Monthly Archives: February 2023

Having experienced a robust debate discussion on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and trends (SWOTT) analysis and strategic planning for a particular fast-food franchise, it is time to shift gears a bit and consider the competition in the fast-food industry. Read this article to frame this week’s discussion. Complete the following:

• Identify 1 or 2 other major competitors in the fast-food industry, and describe their sources of competitive advantage. 
• Discuss a current issue that this industry faces. It could be favorable or unfavorable to the industry. 
• Which of the major competitors has the strongest competitive advantage and ability to overcome the barriers presented by the current issues identified and why?

You are to provide a paper (case studies) of a minimum of 2 pages and a maximum of 3 pages (not including your cover page, abstract, or reference page).

You need at least 3 references in addition to your text. The case study and the references are to be in APA format  

Case Study

Three employees of a company located in Texas come to HR to complain that their manager has suspended the departments 15 minute breaks in the morning and afternoon due to work volume. The employees state the company is in violation of DOL law?

Assume that you are the Human Resources Manager: Are they right? How do you deal with the three employees?How do you deal with the department manager?

Project

The project assignment provides a forum for analyzing and evaluating relevant topics of this week on the basis of the course competencies covered.

Introduction

Building a high-performing team is a process. The leaders who cultivate and build such teams understand the importance of common goals and success in achieving those goals. As a leader, you will ultimately strive to build your own high-performing team.

Tasks

Read the following article for assistance:

• Characterizing Teamwork in Cardiovascular Care Outcomes: A Network Analytics Approach

You will make a plan to develop your high-performing team. In developing your team, be sure to include the following:

• Describe how you will communicate common goals.
• Describe how you will address conflict in a way that is positive within the team.
• Assist each member embrace his or her role within the team.
• Explain the things you will do to energize your team.

Be sure to provide specific examples and rationale behind your steps.

To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.

CHAPTER 3 – CHAPTER 3 – CHAPTER 3

After reading Chapter 3 on stage spaces, and based on your understanding of production needs of the play “Dinner With Friends”, what stage space would be best suited for a performance of “Dinner With Friends” and why? Be sure to use examples from the play script (scenic requirements, scene changes, etc.) and textbook (stage machinery, layout, visual aspects, etc.) to support your opinion.

Strategic Planning & Development 

Introduction 

Within the last ten years, the health care industry has seen big change, not only in philosophy, but with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. There have been changes in political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that influence strategic planning. Americans desire increased quality patient care, wellness, and prevention programs. Health care organizations are seeing changes in volume and demographics related to their patients, and labor and technologies related to the health care organization. 

For this assignment, select a health care organization within your state or region. Imagine you have been selected by the facility’s Executive Committee to develop a strategic plan that aligns to the organization’s mission and vision. Use critical thinking skills and research current events of your chosen organization to prepare your assignment. 

Instructions and Grading Criteria 

Write an 8–10 page strategic plan. Your plan must include the numbered elements listed below. Note that the instructions correspond to the grading criteria for this assignment. You may also want to review the performance level descriptions for each criterion in the scoring guide to see how your work will be assessed: 

1. Differentiate between strategic management, strategic thinking, strategic planning, and managing strategic momentum. 
2. Propose one specific analytical tool suitable for use as an adaptive strategy or strategies that will be the most effective in helping an organization achieve its strategic plan. 
3. Propose the manner and provide an example of how the selected analytical tool will be used to support the strategic proposal. 
4. Research three internal and three external factors that could become barriers to the success of the proposed strategic plan. 
5. Recommend at least one solution to each of the possible barriers to implementing your proposed strategic plan. 
6. Determine the specific segment of the market that your organization’s strategic plan will target. 
7. Recommend the most effective approach to marketing your strategic plan and provide examples. 
8. Use at least three quality academic resources. 

• Use the Strayer Library for resources. ***** Note: Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify as academic resources. ******

1. Meet clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements. 

Assignment Format 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: 

• 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 your paper, your name, the course number and course title, your professor’s name, the university’s name, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. 

Strayer Writing Standards 

This course also requires use of new Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details. 

• Citations and references must follow SWS or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. 

Activity #1

Piderit (2000) believes that the definition of the term resistance must incorporate a much broader scope. She states that “a review of past empirical research reveals three different emphases in conceptualizations of resistance: as a cognitive state, as an emotional state, and as a behavior” (p. 784).

The notion that employee resistance can be overcome cognitively suggests that negative thoughts or beliefs about the change exist. Piderit sites, “Watson (1982) who suggests that what is often labeled as resistance is, in fact, only reluctance. Armenakis, Harris, and Mossholder (1993) define resistance in behavioral terms but suggest that another state precedes it: is a cognitive state they call (un)-readiness” (2000, p. 785).

Others attempt to define employee resistance based on the emotional factors exhibited as a result of organizational change. From their early study, Coch and French (1948) acknowledged aggression and frustration in employees as the emotional factors that caused undesirable behaviors and resistance to change. Argyris and Schon (1974, 1978) noted that resistance to change is a defense mechanism caused by frustration and anxiety (Piderit, 2000).

The final aspect of Piderit’s conceptualization focuses on individual behavior in an attempt to define employee resistance to change. She cites Brower and Abolafia (1995) who define resistance as a particular kind of action or inaction. Ashforth and Mael (1998) define resistance as intentional acts of commission (defiance) or omission. Shapiro, Lweicki, and Devine (1995) suggest that willingness to deceive authorities constitutes resistance to change (2000).

Piderit (2000) claims that: although these conceptualizations of overlap somewhat, they diverge in important ways. Finding a way to bring together these varying emphases should deepen our understanding of how employees respond to proposed organizational changes. Each of these three conceptualizations of resistance – as a behavior, an emotion, or a belief – has merit and represents an important part of our experience of response to change. Thus, any definition focusing on one view at the expense of the others seems incomplete (p. 785).

According to Dent & Goldberg (1999), individuals aren’t really resisting the change, but rather they may be resisting the loss of status, loss of pay, or loss of comfort. They claim that, “it is time that we dispense with the phrase resistance to change and find a more useful and appropriate models for describing what the phrase has come to mean – employees are not wholeheartedly embracing a change that management wants to implement” (p. 26).

Taken from : Resistance to Change

IN YOUR OWN WORDS:

What is your understanding of these three types of resistance (use your own words)? Give an example of each type.

Purpose 

The purpose of this project is to introduce you to the planning process and to complete a SWOT analysis to determine a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.  Using the information gathered to complete the SWOT, you will begin to build a Strategic Plan identifying and discussing the company’s goals and objectives.

Outcome Met by Completing This Assignment

• employ effective planning processes to develop strategies, goals, and objectives in order to enhance performance and sustainability

Instructions:

You recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business.  You are a new hire at Silver Airways and your manager has asked you to assist him with building a Strategic Plan to reach the goal of merging with an airline carrier serving the Northeast US.  Using the course materials (weeks 1 – 3) and research on Silver Airways, you will create a SWOT table and conduct a SWOT analysis on the current state of Silver Airways to determine its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.  You will then identify goals, explain these goals and identify and explain objectives for each goal.

Your manager has provided you with the following information about Silver Airways.

Silver Airways recently announced its purchase of Seaborne Airlines that is based in Puerto Rico.  Expanding its flight routes within the Caribbean, makes the company the highest volume airline to the Bahamas and the Caribbean from Florida.  In addition to its Bahama and Caribbean flights, Silver Airways serves the Southeast and a few Northeast states. 

In answering the requirements, you will support the reasoning and conclusions made, which means you will explain ‘why and how’ rather than relying on making statements. This is a most important requirement so do not overlook it.

Research

Review the links below to learn more about each airline, the merged map of flights, and the strategic plan that led to the merger.  Note that specific information about Seaborne Airlines may not be relevant to answering the questions below.

• Silver Airways
• Seaborne Airlines
• Silver Airways/SeaborneAirways
• Silver Airways Announces Major Strategic Growth Developments and New Leadership

You may do additional research related to Silver Airways.  Make sure to take notes and do not take the research lightly as the more research you do the more you will understand Silver Airways and the better the SWOT analysis will be.

Note:  Your report is based on the results of the research performed and not on any prepared documentation or website with SWOT information.  What this means is that you will research and draw your own conclusions that are supported by the research and the course materials rather than the use any source material that puts together a SWOT, goals or objectives whether from the Internet, for-pay websites or any pre-prepared document, video or source material.  A zero will be earned for not doing your own analysis.

How to Set Up the Paper

Create a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is double spaced.  Use 12-point font.  The final product will be 4-5 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page.  Write clearly and concisely. 

Create a title page that provides a title, your name, the course number and section number and instructor’s name.

Use the following headings and instructions to complete the project:

Introduction

• Write an Introduction paragraph.  The Introduction paragraph is the first paragraph of the paper and will be used to describe to the reader the intent of the paper explaining the main points covered in the paper.  This intent should be understood prior to reading the remainder of the paper so the reader knows exactly what is being covered in the paper.
• Consider writing the introduction last to ensure that all of the main points are covered.

SWOT Table

• Using the research from the websites provided and any additional research, complete a SWOT Table for Silver Airways using the following format.
• Provide a minimum of three strengths, three weaknesses, three opportunities and three threats (See grading rubric for specifics).
• Provide an in-text citation for each item presented in the SWOT Table.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

SWOT Analysis:  Silver Airways

• Write a paragraph for each quadrant in the SWOT explaining the rationale for each criterion within the quadrant.  Support the reasoning. Remember, there must be a minimum of three criteria in each quadrant.

Goals and Objectives

• You will now begin to build the framework for the Strategic Plan that will be developed upon approval of a merger.  Identify and explain three (3) major goals that the company should look to attain with the approval of the merger, with explanations as to the importance of each goal and why the goals are relevant to the company’s strategy.
• Make sure to use the research AND course materials to support what is presented.  Your research will guide you to create the goals and objectives.
• You will then define and discuss at least two objectives for each goal.

This framework must have the following items. 

STRATEGIC GOAL 1

Identification and explanation of Strategic Goal 1 – Provided by the student

Strategic Objectives:  Students will define and discuss at least two objectives to drive the Strategic Goal

STRATEGIC GOAL 2

Identification and explanation of Strategic Goal 2 – Provided by the student

Strategic Objectives:  Students will define and discuss at least two objectives to drive the Strategic Goal

STRATEGIC GOAL 3

Identification and explanation of Strategic Goal 3 – Provided by the student

Strategic Objectives:  Students will define and discuss at least two objectives to drive the Strategic Goal

Conclusion

• Create a concluding paragraph.  The Conclusion summarizes the main topics covered in the paper.       

References    

Review the Paper 

Read the paper to ensure all required elements are present.

The following are specific requirements that you will follow.  Use the checklist to mark off that you have followed each specific requirement.  

Checklist

Specific Project Requirements

Proofread your paper

Read and use the grading rubric while completing the paper to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade. 

Third person writing is required.  Third person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person writing).  If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link:  http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person. 

Contractions are not used in business writing, so do not use them.  

Paraphrase and do not use direct quotations.  Paraphrase means you do not use more than four consecutive words from a source document.  Removing quotation marks and citing is inappropriate.  Instead put a passage from a source document into your own words and attribute the passage to the source document.  There should be no passages with quotation marks.  Using more than four consecutive words from a source document would require direct quotation marks.  Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation marks.   If more than four consecutive words are used from source documents, this material will not be included in the grade.  

You are expected to use the research and weekly course materials to develop the analysis and support the reasoning.   There should be a robust use of the course material.  Material used from a source document must be cited and referenced.  A reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa.  Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation marks.   

Use in-text citations and provide a reference list that contains the reference associated with each in-text citation.

You may not use books in completing this problem set unless part of the course material.  Also, do not use a dictionary, Wikipedia or Investopedia or similar sources.

Provide the page or paragraph number in every in-text citation presented.  Since the eBook does not have page numbers, include the chapter title and topic heading.  If using a video, provide the minutes and second of the cited material.

Step 3:  Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder (The assignment submitted to the Assignment Folder will be considered the student’s final product and therefore ready for grading by the instructor.  It is incumbent upon the student to verify the assignment is the correct submission.  No exceptions will be considered by the instructor).

Self-Plagiarism: Self-plagiarism is the act of reusing significant, identical or nearly identical portions of one’s own work.  You cannot re-use any portion of a paper or other graded work that was submitted to another class even if you are retaking this course.   You also will not reuse any portion of previously submitted work in this class.  A zero will be assigned to the assignment if self-plagiarized.  Faculty do not have the discretion to accept self-plagiarized work.

NOTE:  All submitted work is to be your original work. You may not use any work from another student, the Internet or an online clearinghouse.  You are expected to understand the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy, and know that it is your responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources as specified in the APA Publication Manual, 6th Ed. (Students are held accountable for in-text citations and an associated reference list only). 

1) 2 paragraphs minimum detailing your topic of interest for your research. (Please ensure to include a Cover page with project description, your name, date, class name, and professor’s name.) 

2) Cite at least 2 professionals, peer-reviewed journals to support research. (This is different than what is noted in the syllabus. Be sure to cite and reference your sources, use proper APA formatting in your work and include a reference page.)

3) Possible topics include: Diversity in the workplace, workplace violence, 360-degree assessments, and relevant current HR topics. 

4) What is a Peer-reviewed Journal/Article:

Peer–reviewed (refereed or scholarly) journals – Articles are written by experts and are reviewed by several other experts in the field before the article is published in the journal in order to insure the article’s quality.

You can gain some assistance by also going to this web site:

http://www.angelo.edu/services/library/handouts/peerrev.php

Post a question based on an article, book, video, podcast, or any other current (less than 4 years old) material relevant to the current unit’s key topic. You are encouraged to use the Park course library to find an article.  The article must support a business case for HR management. Each student must post a question based on their article no later than Tuesday of each week in order to receive full discussion points. If you miss the Tuesday deadline ten percent will be deducted from the final discussion grade for the week. The Tuesday deadline enhances the discussion area and provides others with an opportunity to comment on your posts. 

Each student must also respond (reply) to at least two other student’s posted questions, a student’s response to a question, or to instructor input.  Two peer responses are due each week.

All initial questions input must be accompanied by a summary of the selected article. There is no length requirement for the question. However, the question must be comprehensive (a summary analysis of the key article points followed by a question that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no response. The peer responses are required to be comprehensive and clearly state your reason for agreeing or disagreeing with the post in a professional manner. Peer responses are not just short responses like: “I agree.”  Peer responses must include data or other information that makes an HR business case for the response (with at least one source for support).

When you begin work with couples and families, you likely will conclude after only a few cases that all couples and families are different in at least a few ways. Members of these couples and families individually belong to many different population subgroups, with each group exerting cultural influence. Based on conflict resolution traditions or power distance index of a certain culture, for instance, you may need to modify the theoretical approach you take with a client with that background.

Keep in mind that the classroom study of theory and intervention integration cannot provide a description of how to modify or tailor your theory to all the potential relational and cultural presentations you will see. It should, however, provide you with a solid foundation and a toolbox with which to work.

For this Discussion, select a cultural consideration (related to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) and think about how this consideration may impact the application of your theoretical orientation when working with couples and families. Then, reflect on how you might modify interventions in professional work in which this consideration is present.

By Day 4

Post a brief description of the cultural consideration you selected. Then, explain two challenges of applying your theoretical orientation to address this cultural consideration when working with couples and families. Explain how you might modify evidence-based interventions to be more culturally sensitive and responsive. Justify your response using evidence-based articles.