“Midterm Report Card”

1. Compare your understanding of professional communications at midterm with your understanding of the topic before you started the course. Share something from the last five weeks that stood out to you – or surprised you. Will this realization change the way you communicate?
2. Communication is a skill that develops over time. Where do you envision your professional communication skills at the end of this course? What goal will you set out to achieve by Week 11?
3. Looking at the next several weeks, what aspect of the class are you most looking forward to learning?

SOC 450: Solutions to Global Issues:

The Pledge to Eliminate Poverty

One of the intended outcomes of the Millennium Development Goals was to “eradicate extreme poverty and hunger” (1) in the world. How successful has the achievement of this outcome been to its mission to “meet the needs of the world’s poorest” (1)? Review the posts of your classmates and respond to at least one other post.

Sources:

1. United Nations. 2019. We Can End Poverty. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals

HIS 105: American History after 1865:

After the end of World War I, overall economic growth exploded in the US in the early 1920s, but then there was a severe economic breakdown with the Great Depression of 1929-1939.

Choose and discuss (in a full paragraph or two) one of the following two topics related to the 1920s and1930s.

1. The textbook highlights the significant emergence of new cultural trends due to improved technology (radio, movies, photography) and the spread of books & magazines (writers) in the “roaring” 1920s as well as in the 1930s, and also to new movements like the Harlem Renaissance, consumerism, and new “norms” for women.
   • Consider the new technology of radio and photography. With specific examples from the 1920s, discuss how these new technologies helped one of the movements and trends above.
   • Explain whether you think this helped to develop a more unified national culture or more individuality, and identify a similar example today with technology helping a trend or movement.
   • Identify the source(s) where you read about the trend of the 1920s.
3. The Great Depression (1929-1939) was one of the most devastating economic downturns that America has ever experienced. Determine whether you believe that the federal responses to the Great Depression by President Franklin Roosevelt encouraged real economic growth and confidence or whether the arguments by critics of the day were accurate that it made the Depression last longer.
   • Identify your position and support it with at least two specific examples of New Deal responses.
   • Provide a rationale for your response.
   • From this historical experience, identify any lessons for today for handling or avoiding severe economic downturns in the U.S. economy.
   • Identify the source(s) where you read about the New Deal responses.

   SOC 105: Society and the Media“

4. “The Media and Public Trust”
   • What do you consider to be the most trustworthy sources of news, politics, and information? On what do you base your criteria? Support your views with two or three reasons and/or examples. (Cite any sources you referenced.)

Job analysis is critical to help identify job duties, requirements and responsibilities. It also assigns the prominence of each position. Its purpose is to identify and thoroughly document how the job relates to the company, its purpose and need within the company. Regarding Customers First, the area of compensation, this analysis can help identify the necessary skill level, work atmosphere, responsibility, and compensation related features of the job.

Job evaluation is a methodical process for evaluation the worth and needs an organization has for the position. In Customers Firsts circumstance, an evaluation would help find an approach and rationale to determine the changes needed, a reasonable and informative way to determine the pay for its employees. An equitable and secure compensation structure for the employees, one that ensures the employees are receiving equal and fair compensation.

Recruitment of the top talent, employee retention, and compensation bias and discrimination are the three reasons why I think it’s necessary for companies to adopt compensation strategies and policies that promote competitive advantage.

Employee compensation strategies adopted by an organization can be a source of competitive advantage. Employee compensation is one of the key things that attract and retain employees in an organization. For an organization to be able to recruit the best candidate or top talent for a job, it should first determine how itscompensation strategy is in line with the expectations of the candidate and how the job offer is competitive with other firms. Compensation is an indication of how an employer’s value an employee.

One of the main reasons behind high employee turnover is compensation. An employer should ensure market rates are regularly reviewed and that bonus and raises within the organization are competitive. Maintaining a fair compensation strategy is a source of competitive advantage for an organization since the top talent is retained and employees are satisfied and engaged.