• Practicum ASSIGNMENT DETAILS 
  You are to research INDIA and develop a profile. This profile at minimum, should contain information about the country’s history, language(s), size, GDP, population, type of government. You will find here a selection of sources providing a wealth of country data and analyses. Of course, your job is to sift through and summarize this massive amount of information to write your own analysis in 4 pages. Keep in mind, you are doing research to determine in which among the five countries researched will be selected as the recommended country to invest. Read the in-country newspapers. Attempt to make contact with key groups, business groups, NGOs, government trade agencies within the country. Use your imagination. Remember your mission: you want to set up a small business or social entrepreneurial venture in your country under study.
• This assignment should be no longer than four pages long, 1.5 spacing. All references will need to be cited and referenced, using the APA standard. These short reports will be graded on the quality of the research, creativity, and insight. You may include additional information in an appendix if you wish. 

• The Scenario Project is as follows:
  An angel investor has approached the School of Business at the California State University-Monterey Bay. Rather than go to a consulting firm, he wants MBA students to work on this project as consultants. He understands that students will need to understand Global Business and how it is conducted. However, he is patient. The angel investor expects a social entrepreneurial venture to be self-sustaining in two years. He expects any small business to break even in two to three years. He realizes that these expectations may not realistic; he expects a analysis of the risks to determine the probability of success. This Angel Investor has been inspired by the works of Muhammed Yunus and Hernando De Soto. He wants to invest in a small business or social entrepreneurial nonprofit in many potential countries. He is willing to invest up to $5m; but would prefer projects not to exceed a capital infusion of $3.5m. You will be doing research to determine the following:

1. Understanding of the dynamics of global business—yes, he understands that much that is written in textbooks refers to large businesses. He made his money as a small businessman, and feels very strongly that with the internet and other sources for financing, that small business-to-business ventures are possible. He is also willing to consider within country ventures as well.
2. Knowledge about the governance structures, international policies, and movement of money.
3. Understanding of cultural norms, structures to help business, and how to conduct business in the country recommended for investment.

• Practicum ASSIGNMENT DETAILS 
  You are to research INDIA and develop a profile. This profile at minimum, should contain information about the country’s history, language(s), size, GDP, population, type of government. You will find here a selection of sources providing a wealth of country data and analyses. Of course, your job is to sift through and summarize this massive amount of information to write your own analysis in 4 pages. Keep in mind, you are doing research to determine in which among the five countries researched will be selected as the recommended country to invest. Read the in-country newspapers. Attempt to make contact with key groups, business groups, NGOs, government trade agencies within the country. Use your imagination. Remember your mission: you want to set up a small business or social entrepreneurial venture in your country under study.

• This assignment should be no longer than four pages long, 1.5 spacing. All references will need to be cited and referenced, using the APA standard. These short reports will be graded on the quality of the research, creativity, and insight. You may include additional information in an appendix if you wish. 

Response to Samuel

Summary of Motivational Lifespan Development Theory

Lifespan development is a complex process that cannot innately be synthesized into one simple theory. According to Wrosch, Heckhausen & Haas (2012), “A central assumption in developmental research is that individuals shape, influence, or regulate their development across the life span” (p. 2). That being said, individuals experience several different types of lifespan development depending on their environment and the obstacles in front of them at various points in their lives. The Motivational Theory of Lifespan Development proposes that an individual’s life can be shaped through asserting themselves in their environment (Heckhausen, Wrosch & Schulz, 2010). Lifespan development in this theory rests upon an individual’s ability to set goals and affect change in their lives.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Many strengths exists in the Motivation Theory of Lifespan Development, but there are also some questions as to the application of this theory. Strengths of the Motivational Lifespan Development Theory are mostly based in the environmental aspects and observations that it offers. Looking at an individual’s life in the context of their social environment provides an excellent platform to introduce the idea of individual agency to a person in social work practice. In addition to using this theory in social work practice, it is also a great theory to look at with respect to how people either take control of their lives and affect change or visa versa. Questions still remain with this theory. Most importantly, how does the theory account for different social constructs and political systems? It is a reality that society in various places in this world does not offer a person the ability to affect positive change in their lives from a macro perspective, so how will the theory address this (Heckhausen, Wrosch & Schulz, 2010)? In addition to this, how will the theory account for mental illness in its approach? Some people are unable to motivate themselves in the traditional sense, which necessitates a different aspect of lifespan development. As I stated before, there is no way to apply one lifespan development theory to every human, but these questions are important for further research of this theory.

Application to Social Work Practice

As stated above, I believe that the Motivational Theory of Lifespan Development is an excellent tool to use in social work practice. Sparking motivation in people’s lives is part of what a social worker is trying to accomplish. Educating clients about this theory may show them that they have more control over their lives than they originally thought. Introducing ways that their lives have been shaped by their own motivation, or lack thereof, can be powerful in affecting positive change in an individual’s life.

References

Haase, C. M., Heckhausen, J., & Wrosch, C. (2012, July 23). Developmental Regulation Across the Life Span: Toward a New Synthesis. Developmental Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0029231

Heckhausen, J., Wrosch, C., & Schulz, R. (2010). A Motivational Theory of Life-Span Development. Psychological Review, 117(1), 32. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0017668

Response to Yana

Analyze the theory of life-span development that you selected:

Life-span development is the process of “understanding and assessing human behavior” (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016 p. 8). I chose to focus on Lev Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development. Vygotsky had a similar approach to Jean Piaget but included the importance of sociocultural perspectives when determining the influences of human behavior (Matusov & Hayes, 2000).

Summarize the theory; then, identify the strengths and weaknesses of this theory, especially as it relates to social work practice:

Vygotsky died at an early age but was able to have “a major impact on the understanding of cognitive development” (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016 p. 141). Vygotsky emphasized that the social and cultural interactions have an important effect on a child’s development (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016). Vygotsky included the effects of the environment a child may be exposed to, their social and cultural circumstances, the different social situations a child may be around, and the effects of a child’s interaction in activities that are in a group setting (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016). These principles show us how children observe behaviors and interactions that are then later incorporated mentally (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016). Vygotsky’s theory incorporates three important concepts to help understand his perspective. The first concept is the zone of proximal (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016). Zone of proximal is defined as “the difference between what a learner can accomplish independently and what he or she can accomplish with the guidance and encouragement of a more skilled partner” (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016 p. 142). For example, a child may need assistance in certain tasks that can only be done with the help of others. The second is Scaffolding (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016). Scaffolding is “the process whereby adults help children learn how to solve problems or discover principles” (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016 p. 143). The last concept is private speech (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016). Private speech is when an individual speaks to themselves and not directed to any other person (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016).

The strengths for this theory is that it does include the social nature of human development and applies it to how a child may react due to their social and cultural interactions and surroundings (Matusov & Hayes, 2000). This may be true of many children but not every person develops at the same rate or may be affected similarly. The weakness in this theory is the fact that the “approaches of development seem universalist (i.e., claiming that there is only one advanced direction for development), decontextual (i.e., claiming there are general developmental mechanisms/skills that independent of the context of their issue), ethnocentric (i.e., claiming deficits in values and practice of the other, not own, communities), and adultocentric (i.e., claiming deficits in values of the children when they are not comprehensibly by adults)” (Matusov & Hayes, 2000 para. 5).

Explain one way you might apply the theory to your social work practice:

Cognitive development theory can help me better understand how social and cultural interactions can have an effect on a child and later in their life-span. This theory uses the effects of these interactions that occur at a young age to how a child may learn to do certain tasks. The tasks are learned through a term called the zone of proximal, where an adult or another person may influence how a child reacts, learns, and completes a task. I do not want to solely rely on this theory, but to be able to recognize when this occurs in a client.

References

Matusov, E., & Hayes, R. (2000). Sociocultural critique of Piaget and Vygotsky. New Ideas In Psychology, 18(2-3), 215-239. doi:10.1016/S0732-118X(00)00009-X

Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2016). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Please include 2 APA peer reviwed references

• Refer to pages 248-251 in Chapter 11, and identify three (3) ways that Marc Lynch sees new digital media as challenging the power of Arab states. Next, discuss two (2) positive and two (2) negative outcomes that you believe this medium could have on future social uprisings both in the United States and around the globe.

• In the plot of the 2013 movie, “Her”, there is a relationship that develops between the human male character and the female computer personality embedded within the Operating System (similar to Siri in iPhones). Suggest three (3) ways that human-computer personality relationships in the future may function, especially as these computer personalities get more advanced in helping humans within an operating system. Note: See the author’s synopsis of the movie on pages 260-262. You may want to use the Internet to search for the trailer on this movie.

• Suggest two (2) negative experiences that people may encounter while using the Internet. Next, describe two (2) negative experiences you have personally experienced while using the Internet followed by two (2) positive experiences you have experienced while using the Internet.

Write a paper of 500 in which your group develops a creative strategy for the in-house advertising department of a big box retailer (Target)

The paper should address development stage of the creative strategy.

The paper must be supported by appropriately cited research.

So here is the focus to create the development stage:

Target will launch its advertising campaign with commercials, digital advertising, and in-store merchandising. The marketing message will center around the idea that shopping at Target allows you to save money for your big adventures. Target will take advantage of the sweeping current cultural wanderlust attitude with that tagline, Adventure is out there. Savvy styles are right here.

Financial management is a critical component of the broader subject of risk management. Inadequate financial management makes an organization vulnerable to a number of risk exposures.

Organizations in the finance sector have a greater impact on the aggregate economy than organizations in other sectors. The consensus among scholars and academics alike is that the private banking industry was insufficiently regulated prior to the most recent financial crisis. This lead to inappropriately relaxed risk management environments within banks, which lead to the near collapse of the global economy.

For this assignment, you will write a minimum three-page paper (not including APA title or references pages). In this paper, please address the following questions:

• What are the specific ways banks impact the economy?
• How was the regulatory environment revised?
• Is the regulation effective?
• What risk management standards had to be employed as a result of legislation?
• What are the consequences of failure to meet the standards outlined by regulators?
• Would a firm be prudent to properly manage their level of leverage and liquidity if it were not regulated? Why or why not? What tools can organizations employ to manage these risks?