PHL320 Critical Thinking andDecision Making in Business.docx

PHL/320 Critical Thinking and
Decision Making in Business
Copyright ©2014 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
SYLLABUS
Course Description
This course explores the critical thinking techniques necessary
to be an effective manager within an organizational setting.
Students will focus on critical-thinking and reasoning methods
as they apply to management concepts within a work
environment. Other topics include the use of critical thinking
skills in the decision-making process as it applies to
expectations for successful performance of employees and
organizations and achieving desired business goals.
Course Dates
Sep 30, 2014 - Nov 03, 2014
Faculty Information
• Academic Policies
University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the
policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be
slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend
class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the
policies governing your current class modality.
Get Ready for Class
• Familiarize yourself with the textbooks used in this course.

Course Materials
All electronic materials are available on your student website.
Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for
understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the
following two documents (both located on your student
website):
Policies
JENNIFER STEPHENS (PRIMARY)Name :
Email Address : [email protected]
Alternate Email Address
Phone Number : Not Available
Week1 Sep, 30 - Oct, 06
Basics of Critical Thinking
Tasks
1.1 Describe the importance of critical thinking to the decision-
making process.
1.2 Differentiate among types of reasoning and critical thinking.
1.3 Explain common cognitive biases.
Objectives/Competencies
Required Learning Activities
• Critical Thinking, Ch. 1
• Week One Electronic Reserve Readings
• Knowledge Check Personalized Study Guide
• Critical Thinking Ch. 1, 2, & 3 Microsoft® PowerPoint®

Presentations
• Critical Thinking Ch. 1 Multiple Choice Quiz
• Gates Go Back to School Video
• Introduction
• Learning Team
Assignments
See the student website for additional recommended learning
activities that may help you learn this week's concepts.
Title Type Due Points
Week 1 Participation
Participate in class discussion. Individual Oct 06, 2014 11:59
PM 2
Critical Analysis Worksheet
Read "Common Core" and "The Battle Against Common Core
Standards."
Complete the University of Phoenix Material: Critical Analysis
Worksheet.
Individual Oct 06, 2014 11:59 PM 2
Critical Thinking Discussion and Summary
Participate in a class discussion by responding to the following
questions:
• How would you define critical thinking? What makes a
person a

critical thinker?
• Why is critical thinking important? Provide an example of
how critical
thinking has helped you in your life.
• What do you expect to learn from this course?
Write a paragraph summarizing the discussion.
Week 1 Knowledge Check
Complete the Week 1 Knowledge Check.
• Review the Knowledge Check Training Materials.
Week2 Oct, 07 - Oct, 13
Problem Identification and Formulation
Tasks
2.1 Identify the processes involved in identifying, formulating,
and solving business problems.
2.2 Apply concepts of critical thinking to identifying and
formulating problems.
2.3 Identify common rhetorical devices and fallacies.
• Management, Ch. 3

• Management, “The Functions of Management" section in Ch.
1
• “Managerial Skills: What has Changed Since the Late 1980s”
• Week Two Electronic Reserve Readings
• Logical Fallacies
• Management Ch. 1 & 3 Microsoft® PowerPoint®
Presentations
• Critical Thinking Ch. 5, 6, & 7 Microsoft® PowerPoint®
Presentations
• Problem Solving Skills Video
• Creativity with Bill Moyers: Maya Angelou Video
• Learning Team
Learning Team Discussion
Assignments
PM 2
• Complete the Learning Team Charter.

Globalization Argumentative Paper
Review the Writing Argumentative Essays section in Ch. 3 of
Critical
Thinking
Write an argumentative paper of no more than 750 words that
demonstrates why globalization is good or not good for a
business. The
paper should define the term good, and should identify the
premises
and conclusions.
Identify the premise and conclusion by placing a number in bold
at the
beginning of the sentence with the word premise or conclusion.
For
example: (1, Premise), (2, Premise), (1, Conclusion), (2,
Conclusion),
and so on.
• Sentences labeled as "1, premise" are premises for the
sentence
labeled as "1, conclusion."
• All premises should be labeled for each conclusion in the
article. If a
sentence is a conclusion and a premise for another conclusion,
place
two labels.
• At the end of the paper, identify one example of how you
used
deductive reasoning and one example of how you used inductive
reasoning.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Complete the Week 2 Knowledge Check. Individual Oct 13,
2014 11:59 PM 2
Re-organization and Layoff Team Discussion & Summary
Review the linked articles and select one to review with your
team.
Post your response to the following questions for your selected
article:
• What is the problem presented in the article?
• Why do you think it is the problem?
• What are some possible solutions?
Discuss with your team, responding to your teammates' posts.
Write a 3-paragraph synopsis that summarizes your team's
discussion.
Creativity
Tasks
3.1 Describe various methods for enhancing creativity and
innovation in a business setting.
3.2 Identify opportunities in which to apply critical thinking to
innovation.
3.3 Identify methods for formulating original and creative
responses to opportunities and problems.

3.4 Identify potential barriers to applying creative thinking to
business decision making.
• Innovation Acceleration, Ch. 3
• Example SWOT Analysis
• Innovation Acceleration, Ch. 3 Microsoft® PowerPoint®
Presentation
• Management, Ch. 4 Microsoft® PowerPoint® Presentation
• Learning Team Pair-Up
• Management, Ch. 4 Video and Discussion
• Business Model Innovation Beats Technical Innovation Video
• Achieving Smart Goals video
• Creative Thinking Under Siege Video
• Innovation Video
• TEDTalk Video
• Strategies for a SWOT Analysis Podcast
• Week 2 Paper Peer Review
• Week Three Electronic Reserve Readings
Assignments

PM 2
Rhetorical Strategies and Fallacies Worksheet
Complete the University of Phoenix Material: Rhetorical
Strategies and
Fallacies Worksheet.
Re-organization and Layoff: Issue and Problem Identification
Paper
Review the discussion from Week 2.
Write a paper of no more than 1,050 words that incorporates
ideas from
the discussion. The paper should do the following:
• Summarize the issue.
• Identify the problem.
• Explain why this is the underlying problem.
• Reflect on the group collaboration process in defining the
problem.
• Explain how a clearly defined problem could help you find
the
solutions.
Learning
team
Oct 20, 2014 11:59 PM 9
Complete the Week 3 Knowledge Check. Individual Oct 20,

2014 11:59 PM 2
Decision Making
4.1 Evaluate the credibility of claims and their sources for
making decisions.
4.2 Apply a decision-making technique to a business situation.
4.3 Identify the factors, resources, and actions most often used
to implement business decisions and change.
• Week Four Electronic Reserve Readings
• “Make Better Business Decisions” Reading
• Final Examination Preparation
• Management Ch. 18 Microsoft® PowerPoint® Presentation
• Critical Thinking Ch. 4 Microsoft® PowerPoint®
Presentation
• “Colin Powell: A Leadership Primer, Lesson 15”
• Managing Change in a Large Organization Video
• Teach Managers How To Think, Not What To Think Video
• Management, Ch. 18 Video and Discussion Video
Assignments

PM 2
SWOT and Strategy Evaluation Paper
Select an industry, such as the gambling industry, to complete a
SWOT
analysis.
Access the profile overview for the selected industry:
• In the University Library, click Company Directory and
Financials.
• Click Hoover's First Research.
• Click Continue.
• Click Submit.
• Type gambling (or your selected industry) in the search
box, and
click to continue.
• Gambling (or the selected industry of choice) should be
first in the
list.
Read the industry profile overview, including the website links,
on the
page.
Complete a SWOT analysis for the selected industry. The
SWOT
analysis allows a business to understand how a competitor is
positioned in the environment by assessing its strengths,
weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats. An understanding of a competitor's
position
can be a key for a business to determine where funding and

resources
should be allotted to create new products or services.
Use information in the industry profile overview and other
scholarly
sources as needed. The SWOT analysis should include each of
the
following:
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats
Write a 1,050- to 1,500-word paper, including the following
attributes:
• SWOT analysis, including a SWOT chart
• Identify opportunities (either product or service) that
could improve
the customer experience.
• Strategy evaluation
• Define strategic tasks.
• Assess the industry's capabilities.
• Identify the barriers to strategy
implementation.
• A response to the following:
• Based on the SWOT analysis and
strategy evaluation, what are some
creative actions the industry can pursue
to include innovation as a component of
their strategy?
Format your paper consistent with APA
guidelines.

Re-Organization and Layoff:
Solution
s Paper
Select two potential creative solutions for the problems you
identified in
the Re-organization and Layoff assignment in Week 2.
Write a paper of no more than 1,050 words to present the
solutions and
explain why each will work.
Include a summary of methods your teams utilized to develop
the
creative solution.
Describe how your team overcame barriers to deciding on the
solutions.
Learning

team
Oct 27, 2014 11:59 PM 10
Week5 Oct, 28 - Nov, 03
Critical Thinking and Decision-Making Outcomes
5.1 Apply appropriate critical-thinking methods, tools, and
techniques to various business situations.
5.2 Evaluate the ethical implications of implementing decisions
in business.
• Management, “Organizational Decision Making" section in
Ch. 3
• Week Five Electronic Reserve Readings
• Final Examination Preparation, Cont’d.
• Critical Thinking Ch. 12 Microsoft® PowerPoint®
Presentation
• “Ethics in Corporate America: A Crisis of Credibility” Video

• “The Future of Socially Responsible Investing: Ethical
Markets 4” Video
• Learning Team Assignment Development
• Validity of Points of View Tutorial
Assignments
Participate in class discussion. Individual Nov 03, 2014 11:59
PM 2
Labor Practices Paper
A clothing company uses sweatshop labor to manufacture
clothing
products that contribute to low pricing, which is a consumer
want.

Many companies have engaged in sweatshop labor. Did the
clothing
company engage in unethical labor practices by utilizing
sweatshop
labor?
Research sweatshop labor.
Write a paper of no more than 750 words to present your
position on
sweatshop labor and provide justification. Include the
following:
• How consumer demands affect a company's business
decision
• How different ethical perspectives guide ethical decision
making
• How a company influences their ethical environment
Individual Nov 03, 2014 11:59 PM 10
Re-organization and Layoff: Decision Making Evaluation Paper
Write a paper of no more than 750 words to include the

following
elements:
• Select a recommendation from the two creative solutions
identified in
Week 4 for solving the problem.
• Explain why the solution would help the middle-income
customer.
Provide credible sources to support your decision.
• Explain what business decision an organization should
make based
on the solution.
• For the business decision chosen, explain the resources an
organization would need to implement that decision and factors
that
might affect the implementation.
Learning
team
Nov 03, 2014 11:59 PM 10
Final Examination

Complete the Final Examination.
The Final Examination ismultiple choice, andis based on the
readings.
The examinationis graded electronically during the final week,
and the
results will be available to students and faculty.
Individual Nov 03, 2014 11:59 PM 15
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University of Phoenix® is a registered trademark of Apollo
Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
Microsoft®, Windows®, and PowerPoint® are registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries. All other company and product names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply
endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation.
Trademark

Analysis & Research
Submit one APA-formatted Word document for this assignment.
1. Briefly restate your research area of interest. You will use
this topic as the basis to select variables for the
remaining questions in this assignment. (3 pts.)
2. Pearson Correlation
a. Identify two variables for which you could calculate a
Pearson correlation coefficient. Describe the variables and their
scale of measurement. (3 pts.)
b. Now, assume you conducted a Pearson correlation and came
up with a significant positive or negative value. Create a mock r
value (for example, .3 or -.2). Report your mock finding in APA
style, and interpret the statistic in terms of effect size and R2
while also taking into account the third variable problem and
well as direction of causality. (10 pts.) (Note that the text does
not use APA style; consult the 6th edition manual.)
3. Spearman’s Correlation
a. Identify two variables for which you could calculate a
Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Describe the
variables and their scale of measurement. (3 pts.)

b. Now, assume you conducted a correlation and came up with a
significant positive or negative value. Create a mock r value
(for example, .3 or -.2). Report your mock finding in APA style
and interpret the statistic in terms of effect size and R2 while
also taking into account the third variable problem and well as
direction of causality. (10 pts.) (Note that the text does not use
APA style; consult the 6th edition manual.)
4. Partial Correlation vs. Semi-Partial Correlation
a. Identify three variables for which you may be interested in
calculating either a partial or semi-partial
correlation coefficient. (2 pts.)
b. Compare/contrast these two types of analyses using your
variables and research example. Which would you use and why?
(10 pts.)
5. Simple Regression
a. Identify two variables for which you could calculate a simple
regression. Describe the variables and their scale of
measurement. (3 pts.)
b. Which variable would you include as the predictor variable
and which as the outcome variable? Why? (5 pts.)
c. What would R2 tell you about the relationship between the
two variables? (5 pts.)

6. Multiple Regression
a. Identify at least three variables for which you could calculate
a multiple regression. Describe the variables and their scale of
b. Which variables would you include as the predictor variables
and which as the outcome variable? Why?
(5 pts.)
c. Which regression method would you use and why? (5 pts.)
d. What would R2 and adjusted R2 tell you about the
relationship between the variables? (5 pts.)
7. Logistic Regression
a. Identify at least three variables for which you could calculate
a logistic regression. Describe the variables and their scale of
b. Which variables would you include as the predictor variables
and which as the outcome variable? Why?
(5 pts.)
c. Which regression method would you use, and why? (5 pts.)
d. What would the output tell you about the relationship
between the variables? (5 pts.)

PHL320 Critical Thinking andDecision Making in Business.docx

PHL320 Critical Thinking andDecision Making in Business.docx

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