Please read the case and answer the three questions below in specific
A group of bright and entrepreneurial graduates of the American University of Dubai Engineering, Arts and Sciences, and Business colleges has formed an idea generation company called ThinkTank4U. The company is built on an innovative idea itself. In a knowledge economy, new, novel and practical ideas become keenly sought-after ‘goods’. ThinkTank4U offers to its clients ‘ideas’ on a wide range of issues and themes including: how to bring new products to market, how to compete, how to grow, how to improve performance, how to deal successfully with competitors, complementors, customers, suppliers, and own employees. The mission of ThinkTank4U is to help clients with new working ideas that translate into greater performance. The company guarantees its clients the success of its ideas. It shares the revenue generated by its ideas with the client based on a formula agreed in advance by both of them. If no revenue is generated by the company’s ideas, it charges no fees for the assignment completed for the client.
The company is composed of a core group of four self-managed teams of ‘Ideators’ (the term used to describe team members indicating their task as idea generators) and helped by supporting contractual professional staff. Each team has on average seven members and is coordinated rotationally by the Ideator having the most valuable expertise in the basic issue of the assignment at hand. For example, if the client is asking for new advertising campaign ideas for promoting an electronic device, the team will be coordinated by the Ideator who has the most experience in the field of advertising. The company has no ranks in its structure, which is mainly based on teams and committees. The company also has a sophisticated information system that can be accessed by everybody in the core group.
After each assignment is completed, the team members set together for reflection. They make sure that the experience gained from the assignment is extracted, shared, and documented. The team learns how to better structure thinking, manage debate, activate participation, expose hidden assumptions, gain new knowledge, be acquainted with new industries, and so on. They revise their processes and outputs and try to discover weaknesses, gaps, and flaws in their working style, team structure, or relationship with clients. The company has a regular internal electronic publication it calls ‘The Pool’, where team members can present their thought, learned experiences, and ideas to share with the rest of the company.
The company’s strategic decisions are taken in general meetings coordinated by the company’s eldest member. The operational decisions are overseen by the committee of the current team coordinators. There are clear but simple policies and decision rules about how to make operational decisions to maintain consistency and to preserve the precious time of team coordinators. Strategic decisions are made by consensus whenever that is possible. When consensus is difficult to obtain in one session, another session is scheduled where arguments have to be presented, debated and then their merit is evaluated (by all members) using a scoring system from 1 (= weak) to 5 (= strong). The argument with the highest evaluation score will be wholeheartedly adopted by all.
The supporting contractual professional staff has a traditional pay policy unconditional upon the company’s performance. The core group pay, however, is based on performance of each member as evaluated by all members of the team. Each assignment’s revenue is divided into three parts: one third goes to the company’s account, one third is shared equally among the team members, and one third is allocated according to the contribution of each member as evaluated by the whole team.
Performance evaluation of Ideators is done by their teammates. Evaluation components are based on active and positive participation in clients’ assignments and in the running of the company’s affairs. These include skills such as initiative, creativity, debate, refutation, cooperation, knowledge sharing, the impartiality of judgment, and professionalism; and personal traits such as integrity, openness, responsiveness, sympathy, and willpower. There is a very strict exit policy. A team member who ranks last in evaluation in five consecutive times has to leave the company. Ranking last in performance in two consecutive times triggers an immediate inquiry into the reasons behind this ‘fatigue’. It also necessitates conducting what the company calls a ‘climbing’ session by all team members who offer help by sharing their experience and knowledge and by encouraging their teammate to climb back to high performance.
The company’s work culture and evaluation and support system succeed only on the basis of honesty, trust, and sheer candor (straightforwardness), traits that are at the heart of the hiring process of the company in addition to other competencies related to creative thinking and other soft skills. Members also have to possess strong characters to be able to withstand pressures, biases, and negative tendencies. These qualities are not easily found in many of the applicants who dream to join this company. Hiring is done by each team according to its own judgment but with non-binding consultation and coordination with other team coordinators. There is a well-established rule governing team size. When the size of a team exceeds 10 members it splits itself into two teams with each hiring new members if necessary. This is how new teams are formed out of current teams.
One of the company’s teams is currently working on a client’s assignment that requires the generation of ideas about how to increase sales of children’s games after the Eid season. A recently hired member of the team, known for his experience, knowledge, and creativity, has come with the following strategy:
Please Answer the three questions below (be specific):
In: Operations Management
A.) Is the national crime rate really going down? Some sociologists say yes! They say that the reason for the decline in crime rates in the 1980s and 1990s is demographics. It seems that the population is aging, and older people commit fewer crimes. According to the FBI and the Justice Department, 70% of all arrests are of males aged 15 to 34 years†. Suppose you are a sociologist in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and a random sample of police files showed that of 33 arrests last month, 19 were of males aged 15 to 34 years. Use a 10% level of significance to test the claim that the population proportion of such arrests in Rock Springs is different from 70%.
What is the value of the sample test statistic? (Round your answer to two decimal places.)
Find the P-value of the test statistic. (Round your answer to four decimal places.)
B.) Women athletes at the a certain university have a long-term graduation rate of 67%. Over the past several years, a random sample of 36 women athletes at the school showed that 22 eventually graduated. Does this indicate that the population proportion of women athletes who graduate from the university is now less than 67%? Use a 5% level of significance.
What is the value of the sample test statistic? (Round your answer to two decimal places.)
C.) The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reported that 77% of all fatally injured automobile drivers were intoxicated. A random sample of 55 records of automobile driver fatalities in a certain county showed that 36 involved an intoxicated driver. Do these data indicate that the population proportion of driver fatalities related to alcohol is less than 77% in Kit Carson County? Use ? = 0.10.
What is the value of the sample test statistic? (Round your answer to two decimal places.)
D.) What is your favorite color? A large survey of countries, including the United States, China, Russia, France, Turkey, Kenya, and others, indicated that most people prefer the color blue. In fact, about 24% of the population claim blue as their favorite color.† Suppose a random sample of n = 59 college students were surveyed and r = 14 of them said that blue is their favorite color. Does this information imply that the color preference of all college students is different (either way) from that of the general population? Use ? = 0.05.
What is the value of the sample test statistic? (Round your answer to two decimal places.)
E.) The following is based on information from The Wolf in the Southwest: The Making of an Endangered Species, by David E. Brown (University of Arizona Press). Before 1918, the proportion of female wolves in the general population of all southwestern wolves was about 50%. However, after 1918, southwestern cattle ranchers began a widespread effort to destroy wolves. In a recent sample of 37 wolves, there were only 11 females. One theory is that male wolves tend to return sooner than females to their old territories, where their predecessors were exterminated. Do these data indicate that the population proportion of female wolves is now less than 50% in the region? Use ? = 0.01.
What is the value of the sample test statistic? (Round your answer to two decimal places.)
Find the P-value of the test statistic. (Round your answer to four decimal places.)
F.) In a fishing lodge brochure, the lodge advertises that 75% of its guests catch northern pike over 20 pounds. Suppose that last summer 62 out of a random sample of 87 guests did, in fact, catch northern pike weighing over 20 pounds. Does this indicate that the population proportion of guests who catch pike over 20 pounds is different from 75% (either higher or lower)? Use ? = 0.05.
What is the value of the sample test statistic? (Round your answer to two decimal places.)
Find the P-value of the test statistic. (Round your answer to four decimal places.)
G.) USA Today reported that about 47% of the general consumer population in the United States is loyal to the automobile manufacturer of their choice. Suppose Chevrolet did a study of a random sample of 1009 Chevrolet owners and found that 487 said they would buy another Chevrolet. Does this indicate that the population proportion of consumers loyal to Chevrolet is more than 47%? Use ? = 0.01.
What is the value of the sample test statistic? (Round your answer to two decimal places.)
Find the P-value of the test statistic. (Round your answer to four decimal places.)
H.) This problem is based on information taken from The Merck Manual (a reference manual used in most medical and nursing schools). Diltiazem is a commonly prescribed drug for hypertension. However, diltiazem causes headaches in about 12% of patients using the drug. It is hypothesized that regular exercise might help reduce the headaches. If a random sample of 209 patients using diltiazem exercised regularly and only 16 had headaches, would this indicate a reduction in the population proportion of patients having headaches? Use a 1% level of significance.
What is the value of the sample test statistic? (Round your answers to two decimal places.)
Find the P-value of the test statistic. (Round your answers to four decimal places.)
In: Statistics and Probability
Cooperative Research Ethics Review Boards: A Win-Win Solution?
Enhancing public participation in research is one of the central challenges facing the clinical research enterprise in the United States, and one of its highest priorities.[1] Public concern about the safety of participating in research is increasing, reflected in a rising tide of litigation, negative articles in the popular press, and other published commentaries.[2] Part of this concern focuses on Research Ethics Review Boards (Research ERBs)the entities responsible for ethical review and oversight of human research. These bodies, referred to in federal regulations as Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), are overburdened and often characterized as inefficient and ineffective.[3] The increasing number of multi-center studies is exacerbating current problems, as they often require duplicative reviews.[4] Multiple submissions of a single protocol and its associated consent documents to several Research ERBs for review and alterations create redundancy without necessarily enhancing the protection of research subjects.[5]
Many parties, including the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC), and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), note that these duplicative reviews can actually detract from subject protections by diverting time and resources from more effective uses; they have suggested streamlining review through the use of alternative models.[6] Collaborative approaches to ethical review that capture the best of both central and local processes could be more efficient, less costly and less demanding of limited resources, and also be more effective. They may allow for more timely data collection and analysis of adverse events, address the problem of institutional conflict of interest, and offer more options for unaffiliated investigators and patients with rare diseases.[7]
Central review boards have taken on increasing importance in recent years. Reference to a "central IRB" does not necessarily mean that one Research ERB is always the IRB of record; use of the term "cooperative review" may more accurately reflect the emerging approaches discussed in this article. In a survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) of research deans at institutions using a Central IRB (defined as any noninstitutional board or cooperative arrangement), 53% agreed that its use shortened time to approval of research protocols. Eighty-four percent were pleased with the Central IRB review, and 77% indicated that they were able to maintain excellent local oversight of studies approved by a Central IRB.[8] Notably, some highly respected academic institutions have turned to well-established commercial review boards after deficiencies in their local boards and processes resulted in significant enforcement actions by federal regulatory agencies. One of these private boards was among the first human research protection programs (HRPP) to receive full accreditation by the Association for Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP); the Partnership for Human Research Protection (PHRP) also has accredited independent review boards.
Many institutions are hesitant to use cooperative review mechanisms for a variety of reasons. According to the AAMC survey, those who have not used Central IRBs (76% of respondents) did not do so because of concerns about liability (73%), additional costs (60%), the absence of local representation (86%), and the inability to assess the quality of the services (56%). Federal regulations require that research review boards have "sensitivity to such issues as community attitudes,"[9]and many institutions feel that local review is an essential component of ethical research; to what extent this view also reflects a desire to maintain institutional autonomy is unknown. Both the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have responded to the increasing number of multi-center trials by clarifying that existing regulations permit institutions to use joint review, rely on another qualified IRB, or make similar arrangements to avoid duplication of effort for cooperative research.[10] OHRP and FDA also have issued further guidance that clarifies the implementation of such arrangements to ensure that the local context is taken into account.[11]
Already, some academic organizations and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are utilizing cooperative models to streamline the Research ERB review process. To explore the potential of these emerging ethical review mechanisms, the Clinical Research Roundtable of the IOM recently convened stakeholders in the clinical research enterprise to hear from those involved in these efforts.[12] In this paper, we describe several models of cooperative review, many of which were presented at the meeting. These models include the Multicenter Academic Clinical Research Organization (MACRO), the Biomedical Research Alliance of New York (BRANY), independent Research ERBs, the NCI's Central IRB, and Regional Ethics Organizations (REOs). Many of these models are in the formative stages, and REOs, which are now utilized in the United Kingdom, do not exist in the U.S. at this time.[13] Therefore, key evaluative data regarding existing central review mechanisms are not presently available; indeed, more data are needed to assess both traditional and cooperative review mechanisms and to more fully and scientifically compare these options. Our assessment is based upon the best available data about these efforts. Key issues about centralized review relate to perceived legal liability by cooperating academic institutions regarding the ability to fully reflect and address local concerns.
In: Nursing
Page 1 of 2 Case Study 1 A New “Garcia” on the Block Garcia Gonzalez is ready to start a new career. After spending 30 years as a market researcher and inspired by the success of Starbucks, he is ready to enter the coffee shop business. However, before opening his first shop, he realizes that a great deal of research is needed. He has some key questions in mind. ? What markets in the United States hold the most promise for a new coffee shop? ? What type of location is best for a coffee shop? ? What is it that makes a coffee shop popular? ? What coffee do Americans prefer? A quick trip to the Internet reveals more previous research on coffee, markets, and related materials than he expected. Many studies address taste. For example, he finds several studies that in one way or another compare the taste of different coffee shop coffees. Most commonly, they compare the taste of coffee from Starbucks against coffee from McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Burger King, and sometimes a local competitor. However, it becomes difficult to draw a conclusion as the results seem to be inconsistent. ? One study had a headline that poked fun at Starbucks’ high priced coffee. The author of this study personally purchased coffee to go at four places, took them to his office, tasted them, made notes and then drew conclusions. All the coffee was tasted black with no sugar. Just cups of Garcia. He reached the conclusion that McDonald’s Premium Coffee (at about $1.50 a cup), tasted nearly as good as Starbucks House Blend (at about $1.70 a cup), both of which were much better than either Dunkin’ Donuts (at about $1.20) or Burger King (less than $1). This study argued that McDonald’s was best, all things considered. ? Another study was written up by a good critic who was simply interested in identifying the best-tasting coffee. Again, he tasted them all black with nothing added. Each cup of coffee was consumed in the urban location near the inner city center in which he lived. He reached the conclusion that Starbucks’ coffee had the best flavor although it showed room for improvement. McDonald’s premium coffee was not as good, but it was better than the other two. Dunkin’ Donuts coffee had reasonably unobjectionable taste but was very weak and watery. The Burger King coffee was simply not very good. ? Yet another study talked about Starbucks becoming a huge company and how it has lost touch with the common coffee shop coffee customer. The researchers stood outside a small organic specialty shop and interviewed 100 consumers as they exited the shop. They asked, “Which coffee do you prefer?” The results showed a preference for a local coffee, tea, and incense shop, and otherwise put Starbucks last behind McDonald’s, Burger King, and Dunkin’ Donuts. ? Still another study compared the coffee-drinking experience. A sample of 50 consumers in Edinburg, Texas, were interviewed and asked to list the coffee shop they frequented Page 2 of 2 most. Starbucks was listed by more consumers than any other place. A small percentage listed Dunkin’ Donuts but none listed McDonald’s, despite their efforts at creating a premium coffee experience. The study did not ask consumers to compare the tastes of the coffee across the different places. Garcia also wants to find data showing coffee consumption patterns and the number of coffee shops around the United States, so he spends time looking for data on the Internet. His searches don’t reveal anything satisfying. As Garcia ponders how to go about starting “A Cup of Garcia,” he wonders about the relevance of this previous research. Is it useful at all? He even questions whether he is capable of doing any primary research himself and considers hiring someone to do a feasibility study for him. Maybe doing research is easier than using research. Sources: Shiver, J., “Taste Test: The Little Joes Take on Starbucks,” USA Today (March 26, 2008), http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2006-03-26- coffee_x.htm, accessed July 20, 2008; Associated Press, “McDonald’s Coffee Beats Starbucks, Says Consumer Reports,” The Seattle Times (February 2, 2007), http:// seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003553322_webcoffeetest02. html, accessed July 20, 2008; “Coffee Wars: Starbucks v McDonald’s,” The Economist 386 (January 10, 2008), 58. Questions 1. What are the top three key decisions faced by Garcia? 2. What are the key deliverables that an outside researcher should produce to help Joe with the key decisions? 3. How relevant are the coffee taste studies cited above? Explain. 4. What flaws in the coffee taste studies should Garcia consider in trying to weigh the merits of their results? 5. Briefly relate this situation to each of the major stages of the marketing research process. 6. Try to do a quick search to explore the question: “Are American consumer preferences the same all across the United States?” 7. Would it be better for Garcia to do the research himself or have a consultant perform the work? 8. If a consultant comes in to do the job, what are three key deliverables that would likely be important to Garcia in making a decision to launch the “A Cup of Garcia” coffee shop?
In: Economics
Foxconn Technology Group is a subsidiary of Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (reputed to be the world’s largest “contract manufacturer”). Even as a subsidiary, Foxconn’s numbers are impressive—the company employs about 800,000 people, half of whom work in a huge industrial park in Shenzhen, China, called Foxconn City. With 15 separate multistory buildings, each dedicated to individual customers such as Apple, Dell, Nintendo, and Hewlett-Packard, Foxconn’s promotional material proudly states that the company pays minimum wage (900 yuan, or $130 a month), offers free food and lodging along with extensive recreational facilities to its employees—on the face of it, not your stereotypical “sweatshop” environment. However, in the first half of 2010, 12 Foxconn employees found the working conditions so oppressive that they elected to kill themselves by jumping from the roofs of those 15-story buildings. According to reports, two other employees were seriously injured in suicide attempts, and another 20 were saved before completing their planned attempt. The sudden spate of suicides drew unwelcome attention to the true state of the working conditions in factories that visitors have described as “grim.” Labor activists report annual turnover of 40 percent or more as employees leave rather than face dangerously fast assembly lines, “military-style drills, verbal abuse by superiors... as well as occasionally being pressured to work as many as 13 consecutive days to complete a big customer order—even when it means sleeping on the factory floor.” Consider the case of 19-year-old Ma Xiangqian, a former migrant worker who leapt to his death January 23, 2010. His family revealed that he hated his job at Foxconn: “11-hour overnight shifts, seven days a week, forging plastic and metal into electronic parts amid fumes and dust.” In the month before he died, Ma worked 286 hours, including 112 overtime hours, three times the legal limit. The negative publicity was swift and targeted. Apple’s international release of its iPad in Hong Kong was marred by the ritual burning of pictures of iPhones and calls for a global boycott of all Apple products. The negative press prompted an equally swift response from Foxconn customers seeking to distance themselves from the story. Apple, Dell, and HP all announced investigations of the working conditions at Foxconn’s plants, with the implied threat of contract termination. Foxconn’s response was to surround the buildings with nets to prevent any further suicide attempts, to hire counselors for employees experiencing stress from the working conditions, and to assign workers to 50-person groups so that they can keep an eye on each other for signs of emotional stress. The company also announced two separate pay increases more than doubling worker pay to 2,000 yuan a month (although workers must pass a three-month review to qualify for the second pay increase). In addition, a series of “motivational rallies,” entitled “Treasure Your Life, Love Your Family, Care for Each Other to Build a Wonderful Future,” were scheduled for all Foxconn facilities. While the immediate response was targeted directly at the media criticism, there are concerns about the longer-term consequences for Foxconn and its customers. Hon Hai’s reputation and dominance have been built on top quality with wafer-thin margins—margins that may prove to be too thin to absorb a 100 percent increase in labor costs. As for its customers, they may have given implied threats of contract termination, but with Hon Hai as the world leader, there are limited options for alternative suppliers. Apple asked the Fair Labor Association (FLA), a nongovernment organization, to conduct an extensive audit of Foxconn’s operations. The FLA teams visited Foxconn factories in Shenzhen and Chengdu, and surveyed some 35,000 workers at three facilities that assembled Apple products, including iPhones and iPads. The audit report was released March 29, 2012, and found that during the preceding 12 months, workers typically exceeded the 60 hours of work per week stipulated in Apple’s agreement with Foxconn. In addition, the report found that many workers also exceeded China’s legal limit of 36 hours of overtime per month. In conclusion, the FLA found that conditions were “no worse than any other factory in China.” Foxconn seems unconcerned by the criticism. In July 2015, the company announced that it would be building up to 12 new factories in India, employing as many as 1 million people by 2020. This was seen as a strategic response to rising wage costs and labor disputes in China. In March 2016, the company announced a $3.5 billion deal to acquire a 66 percent controlling interest in Japanese screen maker Sharp after weeks of negotiations and numerous setbacks. The deal is expected to give Foxconn more leverage with its dealings with Apple (Sharp provides an estimated 25 percent of Apple’s iPhone screens), but with around $3 billion in liabilities, Sharp will require some aggressive action to turn around.
1. Was Foxconn’s response sufficient to stop any future suicide attempts? Why or why not?
2. If the company has operated on “wafer-thin margins,” will the Indian and Japanese deals make it a more ethical company? Why or why not?
3. Would you describe Foxconn’s response as an example of proactive or reactive ethics? Why?
4. If Apple is committed to addressing working conditions at Foxconn factories, should “no worse than any other factory in China” be an acceptable benchmark? Why or why not?
In: Economics
Special Checking Is Handed a Loss Sammy Benson supervised greater Downtown Bank's Special Check Sorting Unit, which processed odd-sized, foreign, and damaged checks. Once the checks were sent to his unit, they were manually interpreted, recorded, entered into the appropriate account transactions, and filed for return. Sammy supervised three check sorting clerks in his department. These jobs were staffed by relatively untrained, entry-level individuals who had just graduated from high school. During the summer, Greater Downtown Bank hired low-income, disadvantaged young people for various jobs throughout the company as part of its Community Upbeat campaign. To participate in this effort, representatives from the Human Resources Department visited selected high schools to interview students. Since the students were already prescreened by the school, the interviews were little more than "get-acquainted" discussions. Last summer, Sammy's unit supplied one of the jobs in this effort. Juanita Perez was hired in this context to work as a Special Checks clerk. She was scheduled to begin working in June after graduating from the local vocational high school, where she maintained a C average. This was her first full-time job. When Juanita reported to the bank for a brief induction program, she was scared. It was not only her first day on the job, but the first time she had ever been in the bank. Nevertheless, she kept up her courage and reported to the Human Resources Department as planned. After waiting in the lobby for a while, she was taken to a small meeting room where she and two other new hires were shown how to fill out and sign various forms and documents. Next, an administrative assistant read to the new hires a series of personnel policies about work schedules, breaks, overtime, pay secrecy, attendance, and benefits. She signed more forms, wondering what all this meant. As the meeting drew to a close, Sammy Benson arrived after receiving a call from Human Resources. He and Juanita were introduced for the first time. Sammy escorted Juanita back to the Human Resources Department, showing her the bank's various offices and other departments. He gave her a quick tour of his area, introducing her to the other clerks as he went. Sammy was careful not to interrupt their work, however, nor did he explain to Juanita what they were doing. It was obvious by the expressions on their faces that the employees were surprised to see her. After a quick tour and passing introductions, Sammy gave Juanita some basic instructions in her job. He gave Juanita the job of processing foreign checks. He felt this task was the easiest job to learn and do correctly. During her first day on the job, Sammy spent about 15 minutes showing her the procedure: inspect, record, enter, adjust, file. Since he had to prepare for a meeting later that day, that was all the time he could spend with her. By the end of the first week, Juanita seemed to be getting the hang of things: She came to work on time, stayed busy, and was fairly pleasant and easy to get along with. Sammy intended to spend as much time as possible with her during this period; however, because she seemed to catch on quickly and he was very busy, he saw her only occasionally over the next few weeks. Then, after about a month, Juanita called in sick one day. A replacement was brought in, and as she looked through Juanita's desk for a notepad, she found what appeared to be a large pile of unfiled checks. When Sammy looked through the pile, he found that there were, in fact, quite a few unprocessed checks, some of which dated from Juanita's first day on the job. As they were the more unusual kinds of checks the department handled, Sammy assumed that she apparently had not known how to process them. Unfortunately, the combined value of these checks totaled around $65,000. The bank had lost the "float" value on them, and Sammy knew that customer complaints would be coming in soon. Sammy expected Juanita to come back to work the following day, and he wondered if he should write up a warning notice for her immediately. (Source: Alan Clardy, Ph.D., Advantage Human Resources, HRD Press, 1994) Based on the case study, answer the following questions. 1 Why do you think the problem occurs? What probably cause the problem of Juanita's poor performance? Explain.
2 Sammy is considering issuing a formal written warning notice to Juanita upon her return.
a) Do you think this is an appropriate action to take? Why is it and why is it not? Discuss.
] b) How can Sammy be sure he is making the right decision either to issue or not issuing the warning notice? Propose two (2) possible ways that can guide Sammy in making effective decisions.
3 What could be done by Sammy to manage Juanita's poor performance problem? Suggest four (4) methods of how Sammy can provide Juanita with skills and knowledge to improve her performance. Provide suitable example to support your answer.
4 Managers have the most significant impact on employee performance. Based on this statement, how would Sammy align the performance of his staff with the organizational goals? Propose four (4) work practices that Sammy can apply which lead to both high individual and high organizational performance. Provide suitable example to support your answer.
In: Operations Management
Review the case of Paradise Hills Medical Center, below. The CEO has asked you for a recommendation. What will you tell him? PARADISE HILLS Medical Center is a 500-bed teaching hospital in a major metropolitan area of the South. It is known throughout a tri-state area for its comprehensive oncology program and serves as a regional referral center for thousands of patients suffering from various forms of malignant disease. Paradise Hills is affiliated with a major university and has residency programs in internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, radiology, and pathology, all fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Graduate Medical Education. In addition, Paradise Hills also has an oncology an oncology fellowship program, a university-affiliated nursing program, as well as training programs for radiology technicians and medical technologists. All of these teaching programs are highly regarded and attract students from across the nation. Paradise Hills enjoys an enviable reputation throughout the area. It is known for its high-quality care, its state-of-the-art technology, and its competent, caring staff. While Paradise Hills is located within a highly competitive healthcare community, it boasts a strong market share for its service area. Indeed, its oncology program enjoys a 75 percent market share and its patients provide significant referrals to the surgery, pediatrics, and radiology programs as well. Paradise Hills is a financially strong institution with equally strong leadership. Its past successes, in large part, can be attributed to its aggressive, visionary CEO and his exceptionally competent management staff. But all is not as well as it seems to be at Paradise Hills. While the oncology program still enjoys a healthy market share, it has been slowly but steadily declining from its peak of 82 percent two years ago. In addition, the program's medical staff are aging and some of its highest admitting physicians are contemplating retirement. The oncology fellowship program was established a few years ago in anticipation of this, but unfortunately, thus far the graduates of this program have not elected to stay in the community. Of most concern to the CEO and his staff is the fact that the hospital's major competitor has recently recruited a highly credentialed oncology medical group practice from the Northeast and has committed enormous resources to strengthening its own struggling oncology program. Last week the board of trustees for Paradise Hills had its monthly meeting with a fairly routine agenda. However, during review of a standard quality assurance report, one of the trustees asked for clarification of a portion of the report indicating that 22 oncology patients had received radiation therapy dosages in excess of what had been prescribed for them. The board was informed that the errors had occurred due to a flaw in the calibration of the equipment. The board was also informed that the medical physicist responsible for the errors had been asked to resign his position. The question was then asked if the patients who were recipients of the excessive radiation had been told of the error. The CEO responded that it was the responsibility of the medical staff to address this issue and it was their decision that the patients not be informed of the errors. The board did not concur that the responsibility for informing the patients of the errors rested solely with the medical staff and requested that the administrative staff review the hospital's ethical responsibility to these patients, as well as its liability related to this incident, and report back to the board within two weeks. The CEO and his management staff responsible for the radiology department and the oncology program met with the medical staff department chairmen for internal medicine and radiology, the program medical directors for oncology and radiation therapy, and the attending oncologists. The CEO reported on the board discussion related to the incident and the board's request for a review of the actions taken, specifically the decision to not inform the affected patients. The physicians as a whole agreed that the adverse effects of the accidental radiation overdose on the patients were unknown. Therefore, they argued the patients should not be told of the incident. These are cancer patients and they don't want or need any more bad news, the oncologists argued. “Let's face it, these patients are terminal.” “Informing the patients of this error will only confuse them and destroy their faith and trust in their physicians and in the hospital,” they added. Furthermore, they claimed, informing the patients of the errors may unnecessarily frighten them to the extent that they may refuse further treatment and that would be even more detrimental to them. Besides, argued the physicians, advising the patients of potential ill effects just might induce these symptoms through suggestion or excessive worry. Every procedure has its risks, insisted the chairman for radiology, and these patients signed an informed consent. Physicians know what is best for their patients, the attending oncologists maintained, and they will monitor these patients for any ill effects. The department chairman for internal medicine volunteered that, in his opinion, this incident is clearly a patient-physician relationship responsibility and not the business of the hospital. Besides, added the chairman of radiology, informing the patients would “just be asking for malpractice litigation.” The medical director for the oncology program then suggested that the board of trustees and the management staff “think long and hard” about the public relations effect of this incident on the oncology program. “Do you really think patients will want to come to Paradise Hills if they think we're incompetent?”, he asked. The CEO conceded that he supported the position of the medical staff in this matter and he, too, was especially concerned about preserving the image of the oncology program, but “his hands were tied” since the board clearly considered this an ethical issue and one that would be referred to the hospital's ethics committee for its opinion. The physicians noted that if indeed it was the subsequent recommendation of the ethics committee that these patients be informed, then realistically, that responsibility would rest with the patient's primary care physician and not with any of them. Reference: Perry, F. (2002). The Tracks We Leave, Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press, pp. 1-3
In: Nursing
Find the missing Parts of the Balance Sheet:
| Cash | [ Select ] ["25", "30", "20"] | Accounts Payable | 12 |
| Accounts Receivables | 15 | Accruals | [ Select ] ["15", "20", "10"] |
| Inventories | 20 | Notes Payable | 20 |
| Current Assets | [ Select ] ["45", "55", "60"] | Current Liabilities | [ Select ] ["30", "18", "42"] |
| Gross Fixed Assets | 45 | Long Term Debt | 30 |
| Depreciation | 8 | ||
| Net fixed Assets | 37 | Common Stock | 20 |
| Retained Earnings | 5 | ||
| Total Fixed Assets | 97 | Common Equity | 25 |
| Total Liabilities and Owners Equity | [ Select ] ["90", "97", "125"] |
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<p>A company has 1,000 shares outstanding and an EPS of $0.09</p> <p>Fill the missing part of the Income statement below.</p> <table style="width: 41.49%; height: 300px; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px;">Sales</td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;">1000</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px;">COGS</td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;"> <select class='question_input' name='question_174204_8cf7fcaa783454578db015f182234596'> <option value=''> [ Select ] </option> ["<option value='7559'>400</option>", "<option value='2153'>500</option>", "<option value='5313'>600</option>"] </select> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px; text-align: right;">Gross Profit</td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;"> <select class='question_input' name='question_174204_0cf64de1e68fe25995eb575826f79f39'> <option value=''> [ Select ] </option> ["<option value='5882'>400</option>", "<option value='2352'>500</option>", "<option value='1503'>600</option>"] </select> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px;">Period Costs</td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;">200</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px;">Depreciation</td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;">100</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px; text-align: right;">EBIT</td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;"> <select class='question_input' name='question_174204_44e20fb2eb0f1e2ab3e168bb3f65d9b1'> <option value=''> [ Select ] </option> ["<option value='9685'>300</option>", "<option value='8668'>400</option>", "<option value='6820'>200</option>"] </select> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px;">I</td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;">80</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px; text-align: right;">EBT</td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;"> <select class='question_input' name='question_174204_11f3eac724e57a757bd51c8e6d8f5dc7'> <option value=''> [ Select ] </option> ["<option value='7218'>210</option>", "<option value='2414'>120</option>", "<option value='3418'>140</option>"] </select> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px;">TAXES 25%</td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;"> <select class='question_input' name='question_174204_10eaac72ffaa22152347a22e8e85654b'> <option value=''> [ Select ] </option> ["<option value='3076'>35</option>", "<option value='202'>30</option>", "<option value='294'>40</option>"] </select> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px;">Net Income</td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;"> <select class='question_input' name='question_174204_d7afeb973c3fea3b436a7eeabb83e5a0'> <option value=''> [ Select ] </option> ["<option value='9759'>120</option>", "<option value='1339'>90</option>", "<option value='4398'>80</option>"] </select> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px;"></td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25px;"> <td style="width: 27.59%; height: 25px;"></td> <td style="width: 13.9%; height: 25px;"></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p> </p>
A company has 1,000 shares outstanding and an EPS of $0.09
Fill the missing part of the Income statement below.
| Sales | 1000 |
| COGS | [ Select ] ["400", "500", "600"] |
| Gross Profit | [ Select ] ["400", "500", "600"] |
| Period Costs | 200 |
| Depreciation | 100 |
| EBIT | [ Select ] ["300", "400", "200"] |
| I | 80 |
| EBT | [ Select ] ["210", "120", "140"] |
| TAXES 25% | [ Select ] ["35", "30", "40"] |
| Net Income | [ Select ] ["120", "90", "80"] |
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Attempt due: Feb 17 at 11:59pm
In: Finance
24. Please identify four (4) weaknesses in the following scenario (there are more than 4!):
An agent for a large insurance company has a small office in a
rural town. There are only two employees in the office: the agent
and his secretary.
The agent spends all of his time in meeting with customers and selling insurance products to them. The secretary processes all of the paperwork connected with the insurance policies, including processing the collection of premiums and the paying out of claims.
The agent feels that he is a “big man” and that his time is very valuable, and that he should not bother himself with “clerical work,” so he does not supervise the secretary’s work, nor does he look at the accounting records, cash documents or bank statements. Besides, he trusts the secretary as she is very hard-working; in fact, she has never missed a day of work in five years and does not even take her annual leave.
The agent works for a large insurance company. However, because the number of policies and customers handled by the office is relatively small, the insurance company’s internal audit office has not bothered to audit the office’s records/cash for several years. The external auditors have also never visited the office.
25. The following article appeared earlier this year: By David Owens, Hartford Courant, 02/13/2020 Winsted woman pleads guilty to stealing $850,000 from physically, mentally disabled people in conservatorships:
A 72-year-old Winsted woman who stole more than $850,000 from people with physical and mental disabilities pleaded guilty Thursday and faces up to seven years in prison.
Sheila Grochowski was arrested by Avon police and the chief state’s attorney’s office in November 2017 on more than a dozen larceny and forgery charges and had previously turned down a plea offer. But with her case called in for trial and jury selection scheduled to begin Thursday, she asked if the state’s plea offer was still available and accepted it, pleading guilty to a single count of first-degree larceny and two counts of second-degree forgery.
She is scheduled to be sentenced April 29 to 10 years in prison, suspended after she serves seven years, plus five years of probation.
Her lawyer, public defender John Stawicki, will be able to argue for less prison time and probation. Grochowski was a bookkeeper and secretary for Barbara H. Hance Associates, a Farmington company that handles the financial affairs of people whose affairs are controlled by probate courts. Prosecutor Christopher A. Alexy told Hartford Superior Court Judge Laura F. Baldini that Grochowski wrote 437 checks to herself from the accounts of Hance clients. The state had video obtained from Grochowski’s bank showing her depositing two of the stolen checks, and bank records from her bank and those of her victims showing the extent of her thievery.
Grochowski pleaded guilty under the Alford doctrine, meaning she disputed some of the state’s evidence, but acknowledged the state had enough evidence to convict her at trial. According to the warrant for Grochowski’s arrest, Grochowski forged Hance’s signature on 591 checks and two withdrawal slips and stole $851,811 between January 2010 and May 2016, when Hance fired Grochowski.
Authorities do not know where the money went, but when confronted by Hance in early 2015 about the embezzlement of $4,829, Grochowski admitted the forgery and said she needed the money for medical expenses, according to the warrant. After that incident, Hance kept Grochowski as an employee, set up a repayment plan, and did not notify the police. In May 2016 more problems with checks were found, and Hance determined that Grochowski’s alleged thefts were more extensive. A forensic audit by an accounting firm, and a review of thousands of pages of Grochowski’s bank records by Avon Det. Edward Espinoza and state Inspector Jack Bannan revealed the massive scale of Grochowski’s thefts.
The investigators identified 25 people they say were victimized by Grochowski, including her own father who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and was under a conservatorship. Grochowski allegedly wrote herself checks from her father’s accounts and listed herself as executor of his estate, although he was still alive at the time. The investigators also found that it wasn’t the first time she has stolen. In 1988 Grochowski was charged by Torrington police with first-degree larceny, second-degree larceny, and third-degree forgery. She was convicted in November 1989 and sentenced to five years in prison.
Required:
(a) In order for fraud to occur, two elements must be present, opportunity and motivation. Please make reference to the text in the article above that supports/describes each element.
(b) In addition, there are several important characteristics (different from opportunity and motivation) that appear in many fraud cases. Please describe at least three of these characteristics that are described in the article, using the “Fraud” checklist posted on page 7 of the “Additional PowerPoint – Required Reading” in the Chapter 8 section of “Course Content” on BlackBoard as a reference. Note: if you do not make reference to this specific checklist, you will not earn any points for this question.
(c) The article mentions that Grochowski was caught stealing by Hance in early 2015, however, Hance did not press charges or terminate Grochowski’s employment at that time. This is actually more common than you may think; in 70% of cases involving employee fraud, no criminal charges are filed against the employee. Do you think this is a good idea?
In: Accounting
The Problem
Launched in 2001, Ashley Madison is an online dating and social network service based in Canada. Unlike most dating services, Ashley Madison marketed specifically to people who are married or in a committed relationship but are seeking an outside relationship. In mid-2015, the site claimed 39 million members in 53 countries, and it generated an estimated $115 million in annual revenue.
Significantly, Ashley Madison purportedly allowed users to hide their account profiles for free. Users who wanted to delete their accounts had to pay a $19 fee. Ashley Madison assured its users that its “full delete option” removed all relevant data from the site: user profiles, all messages sent and received, site usage history, personally identifiable information, and photos.
On July 15, 2015, Ashley Madison was hacked by a group called “The Impact Team.” The hackers claimed to have stolen personal information about the site's users, and it threatened to release names, addresses, search histories, and credit card numbers if the site did not immediately cease operations. The Impact Team claimed their demand was caused by Ashley Madison's failure to delete users' personal information following their invoiced requests to do so.
When Ashley Madison ignored the demand, The Impact Team launched its first data release on August 18, followed by a second release three days later. The second batch of data included Ashley Madison CEO Noel Biderman's personal e-mails.
The data, which initially appeared on the Dark Web, were copied and made public on the open Web. The Dark Web is the World Wide Web content that exists on networks that require encryption, specific software, or authorization to access. The Dark Web is not indexed by search engines, and it can be accessed only through a browser called Tor. The Dark Web is used today for a wide range of anonymous activities including communication by dissidents in authoritarian countries who wish to access the Internet. It has also emerged as a platform for illegal activities such as cybercrime, child pornography, and drug trafficking.
Ashley Madison's Attempts at a Solution
Immediately following The Impact Team's announcement, CEO Biderman confirmed the hack and asserted that the company was “working diligently and feverishly” to try and stop the spread of the leaked data. Ashley Madison released the following statement: “We are actively monitoring and investigating this situation to determine the validity of any information posted online … We will continue to put forth substantial efforts into removing any information unlawfully released to the public, as well as continuing to operate our business.” In addition, the company issued copyright takedown notices under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to multiple sites, claiming that “intellectual property in the data” was being infringed upon. Many of the sites complied with these requests.
Ashley Madison subsequently announced that it had secured its site. It labeled the hack an act of “cyberterrorism,” and it apologized to its users. The company offered $500,000 (Canadian) to anyone with information that leads to the identification of the hackers. Finally, the site announced that in the future it would delete user information free of charge, thus eliminating the $19 fee.
The Results
By late August 2015, more than $1 billion in lawsuits had been filed against Ashley Madison. On August 28, CEO Biderman stepped down. According to the official press release, the senior management team currently in place will continue to lead the company.
Meanwhile, both the site and its users experienced further fallout from the breach. For example, spammers quickly began to extort people whose information was made public. One group, for example, sent e-mails to Ashley Madison users demanding one bitcoin (approximately $225) to prevent their information from being shared. The group gave the users seven days before it exposed them. In addition to extortion, victims of the breach risk identity theft as well. Meanwhile, in 2015, Ashley Madison had announced that it hoped to raise $200 million in an initial public offering in London after it had failed in a previous IPO attempt in Canada. Those plans are now in jeopardy. In fact, as of late 2015, Ashley Madison's very survival is questionable.
While the moral and ethical outrage surrounding the Ashley Madison hack has received most of the headlines, industry analysts maintain that the real issues are the assault on consumer privacy and the inability of businesses to protect their customers' data. Analysts further predict that in the future businesses will likely be held far more accountable for data security than they have been in the past.
From a different perspective, private investigation startup Trustify capitalized on the Ashley Madison breach by launching a service just after the attack that let anyone search the data dump from the hackers. Trustify advertised its services to suspicious partners who were concerned by a name that they found on the list.
Questions
1.Discuss the legality and the ethicality of the Ashley Madison Web
site.
2.Discuss the legality and the ethicality of the actions of the
hackers who attacked the Ashley Madison Web site.
3.Discuss the legality and ethicality of the actions of people who
copied the Ashley Madison data from the Dark Web and then made the
data available on the open Web.
4.Discuss the legality and ethicality of the reporters who used
hacked (stolen) information in their stories.
5.Discuss the legality and ethicality of the actions of
Trustify.
6.Are there differences in your answers to the first five
questions? If so, then describe them. How do you account for
them?
7.What are the implications of the Ashley Madison breach for
general privacy concerns regarding digital data?
In: Accounting