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See Like a Scientist:
Legends and Color
Introduction:
In the Geology Module we have been looking at the movement of geological plates and even though most of the maps have been generic locations, it

brings up a new type of visual that we should consider…the map! (concepts we cover in this section could also be used for other types of visuals

such as diagrams, because they both communicate location and relative placement).
What are they? Maps and diagrams are types of representations where you are looking at the relative position of items in relation to each other.

Just as a map might tell you where a city could lie in relation to a river or canyon, a diagram can show you where the cornea is in relation to the

optic nerve. Because you cannot necessarily draw everything to scale, there are often symbols and colors that represent different concepts or

structures. In addition, many times other information is layered on top of the map to show how things are distributed geographically. Here’s an

overview of how to read or think about maps.
Lesson: Just like the Title and Axes, to decode maps you have to look at the Legend to decode all of the symbols and colors used…you might be

surprised what you find.
Read:
Visit the following sites and see what they say about the pros and cons associated with this form of visual communication:
Color is not just a way to label…it means something in its own right article.
Along similar lines how might this NASA figure be misinterpreted?
Is this additional ocean picture a problem for you?
In the same sense, is this perspective of Where America Lives image a problem?
Overlap of additional information to communicate a point image.
Think like a geologist
In 2010, U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson made a comment that raised some eyebrows. In a discussion about a plan to add US troops to a base on the

Pacific island of Guam, Johnson stated his concerns that adding more troops could weigh down the island so as to have it tip over and capsize.

Johnson later stated that he was talking about how the extra troops would hinder the island’s limited infrastructure. Read about Johnson’s ideas and

watch a video here.

Look at another possible scenario dealing with California earthquakes. A large portion of California sits along the San Andreas Fault, part of which

has a transform plate boundary that is a very active area for earthquakes. Because of this, some people think that a massively huge earthquake (aka

“the big one”) is in California’s future. Some people even go so far as to argue that this huge earthquake could result in Los Angeles becoming an

island, instantly separated from the rest of the continental United States, while others argue against this idea. Read about the history of Los

Angeles earthquakes here.

TEST YOUR CRITICAL THINKING BY ANSWERING THREE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS IN THIS “THINK LIKE A…GEOLOGIST” FORUM.
1. Would the likelihood of an earthquake shape your decision on where to live? Why or why not? Include your personal experiences or knowledge

about earthquakes in your answer.
2. Knowing what you now know about plate tectonics, is there any scientific validity to Johnson’s initial claim? Is there any evidence to

support this hypothetical scenario presented by Johnson? How could Johnson’s idea shape public policy?
3. Your job is to create an argument about Johnson’s idea. Pick a side of the debate and provide the information to answer the following

questions:
• What is your claim?
• What is the evidence to support your claim?
• Why do you think your evidence is reliable and trustworthy?

Speak like a geologist
Watch the Geologists in the Wild video, watch the Speak Like a Geologist Lesson, and listen to the Act Like a Geologist Audio Podcast.
The decoding skill that was discussed in the Speak Like a Scientist is one that I had to use all of the time in graduate school. My field was in

disease evolution and a big part of the discipline is looking and thinking about differential equations. My feelings at the time were if I wanted

to do math I would have been a math major (I was a surly graduate student 🙂 ). One of the things that got me through it was some advice from a

friend who said just write them out in sentence form. Even though this might be commonsense to some of you, this advice was flooring for me. So,

this…

Given that:
• d = change in…
• x = number of rabbits
• t = time
• a = growth rate
• B = attack rate of hawks on rabbits
• y = number of hawks

Becomes this…the change in the number of rabbits over time is equal to the growth rate of the number of rabbits minus the attack rate of hawks on

rabbits times the number of rabbits times the number of hawks. Simplified it means that the population of rabbits will be determined by the

increase of rabbits from the amount of babies they make (growth rate) minus the number that are killed by hawks (attack rate of hawks times the

number of hawk/rabbit interactions you have). And you might be like, “OK, so what?” This equation is a hypothesis that can be used to make

predictions…like how many hawks can be present before your rabbit population goes away. If you take measures of real populations you can figure out

if this hypothesis holds, or if there is another variable you need to incorporate into your model.
Decoding is an essential skill and it involves not being overwhelmed when you see something you do not immediately understand. For this exercise,

find and provide us either a sentence with multiple words to decode or an equation (you can insert a picture of the equation if it is too difficult

to input the symbols). Describe how do you think this need for translation impacts science, the public, and/or policy?

Identify the value chain and competitive forces in Porter’s model. Based on “The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations”

article and cases, what effect did the value chain and competitive forces have on those organizations? What strategies did those organizations

undergo to respond to sustainability?

In this Case, you will investigate the effects of IT on competition and value chain activities. A value chain approach is an effective way for

management to search for IT opportunities. A value chain is a series of interdependent activities designed to produce services or products in an

organization. IT offers incentives to improve tasks and functions simply by altering activities, which can then provide efficiencies.

Conversely, IT mismanagement can significantly and negatively affect customers, suppliers, and the organization as a whole.

Value chains play an important role in organizations’ efforts to attain competitive advantage. There are two broad types of activities—primary

and support. IT can expedite the primary activities including procurement of materials and goods, and can influence how products and services

are delivered and marketed. Automation has simplified operations and replaced routine tasks. Marketing and sales make use of the latest

technologies and mobile devices to respond to customer demands. Similarly, the support activities in the value chain help ensure policies and

procedures that better sustain elements such as the corporate infrastructure, human resources, and IT departments. In short, support activities

buffer primary activities which are focused on to customers, suppliers, and the conversion of raw materials into finished products

There are five required readings and a video for this Case:

NetMBA. (2011). The value chain. Business Knowledge Center. Retrieved from http://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/

Porter, M. E. (2008, January). The five competitive forces that shape strategy. Harvard Business Review, 79-93. Available in the Trident Online

Library.

Harvard Business Publishing. (2008). Interview with Michael Porter: The five competitive forces that shape strategy. [Video file]. Retrieve from

Berns, M., Townsend, A., Khajat, Z., Bagopal, B., Reeves, M., et al. (2009). The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations. The

Magazine MIT Sloan Management Review Special Report. Retrieved from http://files.meetup.com/1325336/MITSloan%20Mgmt%20Review%20The%20Biz%20of

%20Sustainability.pdf

Crime and Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Explore the Ecological Association

http://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsad.2012.73.523

Scholarly review will come from this article

Every successful new Scientific movement has had strong personalities behind them. While the MS had four (and others!), Ernst Mayr can

easily be considered Darwin’s Bulldog of our time. To pay tribute to the most passionate, influential, and accomplished Evolutionary

Biologist of the 20th Century, read Ernst Mayr and the Origin of Species, Ernst Mayr and Evolutionary Biology, Darwin’s Current Bulldog,

The Importance of Being Ernst, and Ernst Mayr (1904-2005). What did you find interesting about this MS founder? The biological species

concept emerges during the MS. Mayr receives credit for it, but who came up with it first?
double spaced, standard font (12), standard margins (1″), paragraphs indented, spell checked, grammar checked.

 

Unit 5 – Discussion Board
Assignment Details
Assignment Description
Reminder: Initial Discussion Board posts due by Friday, responses due by Tuesday
Students will be expected to post their first initial discussion board posting by Friday of each week. Discussion posts will be graded and late

submissions will be assigned a
late penalty in accordance with the late penalty policy found in the syllabus. NOTE: All submission posting times are based on midnight Central Time.
Students are expected to post their responses to peers by Tuesday. NOTE: All submission posting times are based on midnight Central Time.
Summative Discussion Board
Review and reflect on the knowledge you have gained from this course. Based on your review and reflection, write at least 3 paragraphs on the

following:
What were the most compelling topics learned in this course?
How did participating in discussions help your understanding of the subject matter? Is anything still unclear that could be clarified?
What approaches could have yielded additional valuable information?
Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 100-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding

items you found
to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:
What did you learn from your classmate’s posting?
What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings?
For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.
Reading Assignment
Editorial Board Chapters: Review 2 and 5
Click on the following link and access the tab title that aligns to the unit title:
http://careered.libguides.com/ctu/MGM355
Assignment Objectives
Use effective communication techniques.
Other Information
There is no additional information to display at this time.

 

 

 

Problem Identification
For this assignment, the Learning Team conducts basic research related to a business problem. This allows students to use critical thinking in their research to identify problems and discuss how to develop potential solutions. This will build a foundation for the rest of the Learning Team’s assignments. Select a business situation such as reorganization, office closure, expansion, etc. Prepare a 800-word discussion of the business situation. The discussion should include the following:
-Summarize the issue
-Identify the problem
-Explain why this is the underlying problem
-Relate the research to the problem
-Explain how a clearly defined problem could help with solutions

 

Benchmark – Memory and Brain Mechanisms
The goal of this paper is to understand how the brain and memory processes are intertwined and how certain techniques can improve these processes. In an

essay of 1,000-1,250 words, discuss how memories are formed and maintained in the brain through the actions of neural circuitry. Use at least four

scholarly resources to address the following questions:
Theoretically, how is working memory similar to and different from long-term memory?
How are memories formed in the brain (using neural circuitry), and how are they maintained?
When is it adaptive to remember, and in what ways may it be adaptive to forget?
Given what we know about brain mechanisms in memory, are our memories accurate? Explain your answer using information on how memories are stored in the

brain.
How can knowledge of the brain and memory systems be used to help individuals suffering from memory problems (e.g., poor memory, amnesia, PTSD)?
Compare the role age and environment play in how memories are formed and maintained.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

 

Essay paper on: What were the biggest problems faced by Austro-Hugarian empire? What were the biggest differences between “imperialsm” in

Africa and the efforts of Austria-Hungary? Please make sure the sources used are not a paid site.

Assume that you’re the staffing manager in a company that informally, but strongly, discourages you and managers from hiring people with

disabilities. The company’s rationale is that people with disabilities are unlike to be high performers or long term employees, and are costly to

train, insure, and integrate into the work unit. What is your ethical assessment of the company’s stance; do you have an ethical obligation to try

to change the stance, and if so, how might you go about that?

A recurring theme of this module has been the value of data to analysis and decision-making. You have utilised various types of data while

conducting several analyses in the Individual Assignments Submission submitted in Units 2-5.

In this final unit, you will synthesise what you have learned about financial and performance management throughout the module. Recall the words

from Anthony’s Orchard CEO Bob Frost in Unit 2:

We are excited about our future, and have aggressive plans for it. Among these plans is expansion into a new product line. We hope to be

producing and distributing Anthony’s Orchard apple juice within the next 3 to 5 years.
As your Final Project for this module, you will create a consultancy report that will provide guidance and insight to company management

regarding this decision. Relying on the work done in previous Individual Assignments Submission, you will make a recommendation to the company

regarding the plan to expand the product line and make a significant investment in an apple press required for that expansion.

To prepare for this Individual Assignment:

Reflect on the work you submitted in the Individual Assignments Submission of Units 2-5. Review the feedback you received from your Faculty

Member.
Review the Final Project guidelines by clicking on Final Project on the Module Menu.
To complete this Individual Assignment:

Develop the ‘Executive Summary’ and Section 5, ‘Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion’, which includes your formal recommendation to the

company. Refine Sections 1-4 (based on the Individual Assignments Submission in Units 2-5).
Compile the final consultancy report, and submit to your Faculty Member based on the Final Project Guidelines.
Submit in one Word document the Executive Summary, Sections 1-5, and Appendices and Resources to the Final

As your Final Project for Financial and Performance Management, you will prepare and submit a consultancy report to the management of Anthony’s

Orchard, the company studied throughout this module. The company is considering expanding its product line to include apple juice. This

expansion would require a significant investment in a piece of equipment known as an apple press. Your Final Project submission analyses this

decision, and provides to company management a recommendation based on your analysis.

The consultancy report should contain five distinct sections, plus an executive summary, that in total equate to 5,000 words (+/- 10%) in

length. Necessary Appendices and a References section should also be included. Throughout this module, you will develop various sections of this

report through your work on Individual Assignments (IAs). During Unit 6, you will compile these sections and make any refinements based on

feedback received from your Faculty Member. You will also develop the additional sections required to complete and submit the Final Project.

Contents:

Your consultancy report should include the following sections:

Executive summary
Section 1: Financial Analysis
Section 2: Analysis of the Investment
Section 3: Developing a Balanced Scorecard
Section 4: Assessing Benchmarking Efforts
Section 5: Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion
Executive Summary (New)

In this section, you introduce the nature and purpose of your study. Summarise your study and its objectives, and briefly state your

recommendations.

Section 1: Financial Analysis (Overview of the given case study organisation and its current financial situation) (Unit 2)

In this section, refine the assignment you completed in Unit 2, an analysis of the current financial health of the company. Using data provided,

assess materials and labor costs, the income statement, the cash flow statement and each of the business units in Anthony’s Orchard.

Additionally, conduct a cost-volume-profit (C-V-P) analysis of the current year’s financials.

Section 2: Analysis of the Investment (Future capital investment opportunities and strategic financial plan) (Unit 3)

In this section, refine the assignment you completed in Unit 3, an analysis of the proposed investment in an apple press. Consider the impact

this investment has on the company’s stated revenue objectives, and draft projected financial statements that provide a realistic assessment of

expected revenues and costs.

Section 3: Developing a Balanced Scorecard (Balanced Scorecard and performance indicators) (Unit 4)

In this section, refine the assignment you completed in Unit 4, an analysis and projection of various performance measures for Anthony’s

Orchard. Develop a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) for the company to measure financial, customer, internal process and learning/growth performance.

Add to this your opinion of any effects on organisational performance that may emerge as a result of expanding the product line.

Section 4: Assessing Benchmarking Efforts (Gap analysis and benchmarking, including quality assurance techniques (Unit 5)
In this section, refine the assignment you completed in Unit 5, an analysis of various quality measures for Anthony’s Orchard. Conduct a gap

analysis and provide recommendations for the development of benchmarking efforts.

Section 5: Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion (New)

In this section, present your recommendations in more detail than you did in Section 1. Include your final recommendation to the management of

Anthony’s Orchard regarding the expansion of the product line to include apple juice and the requisite purchase of the apple press. Present your

reasoning for your position, and include any subsidiary recommendations you may wish to make (such as additional performance or quality efforts

suggested) in support of your primary recommendation. Reiterate any assumptions you made.

Appendices (New)

Include any supporting documentation you feel is required in this section. This may include organisational data, historical information,

additional information on tools or any other information that would be pertinent in support of your proposed solution.

References (Units 2-5)

In the Individual Assignments submitted in Units 2-5, you submit references to any sources of information or readings that you refer to in your

analyses. In this section of your report, include these references. Be sure to make appropriate use of the Harvard Referencing Style.

Additional Guidance:

A recurring theme of this module is the value of data to decision-making. Be mindful that your audience for this consultancy report is the

management of Anthony’s Orchard. The work you submit here should a useful tool to the organisation while it considers the idea proposed by

company CEO Bob Frost in the media piece presented in Unit 2—the production and distribution of Anthony’s Orchard apple juice within the next 3

to 5 years. Your consultancy report should be well thought-out, and developed in a manner that provides insight and guidance.

Project Part 1 submission link in the Final Project area of the Module Menu.
Submit the PPDP update to the Final Project Part 2 submission link in the Final Project area of the Module Menu.

A recurring theme of this module has been the value of data to analysis and decision-making. You have utilised various types of data while

conducting several analyses in the Individual Assignments Submission submitted in Units 2-5.

In this final unit, you will synthesise what you have learned about financial and performance management throughout the module. Recall the words

from Anthony’s Orchard CEO Bob Frost in Unit 2:

We are excited about our future, and have aggressive plans for it. Among these plans is expansion into a new product line. We hope to be

producing and distributing Anthony’s Orchard apple juice within the next 3 to 5 years.
As your Final Project for this module, you will create a consultancy report that will provide guidance and insight to company management

regarding this decision. Relying on the work done in previous Individual Assignments Submission, you will make a recommendation to the company

regarding the plan to expand the product line and make a significant investment in an apple press required for that expansion.

To prepare for this Individual Assignment:

Reflect on the work you submitted in the Individual Assignments Submission of Units 2-5. Review the feedback you received from your Faculty

Member.
Review the Final Project guidelines by clicking on Final Project on the Module Menu.
To complete this Individual Assignment:

Develop the ‘Executive Summary’ and Section 5, ‘Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion’, which includes your formal recommendation to the

company. Refine Sections 1-4 (based on the Individual Assignments Submission in Units 2-5).
Compile the final consultancy report, and submit to your Faculty Member based on the Final Project Guidelines.
Submit in one Word document the Executive Summary, Sections 1-5, and Appendices and Resources to the Final Project Part 1 submission link in the

Final Project area of the Module Menu.
Submit the PPDP update to the Final Project Part 2 submission link in the Final Project area of the Module Menu.

Topic: Financial and Performance Management

Complete the following: Jayantha commenced business on 1 January 2010 with equity of £100,000. During the year ending 31 December 2010, he paid

£92,400 for purchasing goods for sale (all of which was sold) and £31,450 for various expenses. He received £139,250 by sale of goods. Jayantha

has drawn £12,000 in cash and introduced a motor car to the business valued at £10,000. What is Jayantha’s equity at 31 December 2010?
Solution: £115,400
The following information relates to Simonson Engineering as at 30 September 2010: £
Plant and machinery 25,000
Trade payables 18,000
Short-term borrowings 26,000
Inventories 45,000
Property 72,000
Long-term borrowings 51,000
Trade receivables 48,000
Equity at 1 October 2009 117,500
Cash in hand 1,500
Motor vehicles 15,000
Fixtures and fittings 9,000
Profit for the year to 30 September 2010 18,000
Drawings for the year to 30 September 2010 15,000
Using this information, prepare a statement of financial position for the business using the standard layout illustrated in Example 2.5 on p.48

of Atrill, P., & E. McLaney, (2011) Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists, 7th edition, Harlow: FT/Prentice Hall.
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

An accountant prepared a statement of financial position for a business. In this statement, the equity of the owner was shown next to the

liabilities. This confused the owner, who argued: ‘My equity is my major asset and so should be shown as an asset on the statement of financial

position’. How would you explain this misunderstanding to the owner?
Assets are the not equity, liabilities are the outsiders or third party’s claim into the business, and below it is equity, representing the

owner’s claim into the enterprise.
The statement of financial position shows how much a business is worth. Do you agree with this statement? Explain the reasons for your response.
I agree, it shows the business worth as at the specified dates. Total assets represents the total business financial position.
Compute the missing amount in the accounting equation for each business. Name of business Assets Liabilities Equity
Hudson Gift and Cards 37,000 35,000
2000
New Street Garage 85,000 39,000
46000
Hair Styles 92,000 53,000
39000
At the year end, the total assets of a business were £189,000 and the total liabilities were £126,000. During the year, the owner withdrew

£10,000 and introduced a further £18,000 in equity. The business began the year with total assets £180,000 and total liabilities of £112,000.

What is the profit (loss) for the year? £8,000 (profit) £13,000 (loss) £8,000 (loss) £13,000 (profit)

A company that produces a single product provides the following information: budgeted sales of 40,000 units, margin of safety 25% of budgeted

sales, total fixed costs £240,000. What is the contribution per unit of the company’s product?
x_be=75% of 40000=30000 units=(fixed cost)/(contribution margin)=240000/CM,CM=$8
A business makes 2,000 units of a particular product. It spent £24,000 on material and it paid its operatives £40,000. Fixed costs of running

the factory were £50,000. The salesforce were also paid £18,000 and the head office costs were £100,000. In order to break even the selling

price per unit will have to be:
total variable cost=total direct labour+total direct material
=24000+40000
=$64000
variable unit cost= (total variable cost)/(units produced)=$64000/(2000 units)=$32 per unit
Variable cost per unit= 12+20= $32
2000(sp-32)=168000
2000sp-64000=168000
2000sp=232000
sp=$116