Author: chris

Benchmarking compares services provided with those provided by other organizations. This technique can be applied at many levels from the system to the unit level. Review your textbook for a discussion on this topic and also visit the South University library for current articles on Benchmarking.  After reading and reflecting on this information,  post a response including your ideas on the following questions:

Discuss how the nurse manager might use benchmarking to compare the unit with other departments in terms of productivity, budgeting, educational activities, and shared governance.

How does benchmarking improve “team” performance?

This week, answer all three of the questions below. You should reference your book as well as online materials for the answers to these questions (remember to cite outside resources). Your answers should be in essay format, be a minimum of three-five sentences each, and include at least three glossary terms per question.

ctivity Instruction

This unit’s assignment includes developing a problem statement for your OIP. An important step in this development is to clearly identify the problem.

For this discussion, consider problem statements as you respond to the following:

• In the development of a problem statement, what are some components you consider important when identifying the real causes of a problem?
• How would you describe a problem in a way that is clear to the management team that will be evaluating the OIP?
• Why is it important to keep your audience in mind as you determine what level of information and detail is appropriate?
• What role does the cost-benefit relationship play as you frame the problem and proposed opportunity?

Answer each qestion with a brief description

BUSI 320 Comprehensive Problem 3 FALL D

Use what you have learned about the time value of money to analyze each of the following decisions:

 

Decision #1:   Which set of Cash Flows is worth more now?

 

Assume that your grandmother wants to give you generous gift.  She wants you to choose which one of the following sets of cash flows you would like to receive:

 

Option A:  Receive a one-time gift of $10,000 today.    

Option B:  Receive a $1500 gift each year for the next 10 years.  The first $1500 would be

     received  1 year from today.                  

Option C:  Receive a one-time gift of $16,500 10 years from today.

 

Compute the Present Value of each of these options if you expect the interest rate to be 2% annually for the next 10 years.    Which of these options does financial theory suggest you should choose?

 

Option A would be worth $__________ today.

Option B would be worth $__________ today.

Option C would be worth $__________ today.

Financial theory supports choosing Option _______

        

Compute the Present Value of each of these options if you expect the interest rate to be 5% annually for the next 10 years.  Which of these options does financial theory suggest you should choose?

 

       Option A would be worth $__________  today.

Option B would be worth $__________ today.

Option C would be worth $__________ today.

Financial theory supports choosing Option _______

 

Compute the Present Value of each of these options if you expect to be able to earn 7% annually for the next 10 years.  Which of these options does financial theory suggest you should choose?

 

       Option A would be worth $__________  today.

Option B would be worth $__________ today.

Option C would be worth $__________ today.

Financial theory supports choosing Option _______

 

 

Decision #2 begins at the top of page 2!

 

 

 

Decision #2:  Planning for Retirement

 

Tom and Tricia are 22, newly married, and ready to embark on the journey of life.   They both plan to retire 45 years from today.  Because their budget seems tight right now, they had been thinking that they would wait at least 10 years and then start investing $2100 per year to prepare for retirement.   Tricia just told Tom, though, that she had heard that they would actually have more money the day they retire if they put $2100 per year away for the next 10 years – and then simply let that money sit for the next 35 years without any additional payments – then they would have MORE when they retired than if they waited 10 years to start investing for retirement and then made yearly payments for 35 years (as they originally planned to do).   Please help Tom and Tricia make an informed decision:    

 

Assume that all payments are made at the END a year (or month), and that the rate of return on all yearly investments will be 7% annually.   

 

(Please do NOT ROUND when entering “Rates” for any of the questions below)

 

1. a)How much money will Tom and Tricia have in 45 years if they do nothingfor the next 10 years, then put $2100 per year away for the remaining 35 years?

 

 

 

1. b)How much money will Tom and Tricia have in 10 years if they put $2100 per year away for the next 10 years?

 

b2)                  How much will the amount you just computed grow to if it remains invested for the remaining

35 years, but without any additional yearly deposits being made?

 

 

 

1. c)How much money will Tom and Tricia have in 45 years if they put $2100 per year away for each of the next 45 years?

 

 

1. d)How much money will Tom and Tricia have in 45 years if they put away $175 per MONTHat the end of each month for the next 45 years?  (Remember to adjust 7% annual rate to a Rate per month!)  (Round this rate per month to 5 places past the decimal  

                                                                   example of rounding: .062134 = .06213 or 6.213%

 

 

1. e)If Tom and Tricia wait 25 years (after the kids are raised!) before they put anything away for retirement,  how much will they have to put away at the end ofeach year for 20 years in order to have $600,000 saved up on the first day of their retirement 45 years from to

Recommendation Report
The Recommendation Report is the culmination of the work you’ve done in the proposal and progress report. The final report reviews your process, presents your findings, and provides recommendations to your sponsor. The textbook will be your greatest resource for this project! Ch. 19 provides details on each section/element of the report as well as a sample report.
Parts of the Recommendation Report
Front Matter (4-5 pages)
Title Page
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Executive Summary
Body (12-15 pages)
Introduction
Methods (reviews how you established and tested criteria)
Results
Conclusions
Recommendations
Back Matter (page length will vary)
References
Appendix (or Appendices)

Submit one hard copy of the Final Recommendation Report.

Recommendation Presentation
Your final presentation should present your stakeholders with an overview of your recommendation and the process that led you to that recommendation. The major difference between the paper and the presentation is that the paper should be primarily written explanation while the presentation should be primarily visual (charts, graphs, etc) explanation.
Ch. 12 in your textbook provides more information on creating oral reports.
Parts of the Presentation
Introduction – introduce your group members, and introduce the problem you selected to address
Methods – provide an explanation of your methods, as you explained them in your recommendation report
Results – show some of the charts, graphs, figures, etc that present your results
Conclusions – make meaning from the results and data you collected
Recommendation – explain your final recommendation
References – include an MLA Works Cited page and cite any research in the presentation that is not your group’s own research
Presentation Requirements
Include some sort of handout for the class (17 members of the class total)
Provide visuals for the class
Each group member must speak (try to speak about equally)
Time: keep your presentation between 9-12 minutes
E-mail me your presentation (or a link to it)
Presentation Tool Ideas
PowerPoint
Prezi (www.prezi.com)
E-Maze (www.emaze.com)
Google Slides
Presentation Date:
Final exam period: Tuesday, December 8

lick the link above to submit your assignment.

Students, please view the “Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment” in the Student Center.

Instructors, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.

Assignment 2: Adjustment Case Study

Due in Week 8 and worth 230 points

Go to NPR’s StoryCorps Website, located at http://www.npr.org/series/4516989/storycorps. Read two (2) articles that were published within the last two (2) months that focus on individuals with major adjustment issues.

Next, use the textbook and the Strayer Library to research evidence-based strategies to help with adjustment. Consider strategies that relate to stress and coping, gender, stages of life, cultural and social issues, and health.

When referencing the selected stories, please use this format:

• Standard Reference Format:
  • Title of the story [Audio file]. (Year, Month Day). Retrieved from website url.
    • Example:

A homeless teen finds solace in a teacher and a recording [Audio file]. (2014, March 7). Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2014/03/07/286921391/a-homeless-teen-finds-solace-in-a-teacher-and-a-recording.

• In-Text Citation Format:
  • The in-text citation for a selected story is an abbreviated version of the title and the year of publication. The abbreviation contains the first three words of the title.
    • Example:

(“A homeless teen,” 2014).

When referencing the textbook, please use this format:

• Standard Textbook Reference Format:
  • Author’s Name. (Date of publication). Title of the resource. Publisher information.
    • Example:

Santrock, J. (2006). Huyou:

1. Summarize two (2) articles you selected from the NPR Website. The two (2) article must be from within the last two (2) months.
2. Describe the major adjustment issues discussed in each story.
3. Examine at least three (3) evidence-based strategies from each of the selected articles that could help the individuals in each article enhance their adjustment skills.
4. For each article, recommend the evidence-based strategy that is best suited for the people in the selected articles. Provide a rationale for your response.
5. Use at least four (4) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other similar websites do not qualify as academic resources. Each of your selected articles (2) is a source and your textbook should be used as a source. One additional academic source is required for a total of four (4) sources.

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.
• 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 is not included in the required assignment page length.
• Include a reference page containing APA-formatted references for all sources used in your paper. The reference page is not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Identify contextual variables (e.g., culture) that impact psychological adjustment.
• Define stress, stressors, and coping strategies, and contemplate their relationship to health and wellness.
• Identify and describe social psychological phenomena.
• Describe adult relationships, lifestyles, and issues of parenting and longevity.
• Identify gender differences and explore gender role stereotypes.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in psychology.
• Write clearly and concisely about psychology using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric.man adjustment: 2007 custom edition. Boston, MA:

Consider the company that you are working for or another company with which you are familiar. What is one of the primary symbols or cultural artifacts that employees would recognize (not a customer marketing logo or slogan)? Answer the following questions about the culture of the company:

• What makes the symbol or cultural artifact so powerful as a representative icon of the company?
  • Why does it function so well to illustrate the culture of the company?
  • What does it really mean, or what purpose does it serve versus the way that it functions symbolically? Does the icon have more than one meaning?
• How did the organization or someone in the organization deliberately create the symbol as a rallying point or idea for the employees?
• What other symbols or practices of the company represent the nature of the company or how people remember the company, its traditions, or its processes and procedures?
• How far back in the history of the organization do you think that these symbols extend?
• How do these symbols, practices, traditions, and even corporate myths serve to help create an overall culture of the company?
  • How would you describe the culture, in general, of this organization?

Prepare a PowerPoint presentation of 10–12 slides to present to your fellow employees. Answer the questions posed above, in any order you choose, to provide an overview of the use of symbols in the culture of the organization. If possible, photograph, scan, or otherwise reproduce images of the icons that you are considering, and include them in the presentation.

After reading and reviewing the link https://media.liberty.edu/ufd6j (video) and material in this module/week’s Reading & Study folder, reflect upon what you have learned and include pertinent aspects in your answers to the following questions:

 

What are 3 themes that stand out in helping you understand Arab Muslims better? Include 1 theme out of these that helps you better understand Islamic extremist terrorism. Note that terrorism is not being excused in asking you to understand something about it. Indeed, you should have a balanced perspective. What is 1 question you would like to ask Rheam that Dr. Garzon did not?

 

 

Your thread must be 350–450 words. Please remember to include appropriate formatting using the APA manual, 6^thed. This is very important and is included in the assignment rubrics. Be precise, concise and clear-cut when completing your assignments. Graduate quality work is expected to be free from spelling and grammatical errors, written according to the most current APA formatting guidelines, and adhere to the specific assignment instructions that are provided. APA style also applies to reference pages and citations. Please…the grading rubric that is attached to guarantee that every aspect is met. 

 

 

Course Textbooks:

Hays, D. G., & Erford, B. T. (2010). Developing multicultural counseling competence: A systems approach. New York, NY: Pearson. ISBN: 9780132432412.

 

McGoldrick, M., Giordano, J., & Garcia-Preto, N. (2005). Ethnicity and family therapy (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Guliford Press. ISBN: 9781593850203.

 

 

Textbook Readings

• Hays & Erford: ch. 10

 

• McGoldrick et al.: ch. 31

Attachments:

discussion_board_grading_rubric_2_1.docx

• Social Science homework help

1. Go to “FRB: Press Release—FOMC statement—December 16, 2009.”
2. You should now find a press release from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, dated December 16, 2009, which discusses the decisions of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) for that date.

This release also states that the Federal Reserve is in the process of purchasing $1.25 trillion of agency mortgage-backed securities and about $175 billion of agency debt. Additionally, the release states that the FOMC has decided to gradually reduce “the pace” of such Fed purchases. Discuss why you believe that the FOMC has made such a decision, and explain the consequences of such a decision on the economy.

In your answer, discuss the Federal Reserve’s use of open-market operations to influence the money supply and the respective consequences of such actions. Include a discussion of the money multiplier effect in your response. Justify your conclusions and provide appropriate examples.

Using Microsoft Word, submit your responses in the form of a short paper (1 ½ – 2 pages).

After you have fleshed out your business plan you will have the information you will need for a slide presentation (e.g., PowerPoint). This 12-slide presentation conveys the most important aspects of your business in a short time. More sophisticated investors, such as angel investors and venture capitalists, will typically not look at your written business plan until they have seen your slide presentation.
Presentation (MS PowerPoint or equivalent)
⦁ Create a 12-slide presentation. Follow the outline on pp. 343–346 for the critical slides of your presentation and their placement. ⦁ Click here for help accessing a specific page number in your eBook.
⦁ Hints: Include the highlights of your elevator pitch, which shows that you understand your business. The elevator pitch is a concise description of your company—its product, market, competitive advantages, and so on. Whether pitching your business to an investor or describing it to a potential connection at a networking event, you need to be able explain your business succinctly to someone in the amount of time it would take to ride up a few floors in an elevator. Use the worksheet in the text (p. 362 | Your “Elevator Pitch”) to develop your elevator pitch.
⦁ Hints: You must limit your presentation to twelve (12) slides. You do not want to overwhelm your audience with too many slides or bore them with information they already know.
⦁ Cite three (3) resources you have used to complete the exercise.
⦁ Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
⦁ Describe strategic planning techniques used to formulate alternative strategies designed to achieve stated business goals.
⦁ Create a plan to implement a firm’s strategy and manage the change from current operations.
⦁ Analyze strategies for exerting the internal leadership needed to drive the implementation of strategic initiatives and improve operating excellence.
⦁ Use technology and information resources to research issues in strategic management.
⦁ Write clearly and concisely about strategic management using proper writing mechanics.
12 CRITICAL SLIDES
Title slide: your company’s name, a short company description, name of presenter(s) if presenting in person.

Your elevator pitch: a succinct description of your products or services, market, and competitive advantages. Use vibrant language, and if possible, embed audio or video to demonstrate your product or service.

Size of opportunity: this is what investors — VCs even more so than angels — want to know. To what size can your company potentially grow and what are your plans for future development?

Your specific target customers: who they are and the customer needs that your product or service will meet.

The market size: numbers and dollars, past growth, growth forecasts.

The competition: division of market share, how your product compares to theirs, your value proposition in comparison to the competition’s, and barriers to entry.

Your team: who they are, their past successes and experience, and why they are qualified to do the job.

The business model: how you will distribute your product, pricing strategies, how you will reach your customers.

Milestones: a time line that outlines when you expect to reach key achievements.

Financials: a brief summary of key points from your income statement, balance sheet, and/or cash flow projections.

Funding: how much you are asking for in this round, how many future rounds are expected, how much you will request during those rounds, and how the funds will be used.

The investment opportunity: potential exit strategies and financial return for investors.

Your “Elevator Pitch”

For a voice mail message, state the nature of your call and your business up front and then clearly and slowly explain how you can be reached. Describe your company in “big picture” terms: Do not go into too many details; they may misunderstand the nature of your business. Always indicate that you will also phone back — that gives you an opening to call again without seeming too pushy.
Your voice mail message might be something like, “Aaron Schneider suggested I call you about my new food products and service company, AAA, Inc. Aaron thought our approach to growth and our established customer base would interest you. I’d appreciate the chance to speak with you. I can be reached at 650-555-1000 or you can email me at arnie at aaa.com. I will also try you again in a couple of days. Thank you.”
Your email message can be very similar to your voice mail. It should be short and direct, and you should provide a way for them to contact you by phone. You can include the address of your website, if you have one up and running, and if you are willing to have the potential funder see it before they’ve talked to you. Refrain from using any attachments, especially in your first contact. Be careful not to be too vague in your “Subject” line, such as “Great Business Opportunity” or “New Business Venture.” You don’t want your recipient to think your message is spam and delete it without even opening it.
“Emailing a summary is the most common and the best way to convey a plan. Email a summary with the idea of trying to set up a meeting to present a full presentation.”
Mark Gorenberg
Venture Capitalist
“The Elevator Pitch”
When considering a prospective investment, venture capitalists and other investors often want to hear what they call the “elevator pitch.” This is the concise description of a company — its product or service, market, competitive advantages — that an entrepreneur could give in the time it would take to ride up an elevator (and not to the top floor of a skyscraper!). An “elevator pitch” shows that you understand your business. (If you’re unclear on your strategic position, you’d still be mumbling as you pass the fifteenth floor.)
“The classic elevator pitch is very important to us. Angel investors typically co-invest with others. If an entrepreneur can’t describe their concept quickly, it’s hard for us to raise money from others.”
Lauren Flanagan
Cofounder and Managing
Director, BELLE Capital USA