Author: chris

Case 8.4: Have Gun, Will Travel…to Work

Located on page 312 of your textbook

Do you have not only a legal, but a moral right to own a gun? Do you believe that you have either a moral or a legal right to park a car with a loaded gun in a privately owned parking lot, regardless of what the lot’s owner wants?
In your view, do employees have either a moral or a legal right to park cars with guns in them in the company parking lot? What do you believe should be the property rights and safety concerns of employers?
Do you think state legislatures are right to get involved, or should the matter be left to companies and employees to settle?
Because the workplace is the company’s private property, the company could choose to allow employees to bring guns not only into the parking lot, but also into the workplace itself. Are there ever circumstances in which doing so might be reasonable? Or would the presence of guns automatically violate the rights of other employees to be guaranteed a safe working environment?

Environmental justice/environmental racism (http://www.utne.com/environment/environmental-justice-for-all.aspx)

Select one philosophical theory (utilitarianism, deontology, or virtue ethics). Consider the following questions pertaining to the theory you have selected:
What does the theory tell us about how things operate in the real world?
What is the focus of the theory? That is, what aspects of everyday life (or what questions) does the theory address?

The focus (or questions) helps you think about the topical boundaries of the theory. This course is about ethics and social responsibility, so you should concentrate on the ethical and moral aspects of the theory and of the topic you are analyzing. It may help to think in terms of different realms or institutions. Does the theory help to explain people’s behavior from a political, economic, religious, or ethical perspective? Try to sort through everything that does not represent an ethical question, and address only the ethical issues.

How does the theory simplify complex issues to make them more understandable? Another way to think about this is to consider the elements or concepts that make up the theory. Identify the concepts and how they are related to each other.
Develop one thesis question that applies your philosophical theory to your environmental issue. You will address this question in developing an argument that links the theory to the issue (through your notes and pictures), so make sure you word your question carefully to accomplish this task. Indicate this thesis question on your second slide (the one after the title slide).
Next, develop an ethical argument that addresses your question. Use the text and/or look for academic sources to support your position. Build your argument by writing nine sentences. Each sentence should make one important point about the ethical aspects of the environmental issue you are analyzing and should be placed on one slide each.
Underneath each slide you will also add presentation notes. The notes are written information that you would normally say or share with an audience during a presentation, but that they do not actually see on the slide. Your notes should also make use of at least two academic sources and elaborate on the image and sentence in each slide.
To add notes to your slide, go the section at the bottom of each slide in Power Point and click on the option that says “Click to add notes.” Type your notes into that section.
Make sure your presentation focuses on ethical arguments and avoids personal opinion, arguments based on politics, economics, religion, or topics other than ethics.

Assignment 3: Post-Merger Analysis

In today’s uncertain economic and regulatory environment for the health services industry, many organizations may be presented with merger and acquisition opportunities to gain market share and drive financial and operational efficiencies. Given the current state of this market segment:

Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:

1. Suggest the key financial drivers that most likely will cause health care organizations to merge. Provide support for your rationale.

2. Assuming that two (2) health care organizations have merged. Determine the evaluation criteria that a financial analyst would use to evaluate the financial performance of the organization post-merger, and identify the determinants that the analyst would use to decide whether or not the merger generated favorable financial results for the organization. Provide support for your evaluation.

3. Determine the key factors that will drive the financial planning process for most organizations in the post-merger phase, and examine the related impact to the organization process. Provide support for your rationale.

4. Create an argument to assert that the financial planning process is of high value to a health care organization. Provide support for your argument.

5. Predict the financial stability of the health care industry over the next five (5) years. Provide support for your prediction.

6. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

· Evaluate the financial statements and the financial position of health care institutions.

· Describe the overall planning process and the key components of the financial plan.

· Use technology and information resources to research issues in health financial management.

· Write clearly and concisely about health financial management using proper writing mechanics.

Leading teams of diverse individuals is a significant challenge. Negotiating individual strengths, weaknesses, and personalities can be difficult. Nonetheless, as a leader it is your responsibility to effectively lead teams through establishing expectations designed to motivate individuals, fostering critical decision-making skills, and improving communication and collaboration among teammates. For the assignments in modules 4 and 5, as part of the management team at a successful, regional airline, West Coast Transit, you have been directed to form a team for a high-stakes, high-pressure project. Together, the management team will come to a consensus and make a recommendation to the director.

Your objective is to individually select a team of six people from the given teammate profiles. Begin by reading “West Coast Transit Company Profile” and “West Coast Transit Team Member Profiles,” which are attached in the Topic Materials. Based on your understanding of the company, the project, and the people involved propose your team selection. Your proposal should be accompanied by a 1,000-1,250 explanation that addresses the following:

Why did you select the six team members you did? Why did you decide against the others?
Considering the diverse factors that may influence the behavior of your team members, what specific strategies will you use to motivate this particular team of individuals? Why do you think they will work? What motivational strategies do you think would be ineffective for this team? Why?
What particular challenges or conflicts can you anticipate this team facing? What strategies might you apply to manage this team’s potential conflicts? (You will learn more about conflict management in Module 5. It is acceptable to make relevant speculations based on what you know about the team members and conflict management at this point. You will have the opportunity to solidify your conflict management strategies when you join the CLC assignment in Module 5.)
Finally, summarize your vision for the success of this team. Based on what you have identified as the team’s particular strengths and weaknesses, which specific leadership strategies might you apply to ensure it is ultimately successful? Why?

Resource: The “Chef’s Tools: Nose and Tongue” section of the “Smell and Taste: Science of the Senses” video, located in this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.

Chemical Senses Paper

Write a 1,250- to 1,500-word paper that addresses the following:

How do smell and taste affect each other?

Which would you change to make a meal taste better?

If you created the most memorable meal of your life, what sensory elements must be present to emphasize the connection between the chemical senses, emotional memories, and the brain?

Describe the connection created between the chemical senses, emotional memories, and the brain.

Prepare and submit of an essay of 1750 to 2000 words (with a typical font and double spacing, this will be between 7 and 8 pages). Your assignment should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document file. (If you cannot submit your file in in Word, please discuss other options with your mentor before submitting your first assignment.)

Your essay should answer all the following questions. Be sure your answer is complete and that your writing is organized, clear, and grammatically correct. Properly cite any outside sources of information, including your textbook, in proper APA style.

Review the Danzoll article (“West Georgia Community Mobilization Initiative”). Why did the U.S. government support this endeavor in a developing country?
How successful, in your opinion, was the project? What reasons can you propose for its success or failure? How sustainable are its achievements and milestones likely to be for future communities?

Research at least three quantitative data collection instruments and sampling methods available to researchers using the text and additional resources from the University Library.

Identify two articles: one in which the business problem is researched using a descriptive statistical method and another using an inferential method.

Summarize each of the data collection instruments, sampling methods, and the statistical methods.

Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you compare and contrast each of the approaches:

What are the strengths and weaknesses of each sampling approach?

What are the specific situations in which you would choose to use each of the instruments and designs?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of each statistical approach?

How can they be used most effectively in a combined approach?

Which methods are more appropriate for research in your own business and functional area?

Select one of the three levels of change: individual, group/team or organizational/system and provide an example of the process, your response to the change and adjustments that were necessary in order to sustain this change.

Provide a brief description of the 5 Change Models in Chapter 2. Compare and contrast two of the models and, referencing this week’s lecture, discuss resistance, or how change could be embraced.

“Ethical Concerns and Crime in Technology” Please respond to the following:

Consider the role of technology in the workplace today and take a stance on whether or not you believe a company has the right to monitor technology usage of its employees on a constant basis. Give your opinion on whether such limitation could (a) strengthen the company’s overall technology security posture, or (b) limit the rights of employees. Justify your stance with one or more example(s).
From the e-Activity, summarize the details of the selected case, and indicate the end result. Determine whether or not you believe this type of crime could be created without the use of technology. Justify your response.