BAT4M - Financial Accounting Unit 3 Assessment Short Research Project: Understanding WeWork Goal:​ The purpose of this assessment is to have you research the story of WeWork and its botched IPO...

Slides plus speaker notes


BAT4M - Financial Accounting Unit 3 Assessment Short Research Project: Understanding WeWork Goal:​ The purpose of this assessment is to have you research the story of WeWork and its botched IPO (Initial Public Offering) and then apply the information you gather to concepts we studied together in Unit 3 in either an essay or presentation form. Instructions:​ Follow the two-step process below in preparing your essay or presentation. Be sure to follow the instructions for how to format your essay or presentation below that. Step 1: Research the story of WeWork and its failed IPO so that you are able to answer the following questions. I recommend you take notes using the “Knowledge to Master” here as a guide but this is not required. You must cite at least 3 sources in your essay/presentation. (Note: The video we watched in class can not be used as a source.) Knowledge to Master about WeWork: Suggested search terms to use in research: ❏ What happened to WeWork? How did the company attract early investments and why did those investors begin losing confidence? ❏ What was the issue in WeWork’s business model (how they made money) that made the valuation investors were giving it seem incorrect? ❏ What was revealed when WeWork filed for an IPO? ❏ What factors in WeWork’s culture and leadership helped to both create the hype and destroy the IPO? ● WeWork explained ● How WeWork makes money ● WeWork business model ● WeWork IPO Notes: Step 2: Apply your research to our learning in Unit 3 on Assets using the following questions to guide the research you present. Follow the below formatting instructions for your presentation. The presentation can be an essay or slide presentation as long as it meets the criteria outlined below. Applying WeWork to Unit 3: Applicable Lessons BAT4M - Financial Accounting Unit 3 Assessment 1. What words in the definition of asset that we studied could provide a clue about how WeWork’s business model did not match the valuation it was receiving? Explain. 3.1 2. a. Explain the following terms: ● Return on assets ● Earning assets b. Did WeWork have any earning assets and was there a problem with WeWork’s return on assets? Explain. 3.1-3.2 3. a. Define the three different liability types. b. What type of liability created problems within WeWork’s business model? Explain. 3.3-3.4 4. (Be sure to use the right terms when answering below) a. What types of equity are financing WeWork’s operations? b. Provide at least one example of WeWork’s leadership engaging in questionable treatment of the company’s equity. 3.5 5. Provide a diagram of WeWork’s capital structure before the attempted IPO and after it failed. Explain the change. ​NOTE:​ The diagram does not need to include numbers. The diagram should show a change in the size of the boxes to illustrate what had to have changed in the company’s capital structure over this period. 3.5 Essay / Presentation Formatting Instructions Essay Slide Presentation ● 10-12 pt font double spaced ● Essay should have an introductory paragraph that summarizes what information you were looking to uncover in your research. (Should be a summary of the guiding questions above.) ● Essay should have a concluding paragraph that summarizes your research. ● Essay should be annotated where appropriate referencing the sources where you obtained the information. ● Your sources ​should​ follow a standardized format for sourcing ● Any slide presentation ​MUST​ be accompanied by a video where you are orally presenting the slides. ● Slides should be brief and bullet point with most of the explanation left to the video presentation. ● Presentation should have an introductory slide that summarizes what information you were looking to uncover in your research. (Should be a summary of the guiding questions above.) ● Presentation should have a concluding slide that summarizes your research. BAT4M - Financial Accounting Unit 3 Assessment research papers (ie MLA). ● Presentation should be annotated where appropriate referencing the sources where you obtained the information. ● Your annotations DO NOT need to follow any specific format and can just be anything that references the source. Marking Criteria Max Points Points Earned Your essay or presentation accurately explains all the concepts we learned in Unit 3 (Knowledge) 25 Your essay or presentation appropriately applies the research you conducted to the concepts we learned in Unit 3. (Application) 25 Your essay or presentation shows that the information you provide about WeWork is well researched and you are able to draw connections between your research and the guiding questions in step 2. (Thinking) 25 Your essay or presentation follows all the instructions listed above. (Communication) 25 Total 100