Financial Engineering to Enhance Shareholder Value

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Create an 8-10 page report in which you examine a major public company and provide a recommendation on how shareholder value could be enhanced, with resulting impact on the firm’s capital structure and stock value.

Introduction

This portfolio work project will illustrate what potential financial strategies can be employed by firms to impact company valuation and how they should be financed. This is a relevant concept for both large and small companies. You will have a chance to apply the skills expected of an MBA graduate; from the financial management perspective, you should be able to:

  • Utilize financial strategies that will increase the price of stock.
  • Calculate WACC and capital structure.
  • Evaluate how financial strategies impact the capital structure.

This assessment requires you to examine a major public company and provide recommendations on how shareholder value could be enhanced, with resulting impact on the firm’s capital structure and stock value. You will estimate the firm’s current WACC.

Scenario

Fast forward to when you have successfully completed the MBA program. You are now a Chief Financial Officer of a large, publicly traded company at (go ahead and insert your dream company here). Using your dream company, conduct extensive research on the current situation of the company using resources like the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, GuruFocus, Yahoo Finance, EDGAR, and the Capella library. As the CFO, you have been given a project by the CEO and Board of Directors to prepare a report on ways to financially engineer the company to increase stock price.

From the company’s website, go to the financial section and examine the financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows) and 10K and 10Q reports, and conduct a financial ratio analysis including the following: current ratio, debt to equity ratio, return on equity (ROE) ratio, dividend yield, earnings per share (EPS or the last 4 quarters), price to earnings ratio (P/E), and market to book ratio. Compare these ratios to those of the company’s nearest competitor.

Assume that the objective of upper management is to maximize shareholder value by increasing the price of the stock. Describe the subjective impacts (threats, opportunities, competitive edge) that are unique to the firm and its industry that you found in your research.

Based on the ratio results and research, from the following list of ways to financially engineer an increase in stock price, evaluate each method, examine its pros and cons, and then select the best ways for the firm to increase the stock price. Be as specific as you can by using qualitative assessments without proprietary company information:

  1. Capital expenditures—new equipment, plant, machinery, marketing/advertising campaign, computer infrastructure (only choose if your research of the firm has discovered some specific opportunity here).
  2. Merger/acquisition of a competitor.
  3. Stock repurchases.
  4. Dividend policy change—increase, decrease, stock split, stock dividend.
  5. Reduction of debt.
  6. Expansion into a new geographic market.
  7. Introduction of new products/services.

Your Role

You are the Chief Financial Officer of your selected company.

Requirements

The report you submit to the CEO should meet these expectations:

  • Evaluate strategies used to increase stock prices and shareholder value.
    • Analyze strategies to employ cash to potentially increase shareholder value and the impact on financial risk of the entity, such as capital expenditures, mergers/acquisitions, stock buybacks, dividend increases, reduction of debt, expansion into a new geographic area, and introduction of new projects.
  • Analyze financial statements and ratio analysis to determine the optimal strategies.
    • Describe the subjective impacts that are unique to the firm and its industry through ratio analysis of the financial statements and qualitative research.
    • Relate the analysis to the strategies.
    • Identify the pros and cons regarding each strategy. Use behavioral models and theories to support your analysis and evaluation. Determine the best strategies, and describe how earnings and stock price can be increased by these choices. Comment on how the efficient market hypothesis may impact stock price with the recommendations.
  • Recommend the best strategies to gain the most optimal performance.
    • Provide justification and rationale for your recommendation.
    • Align your recommendation with analysis and data.
    • Provide examples and analysis to defend recommended strategies.
    • Connect the recommendation to methods and models of financing and investing.
  • Evaluate how the recommendation will be financed and how it will impact the capital structure and the risk of the company and the WACC.
    • Calculate the firm’s current WACC and capital structure (percentage of assets financed by liabilities versus percentage of assets financed by shareholder equity).
    • Determine whether the firm has sufficient finances to fund your recommendation internally (with cash) or if it needs to raise funds externally.
    • If external financing is required, decide between common stock and debt (bonds) and explain the rationale for your decision.
    • Examine how your strategy recommendation will potentially impact WACC, capital structure, the overall risk of the company stock, and the effect on the stock price.

Deliverable Format

Report requirements:
  • Ensure written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message and quality.
  • Use at least three scholarly resources.
  • Your report should be between 8 and 10 pages.
  • Use 12 point, Times New Roman.
Related company standards:
  • This report is a professional document and should therefore follow the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines (located in the MBA Program Resources), including single-spaced paragraphs.
  • Use APA-formatted references.

Evaluation

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:

  • Competency 2: Analyze financing strategies to maximize stakeholder value.
    • Evaluate strategies used to increase stock prices and shareholder value.
  • Competency 3: Apply financial analyses to business planning and decision making.
    • Recommend the best strategies to gain the most optimal performance.
  • Competency 4: Use data to support evidence-based financial decisions.
    • Analyze financial statements and ratio analysis to determine the optimal use of cash.
    • Evaluate how the recommendation impacts the capital structure and the risk of the company and the WACC.

Faculty will use the scoring guide to review your deliverable as if they were your CEO. Review the scoring guide prior to developing and submitting your assessment.

Criteria Non-performance Basic Proficient Distinguished
Evaluate strategies used to increase stock prices and shareholder value. Does not analyze strategies used to increase stock prices and shareholder value. Analyzes strategies used to increase stock prices and shareholder value. Evaluates strategies used to increase stock prices and shareholder value. Evaluates strategies used to increase stock prices and shareholder value; evaluation includes how strategies will impact the price the stock in the short term or long run based on behavioral models and theories.
Analyze financial statements and ratio analysis to determine the optimal use of cash. Does not analyze financial statements and ratio analysis to determine the optimal use of cash. Analyzes financial statements and ratio analysis to determine the optimal use of cash; however, analysis is faulty and does not support claims of how to optimally use cash. Analyzes financial statements and ratio analysis to determine the optimal use of cash. Evaluates financial statements and ratio analysis to determine the optimal use of cash
Recommend the best strategies to gain the most optimal performance. Does not recommend strategies to gain the most optimal performance. Recommends strategies, but they are not the best ones to gain the most optimal performance. Recommends the best strategies to gain the most optimal performance. Recommends the best strategies to gain the most optimal performance; provides quantitative and qualitative data to support recommendations. Justifies strategies with historical examples and other qualitative information.
Evaluate how the recommendations impact the capital structure and the risk of the company and the WACC. Does not evaluate how the recommendation impacts the capital structure and the risk of the company and the WACC. Evaluates how the recommendation impacts the capital structure and the risk of the company the WACC; however, the evaluation does not consider all factors and possible implications. Evaluates how the recommendation impacts the capital structure and the risk of the company and the WACC. Evaluates how the recommendation impacts the capital structure and the risk of the company and the WACC; provides quantitative and qualitative data to support evaluation. Indicates how the new strategy will be financed and how that will impact WACC and the firm’s capital structure.

LASA 1: Case Studies Presentation

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create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation to educate a group of medical students participating in their grand rounds. There should be at least ten slides in your Microsoft PowerPoint as well as a title slide and a slide listing all your sources for creating this slideshow. You should also create speaker notes for each slide of your presentation, which include the main talking points for the topic addressed on the slide. 

In order to create your slideshow, review the two case studies and then answer the questions following each case study:

Case Study 1: Isaac is a fifty-nine-year-old man. Several months ago, he noticed a slight tremor in his hands. He assumed this to be a normal consequence of aging. The tremor, however, gradually worsened, along with some muscular stiffness and slowness in initiating movement. The tremor was more pronounced when he was not voluntarily moving. Isaac was referred to a neurologist, who diagnosed him with Parkinson’s disease. After visiting the neurologist, Isaac and his family ask you to further explain this disorder. Isaac also asks about L-dopa as a treatment—the neurologist had mentioned L-dopa as an effective medication but had instead prescribed selegiline:

  • What are the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?
  • What are the possible causes? Be sure to discuss both hereditary and environmental factors thought to contribute to this disease.
  • What parts of the brain does this disease affect?
  • Why do you think the neurologist prescribed selegiline instead of L-dopa?

Case Study 2: Sabrina is a twenty-seven-year-old woman who recently underwent a corpus callosotomy. Initially after surgery, when given a verbal command, Sabrina demonstrated marked apraxia of the left hand. However, the extent of this issue diminished over time. Answer the following questions about this client:

  • What disorder was most likely being treated by this operation, and how is the surgery performed?
  • In what way is the surgery expected to help Sabrina?
  • What are the risks and benefits of the surgery? Compare these to the risks and benefits of an alternative treatment. If the decision were yours, which would you recommend? Explain your decision.
  • What was the cause of the apraxia?
  • What does the reduction in apraxia symptoms tell us about hemispheric specialization?

Click here to follow tips on creating a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. For this assignment and all Dropbox assignments, you are required to cite, at a minimum, the online course and the textbook for the course. Additional sources are welcome. Scholarly sources are preferred and can be found in the Argosy University online library. For reputable web sources, look for .gov or .edu sites as opposed to .com sites. Do not use Wikipedia.

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria

Maximum Points
Described the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Discussed what parts of the brain this disease affects.

24
Discussed hereditary and environmental factors thought to contribute to Parkinson’s disease.

24
Analyzed the reasons why selegiline was prescribed instead of L-dopa.

28
Discussed the disorder being treated by the corpus callosotomy and how the surgery is performed. Explained how the surgery will help Sabrina.

20
Analyzed the risks and benefits of the surgery and an alternative treatment and explained your recommendation.

24
Explained the cause of the apraxia.

16
Analyzed what the reduction in apraxia symptoms reveals about hemispheric specialization.

20
Used standard presentation components.

44
Total:

200
Presents the rubric for this assignment.

Topic 5 DQ 2.1

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Please respond with a paragraph to the following post, add citations and references.

My workplace incorporates evidence based practice into decisions and interactrions with clients in everything. In the PACU policies are being updated continuosly based on research. An example of this is the post op phase of TAVER patient’s in the PACU. There is a protocol regarding what needs to be done in the time frame the patient is in the PACU . The patient needs to stay in the PACU for 2/12/ hours before going to the floor. This time is based on research and the likliehood of complications occuring during that time frame. It is safer based on the research that the patient stay in PACU under one on one obsevation to watch for complication from the procedure.

the question of whether or not we control our own destinies, we begin with a survey of articles about the topic.

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NO PLAGERISM

IF THE RUBRIC FOR GRADING IS NOT FOLLOWED I WLL WITHDRAW THE QUESTION

Since our course theme revolves around the question of whether or not we control our own destinies, we begin with a survey of articles about the topic. The following four articles weigh in on the central question from different perspectives. This assignment asks you to summarize one article from the unit, and then write a response. Please read the prompt and directions carefully before you complete the assignment.

Unit Texts

  • Gregory Clark’s “Your Ancestors, Your Fate” (The New York Times)
  • Eddy Niahmas’ “Why We Have Free Will” (Scientific American)
  • Stephen Cave’s “There’s No Such Thing as Free Will” (The Atlantic)
  • Adam Alter’s “Where We Are Shapes Who We Are” (The New York Times)

Note: Unit texts are available as PDFs on Module Week 1

Prompt

  1. Write a 1-2 paragraph academic summary of ONE of the unit texts above (your choice), following the WHAT/HOW/WHY format outlined in the unit lesson and worksheet.
  2. Write a 2-3 paragraph response to the following question: After reading and considering the articles above, do you believe we have free will? Explain why or why not.
    • Integrate paraphrased material and/or direct quotes from TWO additional articles in our unit, other than the one you summarized, to support your argument(s).
    • Connect to a personal example or experience that illustrates your argument(s).

Important Guidelines

  • The academic summary and response should be separate and distinguishable from one another because they are assessed according to different criteria.
  • The prompt asks for you to summarize one article, and then paraphrase or quote from two additional articles in your response, so you should reference three articles total in the assignment.
  • The assignment should demonstrate correct writing mechanics (grammar and usage), and should be fully developed with clarity and organization of ideas.
  • Your work should meet academic integrity expectations and include your original ideas and writing. Please do not do any outside research/internet searching for this assignment. No MLA works cited page required.

Note that this is not a traditional argumentative essay (with an introduction, thesis, etc.). This is a writing assignment that should conform to the format in the prompt above.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to:

  1. Read and respond to a college-level text
  2. Compose college-level writing
  3. Produce an academic summary of an article
  4. Connect a personal example to a specific idea/concept in the text

Rubric

WR1 Rubric

WR1 Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAcademic SummaryClosely follows the WHAT/HOW/WHY format outlined in lesson and on handout. Summary is accurate, specific, and author-focused.

40.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeResponseResponse uses paraphrased or quoted material from two articles (other than the one summarized) and connects to a personal experience or example.

40.0 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeGrammar, Mechanics, OrganizationResponse follows directions and is appropriate in length and quality for a transfer-level assignment. Writing demonstrates few-to-no grammar/mechanics errors. Ideas are organized and developed logically in paragraphs.

20.0 pts

PreviousNext

Create a PowerPoint Presentation in which you detail the ways that you, as I/O Psychologist, will benefit both the organization and its employees. Psychology homework help

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Assignment 1: Learning Assessment System Assignment #2

You are interviewing for your dream job as an I/O psychologist. As part of your interview, you have been asked to present a PowerPoint presentation to search committee, which is made up of both managers and employees.

Create a PowerPoint Presentation in which you detail the ways that you, as I/O Psychologist, will benefit both the organization and its employees. 

Follow the PowerPoint presentation tips.  There should be ten slides in your PowerPoint—an initial slide and one slide each for the topics below. You should also create speaker notes for each slide of your presentation, which include the main talking points for the topic addressed in the slide.

Your slides should cover the following topics from both the organization and employee perspective in addressing ways the ways that an I/O psychologist can benefit the organization and its employees:

  1. Job Analysis
  2. Employee Selection
  3. Employee Training
  4. Performance Evaluation
  5. Employee Satisfaction, Motivation, and Attitude
  6. Worker Stress
  7. Communication, Group Process, and Employee Behavior
  8. Leadership and Organizational Structure
  9. Legal and Ethical Issues

Submit your assignment to the M1: Assignment 1 Dropbox by Monday, February 8, 2016.

For this assignment and all Dropbox assignments, you are required to cite, at a minimum, the online course and the textbook for the course.  Additional sources are welcome. Scholarly sources are preferred and can be found through Argosy University online library resources.  Please see the Library and Tutoring Services section under Course Home to use Argosy University online library resources.  Additional, non-scholarly sources from reputable Web and print sources are also acceptable. For reputable Web sources, look for .org, .net, or .edu sites as opposed to .com sites. Avoid Wikipedia.

For help with APA formatting please check the Doc Sharing section of the class.

Assignment 1 Grading Criteria

Maximum Points

Creates a PowerPoint slide that illustrates the benefits an I/O psychologist will bring to the organization in regard to job analysis (from both the organization and employee perspective).

24

Creates a PowerPoint slide that illustrates the benefits an I/O psychologist will bring to the organization in regard to employee selection (from both the organization and employee perspective).

24

Creates a PowerPoint slide that illustrates the benefits an I/O psychologist will bring to the organization in regard to employee training (from both the organization and employee perspective).

24

Creates a PowerPoint slide that illustrates the benefits an I/O psychologist will bring to the organization in regard to performance evaluations (from both the organization and employee perspective).

24

Creates a PowerPoint slide that illustrates the benefits an I/O psychologist will bring to the organization in regard to employee satisfaction, motivation, and attitude (from both the organization and employee perspective).

24

Creates a PowerPoint slide that illustrates the benefits an I/O psychologist will bring to the organization in regard to worker stress (from both the organization and employee perspective).

24

Creates a PowerPoint slide that illustrates the benefits an I/O psychologist will bring to the organization in regard to communication, group process, and employee behavior (from both the organization and employee perspective).

24

Creates a PowerPoint slide that illustrates the benefits an I/O psychologist will bring to the organization in regard to leadership and organizational structure (from both the organization and employee perspective).

24

Creates a PowerPoint slide that illustrates the benefits an I/O psychologist will bring to the organization in regard to legal and ethical issues (from both the organization and employee perspective).

24

Draws information from the online notes, textbook, and at least two scholarly sources to support the information presented.

20

Style (8 points): Tone, audience, and word choice
Organization (16 points): Introduction, transitions, and conclusion
Usage and Mechanics (16 points): Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure
APA Elements (24 points): In text citations and references, paraphrasing, and appropriate use of quotations and other elements of style

64

Timeliness

Late Work Penalty
Total:

300

There should be speakers notes!

Term Paper: Rough draft

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A rough draft is not expected to be polished, and as such, this assignment will be graded on a completion basis. However, in order to receive full credit for the assignment, the following components must be met:

*Attached:

-Previous papers including topic and outline

*Term paper requirements

*Rough draft rubric

Eng 1102 A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay

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Read the story and write an essay based on the provided writing assignment. The essay must be NO FEWER than 800 words. Essays containing fewer than the minimum word count will NOT be graded. You should not have more than 20% from outside sources (in this case the textbook). That is no more than 160 words. NO outside sources other than the textbooks should be used (no internet!).

• The essay should be no fewer than 800 words.

• The essay should include direct quotes and in-text citations from the text.

• The essay should NOT include information from any outside sources other than your textbook. You should include both inner citations and a works cited page from the information in the textbook in MLA format.

• Students should make sure that they answer the entire question and support their answers.

“A Good Man is Hard to Find”

Review the steps outlined on pages 223-224 or 200-202 for writing about theme to help develop a strong thesis sentence about this story’s theme. Then develop your argument into an essay, supporting your argument with evidence from the text, including quotations from the story.

(The steps which mentioned above and the whole story has been uploaded below. Please respect all the requirements above. Original work is necessary. Don’t copy any others’ work! This work is very important for me, so please write the high quality work that make me satisfied for me. Thank you very much! )

​A Rhetorically Informed Toxicity “Clean Up” Plan

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A Rhetorically Informed Toxicity “Clean Up” Plan

For this option, you would start from a game that is undeniably toxic. You would follow these steps:

A. Explain why the game is toxic/what that toxic behavior manifests as, offering examples.

B. Propose a plan to fix the toxic behavior/to alter the community with support (meaning some research/sources). This needs to be a plan that is specific and supported.

C. Offer logic as to how your plan (B) could theoretically change the problems in your examples (from A).

D. You need to assemble a “justification” for your plan wherein you either: 1) Craft a short bibliography of references that can be used to illustrate to your readers that you’ve done the legwork/know your topic or 2) you need to gather feedback from “experts” or “influencers” to show that others who know and deeply understand the game community feel like the plan has merit. This is a deliberate effort to build ethos for your plan.

Same-sex marriage

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At leaset 800 words

Identify the main thesis of the author’s main argument.

Summarize the author’s main argument that he or she offers in support of her thesis; For the paragraph(s) summarizing, you need only have a brief summary, but the more details you provide, the more feedback you can receive.

Critique (Offer what you think is a strong objection to the author’s argument regardless of whether you agree with the main thesis); please note the mere fact that you or others disagree with the author’s view is not a weakness in the argument from a logical or critical thinking point of view.

Putting the argument you will be summarizing in its standard form–premises and conclusion–is sufficient for me to see if you are on the right track. If you would like more feedback please do include details in the summary of the argument.

Diversity and the Media

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Hey Robert, I’m going to post the scoring guide at the end. Please, follow the scoring guide. I need at least “basic” I can’t have anything in “non-performance” please.

  • Write a 6–8-page essay analyzing a chosen diversity issue covered in the media.By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:SHOW LESS
    • Competency 1: Describe theoretical ideas of power in relation to policy.
      • Discuss sociological theories appropriate for promoting understanding of a diversity concept.
      • Discuss how a media piece may affect or might have been influenced by policy and/or power.
    • Competency 2: Identify historical and contemporary influences of discrimination in U. S. culture.
      • Discuss how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in a media piece to understand influences on discrimination.
    • Competency 3: Analyze the effects of social policy using aggregated data.
      • Analyze data that is appropriate for supporting or refuting the central tenets of media piece.
    • Competency 6: Communicate effectively.
      • Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format and with few errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics.

  • Context

    How are different social groups portrayed in the mass media in contemporary society? How far have we come in terms of reducing or eliminating stereotypical images and portrayals of minority groups? To answer these questions, we need to place them in the context of the economic, technological, and social changes that have shaped postindustrial U.S. society and affected relationships between diverse groups in our society. For example, watching TV sitcoms and dramas today we see not only much greater diversity in cast members but also minority group members playing leading roles, something that was much less common just a few decades ago.As we analyze how the various media forms portray cultural diversity, another thing to consider is the role of people with power in the media industry—those who make the decisions about what stories and images appear on a TV news program or magazine or newspaper article and how those programs or stories will be framed.



  • Questions to Consider

    To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community.

    • Some sociologists who study the media argue that the media is a reflection of what is already happening in society, while others contend that the media manipulates its audience by portraying events or issues with a particular slant or goal in mind. What do you think? Does the media reflect what is already going on in society, or does it manipulate viewers to draw conclusions about what is going on? Perhaps a bit of both? Consider the implications in terms of how the media portrays diversity-related issues like racism and sexism.
    • Can our interaction with media—movies, TV shows, news and radio programs, and so on—have any influence on our understanding of race, ethnicity, social class, gender, age, religion, et cetera?
    • To what extent does the news media create and perpetuate stereotypes about particular groups of people?


  • Resources

    Internet Resources

    Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have been either granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.

    Bookstore Resources

    The resources listed below are relevant to the topics and assessments in this course and are not required. Unless noted otherwise, these materials are available for purchase from the Capella University Bookstore. When searching the bookstore, be sure to look for the Course ID with the specific –FP (FlexPath) course designation.

    • Healey, J. F., & O’Brien, E. (2015). Race, ethnicity, gender, & class: The sociology of group conflict and change(7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
      • Chapters 3–5.

  • Assessment Instructions

    In this assessment, you will have the opportunity to take a deeper look at the connection between the media and the cultural diversity of U.S. society. You will discuss how a current program or article in current news media approaches diversity-related issues and explain how we can use the sociological perspective to better understand both the portrayal of diversity-related issues and the media’s broader role in U.S. society. Effectively evaluating the accuracy of the information provided in your chosen media piece will require some additional research and fact checking, something that sociologists do as well when they are weighing the validity of opposing arguments.

    Deliverable

    Choose a news media piece from a reputable source that is focused on an issue related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, physical or mental disability, or social class. Examples of acceptable media include newspaper articles, editorials, and radio or television news segments. Write an essay in which you complete the following:

    • Briefly, in one or two paragraphs, summarize the main events or issues presented in the article and describe how they relate to cultural diversity studies.
    • Compare and contrast how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in your chosen media article or program.
      • Consider how your source material demonstrates this dominant/minority group differentiation. For example, is there differentiation along racial or ethnic lines, or other variables, such as gender or social class?
    • Discuss at least two sociological theories that are most appropriate to understanding the diversity issues in your chosen media piece. Include relevant examples from the article or program to illustrate your points. Examples of theories include:
      • Functionalist perspective.
      • Conflict perspective.
      • Labeling theory.
      • Marx’s and Weber’s theories of inequality.
      • Park’s race relations cycle.
      • Gordon’s theory of assimilation.
      • Human capital theory.
      • Scapegoat theory.
      • Authoritarian personality theory.
      • Exploitation theory.
      • Contact hypothesis.
      • Noel hypothesis.
      • Blauner hypothesis.
      • Culture of poverty theory.
    • Do one of the following—choose which is appropriate for your chosen article:
      • Discuss how one or more of Merton’s four categories of prejudice and discrimination apply to the media piece you chose.
      • Explain whether assimilation or pluralism best describes how race and ethnic relations are presented in your media piece.
    • Find and analyze two credible sources of data that are appropriate for supporting or refuting the central tenets of your chosen media article or program.
      • If data is cited in your media piece, you may go to that source and analyze it yourself; then consult an additional source that supports or refutes the data presented.
      • Make sure to include citations for any sources used.
    • Discuss how the content of the media piece may affect or might have been influenced by power. For example, consider how individuals in power influence decisions regarding how issues are portrayed.
      • This can include corporate executives, lobbyists, special interest groups, or those who own a particular newspaper, channel, or media conglomerate.
    • Suggest, in your concluding paragraph, a viable policy strategy—one that could be implemented at the local, state, or federal level—for addressing the particular diversity-related issue presented in your news article or program.

    Additional Requirements

    • Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
    • Length: 6–8 pages, not including title and references pages.
    • Format: Include a title page and reference page, and format the paper and your citations according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.
    • Sources: Cite the chosen article or program and at least two additional scholarly sources.
    • Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.
    Diversity and the Media Scoring Guide
  • CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED
    Discuss sociological theories appropriate for promoting understanding of a diversity concept. Does not list sociological theories appropriate for promoting understanding of a diversity concept. Lists sociological theories appropriate for promoting understanding of a diversity concept. Discusses sociological theories appropriate for promoting understanding of a diversity concept. Analyzes sociological theories appropriate for promoting understanding of a diversity concept and cites support from scholarly resources.
    Discuss how a media piece may affect or might have been influenced by policy and/or power. Does not list ways in which a media piece may affect or might have been influenced by policy and or power Lists ways in which a media piece may affect or might have been influenced by policy and or power. Discusses how a media piece may affect or might have been influenced by policy and or power. Analyzes how a media piece may affect or might have been influenced by policy and or power and cites support from scholarly resources.
    Discuss how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in a media piece to understand influences on discrimination. Does not discuss how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in a media piece. Discusses how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in a media piece that does not significantly promote understanding of influences on discrimination. Discusses how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in a media piece to understand influences on discrimination. Analyzes how minority and dominant groups are portrayed in a media piece to understand influences on discrimination citing support from scholarly resources.
    Analyze data that is appropriate for supporting or refuting the central tenets of a media piece. Does not describe data that are appropriate for supporting or refuting the central tenets of media piece. Analyzes data that are not appropriate for supporting or refuting the central tenets of media piece or merely describes appropriate data. Analyzes data that are appropriate for supporting or refuting the central tenets of media piece. Evaluates data that are appropriate for supporting or refuting the central tenets of media piece.
    Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format and with few errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics. Does not write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format. Does not use correct grammar, usage, and mechanics. Writes to support an idea. Format is inconsistent, and contains major errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics. Writes coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format and with few errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics. Writes coherently, using evidence to support a central idea in a consistently appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.