Be sure that you have carefully read the instructions for participating in the weekly discussion forums, especially as regards what is acceptable as a current news article.
While many people think fringe benefits are something that businesses offer above and beyond the money wage or salary. But Part A of Chapter 5 demonstrates that the correct way to look at fringe benefits is as simply one part of a total compensation package. In theory, firms will offer workers all the fringe benefits that are optimal in the sense that they are mutually beneficial for both the employer and the employee. This analysis implies that if the government mandates fringe benefits that firms and workers have not already agreed to, it will actually make workers worse off rather than better off.
For this Discussion Forum, find a current news article that deals in some way with the topic of fringe benefits: does the private sector provide optimal fringe benefits? Does the government need to make fringe benefits mandatory?
The second Discussion Forum is about fringe benefits. Note the parallel with product improvements. Firms will invest only in product improvements that will pay for themselves because the improvement is worth more to consumers than the cost of providing it. Similarly, firms will offer fringe benefits (as a component of an overall compensation package) only if they will pay for themselves in the sense that they allow a lower monetary wage that will more than ay for the cost of the fringe benefit. So private firms will offer all fringe benefits that are good for both employees and employers. And just as in the case of product improvements, if the fringe benefit is mandated by government, there can be no presumption that it will make both parties better off. This forum closes Sunday night with the original post due Saturday night.
Online Discussion Expectations
Discussion is an integral part of the classroom
experience. Individual participation and
contribution to online discussion sessions is encouraged and expected.
Here are qualities of a full-credit student post (adapted
from Sloan Consortium http://www.sloan-c.org):
·
Substantial – cites PowerPoint, textbook, or
video segments
·
Concise – focused response.
·
Provocative – student asks a question to
facilitate discussion
·
Interpretative – expands concepts or connects
ideas in new ways
·
Timely – posted within set time limits
·
Grammatical – free of writing errors
A student should not make all contributions in one or two
days. In order to receive full-credit
for discussion, you are encouraged to participate in the discussion at various
times throughout the discussion week.
The vast majority of the Discussion Forums are tied to the
chapters in the textbook – one for each of the twelve chapters. These forums
require that the student make a substantial original post (500 words – NOT
counting the hyperlink and reference) and respond to the original posts of at
least two other students (100 words each).
The original posts must include a working link to a current
news article (NOT an article from a professional journal) as well as an
APA style reference for the article.
One of the goals for this class is for students to use
concepts introduced in the course to analyze current issues in managerial
economics, hence the emphasis on current news articles.
·
Current
means an article that is recent – published within the last six months or so.
·
News
means an article from a recognized news source such as a daily newspaper or a
weekly or monthly news magazine.
Online versions of those sources are fine, but BEWARE the
use of online articles from websites that are devoted to a particular point of
view, whether it be progressive or conservative. Why? Because they usually put too much of a
spin on what is supposed to be a news report. Also do not use articles from
online encyclopedias. While they may provide information on the topic at hand,
but it will be definitions and history as opposed to current news.
HINT: When doing a Google search, below the box where you
enter what you are searching for, select “News.”)
Because these Discussion Forums linked to the individual
chapters are a key part of assessing the student’s mastery of key concepts
presented in the class, full credit requires applying concepts from the
textbook in analyzing the chosen news article – summarizing the article is
unnecessary and inadequate.
Responses to original posts must go beyond nice job” or “I
agree with your post.” For full credit they must advance the analysis in some
way – perhaps by reference to the news article selected by the respondee.
Points will be deducted on original posts if:
·
They are late
·
They fail to meet the required word minimum
·
The article is not current (within the last six
months)
·
The article is not a news article
·
The article is short and offers little for
analysis
·
The post is summary rather than analysis
·
The post fails to reference material from the
textbook
·
The post fails to include a working hyperlink
that can be used by others to read the article
·
The post fails to include an APA reference
