Ashford university – bus 681 compensation and benefits – week 1 dbs

Ashford 2: – Week 1 (Feb 18 – Feb 24)

Week One Learning Outcomes

This week students will:

• Demonstrate knowledge of compensation systems.
• Assess compensation strategies and their impact on an organization.

Overview

Assignment	Due Date	Format	Grading Percent
Post Your Introduction	Day 1	Discussion	1
Discussion 1: Compensation Strategy	Day 3 (1st post)	Discussion	3
Discussion 2: Compensation Practices	Day 3 (1st post)	Discussion	3
Assignment: Journal Article Research and Analysis	Day 7	Written Assignment	6

Note: The online classroom is designed to time students out after 90 minutes of inactivity. Because of this, we strongly suggest that you compose your work in a word processing program and copy and paste it into the discussion post when you are ready to submit it.

Readings

1. Read the following chapters in your text, Strategic Compensation:
   • Chapter 1: Strategic Compensation: A Component of Human Resource Systems
   • Chapter 2: Contextual Influences on Compensation Practice

Recommended Readings

1. Read the following journal articles for further insight into this week’s topics:
   • Weinberger, T.E.  (1995, April).  Determining the relative importance of compensable factors. Compensation & Benefits Management, 11(2), 17.  Retrieved from the Proquest database.
   • Richards, D.A.  (2006, May).  High-involvement firms: Compensation strategies and underlying values. Compensation and Benefits Review, 38(3), 36-49,4-5.  Retrieved from the Proquest database.
2. You will find a list of websites that you may find useful under Course Materials in your online classroom.

Post Your Introduction
To post your introduction, go to this week’s Post Your Introduction link in the left navigation.

Please post a brief bio on the first day of class. Respond to at least three of your classmates’ bios. Use this forum to get acquainted and for ongoing non-content related discussions.

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. 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. 
    
2. 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.

Assignment
To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Assignment link in the left navigation. 

Journal Article Research and Analysis

Using a variety of research techniques, write a 3-5 page essay that summarizes the impact and affect of compensation within an organization.  This essay should be based on research obtained through a minimum of three journal articles.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.