Ashford 6: – Week 5 – Final Paper

Final Paper

In this course, you will look at classical ethical theories of utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. You will also examine different perspectives on ethical issues introduced by relativism, ethical egoism, and emotivism. For this paper, you will apply these theories and perspectives to a current issue, selected from the list of issues below.

Choose one of the ethical issues from the list below to research and write about. It is recommended that you choose a topic you are familiar with or have thought about previously. For example, you might choose an issue that either worries you or enrages you; you might choose one that you have worked on; or you might choose one that relates to recent events in your community.

Possible Issues

Corporate executive compensation Corporate contributions to political campaigns Affirmative action The media and its responsibilities Domestic surveillance Whistle blowing in government or in a business Religion in the workplace Pornography Consumer tracking Ethical problems of gambling Progressive taxation rates Immigration Women’s equality In your paper, you will apply the ethical theories and perspectives to the issue you select. You do not have to use all six, but you should apply at least two ethical theories and at least one ethical perspective in your paper. Make sure you write primarily on ethical topics and concepts; do not get distracted by doing analyses that apply political, economic, religious, or legal perspectives. Describe, compare, and apply the ethical theories and perspectives to the topics. Explain how the theories and perspectives would analyze the issue. What are the ethical issues? Where are there breaches of ethical behavior? How could each theory help people think about what would constitute virtuous or ethical behavior?

The paper must be eight to ten pages in length (excluding title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least five scholarly sources from the Ashford University Library other than the textbook to support your claims. You can also use the Sociology Research Guidelocated in the Ashford University Library. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, located within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar in your online course.

In this class, you have three tutoring services available: Paper Review, Live Chat, and Tutor E-mail. Click on the Ashford Writing Center (AWC) tab in the left-navigation menu to learn more about these tutoring options and how to get help with your writing.

Writing the Final Paper

The Final Paper

Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Be sure to double-space your text and use one-inch margins.Must include a title page with the following:Title of paperStudent’s nameCourse name and numberInstructor’s nameDate submittedMust begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.You must use at least five academic sources in addition to the required text. You can find academic sources in the Ashford University Library. Academic sources include peer-reviewed journal articles, research-based books, theses and dissertations, and research-based government documents.

Deliverable length:200-400 words

No running head of formatting required, just references.

Choose a developing country, and discuss its economic growth in the last 2–3 years. Include the following information:

• Identify its growth in output per capita and in population growth.
• Is it an open or closed economy?
• Identify its comparative advantage and whether it is involved in trade.
• Identify the country’s type of economy—how its economy is a market, command, or mixed economy.
• Is the country’s foreign exchange overvalued or undervalued? Has the central bank intervened in the foreign exchange market on behalf of the country’s currency valuation?
• Using the information you gathered, discuss whether you believe the country is on a good course of economic growth and whether the macroeconomic policies are helping achieve this growth.

You have already developed a thesis statement and developed an outline in which you explored two (2) real-life international incidents from the past five (5) years involving the United States as they received an elevated status as a world power. Now you will develop the final paper in which you explore your main points in detail.

Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

1. Introduce your paper with your previously crafted thesis statement.
2. Discuss two (2) international events involving the US military from the past five (5) years that can be traced back to a foreign policy created after the Civil War.
3. Discuss three (3) aspects of US history since 1865 that has led to the US’s rise as a world super power policeman.
4. Identify three to five (3-5) international incidents since World War II where America has taken on a policing role.
5. Determine three to five (3-5) driving forces that fueled international policy decisions involving the international incidents you outlined previously. (Consider treaties, exit strategies, elections, wars, etc.)
6. Use at least three (3) academic references besides or in addition to the textbook. Note: Wikipedia and other 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 the rise of the United States to a world “superpower” and how that status has shaped its internal developments in recent decades.
• Recognize the major turning points in American history since the Civil War.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in contemporary U.S. history.

Read and respond to a case study to demonstrate your understanding of, and ability to apply, the most important concepts of the module, especially regarding the potential pitfalls of communication media.

review a case study of Twitter in the 9th edition of the course textbook.

In an integrated essay, analyze the case from the perspective of a business organization, providing support for your analysis by replying to each of the following questions:

1. What are the advantages and drawbacks for organizations using social media to communicate with various employees, customers, or the global communities?
2. How do communication barriers surface when using social media versus using traditional media?
3. What specific steps should managers take to be sure they communicate effectively when using social media?
4. What, if any, rules or policies should business organizations implement for employees using social media after office hours? What types of rules or policies do you think would be necessary? Be as specific as possible.
5. What communication barriers might a manager encounter when using social media to create an organizational internship program? From your recent readings and experiences, what guidelines could you suggest for managers and organizations?

Your well-written paper should meet the following requirements:

• 3-4 pages in length
• Formatted according to APA requirement

• Cite a minimum of two scholarly sources,

Write clearly and logically, as you will be graded on content, analysis, and your adherence to the tenets of good academic writing, which should be succinct where possible while also exploring the topics appropriately. Remember that you can always improve your work by providing support from outside scholarly sources, which help both to bolster your own assertions and supplement your ideas.

This assignment is not an essay but an exercise that helps build toward your Final Paper for the course. Your task in this assignment is to construct the best argument you can for a position on a controversial topic. Your argument should be your own creation. You may take inspiration from other arguments, but the formulation of the argument you present should be original to you.

To prepare to write this paper,

• Begin by choosing a topic from the  list.
• • Under what circumstances (if any) it permissible to use capital punishment on persons convicted of certain crimes?
• • Should legal marriage be available to couples of the same sex?
• • How does the stage of pregnancy affect the morality of abortion?
• • Should marijuana be legal for recreational use?
• • Under what conditions is physician-assisted suicide morally acceptable?
• • Is it ethically acceptable to raise animals for food on factory farms?
• • What kinds of restrictions on gun ownership (if any) would be beneficial to society?
• • Should it be legal for employers to discipline or fire employees on the basis of their content aired in social networks, even if this activity was not done on the job?
• Construct an argument for a position on the topic. This is the position that you will defend in your Final Paper. Make your argument as good as possible: In particular, make sure that all of your premises are true and that the truth of the conclusion is demonstrated by your premises.
• Consider possible objections to your argument, and revise it several times until you have an argument that is as strong as possible.
• Search in the Ashford University Library for quality academic sources that support some aspect of your argument.
• Constructing quality arguments is harder than it sounds; you may find that your first few attempts have problems and that it takes quite a bit of time and effort to revise an argument to a point that the premises adequately support the conclusion. You will be revising this argument for each of the remaining assignments in this course.

In your paper,

• Present a main argument in standard form with each premise and the conclusion on a separate line.
• Provide support for each premise of your argument. Explain the meaning of the premise, and provide supporting evidence for the premise. [One paragraph for each premise]
  • Pay special attention to those premises that could be seen as controversial. Evidence may include academic research sources, supporting arguments, or other ways of demonstrating the truth of the premise (for more ideas about how to support the truth of premises take a look at the instructor guidance for this week). This section should include at least one scholarly research source. Explain how your conclusion follows from your premises.
  • For an example of how to complete this paper, take a look at  The Ethics of Elephants in Circuses.
  • The Initial Argument Paper
    • Must be 400 to 600 words in length (not including the title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style
    • Must include a separate title page with the following:
      • Title of paper
      • Student’s name
      • Course name and number
      • Instructor’s name
      • Date submitted
    • Must use at least one scholarly source in addition to the course text.
    • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types.
    • Must document all sources in APA style
    • Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style

Assignment

To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Assignment link in the left navigation.

The PMMM Helps Bring Success to SAP and Petrotrin

• Jedd, M.  (2005, June). Growing up. PM Network, 19(6), 62-66.  Retrieved from ProQuest database. (Document ID: 858569891).  *Note: There are two articles titled “Growing Up” from PM Network, please review the one authored by Marcia Jedd; using the document ID will shorten search times.

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Review the Jedd article from your assigned readings and write a 2 to 4 page (not including title and reference pages), APA style paper.  Use contextual (Level One) headings to organize your paper and your thoughts.

In your paper, discuss the following:

• How has PMMM brought success to both SAP and Petrotrin’s overall enterprise?  Use current financial, operational, and strategic news to support the article details for either SAP or Petrotrin to describe their recent results.
• Are the organizations continuing to improve their project management maturity levels?
• Do you believe their focus on Project Management has made them successful?  Validate your beliefs.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

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Total Possible Score: 5.00

PMMM and SAP/Petrotrin

Total: 1.00

Distinguished – Provides a fully developed and expertly crafted discussion of how PMMM has brought success to each organization’s overall enterprise.  The student uses current financial, operational, and strategic news to support the article details for either SAP or Petrotrin to describe the recent results.

Proficient – Provides an adequate discussion of how PMMM has brought success to each organization’s overall enterprise.  The student uses current financial, operational, and strategic news to support the article details for either SAP or Petrotrin to describe the recent results; however, some relevant details and ideas are not fully developed.

Basic – Provides a discussion of how PMMM has brought success to each organization’s overall enterprise.  The student uses most of the following in the discussion: current financial, operational, and strategic news to support the article details for either SAP or Petrotrin to describe the recent results.  Relevant information related to PMMM is missing from the discussion.

Below Expectations – Attempts to provide a discussion of how PMMM has brought success to each organization’s overall enterprise.  The student uses a few of the following in their discussion:  current financial, operational, and strategic news to support the article details for either SAP or Petrotrin to describe their recent results.

Non-Performance – The discussion of how PMMM has brought success to organizations and the description of SAP/Petrotrin results is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Continuing to Improve Maturity Levels and Focus on PM

Total: 2.00

Distinguished – Provides a thorough explanation about how the organizations are continuing to improve their project management maturity levels and their level of successful Project Management focus. Expertly applies appropriate concepts as outlined in the text, while demonstrating a thorough understanding of PMMM.

Proficient – Provides an explanation about how the organizations are continuing to improve their project management maturity levels and their level of successful Project Management focus.  Appropriate concepts from the text are provided, but relevant details are missing.

Basic – Gives a brief explanation about how the organizations are continuing to improve their project management maturity levels and their level of successful Project Management focus.  Does not identify specific concepts from the text.

Below Expectations – Gives a brief explanation about how the organizations are continuing to improve their project management maturity levels and their level of successful Project Management focus.  Fails to show an adequate understanding of the concepts from the text.

Non-Performance – The explanation about how the organizations are continuing to improve their project management maturity levels and their level of successful Project Management focus is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Validation of Beliefs

Total: 1.00

Distinguished – Validation of beliefs is clearly articulated and supported with abundant details relevant to PMMM.

Proficient – Validation of beliefs is articulated and somewhat supported with details relevant to PMMM.

Basic – Validation of beliefs is identified, but few specific supporting details relevant to PMMM are provided.

Below Expectations – Validation of beliefs lacks clarity and focus and provides no specific supporting details relevant to PMMM.

Non-Performance – The validation of beliefs is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Critical Thinking: Explanation of Issues

Total: 0.20

Distinguished – Clearly and comprehensively explains in detail the issue to be considered, delivering all relevant information necessary for full understanding.

Proficient – Clearly explains in detail the issue to be considered, delivering enough relevant information for an adequate understanding.

Basic – Briefly recognizes the issue to be considered, delivering minimal information for a basic understanding.

Below Expectations – Briefly recognizes the issue to be considered, but may not deliver additional information necessary for a basic understanding.

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Written Communication: Control of Syntax and Mechanics

Total: 0.20

Distinguished – Displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains no errors, and is very easy to understand.

Proficient – Displays comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains only a few minor errors, and is mostly easy to understand.

Basic – Displays basic comprehension of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains a few errors, which may slightly distract the reader.

Below Expectations – Fails to display basic comprehension or syntax or mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains major errors, which distract the reader.

Non-Performance – The assignment is either non-existent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

APA Formatting

Total: 0.20

Distinguished – Accurately uses APA formatting consistently throughout the paper, title and reference page.

Proficient – Exhibits APA formatting throughout the paper, however, layout contains a few minor errors.

Basic – Exhibits basic knowledge of APA formatting throughout the paper.  Layout does not meet all APA requirements.

Below Expectations – Fails to exhibit basic knowledge of APA formatting.  There are frequent errors making the layout difficult to distinguish as APA.

Non-Performance – The assignment is either non-existent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Page Requirement

Total: 0.20

Distinguished – The paper meets the specific page requirement stipulated in the assignment description.

Proficient – The paper closely meets the page requirements predetermined in the assignment description.

Basic – The paper meets over half of the page requirement.

Below Expectations – A fraction of the page requirement is completed.

Non-Performance – The assignment is either non-existent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Resource Requirement

Total: 0.20

Distinguished – Provides ample resources and uses the correct amount of sources from the specified search agent.

Proficient – Provides the approximate number of sources, while using some of the correct search agents specified in the assignment instructions.

Basic – Provides over half of the  sources required in the assignment instructions.

Below Expectations – Barely provides adequate resources and unable to include sources from specified search agent.

Non-Performance – The assignment is either non-existent or lacks the components described in the instructions.