Ashford BUS681 All Weeks Discussions Latest 2020 September

BUS681 Compensation and Benefits

Week 1 Discussion

DQ1 Compensation Strategy

Discuss the general goals of an organization's compensation system, including how a compensation strategy works to support the organization's business strategy.  Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.

DQ2 Compensation Practices

Discuss the various factors that influence a company’s competitive strategies and compensation practices.  Assess how a company can mitigate these factors using effective compensation practices. Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.

BUS681 Compensation and Benefits

Week 2 Discussion

DQ1 Seniority and Merit Pay

Define the concept of seniority and merit pay plans, including the strengths and limitations of such plans within an organization.  Discuss the job, organizational and/or other factors that should be considered when deciding between the two.  Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.

DQ2 Incentive Pay Plans

Discuss how incentive pay plans – both individual and group – motivate employees to achieve high levels of performance.  Identify potential weaknesses of these plans and suggest steps that can be taken to make these plans highly effective.  Then, choose one industry that either an individual or group incentive pay plan would work best providing support for your reasoning (using personal examples to illustrate your point if possible).  Explain your answer. Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.

BUS681 Compensation and Benefits

Week 3 Discussion

DQ1 Building Blocks

Discuss the basic building blocks of developing a market competitive pay system, including the relationship between internal and external equity. Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.

DQ2 Job Analysis

Provide a brief overview of the job evaluation process, including the importance of compensable factors.  Detail the compensable factors of a position you are familiar with and their impact on that position’s salary, and you may want to reference the job analysis and job description process, which form the foundation of job evaluation. Identify at least four pitfalls that exist for organizations that do not follow this process.  Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.

BUS681 Compensation and Benefits

Week 4 Discussion

DQ1 Health and Wellness Initiatives

Read the article "Be Healthy and Get Rewarded--Incentives Driving Engagement in Health and Wellness (Links to an external site.)." Taking into consideration some of the significant changes to health insurance policies, please review the article and address the following two questions. Explain your answers in at least 200 words.

As described in the article, what options do patients with preexisting health conditions have in regards to wellness initiative compliance?

Are the new health plans truly helping consumers to live a better and healthier lifestyle or are they actually hindering consumers ability to freely pursue getting proper treatment, if needed, due to the fear of high deductible costs?

Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts.

DQ2 Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010

Discuss the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. What are the most prominent elements to understanding these two acts? How do they impact the employee and the organization?

BUS681 Compensation and Benefits

Week 5 Discussion

DQ1 Executive vs. Non-executive Pay

 Contrast the principle difference between executive pay and non-executive pay, including a discussion on controversies associated with the growing disparity between executive and non-executive compensation packages. Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.

DQ2 Contingent Workers

Contingent workers are assuming a greater role in today's organization. With that as a background, discuss compensation and benefit issues associated with the following workers: part-time, temporary, independent workers, and flexible/telecommuting. What impact may these changes have on an organization’s compensation plan? Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.

BUS681 Compensation and Benefits

Week 6 Discussion

DQ1 Expatriate Pay

Evaluate the following methods for establishing base pay in international assignments:  home country-based pay, headquarters-based pay, and host country-based pay.  Include within your discussion the strengths and weaknesses of each method and factors that should be considered when determining the appropriate international pay strategy.  How should organizations balance host-country income tax differentials?  How do compensation plans affect employees’ willingness to accept foreign assignments? Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.

DQ2 Compensation in Other Countries

Select one country whose pay and benefits practices are discussed in chapter 15 and compare them to pay and benefits practices used in the United States.  Include in your discussion how these practices are similar and how they are different.  Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings.