What was the conflict in solving America’s social problems and was it possible to address the myriad of social ills in America at the turn of the 19th and 20th century without addressing the the heart, or root cause, of those social ills? Who were the people who attempted to address the social ills of the American working class? What means did they use?  What were they and their movement called?

Attachments:

transforming_americans__a_fierce_discontent.pdf

Assignment 2: LASA 1: Organisms in Your Biome

In this assignment, you will create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation that exhibits the different organisms in your current biome.

Include the following in your presentation:

• Describe Your Own Environment

  Consider the natural environment or biome found in the geographic area in LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA USA. For example, if you live in the Midwest, the natural biome for this area is the grassland. If you live in Alaska you are likely to live in either the tundra or the boreal forest. Describe the main features of the biome found in your geographic area. Include features such as the environment (moisture, temperature) and any topographic features that would influence the climate (mountains, large bodies of water, etc.).

• Identify Ten Organisms

  Make a list identifying at least ten organisms—at least five plants and five animals—that live in your biome, and describe how these organisms interact with one another. For example, is the relationship competitive or symbiotic?

• Describe Each Organism and its Environmental Needs

  In the speaker notes section in your presentation, briefly describe these ten organisms and the type of conditions—that is, moisture, warm temperatures, or a type of plant—they need in order to survive. Be sure to include the interactions between these organisms and the resources they need to survive. You may wish to use various tools available in Microsoft PowerPoint to visually depict these relationships.

• Hypothesis of a New Environment

  Consider a situation where the temperature of the climate was to increase by an average of ten degrees Celsius. Address the following:

  • How would these organisms survive if the temperature warmed up this much?
  • Would they stay or move to a more suitable environment?
  • Would a new species move in?
  • How would migratory species be impacted?
  • What would happen to your biome?

  Now, consider if your biome changes with the temperature shift. Address the following:

  • What types of plants and animals do you think would live there?
  • What will happen to the rarer species? Will they cease to exist?
  • Identify five plants and five animals that you feel would inhabit this warmer area.
  • Describe this new ecosystem and the new interactions that will most likely exist.
• Additional Topics to Include
  • How would environmental management practices change in your area?
  • Would this drastic shift in temperature impact culture and society in your area?
  • Would you still choose to live in this area after a drastic shift in temperature? Give reasons to support your answer.

Use pictures from the Internet to represent your chosen species, and give credit to these Web sites. Support your statements with 3–5 credible sources. Use the last slide of your presentation as a reference slide.

Develop a 10–15-slide presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A2.ppt.

Consider the following Case Study:

You are a HR Consultant who has been contracted by the Fellows Company.

The Fellows Company would like to implement a HRIS. The company has 200 employees and plans on growing 100% over the next 3 years. Currently, Fellows utilizes Excel and Word for keeping track of employee files. Annually, the company spends $50,000 for the HR Department for the salaries of one HR employee who maintains the employee records. There is an accounts payable clerk who makes $45,000 a year and works on Payroll 2 days per week.

Your project is to help the Fellows Company determine the cost-savings and ROI for a new HRIS. Based on research and the Module Readings, determine the ROI of implementing a HRIS. Estimate the initial cost of implementation of an Employee Records/Payroll HRIS for the Fellows Company. You may make assumptions for costs, if you are unable to discover actual costs of HRIS systems.

Create a 3-4-page proposal that summarizes the benefits and the ROI of a new HRIS. Consider the following in your proposal:

1. What functions does the HRIS offer and how will it save Fellows time and money?
2. What will be the ROI for the investment? (Consider the initial investment as well as the cost per month/per employee)
3. What reassurances can you offer the company to help them feel confident in your recommendation?

Strategic Groups and Marketing Decisions

Complete the following discussions:

• Although strategic groups tend to be rigid, they are by no means fixed. One of the things managers have to be aware of is which firms may change group membership. With the results from Year 13 of the simulation, consider the following:
  • Why do firms tend to cluster into strategic groups?
  • Would it not make sense for firms to spread out across strategic spaces? Why or why not? Explain your rationale.
  • How likely is it that firms competing in other strategic groups will adapt their strategy to compete directly against you? Explain your rationale.
  • Which firms currently not in your strategic group would be most likely to try and enter your group? Why?
• Firms also sell in the Internet markets and have to coordinate the Internet marketing strategy with the branded marketing strategy.
  • How do firms that are successful in the Internet market balance their sales there with those in retail markets?
  • Is there any evidence showing firms that emphasize the Internet channel are being hurt in the retail channel and vice versa? Support your answer with examples.
  • A firm has to market an athletic shoe product line that it orders from its factories. Which decisions on the Production and Labor screens are critical to coordinate with the firm’s marketing strategy? Why?

You are in the midst of preparing the departmental budget for the year. The next portion of the budget is the coding staff development budget.  You currently have five coders in your department.

In a word document prepare the following:

1. A staff development plan for the coding staff for the coming year.
2. A budget for staff development.

1. A. First step of this assignment is to assess the needs of your staff:

• What resources will go for staying current with the new code changes, rules and guidelines?
• What continuing education will keep staff current on the latest procedures and techniques done within your facility that may impact coding?
• What resources will go training based on the feedback from the last peer-to-peer audit and also the last external audit.
• What professional development do your coders need or want in the areas of topics like HIM, electronic health records, general computer skills, or supervisory or interpersonal skills.

Develop a prioritized list of what training is needed for your coding staff. Look at the training opportunities that may be available at low cost or no cost. D. Also consider the amount of time the coders will be away from their production responsibilities while attending these training events. Will your accounts receivable be impacted if all the coders are out at a two-day conference? Will you have to replace their productivity with temporary staff?

1. Analyze which area/areas have variances and their proposals for correcting this in the future.
2. Along with each variance calculation, prepare a brief report justifying why there may be a variance.

The Genesis Energy operations management team is now preparing to implement the operating expansion plan. Previously, the firm’s cash position did not pose a challenge. However, the planned foreign expansion requires Genesis Energy to have a reliable source of funds for both short-term and long-term needs.

One of Genesis Energy’s potential lenders tells the team that in order to be considered as a viable customer, Genesis Energy must prepare and submit a monthly cash budget for the current year and a quarterly budget for the subsequent year. The lender will review the cash budget and determine whether or not Genesis Energy can meet the loan repayment terms. Genesis Energy’s ability to repay the loan depends not only on sales and expenses but also on how quickly the company can collect payment from customers and how well it manages its supplier terms and other operating expenses. The Genesis Energy team members agreed that being fully prepared with factual data would allow them to maximize their position as well as negotiate favorable financing terms.

The Genesis Energy management team held a brainstorming session to chart a plan of action, which is detailed here.

• Evaluate historical data and prepare assumptions that will drive the planning process.
• Produce a detailed cash budget that summarizes cash inflow, outflow, and financing needs.
• Identify and compare interest rates, both short-term and long-term, using debt and equity.
• Analyze the financing mix (short/long) and the cost associated with the recommendation.

Since this expansion is critical to Genesis Energy expanding into new overseas markets, the operations management team has been asked to prepare an executive summary with supporting details for Genesis Energy’s senior executives.

Working over a weekend, the management team developed realistic assumptions to construct a working capital budget.

1. Sales: The marketing expert and the newly created customer service personnel developed sales projections based on historical data and forecast research
2. Other cash receipt: Rental income $15,000 per month
3. Production material: The production manager forecasted material cost based on cost quotes from reliable vendors, the average of which is 50 percent of sales
4. Other production cost: Based on historical cost data, this cost on an average is 30 percent of the material cost and occurs in the month after material purchase
5. Selling and marketing expense: Five percent of sales
6. General and administrative expense: Twenty percent of sales
7. Interest payments: $75,000—Payable in December
8. Tax payments: $15,000—Quarterly due on 15th of April, July, October, and January
9. Minimum cash balance desired: $25,000 per month
10. Cash balance start of month (December): $15,000
11. Available short-term annual interest rate is 8 percent, long-term debt rate is 9 percent, and long-term equity is 10 percent. All funds would be available the first month when the firm encounters a deficit
12. Dividend payment: None

Based on this information, do the following:

1. Using the Cash Budget spreadsheet, calculate detailed company cash budgets for the forthcoming and subsequent years. Summarize the sources and uses of cash, and identify the external financing needs for both the forthcoming and subsequent years.

   Download this Excel spreadsheet to view the company’s cash budget (this is the attached document titled m3_a2_cash budget). You will calculate the company’s monthly cash budget for the forthcoming year and quarterly budget for the subsequent year using this information.

2. In an executive-level report, summarize the company’s financing needs for the forecast period and provide your recommendations for financing the planned activities. Be sure to comment on the following:
   1. Your recommended financing solution and cost to the firm: If Genesis Energy needs operating cash, how should it fund this need? Are there internal policy changes with regard to collections or payables management you would recommend? What types of external financing are available?
   2. Your concerns associated with the firm’s cash budget. Is this a sign of weak sales performance or poor cost control? Why or why not?

Write a 7-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

**I have included 2 documents that have been provided by the instuctor to help with the calculations.  I have started but please double check what I have done (m2_a2_ cash budget)***

Assignment 2: LASA 1: Legal and Ethical Leadership and Management

Mathis, Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of women’s clothing and specializes in high-end women’s winter fashions. Normandale, a retailer, sells high-end products in malls throughout the country. With Mathis’s high costs, Normandale is unable to make a profit from the sale of Mathis’s products.

Countess Lori-Ann (CLA) is a Mathis competitor. Normandale sends photographs and samples of the Mathis line to CLA and instructs them to make an identical line at a lower price. Mathis labels are easily discernable in the photographs and the samples have the Mathis label attached. CLA copies the Mathis line for Normandale.

CLA sells the clothing to Normandale at a low price allowing Normandale to sell the products for a total gross profit of nearly $3 million, an increase of nearly 50% over its sale of Mathis products. Mathis discovers that Normandale is selling counterfeit products, and sends several cease-and-desist letters to them—to no avail. Mathis then sues Normandale alleging Normandale has engaged in illegal conduct. Normandale counters that it did nothing wrong.

Research business law in regard to protection of intellectual property using your textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet. Based on the facts of the case and research, write an analytical paper. In the paper, respond to the following questions:

• Was it ethical for Normandale to sell the alleged knock-off products at a lower price? Explain.
• What federal or state laws protect owners of intellectual property?  How do they apply here? Explain.
• What damages, if any, has Mathis suffered because of Normandale’s conduct? Explain.
• What are the differing views on the social responsibility of corporations like Normandale?
• What ethical code could Normandale implement to prevent similar incidents in the future?
• Do the owners of Normandale have personal liability to Mathis for damages?  Explain.
• Do the owners of Normandale have personal criminal liability for their conduct and that of the business?  Explain.

Write a five-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards for writing style to your work.

Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A2.doc. For example, if your name is John Smith, your document will be named SmithJ_M3_A2.doc.

By Wednesday, January 27, 2016, deliver your assignment to the M3: Assignment 2 Dropb