Author: chris

The topic of your project needs to be a contemporary societal problem, such as healthcare reform, immigration reform, privacy rights, euthanasia, First Amendment Rights, stem cell research, capital punishment, corporate prisons, legalizing drugs, ageism, animal rights, cloning, prayer in schools, racial profiling, recycling/conservation, sexism, outsourcing jobs, workplace bullying, etc. The topic must focus on a single aspect, as in “How far do corporations intrude into the private lives of their employers?” or “The social costs of financing the distribution of custom-designed drugs.” You may suggest another topic to use, but the instructor must approve the topic during the Week Two Discussion.

The Final Research Project will present research relating the responsibilities of a critical thinker to contemporary society. In this assignment, you will do the following:

• Research one aspect of a contemporary social problem.
• Define the problem.
• Propose a possible solution for the problem.
• Create an argument that supports your thesis position. You should take on the perspective of a critically thinking researcher. The argument must present a thesis statement and evidence to support the thesis statement.
• Evaluate the ethical outcomes that result from the position you take on the issue and explain how those outcomes would influence society and culture.
• Interpret statistical data from at least two peer-reviewed scholarly sources.
• Evaluate evidence using the following standards: validity, reliability, and bias related to the chosen topic and accurately identify strengths and weaknesses.

Research and Define the Problem

You must take on the perspective of your major field of study and explain in your paper what that perspective is and how it informs your view of the topic. The topics listed above are far too broad to write about in 10–12 pages (3,300–3,900 words). Instead, you must choose a narrowly defined thesis and approach it from the perspective of your field.

Example: If you are an economics major, and you are interested in immigration reform, you should approach a very specific aspect of immigration reform through the lens of economic theory and practice. A specific thesis question would not be, “How does illegal immigration influence the U.S. economy?” One could write thousands of pages on such a topic. Instead, a better question would be, “How do illegal immigrant hotel workers in Chicago impact the economy of Northern Illinois?” You would then want to do the research and determine the positive and negative impacts they have, ultimately trying to conclude how illegal immigration in this area should be approached ethically.

How to Hone Your Thesis: It is important that you start your research early in this course. Try to find the most important contemporary questions and theories in your field of study and then align the most important questions with a very specific aspect of the general topics above. For example, if you are a psychology major, you might want to start thinking within the realm of healthcare reform or aspects of mental health and criminality in the prison system.

Your Argument

You must present a complete argument, including a major claim with at least five points of evidence, information, or data that will prove the claim.

• The thesis statement must be
  • A clear, simple declarative sentence as the first or last sentence in the opening paragraph of the essay.
  • Of such a nature that it can be substantiated, corroborated, verified, and proved through appeal to primary or secondary academic research source materials.
• The introductory paragraph must
  • Present the thesis statement, an explanation for the importance of the topic, and its relation to the student’s field of study.
• Beliefs, opinions, and personal opinions must not be introduced at any point in the essay.
• All beliefs and opinions should be supported with academic evidence. Sweeping generalizations with no supporting academic evidence do not reflect adequate critical thinking skills.
• Do not include rhetorical questions in your essays. All the questions that are pertinent to your project need to be answered in your essay and your answers again need to be supported with evidence from peer-reviewed journal articles and academically published books.

Attributes of Good Critical Thinking in Papers

• Your paper should include academic sources that explain multiple sides of the issue.
• The evidence that you use should come from high-level researchers engaged in your field of study.
• Your interpretations of the evidence should be objective and state the conclusions and theses presented in the evidence clearly and fairly.
• Your paper should place the various forms of evidence in relation to one another and demonstrate why one form or perspective is stronger than the other positions that one could take on the issue.
• Your paper should point out the limitations of current evidence and attempt to indicate areas for future research.

Ethical Outcomes of the Position You Take

After you have defined the problem and created an argument about how one ought to respond to the issue, you need to explain the ethical outcomes of the position you have taken. This should again be in relation to the field of study in which you are working. There might be different ethical outcomes that result from your analysis. For example, going back to the example issue above, from an economic standpoint, illegal immigrants might contribute positively to the economy of Northern Illinois in a specific number of ways. Thus, an economist who believes that positive impact to the economy is the greatest good would say that one should promote the use of illegal immigrants. However, because these workers are often paid less than others and eliminate jobs that could be done by residents of Chicago, there could be other negative ethical outcomes that would outweigh the positive impacts to the economy. It is your goal to draw out the ethical implications of your thesis and explain the underlying rationale that is the foundation for your claim that one action is better than another.

• Critical thinkers are those who can outline the positive and negative ethical impacts of their positions. In addition, they are able to provide a rationale for why they believe a specific position is the right position, even when it leads to negative outcomes.
• Critical thinkers are also able to be honest and objective about the limitations and gray areas that pertain to their theses.

Final Research Project Requirements

The Final Research Project may be presented as a formal research paper (essay format), a PowerPoint presentation, a video, or a podcast equivalent to a minimum of 10 – 12 pages in APA format (approximately 3,300 – 3,900 typewritten words, excluding title page and reference pages). Written essays must adhere to all APA formatting standards and requirements, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

PowerPoint presentations must include the full text (at least 3,300 words) in the speaker notes portion of the slides, with appropriate citations, and full reference pages. PowerPoint presentations must adhere to the basic principles of PowerPoint presentation design and must include citations and references according to APA standards and requirements.

Videos and podcasts must include a full transcript, in APA format, including appropriate in-text citations and a references page.

Quotations:

There must be no more than 15% quoted content in the body of your essay. All quoted material must bear quotation marks and a full quotation citation.

Source Documents:

• There must be 10 or more source documents used, cited, and referenced.
• Multimedia sources (such as videos) may be used, but no more than two such sources may be used. If multimedia sources are used, then they must be authored and distributed by credible sources, such as universities, law schools, medical schools, or professors, or found in the Ashford University Library.
• Where print documents are used for source materials, those must be peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles, and academically published books. Popular media sources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, television and radio shows, etc.) may not be used. Materials from advocacy groups (e.g., Greenpeace, Human Rights Campaign, National Organization for Women, etc.) may not be used.
• Two of the peer-reviewed scholarly sources used must include statistical evidence, which must be accurately interpreted.
• Sites such as ProCon.org and Wikipedia should not be used.
• Religious texts are neither peer-reviewed nor scholarly and so may not be used in any way.

Summary Conclusion:

You must have a summary conclusion as the last paragraph(s) of the project, presenting the major point of the essay and the evidence supporting that point.

Word Count:

The content body of the project must be 3,300 words or more. The word count does not include anything in the title page, running header, or reference list. It is expected that you meet all logistical requirements of this paper.

Reference List:

• The list of references must include only those source documents that are cited within the body of the project.
• The project must fully comply with APA formatting standards and requirements as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center: title page, running header with page numbers, font face and size, line spacing, citations, and reference page(s).

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your

For this discussion, consider the following case vignette:

Susie is an 8-year-old Asian American girl; the youngest child in a family of four older siblings. Her parents are both high school teachers. When Susie was 5 years old, she was hospitalized for three weeks for a serious illness. Since that time, she has been in good health.

Susie is extremely shy and avoids situations in which she needs to interact with new people or large groups. She worries about making mistakes in her schoolwork and becomes extremely anxious when taking tests. Sometimes, she becomes so nervous that her heart races; she begins to tremble and has difficulty breathing. Susie is also afraid of the dark and does not want to be alone in her room at night. She often requires the presence of one of her parents or older sisters until she falls asleep.

In your discussion post:

1. Take the perspective of a theorist from each of the three models of abnormality—biological, psychological, and sociocultural—and briefly explain how you would view the factors leading to Susie’s presenting behaviors.
2. Describe an integrated approach for understanding Susie’s symptoms of anxiety (avoidance, worry, nervousness, and fearfulness) using Figure 2.12 as a model. Consider how biological, psychological, developmental, systems, and social factors would interact

 

• What criteria would you use to evaluate whether a person’s behavior is normal or abnormal? Please consider both individual and systemic perspectives.
• Select one behavior you might see in a client you are working with and describe how that behavior might be perceived differently in the following contexts:
  • Different time periods (for example, 1900 A.D. and 2000 A.D.).
  • Different cultures or social groups.
• Explain how your own values and personal beliefs will impact the way in which you view some of a client’s behaviors, thoughts, or emotions as being normal or abnormal. Us

 

In an exploratory argument the writer lays out the three major positions on a topic and tries to explain these positions. The reader should be able to view these different perspectives to get an understanding of the positions.

Do some research and reading concerning the topic you chose in Module 02. Then identify at least three perspectives on the issue. Analyze the rhetorical situation. What is the exigence? Who is the audience? And what are the constraints? Write an organized draft of your paper. Work in summarized ideas and quotes to back up the perspectives. Don’t forget to use in-text citations and include your sources on a References page.

This paper should be no less than two pages long and in APA style formatting. More information on APA can be found by visiting the Online Library, which is accessible

NO PLAGIRISM AND APA FORMAT WITH REFERENCES

You are the training coordinator in the human resources department. Your supervisor has asked you to create a Customer Service training program using new methods of training. Review the traditional training methods and conduct academic research on new methods. In a 2-3 page report, prepared in APA style with at least two references, do the following:

• Describe three new training methods and explain which one of these methods you selected for this Customer Service training program and why.
• Create a training plan for this Customer Service program and include it in your report. Download this Training Plan Template and use it to provide a framework for the development of your Training Plan.
• Finish your report with a description of how you will evaluate if the Customer Service program was successful.

You have been asked to lead a software development team to build a system fulfilling the Statement of Need below. Your team is employed by a small company. The customer wants a project that balances reasonable development cost, timely delivery, software quality, and functionality.

 

In this project, you will perform preliminary system engineering and create an analysis model for this system. (See Module 3, Figure 3.1 of the course module commentaries for an overview of the elements of an analysis model). Completing this project will require that you do the following:

• Develop initial notes of the structure/functionality of the system.
• Produce an initial system specification document for the system.
• Develop a detailed scenario based model by writing use cases and develop an activity diagram.
• Create a behavioral model that identifies events with a use case

 

Completing this project will require that you produce a software requirements specification (SRS) document for the system The SRS that you create will be a combination of the System Specification (SS) and the SRS; your SRS must include the essential components of the SS in the SRS.

 

Your SRS will provide the foundation for Projects 2 through 4, so it must:

• Describe the customer requirements
• Establish the basis for software design
• Be testable, flexible, and traceable.

 

 Statement of Need

John and Jane are starting a bed-and-breakfast (B&B) in a small New England town. They will have three bedrooms for guests. They want a system to manage the reservations and to monitor expenses and profits. When a potential customer calls for a reservation, they will check the calendar, and if there is a vacancy, they will enter the customer name, address, and phone number, dates, agreed upon price, credit card number, and room numbers. Reservations must be guaranteed by 1 day’s payment. Reservations will be held without guarantee for an agreed upon time. If not guaranteed by that date, the reservation will be dropped.

 

SRS Template

Please use the IEEE template to develop your SRS. The IEEE Std 830-1998: IEEE recommended practice for software requirements specifications is posted in the Reserved Readings section on the Class Menu. The entire outline for the SRS is provided in section 5, Figure 1.  Familiarize yourself with the type of information and diagrams to be provided in a SRS.

• You may follow either of two paths; Structured Analysis/Design (SSA/D) methodology (i.e. organize your requirements by functional hierarchy) or Object-Oriented Analysis/Design (OOA/D) methodology (i.e. organize your requirements by objects). The contents of your SRS will be somewhat dependent upon this choice.
• Look at the IEEE Standard 830 – 1998 Annex A. Annex A has suggested formats for your SRS. If you are following the SSA/D methodology, use template A.7. For OOA/D, use A.4.
  • Template A.4 allows you to organize your requirements by objects. For example, objects in a patient monitoring system include patients, sensors, nurses, physicians, medicines, etc. Each object has a set of attributes and each object performs a set of functions, services, methods, or processes. Note that objects may share attributes and services that can be grouped together as classes.
  • Template A.7 allows to organize your requirements into a hierarchy of functions organized by either common inputs, common outputs, or common internal data access. You will then use Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) and data dictionaries to show the relationships between and among the functions and data.

 

Note: Whatever your choice, you must address and write section 3 of the template (figure 1) to successfully address the requirements for project 1. For additional context please see the SyRS Outline and the Outline Explanation depicted in Annex A of the IEEE Std 1233-1998: IEEE Guide for Developing System Requirements Specification. You can use this to further inform and flesh out the development of your A.4 or A.7 template as appropriate.

 

Make any reasonable assumptions based on your understanding of the problem that allow you to address as many sections of your chosen SRS template as possible. I do not expect, or require, that you completely address all sections of the template. However, your SRS must address, and be built around, the required deliverables specified below. (You must incorporate the below requirements into the appropriate sections of your SRS).

 

 The assignment

1. Demonstrate your understanding of the customer’s statement of need by producing a preliminary documentation of the structure/functionality of John and Jane’s B&B. (This is how you shall include the essential components of an SS into your SRS). The basic objective here is to address the question “What is this system supposed to do”?

• Identify, describe, and arrange in a structured manner, the features the system must have and the functions it must perform to satisfy John and Jane’s expressed need. Identify the expected performance and any anticipated constraints of the system. Much of this information should fit into the introductory and system functionality/description sections of the SRS. (See sections 5.1.1 (Purpose) and 5.1.2 (Scope) of the IEEE standard 830-1998). Note that sections 5.1.1 and 5.1.2 provide guidance on how to complete sections 1.1 and 1.2 of the SRS outline shown in figure 1.

 

1. Pay special attention to the following required deliverables on which the bulk of your grade will be decided. (Please read the “project descriptions” in the project description section of the syllabus for additional context and information on course projects).

• Produce a context-level (Level 0) Data Flow Diagram (DFD) for the B&B. The context level 0 DFD focuses on the flow of data through a system. (See Module 2, Figure 2.7 of the course module commentaries for an example of a context diagram).
• Refine your DFD to level 1. (See Module 3, Figure 3.4 of the course module commentaries for an example of Level 1 and Level 2 DFDs). It may also be necessary to include process specifications to ensure that your DFD is defined to the lowest possible specification for design. If you prefer an object-oriented approach, you may supplement your use cases by using an activity diagramto depict the flow of interaction within a specific scenario.
  • The level 0 and Level 1 DFDs depict the basic components of the IT system you will develop and its internal and external interfaces.
  • Produce a class diagram, or an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) of the B&B to describe your system’s data and its interrelationships. (See Module 2, Figure 2.8 of the course module commentaries for an example of a class diagram).
    • A class diagram models the objects that the system will manipulate and the operations that that will be applied to the data objects. You want to ensure that it properly supports your use cases and DFDs by capturing the attributes and behaviors of the objects that the system users (actors) must manipulate as they interact with the system and/or perform the operations implied by the functions/processes in your DFDs.
    • Identify the customers, users, and other stakeholders of the B&B system. (See Module 2, Figure 2.1 of the course module 2 commentaries for how defining the users help in eliciting requirements for a system). Produce a use case diagram for B&B (See Module 2, Figure 2.6 and Table 2.2 of the course module commentaries for examples of use cases and use case diagrams). Use the module 2, Table 2.3 of the course module commentaries to develop (at least two) scenarios for the system.
    • Produce a state diagram for the B&B. (See Module 3, Figure 3.5 of the course module commentaries for an example state transition diagram).

 

See Module 1, Table 1.1 of course module commentaries for some guidance on how to incorporate the above diagrams into your SRS.

As a human services professional, it is important to recognize what constitutes family violence, what its causes and consequences are.

Write a 750- to 1,000-word paper, including the following information:

• Include a basic definition of family violence.
• Describe what indicators a counselor should be aware of when assessing a child and his or her family.
• Explore the long-term effects violence has on the family.
• Determine what triggers could be associated in family violence.
• Identify the implications associated with abuse and neglect.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.

In this assignment, you will conduct a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) analysis for the type of beverage you have selected, and for your company overall. As you work on the assignment, consider why you have chosen one type of non-alcoholic beverage over another and the reasons for that choice. As you complete your SWOT analysis, be sure to include external factors such as industry / market trends and competition, and internal factors such as your capabilities or abilities to reach certain market segments.

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper, in which you:

1. Create your revised NAB company name and explain its significance.
2. Develop your revised company’s Mission Statement and provide a rationale for its components.

• Hints: Use the Statement of Mission template on pp. 72-73 on the course textbook: Successful Business Plan to aid your development. Click here for help accessing a specific page number in your eBook.
• Extracting appropriate information from the NAB company portfolio, where applicable. You should fill in other required items in the template using your personal preferences.

Describe the trends in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, especially the specific type of beverage category you have chosen. Justify at least three (3) reasons why you have chosen this type of non-alcoholic beverage.

• Hints: Research and outline beverage industry trends. Consider the size and growth rate of the industry overall and the specific beverage type you have chosen. Use the worksheet in the course text (p. 88 | Past and Future Growth of Your Industry) to help you project the future growth rate. Consider the use of industry associations and search engines to find reliable, recent data.

4. Choose one (1) strategic position from the course text (pp. 142–143) that you believe is the best strategic position for your company. Explain the approach you will use to implement this strategic position in order to distinguish your beverage from other non-alcoholic beverages.

5. Provide an overview of your company’s distribution channels. Explain the manner in which your product will reach end users. Provide a rationale for your chosen method.
   • Hints: For example, will you sell your beverage in grocery stores, restaurants, or sports venues? If so, describe the types of resellers and distributors who will sell to resellers and fulfill their orders. If you are attempting to sell direct-to-consumers, such as online via a monthly subscription, how will you manage warehousing / fulfillment / shipping?

6. Outline at least three (3) types of risks (including any regulatory risks) that your business faces. Describe your company’s plan to mitigate such risk.
   • Hints: You may refer to the types of risk listed in the course text (pp. 148–149) as well as any risks not listed in the text. Regulation weighs more heavily on beverage and food businesses than many other types of companies, so be certain to consider any regulatory risks your type of beverage faces. For example, what kind of regulation and / or risks are you likely to face if you make health claims about your beverage?

7. Develop a SWOT analysis for your NAB company using the SWOT matrix worksheet in the course text (p. 153 | SWOT: Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats)
   • Hints: What are your company’s likely strengths? Have you chosen a beverage segment that is growing and lacks an entrenched competitor? Are you in a niche market that has great potential? What are the strengths that you and other team members bring to your company? Do you or other team members have previous experience in the food and beverage industry?
   • Hints: What are your company’s likely weaknesses? Is the competition in your industry segment entrenched? Is your own management team inexperienced? Will it be challenging to actually produce your product and maintain quality?
   • Hints: What are your company’s opportunities? Does your segment have more demand than supply? Have larger corporations stopped serving smaller or niche markets that you could enter? Is a new market emerging because of demographics, immigration, changing tastes?
   • Hints: What are your company’s threats? Is there a clear market leader that will be hard and expensive to displace? Are downward-pricing pressures in the segment making profit margins slim? Are there little or no barriers-to-entry for new competitors; if you have a novel idea that succeeds, can the competition easily enter your market? If you have a global aspect to your company, do factors such as currency fluctuations, political instability, offshoring or outsourcing pose threats?

8. Format your assignment according to these formatting requirements:
   1. Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
   2. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
   3. Cite the resources you have used to complete the exercise. Note: There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in the exercise.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Analyze the role of a company mission, vision, and objectives and the impact to business strategy.
• Describe strategic plan
• Analyze the external and internal environment for opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses that impact the firm’s competitiveness.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in strategic management.
• Write clearly and concisely about strategic management using proper writing mechanics

nstructions

For each of the following descriptions:   A. A piano manufacturer wants to track all pianos it makes. Each piano has a unique serial number and a manufacturing completion date. Each instrument represents exactly one piano model, all of which have an identification number and model. The company produces thousands of pianos of a certain model, and the design is specified before any single piano exists.   B. A vendor builds multiple types of tablet computers. Each has a type identification number and a name. The key specifications for each type include amount of storage and display type. The company uses multiple processor types, exactly one of which is used for a specific tablet type. The same processor can be used in multiple types of tablets. Each processor has a manufacturer and a manufacturer’s unique code that identifies it.   C.  Each individual tablet computer manufactured by the vendor is identified by the type identification number and a serial number that is unique within the type identification.  The vendor wants to maintain information about when each tablet is shipped to a customer.   Perform the following tasks:   1. Identify the degree and cardinalities of the relationship. 2. Express the relationships graphically with an E-R diagram.   Document your work into a single, well-organized, well-written word document and submit no later than due date.   Name the file “XXX_ASSIGN2.doc(x), where XXX are your initials.  Please adhere to the naming conv

Due Week 3 and worth 100 points

Select a publicly traded company to research and evaluate its Human Resource (HR) and business strategy, HR department job positions, and ways it markets its company regarding human capital. Some company Websites that provide this information are listed below:

• Marriott: http://www.arubamarriottcareers.com/JobDescriptions.html
• Allstate: http://www.jigsaw.com/id209321_d40/allstate_insurance_human_resources_business_contacts.xhtml
• State Farm: http://www.statefarm.com/about/retirees/news_articles/hr_serv_assist.asp
• Ford Motor Company: http://corporate.ford.com/careers/career-paths/human-resources?&ccode=US

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

1. Propose how you would ensure the HR strategy is in alignment with the business strategy.
2. Describe the HR job positions and the responsibilities listed for that HR department.
3. Determine which HR job positions you would prefer and explain why.
4. Analyze how the selected company can establish HRM strategies to improve competitive advantages.
5. Propose three (3) ways that the company can increase diversity.
6. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Examine the role of human resource management (HRM) in organizations and how it supports the organization’s business strategy.
• Evaluate human resource strategies and how these strategies align with business strategies.
• Create a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
• Formulate HRM strategies and policies to recruit, select, place, and retain the most efficient and effective workforce.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in strategic human resource development.
• Write clearly and concisely about strategic human resource development using proper writing