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Write a Production Cost Analysis and Estimation Applied Problems.

Game Theory and Strategic Behavior–Sustainable Competitive Advantage.

Title Slide (1 slide)

The various kinds of health professionals are educated in separate schools but with considerable overlap in curricula and training requirements. They are, however, expected to integrate their training and work together after graduation. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of this approach to professional education in terms of costs, educational efficiency, and patient care quality. (4 slides).

An oversupply of physicians in many urban regions contrasts with continuing problems of access in rural and inner-city areas. Why does the mal-distribution of physicians persist in spite of the number of physicians graduated? (2-3 slides)

The health care delivery system now places increased emphasis on maintaining wellness and on promoting disease avoidance through healthy behaviors and lifestyles. What challenges does this new orientation pose for our existing system of medical education and training? (2-3 slides)

References (1 slide)

Assignment Expectations

Length: 10-12 slides; answers must thoroughly address the questions in a clear, concise manner

Structure:

Title slide and reference slides in APA style. (at least 2 slides)

Health professionals: (4 slides)

Mal-distribution: (2-3 slides)

Healthcare delivery system: (2-3 slides)

Additionally, because a good presentation has few words on the slides include a script with the verbiage you would say when presenting; script should be a minimum of 50 words per slide.

References: Use the appropriate APA style in-text citations and references for all resources utilized to answer the questions. Include at least three (3) scholarly sources to support your claims.

Part 1: Good Will in Price Bidding

Sometimes, a bidder on a work contract may bid lower than what would maximize his/her profit from the contract and the reason for that is to create goodwill (to increase expected future business from the buyer). How would you value the goodwill that is obtained in this way?

Guided Response: Think about an example that pertains to you. If there is expected goodwill would you be prepared to bid lower to get a contract? Explain your reasons. In 300 words or more, please, provide your response to the above discussion question. Respond substantively to at least two of your classmates postings. Substantive responses use theory, research, and experience or examples to support ideas and further the class knowledge on the discussion topic.

Part 2: New Production Introduction

Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany owns Alka-Seltzer, which was launched in 1931 and was meant for relief of minor aches, pains, inflammation, fever, headache, heartburn, sour stomach, indigestion, and hangovers. Alka-Seltzer Plus was a spin-off of the original medicine, meant to relieve colds and flu.

The company has recently introduced a new and improved Alka-Seltzer Plus, as described in this TV ad (Links to an external site.).

The ad shows that Alka-Seltzer Plus can fight congestion, unlike NyQuil.

Explain how Alka-Seltzer Plus has been quality and price-positioned in an existing market. In your opinion, has Bayer positioned their product appropriately in the market for cold and flu symptoms relief products? Would you advise Bayer to use a skimming or a penetration pricing strategy? Explain your reasoning.

How do you think Proctor and Gamble, the company who produces Vicks NyQuil, would respond to the ad?

Part 1: Strategic Behavior Oligopolies

An interesting example of strategic behavior comes from a 1997 article about Microsofts investment in Apple (New Straits Times, 1997). The article is included in the Required Readings list. Facing tough anti-trust scrutiny from government agencies, Microsoft provided financial support to Apple in order to ensure Apples survival and, therefore, to ensure that competitiveness in the industry remains. Moreover, the partnership with Apple provided an additional market for Microsofts products the MS Office and the IE products were to be bundled with the MAC OS as one of the conditions for this financing. Discuss this case in the context of market structure and strategic behavior. What market structure do these firms operate in? Why did Microsoft need to preserve competitiveness in the industry? What was Microsoft afraid of in the event that Apple did not survive?

Guided Response: In 300 words or more, please, provide your response to the above discussion question. Further, do you think Microsoft regrets taking action in light of Apples performance today? Respond substantively to at least two of your classmates postings. Substantive responses use theory, research, and experience or examples to support ideas and further the class knowledge on the discussion topic.

Part 2: Local Market Power

Bulls Eye department store specializes in the sales of discounted clothing, shoes, household items, etc. similar to the offerings at a regular Walmart or Target. Bulls Eye is the only department store in Show Low and the nearest other discount retailer is Target, located 49 miles away in Eagar. Bulls Eye, therefore, has some market power in its local area. Despite having some market power, Bulls Eye is currently suffering losses. An analyst at Bulls Eye is recommending to the manager to raise prices, so that profitability can be improved. The manager is unsure of this strategy as recent data points to increasing numbers of individuals shopping more and more. What are the pros and cons of raising the prices at Bulls Eye and would that strategy be profitable?

Week 6 Assignment: Addictions Programs

Addiction may cost individuals their relationships, jobs, and health. To society, the costs can be measured in many ways. Addictions have been linked to increases in violence and crime. Financially, the actual costs, which can be measured in health care and crime costs and lost productivity, are astronomical. In the United States alone, costs related to illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco exceeded $600 billion annually in the mid- to late 2000s (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011). Thus, every community has a program or needs a program to address addiction.

Should you choose to become an addictions professional, you may be able to make a difference in individuals lives. For this Assignment, select a community of your choice and research available addictions programs using credible online resources, a local library, and other sources.

By Day 7

Submit a 3- to 5-page paper that includes two sections:

Section One: Community-Based Prevention Programs

Briefly describe the community you selected, including demographics and geographic characteristics.
Describe three community-based addiction-prevention programs.
Describe prevention strategies used in each of the programs.
Explain which prevention program strategies might be most effective in each program.
Explain what elements might be missing from these prevention programs.

Section Two: Making a Difference

If you choose to work in the field of addictions, how might you contribute to positive social change within your community? Be specific and include examples based on what you have learned in this course.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2011). Drug facts: Understanding drug abuse and addiction. Bethesda, MD: NIDA. Retrieved from the NIDA website: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-abuse-addiction

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

Please save your Assignment using the naming convention WK6Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension) as the name.
Click the Week 6 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
Click the Week 6 Assignment link. You will also be able to View Rubric for grading criteria from this area.
Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as WK6Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension) and click Open.
If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.

Week 5 Assignment: Defense Mechanisms

While this might be a clich attributed to a well-known addiction program, it is true that the first step in treating an addiction is admitting there is a problem. This might seem easy for most, but it is a major acknowledgment for an addict. Addictions serve a purpose in someones life, and working to change the addiction means letting go of that purpose. People often hold on to addictions by means of defense mechanisms.

Defense mechanisms are a long-standing part of psychology stemming back to the early work of Sigmund Freud. Although many aspects of Freuds early theories are not a part of modern clinical practice, defense mechanisms are a part of the current vernacular, including addiction treatment. Therefore, understanding defense mechanisms is an important step in providing effective treatment.

By Day 7

Submit a 2- to 4-page paper that includes the following:

A brief description of two defense mechanisms from the Learning Resources
An explanation of how each defense mechanism you chose might impact behavior
A description of how each defense mechanism might affect treatment processes, and an explanation of why
A description of which stage of change in treatment processes each defense mechanism might manifest in behavior

Week 5 Discussion: Unique Features of Addictions Treatment

A therapist specializing in childhood sexual abuse would not likely divulge his or her experience with a similar trauma. Instead, the therapist would most likely have a doctorate in psychology, counseling, or social work, and would take an objective role in therapy. However, this is not the case in addictions treatment. In fact, it was not until the mid-1970s that licensure of addictions counselors became common practice. Prior to that time, it was common for addictions counselors to enter the field with a history of substance abuse. Today, however, many view the treatment of addictions as a complex process requiring specialized skills and education.

The practice of recovering substance abusers serving as addictions professionals is one unique feature of the field of addictions. Addictions professionals should understand both sides of this argument and be familiar with other unique aspects of the addictions field.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review the Learning Resources, particularly Learning the Language of Addiction Counseling, Chapter 13, Personal and Professional Development of the Counselor (pp. 436-438).

By Day 4

Post your response to the following question: Does personal history of addiction and treatment make counselors more effective? Provide an informed argument based on the weeks Learning Resources and any other factors you have identified. Finally, describe two other aspects of the addiction field that are uniquely different from the general field of mental health, and explain why they are different. Be specific and use the weeks Learning Resources in your response.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues.

State why you agree or disagree with your colleagues position on the personal history of addictions.
Provide a different perspective on one aspect of a colleagues post.
Provide a rationale for why an aspect of the addictions field mentioned by a colleague is not unique.

Week 4Discussion: Compulsions and Addictions

Have you ever heard someone refer to himself or herself as a social drinker or social smoker? Many people enjoy caffeine or alcohol, spend a little too much on a shopping trip, and even gamble in moderation. For the most part, individuals are capable of engaging in these and other activities in a controllable way. Almost any behavior has the potential to transform into a compulsion or addiction, however.

Determining when a behavior is a compulsive or an addiction can be a challenging process. Although there are guidelines such as diagnostic criteria and statistics for both, there are few scientific rules regarding what constitutes a compulsion versus an addiction. Is one worse than the other? Is one more common than the other? Experts in the field of addictions typically determine what is considered healthy and normal and what is considered problematic. Addictions professionals recognize the signs of both compulsion and addiction in individuals and the difference between these two conditions.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review Go Ask Alice! (2009). Whats the difference between an addiction and a compulsion? Retrieved from http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/whats-difference-between-addiction-and-compulsion

Go Ask Alice! (2009). Whats the difference between an addiction and a compulsion? Retrieved from http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/whats-difference-between-addiction-and-compulsion

Review the articles Whats the Difference Between an Addiction and a Compulsion?, Internet Addiction: Definition, Assessment, Epidemiology and Clinical Management, and Pathological Gambling and Substance Use Disorders.
Review the list of behaviors provided below. When posting, try to choose a behavior that has not been discussed by one of your colleagues at the time that you post, or if all have been selected, be sure to include a new insight that has not been covered.
Marijuana use
Gambling
Spending
Hoarding
Nail biting
Technology/e-mail checking/Internet
Hair picking
By Day 4

Post a brief explanation of the difference between compulsion and addiction using one of the behaviors above. Then, explain why it is important to know the difference. Be specific and use the weeks Learning Resources in your response.

By Day 6

Respond to two colleague:

Offer polite disagreement with the colleagues assessment of compulsion or addiction.
Offer an insight from your experience.
Offer another perspective.
Submission and Grading Information

Week 4 Assignment: Designing an Intake Process

Assessing a client for addiction can be a challenge, especially if the client has not chosen to voluntarily seek treatment. What are the key outcomes needed from an intake process in order to effectively assess clients? This Assignment will familiarize you with the rationale and process behind assessment.

To prepare for this Assignment:

Review Learning the Language of Addictions Counseling:
Chapter 3, Assessment and Diagnosis of Addiction
Chapter 4, Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders
Review the sample intake form provided as a guide.
Select one addiction for which you will write a paper.
By Day 7

Submit a 4- to 6-page paper that includes the following:

Background information on the addiction you have chosen to write about. Use at least 23 sources of information that describe how to assess your chosen addiction.
Elements of an intake process that would elicit relevant information on an individual demonstrating signs of this addiction, including the following:
Two addiction evaluation measures that might be appropriate for that individual, and explain why you chose them
Five questions you would ask to assess for addiction
Five questions you would not ask, and explain why these questions would be inappropriate
Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

Please save your Assignment using the naming convention WK4Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension) as the name.
Click the Week 4 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
Click the Week 4 Assignment link. You will also be able to View Rubric for grading criteria from this area.
Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as WK4Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension) and click Open.
If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.