Author: chris

Assignment 1: Discussion Question

Valuation of a firm’s financial assets is said to be based on what is expected in the future, in terms of the future performance of the firm, the industry, and the economy.  What types of value would you consider when assigning “value” to a firm’s stock or bond?  What is the significance of each of the different types of value in the valuation process? Use examples to support your response.

The nature of ethical decision making requires that we understand mistakes made by individuals and organizations in the past and evaluate the ways in which personal values interact with organizational culture to increase the likelihood of unethical decisions.  This activity allows you to build your evaluation skills by identifying issues that create environments more likely to fall prey to unethical decision making through policies, procedures, and organizational norms.  The 1977 Ford Pinto case is often studied in order to help create a deeper understanding about the dilemmas that not only impact an organization’s public persona, long-term profitability, and consumer safety, but also each employee’s responsibility for the decisions.

Read the article: Dowie, M. (1977, September/October). Pinto madness. Retrieved from http://www.motherjones.com/politics/1977/09/pinto-madness

Prepare a case analysis on the topic.

Locate and research at least three sources (excluding the Dowie’s article and your text) to discover additional information about the company and its ethical dilemma.  Use your text to create a foundation for the ethics theory.  This must be a concise evaluation of the case, so provide information on your understanding of the application of theory and personal values.

Develop your case analysis using the five following sections:

Section 1: Introduction and situational analysis: Describe the ethical dilemma, giving appropriate background information.  The term “dilemma” implies that there are pros and cons to various options, even if some are clearly more socially acceptable than others.  This is also where you do your situational analysis – identifying factors related to the individual(s) involved (consider the readings from this module), company and managerial practices and policies, external factors such as economic pressure, and any other aspects of the situation that you believe helped create the dilemma.

Section 2: Stakeholder analysis: Identify the key stakeholders and how they are potentially impacted by the various options inherent in the dilemma.

Section 3: Analysis based on ethical theories: Analyze the ethical dilemma from the perspective of cultural relativism (how it relates to cultural norms – what society would view as acceptable, as well as what is legal), teleology (looking at consequences and acting for the greater good), deontology (duties and principles), and virtue.

Note that the stakeholder analysis is particularly pertinent to the consequentialist approach, and that one of the challenges is estimating the positive and negative impacts on relevant stakeholders.  Do the best you can, looking at both good and bad consequences for each stakeholder group. Make sure you summarize the overall situation and come to a conclusion about the greater good.

Section 4: Conclusion and recommendations. Up to now, you have been analyzing and comparing options.  Here is where you pull together the different threads of your analysis and determine whether or not the company did the right thing.  Also, make recommendations about what the company should have done.  Make sure your justifications clearly flow from your analysis.  Make managerial and policy recommendations that would help avoid similar ethical dilemmas in the future and provide guidance to help those facing a similar dilemma.

Section 5: References.  List at least three sources (in addition to the Dowie’s article and your text) where you located additional information about the company and the associated ethical dilemma(s).

General guidance: Include a title page, and label the five sections. Your paper should be 2-3 pages in length, not including the title and reference pages. All citations should be in APA 6th Edition format. Double space your paper, use Times New Roman, 12-point font, with one inch margins. For more information, link to APA Tip Sheet, 6th ed.[PDF file size 177 KB]

 

In your paper,

• Present a revised argument in standard form, with each premise and the conclusion on a separate line.
• Present a counterargument in standard form, with each premise and the conclusion on a separate line.
• Provide support for each premise of your counterargument. Clarify the meaning of the premise and supporting evidence for the premise.
  • Pay special attention to those premises that could be seen as controversial. Evidence may include academic research sources, supporting arguments, or other ways of demonstrating the truth of the premise (for more ideas about how to support the truth of premises take a look at the instructor guidance for this week). This section should include at least one scholarly research source. For guidance about how to develop a conclusion see the Ashford Writing Center’s Introductions and Conclusions.
• Explain how the conclusion of the counterargument follows from its premises. [One paragraph]
• Discuss the primary points of disagreement between sincere and intelligent proponents of both sides. [One to two paragraphs]
  • For example, you might list any premises or background assumptions on which you think such proponents would disagree and briefly state what you see as the source of the disagreement, you could give a brief explanation of any reasoning that you think each side would find objectionable, or you could do a combination of these.
• Present the best objection to your original argument. Clearly indicate what part of the argument your objection is aimed at, and provide a paragraph of supporting evidence for the objection. Reference at least one scholarly research source. [One to two paragraphs]
  • See the “Practicing Effective Criticism” section of Chapter 9 of your primary textbook for more information about how to present an objection.

For further instruction on how to create arguments, see the How to Construct a Valid Main Argument and Tips for Creating an Inductively Strong Argument documents as well as the video Constructing Valid Arguments.

For an example of how to complete this paper, take a look at the following Week Three Annotated Example. Let your instructor know if you have questions about how to complete this paper.

week 1

From the scenario for Katrina’s Candies, examine the key factors affecting the demand for and the supply of a good in general and Katrina’s Candies specifically. Distinguish between a change in demand and a change in the quantity demanded (movement along the demand curve). Propose two (2) methods in which organizations that provide the good may utilize this information.

week 2

From the scenario for Katrina’s Candies, examine the procedure Herb will use to estimate the demand model developed in the scenario for Week 1. Analyze the elasticity of demand for products within the selected industry relevant to Katrina’s Candies. Determine the factors involved in making decisions about pricing these products that you believe to be the most influential.

week 3

•    From the scenario for Katrina’s Candies, assuming the absence of quantitative data, determine the qualitative forecasting techniques that could be used within this scenario. Now, assume you have acquired some time series data that would enable you to make forecasts. Ascertain the quantitative technique that will provide you with the most accurate forecast.

•    When deciding whether or not to outsource offshore, list the key factors aside from maximizing profits that managers should consider. Determine the key factors that you believe to be the most influential.

In 800 to 1200 words

• Describe a major theme of the movie you have selected using evidence from the movie itself as well as course resources and other scholarly sources to support your position.
• Identify at least three techniques (cinematography, lighting, acting style, or direction) and/or design elements (set design, costuming, or hair and makeup), and explain how these techniques and/or design elements contribute to the establishment of the theme. Reference particular scenes or sequences in your explanations.
• State your opinion regarding the mise en scène, including
• How the elements work together.
• How congruent the design elements are with the theme of the movie.
• Whether or not other techniques would be as effective (Explain your reasoning).

Note: Remember that a theme is an overarching idea that recurs throughout the plot of a film. It is the distilled essence of what the film is about, the main design which the specific scenes and actions lead a viewer to understand.

Your paper should be organized around a thesis statement that focuses on how the elements of your chosen feature-length film both establish and maintain one of its major themes.

The paper must be 800 to 1200 words in length and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

You must use at least two scholarly sources other than the textbook to support your claims. Refer to the ENG225 Research Guide in the Ashford University Library for guidance and to locate your sources. Cite your sources (including the feature-length film) within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center.

Please note that if you opt to write about the same film in your Final Film Critique, applicable pieces of this assignment can be used to write that assignment. Please also note that you should reflect on and revise this assignment based on the instructor’s feedback before you incorporate it into the Final Film Critique.

When Shelly saw Ms. Jones in a wheelchair, she felt sorry for her. She said a little prayer of thanks that she could walk and move freely without any hindrance. However, feeling badly for a person and actually sitting in the wheelchair for another vantage point is very different.

Imagine that you suffered an accident six months ago. The accident left you partially paralyzed from the waist down. You are currently seeking counseling from a professional specializing in working with individuals who have disabilities. It has been a difficult six months. Your central concerns relate to the emotional and physical adjustments you must now make in relation to your family, job, and future plans. You are permanently in a wheelchair and have limited use of your legs but full use of your arms and upper body.

• Identify three major issues that you think you would need to work through in therapy. Explain what aspect of each issue is problematic for you.

• Explain how your views on intimacy, usefulness, and security will change for you to make the necessary adjustments for living with the disability.

• How well do you think you would cope with this situation if you faced something similar in real life?

Evidence-based practice utilizes a variety of research methods to gather evidence as to the efficacy of a program’s effectiveness, or cost effectiveness. According to your text, “Sound research and its applications, although not guarantees of perfect policies and programs, are extremely useful tools in developing sound social policies and programs” (p. 281). Additionally, we read that evaluation research is different from “basic” research in that evaluation research is based on reality factors in the field and can answer the question: Is this program achieving its goals within the cost estimates?

In this first assignment, you will create a fictional “how to” guide in which you will analyze the steps pertinent to effective program assessment. Specifically, you will:

1. Explain the parts of the program evaluation, and how one would carry out a program evaluation.
2. Explain the steps of the program evaluation and what the program evaluator would want to measure / evaluate.
Your fictional “how to” guide is intended to provide a step-by-step explanation of the components related to evaluating programs; you will not be conducting an assessment as part of the assignment. An example of a program evaluation and the research format is given in the Evaluation Strategies for Human Service Programs. Your example can be any of the typical health and services areas including: hospitals, nursing homes, clinic for substance abuse, counseling clinics, Salvation Army, Red Cross, homes for the homeless, special school programs, crisis centers and social support. Program evaluation can include a variety of different research approaches and may also include acquiring a great deal of data. As you read the article Introduction to Program Evaluation for Public Health Programs: A Self-Study Guide, keep in mind the information requirements to carry out a program evaluation. Certainly the connections among program outcomes, the activities of the program, and consequential outcomes constitute the key model of any program evaluation. Access the Introduction to Program Evaluation for Public Health Programs: A Self-Study Guide for more information for this assignment.

Your paper should be at least two to three pages in length (excluding title and reference pages) and include a minimum of three APA citations from scholarly sources.

 

Write a 350- to 700-word essay that includes an in-depth introduction and conclusion and the following:

 

•Summarize your background and what makes you unique (your competitive advantage/differentiation) in a one-paragraph elevator pitch.

 

My background- I am very detailed oriented, I am very competitive. I have worked with numbers and spreadsheets since high school.

 

•Identify three to four companies for whom you want to work (your target market and how you can fulfill its needs/wants), and how you think your skill set will benefit them

 

I currently work in city government in the finance department and this is the target market I want to be in.

 

Please be prepared to present this essay during class.

 

This is the Book we are using in class- Kerin, R., Hartley, S., & Rudelius, W. (2015). Marketing (12th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.