Author: chris

Unit 3 IP Assignment: Deliverable Length 700 words in a Word file. Submit an Excel Spreadsheet showing calculations (submit separately). Fill out the 4 Tables completely.

 

A.

 

1.Bond Table 1: To fill out the first table, you will need to select 3 bonds with maturities between 10 and 20 years with bond ratings of “A to AAA,” “B to BBB” and “C to CC” (you may want to use bond screener at the http://finance.yahoo.com/). All of these bonds will have these values (future values) of $1,000. You will need to use a coupon rate of the bond times the face value to calculate the annual coupon payment. You should subtract the maturity date from the current year to determine the time to maturity. The Web site should provide you with the yield to maturity and the current quote for the bond. (Be sure to multiply the bond quote by 10 to get the current market value.) You will then need to indicate whether the bond is currently trading at a discount, premium, or par.

 

2. Analysis of Bond Table 1:

 

Organize your work under 3 headings:

 

•Explain the relationship observed between ratings and yield to maturity.

 

•Explain why the coupon rate and the yield to maturity determine why the bonds would trade at a discount, premium, or par.

 

•Based on the material you learn in this Phase, what would you expect to happen to the yield to maturity and market value of the bonds if the time to maturity was increased or decreased by 5 years?

 

B.

 

Select a stock that has at least a 5-year history of paying dividends and 2 of its closest competitors.

 

1. Stock Table 1: You will calculate the required rate of return for each of the 3 stocks. You will need to determine the risk-free rate (see Note below). You will need the market return that was calculated in Phase 2, and the beta that you find on the Web site.

 

2. Stock Table 2: You will determine whether the model suggests your stocks are over-priced or underpriced. You will need the most recent dividends paid over the past year for each stock, expected growth rate for the stocks, and the required rate of return you calculated in the previous table. Compare your results with the current value of each stock to determine whether the model suggests that they are over-priced or underpriced.

 

3. Stock Table 3: You will determine whether the model suggests your stocks are over-priced or underpriced again in a different model. You will need to find the price to earnings ratio (P/E) and the average expected earnings per share. (This should be available on the Web, though P/E can be calculated.) Compare your results with the current value of each stock to determine whether or not the model suggests that the stocks are over-priced or underpriced.

 

4. Analysis of Stock Tables:

 

 

 

Organize your work under 5 headings:

 

•Explain the relationship observed between the required rate of return, growth rate and the dividend paid, and the estimated value of the stock using the Gordon Model.

 

•Explain the value and weaknesses of the Gordon model.

 

•Explain the how the price-to-earnings model is used to estimate the value of the stocks.

 

•Explain which of the 2 models seemed to be the most accurate in estimating the value of the stocks.

 

•Based on the material that you learn in this Phase, what would you expect to happen to the value of the stock if the growth rate, dividends, required rate of return, or the estimated earnings per share were to increase or decrease

 

You can find information about the top 500 stocks at:

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=%5egspc+interactive#symbol=^gspc;range=1y;compare=;indicator=volume;charttype=area;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=off;source=;”

 

 

 

NOTE: You are not asked to find stocks that have a risk free rate of return. You are only asked to list the risk free rate of return, that is the 5 year treasury rate. It is not necessary to actually calculate it. What you have to calculate is the REQUIRED RATE OF RETURN.

 

The risk free rate will be the same for all stocks and the 5-year Return on the S&P 500 will be the same for all stocks. The beta will be different (you should look this up for the stocks you selected) and with this information you can use the CAPM to calculate the Required rate of return.

 

The Current dividend, growth rate, current stock price, estimated earnings, p/e ratio, are all given.

 

For the required rate of return you should use the CAPM model Required rate of return = Risk free rate + Beta x (Market Return – Risk Free rate). The market return is the return on the S&P.

 

To estimate the stock price you should use the Gordon Model = The Gordon Model as defined by Ozyasar, is a model that an investor can use to determine a “fair stock price” and is easily calculated by the equation Stock Price = Dividend divided by the next years expected dividend – growth rate of dividend. This model is also know as the Dividend Discount Model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To estimate the stock price based on the P/E:

 

Stock price = Earning per share * P/E Ratio.

 

1. CAPM

 

The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is used to calculate the required rate of return for any risky asset. Your required rate of return is the increase in value you should expect to see based on the inherent risk level of the asset.

 

Example:

 

As an analyst, you could use CAPM to decide what price you should pay for a particular stock. If Stock A is riskier than Stock B, the price of Stock A should be lower to compensate investors for taking on the increased risk.

 

The CAPM formula is:

 

 

 

ra = rrf + Ba (rm-rrf)

 

 

 

where:

 

 

 

rrf = the rate of return for a risk-free security

 

 

 

rm = the broad market’s expected rate of return

 

 

 

Ba = beta of the asset

 

 

 

CAPM can be best explained by looking at an example.

 

Assume the following for Asset XYZ:

 

 

 

rrf = 3%

 

 

 

rm = 10%

 

 

 

Ba = 0.75

 

By using CAPM, we calculate that you should demand the following rate of return to invest in Asset XYZ:   ra = 0.03 + [0.75 * (0.10 – 0.03)] = 0.0825 = 8.25%

 

The inputs for rrf , rm and Ba are determined by the analyst and are open to interpretation.

 

Beta (Ba) — Most investors use a beta calculated by a third party, whether it’s an analyst, broker or Yahoo! Finance.

 

Market return (rm) – Your input of market rate of return, rm, can be based on past returns or projected future returns.

 

Risk-free return (rrf): U.S. Treasury bills and bonds are most often used as the proxy for the risk-free rate.

 

Why it Matters:

 

CAPM is most often used to determine what the fair price of an investment should be. When you calculate the risky asset’s rate of return using CAPM, that rate can then be used to discount the investment’s future cash flows to their present value and thus arrive at the investment’s fair value.

 

 

 

By extension, once you’ve calculated the investment’s fair value, you can then compare it to its market price. If your price estimate is higher than the market’s, you could consider the stock a bargain. If your price estimate is lower, you could consider the stock to be overvalued.

 

 

 

1. GORDON MODEL OR DIVIDEND DISCOUNT MODEL

 

 

 

The Gordon Growth Model, also known as the dividend discount model (DDM), is a method for calculating the intrinsic value of a stock, exclusive of current market conditions. The model equates this value to the present value of a stock’s future dividends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will assume that dividend grow at a constant rate. This is the stable model.

 

Stable Model

 

Value of stock = D1/ (k – g)

 

where:

 

D1 = next year’s expected annual dividend per share

 

k = the investor’s discount rate or required rate of return, which can be estimated using the Capital Asset Pricing Model or the Dividend Growth Model.

 

g = the expected dividend growth rate (note that this is assumed to be constant)

 

How it works/Example:

 

Stable Model

 

 

 

Let’s assume XYZ Company intends to pay a $1 dividend per share next year and you expect this to increase by 5% per year thereafter. Let’s further assume your required rate of return on XYZ Company stock is 10%. Currently, XYZ Company stock is trading at $10 per share. Using the formula above, we can calculate that the intrinsic value of one share of XYZ Company stock is:

 

$1.00/(.10-.05) = $20

 

 

 

According to the model, XYZ Company stock is worth $20 per share but is trading at $10; the Gordon Growth Model suggests the stock is undervalued.

 

The Gordon Growth Model allows investors to calculate the value of a share of stock exclusive of current market conditions. This exclusion allows investors to make apples-to-apples comparisons among companies in different industries, and for this reason Gordon Growth Model is one of the most widely used equity analysis and valuation tools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gordon Growth Model’s exclusion of nondividend factors tends to undervalue stocks in companies with exceptional brand names, customer loyalty, unique intellectual property, or other nondividend, value-enhancing characteristics.

 

1. STOCK PRICE BASED ON P/E:

 

To estimate the stock price based on the P/E:

 

Stock price = Earning per share * P/E Ratio.

 

Step 1

 

Obtain a company’s long-term EPS growth rate from a financial portal such as Yahoo! Finance or MSN Money for the past three or five years.

 

 

 

Step 2

 

Calculate the current EPS growth rate by comparing the EPS for the last two or three quarters to the same quarters last year.

 

Step 3

 

Compare the EPS growth with the current P/E. The current P/E can be obtained from an extended quote provided by Yahoo! Finance or a similar portal. The rule of thumb is that a fully valued stock should have a P/E that equals its earnings growth rate. If the P/E is below the EPS growth rate, the stock is undervalued; if the P/E is above the EPS rate, the stock is overvalued.

 

 

 

Step 4

 

Assume that the stock you are researching is fully valued — that is, its EPS growth rate equals its P/E. Substitute the EPS growth rate for the current P/E and multiply it by the current earnings per share (which can also be obtained from a financial portal) to arrive at the stock’s potential value. If the figure is higher than the current stock price, the stock is undervalued; if the figure is lower than the current stock price, the stock is overvalued.

 

 

Discuss the relevance of the selected topic to an understanding of multiculturalism or the application of the topic in multicultural counselin

 

The final paper must be 10–12 pages (not including the title page, abstract page, or reference pages).

The paper must include a minimum of 10 peer-reviewed and academic journal resources. Academic journals can be easily assessed. The articles should be dated within the past 5 years.

 

Remember that information from generic websites (e.g., Wikipedia, About.com) will not count towards the minimum of 10 sources required in the paper. Rely on peer-reviewed resources only.

Do not include pictures, charts, or graphs in the final paper.

You should have a title page and abstract.

The required components that must be included in the paper:

 

• Title page
• Abstract page
• Body of 10–12 pages
• Reference page

   

  The paper must follow current APA format guidelines.

 

Assignment 2: You Are an Investment Analyst
Due Week 10 and worth 250 points

As the CFO of your corporation, you are in charge of preparing and analyzing financial statements that will be presented to potential investors and creditors. However, before you can present the financial statements to investors and creditors, you need to prepare the financial statements with supporting analysis. Select one (1) pair of the following companies to conduct your financial statement analysis.
Pepsi versus Coca Cola, or
Amazon versus eBay
Target versus Walmart
Nike versus Reebok
Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:
Analyze each company’s history, product / services, major customers, major suppliers, and leadership, and provide a synopsis of each company.
Identify three (3) profitability ratios that creditors may be interested in. Calculate the ratio for each company, and prepare a report to summarize your findings on the financial health of each company. Also, recommend to management the manner in which they can improve each of the three (3) ratios identified.
Summarize at least two (2) news events (this may include mergers, acquisitions, or political issues) that occurred from 2012 to the present day, and analyze the impact that these events had on each company’s financial statements. Indicate the primary way in which the merger, acquisition or political issues influence potential investors’ and creditors’ perception of both companies.
Analyze each company’s income statement over the past two (2) years, and determine which company outperformed the other. Suggest a way in which the lagging company can improve its income. Support your suggestion with a specific analysis.
Analyze each company’s balance sheet. Prepare a vertical analysis for each company, interpret the results, and write a financial report. Also, suggest the manner in which the company that is not performing well can improve its balance sheet in order for it to be attractive to potential investors.
Use at least four (4) 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:
Prepare and analyze financial statements including the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow according to GAAP and IFRS.
Calculate financial ratios, interpret results, and draw conclusions.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in financial accounting.
Write clearly and concisely about financial accounting using proper writing mechanics.

Week 5 – Final Project WIX.COM WEBSITE
Final Project
For your Final Project, you will create a website that showcases the skills you have gained throughout your psychology program. Your website will consist of the following elements: a homepage, a literature review, expert opinions, résumés, a case study, and a list of pertinent websites. Each of these sections will be its own tab on the website. When complete, you may choose to use this website after graduation as a means to showcase your abilities to potential employers and/or graduate schools.
It is highly recommended that you complete any and all written work in a separate document first and then cut and paste the required content into your webpage. This will allow you to edit and save your work separate from the website, should anything occur which causes the website to fail. Additionally, you will be able to work on your content without having to remain connected to the internet and it may be easier to develop and edit your content in Word, prior to publishing it on your website.
Sections of the Final Project will be completed within the course weeks and will be revised for inclusion in this project. Carefully review all suggestions and comments from the instructor and/or your classmates before including that work within the content of your website.
Clearly label the website as your course project. Although it will not be searchable to the general public, it will be publicly available and anyone who is given your specific site link will be able to view it.
Copy and paste the URL to your website into a Word document for submission. Once you have received your final grade for this course, you have the option of deleting this website through your account with Wix.com.
Creating the Website
The website:
Must be named with the following convention: your last name + PSY496 Final Project. Example: Smith PSY496 Final Project.
Must include six tabs with the following headings and information. Watch the screencast video below to assist you with setting up your required tabs.
Home Page
Briefly introduce yourself and provide information regarding your professional background. Summarize your experiences within the Psychology program at Ashford University and what you hope to do upon graduation. You may include a professional photograph as well.
Literature Review
Create a brief literature review that presents a fair and comprehensive analysis of relevant literature pertaining to the topic you chose in Week One. This page must include the following:
A brief introduction of the topic and its relevance (300 to 500 words).
Three to five peer-reviewed articles based on applied psychological research. Each of the articles must directly relate to your chosen topic.
A one- to two-paragraph (500 to750 words total) analysis and summary for each article.
A reference list at the bottom of the page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Expert Opinions
Begin with the work you completed for the Mental Health Disciplines discussion in Week Three. In this section, you will demonstrate your awareness of the psychological career alternatives in a community setting and take on the role of two experts in different fields of psychology. You will also evaluate contributions of psychological research in the applied context of these experts and discuss methodological issues unique to their areas of psychological research.
Take into consideration the comments your classmates and your instructor made on your discussion post.
Include information from at least two peer-reviewed articles of your choosing that were published within the last five years to substantiate your experts’ claims. The sources may not be any of those that are listed within this course. For information on how to generate search terms for specific resources, visit the Ashford University Library website.
Make any necessary changes to your presentation and create a new screencast using Screenr.com. Using the link information from Screenr and the instructions on the Wix.com platform, embed the video of your screencast presentation in the Expert Opinions page of your website.
Résumés
Begin with the work you completed for the Develop Professional Résumés assignment in Week Three. Based on the feedback from your instructor, make the recommended changes to the résumés you created for the two experts from the Presentation by Experts discussion in Week Three and the Expert Opinions web page you created.
Next, create your own professional résumé, that includes brief descriptions of the major duties associated with any relevant work experience you have.
Your résumé should appear first on the page followed by the résumés you created for the experts.
Case Study
Begin with the work you completed for the Case Study: Evaluating Ashford University Institutional & Program Outcomes assignment in Week One.
Review the feedback you received from your instructor and then create a case study that takes on the role you did not pursue.
If you used your own story or that of a willing volunteer for the original assignment, then you will create a case study for a fictitious character.
If you created a character for the case study in the original assignment, then you will use your own story or that of a willing adult volunteer.
In this section, you will:
Create a 750- to 1000-word case study of a real (either yourself or a willing adult volunteer) or fictitious person who has developed the competencies of their academic program at Ashford University.
Evaluate your real or fictitious person’s learning within the program as it contributes to the overall attainment of the institutional outcomes.
Include at least one personal life example and one career example of applying the competencies to resolve personal challenges and an ethical dilemma (e.g., a client or research subject reveals compromising information about a friend or family member who also happens to be someone you know in a personal/social context).
Create or describe a scenario in which the person wrestles with an issue related to the assigned research topic in her or his personal and/or professional life. Be specific in your discussion of the scenario and provide details demonstrating professional problem solving on the part of the person in your case study.
Include a section wherein your fictitious person or you articulate a personal point of view, evaluate evidence, determine options for responding and evaluate the pros and cons of the options prior to making a decision about a course of action within the scenario.
Conclude with how the problem was resolved and what the person learned while at Ashford University that assisted in an effective resolution.
Websites
Create an annotated list of 10 to 12 reputable, professional websites (e.g., government agencies, professional organizations, professional associations…) that are relevant to psychological research and practice. Commercial or non-academic websites may not be used for this assignment.
Consider the merits of each website. Based on your knowledge of scholarly applications of psychological research, evaluate the use of scholarly applied psychological research and analyze the interpretations that are presented on each site. For information on how to evaluate web resources, visit the Ashford University Library website.
The list should be in alphabetical order with each website cited according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
The annotations should be four to five sentences long and reflect the relevance and usefulness of each website in terms of your topics of psychological research and your professional needs.
In addition, your website must:
Include a footer with the date submitted (in Copyright section).
Address the topics of each page with critical thought.
Use the number of peer-reviewed sources listed with the instructions for each web page.
Document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Include a separate reference section at the bottom of each web page, for the sources used on that page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Code documentation:
Put comments about what the code is for, not what it does. For example, I had some code that looked like this
While (true) { // Java loop
AddTotal();
PrintTotal();
}
Well, it is understood thatg while (true) is a Java loop. A better comment would be
while (true) { // loops getting input until the user quits
AddTotal();
PrintTotal();
} // end while
INDENT!!!!! You will lose some points if your code isn’t indented well. This is crucial in program Readability.
Q1) Some websites impose certain rules for passwords registration. Write a Java program that checks whether a string is a valid password. Suppose the password rules are as follows:
A password must have exactly eight characters. A password consists of only letters and digits. No punctuations or special symbol is allowed. A password must contain at least two digits. The first and last character must be a digit. No two digit or character can be the same. You are to write a Java application (no regular expression is allowed) to allow users to register their password. Loop must be used to validate each character (marks will be deducted if no loop is not used). (50 marks)
Examples of data entry are appended below: Please enter a new password: 7zan91 Error: Eight character is required, please reenter. 7anbvxmP. Error: Last character must be a digit, please reenter. 7anbvnn9. Error: You are not allowed to repeat any character, please reenter. 7*&bvyn9. Error: You are not allowed to enter special symbols. 7anbctq9.
Thank you for registering for us!
Q2) Luckluck is a legalized form of lottery sold in Singapore, known by different names elsewhere.
Method of Play:
A buyer picks at least six numbers, each on a basis of 1 to 49 (You must use Random class for this). No two same numbers are allowed. The winning numbers drawn include six numbers plus an additional number. Three or more winning numbers on a ticket matching the seven numbers drawn qualifies the buyer for a cash prize. The prize money escalates with the increase in numbers matched.
The maximum allowed matching numbers is six. Thus, if six numbers on the TOTO ticket matches the six numbers drawn, the jackpot (Group 1) prize is won.
Placing of bets:
There are 4 different ways to place bets:
QuickPick The computer randomly selects 6 numbers from 1 to 49 for the buyer. No bet slip is required for QuickPick bets.
Ordinary Bet The buyer selects 6 numbers from 1 to 49 by marking them on a bet slip.
System Bet The buyer selects 7 to 10 numbers from 1 to 49 by marking on a bet slip. For example, a System 9 bet is a selection of 9 numbers.
System Roll The buyer selects only 5 numbers from 1 to 49. The 6th number is a guaranteed winning number.

Bet Cost
Bet Type Cost
Ordinary S$1
System 7 S$7
System 8 S$28
System 9 S$84
System 10 S$210
System Roll S$44

Payout and odds: There is a prize pool assumed to be 1,000,000. The prize pool is divided between 6 prize groups.
Prize Group Winning numbers matched Prize amount (S$)
1 6 numbers 33% of prize pool
2 5 numbers plus the additional number 13% of prize pool
3 5 numbers 13% of the prize pool
4 4 numbers plus the additional number $30 per winning combination
5 4 numbers $30 per winning combination
6 3 numbers plus the additional number $20 per winning combination
7 3 numbers $10 per winning combination
Below is the sample game and payout: Total prize: $1,000,000 ways to bet:
How do you want to place your bet:
1 Ordinary
2 System 7
3 System 8
4 System 9
5 System 10
6 System Roll
Enter now: 1
Enter six numbers from 1 to 49 (No repeating of number):
3 19 10 21 33 41
Winning numbers: 3 19 21 25 31 44
You Won 3 numbers, total prize = $10.0

Using any or all sources that you have been exposed to throughout the term, you will create a strategic plan (10–12 pages) to improve collaboration between the agencies that are involved in homeland security and emergency response in your city. Be sure to describe how your plan will encourage agencies to work together and avoid turf wars with regard to information and jurisdiction.

For this assignment, the strategies and plans listed in the resources for this and the other units provide examples of plans that you may use as a template. Because of the page limit, it is unlikely that an entire strategic plan is achievable. Therefore, you should focus on preparing a collaboration annex to the plan that you select.

• You will again approach it from the perspective of an emergency planner for the real-world county that you have employed all term. (Again, please use a pseudonym when referring to this county.)
• Choose either an emergency operations plan or a subject-specific plan (such as pandemic influenza, school safety and preparedness, information sharing, establishing a fusion center, or any other reasonable topic).
• Locate an annex in any plan or strategy; it does not need to be the plan that you have selected to contribute to for this assignment.
• You are going to produce a collaboration annex to a plan that is used (actually or hypothetically) by your county.
  • Provide definitions and explanations for key terms, including interagency, partners, collaborative relationships, coordination, and team-building.
• Develop and describe 3–5 primary overarching objectives for collaboration and coordination. These are strategic and therefore conceptual; you will be more specific later.
  • These objectives should be as detailed as possible to include information as to why and how they should be pursued and achieved.
  • An example of an objective may be to seek consensus with the subsequent rationale for this, potentially including focusing the team on a single end state, permitting all partners to have some ownership on the plan’s elements or overall goals, or demonstrating respect for all partners’ perspectives.
    • These components must be fully explained.
• Identify at least ten stakeholders with whom the county will need to collaborate for this specific plan. Describe the following for each partner:
  • The specific capabilities that it brings to bear
  • Benefits that it will reap from collaboration
  • Challenges that collaboration or partnering will create for it
  • Points of contact for each partner agency
  • Any other information that you feel is relevant
• Educate prospective partners on methods that the county will use to promote collaboration.
  • Select or originally design at least four methods, programs or approaches designed to foster collaboration.
    • You have learned about some methods and can locate many more in available strategies and operating procedures, especially those focused primarily on interagency coordination.
    • You may choose methods from existing sources, design your own programs, or combine both forms; if you use a method from another source, you must properly reference it.
• Identify and describe at least three ways that partners will be incorporated into exercises; make these descriptions detailed, logical, and relevant to the success of this specific plan.
• Write a short summary wrapping up the intentions of your annex.

Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.

Weekly tasks or assignments (Individual or Group Projects) will be due by Monday and late submissions will be assigned a late penalty in accordance with the late penalty policy found in the syllabus. NOTE: All submission posting times are based on midnight Central Time.

 

 

 

The warehouse manager asked you to create an example inventory list for his staff. The inventory list is a comprehensive chart that lists all of the company’s internal resources: equipment, machines, technology, furniture, office supplies, etc.

 

 

 

Considering the company, its services, and its products, draft an inventory list of all internal resources.

 

•Use the following format: ◦MS Excel spreadsheet

 

 

 

•Include an inventory chart with relevant categories.

 

•Categorize the inventory based on departments, units, and teams.

 

•Include time lines for restocking resources and placing orders based on anticipated demands and usage.

In this assignment, you will recommend the components of a career development planning program and explain how the plan will integrate the organization’s mission and value statements.

Consider the following scenario:

You work in the HR Department of an electric power company in the southwestern region of the U.S. The company was founded in 1940 and has an excellent reputation as a provider of electricity. It is also considered to be an outstanding corporate citizen and known to be an excellent place to work. It has been ranked among the top three employers in the community for several years.

Its mission is to serve customer’s needs for electric power in ways that provide exceptional value to all stakeholders including customers, shareholders, employees, and the communities in which it operates.

Its values include providing a safe work environment; fairness and respect for customers, employees, shareholders, and partners; honoring commitments to use resources wisely; providing a high quality of work life for its employees; and striving for excellence and having fun.

Given its long history, many of its current employees are children or grandchildren of former employees so there are close family ties to the company as well as a sense of loyalty.

However, technological advancements in the power generation business over the years have resulted in jobs being either redesigned or eliminated. For example, in the past, the company had many employees who read meters, which showed the amount of electricity used by households. Meter readers traveled from house to house each month to log the information for billing purposes. Now meters are read automatically and data is transferred to the billing department via computer. This technological advancement eliminated the need for many employees who were required to resign, be laid off, or be retrained for other positions in the company.

The company faces a challenge as it strives to maintain its reputation as an excellent employer in the community, and, yet leverage advances in technology, which help it increase efficiency and remain competitive.

As a member of the HR team, you have been tasked with the responsibility of drafting a plan for a career development program for the company which will help managers effectively guide their staff in developing individual career development plans that are integrated with and support the company’s mission and values. Your report will be reviewed by senior HR managers as well as executive directors.

The HR department will have conducted a needs assessment as part of its strategic planning process to determine how the company will achieve its goals and objectives over the next 5–10 years. This assessment identifies areas where employees with new skill-sets will be required as well as areas where current employees with skill-sets may need to be either maintained or reduced (laid off).

As part of their annual performance appraisal, all employees will draft a personal and professional development plan on their own which will then be discussed with their manager. This plan should cover a five-year period and be reviewed and adjusted annually. It should include both formal training programs and individual initiatives to support personal and professional development interests.

By combining information about the company’s needs from the needs assessment and employees’ interests from the personal and professional development plans, it will be possible to develop a career planning program for the company that identifies the overlap between the company’s needs and employees’ interests and also detects gaps which could become opportunities for growth in the future. Overlapping areas indicate where the company needs skill-sets and the employees want to develop them while gaps indicate where the company needs skill-sets and there are no current employee interests in that area.

This process should help the company achieve a greater return on investment (ROI) from its training budget thus improving the bottom line. It should also result in lower employee turnover since employees will see that their personal and professional growth and the company’s needs are in alignment so they will be able to stay with the company and meet their personal and professional development goals.

Instructions:

1. Develop a 5 to 6 page document in Word format detailing how you would approach and organize a program to address needs for development of the company as well as individual employees. Be sure to clearly explain how you would create the plan, but do not create the plan itself.

Address the following in the plan:

1. Identify the information needed to develop a template that will be used to complete the individual employee’s learning plan.
2. Identify the information needed in order to develop the company’s needs assessment.
3. Explain how you would coordinate both the individual employee’s plan and the company’s needs assessment into a comprehensive development plan. Be sure to identify overlaps or gaps.
4. Explain how you would use this information to create a roadmap for development of a career development program for the company.
5. Identify other factors that should be considered in this program’s development.
6. Explain how the proposed plan would help managers effectively guide their staff in developing individual career development plans that are integrated with and support the company’s mission and values.

2. Next, create a PowerPoint presentation (2 page) for the senior management explaining how this proposed plan would contribute to the resolution of HR issues facing this company.

Utilize at least three scholarly sources in your research. Apply APA standardsto citation of sources.

 

In light of problems posed by the concept of drive, Premack, one of Skinner’s followers, proposes that we consider reinforcement:

 

A.In terms of the length of extinction.

 

B.In terms of the power of discriminative stimuli.

 

C.As ratios between positive and negative reinforcement.

 

D.As the momentary probability of a response.

 

Responses that are intermittently rather than continuously reinforced are:

 

A.Less likely to generalize.

 

B.Less subject to negative reinforcement.

 

C.More difficult to extinguish.

 

D.All of the above.

 

The text indicates how Skinner discussed emotions as the effects of:

 

A.Reinforcement schedules.

 

B.Shaping.

 

C.Discriminative stimuli.

 

D.Behavior chains.

 

Skinner’s attitude toward the theory of natural selection seemed basically:

 

A.Positive.

 

B.Negative.

 

C.Mixed.

 

D.Unclear

 

Skinner argued that internal events such as thoughts:

 

A.Have no place in behaviorism.

 

B.Should only be studied if they can be observed and measured.

 

C.Are less important than Pavlov said they are.

 

D.Are less important than Watson said they are

 

According to the text, the most basic difference between Skinner and the developmentalists has to do with:

 

A.The issue of stages.

 

B.The source of developmental change-inner or outer.

 

C.The continuity-discontinuity issue.

 

D.The importance of emotions in the developmental process.

 

An example of a discriminative stimulus is a boy who:

 

A.Is startled by the sight of a dog.

 

B.Works only when immediately rewarded.

 

C.Cries to get attention.

 

D.Works hard only when the teacher says, “This paper will be graded.”

 

The text considers research on televised aggression as:

 

A.Weak.

 

B.Fairly Weak.

 

C.Fairly conclusive.

 

D.Supporting some theorists but not others.

 

In Bandura’s theory, direct reinforcements primarily affect:

 

A.General classes of behavior rather than specific behavior.

 

B.Aggressive behavior rather than other kinds of behavior.

 

C.Altruistic behavior rather than other kinds of behavior.

 

D.Performances rather than the acquisition of responses.

 

Over the years, Bandura has come to view Piaget’s theory as:

 

A.Similar to his own.

 

B.Still wrong in major respects.

 

C.Correct about external standards.

 

D.Correct about stages.

 

Studies on pro-social behavior suggest that:

 

A.Preaching can have strong short-term effects but can backfire.

 

B.Modeling a behavior for children always has stronger effects than issuing orders.

 

C.Practicing and preaching have about the same effects.

 

D.Preaching is always more effective than modeling a behavior

 

A 3-year old child enthusiastically imitates the behavior of a slightly older child. This imitation most clearly supports the theory of:

 

A.Piaget.

 

B.Bandura.

 

C.Skinner.

 

D.Watson.

 

Five-year olds seem to talk to themselves aloud more often as their work becomes increasingly difficult. This finding supports:

 

A.Piaget.

 

B.Vygotsky.

 

C.Both Piaget and Vygotsky.

 

D.Neither Piaget nor Vygotsky.

 

Luria found that when young children try to give themselves verbal commands:

 

A.They can immediately regulate their behavior.

 

B.They respond to the meaning of their words rather than their words’ signaling function.

 

C.They respond primarily to familiar words.

 

D.They behave as if all commands initiate behavior.

 

One of Vygotsky’s laws was that:

 

A.Behavior begins as action and then become increasingly verbal and logical.

 

B.The dialectic of history manifests itself in the cognitive conflicts between individuals.

 

C.Children first learn the social forms of behavior, then apply it to themselves.

 

D.Logic is simply interiorized action.

 

The text most strongly criticizes Vygotsky’s educational approach for:

 

A.Ignoring Piaget.

 

B.Lack of clarity.

 

C.Overemphasizing social learning.

 

D.Fostering dependence.

 

The text suggests Vygotsky described the interactions between inner and outer forces behind development:

 

A.In a clear and precise way.

 

B.In an imbalanced way.

 

C.In a clearer manner with respect to language than school instruction.

 

D.In a clearer manner for older than younger children.

 

Freud would suggest that a young man’s anxiety over competition probably reflects earlier problems at:

 

A.The first stage.

 

B.The second stage.

 

C.The third stage.

 

D.The fourth stage.

 

What most puzzled Freud about the girl’s Oedipus Complex was:

 

A.Why girls experience penis envy.

 

B.Why girls aren’t as open as boys about sexual matters.

 

C.Why girls feel a need to resolve the crisis.

 

D.Why girls develop a masculinity complex.

 

In general, the strongest fixation seems to be:

 

A.Excessive gratification.

 

B.Excessive frustration.

 

C.Inconsistent care.

 

D.Unconscious fantasies.

 

ESSAY QUESTIONS (INCLUDE CITATIONS)

 

1.What does the text consider to be the major difference between Skinner and Piaget?

 

2.Briefly contrast Bandura’s view of learning with Skinner’s view.

 

3.Contrast the views of Piaget and Bandura on how children develop.

 

4.Compare the views of Piaget and Vygotsky on school instruction in abstract concepts.

 

5.a) Why did Vygotsky believe the “zone of proximal development” provides a better indication of students’ potential than conventional achievement tests? b) In the evaluation section, the textbook author presents a Rousseauist critique of this concept. Discuss one of the points the authors makes.

 

6.a) Describe Freud’s theory of the Oedipal Crisis and its resolution in the boy and the girl. b) Summarize a major criticism of Freud’s theory of the Oedipus complex (with respect to either the boy or the girl).

Collaborating Community Nursing and Faith Based Nursing

Identify the heritage of health and healing in faith based communities. Use multiple resources to collaborate community nursing with faith based nursing. Be sure to discuss at least three benefits of community nurses forming partnerships with parish nurses and faith based communities; to discuss a nurse’s role as parish nurse in faith communities for health promotion and disease prevention; to analyze how communities of faith may include Healthy People 2020 guidelines in program planning; and to consider legal, ethical, or financial issues related to parish nursing. Submit your answers in a 4- to 5-page Microsoft Word document.

Support your responses with examples.

Cite any sources in APA format.

.

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
Analyzed and described the heritage of health and healing in faith communities.	8
Analyzed and described at least three benefits of community nurses forming partnerships with parish nurses and faith based communities.	20
Analyzed and explained a nurse’s role as parish nurse in faith communities for health promotion and disease prevention.	20
Identified and explained how communities of faith may include Healthy People 2020 guidelines in program planning.	20
Identified and described at least two legal, ethical, or financial issues related to parish nursing.	12
Used correct spelling, grammar, and professional vocabulary. Cited all sources using APA format.	20