What past personal experience(s) can you relate to the parable?

The parable of the Place of Honor examines the power of being humble. We as leaders and businesspeople should operate from a place of humility rather than a place of haughtiness. As we think about how we interact with others and how others see us from our interactions, we need to be mindful of how Christ has called us to be humble in our approach to leading and serving. This is difficult at times because many of us are wired to move forward, get things done, and do whatever it takes to be successful. We can still do all these things, but we need to accomplish them through a lens of humility. We should not be people who only try to promote ourselves, but we should be people that work hard, care for others, and do whatever it takes to build healthy and gracious relationships. God has called us to a life of humility, and when we lead, love, and care through humility, we will always do so from a seat of honor through Christ’s strength within us.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

Integrate the VBM into research, reading, writing, and reporting.
Demonstrate the ability to write for practitioner websites.
Background Information

This is the seventh parable in our series for the course. We have been discussing and learning together about the Virtuous Business Model through these parables. We have also been applying the learning gained from the parable readings and our reflection on the VBM to our personal and professional lives. In this final week, you will do the same; however, as you reflect on the scripture reading for this week, also consider the prior weeks and how the you might integrate the broader scope of learning that has occurred more fully in your life.

Instructions

Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
Read Luke 14:7-11(new tab) and review the Virtuous Business Model(Excel spreadsheet).
Reflect on the following questions:
What past personal experience(s) can you relate to the parable?
How does the Scripture inform your understanding of the VBM?
What can you do differently or better as a result of this reflective learning exercise?

What is the evidence linking poverty with mental disorders?

Diseases that disproportionately affect the poor are typically prioritized by governments and donors. Some people believe that disorders such as depression are problems of the middle class and the affluent, or represent a “medicalization of misery,” and, therefore, do not deserve a share of scarce resources.
What is the evidence linking poverty with mental disorders?
How might poverty interact with mental health?

Analyze how individual financial metrics are specifically affected by stock repurchase plans and returns.

Stock Repurchases

In the short article “Royal Dutch Shell Finally Delivers Big Stock Buyback, But Shares Break Support” by Aparna Narayanan (see below), stock repurchases may produce favorable effects on key financial ratios.
Narayanan, A. (2018, July 26). Royal Dutch Shell finally delivers big stock buyback, but shares break support. Investors Business Daily. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=131003207&site=ehost-live&scope=site
After reading the article, address the prompts below.
Include an introduction that summarizes the article.
Analyze the importance of stable dividend policies.
Determine reasons behind stock repurchases.
Analyze how individual financial metrics are specifically affected by stock repurchase plans and returns.

Evaluate the “rebirth” elements in the Renaissance; debate the question as whether the modern world began in the Renaissance; compare and contrast the Italian Renaissance with the Northern Renaissance.

Evaluate the “rebirth” elements in the Renaissance; debate the question as whether the modern world began in the Renaissance; compare and contrast the Italian Renaissance with the Northern Renaissance.

Debate the issue of whether the 14th century was the end of the Middle Ages, the beginning of the Modern World, or both; assess the impact of the Black Death on European society, and were there any “winners”; analyze the changing face of war in the 14th century.

Debate the issue of whether the 14th century was the end of the Middle Ages, the beginning of the Modern World, or both; assess the impact of the Black Death on European society, and were there any “winners”; analyze the changing face of war in the 14th century.

Analyze the relationship between the Renaissance and the Reformation; evaluate some of the non-religious consequences of the Reformation; debate the question as to whether the modern world began in the Reformation era. SITE ALL WORK

Analyze the relationship between the Renaissance and the Reformation; evaluate some of the non-religious consequences of the Reformation; debate the question as to whether the modern world began in the Reformation era. SITE ALL WORK

What are the relevant facts to consider when making such a determination? Is the dissent correct?

TOPIC: Cases involving sexual abuse of children pose a special problem for a proportionality analysis under the Eighth Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause. Such crimes inflict the immediate damage of the criminal conduct, but also the likelihood of lifetime emotional injury. On the other hand, a crime of “offensive touching” a child is not the same as rape or murder of that child. In Hanf v. State, 182 S0. 2d 704 (Fla. App. 2015) the defendant was sentenced to life in prison for lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12 years of age. (Florida has eliminated parole for most crimes.) The criminal conduct was “unwanted touching” of the child’s breast. The appeals court affirmed the sentence, holding that it was not “grossly disproportionate” to the crime. What are the relevant facts to consider when making such a determination? Is the dissent correct?

Compare and contrast the views of management and accountants regarding the changes required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on internal controls and how these changes have affected corporations, accounting firms, and investors.

Write a 500 – 750 word paper on the following topic:
Compare and contrast the views of management and accountants regarding the changes required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on internal controls and how these changes have affected corporations, accounting firms, and investors.
Note that your attached paper will automatically be submitted to Turnitin, and an Originality Report should be sent back to the classroom within around 15 minutes. The Originality report does not actually recommend changes. It does point out where you may need to add a citation or quotation marks (if not already cited). Once you use it a few times, you will appreciate this tool, as it will assist you in improving quality and content, as well as avoid plagiarism. Your goal is to keep direct quotations to a minimum and to make sure that you do not just cut and paste material. Ensure that all your references are cited. A report with a similarity index less than 25% is acceptable for undergraduate level work.
Your paper will be evaluated according to the Writing Assignment Grading shown below. To maximize your grade, be sure to use the proper organization (intro, body, conclusion) and follow APA style. Your paper should have a title page and reference page, but you do not need an abstract for this assignment. See the PowerPoint presentation attached for APA assistance.

Describe how mastery-level grading or standards-based grading applies to the 2 paragraphs above.

In Stiggins (2014) the author poses the question, “If communication takes the form of a test score or a letter grade, then proper interpretation requires that the recipient understand the specific relationship between the letters or numbers used and the achievement standards they are intended to represent. If this understanding is missing, miscommunication or at least inadequate communication is assured and productive action may remain beyond reach” (p. 16).
Depending upon the source referenced, letter grades have been used for one or two centuries. Considering the above reference to miscommunication around letter grading, and the possible subjectivity and inconsistency associated with letter grades, caution in sole dependence upon letter grades or test scores to communicate student performance may be advised.
Write a 250- to 300-word response to the following:
Describe how mastery-level grading or standards-based grading applies to the 2 paragraphs above.
Share specific examples of how you might work with your teachers to implement either mastery-level grading or standards-based grading in your school. Include at least 3 steps that must be taken to ensure that this conversation with your faculty might result in improved assessment measures at the classroom level.

Is it ethical to receive a “special” price for services or goods from a client or coachee?

Step 1) Consider that ethical dilemmas are called that because there is often not one clear-cut answer for what is right and what is wrong. The coaching relationship is fraught with ethical dilemmas, including:
Emotional, behavioral, or personality issues with coachees (such as potential suicides or illegal acts)
Emotional, behavioral, or personality issues with the coach (prolonging the coaching arrangement for financial gain)
Failure to respect professional boundaries between coach and coachee (possible inappropriate personal involvement or abuse of power)
Conflicts of interest among various stakeholders (such as failure to keep confidential information from management)
Step 2) Read about the main ethical considerations governing coaches and coaching relationships in the following book found in the Trident Online Library. The authors propose a model for ethical decision-making in coaching—the ACTION model—specifically designed for people working in leadership coaching. Although written for professional coaches, leaders who coach subordinates in a mentoring role can benefit from using the guidelines in this chapter to shape their own behavior as well.
Passmore, J., & Mortimer, L. (2011). Ethics in coaching. In G. Hernez-Broom, & L. A. Boyce (Eds.), Advancing executive coaching: Setting the course for successful leadership coaching (pp. 205-227). Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass.
Step 3) Read this classic article on the ethics of mentoring that specifically addresses ethical issues from the perspective of the imbalance of power between the mentor (or boss) and the subordinate.
Moberg, D. J. & Valasquez, M. (2004) The ethics of mentoring, Business Ethics Quarterly 14(1): 95-122.
Step 4) Below are several ethical situations a coach may have:
Is it ethical to receive a “special” price for services or goods from a client or coachee?
Is it ethical to date a client/coachee’s sister or brother?
Is it ethical to buy a car from a client/coachee who owns the only dealership in the area?
Is it ethical to ask a client/coachee for a ride to the airport?
Are there circumstances where it would be OK to have a sexual relationship with a client/coachee?
When reviewing ethical situations, coaches should consider the following elements within the coaching relationship:
How much of a power differential is there between the coach and the other person?
Will it be brief contact or will it be continuous or episodic contact over a long time?
Has the relationship been permanently terminated, and does the client understand that as well?
Step 5) Select one of the ethical situations from “a” through “e” above.
Step 6) Answer the following questions below using question and answer (Q&A) format; in other words, include the original question along with your response. Within your post, support your responses with information from the background materials or reputable outside sources, and provide the full citation at the end. Use APA format for your references. Bring in your own personal experiences, readings, and research, where applicable.
Which ethical situation did you select?
In your opinion, would this situation be unethical? Why or why not?
How does the element of power factor into your opinion?
How does the element of duration factor into your opinion?
How does the element of termination factor into your opinion?
Are you drawing on any particular ethical framework in formulating your response (for example, the ethical frameworks introduced in ETH501)? If so, identify what that is and cite your source.