Determine whether or not matrix multiplication is commutative. Support your answer using at least one (1) real-world example or scenario.

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Question 1. PHI 210 “Take a Look at Ethics Around You:” (half page)

Using what you’ve read through the WebText on ethics as a guide, examine the world around you.

Search online for your local news website and locate local a story where you believe an ethical dilemma is going on. Please keep this story local and not national news.

Explain, in a few sentences the story, the ethical dilemma you believe is going on in the story, and how you think it can be resolved.

Then comment on at least one other student’s post and solution.

Please include a link to the story in your original post.

NOTE: All   students are required to post a minimum of two (2) posts per online   discussion thread. Students must have one (1) original post and a minimum of   one (1) other post per discussion thread.

Question2. PHI 210 Reflect on the Process

Throughout this term, we’ve strived to expand your personal thought processes. Using the week 10 sections of the WebText as your guide, how do you intend on altering your approach to problem solving in the future?

If you could select one (1) aspect that you encountered over this term, what would you tell a future PHI210 student is the most important aspect of this course? What advice would you give a future PHI 210 student about how to get the most out of this class? (I may collect your advice to pass on to people next term.)

 

NOTE: All students are required to post a   minimum of two (2) posts per online discussion thread. Students must have one   (1) original post and a minimum of one (1) other post per discussion thread.

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Question 3. Math’s Discussion Question (half of a page)

1. “System of Three (3) Equations”   Please respond to the following:

  • Write a problem for a      classmate to solve that can be translated to a system of two (2) or more      equations in at least two (2) variables. Explain your answer.

2. “Matrix Multiplication”   Please respond to the following:

Determine whether or not matrix multiplication is commutative. Support your answer using at least one (1) real-world example or scenario.

Write an annotated bibliography of each summarizing their main points in non-research language, including agreements and disagreements on particular findings.

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Topic: Employee Discrimination

 

 

 

You are an I/O Consultant preparing to advise the manager or CEO about an issue directly relating to their organization.

 

You will be researching a specific topic related to I/O Psychology that would be useful and informative to a manager or CEO of a company. You will synthesize your findings from the research literature and present them as if you were advising that manager or CEO on that issue.

 

First you will find at least four journal articles on your chosen topic and write an annotated bibliography summarizing each article.  Finally you will then synthesize your findings in a 3 to 4 page summary paper of what you found, the pros and cons found in the research, and your recommendation to the manager or CEO concerning this issue in their organization.

 

Write an annotated bibliography of each summarizing their main points in non-research language, including agreements and disagreements on particular findings. Next the summary paper should explain why this particular topic is important to the workplace and how the organization’s leaders and employees can use the information.  Additionally you will make suggestions for this organization based on your research findings.  The paper should be presented in a professional way, nicely formatted, free of spelling and grammatical errors, and presented in a clear and structured way.

 

Final

 

Annotated Bibliography:

 

This bibliography should include the four research articles you will use for your paper. These articles need to be on the previously approved topic for the research summary. For each article, you need to provide

 

    • The citation in APA style

 

    • A brief (no more than 1 page) summary of each article. The summary should include:

 

      • The basic premise and research question of the study

 

      • The methodology

 

      • Results

 

      • Conclusions

 

Summary Paper:

 

You paper should not simply be a summary of your articles (as you did that in the annotated bibliography). Rather, it should be geared at professionals who do not have in-depth knowledge of research, but know something about management and organizations. You could pretend you are the personnel director of a company and are presenting to a group of managers. Your summary paper should convey the information gained from the research literature in an organized way and should make an argument for why this topic is important for managers to pay attention to. Also I would like to see you make some recommendations for action.

 

APA Style: All submissions must be written in APA format.  Basically this means that the references must be written in APA style, all assignments written in 11 or 12 point font, double spaced, with 1-inch margins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor’s Example

 

 

 

Annotative Bibliography

 

 

 

Anonymous., (2006, November.). 3 Steps to Take the Pain Out of Staff Performance Reviews.

 

IOMA’s Payroll Manager’s Report. New York. Vol. 60, Iss. 11., p. 1-4.

 

 

 

The main focus of this article is to make writing performance reviews easier by focusing on simple functions like linking job descriptions and department duties to the evaluation process. Focusing on an interview with Raeann Hofkin, from a Pennsylvania manufacturing company, the article reveals simple tips from using software packages to three core steps to creating and writing appraisals. This article is very useful in ideas that are both up-to-date and conventional.

 

 

 

Brown, D., (2002, April 8.). Re-evaluating Evaluations. Canadian HR Reporter. Toronto.

 

Vol. 15, Iss. 2., p. 2.

 

 

 

This article is predominately based on a survey conducted by Andersen Consulting in Chicago. 25 companies were surveyed to find out how both managers and employees perceived the evaluation process and whether or not feedback was efficient and constructive. Most of the results were negative. The results indicated that the outdated formats were no longer useful to employees and were no long in line with current company objectives. This is another great tie in to the point of MHSI having an outdated process.

 

 

 

 

 

Gordon, J., (2003, May 9.). Engineering Reviews. Business First. Louisville. Vol. 19, Iss. 41., p.

 

15.

 

 

 

Jennifer Gordon focuses this article on the format of the review process. She says that if the businesses do not keep up with changing situations and modify the performance evaluation form, then employee appraisals will not be in line with company initiatives. She also suggests setting up the appraisals based on the job description rather than on objective behavioral traits. Another point made in this article is that appraisals should be done several times a year rather than just once. What I like about this article is that it focuses on the renewing of the appraisal form and more reviews throughout the year.

 

 

 

Pfau, B., Kay, I., Nowack, K., Ghorpade, J., (2002, June.). Does 360-Degree Feedback

 

Negatively Affect Company Performance? HR Magazine. Alexandria. Vol. 47, Iss. 6., p. 54-59.

 

 

 

In this article, Watson Wyatt’s 2001 Human Capital Index is used to evaluate how 360-degree programs figure into a company’s value. The findings from this research suggest that this type of program may actually be harmful to the organization than other types of evaluations. Dr. Jeffrey C. Pfeffer from Stanford University agrees with some of the findings. Kenneth Nowak points out that the difference between good and bad is that all the people involved with submitting ratings must agree on the interpretation of the questions. There is a lot of debate in this article, but it sums up with says that if the program is set up right, it should be highly beneficial.

 

 

 

Stella, P., (2006, June 1). Don’t Undervalue Performance Reviews. Government Video. New

 

York. Iss. 1707., p. 10.

 

 

 

This article is written as both a wake up call and also a means for advice on how to write a performance review that is meaningful and helps the employee walk away with a feeling that he or she has done a good job but can also improve in some areas. There are some helpful ideas like writing the article to the employee instead of about them. It also makes a suggestion to have the employee evaluate themselves and then compare with the manager. The tone of the article is a little story like, but it serves well for the reader since the advice is aimed at making the reader a better manager. The message of this article is clearly aimed at the manager.

Employee Performance Appraisal Process

 

Introduction

 

One of the most important roles for an organization is to evaluate employee performance. When companies do not have a formal method of appraising performance and communicating with their staff, employees have a false sense of everything is ok when things are not exactly as they appear. MHSI has already noticed the value of this process and has instituted a formal process that all managers perform and delivery once a year. The question before us is whether or not the current process provides accurate, timely, and efficient methods of communication or feedback to employees with regard to their specific and individual job performance in correlation to company goals and initiatives.

 

 

 

Results

 

First we must start the process of review by understanding the current process in place. This quick overview will help us in analyzing the research. MHSI is an engineering firm working with the automotive industry to develop, implement and deliver packaging for automotive parts. The company goals include diversification of customers, products and to delivery quality customer service through innovation and creativity. MHSI personnel include staff in the following departments: Engineering, Design, Finance, Sales and Marketing, and Analysts and other supportive staff. Appraisals for all staff are done once a year and are done on a generic form, not specifically written for any one department that measures behavior attributes as: quality and quantity of work, adaptability, and how much initiative an employee shows. All employees are appraised on a scale of 1 to 6 in each area with an overall appraisal that is the average of all sections. Each area of the review is open to interpretation where each manager may rate a person different under the same category. Lately, employees are usually presented with the annual performance review and the salary adjustments at the same time.

 

Knowing all this, the focus now changes to the findings within the research. The majority of the research indicates that rating employee’s performance is definitely a key area companies should focus on. Secondly, appraisals should be conducted more frequently than once a year. “Best-in-class managers don’t review performance once or twice a year. They do it all year long.” (Stella, p10) Third, perhaps the most important agreement is that appraisals should be based on “job descriptions and performance expectations [that are] clearly documented and reviewed with the employee”. (Anonymous, p. 1) Fourth, a company should review their current process and upgrade it. A Survey that was conducted in Chicago across “25 firms” showed that “most managers and employees do not value their performance management system [because the] systems were obsolete [and] feedback was insignificant”. (Brown, p. 2) The reason for this huge discrepancy is that “a lot can happen to an organization in five years” and when the performance system no longer “reinforces management philosophy” or the new company “mission and values”, the organization can not accurately appraise performance nor provide adequate feedback to employees. (Brown, p. 2)

 

The research also suggested several alternatives to the current appraisal process in place today at MHSI. First, writing the appraisal form so that it focuses on “individual job tasks” like “maintaining computer hardware and software” will help managers remove “subjective judgments” and focus on “job-specific criteria” instead. (Gordon, p. 15) Using “performance appraisal software programs” may help “formalize…appraisal procedures” and help with customization for each department’s needs. (Anonymous, p. 1)

 

What was interesting about all the research was that there was little mention of an exact right or wrong way to write the performance appraisals other than making sure that they line up with job duties and company goals. Little mention of the different types of performance appraisals was found. However, there was an article about “360 degree feedback programs”. (Pfau, Kay, Nowack, and Ghorpade, p. 54) With this approach, managers, the employee and his or her co-workers partake in this process. Each is given the same line of questions to rate. But while some argue that the program is great because feedback is coming from a variety of sources, other argue that it “may hurt more than help”. (Pfau, Kay, Nowack, and Ghorpade, p. 54) Part of the disagreement stems from “disagreements between rater groups…resulting confusion creates challenges for employee development”. (Pfau, Kay, Nowack, and Ghorpade, p. 54) All that this shows is that the 360 degree program is not all that different from what is currently used today at MHSI. There is still a difference between managers and how they rate individuals.

 

 

 

Recommendations

 

Te recommendation is to revise the current appraisal process by following a simple set of steps: “start with the job description”, “clarify performance expectations”, and “apply an objective ratings scale”. (Anonymous, p. 1) The Human Resource department should verify and / or develop a detailed job description for each employee. Then using that job description, each department should have a specifically designed appraisal process developed. While many of the current items should be included, the evaluation of each employee should be based on their individual job descriptions to provide them with a clear line of expectations. Secondly, set up a program where employees and managers go through the process several times a year. This will help communication build between the manager and the employee and hopeful lesson any surprises at the end of the year. In fact, let the employee have input on particular goals they may have or where they feel they need help. This opens the door for more “comprehensive, constructive” feedback from both sides rather than the employee feeling left out. (Stella, p. 10)

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

In summary, the current process for evaluating employee performance is out of date and in desperate need of attention. Employees feel that the appraisal process is not value added and that managers are not communicating effectively to allow employees the chance they need to improve. The current format is generic and very open to interpretation and no longer is in line with current company goals and initiatives. To evaluate the current process and adjust it to meet current company initiatives providing more feedback between managers and employees will provide a stable and consistent platform to evaluate employees and help them become more focused on company goals and initiatives. Everyone wants the opportunity to improve and feel that they are an asset. Up grading the current process will only help improve relations between employees and management.

Submit a revision of your initial post by either replying to your own post, or to the feedback provided to you by your professor.

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The Effects of Business on Consumers and the Environment: Case Study: Perdue Farms

This discussion assignment requires you to submit at least four posts: an initial post, two reply posts to fellow students in threads other than your own, and a revised post.

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Prepare: In preparation for your first post in this discussion, you will become familiar with the case of Perdue Farms by means of the material listed under Required Resources (Generally). You will also find more material under Required Resources (Per Subject Heading) because the specific task for this discussion is to examine this case with an eye for any one of the following four subject headings in business ethics: (1) the environment, (2) advertising, (3) consumer safety and (4) moral responsibility. You must select one of these subject headings and your selection will be the specific focus of your work for your discussion. Accordingly, you will be responsible to complete the readings and videos listed under your chosen subject heading.

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Reflect: If you choose the environment subject heading, reflect on the sheer density of chickens raised at any given time in the Perdue facilities. The disposal of their discarded remains and their processing for distribution, either individually and most definitely together, pose a number of environmental concerns.

If you choose the advertising subject heading, reflect on how the two videos on Perdue farms present the sharp contrast between the way the company presents its product and the way in which it has been discovered to run its chicken farms. Consider whether this is an example of failure to provide truth in advertising and how you would support such a stance.

If you choose the consumer safety subject heading, reflect on the way in which chickens raised in factory farms risks consumer safety. These might include (a) bacterial contamination, (b) the effects of antibiotics on the meat that is consumed, or (c) the release of adrenaline, cortisone, and other chemicals resulting from the acute stress endured by factory farm animals, which then becomes part of the meat that is later consumed by humans.

If you choose the moral responsibility heading, reflect on the stewardship role that may fall upon humans toward non-human animals. Can we utilize them as mere means to an end (for entertainment, companionship, or food)? Or do we have special obligations toward them (e.g., not to mistreat or torture them and to slaughter them quickly and without stress) because they are sentient beings?

Once you have completed the indicated readings and videos, reflect on the ethical theories that we have covered in the discussions thus far and identify one that you want to apply for your analysis in your discussion post.

Also, reflect on the regulations (or lack thereof) in the factory farming industry in order to be able to examine how our nation’s laws affect the operations of the business. You will need to research the applicable laws on the factory farming industry.

Finally, since Perdue Farms is an American corporation, reflect on the mixed economic system in the United States in order to articulate the setting for the operations of factory farming, and then, be able to analyze the ethical actions of Perdue given this setting.

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Write: In the first part of your initial post, you will need to introduce the Perdue case within the particular subject heading that you have chosen. In this introduction, you will also need to (1) articulate the relevant characteristics of our mixed economic system and (2) present the regulations for the factory farming industry. These will provide the setting for you to be able to examine how the nation’s laws affect its operations.

In the second part of your initial post, present your analysis of the problem in a way that identifies which entities (Perdue as a corporation, the economic system in the USA, the regulatory control of the state, or all of these) have a role in the problem that you have presented. In your analysis, you must assess the negative effects of the interplay between business activity and one of the following: the environment, advertising, consumer safety, or corporate social responsibility. Your focus must be an ethical analysis of this interplay, and it must be well supported by reliable and/or scholarly sources by clearly identifying the ethical theory that you are applying in your analysis.

 

Revise: Read the feedback provided by your professor to your initial post, either directly to you or to your fellow students. Use this as an opportunity to learn from your professor, especially with regard to the best ways to apply the course material and your research to your analysis. On the basis of what you have learned in this process, post an improved revision of your initial post that applies the additional knowledge that you have gained.

Remember that your grade depends on the quality of your initial and revised responses, not just on the submission of an attempt at improvement. It is thus to your advantage to post the best initial post you can and then to also improve that best effort as much as you can through revision. Taking this process seriously will help you develop the skills you need to do well on the Final Project.

 

Requirements for Your Initial Post:

  • Your initial post should be at least 400 words in length and have citations and references in APA notation. It should address the prompt in its entirety. This means that you should not split your response to the prompt in multiple posts. Your examination should be both thorough and succinct. This is a combination that demands time and thought, so give yourself sufficient time to draft and revise.
  • Please be advised that until you post, you will not see what your fellow students are posting. Once you submit your post, you will be able to view the posts from your other classmates. You can then proceed to reply to at least two different threads based on the required material for this discussion.
  • Your list of references for your initial post should include the videos and the other required reading material for this discussion, the Instructor Guidance, and any other announcements presented to you by your professor. List all the course material that informed your work in the list of references and cite these too where appropriate. In addition, your references should include any other sources that you consult to inform yourself (but not Wikipedia or similar sources).
  • Your initial post for this discussion should be submitted no later than the end of Thursday (11:59 pm, U.S. Mountain time).

 

Requirements for Replies to Other Threads:

  • At least two of the four posts required should be in the form of replies to fellow classmates in threads other than your own.
  • Each of your replies should be at least 200 words and informed by the course material. As such, the replies must have citations and references in APA notation. Your list of references for each reply should include all of the course material that has informed your reply, in addition to any research that you have obtained on your own.
  • Your replies should focus on the specific examination presented by your fellow student, and these should include an examination of whether or not the characteristics of the ethical theory and/or economic system were identified well, and whether or not their application and analysis was also carried out successfully. Providing such an examination is not an attack on your fellow student but an attempt to work together with your fellow student toward the better understanding of the ethical theories employed, as well as their application.

 

Requirements for Revising Your Initial Post:

  • Submit a revision of your initial post by either replying to your own post, or to the feedback provided to you by your professor.
  • There is no minimum word requirement for your revised initial post. But you should always explain the reasons for revising your post so that it is clear what you are doing. If you are revising only a few words, or an ethical theory, you should not just submit a post with vague language such as: “duty ethics works better here” or “I did not consider the economic system.” It is important to recognize that no one can read your mind so you need to provide the setting for your revision (Why? What prompted it? What course material informed you?) , and it is important to write in clear language and complete sentences.
  • Your revised initial post is your chance to correct any oversights or errors in your initial post, or show your improved understanding of the material and its applications to the case at hand. You may, for example, come to the realization that another ethical theory is better than the one that you initially chose. Accordingly, your revision should indicate that you chose another ethical theory and an explanation why you find the replacement more suitable. You may also find the need to revise any relevant portions of your analysis. Or, you might have realized that your conclusion did not take into account important factors necessary for your evaluation of the situation.
  • You should maximize the improvement of your initial post by employing your professor’s feedback as a guide. Keep in mind that you may not always receive direct feedback from your professor. But your professor will have submitted feedback in the discussion to other posts. So read your professor’s feedback whether it is addressed to you directlyor to other fellow students. This will give you much to think about and apply to your own post.
  • If your professor or a fellow classmate responds to your revised initial post, and on this basis, you find good reason to submit yet another revision, then by all means do so. The more you improve your initial post, the more you will benefit both in terms of your learning and most likely your grade.

Expand upon the information included in the slide and do not simply restate it. Please ensure the speaker notes include a minimum of 50 words.

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Review the following course materials:

  1. Gestalt Therapy
  2. Person-Centered Therapy
  3. Existential Therapy

In this assignment, you will review and respond to a therapy session conducted by a professional counselor using one of the following theoretical frameworks: existential, Gestalt, or person-centered.

Select one therapy session (Gestalt, person-centered, or existential).

Utilize the course material, in addition to the textbook, for the theoretical framework selected. Think about the techniques being used in the therapy session for your selected theoretical framework.

Create a 7-10-slide presentation about the selected session.  Include or address the following in your presentation:

  1. A title slide
  2. The therapeutic techniques used by the counselor
  3. Was the approach successful and why?
  4. A reference slide with a minimum of two scholarly resources

Include speaker notes below each content-related slide that represent what would be said if giving the presentation in person. Expand upon the information included in the slide and do not simply restate it. Please ensure the speaker notes include a minimum of 50 words.

While GCU style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using GCU documentation guidelines, which can be found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.