TO WHAT EXTENT CAN CORRUPTION BE BLAMED FOR UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN Dissertation

TO WHAT EXTENT CAN CORRUPTION BE BLAMED FOR UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA, A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA - Dissertation Example Introduction The biggest obstacle to the achievement of development objectives in Africa is corruption. As the world is rapidly advancing towards becoming a global village, a large percentage of people in Africa do not have the opportunity of benefiting from the fruits of economic and industrial development that is happening across the world, primarily because of the widespread corruption that prevails in most African countries. Africa is blessed with a major percentage of the world’s natural resources and people from the continent have made their mark in several areas such as science, technology and medicine. Despite such developments, things such as cars and television continue to be extraordinary luxuries amongst people of Africa. Millions continue to live in extreme poverty and a vast majority is unemployed despite being educated. People are deprived of clean drinking water and educational facilities are not available for all children. There have been frequent instances of civil war i n several parts of the continent, while millions have been dying from diseases that cannot be controlled because of inadequate financial resources for healthcare. The main reason for the underdevelopment in Africa is the high level of corruption that prevails in the entire continent and continues to remain unchecked. This paper examines the extent to which corruption can be blamed for Africa’s underdevelopment by specifically referring to the case of Nigeria. In doing so, the internal and external causes of underdevelopment in Nigeria will be critically analyzed. The aim of this paper is to give an analytical perspective in order to understand why African countries have been unable to develop and to understand why sub-Saharan Africa has the reputation of being the most corrupt area in the world. The paper will also highlight the concepts and contexts of political corruption as the main cause of underdevelopment in many African countries. Chapter 1. Underdevelopment and Corruption in Africa Corruption is understood as acts of wrong doings with the objective of making money, which implies that the extreme desire to make money is the basic reason for corruption. According to Auyo (1999), corruption is the termination or demolition of a disposition or a perverted act relative to changing anyt hing from its initial status of purity. In simple terms, corruption is said to be practiced by deviating from the normal way of doing things. In the modern world, corruption is understood as the misappropriation of public money, enticement, theft or any forms of attempts to embezzle or to illegally gain or abuse assets or authority. Therefore, corruption is revealed through perverted acts or through obliteration or veracity while discharging public duty. Thus, corruption is considered a psychological or social condition whereby the ethical and correct ways of performing one’s duties are abandoned because of some kind of internal or external stimulus (Bayley, 1966). Although the words corruption and fraud are mostly used in referring to such practices, it is important to understand the differences amongst the two terms. Corruption is related with misusing public authority and is mostly related with acts committed by government functionaries, while fraud is an occurrence that c an happen in both the private and public sectors (Isa, 2009). Both corruption and fraud have proved to be severe problems that have been hampering economic growth in Africa (Sandholtz and Gray, 2003). Most efforts initiated by government and nongovernment agencies to tackle the problem have not yielded good results. For the last several years, Nigeria has been rated amongst the three most corrupt states in the world. In attempts to combat corruption, the

Gregor and Meursault are certainly problematic characters. What is the Essay - 1

Gregor and Meursault are certainly problematic characters. What is the main problem both confront - Essay Example Therefore Gregor’s alienation is less deliberate than Meursault’s alienation, as Rossignol says, â€Å"GREGOR’S alienation is slightly less deliberate. Used as a tool for money and for control by his family, yet has been indoctrinated in only seeing their good side (if it exists). This however also stems from self-denial and self-alienation.† (56) Apparently Gregor seems to be the poor victim of the society, in which he lives, that cruelly has robbed him of all of the opportunities to survive decently on his own worth, gradually restricting him within the periphery of a room. Ironically the way how Gregor views others in his family and orientates himself in the society essentially shows that Gregor’s psychological inertia has reached the height that prevents him from looking into his discomfiture and from identifying the causes. He cannot -more appropriately, does not want to- search for the underlying reasons of the discomfiture. Gregor simply take s the discomfiture as it is. Such non-resistive acceptance of the situation as well as the humiliation inflicted by his family members is reminiscent of Meursault’s disinterest in the ‘well and woe’ of life and other social affairs. Whereas Gregor’s self-alienation is illusive and evading, Meursault’s self alienation is more obvious. Indeed the psychological inertia of Kafka’s protagonist is camouflaged in his apparently innocent stance that invokes the readers’ sympathy towards him against the hostility of the family members. The root of Meursault’s alienation lies in his disinterest in social affairs. Again his disinterestedness evolves from the meaninglessness or the absurdity of life. Both Meursault and Gregor deceive themselves and subsequently their deceptions result their isolation from their societies. In this regard, Rossignol says, â€Å"In L’Étranger (Camus) and The Metamorphosis

Childhood Obesity in America Essay Example for Free

Childhood Obesity in America Essay Ahhh there is nothing better than waking up at noon to the smell of some freshly cooked bacon and a heaping pile of blueberry pancakes. Mom makes them fresh every weekend morning. Usually the bacon and pancakes don’t quite do the trick so the pantry is raided next. At the top of the pantry next to the family size bag of Doritos, which will most likely be consumed later in the night, lays the hardest decision that will have to be made all day long. Which one of these sugary cereals shall be devoured this morning and fill up the rest of this already overstuffed belly? Reese’s Puffs, Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs or the tasteless Raisin Bran that Mom and Dad prefer. You can definitely count out the Raisin Bran. Cocoa Puffs it is. After grabbing the largest bowl that could be found in the house, the Cocoa Puffs are smothered in chocolate syrup to make the already chocolate milk even more chocolaty and delicious. After every last puff goes down the hatch it is time to chug the extra chocolaty milk right from the bowl. Now that the belly is completely stuffed it is time for a nap. A nap is necessary after a long night of online gaming on the brand new Xbox 360 that mom bought last week. The other players don’t stand a chance after a week non-stop gaming with a few breaks here and there for the much needed meals and bathroom breaks. After the well- deserved napping session it is back to the big screen. Only this time it is not to play video games because the carpel tunnel is acting up in the left hand again. This time it is to watch the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives marathon on the Food Network. You just can’t get enough of the food network. But all this talk about food is making the stomach rumble and it is time for lunch. Mom promised that she will take us to the McDonalds that is right down the street if the chores were done. Little brothers are great. After slipping him a whole two dollars, the chores are done in no time and a McDonald’s double quarter pounder with extra cheese is all that is on the brain. The clerk at the counter asked, â€Å"Would you like to Supersize that sir?† After thinking for a  second about the giant container of fries and the bucket of coke the answer was easy, â€Å"Yes, Ma’am!† But why stop there? It is March and all those commercials about the new Shamrock Shake make it nearly unbearable. After a delicious lunch the only thing on the mind on this beautiful Saturday afternoon is getting back to that big screen TV and playing the brand new Call of Duty game. While all the other kids are outside running around pretending to shoot each other, the real action is inside this intense videogame. After an exhausting night, it is time to go to bed with plans for tomorrows day on the mind. Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the Un ited States. The article, â€Å"Obesity in America: What’s Leading the Epidemic?† states that nearly one thousand people are killed each day from obesity. Obesity is measured by BMI or Body Mass Index. This measures how much body fat someone has based on their height and how much they weigh. The author, Harvard Men’s Health Watch states that a BMI of twenty five or more qualifies as overweight and a BMI of thirty or more qualifies as obese. About 63% of Americans are considered overweight and about 31% are considered to be obese (Harvard Men’s Health Watch 2012). These numbers are strikingly large. This article only focuses on the adults that are obese in the United States and doesn’t focus much on the children. The children are what America should really be focused on because some day they will make up majority of the population. The most obese child in the world is Jessica Guade who is seven years old and weighs four hundred and eighty two pounds. That is heavier than a majority of people in the entire world. Every single day she drinks ten thousand calories in Coca-Cola and consumes fifteen hamburgers. She can’t even walk and gets around by rolling. How can a parent do this to their child? Are they afraid to say no or do they just not care about their child’s health? This is what the American life is doing to children. These numbers will continue to go up and we will see more children like Jessica if nothing is done about this epidemic. American life is changing and people are adapting to new culture which is making them focus less on their weight and appearance. The main factors that contribute to the obesity outburst are the lack of exercise, watching way too much television, and eating too many foods that are high in calories and fat. With the changes in television and advertising on television, Americans crave things that they see on TV. When you are watching TV you will see countless fast food advertisements where they make the food look so delicious and look like it was prepared in a five star restaurant. This is just one of the many tricks that advertisers use in order to get people to buy their products. The sad part is that most of the time it works. Americans see all of these advertisements on TV and all they want to do is go out and buy it. These days children are watching so much television rather than playing outside. Young children are the main target for some advertisers like McDonalds and Burger King. In all of their commercials they show images of children eating their food and it makes children want to go and get it. Not only are there a lot of commercials about fast foods, but there are commercials about snacks and drinks as well. According to M. Mello in their article, â€Å"Federal Trade Commiss ion Regulation of Food Advertising to Children: Possibilities for a Reinvigorated Role†, a majority of the food and drink advertisements on television are advertising things that are unhealthy for the human body to consume (Mello 2010). The amount of these advertisements is ridiculous and according to this article the FDA has had to start cutting the airing of a lot of them. Not only are the advertisements on TV a problem, but the amount of television that children watch is an even bigger one. These days’ kids would rather stay inside and watch TV and play video games rather than going outside and playing sports like the past generations. The video games of this generation have made it possible for children to virtually play any sport that they want instead of going outside and physically breaking a sweat and playing them. Television has made Americans so much lazier than they used to be. People don’t get out of the house nearly as much as they used too. Instead of going out to the ballpark and watching baseball games, they just go out and buy big screen televisions and sit on their butts and watch them. Children look up to their parents and will adapt these kinds of habits from them. This is a huge reason why children are becoming so obese in America. The amount of television that kids watch and how many video games they play has a direct correlation to the lack of exercise in America these days. To children, a videogame or cartoon show is much more appealing than running around outside and exercising. Also, the developing culture of America as a whole has added to the lack of exercise in Americans.  Technology has simplified nearly every aspect of human life. Rather than walking everywhere like our ancestors did, everyone drives, or takes the bus, or does anything that keeps them from using up their energy and breaking a sweat. As the parents of children are doing this, their children adapt to that lifestyle and in turn they end up doing the same thing and start to live the way that their parents live. In the old days you would see people walking all over the streets, but now that there are automobiles the streets are just lined with traffic. As cities are bec oming more civilized and advanced, there are less and less places for people to work out, and for kids to run around and play outside. In the article, â€Å"Contributions of Built Environment to Childhood Obesity† by, T. Rahman, R.A. Cushing, and R.J. Jackson, it states that the neighborhood the child lives in has a huge impact on their health. For example, if there are bike paths and places to play outside and run around, the child will be more physically active, but if these things aren’t in place, then the child is more prone to stay inside and watch television and gain weight as a result of that (Cushing 2011). While watching television they don’t have to get up to do anything anymore. Remote controls have changed the world. You can change the channel on the television, turn on and off the lights, and answer the phone right from your chair without getting up to do anything. The only thing that people have to get up to do is go and get more food from the fridge. Less and less children are becoming involved in athletics and exercise. Going outside and running around is much less appealing to children then it used to be. Lack of exercise is a huge contributing factor to obesity and children and something needs to be done about it. Fast food is so easy, quick, and convenient. Most Americans live a lifestyle th at is always on the move and always busy. It is very easy for them to turn to fast food and grab a quick meal before they go to work. Not only is it fast and easy, but there are so many fast food restaurants in the United States. In 1970 McDonalds operated close to one thousand establishments; in 2002 nearly thirty-five thousand restaurants were being operated. An estimated two thousand new McDonalds are opened each year. That is the road that most Americans choose rather than trying to sit down and eat a home cooked meal. That goes along with the laziness of Americans. In this article from CBS news â€Å"Fast Food linked to Child Obesity†, it states that â€Å"Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. children  aged 4 to 19 eat fast food, which likely packs on about six extra pounds per child per year and increases the risk of obesity† (CBSNEWS 2010). Fast food is so much faster and easier than going to the grocery store and getting all the ingredients needed to cook a nice healthy meal for your family. Instead most parents resort to the greasy, salty, and fatty foods that fast food establishments have to offer. According to J.Hariss’s article â€Å"Television Viewing and Unhealthy Diet: Implications for Children and Media Interventions†, â€Å"Humans possess an innate preference for sweet, high-fat, and salty foods, and a reluctance to try unfamiliar foods† (Hariss 2011).Although some fast food restaurants offer substitutions like how McDonalds offers apples instead of French fries, most people do not choose these substitutions. People are more concerned about taste then health and to them, greasy salty foods taste better than apples. The only time that children would choose to eat the healthier choice is when their parents are with them. According to M. Stutts in their article, â€Å" Nutrition Information and Childrens Fast Food Menu Choices†, when children go into fast food restaurants alone, they will choose to eat whatever they want regardless of the fat content. When their parents went with them they influenced them to choose the healthier items on the menu (Stutts 2009). The problem with the items on the fast food menus is that they are full of calories. The recommended calorie intake for a thirteen year old child that weighs ninety pounds is about thirteen hundred calories each day. A McDonlad’s cheeseburger happy meal with a low fat milk as a drink has approximately seven hundred calories. That is half of the amount of calories that is needed in one day. On top of that most children th ese days aren’t exercising at all and all of those calories turn straight into fat. Fast food in general is so unhealthy for your body and if it was cut out completely, the number of obese children would be reduced dramatically. There are so many factors that play into why children are becoming so obese, but eating too many foods that are high in calories and fat is the number one reason why they are so obese. Most people in the world worry about the way they look when they look in the mirror. They will do anything to make themselves â€Å"look skinnier† and make themselves look more attractive. Nobody every worries about what is going on inside of their body. Most Americans do not realize that being overweight or obese can have some serious negative health effects  on the body. There are so many aspects of life that are affected by obesity. Your metabolism, health of your muscles, bones, organs, and other parts of your body can be greatly affected when you are at an unhealthy weight. In the article â€Å"Obesity in America: Large Portions, Large Proportions,† the author talks about some of the health risks that are involved with obesity. Some of the health risks are coronary artery disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes, diabetes, many forms of cancer, osteoarthritis, fatty liver, and depression (Large Portions, Large Proportions 2006). Obesity can ultimately lead to a shorter life span from the health risks. It is obvious from this article that there are some major health risks from obesity that can affect your body in a very negative way. It is important that people take care of their bodies so that they can live happy and healthy lifestyles. A huge part of the childhood obesity problem is that the children have no idea what they are doing to their bodies by not exercising and having unhealthy diets. The author of this paper had the opportunity to educate children on the proper nutrition and recommended hours of exercise daily through a service learning project that was completed with the help of a middle school from their hometown. Service learning is defined as â€Å"a method of teaching and learning that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities† (What is Service-Learning, 2008). The author was given the chance to strengthen the community and inform young children about the dangers of obesity. The author did so by creating an informative brochure that the principle of Rosa Parks Middle School Dr. Donna Redmond Jones enjoyed and agreed to hand out to students around the school. The brochures were also made available in the health room where students can just come in and pick one up. In completing the service learning project, the author was able to gain a lot of knowledge on obesity, more importantly the health risks and ways to prevent them. The author also gained the fulfillment that he had informed young students about these risks and was able to benefit the community. The service project was ultimately successful because the author was able to re-teach the knowledge that he had gained from research to the children that the research was about. The information that has been provided in this paper demonstrates how a lack of exercise, watching too much television, and eating too many foods high in calories and fat, has lead to the obesity epidemic that is in America today. The number of obese children in American is an absurd number. Children in America these days don’t worry about their image and their weight as much as they used to. All they are worried about is what TV show they are going to watch next, what video game they are going to play, and what type of fast food they are going to eat today. The idea of going outside and exercising never crosses their mind. If parents gave their children a little motivation to get involved in sports and exercising, the number of obese children in America would decrease substantially. Parents don’t motivate their kids because they are doing the same exact thing as them. Not only are there a lot of obese children in America, but there are an incredible amount of obese adu lts as well. Children are prone to learn from what their parents do and inherit the bad habits that they have. So therefor if a parent is eating fatty foods and sitting around watching TV all day, their children will do the same thing. There are so many health risks that can come from obesity that you would think people would be more worried about it. Do people not pay attention to the warnings and health risks? Do they not really care about the way they look and the negative effects that it can have on the body? The prevalence of technology in America has changed the world greatly. It has made things so much easier, but in turn it has made Americans so much lazier. Everything can be done from a seat on the couch without having to get up at all. Watching too much television, lack of exercise, and eating too many foods that are high in calories and fat are the three biggest factors that play into the amount of obese children these days, but there are a ton of factors that play into why Americans are so overweight. Something needs to be done about this epidemic before we see more serious side effects from obesity. References La Merrill, M., Birnbaum, L. S. (2011). Childhood Obesity and Environmental Chemicals. Mount Sinai Journal Of Medicine, 78(1), 22-48. doi:10.1002/msj.20229 Anzman, S. L., Rollins, B. Y., Birch, L. L. (2010). Parental influence on childrens early eating environments and obesity risk: implications for prevention. International Journal Of Obesity, 34(7), 1116-1124. doi:10.1038/ijo.2010.43 Harris, J. L., Bargh, J. A. (2009). Television Viewing and Unhealthy Diet: Implications for Children and Media Interventions. Health Communication, 24(7), 660-673. doi:10.1080/10410230903242267 Rahman, T., Cushing, R. A., Jackson, R. J. (2011). Contributions of Built Environment to Childhood Obesity. Mount Sinai Journal Of Medicine, 78(1), 49-57. doi:10.1002/msj.20235 Stutts, M., Zank, G. M., Smith, K. H., Williams, S. A. (2011). Nutrition Information and Childrens Fast Food Menu Choices. Journal Of Consumer Affairs, 45(1), 52-86. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6606.2010.01192.x Mello, M. M. (2010). Federal Trade Commission Regulation of Food Advertising to Children: Possibilities for a Reinvigorated Role. Journal Of Health Politics, Policy Law, 35(2), 227- 276. doi:10.1215/03616878-2009-051 Obesity in America: Whats driving the epidemic?. (2012). Harvard Mens Health Watch, 16(7), 5-7. Anderson, S. E., Whitaker, R. C. (2010). Household Routines and Obesity in US Preschool-Aged Children. Pediatrics, 125(3), 420-428. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0417 Obesity in America: large portions, large proportions. (2006). Harvard Mens Health Watch, 10(6), 1-5. Fast Food Linked to Child Obesity. (2009) The Associated Press. CBS News.

Work Of Barney J Contribute To Hrm Management Essay

Work Of Barney J Contribute To Hrm Management Essay In 1991, Jay B. Barney authored a journal entitled Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. The literatures main argument is that sustained competitive advantage can be obtained if the firm effectively and efficiently utilize its resources and capabilities that are valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable (Barney 1991). This view of strategic analysis was regarded as the resource-based view (RBV) and different from what has been the customary external environment analysis which was exemplified in Porters five forces of competition (Porter 1979). Thus, focus was given to the strengths and weaknesses of a firm as much as the opportunities and threats of the external environment as the source of competitive advantage and foundation for creating strategies (Grant 2008). The RBV has been considered by many authors as contributing to the wider fields of study about resources and sustained competitive advantage (CITE) including human resources management. Hence, the focus of this literature is on the above mentioned work of Jay Barney and its contribution in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) and the relationship of Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) with sustained competitive advantage. The essay will be presented accordingly in three parts. First is a discussion of the theories presented in Barneys work as regards RBV. Second are the ramifications of the RBV theory to the concept of HRM and SHRM. And last is a reflection on the limitations or critiques regrading RVB and the things to come for the study of SHRM. THE RESOURCE BASED VIEW OF THE FIRM At the onset, literatures regarding strategy and sustained competitive advantage were focused mostly on the external analyses of opportunities and threats in the environment of the industry for some time (Barney 1991). Porters five forces of competition exemplifies this focus of a firms position in relation to its external environment. Accordingly, strategies and sources of competitive advantage were made based on the analysis of the firms competition within its industry, the threats of new entrants, the threat of substitute products, the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers (Porter 1979). However, Peteraf (1993, p. 186) acknowledges that competitive advantage is not the product of varying industry attractiveness alone and that the RVB is a factor that contributed to such an understanding. Competitive advantage as described by Pralahad and Hamel (1990) is the product or result of several years of building core competencies that are superior to its rivals, and applying these compe tencies more effectively than its competitors and that the length of time to build core competencies and obtain competitive advantage is also relative to the capacity of firms to learn and apply learning more effectively. The foregoing explanation of CA thus foresees that resources intrinsic to a firm or firm resources are sources of SCA. With Barneys work, emphasis was given to a varying perspective towards strategy in which sustained competitive advantage is achievable if the firm takes advantage of resources that are valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable (Barney 1991). According to Barney (1995, p. 50), resources of a firm include all the financial, physical, human, and organizational assets used by a firm [and] human resources include all the experience, knowledge, judgement, risk taking propensity, and wisdom of individuals associated with the firm. Grant (2008, p. 131) further classifies resources into three: 1) tangible resources these are the financial and physical assets of a firm; 2) intangible resources which are the technology, reputation and culture possessed by the organisation; and 3) human resources which encompass the skills, knowledge, capacity for communication and collaboration, and the motivation that exists within the firm. All of these resources with the aforementioned characteris tics, when utilized effectively and efficiently through a firms organisation, systems and knowledge can be a source of sustained competitive advantage (Barney, Wright, Ketchen 1991). Based on the rationalisations mentioned, human resources are likewise potential sources of sustained competitive advantage. THE RESOURCE BASED VIEW AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT In his work, Barney consequently recognizes the importance of the RBV theory in the field of HRM, and that human resources can be valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable, and therefore become sources of sustained competitive advantage. Aside from specific human resources, policies and practices in HRM are valuable and inimitable since these resources cannot be easily replicated and requires a substantial period of time to get established (Barney 1991; Boxall 1996). Another characteristic of human resources is that of being rare or unique individually and as a group, for which Grant (2008) stresses that the key to competitive advantage is to exploit the firms unique resources, since strategies purely based on industry selection and positioning results in similar strategies among firms in an industry. These characteristics which epitomize RBV theory in Barneys work has been instrumental in providing the appropriate attention deserved by human resources in strategic planning, which leads to the notion of Strategic HRM (Wright, Dunford and Snell 2001). Further explanation provided by Pynes (2009, p. 31) is that SHRM is based on the assumption that in a dynamic environment, organizations need to be dynamic as well, this necessitates the need to acquire realistic information on the capabilities and talents of their current staff-in essence, their human resources. However, while RBV theorizes that competitive advantage can be sourced from the firms human resources, it is not solely the foundation from which profitability can be obtained in as much as a firms position in an industry cannot also be the sole source of competitive advantage. Competitive advantage and sustained competitive advantage can be attained by combining the customary external analysis, industry positioning and attractiveness with that of the analysis of the organizations internal resources (Collis Montgomery 1995). Through SHRM in particular, organizations can be better equipped to plan their human resource requirements in accord with the current needs within the organizations as well as with the present situation in the external environment (Pynes 2009). In essence, Barneys work has become a foundation from which HRM and SHRM gained prominence in the study of strategy and sustained competitive advantage. (Wright, Dunford, and Snell 2001) THE RVB, ITS LIMITATIONS AND CRITIQUES Priem and Butler (2001), provides a well acknowledge critique of the RBV literature offered by Barney about the RBV a theory. The critique is summarised in four areas wherein Barney offered counter arguments for each. Barney categorises Priem and Butlers (2001) assessments as: 1) the RBV theory is tautological; 2) failure to recognize that the composition of resources however diverse can generate similar value for a firm, and as such, cannot be a source of competitive advantage; 3) the 1991 article failed to give emphasis to the role of product markets; and 4) the theories derived has limited prescriptive implications. (Barney 2001, p. 41) These critiques, limitations, and assessments relating to various RBV literature, and in Barneys work in particular, has led to the increasing popularity of concepts such as knowledge management, learning organisations, flexible workforce and teamwork (Hartel, Fujimoto, Strybosch, Fitzpatrick, 2007, p. 14) Thus, giving groundwork from which further and more intricate study has evolved. CONCLUSION To sum up, the foregoing discussions presented Barneys 1991 work emphasising on resources that are rare, valuable, inimitable, and non-substitutable as foundations of sustained competitive advantage. More importantly, it has provided a backdrop from which due importance was given to the human resources of a firm in strategy formulation and contributed immensely to the notion of strategic HRM. Wright, Dunford, and Snell (2001) considers Barneys propositions on the sources of sustained competitive advantage as an influential in making or shaping the RBV premise significant in the context of strategy and in SHRM as well. For the future of RBV and SHRM, the articles critiques and limitations have instigated further study of the RBV theory and likewise opened new horizons for research in the field of HR and SHRM. Thus it is adequate and appropriate to say that the RBV theory which was emphasized in Barneys work contributed in the shift from strategy based on external factors and brought t o view the internal competencies and human resources of a firm in formulating strategies (Hartel, Fujimoto, Strybosch, Fitzpatrick, 2007, p. 14). There is a great depth of field for study and research in HRM and SHRM for which the RBV theory is relevant and a vital resource, future researches is definitely and will be very important to further appreciate and understand the relevance and essence of human resources in an organization. Annex A: Summary and Assessment of critiques to the Resource-Based View (RVB) (Kraaijenbrink, Spender, and Aard 2010, p. 360) Critique Assessment 1) The RBV has no managerial implications. Not all theories should have managerial implications. Through its wide dissemination, the RVB has evident impact. 2) The RBV implies infinite regress. Applies only to abstract mathematical theories. In an applied theory such as the RBV, levels are qualitatively different. 3) The RVBs applicability is too limited. Generalizing about uniqueness is not impossible by definition. The RBV applies to small firms and start-ups as well, as long as they strive for an SCA. Path dependency is not problematic when not taken to the extreme. The RBV applies only to firms in predictable environments. 4) SCA is not achievable By including dynamic capabilities, the RBV is not purely static, though it only explains ex post, not ex ante, sources of SCA. Although no CA can last forever, a focus on SCA remains useful. 5) The RBV is not a theory of the firm. The RBV does not sufficiently explain why firms exist. Rather than requiring it to do so, it should further develop as a theory of SCA and leave additional explanations of firm existence to TCE. 6) VRIN/O is neither necessary nor sufficient for SCA. The VRIN/O criteria are not always necessary and not always sufficient to explain a firms SCA. The RBV does not sufficiently consider the synergy within resource bundles as a source of SCA. The RBV does not sufficiently recognize the role that judgment and mental models of individuals play in value assessment and creation. 7) The value of a resource is too indeterminate to provide for useful theory. The current conceptualization of value turns the RBV into a trivial heuristic, an incomplete theory, or a tautology. A more subjective and creative notion of value is needed. 8) The definition of resource is unworkable. Definitions of resources are all inclusive. The RBV does not recognize differences between resources as inputs and resources that enable the organization of such inputs. There is no recognition of how different types of resources may contribute to SCA in a different manner. Lastly, Kraaijenbrink, Spender, and Aard (2010) have summed up the critiques as regards the RVB and offered evaluation and counterarguments to each (see Annex A). Among the eight critiques cited, three of which were acknowledged as not easily dismissible as the other five. The three assessments were concerned about the nature of resource and value as being indeterminate and the narrow explanation of a firms SCA. Another weakness in the RBV theory was the prominence of the attention given to individual resources compared to the importance of the conglomeration of individual resources and, which according to Kraaijenbrink, Spender, and Aard, does not reflect the real meaning of competitive advantage. (2010, p. 359)

Presidential Campaign of 2004 :: essays research papers

Each presidential election overview has always been similar to a three-ring circus, but in the 2000 Election with Al Gore and George W. Bush, was by far one of the biggest circuses ever. Democrats had reason to worry about the election. Republicans held the White House for three consecutive terms from 1980 to 1992, voters often grow tired of one party after two terms. They were hoping to win control, yet there was a lot at stake with the election at the time. And even though it came to be a quite chaotic election, it was by far the closest election ever in history. The main problem was that the results were so close in Florida that it became indefinite who the winner was. It took over a month to finally attain the results. Ultimately it was not the citizens whose votes counted, but the vote of the Supreme Court for the election case. Al Gore had a good start to begin with, having high marks on his ability to handle key issues, including Democratic stands on such as health care, education and Social Security. But Gore changed all that on the last day of the Democrats' Los Angeles national convention. Whether it was the highly publicized kiss he gave his wife or not, Gore changed the public's view of him. No longer was he a just a stiff politician. Instead, he was a passionate, loving father and husband who lacked many of Clinton's weaknesses. And Gore jumped a few points ahead of Bush. The Monica Lewinsky scandal Clinton had did not necessarily give him a bad reputation. On the contrary, people continued to cast their support for the president since the public thought he had done so much for our nation. Yet in the 2000 Election Gore seemed to go in the completely opposite direction of Clinton, or at least try to avoid his name in his speeches at first. Yet Gore's luck did not change when he left California. Bush seemed to have difficulties when asked about his tax cut plan and about his statement that the U.S. military was not fully ready. While Gore looked relaxed and energetic, Bush made mistakes in front of the camera. Polls suggested that Gore was far ahead of Bush by at least a few points. Republicans became much less optimistic about Bush, while things were looking very promising for the Democrats. Gore’s campaign was focused on issues that were mostly concerned by women, such as health care and education. "We're for the people. Big tobacco, big oil, the

The Reality of Divorce in American Society Essay -- Divorce Marriage R

The Reality of Divorce in American Society As with most life transitions, divorce can be liberating, depressing, frustrating, or traumatic to any person who experiences it. Perhaps the most painful part on the process of divorce is when the children get involved and when they all get trapped in the situation. These children may suffer significant losses in their lives and unless the situation can be handled in a civil manner, they will become prone to the psychological torment that could affect them for the rest of their lives. The issue of divorce however is becoming more and more intense since for the past ten years the divorce rate in the United States has skyrocketed to a record high of almost fifty- percent. It is also believed that the divorce rate in the United States is the highest in the world and the reason for this are primarily the ever-changing role of the husbands and wives in their household, early marriage, infidelity, extra marital affairs, domestic violence, financial instability and psychological incapacity . The issue of divorce is not only the main problem in the American society of today. The custody issue on who is going to gain the right to take care of the children wholly is also a tough one. For the past decade, divorce and the custody battle have rapidly become a significant life event for perhaps millions of Americans each year. â€Å"There were more than two million divorces each year, affecting 3 million adults and more than two million children (Thompson, Parting 18).† Thus we can prognosticate that the American family of today is definitely ill and is in great need of a revival. The first and probably the most important step in order for couples to have a solid relationship is education. Education is the key to lowering divorce rate. Divorce is one of those issues where private and personal behavior exacts a huge public cost, â€Å"but because divorce and marriage are such intensely personal issues, most citizens are loath to support any program that injects government into the process (Uncoupling 223).† We share the view that new laws or public programs cannot solve this crisis. However, it seems equally clear we cannot sit idle as divorce ravages families and society. Couples who are planning to get married should somehow take a step in advance to learn about the process of marriage and the circumstances that surround it. The... ...use for this emotion. Another negative and most common feeling that arises is that of distrust. Trust is a two-way street. Both partners must not only trust, but also be trustworthy through sharing experiences with one another. Marriage is a very joyful event in a person’s life. However, unless much can be done in order to redefine the status of what marriage is all about, divorce and other marital problems will continue to arise tremendously. Divorce is tumultuous event in a married couple’s life. It does not only affect the financial status of the household, but rather it also affects the people that comprises the family especially the children. Families are experiencing many problems today, but the role of divorce in this picture has been frequently overlooked because its destructive effects have been subtle, yet insidious. When the divorce rate increased in the 1960s, few would have predicted its dire consequences three decades later. Yet divorce has changed both the structure and the impact of the family. Intimacy, time, effort trust and love is the key to have a peaceful and healthy relationship. Marriage for life is God's ideal, but divorce is a reality in our society.

Returning to College Essay

At the beginning of 2013 I had a discussion with my co worker about returning back to school, and the I was indecisive on what I wanted to major in. So she suggested that I do online courses, and major in Organizational Management since I wanted to become a manager within the company I am currently employed. She referred me to Ashford University, and I must say that I am very happy that she referred me to this university because it works perfectly with my work schedule. In 2002 I was accepted into Lemoyne Owens University back in Memphis,  Tennessee to major in Child Development and Education because I wanted to be a elementary school teacher. I did not attend the university because the university wanted my parents to pay more in tuition than what they were offering me in Financial Aid. At the time student loans was not an option for me for I decided to attend a Junior College instead. My first year and a half at Laney Junior College I took cosmetology classes because Laney did not offer Child Development courses and the other junior colleges classes were full. I graduated with my Associates Degree in Cosmetology in 2004, and  returned to receive my Associates Degree in Business Administration. Although I started off taking business courses I ended up switching my major to receive my Associates Degree in Liberal Arts, because it would have taken 3 years to receive my degree in business admin. Once I graduated in 2006 with my Liberal Arts degree I decided not to go back to school after that although I wanted to. I decided to put all of my effort into my 3 job, until 7 years down the line one of my co workers who is also a student at Ashford University convinced me to return to school to get my Bachelor’s Degree. Returning back to school was frequently on my mind but I did not know how to fit it in with my busy work schedule, and I felt that my writing skills were not up to the college level like they should be. Obtaining a higher degree is very important to me because it can possibly help me in the long run career wise. I would love to own my own business some day, particularly my own day care center. I also would like to be an accountant and possibly have my own accounting business. There are times that I feel that my job gets in the way of me completing my school work. So I try to set time aside each day to complete at least one discussion each day and try to complete my assignments and responses over the weekend. There are things that tend to get in the way of those plans so I just end up staying up late to complete my work. I try my hardest not to let any obstacles get in my way but I can’t predict my life and each step as much as I wish that I could. I plan on graduating next year with my Bachelor’s in Organizational Management and then try to obtain my degree in Accounting. Returning back to school has so far been one of my best life decisions thus.