The Eastern Seaboard Super Express Train (ESSET) is a high speed train service between towns on the eastern seaboard of Australia. See a section dedicated to this in the Assignment 4 tab of this subject’s Interact2 site for details on ESSET. The company has proposed the establishment of a Help Desk for all passengers. The following are basic parameters.

Location:

The nationwide service number is 131-278 (13-FAST). It will be served concurrently from two locations with automatic load balancing of calls. A comprehensive website has also been set up (the discussion of this site is not part of your assignment).

Operations:

The Help Desk will operate 24 hours, 7 day week by 100 customer support representatives in each centre.

Q1 – List three best practices that could be established for the ESSET Help Desk? [300 words] – 3 marks

[You might want to read Chapter 6 of the textbook.]

Q2 – In the initial training of help desk support staff, the standards of information and service level given by the staff differs greatly. A few give wrong information, some are not courteous and do not know the information that has to be given out to customers. How would you ensure the appropriate level of expertise of each customer support representative? [300 words] – 6 marks

[You might want to read Chapter 7 of the textbook.]

Q3 – You have just spoken to a customer and gave provided information about timetabling of trains. She is “on hold” while you look for the fare for her. While searching for this, you realise that you have been reading the timetabling off the wrong list (northbound instead of southbound). What would you do? How would you prevent this from happening in future? [200 words] – 2 marks    [You might want to refer to Chapter 5 for some tips]

Q4 – How does the principles of Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) apply in the above help desk setup? Give any two examples that apply. Relate the task to literature read. – [400 words] 7 marks

[You might want to re-read the chapter by Moeller recommended in Topic 8]

For all questions, you are also required to substantiate with literature. Along with in text citations throughout each question include one reference list at the end of this assignment. The following (journal) articles may also assist you (all articles can be found in the CSU Journal Database). Please do not post PDFs of these journals as attachment on the subject Discussion area as this is a violation of copyright law.

van Goeverden, C. D. (2009). Explaining factors for train use in European long-distance travel. Tourism and Hospitality Planning & Development, 6(1), 21-37. do

How does the decision in this case impact the validity of the Board and other provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act?

You have been hired by XYZ as a consultant. They are currently facing a union organizing campaign. You have been asked to write a briefing memo for senior management. Your memo must address:

a. What are the basic differences, from the employer’s viewpoint, in operating in a union-free environment vs. a unionized environment?

b. What are management representatives permitted to say and do during the campaign? What, if any, actions or statements are prohibited?

In responding, you must use three references. They should be from a scholarly journal or credible news source from within the past three years.

1. Describe the 8 basic perspectives used to define “personality”.
2. Explain how a personality develops through shaping and conditioning.
3. Imagine that TWO of the theorists below were invited to speak at a symposium on personality theory development and are both on the stage. Someone in the audience raises her hand and asks, “So what do you think was your theory’s greatest contribution to our current understanding of human personality?” What would each of the theorists you chose say in answer to the question? Freud Jung Adler Rogers Horney
4. McCrae and Costa (1990) think their “Big 5” Five Factor model is THE most complete personality theory. Some theorists would beg to differ! What theorist would say the Big 5 is thorough but by no means a complete model and describe what the theorist would say is missing?
5. What did you learn about your own personality from this course. What “spoke” to you…what did you learn about you?

Analyze the Case Study in Chapter 6 of the textbook, pp. 252-256, “U.S.-Cuban Trade: When does a Cold War Strategy Become a Cold War Relic?”

Answer the first four questions, 6-3 through 6-6, at the end of the case.

Your paper should be at least three pages in length.

Make sure each question is used as a heading (as required by APA style guidelines) and answered in the order presented.

All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced, and quoted or paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations.

Title and reference pages do not count towards the minimum word count requirement.

Information

THE ANSWERS BELOW ARE TO BE USED AS A REFERENCE. MY TEACHER WILL BE CHECKING FOR SIMILARITY AND  PLAGARISM.

Questions 1. Should the United States seek to tighten its economic grip on Cuba? If so, why?

From a practical standpoint, most would argue that without the cooperation of the rest of the world, there is little left that the United States can do. Further, given that China is now a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and nations like Vietnam are trading with the United States, the Cuban embargo gives the appearance of cold war relic that is no longer relevant in today’s world. However, given the consensus that Cuba consistently violates human rights, the continuance of U.S. trade sanctions against Cuba is consistent with U.S. policy. In addition, Cuba’s expropriation of American property without compensation is internationally recognized as unacceptable behavior; thus, retaliation can be seen as an appropriate response. Finally, there is the continuing argument that if the Cuban economy can be further weakened, the Castro brothers may at last be overthrown.

2. Should the United States normalize business relations with Cuba? If so, should the United States stipulate any conditions? There are both political and economic reasons for normalizing relations with Cuba. Cuba has long-since ceased to be a military threat, and there is hope that closer political relations with the United States (and the rest of the free world) will lead to greater democracy in Cuba. Further, Cuban trade sanctions are far tougher than those levied by the United States against Iran, Iraq, Libya, and North Korea. Economically, it is argued that because of the posture of the U.S. government, U.S. firms are losing out on opportunities to sell their products in Cuba to competitors from other countries. However, it is not likely that Cuba would trade with the United States as aggressively as in the past, even if it were possible. While progress in the area of human rights may be slow, experience in other countries suggests that Seminar week 4 CHAPTER SEVEN GOVERNMENTAL INFLUENCE ON TRADE 3 imposing some human rights conditions may be effective in the long run. In addition, the U.S. government may wish to facilitate the return to Cuba of U.S. companies whose properties were expropriated, even though any remaining assets are likely in a state of serious disrepair.

3. Assume you are Cuba’s leader. What kind of trade relationship with the United States would be in your best interest? What type would you be willing to accept? Raul Castro would logically want a trade relationship that would permit him to save face politically while contributing to the economic development of the economy. Initial overtures from the U.S. government could help bolster his political position and thus would possibly be welcomed as a way to begin negotiations. Economic development assistance could come in the form of direct aid and, possibly, foreign direct investment, although there surely would be substantial controls on either form.

4. How does the structure and relationships of the U.S. political system influence the existence and specification of the trade embargo? The structure and relationships of the American political system serve to reinforce the existence and specification of the Cuban trade embargo. Pro-embargo supporters relentlessly lobby the U.S. Congress and presidential administration to tighten the embargo in order to spur the collapse of Cuban communism. Although recently diminished, the pro-embargo viewpoint is supported by key people in key positions throughout the government.

Explain how Intelligence Led Policing is a new dimension of community policing and how this infusion can either reduce or prevent crime.

Start your introductory paragraph(s) here (i.e., delete all of my paragraphs of instruction after reading through them, and replace them with your own paragraphs for your essay).  Leave the font for your essay on Arial 10, double-spaced (except for the reference page, which is single spaced).  Leave the margins at 1 inch.  Leave page numbering set to automatically number each page of the body of your essay in the upper-right corner of the page (the title page and reference page should not be numbered).  The body of your essay should be 3-4 pages long (minimum of 1200 words), not including your title page and reference page.
Write free flowing text (allow your writing to automatically wrap around to the next line as you type – do not hit Enter at the end of each line within a paragraph).  Organize your essay into paragraphs within each section, but make sure all writing is in prose paragraphs (full sentences and complete paragraphs).  Do not use lists in your essay and do not write in bullet statements.  The only indentations you should have in your essay is one tab at the start of each paragraph, just like I have modeled for you in the way I have written these instructions.  Do not put blank lines between paragraphs and do not put blank lines before or after section headings and sub-headings.  You may include images or tables in your essay, if you deem them appropriate, but they do not count toward the 3-4 pages of body text that you are required to write, so adjust the length of your essay accordingly to compensate for space taken up by the images and/or tables.
You should customize the title page by replacing the first two lines of text with your essay’s title and your name, respectively.  You should also replace the heading at the top of this page with your essay’s title.  However, do not modify or remove the section sub-headings that appear below, throughout the rest of your essay (i.e., “Characteristics of the Users of the System,” “Features and Usage of the System,” “Impact of the System,” “Conclusion,” and “References”) and do not add additional sub-headings.  Leave all of the section sub-headings in your document to keep it organized.  Everyone is required to write the same sections in their essay.  You will analyze your own unique approved information system, filling in each section of this template appropriately.
Write in your own words and remember that your similarity rating must be 5% or less.  Try to paraphrase and explain information you learn from your sources in your own words, rather than quoting from your sources.
Your introductory paragraph(s) should provide an overview of your information system by briefly describing your information system and explaining the purpose of the information system. You can also provide an overview of the primary users of the system, and the primary features and functions of the system. However, try not to be overly redundant in your introduction with what you have written (or will write) in the main sections in the body of your essay.  Rather, give the reader an overview and whet their appetite to learn more about your information system.
Characteristics of the Users of the System
In this section, briefly describe the characteristics of the users of the system.   Who are the users?  If it is a work-related system, describe the employees or employee groups who use the system.  If it is a personal web-based system, what types of people use this system?
Features and Usage of the System
Note that this section of your essay is worth 25% of your grade on this essay.  Together, the “Features and Usage of the System” and the “Impact of the System” sections of your essay comprise half of your grade on this essay.  So make sure these two sections of your essay are through and well-developed.  These two sections together should be the main focus of this essay.
In this section, describe what the system does, from a user’s perspective.  When you log into the system, what choices do you have for what you can do with it?  Look at the menu options in your system and decide which functions of the system are most important.  Choose several of these functions/features and describe each one in its own well-developed paragraph.  When describing a function, walk the user through that function, describing the interactions the user has with the system.  What data or information does the user enter into that function?  What does the information system do with that data?  Does it transform it in some way?  How is that data later retrieved or displayed (output)?  What is that data used for?
As an example, if your information system is Facebook, you might describe “Status Updates” as one function of the system.  You would describe the purpose of a status update and then describe how you use this function.  You would describe how the user enters a status update (i.e., click on status update box and type your post).  You would describe any options that the function has (i.e., add photos to your post, tag people in your post, add a location to your post, select the audience for your post, etc.).  You would discuss what the system does with the data you input and you would describe how that information is displayed and output again.  For example, for the Facebook “Status Update” function, you would describe how Facebook saves your status updates in its database, and how it displays it in your friends’ news feeds, as well as on your timeline.
Remember to describe each feature or function of your system in a separate, well-developed paragraph.  To continue with the Facebook example, other features could include the customizable settings, the News Feed, the Timeline, Messages, Groups, etc.  You would fully describe each of these main features in a separate paragraph, covering the purpose, information inputs, processing (what the system does with information you input into that feature), and outputs or displays.  For another example, if you are analyzing a work-related system, the output of some features of your system might take the form of reports generated for management, or automatically generated emails or notifications, or simply queries that you can run which display information on your computer screen.
(One final note on this section – remember to focus on the usage of the system, rather than on specifics of the hardware and software of the system.  You will go into more detail in analyzing the hardware and software requirements of the system in your second essay, so save your research on the server-side and client-side hardware and software requirements for your next essay. You will receive detailed guidance on those requirements later).
Impact of the System
Note that this section of your essay is worth 25% of your grade on this essay.  Together, the “Features and Usage of the System” and the “Impact of the System” sections of your essay comprise half of your grade on this essay.  So make sure these two sections of your essay are through and well-developed.  These two sections together should be the main focus of this essay.
In this section, you will describe the impact that your information system has on the organization that uses the system, and/or the individual users of the system.  If you are analyzing a work-related system, then discuss the impact that it has on your organization.  If the system is used by different groups of employees (i.e., lower level employees vs. managers), then you can discuss the impact the system has on each group of employees.  If you are analyzing a personal web-based information system (i.e., Facebook), then discuss the impact the system has on the users of the system.  In the example of a system like Facebook, you can discuss different groups of users, such as how it impacts individuals who use Facebook, businesses who use Facebook, and other types of groups and organizations who use Facebook.
Be sure that when you discuss the impacts of your system, you don’t simply talk about the features of the system again (which you covered in the previous section).  Instead, try to quantify the positive benefits in terms of how the system saves the users time, money, and/or effort.  For business systems, positive impacts will include how it makes your business processes more effective and efficient. For home and personal systems, positive impacts will include how the system makes some task or tasks in your personal life more effective and efficient. One way to quantify these things is to consider the time, money, and effort that would be required to accomplish the same tasks manually that you are able to accomplish using the information system.  For example, if you are analyzing an online shopping system, like Amazon.com, you can discuss the time and effort that is saves by not having to physically go out to the store to purchase something, or not having to physically visit many different stores to comparison shop.  If you are analyzing a work-related system, consider how you would accomplish the same tasks manually and how the information system saves you time, money, and or effort, compared to the manual process that would be required to accomplish the same tasks.  You might even consider how the business area that your system is used in actually did accomplish similar tasks in the days before there were computer-based information systems to automate that business process.
Be sure to discuss both positive and negative impacts of your information system.  Are there any potential disadvantages to using your information system?  Be sure to come up with at least one potential negative impact.  If your system is so great that you can’t do without it, then one negative impact could be that users are overly-dependent on the system and aren’t able to accomplish the same tasks when the system is down.  However, there are generally other potential negative impacts to any system, as well – see if you can think of several negative impacts, too.
Conclusion
Finally, write your concluding paragraph(s) in this section. Try to write a strong conclusion that both ties your essay together and makes a strong final impact on the reader.  Rather than simply re-stating what you have already discussed, try to use this section to take the reader one step further.  There are many ways to do this and I will leave it to your creativity to come up with an appropriate conclusion for your essay!

References
List your references in APA format on this page.   I have set this page to use hanging indentations (as required in APA references).

Also, APA references are single-spaced, but you need to leave one blank line between each reference, just like how my notes here are formatted.

Finally, make sure that you have at least one corresponding in-text citation, in APA format, for each reference that you list in your reference list.

Conflict is a fact of life, something that everybody must deal with now and then, both on the job and in one’s personal life. This assignment asks you to assess your own ability to manage conflict. You will complete three activities that ask you to think critically and introspectively about your experience, beliefs, values, and skills. Then, you will write a short paper that summarizes what you have learned about your own capacity and preparedness for managing conflict.

Part I: Conflict Capabilities Questionnaire

Review Ch. 8, “Are You Capable?” (pp. 122–137), of Conflict Survival Kit: Tools for Resolving Workplace Conflict.

Complete Exhibit 8.1: Conflict Capabilities Questionnaire (pp. 123–124). You are only required to complete the questionnaire for yourself. You are not required to complete this questionnaire for another person. You may simply write down your answers for each question (and the associated points) on a blank sheet of paper or Microsoft Word document.

Note your total score on a sheet of paper or Microsoft Word document. You may also wish to note any observations about your thought process, the questionnaire, or your responses. This information will help you to write your paper in Part IV.

Part II: Conflict Preparedness Worksheet

Download this Conflict Preparedness Worksheet.

Complete the worksheet according to the provided instructions.

Part III: Leadership Traits

Review the section “Behavior, Traits, and Characteristics of an Effective Conflict Manager” (pp. 333–338) in Ch. 17 of Conflict Survival Kit: Tools for Resolving Workplace Conflict.

Consider the six leadership traits of effective conflict managers that are listed in this reading: openness, self-awareness, persistence, consideration of others, critical reasoning, and integrity. As you read about these traits, consider the following questions:

• Why is each characteristic important when it comes to managing conflict?
• For each characteristic, can you think of a leader who best exemplifies it?
• Which characteristic is your strength, and in which area do you need to improve?

You may wish to note your responses and any other thoughts you have while reviewing this section on a sheet of paper or blank Word Document.

Part IV: Summary Paper

After completing Parts I–III, you should have a better understanding of the factors that influence conflict management preparedness and of your own beliefs, values, and capacity as a leader and conflict manager.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper that summarizes what you have learned about your own capacity and preparedness for managing conflict. Your paper should answers the following questions:

• How did you score on the Conflict Capabilities Questionnaire? According to this questionnaire, are you ready to manage conflict? Do you believe this assessment is accurate? Why or why not?
• What did you learn from the Conflict Preparedness Worksheet? What are your dominant perceptions of and values about conflict? If another person also participated in this assessment, was his or her perception similar to your own? Why or why not?
• Which of the six leadership characteristics identified in Part III is your strength? Is there one area in which you need to improve?
• Overall, are you prepared to manage conflict? Are there certain types of conflict for which you are most prepared?

Explain how Intelligence Led Policing is a new dimension of community policing and how this infusion can either reduce or prevent crime.