacted that 'rich' uncle, and called the bank (your bank needs 24-hour notification to move that amount of money). You are all out of options or all you?

You start 'thinking outside the box' and that leads you to begin to think irrationally (remember, you have now less than 45 minutes to save your daughter). You've attended training meetings on ethical disposal procedures, and you remember actual cases of operations managers discarding hazardous toxins in landfills and in lakes across the country with no fines, penalties, and/or jail-time, with many (85.1%) plant managers never getting caught. When and if they do, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can fine operations managers and the facility $1,000,000 each and/or enforce 10 years of jail-time of all parties involved. The Mississippi River runs along-side ABCI. If you DO decide to eliminate the toxic liquids (unethically), you should do it at night as to limit your chances of getting caught on either a Monday or Thursday night as river traffic is slow and few personnel are present at ABCI. However, the chances of getting caught are slim no matter when you do decide to dispose of the waste. A simple flip of the switch and in less than 10 minutes, 2 metric tons of toxic liquid flows downriver, which has the potential to affect about 3,000 Louisianans in both St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes. You understand that several of these residents are employees of ABCI. If you flip the switch, you and your family will not be directly affected as you live in Harvey, upriver and far from the impacted area. The residents of both St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parish exposure to the carcinogens may affect generations to come not to mention the effect on the seafood industry. Research is still out on the possible exposure risks and side effects, which may be slight to severe. As for your only child, she is 100% guaranteed to succumb to her illness within 48 hours if she does not get the experimental procedure immediately. The clock is ticking, what do you do? What do you do?
Utilizing the above narrative, please answer the following questions:
a. Do you use the $50,000 to properly dispose of the toxic liquids and let your only child suffer the known consequences or use the $50,000 to save your child and let the approximately 3,000 residents and several employees downriver suffer the unknown consequences?
b. What is the rationale for your decision?
Who are the stakeholders affected by your decision and why?
d. Are there any alternatives that your team can recommend that is ethical in nature?
e. What does your research tell you concerning behaving unethically, disposing of toxic waste and effecting innocent residents?
7.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has identified your organization because your business normally creates promotional products with 3D printers. All businesses that utilize 3D technology are called to act to create incubation tubes and surgical masks to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Describe several modern quality control techniques that the CDC will use to evaluate your business' products. America is counting on you!
8.  Because of the increase in demand of your 3D printed products that will assist in the COVID-19 pandemic, you need to hire additional personnel. Due to social distancing, what training and development methods would you utilize and why (e.g., an orientation, on the job training, off the job training, an apprenticeship program, online training, vestibule training, or job simulation)? 
9.  Explain the 4 P's of Marketing as it relates to the state's 'stay at home' order originally issued on April 2nd, 2020 but with the Omicron variant, the state may reorder the mandate. Remember, your organization produces 3D printed products so you can produce almost anything! a. How will you PRICE your products?

b. How will you PLACE your products?

c. How will you PROMOTE your products?

d. Are there any other PRODUCTS you would consider producing? 
10. Your organization is ramping up production of 3D printed adapters for ventilators that allow up to four COVID-19 positive patients to share a ventilator. Of the four types of consumer goods, what kind of consumer good would you consider these types of adapters are and why?