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Determine what the source’s purpose (thesis) is, and how it arrives at that goal.

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For this essay, you will select one of the sources you have found through your preliminary research about your research topic. Which source you choose is up to you; however, it should be substantial enough that you will be able to talk about it at length, and intricate enough that it will keep you (and your reader) interested.

In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone.

The introduction of this paper will involve introducing the source: Provide the author, the title, and the context (where you found the source, where it was originally published, who sponsored it, etc.)

You will then go on to evaluate the source on two levels:
Credibility: Using the information in this unit as a guide, evaluate the source’s authenticity and reliability. Look at all the information that you can find about the source to establish the author’s (or sponsor’s) trustworthiness.
Usefulness: Using a combination of summary and analysis, examine the source on a critical level. Determine what the source’s purpose (thesis) is, and how it arrives at that goal. Examine its value to you and the project you are working on. How will it help you prove your own points? How might it come in handy to back up a claim (or address a counter-claim)?
Finally, you will include a conclusion which shows your final assessments on both counts.

Sample Touchstone
A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.

1. Source Identification
The introduction of this paper will be introducing the source:

❒ Have you provided the author’s name?
❒ Have you provided the source title?
❒ Have you provided the context (where you found the source, where it was originally published, who sponsored it, etc.)?
2. Source Evaluation
❒ Have you provided a judgment on the source’s credibility?
❒ Have you used specific examples from the source to illustrate your judgment on credibility?
❒ Have you provided a judgment on the source’s usefulness?
❒ Have you used specific examples from the source to illustrate your judgment on usefulness?
3. Reflection
❒ Have you answered all reflection questions thoughtfully and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses?
❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?
B. Reflection Questions
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.

What types of questions did you ask yourself when evaluating the credibility and usefulness of your source? (2-3 sentences)
How do you feel this evaluation practice will help you as you continue to move through the research process? (2-3 sentences)

Give a brief overview of Porter’s Five Forces.

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Briefly describe the industry in which your selected company operates. Give a brief overview of Porter’s Five Forces.

The more information you provide, the better feedback you can be given.

Here are some examples to help you with your analysis:

For competition you may want to look at the distribution of market share within an industry. Is it clearly dominated by one key player (I.E. >50%), or is it more evenly split between multiple firms. Market share is not a perfect measure of rivalry but multiple firms with similar market share can indicate higher levels of rivalry.

For buyer power refer to your text for specific examples. Some things you could consider are how price sensitive are your firm’s customers? How many options are available? How knowledgeable are your firm’s customers? Each of these would contribute to higher buyer power.

For supplier power you may want to consider the degree of specialization of your product. If it uses generic materials that are widely available supplier power may be lower.

For threat of substitutes, a brainstorm of alternative options from the consumer perspective would be helpful. This is not simply recognizing other firms that produce the same product (that’s competition) but rather products in other industries that could accomplish the same purpose. Think cars vs. bicycles.

For threat of new entrants, put yourself in the perspective of the entering firm. How difficult do you think it would be to break into this industry?

What area(s) of the general external business environment do you believe changed in order to provide an opportunity for a company like AirBnB to form.

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For this assignment you will be analyzing the external environment of AirBnB. Please do whatever additional research is necessary outside of the podcast to satisfactorily answer the following questions. Remember to justify your answers with evidence.

Questions:

What area(s) of the general external business environment do you believe changed in order to provide an opportunity for a company like AirBnB to form. Is there a changing area of the general environment that you believe will be a threat to their business model in the future?
If we consider AirBnB to be a new entrant into the hospitality/short stay vacation industry. According to Porter’s Five Forces, how attractive is this industry (remember attractiveness is determined by more or less of the Five Forces in total)? What might be particularly difficult for a new startup?
AirBnB created a new business model focused on peer-to-peer short stay exchanges. They faced difficulty in progressing from the startup to the growth phase. How did AirBnB finally overcome entry barriers and experience explosive growth?
What industry phase is the short stay peer-to-peer vacation industry in? How might this affect future planning at AirBnB?

Explain the role of Human Resource Management in organizations today. Which competencies do you consider core for your organization and why?

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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

 Written Assignment

Your paper should consider various models of Human Resources and the variety of roles HRM plays within an organization.  In your paper, address the following questions:

  1. Explain the role of Human Resource Management in organizations today. Which competencies do you consider core for your organization and why?
  2. Which core competencies do you anticipating needing tomorrow?
  3. Could these competencies change?  Why?
  4. How do Human Resources functions evolve to stay viable within organizations?

Submit a paper which is 2-3 pages in length, exclusive of the reference page, and double-spaced. The paper should cite sources independent of the textbooks using APA format.

Assessment Criteria

  • Content– presentation of relevant and legitimate information that clearly supports a central purpose or argument and displays evidence of a thoughtful, in-depth analysis of a significant topic.
  • Use of References / Evidence – Reference information from a variety of relevant, quality sources and are synthesized into the work to strengthen/build upon the stated arguments
  • Organization – ideas are arranged logically to support the purpose or argument. They flow smoothly from one to another and are clearly linked to each other.
  • Synthesis & Conclusion – Information is logically and creatively organized with smooth transitions. Presents a logical explanation for findings.

 

How do we segment a network? What benefits come along with segmenting a network?

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1.How do we segment a network? What benefits come along with segmenting a network?

2.What are some advantages of implementing VLANs on a network?

3.What does CIDR stand for? Provide some examples of CIDR notation. Why is this useful? How do we determine the CIDR notation for a given subnet mask?

4.Why do we often subnet an IPv4 address?

Present both a 5-7 minute videotaped persuasive speech in a public setting.

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To demonstrate public speaking skills, students will present both a 5-7 minute videotaped persuasive speech in a public setting, meaning that they must present to an audience of at least two members, and a either a speech outline or manuscript in APA style using at least 4-6 scholarly sources. To deliver a successful persuasive speech, students must choose a suitable persuasive topic, develop it clearly and sufficiently with credible research, and incorporate effective visuals. A minimum of 4-6 scholarly sources must be used and cited during the speech in a manner that highlights each source’s credibility, such as “According to a 2015 report from the CDC”, as well as presented in a References page accompanying the manuscript or outline. Students will share their speech with the class in a forum and submit a link to their faculty along with an outline or manuscript. Be sure to address all rubric criteria.

What do you understand by the term time value of money?

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Mortgage Problem

Suppose you are planning to buy a house using a 30 years mortgage financing.
Which house would you like to buy? What is its price? If you provide 20% down payment, what will be the approximate amount needed to complete the transaction, including closing costs?

How would you set up the timeline for this problem? What are the calculator keystrokes or excel formula for solving this problem?

What is the loan amount for the mortgage problem? What mortgage interest rate can you get? What will be the monthly payment? How much of that is interest and how much is principal repayment in the 1st and 2nd month?

How much principal amount will be remaining after the 85th payment?

Understanding Time Value of Money

What do you understand by the term time value of money? What do you feel about it? What are some of the reasons that money has a time value?

 

What is the TCP/IP suite? What makes it so relevant in regards to networking?

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1.What is the TCP/IP suite? What makes it so relevant in regards to networking?

2.What are some major differences between TCP and IP? What layers of the OSI model do they reside?

3.What is UDP? How is it different than TCP?4.In your own words, what is ARP? DNS? DHCP?

List at least three accounts that increase with debits and at least three accounts that increase with credits.

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Numbered the answers as Question 1,2,3 & 4 Question 1. Explain debits and credits. List at least three accounts that increase with debits and at least three accounts that increase with credits.
Question 2. Companies must prepare financial statements. What are the required financial statements? Select one of the financial statements. What is reported on it? Why is it useful?
Question 3. (100 words)Read the following information about the water crisis in Flint Michigan: http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/04/us/flint-water-crisis-fast-facts/index.html (Links to an external site.)https://www.reuters.com/article/us-michigan-water/michigan-to-charge-states-top-medical-official-in-flint-water-deaths-idUSKBN1CE2AD (Links to an external site.)Who were the key stakeholders who played a role in this tragedy? What ethical breaches were evident? What is the relationship between sustainable practices, environmental protection, and social responsibility?
Question 4. (100 words) Review the following link on cultural competence. How are cultural competence and diversity similar? How are they different? If you were in charge of a global business what model would you employ any why? http://diversityofficermagazine.com/cultural-competence/what-is-cultural-competence-how-is-it-measured-2/(Links to an external site.)Make sure you discuss this topic with others – reply to at least 2 other students for full credit!**Remember, you are all adults, so please be respectful of others.

How does integrating risk management into the strategic decision-making framework benefit financial institutions?

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My research question is “How does integrating risk management into the strategic decision-making framework benefit financial institutions?” or it can be changed to “How is risk management integrated within the strategic-decision-making framework of financial institutions?”.
Based on either one of these research questions, I need secondary data from credible sources (public company websites or peer-reviewed journals) to prove the research question. [Introduction to research question and why it is an important topic (500 words). Data collection, analysis, conclusion and recommendations (4500 words)]. References should include some allusion to expected utility theory, prospect theory, and attribution theory.