Category: research

 
Assessment Task: Project Plan

Examine the case study for Oxford Fire Station

The aims of the project were to provide :-

• An accredited education, training and employment centre for homeless and vulnerably housed people;
• A social enterprise café providing on the job and accredited training and experience;
• A flexible arts auditorium for continuing professional development across art forms, and for rehearsal, training and performance use;
• A specialist dance studio for rehearsal and training
• A flexible professional gallery to showcase new work;
• A small commercial retail space for artists and makers to exhibit and sell work;
• An affordable creative workspace for emerging professional artists, including those involved in digital technologies

As a consequence of all of the above prepare the following aspects of a PMP:

• Provide a review of the issues discussed at the outset of the project that would impact on the project scope in terms of:

 Final use of building
 Age & condition of the building
 Environmental considerations
 Position of the building
• Stakeholder analysis that includes an Interest/Influence matrix identifying those potentially for and against the project. Your analysis should also include an outline communication plan/matrix with brief justification for your choices
• Outline risk register [refer to the template]
• The study refers to an unexpected discovery of asbestos. Using the information supplied regarding the auditorium calculate:
 The cost of reducing the time schedule by two weeks
 The maximum amount of time that could be saved and the new cost
• Calculate and plot cash flows based on the budget information
• Map out a potential WBS the project management team would have drawn up that includes the elements they would need in place before they could proceed with the contract.
Critically evaluate the overall project management framework, including project management context, project life cycle, stakeholder management and project management processes – along with their interactions.
Marking Scheme
Marks available Marks Awarded
Review of the issues discussed at the outset of the project that would impact on the project scope 20
Stakeholder analysis that includes an Interest/Influence matrix, plus outline communication plan/matrix with brief justification for choices 15
Outline risk register [refer to the template provided] 10
Project timings reduction costings 15
Budget and cash flow 15
WBS for pre-planning phase 10
Format, presentation & referencing 10
Total 100

 
Minor Project 2
.
Universal Rental Car Pricing Simulation

Minor Project 2 draws on the content knowledge gained from Periods 1-3.

Assignment

Write a report of no more than 2,000 words (not including tables and other appendixes) explaining your strategy, results, and observations from the special scenario of Universal Rental Car Pricing Simulation assigned for Minor Project 2. Design and format of the report are your choice. When quoting from or crediting references, use the Harvard style. This means that there will not be footnotes, and that citations/references are “worked into” the regular text. Please see a copy of the Harvard Business Review in the Regent Library databases for examples.

Content

The report should start with an overview of your strategy (its goals and any changes during the scenario), your results (did they meet expectations?), and an explanation of how your strategy, market conditions, and competitor behavior led to those results. The body of the report should answer/discuss the following questions and topics:
•Weekday vs. weekend demand. How did they differ? What are they a proxy for? How did their price responsiveness differ and why? How did you use this information in your pricing decisions?
•Cost structure. Describe the economics of this business. In what ways did you use the breakeven calculator? How did the cost structure affect your pricing decisions?
•Competitive price moves. What did you think the competition was doing? What kind of competitor were you up against? How intelligent was the competitor? On what do you base that assessment?
•General market conditions. Did you observe any patterns in overall market demand over the duration of the game? Explain. How would you characterize elasticity of demand in this market overall? Was it a good year or a bad year to be managing this business? Why?

Note that this project is graded using the Major Project Rubric (Not QEP). Note that we are using the Major Project Rubric for both Minor and Major Projects. Please click on the underlined ‘Minor Project 2’ heading above and then look at the rubric so that you know how the project will be evaluated.

 
The purpose of the Final Project is to apply the concepts and techniques of the module to the analysis of real-world situations or problems. Students are expected to use diverse sources of information and to carry out an original analysis rather than summarise or rehash existing work. Students are encouraged to use situations and data from their own experience where possible.

For this module, you are required to complete a course project that provides an investigation of outstanding examples of leadership, providing an analysis of the leaders’ styles and effectiveness. In Week 5, you needed to choose two leaders (living or deceased) that you will research with regards to their leadership traits, styles, ability to inspire change, etc. The analysis and evaluation of these leadership examples must be based on the concepts you have acquired throughout the module.

You were also required to maintain a weekly journal, documenting important aspects of leadership that you encountered over the duration of the module. You should include entries into your journal that provide examples of leadership that you personally witness or insights gained through readings or class Discussions. You should have at least 18–20 entries in your journal. Entries into the journal began in Week 1.

You should then provide an analysis and evaluation of the information and insights from your journal entries against the research you conducted on the two exemplary leaders. The goal is to connect what you have learned through research to your everyday and professional life. The Final Project is due this week and should follow the given outline:

Analysis and evaluation of Leader #1
Analysis and evaluation of Leader #2
Comparison of the leaders
Summary of significant findings and perspectives from journal entries
Analysis and evaluation of journal entries to chosen leaders
Conclusion
Journal entries (appendix)

Your Final Project should also include a section on how and where you obtained the information sources. Your journal entries should be typed and included in an appendix to the Final Project. This project should follow a structured approach and should be prepared and presented as a professional business report. Completion of the Final Project will require a thorough understanding and application of business leadership concepts.

 
Length and format: 4
–
5 pages. The title page and reference page are also required, but they should
not be factored into the 4
–
5 page length of the essay. It should also be double spaced, written in
Times New Roman, and 12 font. Essay should conform to APA
formatting and citation style.
Please
note that the
Dr
aft should be between four and five pages in length

 
Prepare a “Water and Water Treatment” research paper regarding how a terrorist organization or lone wolf could use to harm our critical infrastructure in the United States.

The paper should be in APA format, Times New Roman font, font size 12, the paper must be 5 pages with title and reference pages.

Title Page – 1 page

Main Body of Paper – 3 pages

Reference Page – 1 page (10) references

Make sure you have:

Page numbers
References throughout the paper
Properly formatted reference page (APA) format: All resources will be cited. You are not allowed to use “Wikipedia”.
Header at the top with (your last name HMSY1341-Final Projec

 
With the Journal Article that was included:
Write a paper which addresses the following issues with regards to the paper you picked:
1. What is the research topic of the paper? Why is it important?
2. What is/are the research question/s? note that these can be implied or explicitly stated in the papers you have chosen.
3. How the hypotheses (if any) are related to the research question?
4. Discuss and criticize the authors’ approaches for hypothesis development using criteria explicated in the reading materials for this week.
5. Think of a variable which the authors did not discuss and can influence their outcome variable (DV). Develop a hypothesis for this effect, and justify your hypothesis
6. Conclude your report with a paragraph or so evaluating the entire exercise in terms of what you have learned and your reflections on the topic.
Please organize your paper in a scholarly way. Add section titles when necessary. Explain your logic and when appropriate, use external sources and use proper citations.

 
Project Auctions
From the syllabus: �In approximately 5 pages, you will describe a historical or contemporary example of an auction, how it is conducted, and how it relates to the theoretical models and concepts that we have studied in class.� Here is some additional information.
Topic
Some of the goods sold at auction include stamps, timber, fish, flowers, cranberry concentrate, cars, art and wine, radio spectrum licenses, and abandoned storage units. They are used for procurement (these are sometimes called �reverse auctions�), for entertainment (Swoopo is one example of these �penny auctions�), and in takeovers of companies.
You may write about one of the auctions mentioned here, if you wish, but you are also encouraged to seek different topics and additional sources. I hope to read about a variety of auction applications when I read your papers � perhaps some that I have not heard of before.
One warning on topic selection: if you choose as your topic a slave auction, you must take extra care to write with sensitivity, demonstrating to the reader that you comprehend the moral as well as the economic dimensions of such an event.
Content
Here are some questions that can help guide you as you learn about your chosen topic. Don�t let the length of this list intimidate you! It is meant to help you get started in your thinking and researching. You do not have to answer all of these questions, and you may find that there are other aspects of the auction that are important to discuss.
1. Seller(s)
� What good(s) or service(s) for sale? Does it have any value to the seller if it goes unsold?
� What choices does the seller make in setting up the auction � does the seller set a reserve price, advertise the auction, distribute information to the bidders?
� What information does the seller have ahead of time about the item being sold and about the bidders in the auction?
2. Buyers
1
� What kind of bidders participate in the auction? What level of experience do they
typically have? Do you believe that bidders tend to be fairly similar to one another, or can they be separated into distinct categories?
� How do bidders learn about the auction? What information does the bidder have about the item(s) being sold?
� What use or interest do they have in obtaining the item?
� Is there a cost to participating in the auction � perhaps a fee charged by the seller, or perhaps a cost in money, time, or other resources in order to prepare or take part in the auction?
� How many bidders are there in this auction (or a typical auction of this kind)?
� Do you think that the bidders are risk neutral? Risk averse? Risk seeking?
3. AuctionRulesandOutcomes
� When and where does the auction take place?
� How are bids submitted? (In person? Electronically? In writing? Over the phone?)
� How is the winner and the price determined?
� Is this auction static or dynamic?
� How long does a typical auction of this kind last?
� Does the seller communicate with or observe buyers� reactions over the course of the auction?
� Are bidders aware of how many other bidders are in the auction? Do they know who they are competing with?
� Can bidders communicate with or observe one another over the course of the auction?
� Is there any indication that bidders cooperate with each other to keep prices low? If cheating might occur, what would it look like in this auction?
� Do sellers have an opportunity to cheat? Why should buyers trust the sellers? 4. Theory
� Consider the assumptions of the independent private values model. What are some specific reasons to believe that this particular auction is a good or a bad fit for that model? If you could change the model in one way, what change do you think would be most important?
� Do you think that this auction best fits the private value model, the common value model, or is it in between?
� Do you expect that bidders are aware of the equilibrium bidding strategy of this auction? Do you think that most (if not all) of the bidders behave in a way that�s reasonably close to the equilibrium bidding strategy?
� Does the information you have about the outcome of the auction (if any) lead you to believe that the outcome matches what the theory would predict?
Format
I expect that about 5 pages of double-spaced text (using typical formatting) will be adequate to present the following:
1. Acompletedescriptionoftheauction.(Thefirstthreelistsofquestionwillgiveyouan idea of the kind of material to present here.)
2. A discussion of how this auction application compares to the theory we have learned. (See the fourth list of questions above.)
In addition, I expect you to present a bibliography of the sources that you consulted. I am not particular about which style of citation that you use. What matters � and it matters very much � is that I can easily identify the source of the information that you present, and I can look up the source for myself to verify its content if necessary.
—————–

 
magine that you have been hired as an Environmental Compliance Manager for a multinational corporation named ABC, Inc. The corporation that you work for is a manufacturer of pesticide, agriculture fertilizer, and herbicide. Prepare an eight- to ten-page Final Project (excluding the title and reference pages) that addresses each of the following three parts from a business perspective. All three parts of this assignment should be submitted as one document. Part I

Create a systemic approach (e.g., steps, flow chart, or directions) for ABC Inc.’s compliance with the following federal statutes.
RCRA
CERCLA
TSCA
FIFRA
CWA
CAA
EPCRA
You may prepare Part I of your project as a table, a flowchart, an outline with necessary steps listed in order, or in paragraph format.

Part II

Create a step-by-step plan for ABC Inc.’s risk management and for minimizing ABC Inc.’s liability exposure from environmental liability.

You may prepare Part II of your project as a table, a flow chart, an outline with necessary steps listed in order, or in paragraph format.

Part III

Evaluate the duties, leadership opportunities, and risks associated with environmental regulation for multinational corporations such as ABC Inc. in global business.

Part III of your project must be in paragraph format and should be a minimum of five pages.

Writing the Final Project

The Final Project:
Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, excluding the title and references pages, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a cover page that includes:
Title of paper
Student’s name
Course name and number
Instructor’s name
Date submitted
Must include an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.
Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
Must conclude with a restatement of the thesis and a conclusion paragraph.
Must use at least eight resources in addition to the course textbook, six of which need to come from the Ashford Library.
Must use APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center to document all sources.
Must include, as the final page, a reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.Focus of the Final Projectide

 
Your research assignment is to write another argumentative research essay. This time, you will choose a topic that you are curious about. Keeping in mind the characteristics of effective argument presented in class, you will develop a research question and a focused and debatable claim about the subject that you choose. Your goal will be to demonstrate the soundness of your viewpoint to skeptical readers, and to do this, you will need to offer a well-reasoned, well-supported, and effectively organized argument.
Keeping in mind the characteristics of effective argument presented in class and in Good Reasons, you will first develop a research question and, later, a focused and debatable claim about the subject that you choose. Your goal will be to demonstrate the soundness of your viewpoint to skeptical readers, and to do this you will need to offer a well-reasoned, well-supported, and effectively organized argument. You will also need to address and refute counterarguments.
While there is not a particular organizational scheme that you must follow, you are encouraged to use one of the structures presented in class or one of the structures presented in Good Reasons. Regardless of the structure you use, your essay must be carefully organized and clearly presented with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Requirements:
 Your essay must be formatted according to MLA page guidelines (see Chapter 20) and will include in-text citations and a Works Cited page.
 You must cite a minimum of six sources of at least three different types (review notes from class), and you will need to demonstrate your ability to draw upon these sources in ways that effectively advance your argument.
 Your essay must demonstrate that you are able to quote, summarize, and paraphrase sources appropriately and skillfully.
 Your essay will be 6 double-spaced pages minimum and submitted to turnitin.com for grading. (The Works Cited page does not count toward the page requirement.)
 You must not reuse an essay from another class.
 No late papers will be accepted, as the due date is on the last day of class. As such, no revisions will be allowed.
Your essay will earn a failing grade (D or F) if it:
 is less than 6 pages long (not including the Works Cited page).
 does not include a Works Cited page.
 has fewer than six sources.
 is plagiarized, whether intentional or not.
Before submitting your final draft to turnitin.com, please use the following checklist:
Checklist for Final Essay Draft:
 Did you include a Works Cited page with the corrections I marked on your Annotated Bibliography?
 Did you remember to title your Works Cited page appropriately?
 Did you delete the annotations from your sources before adding them to the final draft of your essay?
 Do the sources listed in your Works Cited match the sources cited in your essay, and vice versa?
 Do you have at least 6 pages, double spaced, using a 12-point font and 1-inch margins?
 Did you remember to introduce, cite, and explain (ICE) each of your quotations? Do all quotations include an introductory (or signal) phrase?
 Did you remember to proofread?
Sonnier – Research Essay 1 – page 2
Annotated Bibliography – Research Essay 2
Before you turn in Research Essay 2, you are required to submit an annotated bibliography containing at least 6 sources (more is better). Your bibliography will be formatted according to MLA requirements. I will not accept Research Essay

 
reference should be between 2010-2015, please to include Australia journal articles
Assignment 1
Weight: 30% advisory mark
Length: 1500 words
Task
Students are required to identify a topic in health or social care and submit a researchable question and a plan for critically reviewing that topic. While the actual critical review happens in Assignment 2, Assignment 1 is about describing what you plan to achieve and how you plan to achieve that in Assignment 2. Please be careful not to turn Assignment 1 into a draft of Assignment 2. The focus in Assignment 1 is on explaining how to conduct a literature review on a topic of your choice, with appropriate method and scope.
This assignment must cite at least 2 different scholarly textbooks/journal articles to inform how you will conduct your literature review and at least 5 journal articles you consider as suitable to be reviewed in your second assignment. It should contain and expound under the following sections:
• Introduction (including both about literature review in general and about a contemporary health or social care issue of your choice)
• The research question/focus and the provisional title of your literature review
• Definitions of key terms and concepts
• The dimensions and significance of the research/study topic
• Search strategy which includes for example literature sources accessed for this review (i.e. the names of the databases, search engines or journal lists, etc) key words, and inclusion and/or exclusion criteria for selection of literature
• Titles of the journal articles or research reports you identify so far as suitable to be reviewed in second assignment (i.e. a minimum of five). (No need to describe the content of these articles. But you do need to provide the publication details in the reference list.)
• How the evidence will be critically analysed and synthesized
• Reference list*
*APA referencing style must be used. Follow the link at the top right of the page for information and examples.
References should be as current as possible. As a general rule of thumb, literature published before 2000 will not attract marks. However, older research literature can be included for review where necessary and you ensure that its inclusion in the review is well justified (especially in the search strategy section).
NOTE: This assignment describes what you plan to achieve and how you plan to achieve it. It is NOT a draft of Assignment 2. The focus should be on how to conduct a literature review.
Marking/Assessment criteria for Assignment 1
Criteria Example of application Weighting
Structure:
• Organisation of material
• Relevance of topic • The content of the report is organised into sections such as: introduction, research questions, defining the core concepts, method for literature search & synthesis, significance of the research/chosen topic, result/outcome of literature search, reference list.
• The chosen health care topic is within the boundary of the profession you are in.
• Current literatures on the chosen topic have room for further research and development. For instance, the topic is not well covered in textbooks. 30%
Critical Analysis:
• logically developed argument
• presentation of accurate evidence • Research questions are grounded in practice, raised from logical argument, and based on overview of general to specific literature
• provided accurate information for the strategy of literature search such as key words, data sources, refinement strategies, inclusion and exclusion criteria for selection of literature
• provided credible description of the method to synthesise the nominated literatures forAssignment 2 30%
Sources:
• appropriate sources used
• appropriate acknowledgement of sources
• consistent and appropriate referencing method • Accessed different sources (e.g. scholarly text books, peer reviewed journals, reports from government and non-government agencies, conference proceedings, electronic and printed factbooks) in engaging with the relevant literature
• Referred to adequate number of literatures (i.e. minimum of two) from different sources to support and guide your approach to conducting a literature review and setting the context and background for the review
• Nominated adequate number of literatures (i.e. minimum of five) from different peer reviewed sources for Assignment 2, on the basis of progress made so far.
• References should be as current as possible. For instance, literature published before year 2000 will not attract mark, unless the old literature has specific foundational value.
• APA referencing style is consistently followed 20%
Originality
• ability to reformulate concepts in your own words
• imaginative and creative approach • Defined the core concepts in simple words
• The research questions will allow an innovative analysis of the chosen health care topic 5%
Writing style
• clarity
• fluency
• succinctness • Sentences are well structured and are unambiguous. Content of the report flows logically and has good clarity.
• Sentences are not too long 5%
Use of language
• Sentences reflect a good communication skill in general. • grammatical sentences
• correct spelling throughout
• correct punctuation throughout 5%
Presentation
• Professional layout reflecting legibility and clarity • A title page containing; i) Student name, number & course ii) Assignment number & assignment title written in full iii) Unit number & name iv) Name of the unit coordinator v) Due date of the assignment
• Table of Contents
• Appropriate section headings
• Titles for Tables and Figures
• Double-line spacing
• Legible font size (12 font is best) and type
• Length is consistent with the prescribed word limit ± 10%. 5%
Total
100%
Note: Students are encouraged to add to the sample format provided in this table.
Submission