In your reflection, address the following:
Write a well-organized reflection, 2 pages in length (typed, double-spaced).
Final Project: Using Visuals to Communicate a Message
Visual media can have a significant impact on how effectively a message is communicated. Appropriate and strategic visuals can inspire the audience, lend clarity to a message, and, in general, say things that words alone cannot.
Throughout this course, you decided on a message to communicate, determined the most effective platform or medium for that message, and selected the most appropriate visuals to support the message. For the Final Project, incorporate a minimum of three different types of visual design, such as typography, graphics, and images to deliver your intended message. Note that if you did not create the visual, you must include a reference for the visual(s) contained in the project.
For this project, use the concepts you’ve learned in this course to effectively apply visuals to a business-related message. Below, you will find just a few examples of how visuals can be utilized to communicate a message in the business setting. Feel free to use any of the examples listed below, or if you choose to select examples not included on the list, be sure to request instructor approval prior to completing the Final Project.
| Examples of Business Communication | How Each Example Might Look for Your Assignment |
| Presentation on department achievements | PowerPoint slides with visuals such as video clips, images, and charts and associated speech in the Speaker’s Notes section at the bottom.. |
| Print advertisement for your own business | Word document or PDF version of an advertisement, complete with appropriate image(s), embedded (or links to) video clips, composition, typography, and company logo and website. |
| Training materials on your job responsibilities | Word document or PDF version of job instructions using typography, composition, and relevant images and video to promote clarity. |
| Company website | Word document, PowerPoint, or PDF mock-up that illustrates what you would want your website to look like. Complete with appropriate images, effective composition and color usage, company logo, video clips, and shapes representing where the buttons would be. |
Your Final Project must contain aspects of each element discussed in the course as it applies to your example communication piece. It must use appropriate typefaces, deliver a clear message, and have clear brand identity. It must also use an appropriate composition of graphics, photos, video, or other visual media. In addition to the text, your paper must contain a minimum of five scholarly sources, two of which must be from the Ashford University Library.
In your five- to seven-page paper (not including the title and reference pages or the three visual media examples), be sure to address the following:
Writing the Final Paper
The Paper:
Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
DQ 2
Why would nations favor fixed vs. floating exchange rates for their currencies? Why do some developing nations have a “fear of the float?”
DQ 1
The U.S. has historically low interest rates at present. How would you predict these would impact the value of the dollar on foreign exchange markets? How, in turn, would these low interest rates impact our balance of trade? Explain your answers.
All organizations have internal politics. However, most organizations keep their political battles private and it is rare that the public will know the details about political intrigue within the major corporations. However, Hewlett-Packard (HP) is rare in that its political battles were waged publicly. HP will make for an ideal case study both because of the intense political behavior occurring at the top and because many articles have been written about these political battles.
HP has been through five CEOs since 2005, and each change of CEO has been controversial. The drama started in 2005 when then CEO Carly Fiorina was under attack from several members of HP’s Board of Directors. Some board members even took the dispute public by leaking information to the press. Fiorina fought back by investigating the leaks, but ultimately lost the battle and was ousted as CEO. Her replacement, Patricia Dunn, continued to investigate leaks by the board through the use of private investigators. Even more controversy emerged when it was discovered that the investigators used the method of “pretexting” in order to obtain phone records of board members.
For this assignment, make sure to first carefully review the background materials regarding the causes of political behavior, types of political behavior, and the ethics of political behavior. Examples of the causes of political behavior include competition for resources, ambiguous organizational goals, lack of trust, and performance factors. Examples of types of political behavior include blaming others, selectively distributing information, managing impressions, and forming coalitions. Regarding ethics, consider the three main factors:
Review the background materials and do some research on the political dramas at HP. There is a lot written about HP’s many dramas over the years; here are some articles to get you started:
Veverka, M. (2011). The soap opera at HP continues. Barron’s, 91(39), 25.
Granelli, J. S. (2006, Sep 20). Lockyer probe of HP spying reaches to ’05; sources say the inquiry goes back to the ouster of CEO Carly Fiorina, a possible victim. Los Angeles Times [ProQuest]
Kessler, M. (2006, Sep 08). Controversial HP probe started under Fiorina; stock falls as board continues public feud. USA Today [ProQuest]
Pearlstein, S. (2011, Sep 25). How HP, silicon valley’s darling, became a soap opera. The Washington Post
Once you have finished reviewing the background materials and have completed your research on HP’s internal politics, write a 4- to 5-page paper addressing the following issues:
For this assignment you will be continuing to write about your own workplace experiences as they relate to power and politics. Think of one of the largest political battles you witnessed or were apart of during your career, and think carefully about how the concepts from the background materials apply to what you experienced.
In preparation for the SLP, make sure you have a thorough grasp of the terminology from the background materials including the main individual and organizational factors that lead to political behavior and the types of political behavior. Once you are comfortable with the terminology and concepts from the background materials, write a 2- to 3-page paper addressing the following issues:
Non-Traditional Performance Strategies
In the 21st century, some HR managers and leaders believe that non-traditional strategies have the potential to enhance engagement, increase productivity, and improve performance levels in many organizations. For example, it is essential to consider the significance of employees receiving the right amount of sleep each night—which has a direct result on job performance. At the most basic level, prolonged sleep deprivation has a negative impact on our health” and that sleep deprivation is the “equivalent to being legally intoxicated. Many researchers emphasize the value of employees being well-rested as well as the usefulness of taking afternoon naps. What if managers allowed employees to take a nap after their lunch breaks? Sleep is an important contributor to creative problem solving. Could this strategy potentially help boost creativity and performance levels? Perhaps no single daytime renewal behavior more reliably influences performance-and is less common in the workplace-than taking a nap” (Schwartz, et al., 2010, p. 72).
Many researchers understand the correlation between being well-rested and higher performance levels and they also point out the significance of taking time off from work to relax. As a matter of fact, Americans are sleeping less as well as taking less time off from work. “On average, Americans now fail to use 439 million paid vacations days a year. In 2008, one third of Americans said they intended to take no vacation at all” (Schwartz, et al., 2010, p. 75). In contrast, Europeans continue to enjoy far more vacation time than Americans do, which relates to having a higher quality of work and home life. From an organizational behavior perspective, employees are usually overwhelmed with work and feel that they cannot take any quality time off to relax. The dilemma is that most employees will never feel as if they are all caught up and can truly enjoy a vacation. The long-term implications of always being overwhelmed at work and never taking time off can result in disengagement and counterproductive activities. Organizations need healthy employees who are able to innovate, synergize, and work collectively with their peers.
It is important also to mention that diet influences performance levels. Many organizations are notorious for spending thousands of dollars each month on purchasing unhealthy snacks for employees to encourage them to come to meetings or work extra hours. The fast pace of today’s work world has caused changes in people’s eating patterns as well. Instead of eating meals jointly with family members, friends, and colleagues, many families and individuals have been conditioned to eat in between work or other activities. As a result, many American employees are overweight, lethargic, and have lower performance levels. “Between 1960 and 2000, the average weight of American men between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-nine jumped from 163 to 191 pounds. During the same period, the average women went from 140 to 164” pounds (Schwartz, et al., 2010, p. 91). Most organizations have several vending machines full of unhealthy snacks available for their employees. “The staple foods in most vending machines and at most off-sites are candy, cookies, and chips, filled with sugar, salt, and fat. These foods provide a quick and short-lived buzz when people’s energy is flagging, but they take a toll on their health and productivity over time” (Schwartz, et al., 2010, p. 117). Organizations need to pay close attention to the food they offer in their vending machines and cafeterias. Managing stress means managing one’s food intake and having a regular exercise program. Some organizations have devoted significant resources to food and snacks that are offered at work. This non-traditional type of strategic human resource management is commendable and has many benefits for recruiting and retention.
Reference: Schwartz, T., Jones, J., & McCarty, C. (2010). The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working. New York, NY: Free Press. (This book is not required).
The two primary outcomes of HR management are recruitment and retention. Through HR planning, managers anticipate the future supply of and demand for employees and the nature of workforce issues, including the retention of employees. These factors are used when recruiting applicants for job openings. Being able to recruit and retain the “best” employees have been difficult tasks for HR managers. The “best” employees are not necessarily the most qualified individuals (e.g., the most educated or with the most work experience), rather it is the individuals who provide value to an organization, who complement the organization, who understand and embrace the organization’s mission, and who fit the culture of the organization. This quandary is a result of a number of different variables such as: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job performance, and motivation. The following figure illustrates the two outcomes of HR management.
Two Main Outcomes of HR
Furthermore, contemporary HR managers also are tasked with assisting with peak performance initiatives because of escalated global demands and competition.
Drawing on the material in the background readings and doing additional research, please prepare a 3-5 page paper (not including the cover and reference pages) in which you:
Assignment 2: LASA 1: Case Studies Presentation
By Wednesday, February 10, 2016, create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation to educate a group of medical students participating in their grand rounds. There should be at least ten slides in your Microsoft PowerPoint as well as a title slide and a slide listing all your sources for creating this slideshow. You should also create speaker notes for each slide of your presentation, which include the main talking points for the topic addressed on the slide. Save the presentation as AU_PSY350_M3_A2_LastName_FirstInitial.ppt. Submit your assignment to the M3 Assignment 2 LASA 1 Dropbox.
In order to create your slideshow, review the two case studies and then answer the questions following each case study:
Case Study 1: Isaac is a fifty-nine-year-old man. Several months ago, he noticed a slight tremor in his hands. He assumed this to be a normal consequence of aging. The tremor, however, gradually worsened, along with some muscular stiffness and slowness in initiating movement. The tremor was more pronounced when he was not voluntarily moving. Isaac was referred to a neurologist, who diagnosed him with Parkinson’s disease. After visiting the neurologist, Isaac and his family ask you to further explain this disorder. Isaac also asks about L-dopa as a treatment—the neurologist had mentioned L-dopa as an effective medication but had instead prescribed selegiline:
Case Study 2: Sabrina is a twenty-seven-year-old woman who recently underwent a corpus callosotomy. Initially after surgery, when given a verbal command, Sabrina demonstrated marked apraxia of the left hand. However, the extent of this issue diminished over time. Answer the following questions about this client:
Click here to follow tips on creating a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. For this assignment and all Dropbox assignments, you are required to cite, at a minimum, the online course and the textbook for the course. Additional sources are welcome. Scholarly sources are preferred and can be found in the Argosy University online library. For reputable web sources, look for .gov or .edu sites as opposed to .com sites. Do not use Wikipedia.
| Assignment 2 Grading Criteria |
Maximum Points
|
| Described the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Discussed what parts of the brain this disease affects. |
24
|
| Discussed hereditary and environmental factors thought to contribute to Parkinson’s disease. |
24
|
| Analyzed the reasons why selegiline was prescribed instead of L-dopa. |
28
|
| Discussed the disorder being treated by the corpus callosotomy and how the surgery is performed. Explained how the surgery will help Sabrina. |
20
|
| Analyzed the risks and benefits of the surgery and an alternative treatment and explained your recommendation. |
24
|
| Explained the cause of the apraxia. |
16
|
| Analyzed what the reduction in apraxia symptoms reveals about hemispheric specialization. |
20
|
| Used standard presentation components. |
44
|
| Total: |
200
|
Due Week 6 and worth 60 points
Suppose you are the Information Security Director at a small software company. The organization currently utilizes a Microsoft Server 2012 Active Directory domain administered by your information security team. Mostly software developers and a relatively small number of administrative personnel comprise the remainder of the organization. You have convinced business unit leaders that it would be in the best interest of the company to use a public key infrastructure (PKI) in order to provide a framework that fosters confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and nonrepudiation. Email clients, virtual private network (VPN) products, Web server components, and domain controllers would utilize digital certificates issued by the certificate authority (CA). Additionally, the company would use digital certificates to sign software developed by the company in order to demonstrate software authenticity to the customer.
Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
Answer all discussion topics.
What is the purpose of the 4th Amendment?
Watch video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFdavAYCLVI&feature=youtu.be
Do you agree or disagree with Juan Pacheco’s statements that
(a) “gangs are a product of ineffective communities”
(b) that society should not depend on the juvenile justice system to address the problem of gangs, that we should determine that gangs are not a social, racial, or criminal problem but a public health problem.
The objectives of this assignment are to:
You have been asked to create a program for a Bank to process a set of transactions (i.e., deposit and withdraw) against a set of accounts, and produce a statement for each account. Input to the program will be two files one containing a list of accounts and the other a list of transactions. Both files are binary. Output will be a report to standard out. The format of each file is as follows:
Accounts.dat a binary file containing a set of records. Each record represents an account. The format of a record is:
| Fields | Description |
| Account number | 4 byte two’s compliment |
| First name | 10 bytes ASCII, blank padded |
| Middle Initial | 1 byte ASCII |
| Last name | 10 bytes ASCII, blank padded |
| Balance | Double precision floating point |
Transactions.dat a binary file containing a set of records. Each record represents an account. The format of a record is:
| Fields | Description |
| Account number | 4 byte two’s compliment |
| Date | 1 byte two’s compliment for month, followed by 1 byte two’s compliment for day, followed by 2 bytes two’s complement year |
| Type | 1 byte ASCII – either D for deposit or W for withdraw |
| Amount | Double precision floating point |
Your program should pass the files in the on the command line. In the event the files are not passed on the command line, then ask the user to enter the file names for the accounts, transaction, and new accounts files. Using those files, the program will process the transactions and print the statement report. A sample output of the statement report is as follows:
Bank Statement
Account No : 73829123
Account Name : Bill T Smith
Beginning Balance : $ 1030.50
Ending Balance : $ 1018.28
**Transaction Detail**
Date Type Amount Balance
10/12/09 Withdraw $ 500.00 $ 530.50
10/13/09 Withdraw $ 300.00 $ 230.50
10/14/09 Deposit $ 1287.78 $ 1518.28
10/15/09 Withdraw $ 500.00 $ 1018.28
Bank Statement
Account No : 73829999
Account Name : Mary P Jones
Beginning Balance : $ 3000.89
Ending Balance : $ 3500.89
**Transaction Detail**
Date Type Amount Balance
10/16/09 Deposit $ 500.00 $ 3500.89
Requirements
Deliverables:
All papers should submitted as a single packet and stapled in the upper left corn
Discuss all topics below.