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The United States was a young country in 1790, when Henry Wood founded a company to import and distribute English-milled flour for baking. The company prospered and took on other partners, becoming a joint-stock ownership. In 1895, the company introduced a new brand of premium flour, King Arthur Flour, which was a commercial success. When retail sales to home cooks declined, the company started selling to commercial bakers. Over the years, markets for flour changed, the product line expanded, and new owners came in. When the company encountered problems, it made changes, but, by the 1970s, the company faced significant financial pressures. The company’s president made several critical decisions, including selling off all product lines except the core flour business. He moved the company from Boston, Massachusetts, to a less expensive location in Vermont. Then, in 1996, the company became an employee-owned firm. More than 220 years after its founding, The King Arthur Flour Co., Inc., is still in business (and is still selling flour), making it one of the oldest companies in the United States (King Arthur, 2013).Through more than two centuries of operation, King Arthur experienced successes and failures. When problems arose, the company took actions that turned out to be mostly successful. Like King Arthur, virtually all companies with a long history have experienced periods when growth stalled. Recognizing and analyzing a stall is a critical factor in determining what action will be effective.As you review the article “When Growth Stalls,” (located in this week’s resources) consider the pervasiveness of this problem. Also consider how a growth stall fits a systems pattern, or archetype. Consider the systems archetypes that Senge reviews in Chapter 6, “Nature’s Templates: Identifying the Patterns that Control Events.” Review the articles “Towards the Definition and Use of a Core Set of Archetypal Structures in System Dynamics” and “The System Archetypes” (located in this week’s resources) to view examples in the use of archetypes to analyze business problems.As you review the case study “Bayonne Packaging, Inc.,” (located in this week’s resources) consider the factors that contributed to the company’s first loss in 10 years. Think about how you would use common systems archetypes to analyze Bayonne’s situation. Consider what those diagrams could reveal in understanding the company’s performance problems and which systems strategies could resolve these problems.For this assignment:Refer to the Systems Analysis Portfolio Individual Component and Peer Review rubric for additional criteria for this assignment. Your Instructor will use the rubric to assess your work for the week. 

Select a small business that you visit often (e.g., coffee shop, bookstore, sporting goods store, etc.). Write a 6-8 page paper in which you:Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Physician practices are a key component of the U.S. healthcare system. According to the text, a significant amount of revenue that the healthcare industry generates can be directly linked to the care that physicians provide for their patients. In addition, physicians in a medical practice add to this revenue stream by admitting patients to a hospital, prescribing prescription medication, ordering home health services and medical equipment, and referring their patients to other healthcare providers for care and treatment. As a future healthcare administrator, it is important for you to demonstrate an understanding of the challenges and opportunities that today’s physicians face in providing quality healthcare services.Write a four page (4) paper in which you:

his final assignment is designed to involve all of the main skills that you have learned during this course. In particular, your paper should demonstrate the ability to construct a deductively valid or inductively strong argument, clearly and accurately explain your reasoning, use high-quality academic sources to support the premises of your argument, fairly and honestly evaluate contrary arguments and objections, and identify fallacies and biases that occur within the arguments or objections presented.

You will continue to build on the arguments that you are presented in your previous two papers. In particular,, you will present a final improved version of your argument for your thesis that you begin for the Week One Assignment and fully address the objection that you developed for your Week Three Assignment. You will need to research a minimum of three scholarly sources from the Ashford University Library. (For further information about discovering and including scholarly research, take a look at the FindIt@AU Tutorial instructional resource.)Explain the topic you are addressing and your position on it. Provide a preview of your paper and a statement of your thesis in your opening paragraph. [Approximately 100 words]
For help crafting a good thesis statement, go to the Ashford Writing Center.
Present your main argument for your thesis in standard form, with each premise and the conclusion on a separate line. Clearly indicate whether your argument is intended to be inductive or deductive. Follow up the presentation of your argument by clarifying the meaning of any premises that could use some explanation. [About 150 words]
If your argument is deductive, then it should be valid (in the strict logical sense of the word); if it is inductive, then it should be strong. Make sure to avoid committing logical fallacies within your argument (e.g., begging the question). Additionally, the premises should be true, to the best of your knowledge. If one of your premises has a pretty obvious counter-example, then you should either fix the argument so that it does not have this flaw, or later, in your paper (steps three through five) you should address the apparent counter-example (showing that it does not really refute the truth of your premise). Arguments that are not valid, not very strong, commit fallacies, or that have counter-examples that are not adequately addressed will not receive full credit.
Provide supporting evidence for the premises of your argument. [Approximately 350 words]
Pay special attention to those premises that could be seen as controversial. Evidence may include academic research sources, supporting arguments (arguments whose conclusions are premises of the main argument), or other ways of demonstrating the truth of those premises. This section should include at least one scholarly research source.
Explain a strong objection to your argument. [Approximately 250 words]
Study what people on the other side of this question think about your reasoning and present the best possible objection that someone could have to your argument. Do not commit the straw man fallacy here. Reference at least one scholarlyresearch source. See the “Practicing Effective Criticism” section of Chapter 9 of the course text for more information.
Defend your argument against the objection. [Approximately 200 words]
Once you have presented the objection, indicate clearly how you might respond to it. It is acceptable to admit that reasonable people might disagree with you or that there might be an area in which your argument could be further strengthened, but you should do your best to explain why your argument is sound or cogent despite the objections.
Provide an appropriate conclusion. [Approximately 75 words]
For guidance about how to develop a conclusion see the Introductions and Conclusion resource from the Ashford Writing Center.

The following programming problem can be solved by a program that uses three basic tasks-Input Data, Process Data, and Output Results. To process the data, it uses loops, arrays, decisions, accumulating, counting, searching and sorting techniques. Use to design a suitable program to solve this problem.Assume the Scores array is parallel to the Players array (both arrays are below).Scores arrayScores[0] = 198Scores[1] = 486Scores[2] = 651Scores[3] = 185Scores[4] = 216Scores[5] = 912Scores[6] = 173Scores[7] = 319Scores[8] = 846Scores[9] = 989Players ArrayPlayers[0] = \”Joe\”Players[1] = \”Ann\”Players[2] = \”Marty\”Players[3] = \”Tim\”Players[4] = \”Rosy\”Players[5] = \”Jane\”Players[6] = \”Bob\”Players[7] = \”Lily\”Players[8] = \”Granny\”Players[9] = \”Liz\”Write a looping program that presents the user with 3 options:1) Sort Output by Players2) Sort Output by Scores3) Exit ProgramWhen the first option is selected, sort the Players array in alphabetical order, keeping the Scores array parallel. Add code that determines the highest and lowest scores in the list. Include code to display each player’s score and name in the sorted order. Below the sorted list display the highest and lowest scores in the list and the name of the player who received that score. Your sort by Player output display should look like this:Scores Sorted by Player:486     Ann173     Bob846     Granny912     Jane198     Joe319     Lily989     Liz651     Marty216     Rosy185     Tim———————————–989     Highest Score by Liz173     Lowest Score by BobWhen the second option is selected, sort the Scores array in numerical order, keeping the Players array parallel. Add code that determines the average score of the entire list. Include code to display each player’s score and name in the sorted order. Below the sorted list display the average of all scores in the list. Your sort by Scores output display should look like this:Players Sorted by Scores:173     Bob185     Tim198     Joe216     Rosy319     Lily486     Ann651     Marty846     Granny912     Jane989     Liz—————————498     Average Score You may use either the Bubble Sort or the Selection Sort algorithms.Option three is self explanatory. You MUST use techniques by using Sub Modules (Sub Charts in ) in your program. Your \”main\” module should not be very large. Again, NEVER call \”main\” from inside your program. Also, do not use \”recursion\” in this program (submodules that call themselves). You are only allowed to use looping techniques to repeat sections of your submodules.

WRITE A PARAGRAPH BY USING THE STRATEGIES FOR DEFINING TERMS.

You must continue to reflect the same ideas that are in your personification paragraph. (Trust)
—> READ a personification paragraph first, and write a paragraph by using the strategies for defining terms.

For example, you would not define deceit as a positive quality in paragraph three if you have used it in the negative in paragraph two. Be consistent between the two.
Consider the standard definition of the word –what the dictionary definition is — and possibly the origins of the word. What do most people associate the word with, and how did you use it?

—Here is paragraph 2 —
Paragraph – personification paragraph – (Trust)

Trust was a charming girl in her mid-twenties. Her slim and brown body attracted the attention of men who often would pretend to love her, but it was only that they admired her so much. Trust was always smiling and expressed her joy on meeting new friends the kinds Promise. Trust worked in the fashion and designing industry, an occupation she had admired to join since she was born. Trust was trustworthy because of her innocent looks that made people entrust her with their goods. Trust likes traveling and modeling. Her performance at work is depicted to be high on the basis that she can get many clients to serve. Her personality of being trusted with the work and beauty makes it possible that she performs better than other workers. Trust likes eating fruits and some first foods because she likes maintaining her body figure. Trust\’s business had flourished, and she was known as a lucky lady in the whole region. However, her downfall came the day she met Promise, who promised to take around the world the moment he could marry her. Trust had many other friends like Joy, Faith, and Kind, who also had been good friends since their schooling. She had not fully trusted her friends as compared to the way she believed Promise the same day they met. Promised lied to Trust to believe him when he made promises to her that if she trusts him, he would marry her and make her the queen of the world. Promise took all that Trust had and sold to foreigners before he finally fled to another far country. Trust was frustrated and vowed never to trust anybody in her life. She decided to meet Arrogance and Anger, who helped her to acquire her property. She reunited with Joy and Humility in the home of Honest and lived with Happiness.

—–Sample Paragraph for paragraph by using the strategies for defining terms:
Deceit is just a fancy name for someone we are all familiar with: Liar. Sure, he looks nice in his fancy suit, with his stylish hair and piercing eyes, but underneath that every—girls—dreamboat–guy lurks treachery and trickery. Deceit has been around for a long time; since the fourteen hundreds. His ancestors are deceite, from Middle English, and decepta from Anglo-French. Don’t let his heritage fool you, duplicity, double dealing, fraud, and cheating are just a few of his relatives. You may think Deceit is mild mannered, but underneath that delightful smile hides crooked, cunning, and crafty. Trust me; you don’t want to do business with this trio of fakery. I was fooled by him at first too, but I soon found out that I was being duped. Deceit’s disguise and fancy name could only hide his true nature for so long before I found out his real name: Liar! That’s when I headed out the door for good. If you meet this man, take my advice and do the same.

— About writing strategies for defining terms—
Words can be slippery. They change meaning, wear disguises, take on new personas depending on who’s using them. Charity wears many masks, kindness one day, an insult to pride the next, sometimes a veil for greed. What determines greed for one person constitutes ambition for another. Words are master chameleons.

When writing a definition essay, the job is to rip off the masks, expose secrets; don’t be content with worn out definitions. Don’t write what everyone already knows about the word. For a more interesting paper, look at the side of the word nobody talks about.

Finding a new angle for a thesis can be a difficult task, but looking up the word in various language resources can help you find an edge.

In addition to a purpose for defining the word, the definition needs numerous examples.

Counterargument Paper
This paper assignment expands upon your Week One Assignment and prepares you for the Final Paper. The expansion is to learn to improve one’s argument after investigating and fairly representing the opposite point of view. The main new tasks are to revise your previous argument created in Week One, to present a counterargument (an argument for a contrary conclusion), and to develop an objection to your original argument.

Here are the steps to prepare to write the counterargument paper:

Begin reviewing your previous paper paying particular attention to suggestions for improvement made by your instructor.
Revise your argument, improving it as much as possible, accounting for any suggestions and in light of further material you have learned in the course. If your argument is inductive, make sure that it is strong. If your argument is deductive, make sure that it is valid.
Construct what you take to be the strongest possible argument for a conclusion contrary to the one you argued for in your Week One paper. This is your counterargument. This should be based on careful thought and appropriate research.
Consider the primary points of disagreement between the point of view of your original argument and that of the counterargument.
Think about what you take to be the strongest objection to your original argument and how you might answer the objection while being fair to both sides. Search in the Ashford University Library for quality academic sources that support some aspect of your argument or counterargument.
In your paper,

Present a revised argument in standard form, with each premise and the conclusion on a separate line.
Present a counterargument in standard form, with each premise and the conclusion on a separate line.
Provide support for each premise of your counterargument. Clarify the meaning of the premise and supporting evidence for the premise.
Pay special attention to those premises that could be seen as controversial. Evidence may include academic research sources, supporting arguments, or other ways of demonstrating the truth of the premise (for more ideas about how to support the truth of premises take a look at the instructor guidance for this week). This section should include at least one scholarly research source. For guidance about how to develop a conclusion see the Ashford Writing Center’s Introductions and Conclusions.
Explain how the conclusion of the counterargument follows from its premises. [One paragraph]
Discuss the primary points of disagreement between sincere and intelligent proponents of both sides. [One to two paragraphs]
For example, you might list any premises or background assumptions on which you think such proponents would disagree and briefly state what you see as the source of the disagreement, you could give a brief explanation of any reasoning that you think each side would find objectionable, or you could do a combination of these.
Present the best objection to your original argument. Clearly indicate what part of the argument your objection is aimed at, and provide a paragraph of supporting evidence for the objection. Reference at least one scholarly research source. [One to two paragraphs]
See the “Practicing Effective Criticism” section of Chapter 9 of your primary textbook for more information about how to present an objection.
For further instruction on how to create arguments, see the How to Construct a Valid Main Argument and Tips for Creating an Inductively Strong Argument documents as well as the video Constructing Valid Arguments.

For an example of how to complete this paper, take a look at the following Week Three Annotated Example. Let your instructor know if you have questions about how to complete this paper.

This week’s readings provide an overview of various types of mixed methods research designs. As with previous discussions on design, the selection of the most appropriate mixed design is guided by the study’s purpose and research questions and/or hypotheses. The choice of design links the research questions and/or hypotheses to the data that will be collected achieving alignment among research components.In this Discussion, you will explore the basics of mixed methods research designs, calling upon your growing understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research.With these thoughts in mind:  your response to the question, “To what extent is mixed methods research simply taking a quantitative design and a qualitative design and putting them together?” Next, explain the types of research questions best served by mixed methods research. Then, explain one strength and one limitation of mixed methods research. Finally, provide a rationale for or against the utility of mixed methods research in your discipline.Week’s ResourcesJohnson, R. B., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2004). Mixed methods research: A research paradigm whose time has come. (7), 14–26. doi: 10.3102/0013189X033007014 (WILL ATTACH) Collins, K. M., & O’Cathain, A. (2009). Introduction: Ten points about mixed methods research to be considered by the novice researcher. (1), 2–7. (WILL ATTACH) Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., & Crawford, L. M. (2016).  Baltimore, MD: Laureate Publishing.Chapter 6, “Mixed Methods Designs and Approaches”

Research current information about the demographics of your own state. List the main minority groups and (if applicable) specific cultural subgroups living in your state, as well as living within your own part of the state.Select two of these groups and identify the steps you would take to become more knowledgeable about working with persons from these cultures. Include at least two articles or books specific to each culture in your references.What are some of the questions you have or issues you might encounter while working as a counselor with persons from these groups?

Research differential association theory and social learning theory as applied to criminal behavior and crime using the textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet. Select two scholarly, peer-reviewed articles for use in this assignment.Based on the scenario, your readings and research, respond to the following:Be sure to support your responses using the selected resources.Write your initial response in 4–6 paragraphs. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.