Lab 4: Enzymes

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Lab 4: Enzymes. 1

 

Your Full Name:

UMUC Biology 102/103

Lab 4: Enzymes

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

· On your own and without assistance, complete this Lab 4 Answer Sheet electronically and submit it via the Assignments Folder by the date listed in the Course Schedule (under Syllabus).

· To conduct your laboratory exercises, use the Laboratory Manual located under Course Content. Read the introduction and the directions for each exercise/experiment carefully before completing the exercises/experiments and answering the questions.

· Save your Lab 4 Answer Sheet in the following format: LastName_Lab4 (e.g., Smith_Lab4).

· You should submit your document as a Word (.doc or .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf) file for best compatibility.

Pre-Lab Questions

 

1. How could you test to see if an enzyme was completely saturated during an experiment?

 

2. List three conditions that would alter the activity of an enzyme. Be specific with your explanation.

 

3. Take a look around your house and identify household products that work by means of an enzyme. Name the products, and indicate how you know they work with an enzyme.

 

 

Experiment 1: Enzymes in Food

This experiment tests for the presence of amylase in food by using Iodine-Potassium Iodide, IKI. IKI is a color indicator used to detect starch. This indicator turns dark purple or black in color when in the presence of starch. Therefore, if the IKI solution turns to a dark purple or black color during the experiment, one can determine that amylase is not present (because presence of amylase would break down the starch molecules, and the IKI would not change color).

concept_tab_2

Materials

(1) 2 oz. Bottle (Empty) (1) 100 mL Graduated Cylinder 30 mL Iodine-Potassium Iodide, IKI Permanent Marker Ruler 2 Spray Lids 30 mL Starch (liquid) *Cutting Board

  

*2 Food Products (e.g., ginger root, apple, potato, etc.) *Kitchen Knife *Paper Towel *Saliva Sample *Tap Water

*You Must Provide

 

Procedure:

1. Remove the cap from the starch solution. Attach the spray lid to the starch solution.

2. Rinse out the empty two ounce bottle with tap water. Use the 100 mL graduated cylinder to measure and pour 30 mL of IKI into the empty two ounce bottle. Attach the remaining spray lid to the bottle.

3. Set up a positive control for this experiment by spraying a paper towel with the starch solution. Allow the starch to dry for approximately one hour (this time interval may vary by location).

4. In the mean time, set up a negative control for this experiment. Use your knowledge of the scientific method and experimental controls to establish this component (hint: what should happen when IKI solution contacts something that does not contain starch?) Identify your negative control in Table 1.

Note: Be sure to space the positive and negative controls apart from each other to prevent cross-contamination.

5. When the starch solution has dried, test your positive and negative controls. This step establishes a baseline color scale for you to evaluate the starch concentration of the food products you will test in Steps 7 – 11. Record your results in Table 1.

6. Select two food items from your kitchen cabinet or refrigerator.

7. Obtain a kitchen knife and a cutting board. Carefully cut your selected food items to create a fresh surface.

Figure 3: Sample set-up.
Figure 3: Sample set-up.

8. Gently rub the fresh/exposed area of the food items on the dry, starch-sprayed paper towel back and forth 10 – 15 times. Label where each specimen was rubbed on the paper towel with a permanent marker (Figure 3).

9. Wash your hands with soap and water.

10. Take your finger and place it on your tongue to transfer some saliva to your finger. Then, rub your moistened finger saliva into the paper towel. Repeat this step until you are able to adequately moisten the paper towel. Note: You should always wash your hands before touching your tongue! Alternatively, if you do not wish to put your hands in your mouth, you may also provide a saliva sample by spitting in a separate bowl and rubbing the paper towel in the saliva. Be sure not to spit on the paper towel directly as you may unintentionally cross-contaminate your samples.

11. Wait five minutes.

12. Hold the IKI spray bottle 25 – 30 cm away from the paper towel, and mist with the IKI solution.

13. The reaction will be complete after approximately 60 seconds. Observe where color develops, and consider what these results indicate. Record your results in Table 1.

Table 1: Substance vs. Starch Presence
Substance Resulting Color Presence of Starch?
Positive Control: Starch Dark Purple Yes
Negative Control : Cellulose Brownish red color  No
Food Product: Apple Dark Purple  yes
Food Product: Potato Dark Purple  yes
Saliva: Amylase Brownish red color  No

 

Post Negative Control -Lab Questions

1. What were your controls for this experiment? What did they demonstrate? Why was saliva included in this experiment?

2. What is the function of amylase? What does amylase do to starch?

3. Which of the foods that you tested contained amylase? Which did not? What experimental evidence supports your claim?

 

4. Saliva does not contain amylase until babies are two months old. How could this affect an infant’s digestive requirements?

 

5. There is another digestive enzyme (other than salivary amylase) that is secreted by the salivary glands. Research to determine what this enzyme is called. What substrate does it act on? Where in the body does it become activated, and why?

 

6. Digestive enzymes in the gut include proteases, which digest proteins. Why don’t these enzymes digest the stomach and small intestine, which are partially composed of protein?

 

Experiment 2: Effect of Temperature on Enzyme Activity

Yeast cells contain catalase, an enzyme which helps convert hydrogen peroxide to water

Figure 4: Catalase catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen.
Figure 4: Catalase catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen.

and oxygen. This enzyme is very significant as hydrogen peroxide can be toxic to cells if allowed to accumulate. The effect of catalase can be seen when yeast is combined with hydrogen peroxide (Catalase: 2 H2O2 → 2 H2O + O2).

In this lab you will examine the effects of temperature on enzyme (catalase) activity based on the amount of oxygen produced. Note, be sure to remain observant for effervescence when analyzing your results.

 

Materials

(2) 250 mL Beakers 3 Balloons 30 mL 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, H2O2 Measuring Spoon Permanent Marker Ruler 20 cm String

  

3 Test Tubes (Glass) Test Tube Rack Thermometer Yeast Packet *Hot Water Bath *Stopwatch *You Must Provide

 

 

Procedure

1. Use a permanent marker to label test tubes 1, 2, and 3. Place them in the test tube rack.

2. Fill each tube with 10 mL hydrogen peroxide. Then, keep one of the test tubes in the test tube rack, but transfer the two additional test tubes to two separate 250 mL beakers.

3. Find one of the balloons, and the piece of string. Wrap the string around the uninflated balloon and measure the length of the string with the ruler. Record the measurement in Table 2.

4. Create a hot water bath by performing the following steps:

a. Determine if you will use a stovetop or microwave to heat the water. Use the 100 mL graduated cylinder to measure and pour approximately 200 mL of water into a small pot or microwave-safe bowl (you will have to measure this volume in two separate allocations).

b. If using a stovetop, obtain a small pot and proceed to Step 4c. If using a microwave, obtain a microwave-safe bowl and proceed to Step 4e.

c. If using a stove, place a small pot on the stove and turn the stove on to a medium heat setting.

d. Carefully monitor the water in the pot until it comes to a soft boil (approximately 100 °C). Use the thermometer provided in your lab kit to verify the water temperature. Turn the stove off when the water begins to boil. Immediately proceed to Step 5. CAUTION: Be sure to turn the stove off after creating the hot water bath. Monitor the heating water at all times, and never handle a hot pan without appropriate pot holders.

e. If using a microwave, place the microwave-safe bowl in the microwave and heat the water in 30 second increments until the temperature of the water is approximately 100 °C. Use the thermometer provided in your lab kit to verify the water temperature. Wait approximately one minute before proceeding to Step 5.

5. Place Tube 1 in the refrigerator. Leave Tube 2 at room temperature, and place Tube 3 in the hot water bath.

Important Note: The water should be at approximately 85 °C when you place Tube 3 in it. Verify the temperature with the thermometer to ensure the water is not too hot! Temperatures which exceed approximately 85  °C may denature the hydrogen peroxide.

6. Record the temperatures of each condition in Table 2. Be sure to provide the thermometer with sufficient time in between each environment to avoid obscuring the temperature readings.

7. Let the tubes sit for 15 minutes.

8. During the 15 minutes prepare the balloons with yeast by adding ÂĽ tsp. of yeast each balloon. Make sure all the yeast gets settled to the bulb of the balloon and not caught in the neck. Be sure not spill yeast while handling the balloons.

9. Carefully stretch the neck of the balloon to help ensure it does not rip when stretched over the opening of the test tube.

10. Attach the neck of a balloon you prepared in step 8 to the top of Tube 2 (the room temperature test tube) making sure to not let the yeast spill into the test tube yet. Once the balloon is securely attached to the test tube lift the balloon and allow the yeast to enter the test tube. Tap the bulb of the balloon to ensure all the yeast falls into the tube.

11. As quickly and carefully as possible remove the Tube 1 (cold) from the refrigerator and repeat steps 9 – 10 with Tube 1 using a balloon you prepared in step 8.

12. As quickly and carefully as possible remove Tube 3 (hot) from the hot water bath and repeat steps 9 – 10 with Tube 3 using a balloon you prepared in step 8.

13. Swirl each tube to mix, and wait 30 seconds.

14. Wrap the string around the center of each balloon to measure the circumference. Measure the length of string with a ruler. Record your measurements in Table 2.

Table 2: Balloon Circumference vs. Temperature
Tube Temperature (°C) Balloon Circumference (Uninflated; cm) Balloon Circumference (Final; cm)
1 – (Cold)      
2 – (RT)      
3 – (Hot)      

 

 

Post-Lab Questions

1. What reaction is being catalyzed in this experiment?

2. What is the enzyme in this experiment? What is the substrate?

3. What is the independent variable in this experiment? What is the dependent variable?

4. How does the temperature affect enzyme function? Use evidence from your data to support your answer.

 

5. Draw a graph of balloon diameter vs. temperature. What is the correlation?

6. Is there a negative control in this experiment? If yes, identify the control. If no, suggest how you could revise the experiment to include a negative control.

 

7. In general, how would an increase in substrate alter enzyme activity? Draw a graph to illustrate this relationship.

8. Design an experiment to determine the optimal temperature for enzyme function, complete with controls. Where would you find the enzymes for this experiment? What substrate would you use?

Lab 4: Enzymes

 
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Microspcope And Cells Lab Report

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Microspcope And Cells Lab Report.

Microscopes and Cells

 

PRE-LAB ASSIGNMENT:

Students are expected to watch this video (which is also posted on Blackboard): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= – b3Eejf4rDQ

AND read pages 1 to 4 before coming to the lab to complete the experiments.

 

Print this entire lab packet and bring it to the laboratory. Please provide a FULL lab report for this experiment following the “Lab Report Guidelines”.

 

Objectives:

After completing this laboratory assignment, students will be able to:

· Identify the parts of a compound microscope.

· Properly use a compound microscope for biological studies.

· Describe the features of specific cells.

· Determine characteristics shared by all cells studied.

 

Microscopes and Lenses:

Although cells vary in size, they’re generally quite small. For instance, the diameter of a typical human red blood cell is about eight micrometers (0.008 millimeters). To give you some context, the head of a pin is about one millimeter in diameter, so about 125 red blood cells could be lined up in a row across the head of a pin. With a few exceptions, individual cells cannot be seen with the naked eye, so scientists must instead use microscopes (micro– = “small”; –scope = “to look at”) to study them. A microscope is an instrument that magnifies objects otherwise too small to be seen, producing an image in which the object appears larger. Most photographs of cells are taken using a microscope, and these pictures can also be called micrographs. From the definition above, it might sound like a microscope is just a kind of magnifying glass. In fact, magnifying glasses do qualify as microscopes; since they have just one lens, they are called simple microscopes. The fancier instruments that we typically think of as microscopes are compound microscopes, meaning they have multiple lenses. Because of the way these lenses are arranged, they can bend light to produce a much more magnified image than that of a magnifying glass.

 

In a compound microscope with two lenses, the arrangement of the lenses has an interesting consequence: the orientation of the image you see is flipped in relation to the actual object you’re examining. For example, if you were looking at a piece of newsprint with the letter “e” on it, the image you saw through the microscope would be “ə.” More complex compound microscopes may not produce an inverted image because they include an additional lens that “re-inverts” the image back to its normal state.

 

What separates a basic microscope from a powerful machine used in a research lab? Two parameters are especially important in microscopy: magnification and resolution.

· Magnification is a measure of how much larger a microscope (or set of lenses within a microscope) causes an object to appear. For instance, the light microscopes typically used in high schools and colleges magnify up to about 400 times actual size. So, something that was 1 mm wide in real life would be 400 mm wide in the microscope image.

· The resolution of a microscope or a lens is the smallest distance by which two points can be separated and still be distinguished as separate objects. The smaller this value, the higher the resolving power of the microscope and the better the clarity and detail of the image. If two bacterial cells were very close together on a slide, they might look like a single, blurry dot on a microscope with low resolving power, but could be told apart as separate on a microscope with high resolving power.

 

Both magnification and resolution are important if you want a clear picture of something very tiny. For example, if a microscope has high magnification but low resolution, all you’ll get is a bigger version of a blurry image. Different types of microscopes differ in their magnification and resolution.

 

Light Microscopes:

Most student microscopes are classified as light microscopes. In a light microscope, visible light passes through the specimen (the biological sample you are looking at) and is bent through the lens system, allowing the user to see a magnified image. A benefit of light microscopy is that it can often be performed on living cells, so it’s possible to watch cells carrying out their normal behaviors (e.g., migrating or dividing) under the microscope.

 

Student lab microscopes tend to be brightfield microscopes, meaning that visible light is passed through the sample and used to form an image directly, without any modifications. Slightly more sophisticated forms of light microscopy use optical tricks to enhance contrast, making details of cells and tissues easier to see.

 

Another type of light microscopy is fluorescence microscopy, which is used to image samples that fluoresce (absorb one wavelength of light and emit another). Light of one wavelength is used to excite the fluorescent molecules, and the light of a different wavelength that they emit is collected and used to form a picture. In most cases, the part of a cell or tissue that we want to look at isn’t naturally fluorescent, and instead must be labeled with a fluorescent dye or tag before it goes on the microscope.

 

A confocal microscope is a specialized kind of fluorescence microscope that uses a laser to excite a thin layer of the sample and collects only the emitted light coming from the target layer, producing a sharp image without interference from fluorescent molecules in the surrounding layers.

 

Electron Microscopes:

Some cutting-edge types of light microscopy (beyond the techniques we discussed above) can produce very high-resolution images. However, if you want to see something very tiny at very high resolution, you may want to use a different, tried-and-true technique: electron microscopy.

 

Electron microscopes differ from light microscopes in that they produce an image of a specimen by using a beam of electrons rather than a beam of light. Electrons have a much shorter wavelength than visible light, and this allows electron microscopes to produce higher-resolution images than standard light microscopes. Electron microscopes can be used to examine not just whole cells, but also the subcellular structures such as organelles and compartments within them.

 

One limitation, however, is that electron microscopy samples must be placed under a vacuum in electron microscopy (and typically are prepared via an extensive fixation process). This means that live cells cannot be imaged.

In the image above, you can compare how Salmonella bacteria look in a light micrograph (left) versus an image taken with an electron microscope (right). The bacteria show up as tiny purple dots in the light microscope image, whereas in the electron micrograph, you can clearly see their shape and surface texture, as well as details of the human cells they’re trying to invade.

 

There are two major types of electron microscopy. In scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a beam of electrons moves back and forth across the surface of a cell or tissue, creating a detailed image of the 3D surface. This type of microscopy was used to take the image of the Salmonella bacteria shown at right, above.

 

In transmission electron microscopy (TEM), in contrast, the sample is cut into extremely thin slices (for instance, using a diamond cutting edge) before imaging, and the electron beam passes through the slice rather than skimming over its surface. TEM is often used to obtain detailed images of the internal structures of cells.

 

Electron microscopes are significantly bulkier and more expensive than standard light microscopes, perhaps not surprisingly given the subatomic particles they have to handle!

 

(Above information was adapted from Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/structure-of-a-cell/introduction-to-cells/a/microscopy)

Please Note: Treat these microscopes with the greatest care!

 

Exercise 1: Basic Microscope Techniques

In this exercise, you will learn to use the microscope to examine a recognizable object, a slide of the letter e and crossed threads. Recall that microscopes vary, so you may have to omit steps that refer to features not available on your microscope. Practice adjusting your microscope to become proficient in locating a specimen, focusing clearly, and adjusting the light for the best contrast.

 

1. Obtain the following materials:

· Clear ruler  Blank slides  2 prepared slides: letter “e” & crossed thread

· Lens paper  Kimwipes®  Dropper bottle with distilled water

· Coverslips

 

2. Clean microscope lenses.

a. Each time you use the microscope, you should begin by cleaning the lenses. Using lens paper moistened with a drop of distilled water, wipe the ocular, objective, and condenser lenses. Wipe them again with a piece of dry lens paper.

 

3. Adjust the focus on your microscope:

a. Plug your microscope into the outlet.

b. Turn on the light. Adjust the light intensity to mid-range (if your microscope has that feature).

c. Rotate the 4X objective into position using the revolving nosepiece ring, not the objective itself.

d. Obtain the letter slide and wipe it with a Kimwipe® tissue.

i. Each time you study a prepared slide, you should first wipe it clean.

e. Place the letter slide on the stage and center it over the stage opening.

 

Please Note: Slides should be placed on and removed from the stage only when the 4X objective is in place. Removing a slide when the higher objectives are in position may scratch the lenses.

 

f. Look through the ocular and bring the letter into rough focus by slowly focusing upward using the coarse adjustments.

g. For binocular microscopes, looking through the oculars, move the oculars until you see only one image of the letter e. In this position, the oculars should be aligned with your pupils. In the margin of your lab paper, make a note of the interpupillary distance on the scale between the oculars.

h. Raise the condenser to its highest position, and fully close the iris diaphragm.

i. Looking through the ocular, slowly lower the condenser just until the graininess disappears. Slowly open the iris diaphragm just until the entire field of view is illuminated. This is the correct position for both the condenser and the iris diaphragm.

j. Rotate the 10X objective into position.

k. Look through the ocular and slowly focus upward with the coarse adjustment knob until the image is in rough focus. Sharpen the focus using the fine adjustment knob.

l. You can increase or decrease the contrast by adjusting the iris diaphragm opening.

m. Move the slide slowly to the right. In what direction does the image in the ocular move? _ Left _

n. Is the image in the ocular inverted relative to the specimen on stage? __Yes__

o. Center the specimen in the field of view; then rotate the 40X objective into position while watching from the side.

p. After the 40X objective is in place, focus using the fine adjustment knob.

q. The distance between the specimen and the objective lens is called the working distance. Is this distance greater with the 40X or the 10X objective? ___10X__

r. Compute the total magnification of the specimen being viewed. To do so, multiply the magnification of the ocular lens by that of the objective lens.

i. What is the total magnification of the letter as the microscope is now set? _400x__

 

Analysis Question 1

What would be the total magnification if the ocular was 20X and the objective was 100X (oil immersion)?

This is the magnification achieved by the best light microscopes.

.

Total Magnification of a microscope can be calculated by multiplying the magnification of ocular and objective. So, 20 Ă— 100 = 2000X

Therefore the total magnification will be 2000X.

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4. Measure the diameter of the field of view. Once you determined the size of the field of view for any combination of ocular and objective lenses, you can determine the size of any structure within that field. a. Rotate the 4X objective into position and remove the letter slide.

b. Place a clear ruler on the stage, and focus on its edge.

c. The distance between two lines on the ruler is 1 mm. What is the diameter (mm) of the field of view?

d. Convert this measurement to micrometers, a more commonly used unit of measurement in microscopy (1 mm=1,000 µm).

e. Measure the diameter for the field of view for the 10X and 40X objectives, and enter all three in the spaces below to be used for future reference.

 

4X = _ 4000Nm______ 10=__ 1000Nm_______ 40=__ 500Nm________

 

Analysis Question 2

What is the relationship between the size of the field of view and magnification?

As the magnification increases the field of view decreases (The field of view specifies how much of a specimen is visble in the eyepiece. Field of view and magnification are inversely related: the higher the magnification, the narrower the field of view, and vice-versa).

 

5. Determine spatial relationships. The depth of field is the thickness of the specimen that may be seen in focus at one time. Because the depth of focus is very short in the compound microscope, focus up and down to clearly view all the planes of a specimen.

a. Rotate the 4X objective into position and remove the ruler. Obtain the slide of crossed threads, wipe it with a Kim wipe, and place the slide on the stage. Center the slide so that the region where the two threads cross is in the center of the stage opening.

b. Focus on the region where the threads cross. Are both threads in focus at the same time? Yes

c. Rotate the 10X objective into position and focus on the cross. Are both threads in focus at the same time? Yes

 

Analysis Question 3

Does the 4X or the 10X objective have a shorter depth of field?

The 10X have a shorter depth of field because is zooms in more than the 4X that gives a larger depth of field.

 

d. Focus upward (move the stage up) with the coarse adjustment until both threads are just out of focus. Slowly focus down using the fine adjustment. Which thread comes into focus first? Is this thread lying under or over the other thread? Blue Over Red

e. Rotate the 40X objective into position and slowly focus up and down, using the fine adjustment only. Does the 10X or the 40X objective have a shorter depth of field? 40X has the shorter depth

 

 

Exercise 2: Viewing Prepared Slides

1. Using the Basic Microscope Techniques from Exercise 1, view a prepared slide of an Amoeba and one of a Paramecium.

a. Draw your field of view of each objective for each slide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. View a prepared slide of a cheek cell.

a. View the cells using the 4X and 40X objectives.

b. Draw your field of view for the 4X and 40X objectives.

c. Can you identify any organelles? If so, which ones? What is the function of the identified organelle(s)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 3: Preparing a Slide of Elodea 1. Prepare a wet mount.

a. Remove a leaf of Elodea.

b. Place the leaf onto a clean slide.

c. Add a drop of water to the leaf.

d. Place a coverslip over the leaf.

2. View the cells using the 4X and 40X objectives.

3. Draw your field of view for the 4X and 40X objectives.

4. Can you identify any organelles? If so, which ones? What is the function of the identified organelle(s)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 4: Proper Storage of the Microscope 1. Rotate the 4X objective into position.

2. Remove the slide from the stage.

3. Lower the stage all the way down.

4. Unplug the cord and wrap it around the base of the microscope.

5. Replace the dust cover.

6. Return the microscope to the cabinet using two hands; one hand should hold the arm, and the other should support the base.

7. These steps should be following every time you store the microscope.

8. Dispose of the Elodea slide according to the instructor’s directions.

9. Return all other materials to their original location.

 

Note: The results section of the lab report should include images from your field of view as well as answers to the questions asked throughout the exercises and the analysis questions.

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Microspcope And Cells Lab Report

 
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Financial Case Analysis

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Financial Case Analysis. 5) Heinz Case

Remember:  you are providing an analysis to Heinz insiders to help them make an informed decision. Please consider addressing the following questions in your summary:

1. How to estimate the WACC for Heinz at the start of fiscal year 2010? What was the WACC one year earlier? As you do this, carefully note the points of judgment or assumptions made in the calculation. A small simple table/paragraph summarizing the weights, cost of debt and cost of equity, and WACCs might be useful.

2. What is your best estimate of the WACC for Kraft Foods, Campbell Soup Company, and Del Monte Foods? Based on your findings, how do these comparable firms’ WACCs influence your thinking about the WACC for Heinz?

Your submission should be a two-page Executive Summary with 12 font and normal margins. Remember to focus and to be as clear and concise as possible in describing the issue, the results, and your opinion; the goal is to help senior managers make a more informed decision moving forward.

Team Presentations (from now on all presentations will be graded)

Remember to lay out an agenda, introduce each member, have each member present, be prepared to answer questions. Limit your presentation to 30 minutes. Remember to speak clearly and loudly, make eye contact with your audience, do not read from note cards, and do not simply read the slide. Communicate your points clearly to the audience. Recall that the presentation style itself will not be graded; just the quality and veracity of the content and preparation. PRACTICE!!!

Financial Case Analysis

 
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Compensation Plan

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Compensation Plan. Assignment: Compensation Plan Outline

 

Using the same company you researched in Assignment 1, evaluate the company’s compensation plan to determine how it could be improved.

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

  • Evaluate the existing compensation plan to determine if it is the most appropriate for your company. Explain your rationale.
  • Determine the most beneficial ratio of internally consistent and market consistent compensations systems for the company you selected.
  • EvaluAssignment: Compensation Plan Outline

     

    Using the same company you researched in Assignment 1, evaluate the company’s compensation plan to determine how it could be improved.

    Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

    • Evaluate the existing compensation plan to determine if it is the most appropriate for your company. Explain your rationale.
    • Determine the most beneficial ratio of internally consistent and market consistent compensations systems for the company you selected.
    • Evaluate the current pay structure used by your company and assess the recognition of employee contributions.
    • Make two (2) recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the discretionary benefits provided by the company you selected.
    • Evaluate the types of employer-sponsored retirement plans and health insurance programs provided by the company you selected and compare them to that company’s major competitors.
    • Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

    Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

    • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
    • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.Running head: COMPENSATION PRACTICE 1

      COMPENSATION PRACTICE 9

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Compensation Practice

      Name

      Instructor

      Course Title

      Date

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Abstract

      Compensation practices have been used by the Apple Company, which is a multinational company based in America with its headquarters located in Cupertino. The Apple Company is known for developing, designing and selling computer software such as iTunes, iOS operating systems, among other consumer electronics. Their popular products in the Mac line are computers, iPads, iPhones, and iPods. The company is ranked number three in the phone making category, after Nokia and Samsung. The company has penetrated in more than 14 countries making it, by market capitalization, one of the largest publicly traded global companies.

      Apple Company has an objective for employees on the platform of compensation. The company aims at attracting and retaining their executives since they ensure succeeds in the market competition. The company strives to achieve the objective on the company’s stakeholders. Compensation committee in the company determines the compensation for the executives of the company as well as overseeing the compensation program. Executive compensation strategy has been the greatest tool in the achievements of the company. Another compensation strategy used by Apple Company is performance-based cash incentive. Apple’s compensation committee determines the compensation plans of its employees and executives.

      The company employs competitive strategies in finding out the compensation effects on the senior officials, employees, and stakeholders. There are three major challenges facing Apple Company, as well as attracting new employees, who have strong talents, controlling the labor costs and multinational operations challenge. Apple Company has employed compensation strategies that conform to compensation laws used globally and at the local country it operates. The traditional base for pay focuses on giving merits on seniority and therefore becomes effective since it facilitates a common ground to control compensation matters.

      Compensation Strategy of Apple Company

      For any company, they need to focus on the efficiency of operations since they pay their employees in return for the work done (O’Grady, 2009, p. 67). To avoid employee frustrations and bond frictions, a company and employees need to have a broad agreement on binding documents about the compensation package. Therefore, in that perspective, Apple Company has an objective for employees on the platform of compensation. The company aims at attracting and retaining their executives since they ensure succeeds in the market competition. The company strives to achieve the objective on the business’s stakeholders. Compensation committee in the business determines the compensation for the executives of the company as well as overseeing the compensation program. Through a good compensation program, the company believes that financial performance can improve in the challenging macroeconomic environment if compensation management is effective.

      Executive compensation strategy has been the greatest tool to the achievements of the company. The strategy involves rewards such as base salaries, yearly bonuses out of the performance and long-term equity rewards. Notably, the strategy has ensured retention of performing executive leaders, as well as attracting the most outstanding executive team. Besides that, the strategy aims at determining supplementary rewards that stimulate the performance of the employees. The company rewards the mentioned employees with long-term equity rewards after every two years. The company does not stress so much on the overall monetary compensation but on equity rewards, thus, shaping its annual performance-based cash bonus from the named executive employee (“Apple, Inc. Executive Salaries & Other Compensation | Salary.com,” n.d.).

      Another compensation strategy used by Apple Company is performance-based cash incentive. The strategy has help Apple Company in attaining its goals, objectives as well as attaining better financial performance as compared with its competitors.

      How the Compensation Practice Has Determined Positive/Negative Impacts to the Apple Company and Its Stakeholders

      One way of indicating fair and equal plan effectiveness is through compensation impact. Employees show that they are satisfied with compensation programs through their behavior, as well as presenting a positive work attitude. Thus, the company benefits from the employee’s actions of higher performance and improved effectiveness. Apple Company has a compensation committee that determines the compensation plans of its employees and executives. The compensation plans are reviewed every year. The company employs competitive strategies in finding out the compensation effects on the senior officials, employees, and stakeholders. Besides this, the company has employed different governance techniques as well as charters so as to determine compensation impact. Occasionally, the committee reviews the policy on compensation to consider if it is still appropriate for use. Moreover, the committee approves the incentive, benefits policy, and the entire compensation policy of any employee, but more so, that of senior executive officers (“AAPL Apple, Inc. Executive Compensation,” n.d.).

      Also, compensation impact is assessed by the committee through annual performance evaluation. The same is also done by the governing board of Apple Company. Through this, the efforts of hard working executive members are acknowledged, as well as the individuals that partake in the financially based impact of the company.

       

       

      Challenges Related to Compensation Strategy Used by Apple Company

      There are three major challenges facing Apple Company. To begin with is retaining, as well as attracting new employees who have strong talents. Due to high competition in the labor market for employees, the Apple’s compensation committee must recognize that and factor in the increasing competitive salaries and talented employees. The competition has raised wars in the multinational companies dealing with computer and software technologies. Therefore, Apple’s compensation committee is expected to aim higher and come up with a good enticing compensation plan for qualified and talented employees. Again, the compensation committee should aim at enhancing employee retention by developing a more complicated compensation strategy (“Apple, Inc. Executive Salaries & Other Compensation | Salary.com,” n.d.).

      Another challenge the Apple Company is facing is controlling the labor costs. The company’s budget has constraints in the countries that have constricted economies; meanwhile, war arises among information technology companies. Thus, the labor costs go up than the amount paid to the employees. As a result, the creation of effective compensation strategies becomes challenging.

      Finally, Apple Company is facing a multinational operations challenge. Apple being a multinational company operating in different countries, it should, therefore, have strategies that balance expectations and employees’ needs in the various countries. Again the compensation strategies chosen should conform to the local customs and laws against global corporate policies. Sometimes adjusting this has been a significant problem for Apple Company.

       

       

      How Laws, Market Factors and Labor Unions Impact Compensation Practices of Apple

      Apple Company has employed compensation strategies that conform to compensation laws used globally and at the local country it operates. In this case, compensation laws and regulations become critical to Apple Company as it can undermine or improve compensation strategies used. Therefore, any established compensation strategy must conform to the law. Again, Apple should agree with the country’s compulsory leave to employees, bonuses, working hours, and minimum salaries for both permanent and temporary employees (“Apple, Inc. Executive Salaries & Other Compensation | Salary.com,” n.d.).

      Again, the compensation strategies should also consider the workers are working overtime. According to the law established, then all workers working overtime should be compensated effectively. For instance, the National Labor Relations Act states that private employees must be protected against the unfair labor practices of employers. Federal Labor Law is formed to regulate unions, employers, as well as employee relations. Labor unions have a greater impact on compensation since they have employees’ bargaining power. Therefore, they can directly affect employees’ wages, salaries, and total compensations. Through effective labor unions, employees can get the best compensation for the work done.

      The market factors have impacted compensation strategies of Apple Company. Due to increasing competition in the information technology market, Apple Company must compete favorably by setting aside some finances for compensation. By doing so, evaluation reports are given by the compensation committee every year which says that the employee performance is increasing since they are motivated.

       

      Effectiveness of Traditional Base for Pay approach

      According to Need (2006), compensation strategy aims at motivating, retaining and attracting the most talented employees to the Apple Company. To ensure consistent financial success for the company, choices on compensation strategy must be made right. A traditional pay approach is perceived to be consistent and fair. The same approach can produce either productive or non-productive results. The truth of the matter is, with merit pay calls for binding to the ongoing employee training that can result in high costs.

      The traditional base for pay focuses on giving merits on seniority and therefore becomes effective since it facilitates a common ground to control compensation matters. The approach provides a company with good criteria based on compensation evaluation. Reports should be drawn to show whether employees are rewarded more than necessary. The approach also serves as an important assessment tool on the company’s internal pay equity. Since all jobs in practice are based on a single system, it enables the company to compare what employees are getting across the board. More on that, the approach facilitates company market testing on the competitiveness of the pay scale. Again the approach allows all jobs to be scored using methods equitable to the other practices (“AAPL Apple, Inc. Executive Compensation,” n.d.). Thus making the approach quite objective and again makes the paying system dependable as well as consistent. Hence employees won’t see compensation program as arbitrary.

      Unlike other compensation approaches, such as incentive-based and person-focused, traditional base for pay may have some shortcomings. The approach emphasizes an upward career orientation, and senior executives continue getting the compensation. It also emphasizes on bureaucracy as well as the hierarchy in an organization. Finally, this approach fails to accurately compensate for the performance of talented employees.

      In summary of the above discussion, Apple Company’s compensation strategy is not just to build a strong competitive edge, but supports human resource processes and helps the company in becoming highly efficient in these processes and leading in the information technology industry. The strategy has managed to attract top talents from global job markets to the company; therefore, retaining the talents for the best outcome of the company.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      References

      AAPL Apple, Inc. Executive Compensation. (n.d.). Retrieved on October 29, 2016, from http://insiders.morningstar.com/trading/executive-compensation.action?t=AAPL

      Apple, Inc. Executive Salaries & Other Compensation | Salary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved on

      October 29, 2016, from http://www1.salary.com/APPLE-INC-Executive-Salaries.html

      Need, W. C. D. H. P. (2006). Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage.

      O’Grady, J. D. (2009). Apple, Inc. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

    ate the current pay structure used by your company and assess the recognition of employee contributions.

  • Make two (2) recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the discretionary benefits provided by the company you selected.
  • Evaluate the types of employer-sponsored retirement plans and health insurance programs provided by the company you selected and compare them to that company’s major competitors.
  • Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

  • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.

Compensation Plan

 
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