Author: chris

Assignment 2: LASA 1: The Costs of Production

Joseph Farms, Inc. is a small firm in the agricultural industry. They have asked you to help them complete the limited data they have gathered in an effort to enable effective decision-making. Some work can be done using MS Excel but it must be copied to an MS Word file for the final submission of this assignment. To assist Joseph Farms, Inc., respond to the following:

• Using MS Excel or a table in MS Word, complete Table-1 (Joseph Farms, Inc., Cost and Revenue Data).
  • Assume that the price is $165.
  • Assume the fixed costs are $125, at an output level of 1.
  • Assume that the data represents a firm in pure competition.
  • Show your calculations.
• Explain the MC=MR Rule.  Describe the market structures to which this rule applies.
• Create a chart to illustrate the data in Columns 9 and 10.
• Describe the profit maximizing (or loss minimizing) output for this firm.  Explain why or why not there is an economic profit?
• Explain why a firm in pure competition is considered to be a “price taker.”

(Assignment continues below Table-1.)

Table-1:  Joseph Farms, Inc., Cost and Revenue Data

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4	Column 5	Column 6	Column 7		Column 8	Column 9	Column 10	Column 11
Output Level	Price per unit	Total Fixed Cost	Total Variable Cost	Total Cost	Average Fixed Cost	Average Variable Cost		Average Total Cost	Marginal Cost	Marginal Revenue	Total Revenue
0			$             –		NA
1			$    113.00
2			$    213.00
3			$    300.00
4			$    375.00
5			$    463.00
6			$    563.00
7			$    675.00
8			$    813.00
9			$    975.00
10			$ 1,163.00

 

• Using the data in Table-1 (Joseph Farms, Inc., Cost and Revenue Data), complete Table-2 (Joseph Farms, Inc., Revenue/Profit/Loss Data). Show your calculations in summary form.
• Using the completed data in Table-2 (Joseph Farms, Inc., Revenue/Profit/Loss Data), Identify the break even output level for this firm.

Table-2: Joseph Farms, Inc., Revenue/Profit/Loss Data

Output Level	Price	Total Revenue	Total Costs from Table 1	Profit or Loss
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Save your MS Word file including your graphs or charts using the filename LastnameFirstInitial_M3A2 and submit it to the M3: Assignment 2 Dropbox by Wednesday, January 27, 2016.

Remember, quotations, paraphrases, and ideas you get from books, articles, or other sources of information should be cited using APA style. Help with citing sources can be found through the Academic Resources page under Course Home.

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
Accurately calculated cost data (total fixed, total, average fixed, average variable, average total, and marginal) and revenue data (marginal and total) for output level ranging from 1 to 10 in Table-1.  Showed calculations in summary form. Correctly assumed data represented a firm in pure competition. (40 points) Completed Table-1 as Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or Word table. (8 points)	48
Explained the MC=MR Rule. (12 points) Identified market structures the MC=MR Rule applies to.  (8 points) Explained why MC=MR Rule applies to these market structures.  (12 points)	32
Graphed all the data in column 9 of Table-1 (marginal cost) as curves in Microsoft Excel. (8 points) Graphed all the data in column 10 of Table-1 (marginal revenue) as curves in Microsoft Excel. (8 points)	16
Explained the profit maximizing (or loss minimizing) output for Joseph’s Farms, Inc. (14 points) Explained whether or not there is an economic profit for Joseph’s Farms, Inc. (14 points)	28
Explained why a firm in pure competition is considered to be a “price taker.”	28
Accurately calculated price, total revenue, and profit or loss data for output level ranging from 0 to 10 in Table-2 using data from Table-1. Showed calculations. (10 points) Completed Table-2 as Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or Word table. (2 points)	12
Accurately calculated the break-even output level (break-even point) for Joseph’s Farms, Inc. using data in Table-2.  Showed calculations.	16
Style (4 points): Tone, audience, and word choice. Usage and Mechanics (4 points): Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. APA Elements (12 points): In text citations and references, paraphrasing, and appropriate use of quotations and other elements of style.	20
Total:	200

Question 1

10 points

Stress, poor mental health, and drug use among medical and pre-medical students.

For students pursuing a degree in medicine, it is not uncommon to have the feeling that you’re are constantly “beating the odds”. As health care professions become more and more sought after by undergraduates, it becomes more competitive and thus, more stressful to stand out amongst your peers. There have been several in-depth studies concerning the high levels of stress, anxiety and even depression that is widespread, in some degree, amongst medical students. These minor psychotic disorders are often a consequence of unmanageable workloads, abnormally high levels of stress, and severe sleep deprivation. In many cases, these students resort to use of prescription medication such as Ritalin and Aderall, which is medicinally used to treat symptoms of Attention Defecit Disorder (ADHD). While these substances are abused as a “study aid” to combat the rigorous curriculum of medical school, some students find themselves self-medicating stress with alcohol. Too often, students seeking health care professions find themselves in a state of poor mental health or substance abuse, a sacrifice most are willing to take to earn their degree. Studies have shown that once medical students find themselves in a state of poor mental health, they will avoid seeking help in order to protect their future careers.
Most medical students will experience several “all-nighters” in order to keep up with the massive workloads. A study published in BMC Research Notes investigated the relationship between sleep deprivation and academic performance as well as the respective perceptions of this relationship through the eyes of medical students and advisors. The research, conducted at a medical school in Saudi Arabia, discovered that a vast majority of students, almost 80%, had experienced varying levels of sleep deprivation and believed it negatively effected their academic performance. As one would expect, a majority agreed that the “demanding medical curriculum and stress of final exams lead to sleep deprivation, respectively”. The surveys also revealed that only 13.5% of these individuals received any counseling from their advisors for their unhealthy sleep patterns and not one of the advisors inquired about sleep patterns while counseling (AlFakri et al, 2015). While this is merely a study of one medical school, similar findings suggest that this is a common model and students often report “feelings of shame and embarrassment in admitting [mental] weakness” (Chew-Graham et al, 2003).
Stress is a common theme amongst students in all modes of higher education and graduate education, likewise, studies have shown that stress and consequent minor psychic disorders are prevalent worldwide amongst the medical student community. Another study published in BMC Research Notes analyzes stress among medical students in Bangladesh, which concluded that more than half of the surveyed students were suffering from “measurable academic stress” (Eva et al, 2015, p.1). If stress among medical students is so prevalent, should there be more accessible tools to combat this stress? Yet another study published in BMC Research Notes was conducted a study at a Brazilian medical school, in which the students took an elective course on coping strategies for professional stress. The surveys given to the students after the course showed that an overwhelming majority of the students experienced less stress, utilized the coping mechanisms, and perceived the course to be beneficial and useful (Dias Pereira et al, 2015).
Unfortunately, stress coping and time management education is not available to health care professionals unless they actively seek it out. Instead of utilizing healthy coping mechanisms, these students often turn to self-medication to deal with the demands of school. Use of methylphenidate, the psychotropic agent in ADHD medications, is very commonly used for cognitive enhancement in college students, but evidence from research by Cohen et al (2015) suggests that use of methylphenidate by medical students is “considerably higher than in the college student’s populations”. Shockingly, many of these first-time drug use was observed in the first year of medical school and drug use amongst students increased for every year in school. These statistics are visually represented in Figure 1 (Cohen et al, 2015, p.322). While some of the users were diagnosed and prescribed these medications, a majority of the students were not suffering from ADHD and admitted to using the drugs as a study aid.
In addition to prescription drug abuse, medical professionals and students experience varying degrees of alcohol abuse throughout their lives. A study done on second year medical students at the University of Leeds showed that a more than half of the participants drank more than the recommended limit of alcohol consumption per week (Pickard et al, 2000, p.148) Conversely, studies by McAuliffe et al (1991) found that health care professionals and health care professional students, were no more likely to abuse alcohol compared to other professions.
It is difficult to ignore challenges facing medical students worldwide. While academic stress does not always have negative results or mental health consequences, many students often find themselves experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, as a consequence of this stress. Health care education institutions have yet to make a strong movement towards solving this mental health issue and students remain hesitant to seek counseling for unhealthy sleep patterns, poor mental health, and drug use. Even more concerning is the abuse of prescription drugs and the failure of the medical community to respond.
Hypothesis:
While there is extensive research on stress, mental health, and drug use regarding medical students, there is not as much research regarding these same topics on “pre-med” students, undergraduate students pursuing acceptance to medical school. I hope to analyze the experiences of current pre-med students at the University of Denver (DU) and students currently in medical school after pursuing their undergraduate degree at DU. Based on these interviews, I would expect to see whether or not these students experience different levels of stress and anxiety due to academics, the source of this stress, and how they cope with it. I anticipate that the responses will reveal widespread stress amongst both pre-medical and medical students. I also hope to uncover findings about how students perceive this stress and whether or not they believe education in stress coping would be beneficial. Finally, by anonymous survey, I would like to find how prevalent drug use, specifically ADHD medication, is within the premedical student community at DU. I expect to find that students pursuing a degree in medicine, at any level, experience an exceptionally high amount of stress and pressure regarding their career path. I also believe that there may be common themes for the sources of this stress, reoccurring coping mechanisms, and a pattern of drug use to enhance academic performance.
References
AlFakri et al. (2015). Perceptions of pre‑clerkship medical students and academic advisors about sleep deprivation and its relationship to academic performance: a cross‑sectional perspective from Saudi Arabia. BMC Research Notes, 8, 1, 740-748.
doi: 10.1186/s13104-015-1755-y

Chew-Graham et al. (2003) ‘I wouldn’t want it on my CV or their records’: medical students’ experiences of help-seeking for mental health problems. Medical Education, 37, 873-880.

Cohen et al. (2015). Methylphenidate use among medical students at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 6, 3, 320-326.

Dias Pereira et al. (2015) Medical student stress: an elective course as a possibility of help. BMC Research Notes, 8, 1, 1-10.
doi: 10.1186/s13104-015-1399-y

Eva et al. (2015). Prevalence of stress among medical students: a comparative study between public and private medical schools in Bangladesh. BMC Research Notes, 8, 1, 1-7.
doi: 10.1186/s13104-015-1295-5

Pickard et al. (2000). Alcohol and drug use in second‐year medical students at the University of Leeds. Medical education, 34.2, 148-150.
W E McAuliffe et al. (1991). Alcohol use and abuse in random samples of physicians and medical students. American Journal of Public Health, 81, 2, 77-182.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.81.2.177

Discussion 1

From the e-Activity about the “Annual Population Estimates 2000 to 2009,” analyze and forecast a comparison of the population growth rate from 2010 through 2016 of the State of Michigan and your state. Provide these figures in your response for each year.

State 1: (Place your response here!)

State 2: (Place your response here!)

 

 

In a new and separate respond to the following:

Based on your prediction for the years 2015 and 2016, discuss the impact of each state’s population increase on the four (4) highest discretionary spending accounts. Note: refer back to Week 3 and review the State of Michigan and your state’s budget.

 

State 1 – Highest Discretionary Account 1: (Place your response here!)

State 1 – Highest Discretionary Account 2: (Place your response here!)

State 1 – Highest Discretionary Account 3: (Place your response here!)

State 1 – Highest Discretionary Account 4: (Place your response here!)

State 2 – Highest Discretionary Account 1: (Place your response here!)

State 2 – Highest Discretionary Account 2: (Place your response here!)

State 2 – Highest Discretionary Account 3: (Place your response here!)

State 2 – Highest Discretionary Account 4: (Place your response here!)

 

 

Discussion 2

Discuss at least two (2) challenges an administrator should consider when preparing a trend analysis over a five (5) year period.

Challenge 1: (Place your response here / Justify your response (hint – use the textbook)

 

Challenge 2: (Place your response here / Justify your response (hint – use the textbook)

Need a 3 page essay 12 font  double space on

 

According to Walter Rodney’s essay, “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa,”what were the negative economic, environmental, social and political consequences of colonization? Explain what Rodney means by “growth without development.”

Discuss bullying as one of the emerging issues. use MLA format. 2-3 page

1. Use the following income statement to answer question a. through f. Round up on to 1/100th. Use 2 decimal places to solve all problems. (6 pts)
Summary Income Statement
Smith Hotel
For the year ended December 31 200X (In Thousand)
Operating Departments: Revenue Cost of Sale Payroll Other expenses Income (Loss)

Rooms 5000 0 1000 400 3600
Food 1500 450 650 300 100
Beverage 800 200 250 80 270
Telephone 300 200 50 20 30
Total 7600 850 1950 800 4000

Undistributed Operating Expenses:
Administrative and General 100 50 150
Information systems 50 50 100
Human resources 30 260 290
Transportation 20 40 60
Marketing 100 300 400
Property operation and maintenance 100 100 200
Utility 0 400 400
Income after undistributed operating expenses 2350 2000 2400

Rent, Property taxes and insurance 200
Interest 1000
Depreciation 500 1700

Income before income taxes 700
Income taxes 210

Net Income 490

a. What is CMRw?
b. What is total revenue at breakeven?
c. What is total revenue to yield a net income of $500,000?
d. What is rooms revenue when a net income equals $500,000?
e. Revenue at breakeven if fixed costs increase by $300,000?
f. Revenue at breakeven if fixed costs increase by $300,000 and revenue increase 10% for each department through price increase?
2. ABC Hotel has the following operating information (4 pts):

a. The rooms department generates 60% of the sales revenue and operates with a CMR of 0.7.
b. The F&B department generates 40% of sales revenue and has a CMR of 0.5.
c. Fixed costs per year are $200,000.
d. The hotel’s tax rate is 40%.

Required: What sales revenue is required for achieving a net income of $150,000?

Assignment 2: Hacking the AIS
In today’s technology environment, hackers present a substantial risk to a firm’s accounting or business system. As the result of these attacks, firms suffer huge losses, ranging from financial losses to losses in confidence by consumers, creditors, and suppliers. Firms may have made a significant investment in financial and non-financial resources to secure these systems.
For this assignment, research the Internet or databases and select a company whose database systems have been hacked.
Write a five to seven (5-7) page paper in which you:
1. Based on the information you researched, evaluate the level of responsibility of the company in terms of the effectiveness of the response to the security breach. Provide support for your rationale.
2. Imagine that the company that you researched uses a third-party accounting system. Assess the level of responsibility of the software provider to both the business and its clients. Provide support for your rationale.
3. Create an argument for additional regulation as a preventative measure against businesses being hacked. Provide support for your argument.
4. Provide at least three (3) recommendations for businesses to secure their systems and assets from hackers. Provide support for your recommendation.
5. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
• Examine control and security concepts related to accounting information systems to ensure data integrity and safety.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in accounting information systems.
• Write clearly and concisely about accounting information systems using proper writing mechanics.

Assignment #1: Making an Ethical Decision
Instructions
Project Assignment #1: Making an Ethical Decision (15%)
In this assignment, students will respond to a short case study demonstrating an understanding of an ethical dilemma and the ethical theories presented in the course and how they apply to decision making in the case.
Required Elements of Project Assignment #1 – Making an Ethical Decision:
Read critically and analyze the case scenario provided in a separate topic above, titled, “Project Assignment #1: Making an Ethical Decision Scenario”.
Complete all parts of the analysis of the case scenario as described below.
LABEL ALL PARTS OF ANALYSIS AS LISTED BELOW, please.
1. Introduction: Write a brief 1 paragraph introduction to your analysis.

2. Ethical Dilemma: Define the ethical dilemma using the either/or dilemma format to define the options and possible consequences of each option; refer to Student Toolbox for examples/info about defining ethical dilemmas.
3. Decision Analysis: This section is comprised of a discussion of 3 possible answers/decisions to the question “What would you do?” in the situation described in the case scenario.
Discussion analysis should include all of the following, labeling each part 3A, 3B, 3C,3D:
3A. Decision 1:
Define a possible decision 1
Explain 1 ethical theory we have covered in the course (in wks 1, 2 assigned readings) and how this 1st theory might apply to guide and justify the 1st decision (refer to it as “Decision 1”) in this case
3B. Decision 2:
Define a possible decision 2
Explain 1 ethical theory we have covered in the course (in wks 1, 2 assigned readings) and how this 1st theory might apply to guide and justify the 2nd decision (refer to it as “Decision 2”) in this case
3C. Decision 3:
Define a possible decision 3
Explain 1 ethical theory we have covered in the course (in wks 1, 2 assigned readings) and how this 1st theory might apply to guide and justify the 3rd decision (refer to it as “Decision 3”) in this case;
3D. Compare and Contrast: Compare and contrast the 3 decisions by discussing:
(1) Decision 1:
Pros/cons of decision 1
How decision 1 directly addresses/resolves the ethical dilemma described above
(2) Decision 2:
Pros/cons of decision 2
How decision 2 directly addresses/resolves the ethical dilemma described above
(3) Decision 3:
Pros/cons of decision 3
How decision 3 directly addresses/resolves the ethical dilemma described above
4. Decision Choice: Choose 1 decision from the 3 possible decisions discussed above that you consider to be the best resolution of the ethical dilemma and explain why in detail (write a minimum of 2-3 – preferably 3 – substantive paragraphs in this section)
Include discussion of pros/cons future implications, possible consequences in your discussion.

4. Conclusion: Write a summary of ideas and ethical concepts discussed in the paper in 1- 2 concluding paragraph(s)
5. References: in APA format

Required Format for Project Assignment #1:
Double-spaced, 12-point font, approximately 3-4 pages in length (but can be longer), excluding title and references pages;
Title page: include assignment name, your name, date
Label parts using subheadings listed above
Write in the 3rd person style (refer to Student Toolbox for details and examples of 3rd person);
Use APA formatting for in-text citations
Paraphrase info from resources/readings (remember, even paraphrasing requires an in text citation);
Do not use direct quotes from resources/readings
Submit to Assignment Folder
Scenario:
Jill Jones is a bright 45-year-old woman who is the vice-president of sales in a mid-sized family owned Candy Corporation. She began her career at the company right out of high school, and over the years earned two college degrees while working her way up the organizational ladder.
One day, Jill was stunned to learn that the firm’s head, William Potter, was considering placing his oldest son, Henry, in the position of CEO while he became chairman of the board. Years earlier, when Jill was in a middle management position, Henry had unsuccessfully propositioned her and made her life miserable. She had never mentioned the incident to anyone and had put it behind her when he was promoted to head the Miami branch of the business. However, now as she looks at William Potter she becomes even more shocked to hear him say” I can’t be objective about him Jill, You have always been so loyal to the company and successful in hiring excellent people for the sales force I want you to review him objectively and give me your recommendation.” Conflicting thoughts rush through her mind, the awful past, the all so possible awful future with him as her boss, the clear knowledge that he has done a great job with the Miami branch, and of course the knowledge that he is the bosses son. What should she do?

“Jill” has just come up against one of the myriad ethical dilemmas companies of all sizes and their employees face on an ongoing basis. Deciding the best course of action might be easy in some cases, when there are clear-cut choices between “right” and “wrong.” But there are many gray areas, like Jill’s, when it’s harder to know what the right choice is for you and your company.

Assignment 1: Conducting an Environmental Analysis

Due Week 4 and worth 300 points

 

For all assignments assume that you are the administrator of a fictitious organization of your choice.  The organization can be any type of health care organization such as a hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation center, clinic, etc. As the administrator, you are faced with the challenges of declining reimbursements from insurance providers and increasing demands for patient services due to dramatic changes in the external environment. Such changes include those imposed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Your first step in evaluating the position of your organization will be conducting an environmental analysis. The purpose of this is to determine your organization’s ability to continue to provide quality care and remain financially solvent in the face of these challenges.

 

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. Determine two (2) specific forces in the external environment that will have the most impact on your organization. Provide a rationale for your decision.
2. Determine two (2) specific internal factors that the organization’s leaders need to consider in preparing for the future of health care and the future of the organization. Provide a rationale for your decision.
3. Discuss the impact of both the identified internal and external forces on the organization’s ability to develop a competitive strategy.
4. Recommend one (1) strategy that involves the organization’s managers in implementing and maintaining the momentum of the strategic plan.
5. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites to not qualify as academic resources.

 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

 

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Differentiate between strategic management, strategic thinking, strategic planning, and managing strategic momentum.
• Analyze the significance of the external environment’s impact on health care organizations.
• Examine the purpose and importance of service area competitor analysis.
• Examine the role of internal environmental analysis in identifying the basis for sustained competitive advantage.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in the strategic management of health care organizations.
• Write clearly and concisely about strategic management of health care organizations using proper writing mechanics.