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Demonstrate understanding of key manifestations of mental illness and the different causes including physical, social and environmental.

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a) Demonstrate understanding of key manifestations of mental illness and the different causes including physical, social and environmental.
b) Critically examine various social perspectives and attitudes on mental health in their historical and contemporary contexts Submission.

This assessment asks you to practice reflective thinking by considering your personal experiences relating to mental health. You can choose an experience within your life span, a friend or family member whose mental health has suffered.
You are required to demonstrate an understanding of the content in Modules 1 and 2 by applying this to your personal perceptions and observations of mental health and how it effects your ideas and possible practice in the future.
Instructions:
Write a 1000-word essay on your personal experience with mental health.
Review your life span from Topic 1.1, as well as events you may have experienced in your work or with friends and relatives that have had an effect on mental health. For example: anxiety, depression, trauma, loss, bullying, etc.
By coming up with your own examples rather than those from books or articles you demonstrate a deeper level of understanding, however, as it is an academic presentation you should cite at least five references.
MHC108_Assessment 1 Brief_Reflection_T3 2017 Page 2 of 8
Overview:
• Introduce the topic and the points you plan to make about your firsthand experience and learning of mental health.
• Develop these points and illustrate your understanding of mental health and its effects on the community.
• Make conclusions by describing the meaning you derive from your reflection
An example framework for the critique:
Description of your perceptions: describe the mental health concern and potential causes. You may consider any impacts on the lifespan.
Revisit the experience: describe your ideas, observations, experiences, and how these relate to the material in modules one – two.
Explore assumptions, attitudes and beliefs: discuss what you found to be confusing, inspiring, difficult, interesting, and why. You might discuss any stigma or discrimination, or consider any ethical issues that arose.
Provide justifications: describe how you solved a problem, reached a conclusion, found an answer or reached a point of understanding. You might discuss how you changed, or found deeper meaning.
Format
You will be assessed on both the material and the way you present it. The lecturer will be looking for skills in communicating clearly, engaging the audience as well as your writing and research skills and the ability to organise information to present a cogent explanation of a concept and ensuring that all third-party material is appropriately referenced using APA.
The work must be fully referenced with in-text citations and a reference list at the end. We recommend you work with your Academic Writing Guide to ensure that you reference correctly. You will find a link to this document on the main page of every unit, under the ‘Assessments’ section. Correct academic writing and referencing are essential tasks that you need to learn. We recommend a minimum of five references.
Referencing: References are assessed for their quality. You should draw on quality academic sources, such as books, chapters from edited books, journals etc. Essential and optional readings can be used as a reference, but not the Study Guide and lecture notes. We want to see evidence that you can conduct your own research. Also, to help markers, determine students’ understanding of the work they cite, all in-text references (not just direct quotes) must include the specific page number/s if shown in the original.
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Researching: You can search for peer-reviewed journal articles, which you can find in the online journal databases and which can be accessed from the library homepage. Reputable news sites such as The Conversation (https://theconversation.com/au/health), online dictionaries and online encyclopedias are acceptable as a starting point to gain knowledge about a topic. Government departments, research institutes such as the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), international organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and local not for profit organisations such as the Cancer Council are also useful resources.
Formatting: The assessment MUST be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word format. Other formats may not be readable by markers.
Submission Instructions:
➢ Submit the reflection essay via the Assessment link in the main navigation menu in MHC108: Mental Health in the Community.
The Lecturer will provide feedback via the Grade Centre in the LMS portal. Feedback can be viewed in My Grades.
Students are advised that any submissions past the due date incur a 10% penalty per day, calculated from the total mark e.g. a task out of 100 will incur a 10mark penalty per day.
Please note you must attempt all tasks in a subject to be eligible to pass the subject.
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Learning Rubric: Assessment 1: Reflection on Mental Health Assessment Attributes Fail (Unacceptable) 0-49% Pass (Functional) 50-64% Credit (Proficient) 65-74% Distinction (Advanced) 75 -84% High Distinction (Exceptional) 85-100% Grade Description (Grading Scheme) Fail grade will be awarded if a student is unable to demonstrate satisfactory academic performance in the subject or has failed to complete required assessment points in accordance with the subject’s required assessment points. Pass is awarded for work showing a satisfactory achievement of all learning outcomes and an adequate understanding of theory and application of skills. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged. Credit is awarded for work showing a more than satisfactory achievement of all learning outcomes and a more than adequate understanding of theory and application of skills. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged. Distinction is awarded for work of superior quality in achieving all learning outcomes and a superior integration and understanding of theory and application of skills. Evidence of in-depth research, reading, analysis and evaluation is demonstrated. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged. High Distinction is awarded for work of outstanding quality in achieving all learning outcomes together with outstanding integration and understanding of theory and application of skills. Evidence of in‐depth research, reading, analysis, original and creative thought is demonstrated. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged.
Knowledge and understanding of mental illness, definitions and causes from a range of perspectives
Limited understanding of required assessment and mental health concepts.
Key components of the assignment are not addressed
Minimal applied knowledge or understanding of mental health, causes and social perspectives.
Information is somewhat substantiated by evidence from the research/course materials.
Thorough knowledge or understanding of mental health, causes and social perspectives.
Supports opinion and information substantiated by evidence from the research/course materials.
Highly developed understanding mental illness, causes, social perspectives and attitudes.
A sophisticated understanding of mental
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Percentage for this criterion:
25%
.
Reflects on information and evaluates information gathered.
Substantiated by robust evidence from the research/course materials and extended reading.
Well demonstrated capacity to explain and apply mental health concepts to personal experience.
illness, it’s causes, social perspectives and attitudes.
Mastery of concepts and application of all mental health concepts.
Systematically and critically reflects on information and evaluates information gathered.
Justifies the chosen theoretical approach with robust evidence from the research/course materials and extended reading.
Content, audience, purpose
Percentage for this criterion:
15 %
Demonstrates no awareness of context and/or purpose of the assignment.
Demonstrates limited awareness of context and/or purpose of the assignment
Confuses assertion of opinion with theory
Demonstrates consistent awareness of context and/or purpose of the assignment.
Demonstrates a capacity to explain mental issue presented, causes.
Links their experiences with course content.
Demonstrates an advanced and integrated understanding of context and/or purpose of the assignment.
.
Consistently demonstrates a systematic and critical understanding of information gathering in context of assessment.
Excellent reflection and insight on practise based of analysis/synthesis of mental health concepts.
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Highly sophisticated and creative analysis, synthesis of new with existing knowledge Excellent insight from self- reflection and application of knowledge to new/other cases.
Analysis, and application with synthesis of new knowledge: critical reflection
Percentage for this criterion:
25%
Limited reflection.
Limited synthesis and analysis.
Limited application of mental health and attitudes
Demonstrated reflection.
Demonstrated analysis and synthesis of new knowledge with application.
Shows the ability to interpret relevant information and literature on mental health.
Shows the ability to reflect on knowledge and application
Well-developed critical reflection skills.
Well-developed analysis and synthesis with application of recommendations linked to analysis/synthesis.
Shows the ability to reflect and improve knowledge and skills. Shows some insight.
Thoroughly developed critical reflection skills.
Thoroughly developed and creative analysis and synthesis with application of mental health concepts and the effects. Justified critical reflection and recommendations linked to analysis/synthesis.
Demonstrates insight and justifications.
Highly sophisticated critical reflection skills.
Highly sophisticated and creative analysis, synthesis of new with existing knowledge.
Strong application by way of reviewing mental health, assumptions and justifications.
Recommendations are clearly justified based on the analysis/synthesis of information gathered. Applying knowledge to new situations/other cases.
Evaluation of information selected to support critical reflection
Limited
understanding of key concepts required to support the reflection.
Resembles a recall or summary of key ideas.
Often conflates/confuses assertion of opinion with information substantiated
Supports opinion and information substantiated by evidence from the research/course materials.
Discriminates between assertion of opinion and information substantiated by robust evidence from the research/course
Systematically and critically discriminates between assertion of opinion and information substantiated by robust evidence from the research/course
MHC108_Assessment 1 Brief_Reflection_T3 2017 Page 7 of 8
Percentage for this criterion:
25 %
Confuses logic and emotion. Information taken from reliable sources but without a coherent analysis or synthesis.
Viewpoints of experts are taken as fact with little questioning.
by evidence from the research/course materials.
Analysis and evaluation do not reflect expert judgement, intellectual independence, rigor and adaptability.
Demonstrates a capacity to explain apply relevant concepts.
Identify logical flaws.
Questions viewpoints of experts.
materials and extended reading.
Well demonstrated capacity to explain and apply relevant concepts.
Viewpoint of experts are subject to questioning.
Analysis and evaluation reflect growing judgement, intellectual independence, rigor and adaptability.
materials and extended reading.
Information is taken from sources with an elevated level of interpretation/evaluation to develop a comprehensive critical analysis or synthesis.
Identifies gaps in knowledge.
Exhibits intellectual independence, rigor, good judgement and adaptability.
MHC108_Assessment 1 Brief_Reflection_T3 2017 Page 8 of 8
Citation of key resources and evidence
Percentage for this criterion:
10%
Demonstrates inconsistent use of excellent quality, credible and relevant resources to support and develop ideas.
Demonstrates use of credible and relevant resources to support and develop ideas, but these are not always explicit or well developed. Demonstrates use of high quality, credible and relevant resources to support and develop ideas
Demonstrates use of excellent quality, credible and relevant resources to support and develop arguments and statements. Shows evidence of wide scope within the organisation for sourcing evidence
Demonstrates use of high-quality, credible and relevant resources to support and develop arguments and position statements. Shows evidence of wide scope within and without the organisation for sourcing evidence

Identify two areas of your work (relating to TMA 02) that you would like your tutor to feed back on, stating briefly why you welcome feedback on these areas.

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Part 1: Essay

(90 per cent of the mark for this assignment)

Drawing on the Ordering Lives chapter and film as well as your feedback from TMA01, define ‘Making and Remaking’ and outline examples in relation to ordering.

Word limit: 750 words

Part 2: Self-reflection

(5 per cent of the mark for this assignment)

Identify two areas of your work (relating to TMA 02) that you would like your tutor to feed back on, stating briefly why you welcome feedback on these areas.

Word limit: 50 words

Part 3: Forum posting

(5 per cent of the mark for this assignment)

Write up to 100 words responding to another student’s post about their street, commenting on how it is different from and/or similar to your own street.

Word limit: 100 words

What to submit for TMA 02:

  1. Part 1: a 750-word essay (90 per cent of the mark)
  2. Part 2: a 50-word self-reflection (5 per cent of the mark)
  3. Part 3: a 100-word forum posting (5 per cent of the mark).

Parts 1 and 2 should be submitted in a single file. Part 3 should be posted on your cluster group forum and also copied and pasted into the single file to be submitted along with Parts 1 and 2.

 

Guidance

Before you complete your assignment make sure you read these guidance notes carefully so that you can follow the advice and instructions they contain.

In the following pages, you will find:

  • student notes for each part of this assignment
  • learning outcomes addressed by this assignment
  • a checklist to ensure you have done everything required for this assignment.

Student notes for Part 1

Part 1 of TMA 02 is asking you to define ‘Making and Remaking’ and then outline some examples in relation to ordering on City Road in Cardiff, drawing on what you have learnt from the DD102 Ordering Lives module materials and your work and tutor feedback from TMA 01. It is designed as a straightforward exercise to give you a chance to practice writing in your own words for an academic purpose and to reference the materials you use.

An important part of writing about examples of making and remaking is that you are ensuring that you are able to discuss what is meant by these terms. In this regard, TMA 02 has been designed to build upon the work you did in TMA 01. When you have received the feedback from your tutor on TMA 01, you should review this prior to writing TMA 02 to ensure you have a clear sense of what making and remaking means as defining them will be a part of TMA 02. Check that you understand the feedback on your definitions and on the examples you chose to illustrate the concepts – what advice did your tutor give you? It will also be helpful for you to go back to Chapter 1 ‘The life and times of the street’ to ensure that you refresh your understanding of the concepts of making and remaking and rewrite your definitions as appropriate as part of TMA02.

As well as using the feedback from your previous TMA, the assignment is specifically asking you to draw on what you have learnt about making and remaking in relation to ordering on City Road. You should provide three examples of making and remaking, with each example highlighting making and remaking as contiguous, connected processes. The main source for your essay will be Chapter 4 of Understanding Social Lives, Part 1 and the related film in Week 5. These resources explore making through a focus on the ways that people’s lives are made and remade through ordering and how ordering may impact on the making of the lives of others. Children learning to cross the road, vehicle drivers following rules or forms of ordering that are taken-for-granted are just some examples found in the module resources.

As you view the film and read the accompanying chapter, it would be useful to write some notes on where discussion focuses on making and remaking in relation to ordering and highlight some examples of these on City Road. This will help you to identify relevant examples for your essay and clearly highlight how they illustrate making and remaking as concepts.

Information sources

The main sources of information for the essay are summarised in the table below.

Information source Function
Chapter 1 of Understanding Social Lives, Part 1 This chapter introduces the street as a place to start thinking about the social sciences and introduces City Road in Cardiff as a place to start looking at the module questions of ‘How is society made and remade?’ and ‘How are differences and inequalities produced?’
‘The life and times of the street: Part 1’ and ‘The life and times of the street: Part 2’ films The films introduce City Road in Cardiff and follow Lloyd Robson as he explores different aspects of life on the street, meeting different people and looking at different activities and practices, with academics offering observations on the films from the view of the social sciences.
Chapter 4 of Understanding the Social Sciences, Part 1 and the film ‘Ordering Lives on the street’ This chapter and the accompanying film explore the different ways in which ordering can be seen on the street and the relationship between ordering and the making and remaking of society.

Writing tips

This question requires you to write a short academic essay.

You should ensure that you have worked through the skills activities on Constructing references, Writing in your own words, Avoiding plagiarism, Writing effective introductions, Writing effective conclusions, Writing effective paragraphs, and Learning from feedback, as preparation for this TMA. Although there is no one right way of approaching this essay, we suggest that several key points need to be borne in mind:

  • Before you start writing, make sure you have a clear understanding of how making and remaking are defined within the module materials, and that you have read the feedback from your tutor from TMA 01 so that you can write about these concepts and look for examples on City Road in relation to Ordering Lives.
  • The best written work is always carefully planned. Although you won’t need to produce an essay plan until TMA 03, we would recommend that you build planning your work into every piece of academic writing you produce.
  • Try to identify a clear structure for your short essay and stick to this. You only have 750 words so you should start with a brief introduction saying what your short essay will do. Once you have defined making and remaking, the essay should focus on outlining a number of examples of making and remaking on City Road in Cardiff in relation to ordering. You will not be able to cover many examples so choose three examples of the concepts to focus on. Your conclusion should then summarise the key points your essay has made about making and remaking in relation to ordering on City Road in Cardiff.
  • Another key skill that should form part of the planning and writing of every essay is referencing, and you need to reference the sources you are drawing on, both in the essay itself and in the reference list at the end of the essay.
  • Finally, remember to include a word count. Your reference list at the end of your assignment is excluded from the word count but your in-text citations are included.

Sample references for Part 1

DD102 follows Harvard referencing rules except for the use of page extents in book chapters in the reference list at the end of your essay.

In-text citations which you might include in the body of your assignment should look like this:

For book chapters: (Blakeley and Staples, 2014, p. 26)
For module videos: (The Open University, Year of module start)
For module online activities: (The Open University, Year of module start)

NB: ‘Year of module start’ refers to the year in which you begin the module so if you begin in 2020, this is the year you would insert into the reference e.g. (The Open University, 2020).

Full references which you might include in the reference list at the end of your assignment, should look like this:

  • Blakeley, G. and Staples, M. (2014) ‘The life and times of the street’, in Allen, J. and Blakeley, G. (eds) Understanding Social Lives, Part 1, Milton Keynes, The Open University.
  • Staples, M. (2014) ‘Making lives’, in Allen, J. and Blakeley, G. (eds) Understanding Social Lives, Part 1, Milton Keynes, The Open University.
  • The Open University (Year of module start) ‘Difference and inequality’ [Video], DD102 Introducing the Social Sciences. Available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=796306&section=3.4 (Accessed date).
  • The Open University (Year of module start) ‘Writing effective introductions’ [Online], DD102 Introducing the Social Sciences. Available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=796308&section=4 (Accessed date).

If you cite a source that is mentioned in the module materials but that you haven’t actually read yourself, this should be presented as a secondary reference. An example of an in-text citation for a secondary reference is:

For the full reference, you simply show the publication details of the source that you have read:

  • Booth (1902–03) cited in Blakeley and Staples (2014, p. 9) described …
  • Blakeley, G. and Staples, M. (2014) ‘The life and times of the street’, in Allen, J. and Blakeley, G. (eds) Understanding Social Lives, Part 1, Milton Keynes, The Open University.

In Part 1 of TMA 02 your tutor will be looking for you to:

  • briefly introduce what your essay will be doing through a clear introduction
  • show that you have understood and used the feedback you received from TMA 01 through:
    • the way you define making and remaking, using both your own words and module materials
    • offering up to three relevant examples of making and remaking in relation to ordering on City Road in Cardiff. Provide an essay that is clearly written, with a good structure, divided into paragraphs and with a conclusion at the end
    • providing references within the body of the TMA and in a reference list at the end of the essay.

Student notes for Part 2

Part 2 of TMA 02 consists of a reflective exercise which aims to continue to help you to develop as a reflective learner. Your task here is to consider which two areas of TMA 02 you would find it most useful to have your tutor provide feedback on.

Write no more than 50 words in total that identify two areas of your work (relating to TMA 02) that you would like your tutor to provide feedback on, stating briefly why you welcome feedback on these two areas.

Getting feedback from your tutor is one of the most important aspects of your study with The Open University. A number of activities have already helped you to think about how to engage effectively with this feedback. Week 4, Section 6 provided an opportunity to think further about how you learn and to do a reflective quiz in Activity 4.13, and Week 5, Section 6 invited you to think about how to get the most from your tutor feedback.

Information sources

Before tackling this part of the assignment, you will find it helpful to do the following:

  • Look back at the feedback you received for TMA 01 and reflect on what you found really useful from this feedback.
  • Think back over your preparation for, and writing of, TMA 02 and identify two areas that you would find it most helpful to have your tutor provide feedback on. You will all have particular needs but possible areas might include: referencing, how to write introductions and conclusions, how to signpost your essay, how to write effective paragraphs, how to write to the word count and how to write in your own words.

Writing tips

Your response should be written in complete sentences and structured in clear, short paragraphs. You might find it helpful to dedicate one paragraph to each area of your work you identify as requiring feedback. Please include a word count for this part of the assignment. References will not be needed for this part of the TMA.

In Part 2 of TMA 02, your tutor will be looking for you to:

  • identify two specific areas of your work (relating to TMA 02) that you would like your tutor to provide feedback on
  • state briefly why you welcome feedback on these two areas
  • keep within the word limit of 50 words.

Student notes for Part 3

Part 3 of TMA 02 will build on the forum activity you did as part of TMA 01. For this task, you are being asked to go online to your cluster group forum, which can be found on the DD102 module home page on Student Home (look in the menu at the top of the Study planner).

Once there, we would like you to go back and look at the forum postings that the students in your cluster group posted about the streets and roads that they know. Remember that the heading of the thread was something similar to ‘TMA 01 Part 3 Describing a street’ and your tutor’s name. Your task is to choose one of the postings by another student in your tutor group and then write no more than 100 words outlining the differences and/or similarities between your street and the street described by another student. Your description should then be posted into a thread, which your tutor will have labelled something similar to ‘TMA 02 Part 3 Comparing streets’ followed by your tutor’s name.

Information sources

Before tackling this part of the assignment, you will find it helpful to look at:

  • the description of your street that you posted for TMA 01 Part 3 on the cluster group forum
  • the descriptions of the streets posted by your fellow tutor group members as part of TMA 01 Part 3 on the cluster group forum.

Writing tips

Once you have posted to the forum, you have 30 minutes in which you are still able to edit your post.

There is no one right answer to the task, but what you should be aiming for is a short statement that clearly describes some differences and/or similarities between the street that you know and a street that another student has described. Are the activities that take place different or similar? For example, is one street more residential or commercial? Is one street busier than another? Is one mainly made up of flats while the other consists of houses? Given the word count of 100 words, you will not be able to cover many similarities and/or differences so think about choosing only one or two similarities and/or one or two differences to describe.

In order for your tutor to know which street you are comparing, you will need to clearly identify the post you are responding to. To do this, you must include both the name of the student and, if possible, the street they described. For example, ‘John Smith discussed Long Lane in a post on 12 March 2020. The street I am writing about is…’

Your description should be written in complete sentences and presented as a short statement. Although using the forum is generally a relaxed skill, this post is part of a TMA so you should not use ‘text’ language and you should check the grammar and spelling of your work by using the ABC link in the top menu above your message. This will get you into the good practice of running a spell check before submitting your assignments. You do not need references for this piece of work.

Your description of differences and/or similarities needs to be posted by midnight on the same day as the TMA cut off. You should also copy and paste your forum posting into the single file to be submitted to your tutor along with Parts 1 and 2 of your assignment.

In Part 3 of TMA 02, your tutor will be looking for you to:

  • write up to 100 words in a posting to your cluster group forum, describing some of the differences and/or similarities between your street and another street posted by someone else on the cluster group forum
  • communicate clearly in complete sentences
  • post your description in your cluster group forum, clearly referencing the post that you are responding to (e.g. identifying the name of the student and their street)
  • keep within the 100-word limit.

NB: up to five marks are awarded for completion of this task and your tutor will provide feedback on your post.

Learning outcomes

Each TMA is designed to help you to develop particular skills and knowledge. These are referred to as learning outcomes.

Elements of the following module learning outcomes are addressed by the different parts of TMA 02:

  • An understanding of selected concepts, theories and debates within the social sciences.
  • An awareness of inequalities, difference and diversity in contemporary societies.
  • An ability to access, and make notes on, information from a range of sources including written, audio-visual and ICT.
  • Anability to communicate information accurately and appropriately to the subject matter, purpose and context.
  • An ability to engage with feedback received from previous work and to reflect on own learning processes.

TMA 02 checklist

Have I: Yes No, where can I look for guidance?
looked at the feedback on my previous work? Your tutor will have commented on your previous TMA to provide you with some guidance about how to develop your skills for future TMAs.
read all of the guidance notes for this assignment? Read through these assignment notes to check you have followed all the advice and instructions.
written in my own words? In Week 3, Section 6 contains useful advice on how to write in your own words, while Section 7 in the same week contains useful information about how to avoid plagiarism.
referenced my sources? The following Skills activities will help you to develop and practise the skill of referencing: Week 2, Skills Activities 2.1–2.4 and Week 5, Skills Activity 5.9.

Also, remember to look at the sample references provided in the student notes for each TMA when doing your assignments.

In TMA 02, you will need to make some attempt at referencing, although this may be imperfect, in order to obtain a good pass (70–84 per cent).
checked my word count? The guidance notes tell you the word limit for each part of the TMA.

TMAs should not exceed the word limit by more than 10 per cent. It is Faculty policy that students who exceed the TMA word limit once will receive a warning and guidance from their tutor on complying with the word limit. On a second occasion, however, the TMA will be marked down by 10 marks (10 percentage points).

An answer that is shorter than the word length by more than 10 per cent is likely to be too short to have fully answered the question.
written the word count at the end of each part of my TMA? Check the word count for each part of the assignment and write that figure clearly at the end of the relevant section. Reference lists at the end of your assignment are excluded from the word count while in-text citations within your essay are included.
set out my assignment properly? Read the conventions for presenting work at the start of this Assignment Booklet.
completed each part of the TMA? TMA 02 has three separate elements – Part 1: an essay, Part 2: a self-reflection and Part 3: a forum posting. The essay and self-reflection must be submitted in one single file. The forum posting should be posted in your cluster group forum and also copied and pasted into the single file to be submitted along with the essay and self-reflection.

 

Describe this person from the viewpoint of two of the theories we’ve covered. Analyze the person’s behavior, feelings, personality from the viewpoint of the theorist.

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The paper is designed to facilitate assessment and synthesis of theories and constructs, the purpose of these analyses is to demonstrate your ability to apply knowledge gained during the course to real world individual cases.

For this case assignment, you are to choose a person (fictional or nonfictional) from a book, movie, headlines, television, etc. Choose someone your instructor is likely to know. Describe this person from the viewpoint of two of the theories we’ve covered. Analyze the person’s behavior, feelings, personality from the viewpoint of the theorist. Be consistent and thorough. Consider why this person acts as he or she does, conceptualize problems in terms of the theory, describe what kind of childhood such a person must have had. Let your imagination go as you hypothesize about what your theorist might say about this person.

Prepare a valuation of a large financial and banking institution. This should involve: (1) Dividend Discount Model valuation; (2) Valuation by Comparables (use multiples – Price to Earnings Ratio, Price to Book Value Ratio, etc.; Morningstar.com has several ratios under “Valuation”); and, Damodaran’s Excess Returns Model (Excel model provided).

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FINC 440 Instructions & Recommendations for Preparing the Course Assignment

This project is closely aligned with the Course Outcomes and Finance Program Objectives.  Completion of this project can be used as part of a portfolio to show potential employers the student is skilled at performing company valuations and financial statement analysis and can be included on the student’s resume.

Due at the end of Week 7 – Valuation of Financial Institution:

The purpose of this note is to carefully explain the general expectations and requirements for the Valuation of Financial Institution and Technical Analysis Assignment that is to be prepared for FINC 440.  The information and materials presented here are intended to make sure that you clearly understand the general expectations and that there are no misunderstandings about what is to be done and what is expected.

 

Review this material so that you are familiar with the specific requirements that are be followed in the preparation and submission of the Assignment.

 

This Assignment comprises 15% of the final course grade.  It will take some time and effort to produce high quality analysis.

  1. Prepare a valuation of a large financial and banking institution. This should involve: (1) Dividend Discount Model valuation; (2) Valuation by Comparables (use multiples – Price to Earnings Ratio, Price to Book Value Ratio, etc.; Morningstar.com has several ratios under “Valuation”); and, Damodaran’s Excess Returns Model (Excel model provided).
  2. Explain the principal assumptions used in the DDM valuation?
  3. Are the valuations consistent – why or why not?
  4. What special challenges or issues did you encounter with the valuations?

Submission:  Submit to Gradebook and Post a Copy in the Discussion Section of the Online Classroom.

Required Outline & Other Information about the Assignments –

  1. Work Hard to Avoid Personal Pronouns – The excessive use of personal pronouns is discouraged in business and analytical writing. It is recommended that personal pronouns are avoided altogether, if possible.  Please make sure that personal pronouns (e.g., I, we, my, our, etc.) are avoided in paper.  It will take some work, but it can be done easily by rearranging the wording of sentences.
  2. Companies Are Not “They,” “Their,” or “Them” – This is a reminder that a company is not a “they,” “their,” or “them.” A company is very much an “it.” So, to reference a company, use “it,” the name of the company, or “the company,” or “the organization,” or “the firm,” etc.
  3. Outline for Paper –Students must use the required outline for this assignment. The closer that the paper conforms to the required outline, the better! The outline is presented in the next section.
  4. Evaluation Rubric – An evaluation rubric is available for the Assignments. It will be used to evaluate the Assignments. The rubric shows the important components that must be included in the papers.  It is a good idea to take a look at the rubric and make sure that each Assignment addresses the requirements.  A copy is posted with each Assignment in the online classroom.
  5. Subheadings – Each section of the paper must begin with a sub-heading. Please use the sub-headings included in the required outline (presented in the next section).

Here is the Required Outline (It must be used for each Assignment) –

The five class Assignments are intended to be constructive learning experiences.  They are designed to show students how to prepare analytical reports in finance using critical thinking, research, and writing skills.  The following outline is to be used for each Assignment; these titles are the required subheadings for the sections of the written report:

 

  1. Cover Page – Include a cover page containing the title of the Assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date.

 

  1. Introduction – The Introduction must include:

(a) A review of the Assignment purpose, research methods and the principal information sources, and other information related to the completion of the analysis.

(b) The introduction should also include an overview of the sections of the paper that follow. (1/2 to 1 page)

  1. Analysis Section – The body of the report is to address the assigned topics and questions. It is essential that students include appropriate in-text reference citations in APA format:
  2. Summary / Conclusion – The summary or conclusion should review the major observations, conclusions and recommendations developed in the analysis. No new material should be introduced in this section. (1/2 to 1 page)
  3. References – Provide list of references in APA format.

 

What is the goal of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), and describe the therapeutic techniques used to achieve it.

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Respond to my classmate using the instructions listed below:

Forums are scholarly dialogs, so while sharing what you think and not just what published authors wrote, only stating opinion isn’t acceptable. Quoting of authors is not allowed in forum posts. This because your professor needs to see what you know,  not what somebody else said. You will need to, paraphrase (summarize in your own words) what you read. No popular media such as Psychology Today or .com websites,   unless   the   latter  is   required   by  your   professor  for   a  particular   forum;  Wikipedia  or  other encyclopedia sites such as Encarte; dictionaries, article abstracts or About.com type websites that do summary work for you may be used for writing forum posts

Your responses to the postings to my classmate should be relevant and substantive. Reply posts containing just a few sentences or statements of agreement or disagreement only or that stray away from the topic or repeat what another classmate has already said in his or her posts cannot  be assigned points.    You  have to  write the response like I am  speaking directly to them.

This  is   the   original   discussion   board   question:   (DO  NOT ANSWER   THIS   QUESTION)   **READING   PURPOSES

ONLY 

Forum Assignment for the Week: Explain how people acquire their belief systems. How can you identify your irrational beliefs? What is the goal of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), and describe the therapeutic techniques used to achieve it.

MY THREE CLASSMATE’S RESPONSE (RESPOND TO #1,2,3, PLEASE SEE  OTHER ATTACHMENT FOR AN  EXAMPLE):

Classmate One (Frances): Good Morning and happy week 3!. This week we are discussing Albert Ellis’s Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and our belief system. How we come into our beliefs is rather simple really. Our beliefs are really just a collection of thoughts that come from an external source as we learn and begin to think on our own. Usually from our parents, caretakers, and our societal surroundings that continue to send out information regarding the understanding of life and all it has. These beliefs continue to grow and become more independent of the original learnings as we get into school and began to develop our own beliefs. Irrational thoughts happen when we find ourselves trying to live up to the thoughts and expectations of others. We sometimes think that a situation and how it is supposed to have played out in our minds and when it doesn’t it creates a negative emotion. These thoughts and emotions create an uncomfortable feeling and impost conditions on your happiness. These thoughts about ourselves and other that doesn’t really match with reality can cause us to be very unhappy and second guess every thought and every move we make. Ellis list twelve common irrational beliefs, a few are the constant need for approval, guilt and condemnation, feeling that suffering is normal and that its caused by others, avoidance, fear of incompetence, and thinking one much have perfect control over situation. This just names a few but we see the trend of irrational thinking. Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy or REBT was created by Ellis in the 50’s after more than twenty years in practice and seeing little progress in his patients he questioned psychoanalysis. Ellis felt that people have the prospective to be self-constructive and self-defeating. REBT see this and looks at thoughts and feelings together. According to our readings this week we know that REBT people get stress relief from distraction that reduces stress because it also allows one to not see others acceptance as all that important, Engagement is activates one enjoys such as arts, sports, or other social events can help engage ones attention even if only for a while. Therapy will use methods that will satisfy the person need for acceptance, REBT looks at the irrational beliefs and its goal is to help the client learn to differentiate between must do and desires. The job of the therapist is to confront those irrational beliefs and thoughts by using methods that change the cognition by prolonging a situation to learn to deal with the irrational thoughts. REBT is a somewhat aggressive technique compared to other cognitive therapy treatments and do not spend much time going over the history of the client but instead facing the issues head on.

Resources:

Arreola, G. (2019, April 30). Identifying Your Irrational Beliefs Can Improve Your Well-Being. Retrieved from https://exploringyourmind.com/identifying-your-irrational-beliefs-can-improve-your-well-being/

Ellis, A., & Ellis, D.J. (2014). Rational emotive behavioral therapy. In D. Wedding & R.J. Corsini (Eds.), Current psychotherapies, 10th ed. (pp. 55-94). Belmont, CA: Cengage.

 

Classmate Two (Jessica):  Hello class,

According to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, as it was developed by Albert Ellis, one way in which people develop their belief systems is through the influence of family and community; especially at a young age.  In fact, it is believed that people, by nature, are easily influenced by their family and other social pressures during their childhood, and that these influences persist throughout the lifespan. For instance, if I child grows up in an environment that condemns him for imperfections, such as not receiving an A in every subject, he may begin to develop the irrational belief that everything he does must be perfect, and if it is not perfect he is worthless.  This would lead to emotional distress when he receives a lower grade, not because of the grade itself, but because of his irrational belief that he should be perfect.

Identifying irrational beliefs can be done by challenging them.  For instance, if an individual finds herself feeling like she is utterly unlikeable and no one would ever want to date her, she (or a therapist) can question the truthfulness of that statement.  Likely, this is due to believing that she should be more popular than she is, or that she should be liked by particular people. This, of course, is not true. Therefore, she could ask if it is true that no one could ever like her.  Of course not, she has had friends. She could also ask herself if it is true that she should be liked by everyone. Again, the answer is no; nobody is liked by everyone. By challenging these ideas and being forced to defend them, she will likely see that they are irrational and be able to work toward adjusting her beliefs and accepting what is instead of what she believes should or should not be.

The goal of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is to help clients develop a more realistic and tolerant perception of the world.  The way this is done, is by changing the irrational beliefs of the clients and teaching them to accept what is instead of becoming distressed by what they believe should be.  This is done through a variety of methods, including challenging those beliefs as I mentioned above, role-playing, and working to minimize demanding. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapists may also use distraction or techniques to fulfill the demands of the clients while they work toward resolving these beliefs.

Very Respectfully,

Jessica

Classmate Three (Derek): Howdy class and Professor.

Hard to believe we are already in week three.

PART ONE – BELIEF SYSTEMS

Seitz, Paloutzian, and Angel (2017) define belief as a brain function of humans that works to result in representations that have attributes of personal meaning and value that guides behavior. For me, this means beliefs are rules we follow based on how we view society and situations. We build beliefs through interaction with others, particularly as young people from those in authority. For example, I believe sex to be an activity that should only be perpetuated between husband and wife; I have built this belief by being raised by religious parents and going to church every Sunday. With this belief comes the activity of abstinence. Other beliefs come as reactions to activity. One can be the subject of gun violence and believe guns should be outlawed in the nation. 

PART TWO – IDENTIFICATION

The act of reason is absolute but not infallible (Corsini & Wedding, 2014).  An important step in identifying irrational beliefs is to understand that we as people have limitations and we must live in a way that we come to terms with this truth. When we stop living with a sense of the need for perfection, we can then utilize efforts to recognize our faulty views and correct them. This often takes psychoeducational approaches such as workshops and learning material to point out irrational positions about life. In REBT, the goal of REBT is to help patients identify their fallacies and overcome them. For patients, it is about understanding why the way they think and addressing the views that just do not make sense; it is about the promotion of a sense of peace and recognizing what is absurd.

PART THREE

The goal of this therapy is to address irrational thoughts and behaviors in an attempt to correct behaviors that will then decrease distress (American Public University, n.d.).  This is done by going through several steps, something the lesson dubs “The ABCD Model.” Here, the therapist seeks to find situations where the patient had a strong emotional response following an activity; they then establish a cause and effect model. Beliefs create emotional responses, and these responses lead to stress; the issue the therapist tries to identify. They then employ a “rapid-fire-directive-persuasive-philosophical” methodology to directly challenge the beliefs that have fueled the distress (Corsini & Wedding, 2014). By addressing these beliefs, they can promote a sense of peace for the patient, helping them understand they have limitations and changing the perfectionist views can lead to overcoming disorders, especially depression and anxiety. 

Derek

American Public University. (n.d.). Week Three Lesson. Retrieved February 17, 2020, from https://edge.apus.edu/portal/site/423560/tool/0d70ae4e-7809-465d-966e-1ddf896a77b6/ShowPage?returnView=&studentItemId=0&backPath=&errorMessage=&clearAttr=&source=&title=&sendingPage=3718555&newTopLevel=false&postedComment=false&addBefore=&itemId=15670141&path=push&addTool=-1&recheck=&id=

Corsini, R. J., & Wedding, D. (2014). Current Psychotherapies (10th ed.). Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781285687490/cfi/0!/4/2@100:0.00

Seitz, R. J., Paloutzian, R. F., & Angel, H. F. (2016). Processes of believing: Where do they come from? What are they good for?. F1000Research, 5, 2573. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.9773.2

In order TO NOT contradict in my responses to my classmates,   please   read   my   original   post   to   this discussion   board.     (DO   NOT   RESPOND   TO   THIS, THIS   IS   MY   ORGINAL   POST)   **READING PURPOSES ONLY

Human beings tend to develop structures of norms that usually define their perceptions of reality. The structures of norms that help individuals to define their sense of what reality is can be termed as belief systems (Uso-Domenech & Nescolarde-Selva, 2016). They are essential as they can enable individuals to make sense of or understand the world around them. Indeed, belief systems are usually acquired by human beings in several ways as discussed below. One of the ways people acquire their belief systems is through narratives and rituals (Seitz, Paloutzian, & Angel, 2017). Narratives and rituals are generally shaped by the history of the society or community and they can be passed to people from one generation to another. When human beings are repeatedly or continuously exposed to narrative that defines a specific community or society, they end up internalizing and integrating it to their belief systems.

Another way in which belief systems can be acquired is through the personal or individual experiences of people (Seitz et al., 2017). The personal experiences of individuals can play an essential role in the development of the same. When people repeatedly interact with information or environmental object, they become more familiar and confident leading to the acquisition of knowledge that forms an integral part of their belief system (Seitz et al., 2017). Oftentimes, the individual experiences help to create emotional loading that creates their belief systems depending on frequency at they which they interact with objects.

Irrational beliefs are usually linked to negative or positive dysfunctional emotions that cannot be based on logic, pragmatic,or empirical foundations (Mogoase, Stefan, & David, 2013). As such, they could be regarded as illogical beliefs that tend to unrealistic. An individual can identify irrational beliefs through the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) framework (Mogoase et al., 2013). REBT helps individuals to identify their irrational beliefs based on demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and global evaluation of oneself (Mogoase et al., 2013). For instance, an individual who possesses irrational beliefs can utilize demandingness to realize that they possess absolutistic demands or requirements which can be exhibited in the form of “musts” or “oughts” (Mogoase et al., 2013). As such, individuals could possess irrational beliefs by asserting that something ought, must or should occur and if it does not, then they fail to accept the outcome.

REBT aims at helping human beings to change and replace their irrational or dysfunctional beliefs that tend to inform their illogical reasoning with rational or positive beliefs that enhance self-actualization in their lives (Najafi & Lea-Baranovich, 2014). Albert Ellis who developed REBT recognized adverse role of dysfunctional beliefs that tend to shape perceptions of people about life events hence preventing them from self-actualization. They are usually based on absolute requirements or imperatives that include shoulds, musts, and oughts which create maladaptive behaviors in people.

Three main therapeutic techniques can be used to achieve REBT. One, cognitive techniques can be employed to help the clients change their irrational beliefs through asking them questions that help to raise their cognition or consciousness to debunk and enable them think in a more rational manner (Najafi & Lea-Baranovich, 2014). Second, the clients could also use emotional techniques that assist their patients to imagine or reflect themselves in different circumstances. Emotional techniques can help the clients to stop feeling guilty, accept healthy disappointments, and embrace other people unconditionally as worthwhile.

Finally, the REBT could also be achieved through behavioral techniques (Najafi & Lea-Baranovich, 2014). In this technique, the clients could be requested to perform activities that they avoid to reinforce pleasurable behaviors. Additionally, they could undertake unpleasant activities that could result in penalties if they failed to change their resistance.

References

Mogoase, C., Stefan, S., & David, D. (2013). How do we measure rational and irrational beliefs? The development of rational and irrational beliefs scale (RAIBS)-A new theory-driven measure. Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies, 13(2A), 529-546.

Najafi, T., & Lea-Baranovich, D. (2014). Theoretical background, therapeutic process, therapeutic relationship, and therapeutic techniques of REBT and CT; and some parallels and dissimilarities between the two approaches. International Journal of Education and Research, 2(2), 1-12.

Uso-Domenech, L., & Nescolarde-Selva, J. (2016). What are belief systems? Foundations of Science, 21, 147-152.

Seitz, R. J., Paloutzian, R. F., & Angel, H. F. (2017). Processes of believing: Where do they come from? What are they good for? F1000Research, 5.

Evaluate whether the company is successfully communicating their mission to the stakeholders.

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Case Study: Corporate Social Responsibility Reputation

[WLOs: 1, 2] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 5]

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapter 1 of your textbook and the article The 10 Companies With the Best CSR Reputations in 2017 (Links to an external site.). Additionally, read the Week 1 Weekly Lecture. For this assignment, you will be writing a two- to three-page paper.

Select one company from The 10 Companies With the Best CSR Reputations in 2017 (Links to an external site.) with an active CSR presence or program to analyze. If you choose to deviate from this list, please contact your instructor for approval.

In your paper,

  • Examine what problem(s) the company is addressing and how they address it.
  • Select at least three internal and external stakeholders.
    • Assess the effects of the company’s CSR initiatives on each stakeholder.
    • Evaluate whether the company is successfully communicating their mission to the stakeholders.
    • Recommend how the company can improve its CSR presence or program.

*Note: You are encouraged to integrate any feedback from your instructor and upload the assignment to Portfolium. For assistance using Portfolium, review the Portfolium Student Guide.

The Case Study: Corporate Social Responsibility Reputation paper

  • Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style(Links to an external site.)
  • Must include a separate title page with the following:
    • Title of paper
    • Student’s name
    • Course name and number
    • Instructor’s name
    • Date submitted

For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

 

Out of the 10 companies I chose google.

  1. Google

The search giant falls from its #1 perch in 2016 and this year takes third place with a CSR score of 73.9.

The Reputation Institute says that Google CEO Sundar Pichai has been willing to publicly speak out on issues he believes in, such as countering comments about Muslims made by President Donald Trump.

Google’s slight drop on the list can also be attributed to an overall raising of the bar in the way the public views CSR. “How people evaluate companies in general has become a lot more critical because they’re more familiar, they’re more educated,” says Hahn-Griffiths.

GRADING RUBRIC:

Description:

Total Possible Score: 19.00

Examines What Problem(s) the Company Is Addressing and How They Are Addressing Them

Total: 4.00

Distinguished – Thoroughly examines what problem(s) the company is addressing and how they are addressing them.

Proficient – Examines what problem(s) the company is addressing and how they are addressing them. Minor details are missing.

Basic – Partially examines what problem(s) the company is addressing and how they are addressing them. Relevant details are missing.

Below Expectations – Attempts to examine what problem(s) the company is addressing and how they are addressing them; however, significant details are missing.

Non-Performance – The examination of which problem(s) the company is addressing and how they are addressing them is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

 

Selects at Least Three Internal and External Stakeholders

Total: 1.00

Distinguished – Selects at least three internal and external stakeholders.

Proficient – N/A

Basic – N/A

Below Expectations – (Observation)

Non-Performance – The selection of at least three internal and external stakeholders is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

 

Assesses the Impacts of the Company’s CSR Initiatives on Each Stakeholder

Total: 4.00

Distinguished – Thoroughly assesses the impacts of the company’s CSR initiatives on each stakeholder.

Proficient – Assesses the impacts of the company’s CSR initiatives on each stakeholder. Minor details are missing.

Basic – Partially assesses the impacts of the company’s CSR initiatives on each stakeholder. Relevant details are missing.

Below Expectations – Attempts to assess the impacts of the company’s CSR initiatives on each stakeholder; however, significant details are missing.

Non-Performance – The assessment of the impacts of the company’s CSR initiatives on each stakeholder is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

 

Evaluates Whether the Company Is Sufficiently Communicating Its Mission to the Stakeholders.

Total: 3.00

Distinguished – Comprehensively evaluates whether the company is sufficiently communicating its mission to the stakeholders.

Proficient – Evaluates whether the company is sufficiently communicating its mission to the stakeholders. Minor details are missing.

Basic – Partially evaluates whether the company is sufficiently communicating its mission to the stakeholders. Relevant details are missing.

Below Expectations – Attempts to evaluate whether the company is sufficiently communicating its mission to the stakeholders; however, significant details are missing.

Non-Performance – The evaluation of whether the company is sufficiently communicating its mission to the stakeholders is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

 

Recommends How the Company Can Improve Its CSR Presence/Program

Total: 3.00

Distinguished – Comprehensively recommends how the company can improve its CSR presence/program.

Proficient – Recommends how the company can improve its CSR presence/program. Minor details are missing.

Basic – Partially recommends how the company can improve its CSR presence/program. Relevant details are missing.

Below Expectations – Attempts to recommend how the company can improve its CSR presence/program; however, significant details are missing.

Non-Performance – The recommendation of how the company can improve its CSR presence/program is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

 

Written Communication: Control of Syntax and Mechanics

Total: 1.00

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 of syntax or mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains major errors which distract the reader.

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

 

Written Communication: APA Formatting

Total: 1.00

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

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

Basic – Exhibits limited knowledge of APA formatting throughout the paper. However, 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 nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

 

Written Communication: Page Requirement

Total: 1.00

Distinguished – The length of the paper is equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages.

Proficient – The length of the paper is nearly equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages.

Basic – The length of the paper is equivalent to at least three quarters of the required number of correctly formatted pages.

Below Expectations – The length of the paper is equivalent to at least one half of the required number of correctly formatted pages.

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

Written Communication: Resource Requirement

Total: 1.00

Distinguished – Uses more than the required number of scholarly sources, providing compelling evidence to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Proficient – Uses the required number of scholarly sources to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Basic – Uses less than the required number of sources to support ideas. Some sources may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are used within the body of the assignment. Citations may not be formatted correctly.

Below Expectations – Uses an inadequate number of sources that provide little or no support for ideas. Sources used may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are not used within the body of the assignment. Citations are not formatted correctly.

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

Explain the concept of financial statements fraud, and the auditors’ legal and professional responsibility.

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Assessment task details and instructions

(a) Introduction

According to the international and the UK auditing standards, auditors are accountable for obtaining reasonable assurance that financial statements should be free from material misstatements (MM). However, it is not possible to detect some

MM even if properly planned in accordance with ISAs as fraud is likely to be concealed (ISA 240,5).

Over the last decades, many fraud and audit failures took place internationally. As for example, the 2001 Enron scandal, eventually led to the liquidation of the Enron Corporation, an American energy company, and the de-facto dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which was one of the Big Five largest international audit and accountancy firms. Based on the current context of UK, Smith, S. (Senior Manager, KPMG/UK, 2017), stated that: ‘‘Fraud is on the up and dominated by low- value cases, suggesting individuals are stealing less significant amounts of money in an attempt to avoid detection. The fact employee fraud has more than doubled in comparison to previous years is also concerning. It’s a stark warning that business leaders need to be observant when it comes to keeping an eye on potential fraudulent activity in their organisations, and highlights the importance of implementing appropriate fraud prevention measures. Only by doing so will management teams be able to effectively mitigate risk and protect their business.”

(b) Requirements:

By referencing to auditing literature and professional standards, you are required to:

  1. 1)  Explain the concept of financial statements fraud, and the auditors’ legal and professional responsibility; (25%) 500 words
  2. 2)  Discuss –
  1. the ways auditors can recognize symptoms of fraud existence,(12.5%) 250 words
  2. the situations they may have difficulty in detecting existing fraud activities (12.5%). 250 words
  1. 3)  Discuss the actions by auditors when they detect fraud;(25%) 500 words
  2. 4)  Critically analyse the impact of fraud on audited financial statements. (25%) 500 words

It is essential to talk about a recent fraud event such as Thomas Cook and Enron and Lehman Brothers throughout the assignment but mainly in part 4 to critically analyse

Assessed intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

180

  1. Evaluation of the auditing profession
    2. Appraisal of the professional auditing environment
    3. Select, present and synthesize relevant auditing information
  2. Understand the UK and International Corporate Governance regulatory framework.

Transferable Skills and other Attributes

  1. Effective use of written communications
    2. Location of information
    3. Construction of references/ bibliography using Harvard referencing

4.Development of presentational skills

Module Aims

To evaluate and appraise the role of the Professional Auditor in the UK 2. To consider and evaluate professional audit processes

  1. To reflect on the impact of the global business environment on the work of the Professional Auditor

Word count/ duration (if applicable)

The length of the assignment should not be more than 2000 words +/- 10% excluding bibliography and references. You should bear in mind that it is the quality of analysis that matters, not the number of words in the assignment.

Describe the demographics: Who else is in the space? Families with children? Or perhaps other college students? Elderly people? You get the idea.

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Prompt
For essay 2, you will write an essay of at least 500 words and no more than 600 words in which you describe a place where you regularly purchase and consume food. Examples of locations include HEB, a convenience store, a restaurant (fast food or otherwise), an ACC campus, a farmers market, and so on. Your essay should be unified with a thesis statement, which should appear near the end of the introduction paragraph. In this case, the thesis does not need to convey an argument but should present a unifying theme about the space and its purpose.

Rubric

In order to do well on this essay, you should:
Incorporate imagery and descriptive details to place the reader in the space.
Discuss the interplay between form/design and function/purpose of the space (example: the maze of the Whole Foods flagship or IKEA).
Describe the product(s) that you purchase and consume in that space.
Describe your observations of the space: Is it clean? Messy? Does it seem to be understaffed? Is it “user-friendly” (meaning signage and messaging are clear)? Is it warm and inviting or cold–or something else altogether?
Describe the demographics: Who else is in the space? Families with children? Or perhaps other college students? Elderly people? You get the idea.
Discuss other functions of the space. Does this space serve any other purpose, aside from being a restaurant/shop/cafe/coffee shop/bar? Is it a space to study, for instance?
Proofread carefully, eliminating all distracting errors.
Organize your ideas into coherent paragraphs and sentences.
Stay within the prescribed word count
Adhere to MLA Document Design guidelines
And finally, you may use first person pronouns here!

Compare and contrast the the markets in the two time periods, highlighting the similarities and the differences. Produce some graphs to help illustrate the comparison.

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Market Briefing Report

All sources including internet sites must be fully and properly referenced. The maximum word count for each question is given below.

Word limit guide: 1000 words excluding references.

ANSWER BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

  1. Identify how the USA sneaker market has changed between the 1990s and 2020s.
  • Word limit: 500 words
  • You should base your analysis on data available on the Statista (2020) website and also undertake your own research.
  • You should examine statistics on such things as revenues, sales volume, price, sales channels, market shares of brands and any other indicators you consider relevant. Please include your own charts using Excel wherever possible.
  • Ref: https://www.statista.com/outlook/11020000/156/athletic-footwear
  1. Watch the 15 min video on the US$ 2bn resale market for sneakers and read the FT article by Thompson from 2015 (‘The footsy index’). Summarise the key points made in the video and article, comparing the resale (secondary) market with the ’new sneakers’ market. How are they connected?

Link to video:

The $2 bn sneaker resale market

Link to FT article:

https://learn-eu-central-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/5d07709844dfc/8390914?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27The%2520footsy%2520index_%2520how%2520sneakers%2520became%2520very%2520big%2520business%2520_%2520Financial%2520Times.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20200221T225656Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAZH6WM4PLYI3L4QWN%2F20200221%2Feu-central-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=1acf97b876def9f149348d3ac42d0873a8076a5f4b8e277d23cc127e708978a9

 

Word limit: 500 words

50 marks

  • Simply use the Questions as sub-headings
  • When using graphs, tables or charts make sure these

(i) have appropriate titles and sources, and

(ii) support or enhance the analysis you provide.

  • Consider whether you can incorporate relevant concepts or theories from to enhance your analysis.
  • Q1: Gather data on the USA sneaker market in the 2020s(this will be statistics on the volume/value of sneakers sold, market growth, price levels etc for the time period but you should also include information on the market shares of the different sneaker brands). Do the same for the 1990s.
  • Compare and contrast the the markets in the two time periods, highlighting the similarities and the differences. Produce some graphs to help illustrate the comparison.
  • Watch the video. Read the article provided; read it again. You should begin with a brief description of what the resale market is about, explaining its key characteristics; you then need to compare the resale market with the ‘new sneakers’ market. How are they connected?

 

Assess cost concepts, management control processes of budgeting, revenue cycle management, working capital, time value analysis, capital budgeting analysis, and long-term financing decisions.

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Unit 4 Assignment

Cost Accounting System Paper

Unit outcomes addressed in this Assignment:

  • Differentiate among the general types of cost behavior.
  • Propose a rationale for cost allocation in healthcare organizations.

Course outcome addressed in this Assignment:

HA520-2:  Assess cost concepts, management control processes of budgeting, revenue cycle management, working capital, time value analysis, capital budgeting analysis, and long-term financing decisions.

PC 6.1: Incorporate data, inferences, and reasoning to solve problems.

Assignment Instructions

Unit 4 Case 2: Sooner Health Network

SOONER HEALTH NETWORK (the Network), which consists of five medical group practices, is a subsidiary of not-for-profit Sooner Health System (the System). The Network includes both primary care and specialty physicians, with an emphasis on obstetrics/gynecology, eldercare, and pediatrics. Prior to the founding of the Network, the five practices operated independently.

The Network has three practice locations, each staffed with a mix of primary care and specialist physicians. Although the Network itself is only marginally profitable, it is an important contributor to the profitability of the System because it generates a large amount of revenues from referrals for both inpatient admissions and inpatient and outpatient ancillary services.  In fact, each $1 of revenue generated within the Network is estimated to lead to $8 of inpatient and ancillary revenues to the System. By limiting the amount of ancillary services provided at the three Network locations, patients are forced (or at least encouraged) to use other System facilities for such services.

Still, some ancillary services are best performed at the Network locations for one or more of the following reasons: lower costs, increased physician efficiency, and improved patient convenience and hence better CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) scores. For example, one of the practice locations now has a diagnostic imaging capability.  When the scanner was moved from another facility to the Network location, volume increased, costs decreased, and both physician and patient satisfaction improved. (For more information on the CAHPS program, see www. ahrq .gov/ cahps/ about-cahps/index.html)

The proposal currently being considered by the Network is to provide ultrasound services at the Network locations.  Preliminary analysis indicates that two approaches are most suitable.

Alternative 1 involves the purchase of one ultrasound machine for each of the Network’s three locations. Patients would schedule appointments, generally at the clinic they are using, during preset times on specified days of the week. Then, the full-time ultrasound technician would travel from one location to another to administer the tests as scheduled. Alternative 2, on the other hand, involves the purchase of only one ultrasound machine, but patient scheduling would be the same. The machine would be mounted in a van that the technician would drive to each of the three Network locations.  Most of the operating costs of the two alternatives are identical, but Alternative 2 has the added cost of operating the van and setting up the machine after each move.

The two alternatives differ substantially in capital investment costs because Alternative 1 requires three ultrasound machines, at a cost of $100,000 each, whereas Alternative 2 requires only one machine.  However, Alternative 2 requires a van, which with necessary modifications would cost $40,000.  Thus, the capital costs for Alternative 1 total 3 x $100,000 = $300,000, whereas the costs for Alternative 2 amount to only $100,000 + $40,000 = $140,000.

Because the two alternatives have different operating costs, a proper cost analysis of the two alternatives must include both capital investment and operating costs. The Network financial staff, which is the System financial staff, considered several methods for estimating the operating costs of each alternative. After much discussion, the chief financial officer (CFO) decided that the activity-based costing (ABC) method would be best. Furthermore, an ad hoc task force was assigned to perform the cost analysis.

To begin the ABC analysis, the task force had to develop the activities involved in the two alternatives.  This task was accomplished by conducting walkthroughs of the entire process from the standpoint of the patient, the ultrasound technician, and the billing and collections department. The results are shown in exhibit 8.1. A review of the activities confirms that all except one – consisting of transportation, setup, and breakdown – are applicable to both alternatives.

The next step in the ABC process is to detail the costs associated with each activity. This step uses financial, operational, and volume data, along with the appropriate cost driver for each activity, to estimate resource consumption.  Note that traditional costing, which often focuses on department-level costs, typically first deals with direct costs then allocates indirect (overhead) costs proportionally according to a predetermined allocation rate.  In ABC costing, the activities required to produce some service, including both direct and indirect, are estimated simultaneously. For example, exhibit 8.1 contains activities that entail direct costs (such as technician time) and activities that entail indirect costs (such as billing and collection). Although the ABC method is more complex and hence costlier than the traditional method, it is the only way to accurately (more or less) estimate the costs of individual services.

Activity cost detail on a per procedure basis is contained in exhibit 8.2.  Each activity is assigned a cost driver that is most highly correlated with the actual utilization of resources. Then, the number of driver units, along with the cost per unit, is estimated for each activity. The product of the number of units and the cost per unit gives the cost of each activity. Finally, the activity costs are summed to obtain the total per procedure cost.

Many of the activity costs cannot be calculated without an estimate of the number of ultrasounds that will be performed. The best estimate is that 50 procedures would be done each week, regardless of which alternative is chosen. Assuming the technician works 48 weeks per year, the annual volume estimate is 2,400 procedures. Of course, one factor that complicates the analysis is that a much greater total volume can be accommodated under Alternative 1 (with three machines) than with Alternative 2 (with only one machine). However, to keep the initial analysis manageable, the decision was made to assume the same annual volume regardless of the alternative chosen.

Other costs are thought to be relevant to the decision. First, in addition to the purchasing and operating (primarily consisting of fuel expenses) costs of the van, the estimated annual vehicle maintenance costs are $1,000.  Furthermore, annual maintenance costs on each of the three ultrasound machines under Alternative 1 are estimated at $1,000, whereas the annual maintenance costs for the single machine under Alternative 2 are estimated higher, at $1,500, because of added wear and tear. The manufacturer of the ultrasound machines has indicated that a discount may be available if three machines, as opposed to only one, are purchased. The amount of the discount is somewhat uncertain, although 5 percent has been mentioned.

Finally, to get a rough estimate of the total annual costs over the life of the equipment, assumptions about the useful life of the ultrasound machines and the van must be made. Although somewhat controversial, the decision was made to assume a five-year life for both the ultrasound machines and the van and that the value of these assets would be negligible at the end of five years.

Instructions

You are the chair of the Network’s ad hoc task force. Your charge is to evaluate the two alternatives and to make a recommendation on which one to accept, if revenues would be identical for the two alternatives, and hence the decision can be made solely on the basis of costs. As part of the analysis, the costs of the two alternatives must be estimated on a per procedure basis and an annual basis. In addition, any relevant qualitative factors must be considered before the recommendation is made.

To keep the base case analysis manageable, the task force was instructed to assume that the operating costs remain constant over the useful life of the equipment. For comparative purposes, this assumption is not too egregious because the activities are roughly the same for both alternatives and, hence, inflation would have a somewhat neutral impact on the cost comparison.

In addition, the System CFO has asked the task force to perform some sensitivity (scenario) analyses. He is concerned about the accuracy of the cost detail inputs. Although he is confident about many of the estimates, he thinks others are more arbitrary. Those activity cost inputs considered to be most uncertain are supplies cost per unit; billing and collection cost per unit; general administration cost per unit; and transportation, setup, and breakdown cost per unit.

Thus, first, the task force must redo the analysis assuming that these inputs are higher than the base case values by 10 and 20 percent. Activity cost inputs less than the base case values could also be examined, but the critical issue here is not to underestimate the total costs involved in the two alternatives. Second, the task force must determine what would happen to the cost estimates if the useful life of the capital equipment were as short as three years or as long as seven years. Another concern was that the useful life of the equipment depended on the alternative chosen; that is, there would be less wear and tear under Alternative 1 than under Alternative 2. Finally, the task force must assess the impact of a purchase discount: Would the discount amount influence the ultimate decision?

You believe that performing a sensitivity analysis on the number of procedures would be helpful, but you realize this task would require recalculation of the per unit cost inputs, an effort thought to be too time-consuming to undertake at this point in the analysis.