HRM 587 Final Exam

1. (TCO All) For the next set of questions, you will first select ONE of the TCOs of the course. Then, you will be asked to write an essay about the project you worked on this term over your two companies’ change program based on the TCO you selected above. Select the TCO your essay question will cover:
TCO A – Given that progressive and successful companies require their employees to embrace change, examine how changing work conditions impact the employees. 
TCO B – Given the inherent reality that all organizations must experience change in order to improve, demonstrate how “models” are used in Change Management, for diagnosing an organization’s need for change. 
TCO C – Given external, internal and/or multi-levels of organization factors that drive change, assess and create a leadership model which supports and promotes each type of change within the organization. 
TCO D – Given that an organization’s mission and vision will determine its strategy towards change, ensure that an organization’s change initiative is aligned with and capitalizes on its culture and mission in preparation for change. 
TCO E – Given a selected Change Management implementation “model”, determine the causes of change and develop a plan of action to implement the change. 
TCO F – Given that both organizations and their employees commonly resist change, understand how to recognize and overcome barriers to change and develop a strategy to manage resistance to change that will ensure successful implementation of change. 
TCO G – Given that developing a “vision for change” and communicating that “vision” is a critical part of the change process, analyze the key elements of the “vision for change” and develop a strategy to communicate the change to the stakeholder. 
TCO H – Given the organization’s goal of creating and implementing a sustainable change while moving toward becoming a “learning” organization, develop a plan to implement change in a sustainable manner that can be applied to any change.
Using the TCO you selected from the list above, which you felt was most relevant to your project this term, write an essay answer explaining how the change management you saw in one of your companies from your project this term followed or failed to follow the theory of success ingrained in the TCO you have selected. 

State the #1 thing you think that company’s change agent did which most contributed to the success or failure of the change and why that relates to the TCO you selected. 

· Include in the answer the name of the company you are discussing.

· Explain/analyze why you think this way. (Points : 35)

 

2. (TCOs A, E) Your project this term asked you to compare and contrast two companies’ change projects or programs for change. This question will review what you learned about the change projects in a continuation of your project. It will ask you to apply course information to your project companies. For your answer, be sure to reference the names of the companies you studied in your project this term to help your instructor determine the score of your response. 
Recall that external and internal pressures often impact implementation of change in companies. For this question, please write an essay answering these questions:
A. Define specific (at least 2 each) external and internal pressures that will (or did) affect the implementation of the changes in your two companies.  (10 points)
B. Name two strategies of handling these pressures that you would (have) suggested to the company leaders as being the most effective in managing those pressures during the implementation phase.  (10 points)
C. Defend your positions with details about why you feel your strategies would assist with handling these pressures.  (15 points) (Points: 35)

3. (TCOs E,H) Your project this term asked you to compare and contrast two companies’ change projects or programs for change. This question will review what you learned about the change projects in a continuation of your project. It will ask you to apply course information to your project companies. For your answer, be sure to reference the names of the companies you studied in your project this term to help your instructor determine the score of your response.
You will assess the “sustainability” of the changes which occurred in the companies you studied. Select ONE of the company change programs for your answer to this question and state it here.  Assess the change project.  Was it successful or unsuccessful in your opinion? What will it take (what are some steps the company can, should, or DID take) to make it SUSTAINABLE? What theories did you consider in coming to this conclusion? Do you think this change will still be in place in one, five, or ten years? Why or why not?(Points : 35)

As for the People, it should be determined whether the organization has the right skills and talents for the change to be supported and for the organization to achieve its strategic goal.  For example, if the strategic goal is to increase revenue through increased sales then the company sales people should be given sufficient training about the company’s own and acquired products as this will enable the sales staff to more easily sell the company’s products.

I feel that the changes made in SAP will stay in place for years to come.  Now that steps have been gathered to analyze large amounts of employees, customers, and sales data being generated by companies it will enable SAP to create new processes and applications that will strength their success. 

4. (TCO All) This question does not address your course project. This change scenario is envisioned instead, for this question. First, the scenario, and then the question.
Scenario:  You have been asked to handle a project where the company is going to close the plant in your company and offer all of the workers an option of taking a buy-out severance package which is quite generous OR relocate to another state, where the business climate is much better (but the cost of living is higher and the style of living is lower). The current location of the company is in an area where people live well, the culture is great, and because it is in a college town, there are many fun things to do on weekends, plays to attend, sporting events, etc. The atmosphere is quite upbeat. The city where the company is moving to has very little in the way of entertainment, the housing costs are higher although not as nice, and property taxes are higher as well. The company is offering moving costs for relocation costs, but not house sale assistance. It is likely most of your employees are going to take the buy-out, but most of them are in their late 30s or early 40s and are not going to be happy about it.
The question: This term, we studied organizational development theory versus the more systematic nStep method of conducting a change process. What would be the pros/cons of using OD theory for this change project? What would be the pros/cons of using nStep? Which nStep would you recommend for this if you use one? Of the two methods (nStep or OD), which would you recommend we use for this particular change program? Why? (Points : 35)

5. (TCOs C,D) Your project this term asked you to compare and contrast two companies’ change projects or programs for change. This question will review what you learned about the change projects in a continuation of your project. It will ask you to apply course information to your project companies. For your answer, be sure to reference the names of the companies you studied in your project this term to help your instructor determine the score of your response.  

Consider ONE of your company’s change projects (not both companies – just one.) State the company and the change process/program/project. Name the leader of the change from that company. Answer the following questions about that change:
A.  Would you characterize your leader as the change “sponsor” or the change “implementer” of this change? Or was this leader in fact both? Describe the difference between a sponsor of change and an implementer of change, why they are both important, and why you feel your leader was one or the other.
B. Evaluate the leader’s implementation of the change as it compared to the company’s vision and mission statement. Were they aligned? Did this alignment (or misalignment) contribute to the success or failure of the change? Why or why not? (Points : 35)

1. (TCO A) When JetBlue left their customers sitting on the tarmac for hours on Valentine’s Day, and their CEO was ultimately terminated as a result, the company was responding to (pick the best group)

A). external, reputation, and credibility pressures.
B). hypercompetition, market decline, and internal pressures.
C). mandated, fashion, and force field pressures.
D). growth, identity, and new broom pressures.
E).   All of the above

2. (TCO A) Which of the following best shows forces for change vs. forces for stability?

A). Change forces are: adapting, sustaining, and predicting; whereas stability forces are: bureaucracy, trust, and control.
B). Change forces include: lay-offs, IPOs, and inventing new products; whereas stability forces are: hiring, stock buy-backs, and regular yearly dividends.
C). Change forces include: lay-offs, stock buy-backs, and bi-annual new models of iPhones; whereas stability forces are hiring freezes, bureaucracy, and regular yearly dividends.
D). Change forces include: Harry Potter Park at Universal Studios, Walt Disney Cruise Lines, and McDonald’s lattes; and stability forces are Cruise ship sinking at Giglio Island, bridging and buffering strategies, and JetBlue’s public apology after the Valentine’s Day fiasco.
E).Both A and C

3. (TCO B) Which of the following best defines the “congruence” model of diagnosing change?

A). Includes purpose, structure, rewards, and helpful mechanisms
B). Is based on the conceptualization of the organization as a transformation process
C). Can be a starting point for an organization that has not given attention to the trends that may impact its future operations
D). Includes strategy, structure, process, and lateral capability
E). Includes structure, style, skills, super-ordinate goals, etc.

4. (TCO B) During the diagnosis for change period, it is important to analyze the stakeholders for their readiness to change. Using the power-interest matrix, you review the level of interest and amount of power of stakeholders and determine the following

A). Your key players are those with the highest level of interest, but a lower level of power.
B). Your key players are those with the lowest level of interest, but the highest level of power.
C). Your most unimportant players are those with low levels of power but high interest.
D). Your stakeholders who need to be “kept informed only” are those with high levels of interest but lower levels of power.
E). Your stakeholders who need to be “kept informed only” are those with low levels of interest but higher levels of power.

5. (TCO C) The Burke-Litwin model states that there are four transformational factors of change. Identify the answer below which contains at least three of those factors. (Points : 7)

A).Frames, lenses, angles, and hyperbole
B). Mission and strategy, leadership, and organizational culture
C). Hypotheses, problems, symptoms and inputs
D). Vision, identification strategies, litigation, and execution
E). None of the above

6. (TCO C) “This organization is running like clockwork!” This statement by a company leader is likely to result in “no change” because(Points : 7)

A). the leader is blinded by the light.
B). the leader believes his vision and mission of the company will align when the change is over.
C). the leader has diagnosed by image that the company needs no change.
D). the PESTEL framework has been unchallenged for too long.
E). brainstorming for change was uneventful.

7. (TCO D) The art of a leader managing the meaning of a vision for followers and aligning it with his or her values is called (Points : 7)

A).scripting.
B). performing.
C). staging.
D). norming.
E). framing.

8. (TCO F) The Emotional Intelligence domains and associated competencies are used to help us determine when a potential change agent, or person, is ready for leadership. When a person exhibits the competencies of integrity, initiative, and optimism, we know he or she has reached the stage of (Points : 7)

A). Self-Awareness.
B). Social Awareness.
C). Relationship Management.
D). Self-Management.
E).  Personal and Social.

9. (TCO G) One day, while on the company elevator, the head of HR is talking to the CEO and doesn’t realize his speaker phone is on when the CEO asks, “Do you think that we can afford to keep the downtown branch of the company open? Or is it time to think about across-the-board layoffs?”  The HR head frowns, turns off the speaker and replies, “I’ll call you later” and hangs up. Four employees from the downtown branch are on the elevator and hear this comment. The HR head tells the four employees (whose names he does not know), “Say nothing about this. You heard nothing.” They immediately rush to their cubicles and begin spreading the word. The gossip has hit the entire department and local news agencies by the 6:00 news that night. The CEO is featured saying, “This is nothing but a rumor at this point. We have no current plan to lay off anyone.” This is an example of what type of communication plan on the part of the CEO? (Points : 7)

A).Spray and pray
B). Tell and sell
C). Underscore and explore
D). Identify and reply
E).Withhold and uphold

10. (TCO G) Toxic handlers, as related to change management communication, do the following

A).handle all calls with the Environmental Protection Agency.
B). talk in stages using assertions, requests, and declarations.
C). listen empathetically, and help cool angry people down, act like sponges, and often burn out quickly.
D).All of the above
E). None of the above

11. (TCO H) A sign that a change is “sustained” could be seen as (Points : 7)

A). a significant and abrupt drop in the stock price of the company.
B). receiving an offer from a competitor to buy the company.
C). sending out WARN act notices.
D). finding that the change has become baked into the culture.
E). a reward system which is outdated.

12. (TCOs G,H) Review this story and pick the best answer based on your understanding of change management practices:
Company X,Y,Z establishes a vision for change where “cutting costs is critical to our survival” and establishes a reward system to the department which cuts costs the most in one quarter, and states it will be a “department-based reward” system for the next four quarters. By the “most” the management establishes, the cuts will be valued by a somewhat complicated algorithm % and $$ of cut in the total expense budget. The sales team goes for the gold and cuts their travel budget by 50%, which is by far the biggest department cut in both $ and %. They win the 1st quarter reward. In quarter 2, the IT team cuts expenses the most by ending the purchase of all new software or PCs. In quarter 3, the production line cuts their expenses the most by laying off 60% of the workers (sales have dropped significantly and technology problems have slowed production, so this was needed anyway.) (Points : 8)

A). The company did a good job establishing urgency and aligning metrics with the vision for change, and this change appears to be successful.
B). The company aligned metrics with the vision for change, and created its own nStep method of change.
C). The company culture is dysfunctional  and could have learned from CEO Bethune and the Continental Airline’s own culture of “cost is everything.”
D). The company will probably win the J.D. Power and Associates award for customer satisfaction this year.
E). The reward system is a “spray and pray” system

a paper (2-3) pages, a world religion homework

 READINGS AND QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED IN YOUR PAPER

 

Reading 1. Dominus Iesus

–       Explain why this text is relevant to a study of world religions

–       How did you feel while reading this document?

–       What do you like or dislike about this text?

–       Why does the Catholic Church think that it is superior to all other religions (using key citations from the text, explain clearly the arguments used in the text and explain whether in your view these arguments make sense, whether they are compelling or weak)

–       Is the spirit or mindset of this document conducive to World Peace? Is the perspective of this document useful for the study of world religions (can it lead us to a better understanding of other religions? Why?)

–       How did this assignment help you achieve the educational goals of our course?

 

 

Reading 2. “Idolatry”

–       How did you feel while reading this text?

–       Do you think the author is a Christian? Why?

– What do you like or dislike about this text?

– Explain how the author of this text deconstructs the traditional view of idolatry.

– What is the definition of idolatry? What are the characteristics of idol worshippers?

– Why is it wrong to apply the label idolatry to non Christian religions.

– What forms of idolatry does the author identify within Christianity?

– Explain why the spirit of this text offers a good perspective for the study of world religions.

– How did this assignment help you achieve the educational goals of our course?

– Is the perspective of this text useful for a better approach to the study of world religions? Explain.

 

Reading 3. Tolerant Gods

– What is the fundamental thesis of this text? (use some significant quotations from the text to illustrate your answer)

– What does this text say about Islam, Christianity, and African Traditional Religions

– What do you like or dislike about this text

– How did this text help you achieve the educational goals of our course?

LEG 500 Assignment 4 Legal and Ethical Considerations in Marketing, Product Safety, And Intellectual Property ,1. Research three to five (3-5) ethical issues relating to marketing and advertising

Assignment 4: Legal and Ethical Considerations in Marketing, Product Safety, and Intellectual Property

Due Week 9 and worth 300 points

You are a new associate at the law firm of Dewey, Chetum, and Howe. John, a former researcher at PharmaCARE, comes to your office. He has concerns about PharmaCARE’s use of AD23, one of the company’s top-selling diabetes drugs. Two (2) years ago, after PharmaCARE’s research indicated that AD23 might also slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, John and his team of pharmacists began reformulating the drug to maximize that effect. In order to avoid the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) scrutiny, PharmaCARE established a wholly-owned subsidiary, CompCARE, to operate as a compounding pharmacy to sell the new formulation to individuals on a prescription basis. CompCARE established itself in a suburban office park near its parent’s headquarters. To conserve money and time, CompCARE did a quick, low-cost renovation.

CompCARE benefited from PharmaCARE’s reputation, databases, networks, and sales and marketing expertise, and within six (6) months had the medical community buzzing about AD23. Demand soared, particularly among Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs patients. Seeing the opportunity to realize even more profit, CompCARE began advertising AD23 directly to consumers and marketing the drug directly to hospitals, clinics, and physician offices, even though compounding pharmacies are not permitted to sell drugs in bulk for general use. To circumvent this technicality, CompCARE encouraged doctors to fax lists of fictitious patient names to CompCARE. PharmaCARE sold CompCARE to WellCo, a large drugstore chain, just weeks before AD23 was publicly linked to over 200 cardiac deaths.

As CompCARE and its new parent company enjoyed record profits and PharmaCARE’s stock price approached $300 per share, reports started surfacing that people who received AD23 seemed to be suffering heart attacks at an alarming rate. The company ignored this data and continued filling large orders and paying huge bonuses to all the executives and managers, including John, whose wife recently died from a heart attack after using AD23.

John has come to you with an internal company memo describing the potential problems with AD23, and information describing the company’s willingness “roll the dice” and continue to market the drug.

Your senior partner has asked you to write a memo outlining the following issues for review by the senior partners.

In preparation for this assignment, use the Internet or Strayer Library to research examples of intellectual property theft that occurred within the past two (2) years.

Write an eight to ten (8-10) page paper in which you:

  1. Research three to five (3-5) ethical issues relating to marketing and advertising, intellectual property, and regulation of product safety and examine whether PharmaCARE violated any of the issues in question.
  2. Argue for or against Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) marketing by drug companies. Provide support for your response.
  3. Determine the parties responsible for regulating compounding pharmacies under the current regulatory scheme, the actions that either these parties or the FDA could / should have taken in this scenario, and whether PharmaCARE could face legal exposure surrounding its practices. Support your response.
  4. Analyze the manner in which PharmaCARE used U.S. law to protect its own intellectual property and if John has any claim to being the true “inventor” of AD23. Suggest at least three (3) ways the company could compensate John for the use of his intellectual property.
  5. Summarize at least one (1) current example (within the past two [2] years) of intellectual property theft, and examine the effect on that company’s brand.
  6. Analyze the potential issue surrounding the death of John’s wife and other potential litigants against PharmaCARE as a result of AD23.
  7. Specify both the major arguments that John can make to claim that he is a whistleblower and the type of protections that he should be afforded. Justify your response.
  8. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia is not an acceptable reference and proprietary 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:

  • Analyze and assess legal and ethical restraints on marketing and advertising, relative to both consumers and organizations.
  • Analyze and evaluate laws and regulations relative to product safety and liability.
  • Explore copyright laws and intellectual property rights and assess how well they balance competing interests.
  • Use technology and information resources to research issues in law, ethics, and corporate governance.
  • Write clearly and concisely about law, ethics, and corporate governance using proper writing

Compensation and Benefits Plan

 

Crafting a Compensation & Benefits Plan

Now that you have considered how to recruit and retain the employees you want in your organization, create a compensation and benefits package (using a business proposal format) that is consistent with the objectives of job satisfaction for the valuable employees in an organization of your design.    

Include the following:

Please see this outline of what should be included in your proposal.

Please watch this video on how to create a Table of Information
Transcript of this video can be found here.

Your business proposal must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Writing Center and it must include citations and references for the text and at least four scholarly sources, in which one must be from the University Library. 

 

 

Links

http://www.gallup.com/strategicconsulting/163007/state-american-workplace.aspx

http://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2013/09/23/surprising-disturbing-facts-from-the-mother-of-all-employee-engagement-surveys/

Final Case Analysis

Final Case Analysis Paper

The Final Case Analysis Paper should demonstrate understanding of the reading as well as the implications of new knowledge.  The eight-page paper should integrate readings and class discussions into work and life experiences.  It may include explanation and examples from previous experiences as well as implications for future applications.

The purpose of the Final Case Analysis Paper is for you to culminate the learning achieved in the course by describing your understanding and application of knowledge in the field.

Focus of the Final Case Analysis Paper

The Final Case Analysis Paper should focus on real life, real time application of topics covered in this course; the uses you have seen and the uses you can envision.  The paper must be submitted to your instructor no later than 11:59 pm of the time zone in which you reside on the last day of class.

Read Mattel and Toy Safety, which is Case Eight in the Cases in Business and Society section at the end of the book. This case describes the 2007 Mattel toy recalls, which were in response to findings that several children’s toys were coated in lead-based paint.

Write an eight to ten page paper that addresses the following questions. Support your opinions with scholarly research.

Do you believe that Mattel acted in a socially responsible and ethical manner with regard to the safety of its toys? Why or why not? What should or could Mattel have done differently, if anything? Be sure to support your answer using your research findings.Who or what do you believe was responsible for the fact that children were exposed to potentially dangerous toys? Why do you think so? Be sure to support your answer using your research findings.What is the best way to ensure the safety of children’s toys? In responding, please consider how the following groups would answer this question: government regulators (in the U.S. and China); consumer advocates, the toy industry, children’s product retailers; and standard-setting organizations. What might explain the differences in their point of view? Be sure to support your answer using your research findings.What do you think is the best way for society to protect children from harmful toys? Specifically, what are the appropriate roles for various stakeholders in this process? Be sure to support your answer using your research findings.
Writing the Final Case Analysis Paper 
The Final Case Analysis Paper:Must be eight double-spaced pages in length (excluding the title page, reference page, exhibits, etc.) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in your approved APA style guide. Must include a cover page:Title of paperStudent’s nameCourse name and numberDate submittedMust include an introductory paragraph with a clearly stated thesis or topic.Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.  That is, what is your response to the content, either positive or negative, and then defend your position.  If multiple options/alternatives/positions are present and are being rejected you must also defend the reasons for rejecting an option.Must conclude with a restatement of the thesis or topic and a closing paragraph that summarizes the main point or points of your paper.Must use APA style as outlined in your approved APA style guide to document all sources.Must include, on the final page, a Reference List that is completed according to APA style as outlined in your approved APA style guide.

MNGT 520 Advanced Production Management

 

Frandec Company manufactures, assembles, and rebuilds material handling equipment used in warehouses and distribution centers. One product, called a Liftmaster, is assembled from four components: a frame, a motor, two supports, and a metal strap. Frandec’s production schedule calls for 5000 Liftmasters to be made next month. Frandec purchases the motors from and outside supplier, but the frames, supports, and straps may be either manufactured by the company or purchased from an outside supplier. Manufacturing and purchase costs per unit are shown.

 

Component

Manufacturing Cost

Purchase Cost

Frame

$38.00

$51.00

Support

$11.50

$15.00

Strap

$6.50

$7.50

 

Three departments are involved in the production of these components. The time (in minutes per unit) required to process each component in each department and the available capacity (in hours) for the three departments are as follows:

 

Department

Component

Cutting

Milling

Shaping

Frame

3.5

2.2

3.1

Support

1.3

1.7

2.6

Strap

0.8

1.7

Capacity (hours)

350

420

680

 

 

a.         Formulate and solve a linear programming model for this make-or-but application. How      many of each component should be manufactured and how many should be purchased?

 

b.         What is the total cost of the manufacturing and purchasing plan?

 

e.         Another manufacturer has offered to sell frames to Frandec for $45 each. Could Frandec      improve its position by pursuing this opportunity? Why or why not?

 

 

MGT435 Ashford 4: – Week 3

 

Select one of the following tools: the nine steps in Ackerman and Anderson’s roadmap for change, Cummings and Worley’s five dimensions of leading and managing change, or the three components of organizational change.  Explain how a leader could use this tool in guiding an organizational change.  Review several of your peers’ posts.  Respond to two peers who did not choose the same tool as you.  Discuss the similarities and differences between the tools.

Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length.  Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.

 

   Other MGT 435 Assignments and Discussions

MGT 435 Ashford 2: – Week 1 – Discussion 1

MGT 435 Ashford 2: – Week 1 – Discussion 2

-MGT 435 Ashford 3: – Week 2 – Discussion 1

MGT435 Ashford 3: – Week 2 – Discussion 2

-MGT435 Ashford 4: – Week 3 – Discussion 2

MGT435 Ashford 4: – Week 3 – Assignment

MGT435 Ashford 4: – Week4 – Discussion 1

MGT435 Ashford 4: – Week4 – Discussion 2

MGT435 Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Discussion 1

MGT 435 Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Discussion 2

MGT435 Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Final Paper

BUS DISCUSSION

Week 9 Case Study: No-Layoff Guarantees

In order to maintain civil relationships with unions, some companies (or local governments in the case of the public sector) provide a no-layoff guarantee as part of a labor union contract. This was the case of the Minnesota Newspaper Guild and Pioneer Press in 2011.

In recent years, the newspaper industry has faced decreased readership, forcing many newspapers across the country to make significant cuts to their staff size. However, some organizations have made deals with local unions to try and stabilize employee turnover. In February of 2009, the Guild and Pioneer Press reached an agreement that guaranteed no layoffs until July 31, 2011. In exchange, the full-time workweek for those union members was cut from 40 hours per week to 37.5 hours per week, and weekly pay was decreased proportionately. In January of 2011, members of the Guild voted and passed a six-month contract extension that continued to guarantee no layoffs and the shorter workweek.

Similar agreements have been reached between other organizations and their labor unions. For example, Chicago’s government has agreed to provide five year no-layoff guarantees to members of CTA construction and maintenance unions. In exchange for this job protection, some union members will face less overtime pay and fewer healthcare options.

Optional Further Reading

Course discussions will take place in your blackboard learning environment. Once you have reviewed the questions below, close this browser tab to return to your blackboard course and click the Discussion links located at the bottom of this week’s content to participate.

Question #1

From the case study, formulate an argument against no-layoff guarantees from the perspective of a union member who is critical of the agreement. Anticipate the main objections such an individual might raise, and provide corresponding justification for those objections.

Question #1B

With the case study in mind, consider the key reasons why an employer might be motivated to engage in a no-layoff guarantee with labor unions. Based on these reasons, determine whether or not you would engage in a no-layoff guarantee if you were an employer. Provide a rationale to support your decision.

 

 

USP Case answers

United Screen Printers (USP) produces a wide range of decals for displaying promotional messages on fleet vehicles, including delivery vans, eighteen-wheelers, and aircraft.  Its decals range from flat-color designs to full-color photographic reproductions.

Although it is one of the oldest forms of printing, screen printing is superior to most of the more modern approaches because it permits making heavier deposits of ink onto a surface, resulting in more vibrant and longer lasting finishes.  Screen printing works by blocking out areas on a silk screen so that ink passes through only the unblocked areas to make an impression on the vinyl decal.

Many in the industry believe that the economics of fleet graphics makes them an extremely attractive form of advertising and should lead to their continued penetration of a largely untapped market.  One industry source estimated that the cost of fleet graphics works out to be $2.84 per 1,000,000 visual impressions. 

Given the highly cost effective nature of using fleet graphics as a form of advertising, it is speculated that organizations will increasingly exploit this form of advertising.  In addition, as organizations become better aware of this advertising medium, it is likely they will want to change their message more frequently.  According to managers as USP, this may be on the of the major factors that is apparently driving the competition to focus more on short lead-times and prices, and less on decal durability.

USP is about to begin its annual evaluation of proposed projects.  Six projects have been proposed as described below.  USP currently has annual sales of approximately $7 million.  It typically allocated up to 10% of sales to these types of projects.

  1. Purchase new large press.  There is currently a three-and-a-half to four-week backlog in the screen printing department.  The result of this is that USP’s total lead-time is 4 to 6 weeks in comparison to an industry average lead-time of 3.5 to 4 weeks.  In a typical month, USP ships 13% of its orders early, 38% on time, and 49% late.  It has been estimated that 75% of the backlog is waiting for press 6, the largest press in the shop.  Furthermore, press 6 is in dire need of replacement parts but USP has been unable thus far to locate a source for these parts.  Given the problem of finding replacement parts and the fact that the press is somewhat outdated, this proposal calls for purchasing a new large press for $160,000.  Based on estimates that a new large press could process jobs 50-100% faster than press 6, it is calculated that the payback period for the new large press would be one year.
  2. Build new headquarters.  USP’s CEO fervently believes that the company needs to have a strong corporate identity.  He therefore purchased land and had plans drawn up for the construction of a new corporate headquarters.  Analysis of the new headquarters indicated that although it would improve operating efficiencies, the savings generated would not pay for the new building (estimated to cost $4 million).  Many of the board members viewed the project as too risky since it would increase the company’s debt as a percent of capital from almost 0 to 50%.
  3. Pursue ISO 9000 certification.  This proposal also comes from USP’s CEO.  ISO 9000 is a set of standards that provides customers with some assurance that a supplier follows accepted business practices.  In some industries, obtaining ISO 9000 certification is essential, such as industries that export to Europe and the domestic automobile industry.  It was less clear what competitive advantage pursuing ISO 9000 would provide USP at this time.  On the other hand, the process along would help it document and perhaps improve its processes.  The cost of this initiative was estimated to be $250,000-$300,000 and would take one year to complete.
  4. Develop formal procedure for mixing inks.  This proposal comes from USP’s plant manager.  At present, mixing inks is a highly specialized skill that consumes 2-3 hours of the team leader’s time each day.  This project would focus on developing ink formulas to make the task of mixing inks more routine, and less specialized and subjective.  The team leader is paid $25,000 annually.  The cost of pursing this project is estimated to be $10,000.
  5. Purchase and install equipment to produce four-color positives in-house.  The lead-time to have positives made by an outside supplier is typically one week and costs $1,500-$6,000.  According to this proposal, the cost of purchasing the equipment to produce four-color positives in-house would be approximately $150,000 plus $25,000 for installation and training.  The variable costs of producing positives in-house are estimated to be $375 per job.  If produced in-house, the lead-time for the four-color positives would be approximately an hour-and-a-half.
  6. Purchase inkjet printers.  An alternative to purchasing a new screen printing press is to add capacity based on newer technology.  Given the inkjet’s production rate, 6 inkjet printers at a cost of $140,000 would be needed to provide the equivalent capacity of a new large screen printing press.  The major disadvantage of the inkjet printers is that compared to the screen printing process, the outdoor durability is more limited.  In general, inkjet printers are more economical for small orders, while screen printing presses are more economical for large orders.
 
 
Questions: 
 
1- What criteria would you recommend USP use in selecting its projects this year?
 
 
 
 
2- Based on your recommended criteria, what projects would you recommend USP fund this year?  Are there any types of projects you would recommend USP pursue that were not proposed?
 
 
3- What, if any, additional information would you want in making your recommendations?  How would you go about obtaining this information? 

 

Read.” “Principles and Practices of Sociocultural Assessment: Foundations for Effective Strategies for Linguistically Diverse Classrooms,” by Smith

Evaluating and Selecting Assessments —part 1

Read.” “Principles and Practices of Sociocultural Assessment: Foundations for Effective Strategies for Linguistically Diverse Classrooms,” by Smith, Teemant, and Pinnegar,  from Multicultural Perspectives (2004).Table 1 in the article describes concepts, principles, and checklist items that can be used to evaluate assessments.

Select two of the checklist items you think are extremely important when evaluating assessments for ELL students. In a 500-750-word essay describe those items within a brief summary of the article to defend why you believe the two items are of particular importance.

 

 Modifying an Assessment —part 2

The lessom plan and the student AZELLA scores are listed below.

Review Ms. Jensen’s Social Studies lesson plan on the Paleolithic era for her 7th grade class. The summative assessment is a written textbook test. Based on the AZELLA scores of her students (which are attached), Ms. Jensen knows that Ramon might have difficulty with the written assessment. What is a modified assessment Ms. Jensen could offer?

In a 250-500-word response, describe an alternate assessment of your own design that would allow Ramon to demonstrate his ability to meet the learning target. Explain how the modified assessment is intended to meet Ramon’s language development needs as well as his emotional and social development needs.

Ms. Jensen’s Social Studies Lesson Plan

Unit 2: Stone Age

 

Lesson 1 (2 sessions)

 

Lesson Name:­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Paleolithic (Stone Age)  time travel activity

                                            

Source Materials: Ancient Civilizationstextbook, Unit 1; Additional articles

 

Learning Objectives:

  • Students will explain how conflict and competition occurred among individuals and groups in early civilizations prior to 1500 A.D.
  • Students will explain how scarcity required individuals and groups in early civilizations to make decisions about how resources are used.
  • Students will determine central ideas of a text.

 

Crafting

Essential Question: How did Paleolithic (Stone Age) people obtain food, clothing, shelter, tools, and fire?

 

Learning Target/Objective: I can describe how Paleolithic people lived.

Thinking Strategy: Determining importance

Vocabulary: Paleolithic, Neolithic, migration

 

Composing

Procedure: To activate background knowledge, students will answer the following question in their notebooks: If your time machine broke and stranded you in the Paleolithic Age, and you could only have one item with you, which item would you choose? Students will then pair share and compare items.

The five categories (food, clothing, shelter, tools, or fire) will be displayed on an anchor chart. Students will write the five categories in their notebook and write beside each category how their chosen item would be used to obtain food, clothing, shelter, fire, and tools. This information will be shared with classmates in class.

Students will be placed into five groups, one group for each category. Each group will prepare a poster which explains their category. To get the information needed for the poster, each group will read Unit 1 in Ancient Civilizations, as well as articles about how Paleolithic people obtained items in the category they represent.

Each group will “teach” their section to the class. The class will take notes as each presentation is given.

 

Reflection

Exit Slips:

Day 1: Compare or contrast one way Paleolithic people lived with how you live.

Day 2: Draw what you think a Paleolithic person looked like. Show their food, clothing, shelter, tools, and fire in your drawing.

Formative Assessment: Unit 1 Pre-test, evaluation of most important facts.

Summative Assessment: Unit 1 written assessment (multiple choice, matching, and short-answer questions – 100 points)

Modifications:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Jensen’s 7th Grade Class AZELLA Scores

 

 

Student Name

Reading Label

Writing Label

Listening Label

Speaking Label

Aryanna

Proficient

Intermediate

Intermediate

Proficient

Carlos

Intermediate

Basic

Basic

Intermediate

Corynn

Basic

Basic

Emergent

Basic

Desiree

Basic

Intermediate

Basic

Intermediate

Gabriel

Proficient

Intermediate

Intermediate

Proficient

Hailey

Basic

Emergent

Emergent

Basic

Jade

Basic

Basic

Intermediate

Intermediate

Jakob

Intermediate

Basic

Intermediate

Intermediate

Jerry

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Michael

Intermediate

Proficient

Intermediate

Proficient

Noah

Basic

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Petie

Proficient

Intermediate

Intermediate

Intermediate

Ramon

Emergent

Emergent

Pre-Emergent

Emergent

Rebecca

Basic

Emergent

Basic

Basic

Suzanne

Proficient

intermediate

Intermediate

Proficient