ivee’s page

THE FORTUNE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID
DEVELOPMENT AS SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
QUOTE
Corruption decreases the amount of wealth in a country and lowers the standard of living.
LEARNING EXPECTATION:
To learn the needs of the urban poor did not receive, since the abolition of Local Government, the full attention they deserved.   The machinery of government could not properly address these problems.  Thus, many urban and sub-urban areas became severely deficient in the provision of roads, drainage and other social amenities.  Housing for the poor and elderly was the sector which fell furthest behind the mainstream of the new Barbadian Society.  Conditions in this sector became most inadequate and deplorable.
REVIEW:
To find solutions to such problems as population density, quality of life and the impact of poverty on urban dwellers, aesthetic appearance of dwellings against the urban landscape and patterns of ownership, inter alia, created an Urban Development Commission to execute a Programme of Urban Renewal.
The Urban Development Commission was established in August 1997 with a mandate to fast-track the delivery of services to the Greater Bridgetown Area (GBA).  The Commission, through its Urban Renewal Initiative, embarked on a multi-faceted programme to eradicate poverty in the GBA through the institution of entrepreneurship, the provision of social and infrastructural amenities in urban tenantries and the development of healthy community life.
LESSONS LEARNED:
The Committee administers and approves access to the Poverty Eradication Fund, which was established to assist the most vulnerable groups in our society in times of acute needs, particularly where such needs cannot be met from traditional sources of funding.  The fund helps to speed up the delivery of social services to persons whose circumstances place them in financial difficulties such as the inability to provide basic food, shelter and meet elementary survival requirements.
The fund supports a philosophical setting whereby the stigma of welfarism is eradicated and all are empowered to generate sustained, viable livelihoods.  To this end, programmes for the pursuit of skills training and practical education for living are encouraged.  In some cases, some applicants for support may simply need more guidance and exposure along the lines of opportunities that exist as an alternative to welfarism.
INTEGRATIVE QUESTIONS:
1.    What is the execution of a programme of renewal of the physical environment of those city districts that have suffered the greatest degradation?
2.    What are the   restoration of buildings of architectural interest as a means of both preserving the national heritage and providing jobs?
3.    What are the  construction of roads and improved drainage in urban tenantries?.
4.    The enforcement of  landlords to obtain a certificate?
5.    The enforcement of  the Town Planning Regulations for tenantries,?

THE FORTUNE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID
REDUCING CORRUPTION
QUOTE:
Corruption decreases the amount of wealth in a country and lowers the standard of living.
LEARNING EXPECTATION:
When countries tackle corruption they increase their national incomes by as much as four times in the long term, according to research. Business can grow by as much as 3% faster and child mortality can fall as much as 75%, if corruption is reduced.
REVIEW:
Discourages businesses from operating in a corrupt setting, reducing the overall wealth in a country.
Reduces the amount of money the government has to pay workers and buy supplies, such as books, medicine and computers.
Distorts the way the government uses its money so that the services it provides (schools, health clinics, roads, sewer systems, police forces, etc.) are worse than they would be.
Allows those with money or connections to bend the law or government rules in their favor.
Undermines trust in government.
LESSONS LEARNED:
Opportunity: People get involved in corruption when systems don’t work well and they need a way to get their things done regardless of the procedure and laws.
Little chance of getting caught: A lack of accountability comes primarily from a lack of transparency (for example, public officials don’t inform about or explain what they are doing, how and why), and weak enforcement (law agencies don’t impose sanctions on power holders who have violated their public duties).
Bad incentives: For example, a clerk not earning enough to live on, or not being sure that he will have a job tomorrow, so he supplements his income with bribes.
Certain attitudes or circumstances make average people disregard the law. People may try to get around laws of a government they consider illegitimate. Poverty or scarcity of goods (such as medicine) may also push people to live outside the law.
INTEGRATIVE QUESTIONS:
1.    What Is the International Community Doing?
2.    What are the Providing assistance to countries that ask for help in curbing corruption ?
3.    What are the Contributing to international corruption-fighting efforts?
4.    Striving to prevent fraud and corruption in donor-financed projects ?
5.    What is reducing corruption?

THE FORTUNE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID
THE ECOSYSTEM FOR WEALTH CREATION
QUOTE:
“Richness” refers to an abundance of such resources.
LEARNING EXPECTATION:
These loose networks—of suppliers, distributors, outsourcing firms, makers of related products or services, technology providers, and a host of other organizations—affect, and are affected by, the creation and delivery of a company’s own offerings.
Like an individual species in a biological ecosystem, each member of a business ecosystem ultimately shares the fate of the network as a whole, regardless of that member’s apparent strength. From their earliest days, Wal-Mart and Microsoft—unlike companies that focus primarily on their internal capabilities—have realized this and pursued strategies that not only aggressively further their own interests but also promote their ecosystems’ overall health.
REVIEW:
The Ecosystem for Wealth Creation  refers to some accumulation of resources, whether abundant or not. wealthy (or rich) individual, community, or nation thus has more resources than a poor one. Even when resources are considered only in terms of physical assets, money, land, and items that can be given a monetary value, the measurement of wealth has varied over time and among cultures. Thus, for example, in some cultures pigs or cattle may be considered the most valuable possessions, whereas in others they have little value compared to other items. Distribution of wealth in a fair, if not equal, manner thus becomes difficult to achieve.
For many, the concept of wealth is not a physical one involving money or external resources, which may accumulate beyond a person’s ability to use wisely or to bring happiness. Other views of wealth include one’s health, time, and emotional happiness or spiritual growth. In such views, wealth is not just the collecting of items of value for personal use but includes the good that one can offer to society as a whole. For those who believe in an afterlife beyond our physical existence, wealth is generally considered in this light.
LESSONS LEARNED:
A company’s choice of ecosystem strategy—keystone, physical dominator, or niche—is governed primarily by the kind of company it is or aims to be. But the choice also can be affected by the business context in which it operates: the general level of turbulence and the complexity of its relationships with others in the ecosystem.
If your business faces rapid and constant change and, by leveraging the assets of other firms, can focus on a narrowly and clearly defined business segment, a niche strategy may be most appropriate. You can develop your own specialized expertise, which will differentiate you from competitors and, because of its simple focus, foster the unique capabilities and expertise you need to weather the turbulence of your environment.
INTEGRATIVE QUESTIONS:
1.    What is ecosystem for wealth creation?
2.    What kind of company aims to be?
3.    Is there a relationship with others in the ecosystem.?
4.    Defined the business segment?
5.    What is the constant change by leveraging other firms?