You are to pick a real organisation of your choice that is either privately or publicly owned. It
should be of interest or relevance to their industry sector, job role and/or MBA specialisation.
Note, the organisation you pick should also be used in Assessment 2.

Assuming the role of an organisational consultant, students are to apply their strategic thinking
skills by researching the organisation and analysing the factors that clearly identify and explain
its competitive advantage.

Findings should be presented in a video which provides an overview in a form and tone that is
presentable to the organisations executive team. It should be 15 minutes long and contain 10 to
15 slides that assist the executive to understand the findings presented.

Areas covered should include:

• Introduction.
• A brief overview of the organisation.

• An analysis of the external and internal environment using appropriate theories and
frameworks.

• Clear articulation of the competitive advantage identified.

• A diagnosis of the strengths, weaknesses, sources and future sustainability of the
competitive advantage outlined.

• A conclusion that identifies strategic opportunities and risks.

Students are encouraged to use a wide variety of information sources that include, where
possible, primary research such as interviews with staff or executive members within their chosen
organisation.

Students are encouraged to explore and utilise features of webinar technologies and to include a
wide range of multimedia and/or interactive content that is in appropriate for a presentation to an
executive.

Physician’s Practice Management Test Chapters 15-18, 20-21

**********11 Questions*****************

Question 1

The reception area should:

		include a window in a wall with a bell to call for service.
		include large, prominent signs that stress procedural rules and payment terms.
		include counters high enough to be comfortable for a person of average height while standing.
		allow a personal welcome from a caring member of the practice.

Question 2

The appointment desk should:

		be combined with the reception area.
		have acoustical separation from other areas.
		provide space for departing patients to wait while new arrivals converse with the receptionist.
		include counters high enough to be comfortable for a person of average height while standing.

Question 3

The two most immediate concerns for the practice manager undertaking a facility project are __________ of the project.

		the materials and appearance
		public acceptance and political support
		control of the cost and time
		the interior finishes and furniture

Question 4

Seating in the waiting area should:

		be low and soft to provide as much comfort as possible.
		have firm seats, at least 18 inches high, with fixed arms.
		be fastened in place so that it cannot be moved.
		consist of mostly large sofas.

Question 5

In __________ reimbursement systems, a physician or medical group is paid a fixed amount of reimbursement per member per month.

		fee-for-service
		pay-for-performance
		accountable care
		capitated

Question 7

Which of the following types of compensation might offer a guaranteed base salary and incentives based on performance measures?

		Individualistic model
		Team-oriented model
		Middle-ground model
		Capitation model

Question 13

Which of the following statements is true regarding the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA)?

		Both employers and employees have responsibilities under IRCA.
		An individual worker is not required to present evidence of employment authorization and identity to his or her employer.
		Independent contractors working in the healthcare industry are considered employees for purposes of the IRCA.
		Volunteers working in the healthcare industry are considered employees for purposes of the IRCA.

Question 16

__________ are independent, objective, and systematic examinations of evidence for the purpose of providing an assessment of the performance of an organization, a unit within an organization, a function, or a program in order to improve accountability, efficiency and effectiveness, internal controls, profit, and decision making.

		Operating policies and procedures
		Risk assessments
		Standards of conduct
		Operational audits

Question 17

__________ should include updates on internal changes that have been made to the practice’s compliance programs.

		Brochures and other materials written for patients
		Media advertisements
		Education and training
		Compensation plans

Question 22

In a medical malpractice action, the standard of care must almost always be established through:

		hospital bylaws.
		the state licensure board’s rules.
		the American Medical Association’s guidelines.
		the testimony of expert witnesses.

Question 23

__________ is a legal doctrine that says a principal is liable for the negligence of an agent of that principal, when that agent is acting on the principal’s behalf and within the scope of his or her duties as the agent of the principal.

		Vicarious liability
		The locality rule
		The Stark law
		The “borrowed servant”

Activity 2

Successful leaders and managers today are willing to exercise their leadership in such a way that their people are empowered to make decisions, share information, and try new things. Most employees see the value in finding empowerment and are willing to take on the responsibilities that come with it. If future leaders have the wisdom to learn from the experience of present leaders, and if present leaders have the wisdom to build an environment that empowers people, both will share in the benefits. 
I think both leader and manager can empower their employees. Companies and leaders have increasingly implemented empowerment because of the benefits of empowered employees. Employees typically feel a stronger sense of ownership and worth when entrusted to make important decisions. This, in turn, makes them more productive in their roles. Customer benefits are also important. Customers who are angry or seeking resolution for a problem typically want that problem dealt with as quickly as possible and get frustrated when told that a manager is not available to help them and they will have to wait.
Empowering employees leads to organizational encouragement of entrepreneurial traits and prompts employees to make decisions, take action, and foster their belief that they can take control of their own destinies. This belief leads to self-motivation and a sense of independence that is translated into greater loyalty and extra effort for the organization. Empowered employees come to believe that they control their own success through their efforts and hard work, which in turn benefits the success of the entire institution.
Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment focuses on the structures within the organization rather than the individual’s own qualities (Bradbury-Jones, Sambrook, & Irvine, 2007). Kanter believes that a leader’s power will grow by sharing the power through empowering others and as a result, leaders will realize increased organizational performance (Fox, 1998). Furthermore, Kanter posits that with tools, information, and support, people’s skill base will improve, they will increasingly make informed decisions and overall accomplish more, thereby benefiting the organization as a whole (Fox, 1998).
Kantor’s theory has proven to have measurable impact on both employee empowerment and job satisfaction as well as organizational morale and success.

Activity 1

There are a variety of ways in which one can view the concept of social empowerment, all of which lead to a more productive, engaged workforce.

Employee empowerment is basically what happens when employees and colleagues begin to work together in a group or team setting.

This can happen either within a physical office or via the Internet, the latter of which is made easy by social business software.

Social business software is a suite of tools that allows employees to communicate with each other, share files/documents and contribute to an organization’s knowledge-base, regardless of where in the world they may live. Employees simply log into the social intranet, where they are updated with a home screen not unlike that which might be seen on any familiar social network. From here, they can begin to collaborate with one another and work to find solutions to whatever issues may be at hand.

It’s already painfully obvious for many leaders and HR people just how problematic a lack of social empowerment can be, especially considering its effect on employee engagement.

Passionate employees are hard to describe, but we know them when we see them – though that doesn’t mean they all look and act alike. Here are several common characteristics of passionate employees:

1.    Bring their best self to work
2.    Possess a desire to continuously improve
3.    Focus on the opportunities instead of the obstacles
4. Aren’t easily discouraged
5. Optimistic
6.    Driven to do their best

Passionate employees = Quality business. Creating passion at work is everyone’s responsibility, but the leader sets the tone for the team. Make being passionate a habit, and it’s likely that soon your teammates will follow suit.

Prior to beginning this discussion, please read the Frost and Lumia (2012) and the  Rhodes, Rodriguez, and Shah (2014) required articles as well as the following selections from your required text:

• “Attention in Cognition and Early Learning” (pp. 71-77)
• “Cognition and Emotion” (pp. 78-84) 
• “Memory” (pp. 85-91)
• “Intelligence” (pp. 92-98)
• “Concept learning” (pg. 99-103)

Review the information in The Critical Thinking Community. In your initial post, you will apply what you learned from each of the five articles from your text, but you will discuss the findings and implications for just one of these articles. The articles are assigned based on the first letter of your last name. Please see the list below to determine which of the articles you will focus on for your initial post. Last name begins with:

• P through T: “Cognition and Emotion”

Explain the empirical findings presented in your assigned article, applying appropriate citations and references. Describe, in your own words, how the research relates to your own experiences as well as how this area of neuroscience may have affected your past or current beliefs about knowledge development. Do the research findings refute or support your current beliefs, and in what ways? Are there variables about knowledge development for which you were unaware based on your article?

Based on the information presented in the five articles from the text, how prevalent are false autobiographical memories in your own life? In your own words, describe how emotion and episodic memory development affect these memories. Apply the basic research findings from the “Intelligence” article (Sternberg, 2010) that intelligence is highly inheritable and fixed to your own experiences and compare them with the suggestions you drew from the findings of your assigned article. Apply skeptical inquiry to the potential problems that might arise from the premise of fixed intelligence. Provide a rationale for whether or not this premise is valid and/or appropriate based on the findings reported by the assigned articles: “Attention in Cognition and Early Learning,” “Cognition and Emotion,” “Memory,” “Intelligence,” and “Concept Learning.” It is recommended that you research articles in the Ashford University Library to support your assertions should the required articles not provide sufficient information.

Assignment 2: Individual Research Task Landmark Case Presentation In this module, present your research findings on the landmark cases related to competency to stand trial (CST), criminal responsibility, the right to receive mental health treatment, the right to refuse psychiatric treatment, coercion to mental health treatment, and civil commitment and treatment of sex offenders. Tasks: Create a case report for each selected case, including the following headings: Title and Citation: Provide the title of the case and in which court the case is involved. Type of Action: Describe the type of the case. Facts of the Case: Describe the key facts in the case with roles and responsibilities of forensic psychology professionals. Contentions of the Parties: Explain the relevant points in the contentions of the parties. Issue: Describe the issue from the viewpoint of the psycholegal question at hand. Decision: Explain the decision in the case with implications, present and future, for the practice of forensic psychology. Reasoning: Explain the reasoning provided by the trial judges or justices to arrive at the decision and dissenting opinions, if any. Rule of Law: Describe the rule of law with regard to the practice of forensic psychology. Click here for a sample case report, which you can also use as a template to write your individual case report. Write the case reports in not more than a 6-page Microsoft Word document. All written assignments and responses should follow APA rules for attributing sources. You may refer to the following links for additional information: Landmark Cases of the US Supreme Court Supreme Court of the U.S. FindLaw Google US Supreme Court Center Submission Details: By Week 4, Day 7, save your report as M4_A2_Lastname_Firstname.doc and submit it to the M4 Assignment 2 Dropbox. Assignment 2 Grading Criteria Maximum Points Described the facts of each case accurately and critically analyzed the roles and responsibilities of forensic psychology professionals in each case. 16 Explained the contentions of the party and highlighted the relevant points. 16 Described the issues clearly with regard to the psycholegal question at hand. 16 Critically analyzed the decision based on the issue and relevant points in the contentions and explained implications, present and future, for the practice of forensic psychology. 16 Critically analyzed and accurately explained the reasoning by the trial judges or justices and any dissenting opinions. 12 Accurately described the rule of law with regard to the practice of forensic psychology. 12 Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. 12 Total: 100