Day: April 25, 2018

Professionals in the human resources field are often tasked with overseeing the benefits and compensation functions within any given organization. Human resource professionals often have to examine specific compensation and benefit elements of a total rewards system and compare them with qualitative and quantitative data collected internally, to determine how to fairly and appropriately reward employees for their work.

For the final project, you will analyze Medtronic, a company within the Harvard Business Review case study “Consumer-Driven Health Care: Medtronic’s Health Insurance,” in order to evaluate and revise the company’s current benefits and compensation package. You will utilize information presented in the case study to compare and contrast the organization’s total reward system with external benchmarking data. You will also analyze the data for gaps and make revisions to the existing compensation and benefits package. The information you are provided with will be based on a specific aspect of a benefits and compensation package (retirement benefits, medical benefits, and so on). You must also create a presentation to stakeholders that explains the proposed changes, your rationale behind the changes, and the implications of the changes for the organization.

For Milestone One, you will prepare a draft of Parts A–D of your benefits and compensation analysis (Section I of the final project). The submission will have the major heading “Benefits and Compensation Analysis: Parts A–D.”

Begin by analyzing qualitative and quantitative data for the current system (as identified in the case study) that will inform your future recommendations and revisions. Once your analysis has been completed, compare and contrast the provided quantitative data regarding the current benefits and compensation system with external benchmarking data from organizations within the same industry. Then draft Parts A–D of your benefits and compensation analysis. Thoroughly cover each of the critical elements, and include your answers to the guiding questions.

Specifically the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Benefits and Compensation Analysis: For this part of the assessment, you will analyze given aspects of a benefits and compensation package from the provided case study. You will analyze qualitative and quantitative data regarding the current system and determine gaps in that system that will inform your future recommendations and revisions.

A. Analyze the issues or concerns of employees through a review of the qualitative data presented in the case study, for their validity and importance. Be sure to consider the needs of different demographics of employees within the organization.

B. Determine which issues within the qualitative input data from employees were the most consistent and the most prominent. You may consider also representing your response visually.

C. Determine the key issues or concerns of employees that should be targeted and addressed, based on the provided qualitative data. Justify your response. What issues or concerns should be targeted and why? Why should other concerns be made less of a priority? You could consider the underlying reasons behind the issues voiced by employees.

D. Compare and contrast the provided quantitative data regarding the current benefits and compensation system with external benchmarking data from organizations within the same industry. Be sure to use the provided table to complete your response. What does the current system have that other organizations do not? What do other organizations offer that the current system does not? Be sure to justify your response.

Guidelines for Submission: This milestone should be 3 to 4 pages in length (in addition to a cover page and references) and should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Use at least three sources, which should be cited according to APA style.

Attached is the original paper I submitted that needs to be reworked. Also, attached a sample paper, the rubric with comments on what the paper need and is missing. Also attached is a PowerPoint to assist with the paper and the case study.

Reading Reactions Portfolio. Utilizing student-generated reading reaction protocols based on Rosenblatt (1984), for the assigned text or poems between class meeting, students will create reading reactions to the assigned text or poems which includes, but not limited to academic and popular culture articles, music, movies, artifacts, etc. The form and genre of the reading reaction are to be determined by the students enrolled in the class. The reading reactions must be collected by the student throughout the semester and the submitted electronically.

At this point in time, you need to have reading responses for

Rosenblatt, L. M. (1982). The literary transaction: Evocation and response. Theory into practice, 21(4), 268-277
Bass, R. V., & Good, J. W. (2004, June). Educare and Educere: Is a Balance Possible in the Educational System?. In The Educational Forum (Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 161-168).

Egan, K. (1999). Clashing armies in the curriculum wars. Children’s minds, talking rabbits, and clockwork oranges: Essays on education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press, p. 93-110.

Eisner, E. W. (1975/2002) The three curricula all schools teach. In Eisner, E. W. The educational imagination: On the design and evaluation of school programs, 3rd Ed., pp. 87 – 109. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

Freire, P. (1970/2000). Chapter 2. In Pedagogy of the oppressed, 30th Anniversary Edition. New York: Continuum.

Sochacka, N., et al. (2014). Stories ‘Told’ about Engineering in the Media: Implications for attracting diverse groups to the profession.

Wolcott, H. (1983). Adequate Schools and Inadequate Education: The Life History of a Sneaky Kid. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 14(1), pp. 3-32

Chapter 1 Noddings, N. (2013). Education and democracy in the 21st century. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Chapter 2 Noddings, N. (2013). Education and democracy in the 21st century. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Chapter 3 Noddings, N. (2013). Education and democracy in the 21st century. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Chapter 4 Noddings, N. (2013). Education and democracy in the 21st century. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Pinar, W. F. (1975, April). The Method of “Currere.”. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Research Association. Washington, D.C.

Sizer, T. (1999). That elusive “curriculum”. Peabody Journal of Education, 74(1), pp. 161 – 165.

Schubert, W. H. (2000). Curriculum inspired by Scrooge or “A curriculum Carol”. Reflections from the heart of educational inquiry: Understanding curriculum and teaching through the arts. Troy, NY: Educator’s International Press, Inc, 284-292.

What do you want in the Reading reaction portfolio status report?

Yes, I do have an answer, but I don’t know if that below is the best status report, what I want, or just exercise in adding rigor to the course whereas rigor is making the course difficult in order to guarantee that there is failure.

Here is something I wrote for a student…I am reading a dissertation written by one of my doctoral student and she included the following quote: “Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that other people are infected by these feelings and also experience them” (Tolstoy, 1899/1960, p. 51, italics in original). I do not now if what I am sharing art, the homework assignment as a piece of art, but I need your reading reaction portfolio status report to a piece of art:

Although I do not know if what I will suggest is the best way to create a status report, I would include in a status report the following:

A list of articles for which I would create a reading reaction include a reason for writing the reading reaction as a connection between the article and (my) self – lived experience.
A list of articles for which I would NOT create a reading reaction
The number of articles for which I have completed a reading reaction
A timeline for the articles which I have NOT completed a reading reaction including the medium (written, audio – monologue, conversation with another student, etc., visual – photographic essay, play, etching, movie, etc., etc.) in which I would create the reading reaction.
An argumentative synthesis of the meaning I have constructed from the reading reactions that I have completed as an audio-recording of a stream of consciousness discussion with a friend who has not read the articles.
An idea of the future – from here to the due date of the reading reaction portfolio.

Your task is to research, evaluate and formulate one (1) specific policy that you believe can reduce the effects of human factors on active failures.

In order to successfully you should at minimum address the following in each section of the report. Additional research, analysis and insight will yield a higher mark:

A. Identify and research a number of accidents/incidents where particular human factor or factors have contributed to the accident

B. Evaluate the manner in which human factors and errors which contributed to the accident using the SHEL model and other analytical tools.

C. Identify and analyse key areas of policy change that could and should, in your opinion, be instigated by the carrier, manufacturer, relevant authorities and other industry bodies such as ICAO, IATA etc.

D. Make a solid recommendation of your policy change to the concerned party or parties (airlines, manufacturers, regulators, investigatory bodies, and other industry bodies such as ICAO, IATA etc.)

In the last few years, the Federal government cut the GST (the federal sales tax on goods and services which Ontario later blended into the PST to create the HST) by two percentage points. The federal government could have transferred this cut to income taxes instead, i.e. it could have decreased taxes on income instead of on the GST. Sources of income that taxes are paid on include labour (work) as well as investment earnings. Assuming that taxes are to be cut, which tax cut do you believe is more beneficial for long run economic growth, a GST/HST reduction or an income tax reduction? Assume that either of the reductions would be revenue neutral, i.e., the federal government would forfeit the same amount of revenue with either tax that is cut. You are to back up your argument with sound economic reasoning and concepts that you have learned in this course. You are quite welcome and encouraged to utilize outside sources. Please be sure to reference your sources. Your assignment should be about 500 – 750 words in length.

Read the “A.P. Møller – Maersk Group: Evaluating Strategic Talent Management Initiatives” case study and answer the following questions. Paper should be 6-8 pages, double-spaced, 12 Times New Roman Font, and 1 inch margins all around. You should support your responses with information from the case study and content from class. Responses should reflect critical thinking, an in-depth analysis, and an understanding and integration of related topics. Seventy percent of your case study grade is based on content and 30% on grammar.
Questions:
1. (a) What do you think were the critical talent challenges facing Maersk and why? (b) Which, in your opinion, is most important and why? (c) What do the challenges outlined in 1(a) have in common – how are they related?
2. (a) What is Maersk’s biggest hiring priority: finding the best personal overall, for the company or for the job? (b) How has that changed over time? (c) Taking into account what Maersk has done to address their hiring challenges, what do you recommend they should do in the future?
3. (a) What has Maersk done to create a more inclusive culture? (b) What else do you recommend Maersk do to further address their diversity issues and develop an inclusive culture?
4. Taking into account what has already been done to address retention issues, make recommendations for what else the company should do to address these challenges or what the company should do going forward?
5. The Maersk leadership development programs (e.g., Emerging Leader and Executive Acceleration programs) were discontinued. (a) How is Maersk changing its training and development programs in response to other talent-management challenges and how are they assessing whether these efforts are effective? (b) What else do you think that Maersk should do to address it’s development challenges?
6. Imagine you were hired to manage a clothing store. (a) Drawing upon all the topics discussed in class this semester, what do you think would be your approach to leadership? Which of your personality traits would best define you as a leader? (b) Discuss the first three OB aspects you would focus on first based on what you think is most important. (c) How would your approaches be aligned with your leadership style and values?

The purpose of the Final Exam is to assess your understanding of the main statistical concepts covered in this course and to evaluate your ability to critically review a quantitative research article. The exam will consist of two parts: Part I includes three essay questions and Part II includes a research critique. All of your responses should be included in a single Word document for submission.

Please include the following general headings for each section of the written exam within your Word document:
Part I: Essay Questions
1.Essay 1
2.Essay 2
3.Essay 3

Part II: Research Study Critique
1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion

Your complete Word document must include a title page with the following:
1.Student’s name
2.Course name and number
3.Instructor’s name
4.Date submitted

Part I: Essay Questions
There are three essay questions in this section. You must answer all three questions. The length of each essay should be one to two double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages). Use 12-point font and format your paper with regular 1-inch margins. Do not include the essay prompt in your document. It will not count toward the length requirement for your essays.

Essay 1
A group of researchers conducted an experiment to determine which vaccine is more effective for preventing getting the flu. They tested two different types of vaccines: a shot and a nasal spray. To test the effectiveness, 1000 participants were randomly selected with 500 people getting the shot and 500 the nasal spray. Of the 500 people were treated with the shot, 80 developed the flu and 420 did not. Of the people who were treated with the nasal spray, 120 people developed the flu and 380 did not. The level of significance was set at .05. The proportion of people who were treated with the shot who developed the flu = .16, and the proportion of the people who were treated with the nasal spray was .24. The calculated p value = .0008.

For this essay, describe the statistical approaches (e.g., identify the hypotheses and research methods) used in this excerpt from a research study. Interpret the statistical results and examine the limitations of the statistical methods. Finally, evaluate the research study as a whole and apply what you have learned about hypothesis testing and inferential statistics by discussing how you might conduct a follow-up study.

Your essay must address the following points:
•Describe the research question for this experiment. ◦What were the null and alternative hypotheses?
◦Were the results of this test statistically significant?
◦If so, why were they significant?

•Would the researchers reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis?
•Do the results provide sufficient evidence to support the alternative hypothesis?
•Was the sample appropriate for this study? Explain your answer.
•What are some possible limitations to this study?
•Discuss how you would conduct a follow up study to this one. Explain your answer.
•Describe the difference between practical and statistical significance.

Essay 2
A researcher has investigated the relationship between IQ and grade point average (GPA) and found the correlation to be .75.

For this essay, critique the results and interpretation of a correlational study.
•Evaluate the correlational result and identify the strength of the correlation.
• Examine the assumptions and limitations of the possible connection between the researcher’s chosen variables.
•Identify and describe other statistical tests that could be used to study this relationship.

Your essay response must address the following questions:
•How strong is this correlation? ◦Is this a positive or negative correlation?
◦What does this correlation mean?

•Does this correlation imply that individuals with high Intelligence Quotients (IQ) have high Grade Point Averages (GPA)?
•Does this correlation provide evidence that high IQ causes GPA to go higher? ◦What other variables might be influencing this relationship?

•What is the connection between correlation and causation?
•What are some of the factors that affect the size of this correlation?
•Is correlation a good test for predicting GPA? ◦If not, what statistical tests should a researcher use, and why?

Essay 3
A researcher has recorded the reaction times of 20 individuals on a memory assessment. The following table indicates the individual times:

2.2
4.7

7.3

4.1

9.5

15.2

4.3

9.5

2.7

3.1

9.2

2.9

8.2

7.6

3.5

2.5

9.3

4.8

8.5

8.1

In this essay, demonstrate your ability to organize data into meaningful sets, calculate basic descriptive statistics, interpret the results, and evaluate the effects of outliers and changes in the variables. You may use Excel, one of the many free online descriptive statistics calculators, or calculate the values by hand and/or with a calculator.

Next, separate the data into two groups of 10; one group will be the lower reaction times, and the second group will be the higher reaction times. Then, address the following points in your essay response:
•Calculate the sum, mean, mode, median, standard deviation, range, skew, and kurtosis for each group.
•How do the two groups differ?
•Are there any outliers in either data group?
•What effect does an outlier have on a sample?

Lastly, double each sample by repeating the same 10 data points in each group. You will have a total of 20 data points for each group. After completing this, address the following in your essay response:
•Calculate the following for the new data groups: sum, mean, mode, median, standard deviation, range, skew, and kurtosis.
•Did any of the values change?
•How does sample size affect those values?

Part B: Research Study Critique
In this second portion of the Final Exam, you will identify and critically evaluate a quantitative research article based on a social science topic. Your selected article must include a research question(s) and/or hypothesis(es) and utilize statistical analyses covered in the course. The article must be peer-reviewed and published within the last 10 years.

In the body of your critique, describe the statistical approaches used, the variables included, the hypothesis(es) proposed, and the interpretation of the results. In your conclusion, suggest other statistical approaches that could have been used and, if appropriate, suggest alternative interpretations of the results. This process will allow you to apply the concepts learned throughout the course in the interpretation of actual scientific research. Your critique must include the following sections:
1.Introduction: This section will include a general introduction of the quantitative study from a peer-reviewed source published within the last 10 years. The research questions and/or hypothesis(es) as well as the purpose of the study should be clearly defined.
2.Methods: Describe and evaluate the procedures and methods of data collection, measures/instruments used, the participants and how they were selected, and the statistical techniques used.
3.Results: In this section describe and critique the results presented in the study.
4.Discussion: Discuss and evaluate the efficacy of the results presented in the study. Address, the strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of the study, and suggest future research directions. Include additional forms of statistical analyses as part of the suggestions for future research.

The Research Study Critique:
1.Must be three to four double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Use 12-point font, with 1-inch margins.
2.Must use the sections and headings described above.
3.Must address the article with critical thought by examining, reflecting, and evaluating the article from an objective viewpoint and by using facts to support your argument. Refer to the Critical Thinking Community website for further assistance.
4.Must end with a conclusion that summarizes your critical evaluation.
5.Must use one quantitative research study from a peer-reviewed source that was published within the last 10 years.
6.Must properly cite the source article in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
7.Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style

This paper should be written in MLA style. The intext citation must be APA style and the reference/work cited page should be in APA style as well.

Assignment Two: Problem-Solution Argument

Research requirements: In writing this paper you may use some of the following resources for information: NewsBank, popular periodicals, professional journals, NCLive, books on special topics, etc. At least two of your four sources should be from printed (not online) sources. In this paper we will use APA format for documentation.

This paper will focus on a proposal for the solution of a problem.
Audience: A group that has the authority to implement your solution.
Purpose: To persuade them to implement your proposal.
Process:
1) Define a “problem” that you feel needs to be addressed by your audience. Remember that finding a “problem” does not inherently mean looking for something that is “wrong” or “bad.” You might simply think about how things could be improved with a little help.
2) Explain why this problem exists and its importance. Does this problem affect the general population or a selected group? What are its consequences—its positive and negative side effects? To be prepared for any counter arguments, you must also consider whether the current situation has any positive effects. Will your audience oppose your solution because they see only these advantages?
3) Explain what you are proposing to alleviate this problem. How could readers implement your suggestions? How do you think this proposed action might alleviate the problem at hand? Have similar proposals been implemented elsewhere? If they have been unsuccessful, how is your proposal different?
4) Explain why you feel your proposal offers a viable solution. What grounds can you provide to “prove” that your proposal will have the positive effect that you claim it will? What are the costs? Will its benefits outweigh its costs? What effort will be involved in implementing the necessary changes?
5) Structure your argument and develop it appropriately using your notes on the above questions. In some cases you might have to show that a problem exists. In other cases, since your audience will already acknowledge that a problem exists and is important to them, you will need to spend more time justifying your proposal.

Incorporating your research: Your research can help you discover responses to the questions above. You might need research to help you prove that a problem exists in the first place. You might use research to help you create your own proposed solution which might be modeled on actions other groups or people with similar problems have taken. For example: if A’s solution is effective, then you can argue that your similar solution will also be effective. Finally, you might use research to help you justify your response: use research to determine what the cost might be; use research to develop a resemblance argument—have other groups adopted similar proposals successfully? What are some problems that your audience might expect if they do follow your advice, and how might they be prepared to handle the problem?

I will not accept papers about the following topics:
1) Anything about marijuana
2) Anything about abortion

Length: 4-5 doublespaced pages with reference page included

“How helpful is Schein’s (1990) model of organisational culture as a
description of organisational life? Consider its strengths and limitations,
drawing on other organisational theories and metaphors as appropriate”
(3000 words)
Assessment criteria
1. Compare and contrast the various schools of thought that explain the social roles
played in organisations
2. Evaluate the interrelationship between individuals, groups and managers in
organisations.
3. Understand the key internal variables impacting upon organisations’ work (e.g.
culture, motivation, personality) and be aware of how theory links to practical
outcomes and associated with the management of people and organisations.
4. Prepare an academic piece of work and critically discuss an issue related to
organisations and our roles within it.
5. Apply the research skills necessary to properly investigate and collect
information/data to support an argument.
Preparing for the assessment
In preparing for this assessment you should keep in mind the learning outcomes
(above) and seek to draw on material from the key debates and issues that have
been discussed across the whole module. This means that to get a good grade you
must look carefully at the wording of the assignment question and try to break it
down into manageable chunks. You should then seek to use material from your
lecture/workshops, together with your additional reading, as evidence to support
your answers to the question, i.e.:-
• Outline Schein’s model; drawing attention to its specific strengths and weaknesses
exemplifying a ‘cultural’ approach;
• Draw on alternative organisational metaphors to explore its weaknesses further;
and
• Carefully consider the usefulness of the approach on the basis of the specific
strengths and weaknesses you have identified.

Choose some media product–a film, a television program, an advertising campaign or an individual advertisement, a product of popular music, a web site, a computer game, a play, or something similar.
Describe it in some detail (or even including a sample).
Analyze the theology it presents. (Keep in mind our working definition of theology as a “systematic reflection on belief.”) What does the item you chose tell us about encountering God or about God or about belief? What does it tell you about how its creators think about God? in images? in musical terms? in words? What does it say about the general ecology of which it is a part?
Then compare that theology to the theological expression of the Christian churches, the Jewish community, or another religious tradition. (You can base this on your own past study or you can look up a statement of belief from one or other religious group.)

(Length should be 8 pages.)

Write a 10 page proposal describing a research study that you plan to complete and includes the following sections:

Title Page

Abstract

Introduction

1. A statement of the research topic.

2. A statement of the research problem(s) and a summary of the prior literature.

3. The purpose of the study.

4. The research question(s).

5. The hypotheses of the study (if applicable).

Method

1. Research participants and plan for recruitment.

2. Measures.

3. Procedures.

Analysis Plan

References

Grading: The proposal will be graded based on the degree to which each of the sections above are clearly articulated and to which appropriate methods are chosen. The most weight will be given to: identifying a researchable question, clearly articulating research questions, choosing appropriate methods for investigating these questions and accurate descriptions of the methods / design used. Least weight will be placed on the Analysis Plan section as this is likely to be a section that you will be less familiar with writing. I include the section here primarily because I would like you to attempt to write such a section and so that I can provide feedback.