Category: economics

Stratification, Class and Inequality

Posted on | by Brian Leakey

respond to the following questions:

(1) What are the key nature, characteristics and attributes of social stratification as a sociological concept? (Length: At least 200 words; Max points = 5)

(2) Compare and contrast Karl Marx and Max Weber’s perspectives on social class. How would they categorize people into different social class (i.e., factors or dimensions)? (Length: At least 200 words; Max points= 5)

(3) According to the authors, what is the key sociological debate (Pp. 225-227 in the latest edit of the text) on explaining poverty? Use relevant examples and statistics other than the ones found in the textbook to support your discussion. In your view, what are the strengths and weaknesses of these arguments or perspectives? (Length: At least 300 words; 10 Points).

For profit (FP) or not for profit (NFP).

Posted on | by

Private, nongovernmental healthcare organizations may be either for profit (FP) or not for profit (NFP).

Discuss the difference between not-for-profit and for-profit organizations.
What happens if an NFP organization makes a profit?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of organization?
Describe two specific examples of how risk management has influenced nursing documentation.

Slavery today

Posted on | by

Discussion Prompt: Despite international agreements and national laws banning slavery, it continues in all parts of the world in many different forms. Slavery today includes: Debt bondage or bonded labor – poor people, with no other source of help have to take out loans from their employer to meet their basic needs and get trapped in an unending cycle of loans and impossible repayments; human trafficking – transporting or receiving people, who have been abducted or deceived with offers of good jobs, and then forcing them to work in exploitative conditions that they would not have chosen; descent slavery – some people are born into slavery because they belong to a group discriminated against by their society, their rights are ignored and they are treated as property; forced domestic service – Hidden away from public notice in private homes, domestic workers can suffer a range of abuses at the hands of their employers; and the worst forms of child labor – this may include debt bondage to pay off parents’ debts, commercial sexual exploitation or forced recruitment into armed forces.

As a consumer of international, and national, products that may or may not have been made at the hands of an enslaved individual, what are your responsibilities, if any?

Implementing the triple bottom line

Posted on | by

For this week’s discussion, please respond to the following:

How would you implement the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit) concept at your chosen company, whether you are using the snack food company scenario or the company of your choice?

Keep the following format in mind as you complete this week’s discussion:

Profit: Specify your company’s strategies to keep the company profitable. When looking at profit from this theory’s perspective, the idea is that profits will help empower and sustain the community as a whole. Profits are more than just a benefit for shareholders. Briefly explain your approach.
People: Describe your approach to caring about suppliers, customers, employees, and the community. For example, one way to care about employees is to provide a good working environment, training and development opportunities, and health care. Use subheadings for each category of stakeholders and discuss specific strategies for each:
Employees
Customers
Community
Suppliers
Planet: Explain your approach to minimizing your company’s environmental impact. Consider all aspects of your operations. For example, your company might develop a process to minimize waste or reduce energy usage, such as using recycled materials in its production process.
Post at least one substantive comment to another student’s post.

Calculation of unemployment

Posted on | by

 

 

 

 

 

How is unemployment calculated, and what is and is not included?
What were the unemployment numbers for the latest three quarters?
Why is unemployment mentioned in business news so often and used as an important metric for our economy?
What might cause the unemployment numbers to be questioned from an accuracy standpoint and a relevancy perspective?
How is unemployment impacted by the phases of the business cycle?

 

 

Pricing

Posted on | by

 

 

 

 

Pricing is just one part of a marketing plan, but it is a big one. This is where you detail your pricing strategy with regard to the ways it aligns with the needs of your customers (based on their buying habits and price sensitivity) and how the margins you establish will cover operating costs.

Be sure to frame your pricing structure in relation to your competition, with a focus on direct competitors.

Explain your method or methods of setting prices. For most small businesses, having the lowest price is often not a good policy. It robs you of needed profit margin; customers may not care as much about price as you think; and large competitors can under price you anyway. Usually you will do better to have average prices and compete on quality and service. Some questions you may want to consider in this section include:

● Is your pricing competitive? Is it a competitive advantage?

● Compared to your closest direct competitor, would you be considered a bargain choice or a premium brand?

● Does your pricing strategy fit with what was revealed in your competitive analysis?

● Compare your prices with those of the competition. Are they higher, lower, the same? Why?

● How important is price as a competitive factor? Do your intended customers really make their purchase decisions mostly on price?

An economic question

Posted on | by

 

 

 

 

 

A major beverage producer is considering launching a cinnamon flavored, sparkling beverage.
Before they launch the product the marketing team for Rocket Fizz (proposed name) has a few issues they would like you to address with a survey of soda drinkers, including:
How do consumers feel about the name Rocket Fizz?
Which consumers are most attracted to this product (e.g, demographics, psychographics)?
What factors are most important when selecting a soda or sparkling beverage?
How do consumers feel about cinnamon flavored products?
How would consumers rate the sodas and sparkling beverages they currently consume?
Are consumers interested in this product as a stand-alone beverage, or as a mixer with alcohol? Why and how?
What foods would go well with a cinnamon soda?
Would consumers be more interested in this product if it were caffeinated, e.g., an energy drink?
How likely are consumers to try this product if it were recommended by a server in a restaurant?
What price is considered fair for this new product?

 

 

Managerial Economics

Posted on | by

 

 

 

 

 

Managerial Economics provides insight on how to make successful business decisions. Please provide your favorite topics discussed and tell why. How can you use the information covered in the next thirty days? Include a minimum of one reference.

 

Protection of consumers

Posted on | by

 

 

 

 

 

Share a recent or current event in which a business or government failed to protect consumers. What were the failures? Who were the victims? What can or could be done to prevent such failures in the future? Do your findings change the way you will support the company in the future?
You are encouraged to share resources that introduce or illuminate the event.