Author: chris

Writing Project #2: Synthesis

English 1301

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This is a synthesis essay. That is, in writing, you are to synthesize two authors’ viewpoints toward a specific topic. To do this, you will analyze (by reading) two essays that cover the same general topic. Using the two essays, you will explain what the authors say about a more specific topic—or area of synthesis—and how the authors’ texts relate to that area of synthesis. This essay is not about you and your position, but instead should remain focused on how the authors are presenting their ideas and how the authors position themselves in relation to the area of synthesis. “To accomplish this goal, you will need to incorporate ideas and details from the readings” (p. 128).

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The general topic that you will write about for Writing Project #2 is intercultural communication. You are to explore aspects of cross-cultural communication by analyzing (through reading) texts from Spack (2007) and other sources. Your choices of text pairs include:

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1.    Creativity in the Classroom	AND	Intercultural communication and the classroom (Andersen & Powell)
2.    Intercultural communication competence (Spitzberg)	AND	Social Time: The Heartbeat of a Culture
3.    Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks	AND	Prejudice in intercultural communication (Brislin)

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In Writing Project #2, your process should be something like:

• ·         Develop a non-argumentative synthesis thesis statement that references and can be supported by two texts.

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• Identify the most useful details and supporting points related to the thesis that can be drawn from each source text.

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• Identify the similarities and differences between main ideas and details you identified in the two different source texts.

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• Develop topic sentences that relate to the synthesis thesis and are separate from the source texts, but can be supported by the source texts.

 

Your essay should include the following parts:

• Introduction: this is where you introduce the general topic, some of the larger guiding opinions that were most evident in the source texts, and your synthesis thesis.
• Summary: Following the introduction, you should include a one paragraph for each text (e.g., two summaries in two paragraphs).
• Body: the topic sentences should be focused on ideas (not the authors or texts) from the texts that support the thesis. Then, synthesize the authors’ viewpoints using paraphrasing and focus on details to investigate the important ideas from the source text.
• Conclusion: this is where you round up your essay. Be sure to recapitulate your thesis and identify further implications about the topic.Â

 

Length: five to seven typed double-spaced pages.

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WP2v1 Draft due: Monday 10/5, 1:45 pm

Wp2v2 Final due: Wednesday 10/14, 1:45 pm Â

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Points toward final grade: This essay is worth 140 points toward your final grade.

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Self-evaluation: When you submit your final draft, a homework or classroom assignment will be presented asking you to reflect on the process of writing this paper. This assignment will involve a 150-225 word response to a specific set of questions.

Economics in the Current News

Take some time to think about the ways in which your learning in this class relates to the real world. Has the knowledge you gained been valuable in helping you understand or evaluate events or policies? Are there any current events in the news that you can directly link to concepts or theories covered so far?

Guided Response:
Review the popular news websites listed in the Current Events required readings section for this week. In 300 words or more, discuss one current event article and explain how economic theory can be applied to analyze the information presented. Make sure to provide an APA reference to your article.

Article

New Straits Times. (1997). Microsoft-Apple partnership stuns computing industry. Retrieved from

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rZxOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HBUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6732,188074 & dq=apple+partnership+with+microsoft&hl=en

 

Websites

1.    Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com)

2.    Cable News Network (http://www.cnn.com)

3.    The Economist (http://www.economist.com)

This is an opportunity to create a “dream” benefits plan for a fictional company. Although the costs of offering benefits is a substantial consideration for any employer, for the purposes of this assignment, please make the assumption that costs are not an issue. Each student should begin his or her PowerPoint presentation with an overview of the company/organization as a starting point. Specifically, the name of the company, its mission statement, and a general overview of the company.  Students may use public companies and/or government agencies as sources.

Standard Requirements:

• Prepare a presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint or a similar software program.
• The presentation must be visually appealing, have a light background, and dark lettering. Clip art, graphs, charts, etc. are acceptable. However, these visual elements must be relevant or complement the presentation and not be used as fillers.
• Large blocks of text are not permitted. Slides must be organized in a fashion that is easily readable. Your professor recommends the use of bulleted lists for the presentation of text. Font sizes and styles must be appropriate for a professional, business presentation.
• Text of the presentation must include parenthetical citation, in appropriate format, and matching the reference slide(s).
• The Reference slide(s) must be formatted according to APA documentation style.
• Each student is responsible for submitting his or her presentation in the appropriate assignment drop box by the published due date. Late assignments will not be accepted and will result in a zero for the assignment.

Additional Information:

See chapter 15 of the text for reference.

The benefit plans of at least 2 public companies and/or government agencies must be researched and used as sources. Company or government agency information must be documented according to APA documentation style parenthetically and on the References slide(s).

• Prepare at least 2 slides covering Legally-Required Benefits
• Prepare at least 2 slides coveringRetirement-Related Benefits
• Prepare at  least 2 slides covering Insurance-Related Benefits
• Prepare at least 4 slides covering other benefits (be creative, remember this is a dream benefits plan)

Grading Elements:

• Thorough overview of the benefit plan and the required slides
• The presentation is visually appealing and pictures and clip art are used to complement the topic being presented
• At least two public companies and/or government agencies used as sources for the presentation
• Parenthetical citations included and formatted according to APA documentation style
• References slide(s) is formatted according to APA documentation style
• Spelling, grammar, and writing style

 

*****Each written case analysis should be on the order of 5 typed, double spaced pages, excluding cover page, graphs, charts, etc.

In conducting a strategic management case analysis, ensure that you approach the analysis as follows:

1. Become Familiar with the Material

2. Identify the Problems

3. Conduct Strategic Analyses

4. Propose Alternate Solutions

5. Make Recommendations

 

is often said that the key to finding good answers is to ask good questions. Strategic Managers and business leaders are required to evaluate options, make choices, and find solutions to the challenges they face very day. To do so, they must learn to ask the right questions. The Study of strategic management poses the same challenge. The process of analyzing, decision-making, and implementing strategic actions raises many good questions. Why do some firms succeed and others fail? Why are some companies higher performers than others? What information is needed in the strategic planning process? How do competing values and beliefs affect strategic decision-making? • What skills and capabilities are needed to implement a strategy effectively?

 

Attached is the Case Study I have to analyze which is Johnson and Johnson, Case 18. Any questions, please message me.

 

Problem 1:

Robert’s New Way Vacuum Cleaner Company is a newly started small business that produces vacuum cleaners and belongs to a monopolistically competitive market. Its demand curve for the product is expressed as Q = 5000 – 25P where Q is the number of vacuum cleaners per year and P is in dollars. Cost estimation processes have determined that the firm’s cost function is represented by TC = 1500 + 20Q + 0.02Q2.

Show all of your calculations and processes. Describe your answer for each question in complete sentences, whenever it is necessary.

1. What are the profit-maximizing price and output levels? Explain them and calculate algebraically for equilibrium P (price) and Q (output). Then, plot the MC (marginal cost), D (demand), and MR (marginal revenue) curves graphically and illustrate the equilibrium point.
2. How much economic profit do you expect that Robert’s company will make in the first year?
3. Do you expect this economic profit level to continue in subsequent years? Why or why not?

Problem 2:

Greener Grass Company (GGC) competes with its main rival, Better Lawns and Gardens (BLG), in the supply and installation of in-ground lawn watering systems in the wealthy western suburbs of a major east-coast city. Last year, GGC’s price for the typical lawn system was $1,900 compared with BLG’s price of $2,100. GGC installed 9,960 systems, or about 60% of total sales and BLG installed the rest. (No doubt many additional systems were installed by do-it-yourself homeowners because the parts are readily available at hardware stores.)

GGC has substantial excess capacity–it could easily install 25,000 systems annually, as it has all the necessary equipment and can easily hire and train installers. Accordingly, GGC is considering expansion into the eastern suburbs, where the homeowners are less wealthy. In past years, both GGC and BLG have installed several hundred systems in the eastern suburbs but generally their sales efforts are met with the response that the systems are too expensive. GGC has hired you to recommend a pricing strategy for both the western and eastern suburb markets for this coming season. You have estimated two distinct demand functions, as follows:

Qw =2100 – 6.25Pgw + 3Pbw + 2100Ag – 1500Ab + 0.2Yw

for the western market and

Qe = 36620 – 25Pge + 7Pbe + 1180Ag – 950Ab + 0.085Ye

for the eastern market, where Q refers to the number of units sold; P refers to price level; A refers to advertising budgets of the firms (in millions); Y refers to average disposable income levels of the potential customers; the subscripts w and e refer to the western and eastern markets, respectively; and the subscripts g and b refer to GGC and BLG, respectively. GGC expects to spend $1.5 million (use Ag = 1.5) on advertising this coming year and expects BLG to spend $1.2 million (use Ab = 1.2) on advertising. The average household disposable income is $60,000 in the western suburbs and $30,000 in the eastern suburbs. GGC does not expect BLG to change its price from last year because it has already distributed its glossy brochures (with the $2,100 price stated) in both suburbs, and its TV commercial has already been produced. GGC’s cost structure has been estimated as TVC = 750Q + 0.005Q2, where Q represents single lawn watering systems.

Show all of your calculations and processes. Describe your answer for each item below in complete sentences, whenever it is necessary.

1. Derive the demand curves for GGC’s product in each market.
2. Derive GGC’s marginal revenue (MR) and marginal cost (MC) curves in each market. Show graphically GGC’s demand, MR, and MC curves for each market.
3. Derive algebraically the quantities that should be produced and sold, and the prices that should be charged, in each market.
4. Calculate the price elasticities of demand in each market and discuss these in relation to the prices to be charged in each market.
5. Add a short note to GGC management outlining any reservations and qualifications you may have concerning your price recommendations.

 

Case Study and Oral Presentation Criteria (“Student’s Choice” – See Potential Topics list ) Case Studies I-III

Clearly define the Target Market 1

Use demographics when clearly defining the Target Market 1

Discuss the Marketing Mix or 4 Ps 1

Include all four components of the promotional mix when discussing the Marketing Mix or 4 Ps (Adv., PR, Personal Selling, and various Promotions) 2

Perform a brief SWOT analysis 2

Please provide a minimum of two recommendations (your creative ideas!) 4

Provide data or examples from listed source to support each recommendation with data/statistics

Craft Alcohol is seeing huge growth in craft beer (passed 3,000 breweries in 2014) and 2013 saw 294 new whiskey brands launched globally. Craft Alcohol is seeing huge growth in craft beer (passed 3,000 breweries in 2014) and 2013 saw 294 new whiskey brands launched globally

1. An interesting example of strategic behavior comes from a 1997 article about Microsoft’s investment in Apple (New Straits Times, 1997). The article is included in the Required Readings list. Facing tough anti-trust scrutiny from government agencies, Microsoft provided financial support to Apple in order to ensure Apple’s survival and, therefore, to ensure that competitiveness in the industry remains. Moreover, the partnership with Apple provided an additional market for Microsoft’s products – the MS Office and the IE products were to be bundled with the MAC OS as one of the conditions for this financing. Discuss this case in the context of market structure and strategic behavior. What market structure do these firms operate in? Why did Microsoft need to preserve competitiveness in the industry? What was Microsoft afraid of in the event that Apple did not survive?

   Guided Response:
   In 300 words or more, please, provide your response to the above discussion question. Further, do you think Microsoft regrets taking action in light of Apple’s performance today? Respond substantively to at least two of your classmates’ postings. Substantive responses use theory, research, and experience or examples to support ideas and further the class knowledge on the discussion topic.

2. Bulls Eye department store specializes in the sales of discounted clothing, shoes, household items, etc. similar to the offerings at a regular Walmart or Target. Bulls Eye is the only department store in Show Low and the nearest other discount retailer is Target, located 49 miles away in Eagar. Bulls Eye, therefore, has some market power in its local area. Despite having some market power, Bulls Eye is currently suffering losses. An analyst at Bulls Eye is recommending to the manager to raise prices, so that profitability can be improved. The manager is unsure of this strategy as recent data points to increasing numbers of individuals shopping more and more. What are the pros and cons of raising the prices at Bulls Eye and would that strategy be profitable?

   Guided Response:
   Consider demand elasticity and market structure in your response. How is increasing of the price going to impact the company’s revenues given its demand elasticity? In 300 words or more, please, provide your response to the above discussion questions. Respond substantively to at least two of your classmates’ postings. Substantive responses use theory, research, and experience or examples to support ideas and further the class knowledge on the discussion topic.

Select two to three calculation tasks a program could perform that would be useful.

 Each task must include the following:

• Inputing a value
• Performing a calculation on that value
• Outputting the value

Example calculations include the following:

• Calculating sales tax on a sale
• Converting from Fahrenheit to Celsius
• Figuring out a total bulk sale price based on price per unit and number of units

Create a Word document using the attached Memo Template for each of the tasks. The document should contain:

• a brief description of the task
• the pseudocode associated with the task 

Create Visual Logic files to execute each of the tasks.

Save all the files in a single folder structure you zip into a single file to submit.

Submit zip file containing all files.

The general requirements for the paper are as follows:
• 750 word minimum, single spaced, 1” margins, using Times New Roman 12 point
font.
• At least 3 references with at least 1 reference being a technical reference.
Wikipedia may not be referenced. Complete citations must be used following the
IEEE style manual posted on Module.( I will upload the file)
Please follow the directions above. Failure to do so will result in no credit being given
for the paper.
Guidelines: A contemporary issue is an issue that affects us today. An ethical issue is
one in which the engineer must decide what is the right thing to do. Each discipline has
pertinent issues that could impact the lives of engineers as well as the lives of the general
population. Please discuss the issues including the impacts on society and the economy.2
Discuss the following for the contemporary issue: ( use this as format to write)
* Outline the issue
– How did it come about/background info
– What is the current status
– Who is driving the issue and possibly who is opposed to it
* Discuss Pro and Cons
* Argue/Explain your position and why you support it
Please follow the directions above. Failure to do so will result in no credit being given
for the paper.
Resources for Contemporary Issues:
• Civil and Mechanical Engineering professional magazines.
• ASCE and ASME journals. For example, ASCE Journals are at:
http://ascelibrary.org/. You
may also find other article by searching the Google Scholar
(http://scholar.google.com/) or the ASCE Library Search (http://ascelibrary.org/).

Assignment in Contemporary Issues in Mechanical Engineering:
• Choose a contemporary issue of interest to you, such as carbon sequestration,
Ebola outbreak in Africa, clean water for developing countries, and the role of
Mechanical engineering.

answer the following questions:

1.Which is more important in sexual reproduction, male or female? why(pick one)

2.Scientists are working on the combining of two eggs to form an embryo. Some are also working on the fusion of two sperm.

Discuss EACH and tell how it would work, what would go