DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

The student will post 2 replies of at least 200 words by each (per reply). Students must support their assertions with at least 2 scholarly sources cited in current APA format (preferably 3), as well as integrating a Christian worldview, with scriptural references. Each reply (2 total minimum) must incorporate at least 2 scholarly source cited in current APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last ten years. Acceptable sources include published books/textbooks and journal articles. Students are also must include integrating a Christian worldview, with Scriptural references. Remember that all papers in this program follow current APA format and are written per APA Professional (not APA student paper) standards. You are encouraged to write your posts in APA formatting, and then in this discussion assignment, please copy and paste your reply into the space provided. A title page for each of your posts is not required when you cut and paste it.

1. Student 1’s minimum 200 words reply (JM):

Hello class,

This past week I have found the readings for this course to be very informative and helpful when guiding the way, I want to be as a counselor in the future. There were a lot of concepts or discussions in Chapter one that I found important or insightful. Below are 5 concepts/thoughts I found that will be helpful to remember when counseling individuals who are suffering.

Remember to hold space for the client who is suffering, but also allow for hope to be brought up in the discussion (Neff & McMinn, 2020).

Be mindful to not stray away when a client is suffering because we do not want them to think God cannot handle their struggles (Neff & McMinn, 2020)

Encourage clients to not use their faith as a crutch to avoid the negative feelings that are associated with their lamenting (Neff & McMinn, 2020).

Understanding theoretical approaches and how they will aide or hinder in the healing process with clients using a Christian worldview (Neff & McMinn, 2020).

Provide a safe space for clients to feel like they can talk about the hard questions regarding their faith in God and their current suffering (Neff & McMinn, 2020). Allowing clients, the opportunity to talk about their struggles with their faith regarding their situation will bring you closer to them and show them that you truly are there to be on their journey with them.

The second question this week revolves around the client expecting the counselor to remove their suffering, and how would you respond. As a counselor if a client was asking me to remove their pain, I would discuss with them the reality of what they are asking me to do with them. According to Neff and McMinn (2020) we live in a world where individuals expect solutions and sometimes quickly. These are important conversations and reminders to have with our clients that we are there to walk through their journey with them while they are healing. Hawkins and Clinton (2015) write about our Christian faith can help guide us when we are on the path of working through years of learned behaviors or trauma. This concept helps me to remember that every step in the right direction is helpful to our clients even if the pace is slow. It will be my job as a counselor to remind them of that. A Bible verse that I recently read that talked about healing and helping one another is James 5:16, “Therefore confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

-Jaymee

Word Count: 442

References

Hawkins, R., & Clinton, T. (2015). The new Christian counselor: A fresh biblical & transformational approach. Eugene, OR: Harvest House. ISBN: 9780736943543.

Neff, M.A. & McMinn, M. (2020). McMinn, M. R. Embodying integration: A fresh look at Christianity in the therapy room. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Yancey, P., & Stafford, T. (2011). NIV Student Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

2. Student 2’s minimum 200 words reply (MT):

McKinley Tyler

ThursdayNov 17 at 9:23pm

After reading and learning from the class materials this week, there were five concepts that I found helpful and useful. In my future counseling practice, these five concepts are topics of conversation that could be helpful for me to ask clients who are suffering.

The first question that would be helpful to ask them is if they believe that they have the power to choose what has happened to them. We do not want to live in a world where we cannot make any decisions for ourselves. God honors humanity’s free will (Hawkins and Clinton, 2015). The second question I would ask them is if they felt tempted to cover or “put a tidy bow” on their suffering. I would ask this to see if they felt like they needed to act like everything was alright, to see if they were putting on a front so they did not have to discuss difficult issues. The third question I would ask them is if they believe that lament and hope can coexist. The start of this conversation can be helpful in seeing if they see light at the end of the tunnel. Having a better understanding that lamenting includes suffering, a crying out to someone, and expressing push back of the way things are can be helpful in having honest conversation (Neff and McMinn, 2020). By understanding that in a season of lament one can be sorrowful but still have hope. Psalm 40:1-3 echos this idea. When we cry out to the Lord He will answer us and put a new song in our heart (English Standard Version, 2001). The fourth question I would ask them is if they have any spiritual defenses up. As a counselor, I do not need to deny their faith in anyway, but I should push back on whatever subject they are protecting. The final question that I would ask them would be if they are pressing and sitting into the lamenting process. By sitting in it, they are able to fully process the full range of emotions that comes with whatever they are sorrowful about. Out of these five, I would particularly emphasize that there can be sadness and hope at the same time.

In response to my client’s question, my response would be that we live in a fallen and sinful world. I myself cannot take away what they are feeling, but I would assure them that I am in the thick of it with them doing the best I can to walk with them through this hard time. I would talk about the fact there is still hope even when everything seems hopeless. I would try to give them a different perspective and encourage them that God is near and He is doing all things for our good and for His Glory.

References

English Standard Version Bible. (2001).

Hawkins, R., & Clinton, T. (2015). The new Christian counselor: A fresh biblical &

transformational approach. Eugene, OR: Harvest House. ISBN: 9780736943543.

Neff, M. A., & McMinn, M. R. (2020). Embodying integration : A fresh look at

christianity in the therapy room. InterVarsity Press.

Word Count: 471

Consider the following three tables holding information about a summer camp:

• Create the tables above, and populate them with sample data. You can use the exact same sample data as above. Define primary keys and foreign key constraints for the tables.
• Add a column to the campers table named “spent” which will hold the total amount spent so far by that camper. Initialize the values in that column to match the total of all charges made by each camper.
• Create a SEQUENCE named ChargeNumbers that starts at the next available chargenum for your database and increments by 1 each time the next value is pulled from the sequence.
• Write a stored procedure which accepts the camperid, category, chargedate, and amount as input parameters and has one output parameter which is of type varchar2 which will contain a message.
  • If the camperID is not a valid camperID the output parameter should be set to ‘ERROR: No such camper ID.’
  • If the category is not a valid category the output parameter should be set to ‘ERROR: No such charge ‘
  • If the Amount is not in the correct range the output parameter should be set to ‘ERROR: amount must be >0 and no more than $ 40.’
  • If the Amount would cause the total spent to be more than the budget for that camper the output parameter should be set to ‘ERROR: insufficient funds.’
  • If there are no error conditions the stored procedure should
    • insert the new charge using the chargenumbers sequence to generate the chargenum
    • update the amount spent for that camper
  • if your procedure fails a rollback should be issued and if it succeeds a commit should be
  • You can code for which error condition has occurred by looking at what constraint name is contained in the SQL error message SQLERRM or you can use if statements in your procedure code to perform the same tests as your If the former you may add a constraint to prevent spent field from being larger than budget field.
  • Because your procedure has an OUT parameter you will have to write a short program to test the procedure like the ones illustrated in the Stored Procedures and Triggers PowerPoint.

Read the case given and answer the questions:

An Ethical Dilemma*

As Lavonda sat in the Ethics Office of the vice president of Emma-Action Pharmaceuticals (EAP), she was worried. Because she was new in the company and didn’t know the unwritten rules, the chain-of-command philosophy, and the employees and associates around her very well, her time in the office was very uncomfortable. Given how well things had started, it was painful for her to remember how she had gotten here. Lavonda had been lured away from her last company because of her expertise in the pharmaceutical industry and her early success in management. Out of college just three and a half years, she had gotten out of the gate remarkably quickly. She had helpful mentors, challenging tasks that she excelled in, and came in below budget on each assignment. Lavonda was typically described as effective and efficient; in fact, at the last company, they even started to call her “E.” But the lure of a six-figure salary, the encounter with Allen (her future boss at EAP), and the chance to be close to her elderly mother made it nearly impossible for Lavonda to say no. She loved her mother and, being an only child, felt responsible for her. Her mother once said that she would prefer to take her own life rather than move to a nursing home. In the beginning, Lavonda’s immediate supervisor, Allen, had been very charming and taught her about the company, its products, the salespeople, and the politics. She knew from experience that she would have to earn the respect of the salespeople she would manage, all of whom were 10 years her senior, and the fact that these men had never had a female boss was just another hurdle to overcome. Allen had helped her fi nd a nice house in a good neighbourhood, had assisted with the moving, and eventually had become more than her superior. The months slipped by, and their relationship had become “close,” to the point where they began to discuss living arrangements. And then something strange happened—she heard a story about Allen and Karline.

Karline, who had come to EAP six months prior to Lavonda, worked in Human Resources, and in a few short months she had become head of the HR department at EAP amidst rumours of Allen “helping” her get the promotion. Six more months passed, and Lavonda learned that the rumours about Karline and Allen were probably true. She heard the same type of scenario that she had experienced for herself: friend, helping with housing, possible intimacy, and so on. The rumours became so intense that Lavonda confronted Allen about them and discovered that they were true. Devastated, Lavonda ended the relationship with Allen in a heated confrontation, but it seemed as though Allen didn’t understand that it was over. Weeks went by with little contact between the two of them, and then one afternoon Allen stopped by her office. He apologized for his behaviour, and Lavonda accepted his apology. But the next day he stopped by and began to touch and even grope Lavonda. She made a joke of it to defuse the situation, but several days later Allen repeated the same behaviour, making several sexual remarks. He asked, “Honey, why can’t it be like it was before?” and then whispered some graphic sexual language. Lavonda’s face reddened and she said, “Allen, you are a pig. How dare you say such things to me! You’ve crossed the line. I’ve never heard such fi lth. Don’t you ever say such things to me again, or I’ll report you to Human Resources!” Several weeks went by, and Lavonda got a phone call from Allen in which he described even more sexually suggestive things. Every few days, Allen would stop by or call and remind her of some “private” experience they had together, using vulgar sexual language. He would taunt her by saying, “Lavonda, you know you want this from me.” It became almost a daily ritual. Allen never wrote any of the things that he described to her, being sure not to leave tangible proof of his behaviour, but occasionally he would grab or attempt to grab her sexually. Eventually, Lavonda had had enough and went to the Human Resources department to complain formally about Allen, his sexual advances, and the hostile environment that they had created. The person she met at HR was Karline. As Lavonda described the situation in detail, she finally said, “Karline, I need you to help me. What Allen is doing to me is wrong and illegal. I can’t get my work done. He’s undermining my position with my sales staff, he’s giving me poor evaluations, and he’s suggesting that I could change all that if I wanted to!” Karline’s response was, “Lavonda, I’ve heard what you’ve said, but I also have had people come to me with some very disturbing reports about you as well. For example, you and Allen were supposedly sleeping together, and he is your direct supervisor. If this was the case, then it should have been reported immediately; but it wasn’t. You have no tangible evidence except for your word. Even if I believed you, the allegation that you had been sexually active with Allen can be construed as making all of what you’ve said mutual or consensual. If that’s the case, then I would have to fi re you because of the superior–employee ethics code, and a letter would go into your permanent fi le that would probably haunt your career for years to come. From my perspective, we can call this an informal and confidential meeting that is not to be repeated, or you can continue this formally and take your chances. It’s your call, Lavonda, but you should know that I am disinclined to support your accusations.” In shock, Lavonda mumbled a thank you to Karline and left her office. The next day Allen stopped by, smiled, waved his finger at her and said, “Your performance review is next week, and it doesn’t look good. By the way, just so you know, the pharmaceutical industry is quite small, and I have friends at all the majors. Oh, I forgot to tell you how sorry I am for your mother and her cancer diagnosis. Chemo and the side effects are very draining. I’m glad that you’re close by to help her through the ordeal. They say it takes months to fully recover. It would be horrible if you weren’t here to help her and she had to go to a nursing home. Those places scare me.” Lavonda said, “Allen, why are you doing this to me? I’m not fond of you anymore. We have no future together. Doesn’t that tell you something?” Allen smiled and said, “It tells me that you’re not interested in a permanent relationship, which is good, because neither am I. And you know that if you want to be promoted or go to another company with a good recommendation, it all starts with me. Lavonda, there might be another ‘solution’ to your perceived problem. You know that new sales rep you just hired out of school, Soo-Chin? Well, if you could have her assigned to me and maybe ‘coax her in the right way,’ I know of a position in the company that would be a promotion for you and you wouldn’t be around me. But everything depends upon the success of your coaxing”

So now here Lavonda was, about to meet with the vice president of ethical affairs. As she got up from the chair, she pondered her alternatives and what had led her there. In school she had learned that each company had its own individual code of ethics, but she didn’t know the reality of the code at EAP until it was too late.

QUESTIONS

1. Keeping in mind the facts and timeline of this situation, discuss Lavonda’s situation in terms of legal and ethical issues. Is Allen in violation of sexual harassment and/ or sexual discrimination laws in the United States? (600 words)- 7 Marks
2. Discuss Lavonda’s alternatives and possible professional and private outcomes for her. (Minimum 2 alternatives & 2 outcomes, 500 words)- 4 Marks
3. Certainly Allen has damaged Lavonda’s performance level; however, discuss whether he has created a legally hostile work environment. (500 words)- 4 Marks

*This case is strictly hypothetical; any resemblance to real persons, companies, or situations is coincidental.

Explain and discuss, using relevant academic literature, the notion of success, and its various dimensions, in the context

of organisational information systems. Further, critically discuss to what extent and how contemporary digital

development practices such as agile approaches may affect some of the key success factors that have been found to

influence organisational information system success.

Assignment Question(s):

Please refer to the case study titled “Planned Change at The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority” given on Page number 31, Chapter 2 in your textbook and answer the following questions:

1. Critically discuss the organizational development process at San Diego Airport and describe its stages. (3 marks)
2. Which model of planned change has been used in the case of San Diego airport from your point of view? If you were the person in charge, which model of change would you choose? and why? (3 marks)
3. Discuss the main challenges faced by the transition team during the planning and implementation phases. (2 marks)
4. Discuss the key success factors that played a major role in accomplishing the task in your opinion. (2 marks)
5. Discuss the impact of the change on the overall performance of the Airport. (2 marks)
6. Critically evaluate the change process and if you were the consultant what would you have done differently? (3 marks)

Notes:  

• It is always better to include the terminology developed in the course of Organization Design and Development in your answers.
• You MUST include at least 5 outside references (other than the slides and textbook) using a proper referencing style (APA).
• Using references from SDL will be highly valued.

Research and select a sample strategic plan in an industry with which you are familiar or interested. Be sure it includes the various components of a typical strategic plan. Reference Figure 1.1 “Identifying a Company’s Strategy—What to Look For” in Ch. 1 of your text

Discuss whether the plan:

• Clearly states where the organization is going and how it will get there
• Evaluates the organization’s external and internal environments
• Includes a people plan and addresses achievement of a diverse workforce
• Includes corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability

The cyberspace domain continues to grow significantly in terms of its size, influence, and complexity. This complexity requires some form of meaningful policy formulation. Do you think that the U.S. will finalize a policy structure and authorities in the cyber arena? How will this impact the cyber intelligence arena?

) Discuss the major migrations of people into the Pacific that occurred up until the past 500 years of so (prior to European exploration).

2) Discuss the challenges and tensions Gewertz and Errington discuss between systems of commensurate and incommensurate differences as experienced by the Chambri.

3) Discuss Gewertz and Errinton’s metaphor of “twisted histories” to interpret recent changes experienced by the Chambri. Give examples.

1.       Develop critical and analytical thinking necessary to overcome challenges and issues of marketing in the changing global environment. (LO-4)

2.       Use effective and collaborative interpersonal skills to carry out scientific analysis of consumers’ needs and wants to formulate a marketing Plan. (LO-5)

Part-A                                Case Study                        

Read the Chapter Case Study entitled Yogurt Lovers say, “It’s All Greek to Me” from Chapter- 11 “Product, Branding and Packaging decisions” Page: – 381 given in your textbook – “Marketing” (8th Edition) by Dhruv. Grewal and Michael. Levy (2022) and answer the following Questions:

Assignment Question(s):

1. Generally speaking, what type of product is yogurt? Does your answer change for the different product categories that ‘Chobani’ has defined for its offerings? (2 Marks)
2. Is ‘Chobani’s’ introduction of yogurt for children a brand extension or line extension? Explain. (2 Marks)
3. How is ‘Chobani’ positioning its various product categories currently? How is it communicating its current positioning strategy? (2 Marks)

Part-B                       Critical Thinking                     

Answer the following questions based on the concepts discussed in Chapter- 13, 15 and 18

1. Assume you were hired by the local grocery store to help in assessing its service quality based on the five service dimensions to determine the overall service quality: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. How would you go about undertaking this project? (Ch-13) (3 Marks)

2. Price skimming and market penetration pricing are the two important pricing strategies used by Marketers. Ahmad wants to launch his new backpack in the local market. Being a marketer which pricing strategy you will suggest him to use and why? (Ch-15) (3 Marks)

3. Do you find any difference between advertising and public relations? How can public relations contribute to a firm’s IMC? Explain with the help of a suitable example.(CH-18)   (3 Marks)

Note:

1. Answer all the questions based on your understanding from the concepts discussed in the class, PPTs and Text book.
2. Justify your answers with at least two references for each question.
3. If plagiarism is more than 25% you will get 0 marks for the questions concerned.

Lucy and Ricky Ricardo are married and live in the Upper East Side of New York. Ricky, 53, is
a singer/bandleader and Lucy is an aspiring singer/actress (basically she wants to do anything
that involves performing). They both live at home full–time. You will be preparing their income
tax return for 2022. They will file married filing jointly and have one dependent (Little Ricky).
Their household income in 2022 is expected to be $90,000; they expect it to be the same next
year. Lucy has not worked in 2022 and does not plan to work for the remainder of the year, such
that Ricky’s self–employment (Schedule C) earnings represent the entire household income. In
October of 2022, you called Lucy and Ricky to find out if they have questions about year–end tax
planning. The following independent scenarios pertain to transactions they engaged in for tax
year (2022) for which you will be performing research, unless otherwise indicated:

Despite constantly getting into trouble with her friend, Ethel, Lucy is a well-known
author. Her tell-all book, “Being Married to a Famous Orchestra Leader” has become a
best seller. She does guest appearances (book readings) and book signings across the
country, with most sold out well in advance of her appearances.
Desilu Editors, Inc. (“Desilu”), a calendar-year S-corporation owned by Lucy and Ricky,
recently sold tickets ($100,000) for Lucy’s scheduled appearances for the current year
and next tax year. For financial statement purposes, Desilu, will recognize the income
from the ticket sales when the readings / signings take place. For tax purposes, the
business uses the accrual method and would prefer to defer the income from the ticket
sales until Lucy actually makes her appearances. This is the first time that Desilu has sold
tickets one or two years in advance. May the income be deferred (for tax purposes) until
the scheduled appearances actually take place?

Ricky is relatively well-known in the world of show business and has connections to
many famous musicians. He and Lucy are regularly invited to music award shows and
even attended the Grammys this year. Attendees of these award shows are often given
gift bags with expensive items. This year, at the Grammys Ricky received a new Rolex
watch and Lucy received a pair of diamond earrings. The items were free as long as
Ricky and Lucy agreed to use them while being photographed. They want to know if
these gifts (estimated value of $11,000) are considered taxable income.

Ricky has a 450 square foot “home office” in their New York apartment where he takes
calls and meetings, schedules performances, does the accounting for his business, and
plans performances for his band. He knows his office qualifies for the deductions related
to a home office and has taken home office expenses in previous years. In fact, last year
his total home office expenses were limited by his gross income, so he was able to deduct
some of them and the remainder will carry forward into this year’s tax return.
However, he recently heard about a “safe harbor” method that he is interested in learning
more about. Specifically, he wants to know if he qualifies for this method and whether he
can switch this year from the old method (of calculating actual expenses) to the new safe
harbor method. In addition, he wants to know if he needs IRS permission to switch.

He wants you to explain how this method is different from deducting actual expenses and
if you have an opinion on which method might be better for him. He wants to know
whether he can continue to depreciate the home office for tax purposes if he uses the
“safe harbor” method. Most importantly, he is curious about whether this simpler method
should have been used in preparing his return for previous years.

Ricky spent $6,000 this year on suits, shirts and shoes to wear while meeting with
potential clients, scheduling venues for performances, and holding auditions for his band.
Ricky also spent an additional $800 on a bright purple, sparkly, sequin-covered jacket
that he wears only for performances. Under what circumstances may Ricky deduct the
cost of these work clothes? If you find conflicting authority, discuss it.

Ethel Mertz (Fred’s widow) and Lucy have always been as close as sisters although they
are not related in any way by blood. To be honest, Ricky feels that she spends far too
much time in their home since Fred died. Against his better judgement, Ricky has agreed
to let Ethel (who is in her late 60s and does not work) move in with them permanently.
His hope is that keeping busy with Ethel will keep Lucy out of trouble.
He also thinks that Ethel is going to cost him a small fortune since Ethel eats a lot… at
least, that’s what Fred always told him. Once Ethel moves in, may the Ricardos claim her
as a dependent on their joint return? If so, when? What are the requirements for claiming
someone, such as Ethel, as a dependent? How, if at all, will Ethel’s move in affect the
Ricardo’s tax return filing status and/or income tax liability? Ricky figures that since he
is going to support Ethel, he ought to get a tax break.
Reminder: Please remember to consider Little Ricky in your determination of filing
status, dependency, and credits.

Ricky, like many clients, “knows a guy” who suggested that he adopt the corporate form
in order to lower his income tax liability. Currently, he is operating a Schedule C sole
proprietorship (unincorporated flow-through on 1040). He mentioned to Ricky a
reduction to the corporate tax rate to a flat 21%.
For this question only – Assume that the net income of his business has historically
been $250,000; including the remaining income from other sources brings their taxable
income to $300,000, putting them in the 24% marginal tax rate. Ricky would like a
“rough idea” regarding which way to proceed. Detailed computations are not required but
be able to articulate the “big picture” to the client. In other words, show some thought as
to what such a transition may cost. Limit your research to “regular” C corporations as
compared to his current Schedule C structure; do not consider partnership or S
corporation structures.
Hint: You are generally aware that the provisions for regular corporations (including a
flat tax rate) are among the permanent provisions of the TCJA 2017 while the individual
provisions (e.g., QBI) are scheduled to “sunset” at the end of 2025.