OUTLINE TEMPLATE 4.2 Analysis of Firm Resources and Capabilities 4.2.1 Tangible Resources Table 4.1 of page 68 of our textbook describes four common types of tangible resources. Follow that typology to respond the following topics/questions: 1a) List the Company’s physical resources (with numbers or other measures) that fall in this category. 2a) Compare the Company’s physical resources with several major companies in the same industry. 3a) Based on above analysis, are the Company’s physical resources “strong”, “moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like “moderate and improving” or “strong but declining”) compared with major competitors in the industry? 4a) List your references regarding the Company’s physical resources here. 1b) List the Company’s financial resources (with numbers or other measures) that fall in this category. 2b) Compare the Company’s financial resources with several major companies in the same industry. 3b) Based on above analysis, are the Company’s financial resources “strong”, “moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like “moderate and improving” or “strong but declining”) compared with major competitors in the industry? 4b) List your references regarding the Company’s financial resources here. 1c) List the Company’s technological assets (with numbers or other measures) that fall in this category, such as patents, copyrights, superior production technologies, or other technologies adopted in their operations. 2c) Compare the Company’s technological assets with several major companies in the same industry. 3c) Based on above analysis, are the Company’s technological assets “strong”, “moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like “moderate and improving” or “strong but declining”) compared with major competitors in the industry? 4c) List your references regarding the Company’s technological assets here. 1d) List the Company’s organizational resources (with numbers or other measures) that fall in this category, such as IT systems, quality control systems, or distribution and retail networks. 2d) Compare the Company’s organizational resources with several major companies in the same industry. 3d) Based on above analysis, are the Company’s organizational resources “strong”, “moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like “moderate and improving” or “strong but declining”) compared with major competitors in the industry? 4d) List your references regarding the Company’s organizational resources here. 1e) Can you identify any other types of tangible resources? Please analyze following the same sequence above and add more bullet points below. 4.2.2 Intangible Resources Table 4.1 of page 68 of our textbook describes four common types of intangible resources. Follow that typology to respond the following topics/questions: 1a) List the Company’s human assets and intellectual capital (with numbers or other measures) that fall in this category, such as quality of workforce, talented employees in key areas, learning and training programs, or proven.

1. OUTLINE TEMPLATE
4.2 Analysis of Firm Resources and Capabilities
4.2.1 Tangible Resources
Table 4.1 of page 68 of our textbook describes four common
types of tangible resources. Follow that typology to respond the
following topics/questions:
1a) List the Company’s physical resources (with numbers or
other measures) that fall in this category.
2a) Compare the Company’s physical resources with several
major companies in the same industry.
3a) Based on above analysis, are the Company’s physical
resources “strong”, “moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like
“moderate and improving” or “strong but declining”) compared
with major competitors in the industry?
4a) List your references regarding the Company’s physical
resources here.
1b) List the Company’s financial resources (with numbers or
other measures) that fall in this category.
2b) Compare the Company’s financial resources with several
major companies in the same industry.
3b) Based on above analysis, are the Company’s financial
resources “strong”, “moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like
“moderate and improving” or “strong but declining”) compared
with major competitors in the industry?
4b) List your references regarding the Company’s financial

2. resources here.
1c) List the Company’s technological assets (with numbers or
other measures) that fall in this category, such as patents,
copyrights, superior production technologies, or other
technologies adopted in their operations.
2c) Compare the Company’s technological assets with several
major companies in the same industry.
3c) Based on above analysis, are the Company’s technological
assets “strong”, “moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like “moderate
and improving” or “strong but declining”) compared with major
competitors in the industry?
4c) List your references regarding the Company’s technological
assets here.
1d) List the Company’s organizational resources (with numbers
or other measures) that fall in this category, such as IT systems,
quality control systems, or distribution and retail networks.
2d) Compare the Company’s organizational resources with
several major companies in the same industry.
3d) Based on above analysis, are the Company’s organizational
resources “strong”, “moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like
“moderate and improving” or “strong but declining”) compared
with major competitors in the industry?
4d) List your references regarding the Company’s
organizational resources here.
1e) Can you identify any other types of tangible resources?
Please analyze following the same sequence above and add more
bullet points below.

3. 4.2.2 Intangible Resources
Table 4.1 of page 68 of our textbook describes four common
types of intangible resources. Follow that typology to respond
the following topics/questions:
1a) List the Company’s human assets and intellectual capital
(with numbers or other measures) that fall in this category, such
as quality of workforce, talented employees in key areas,
learning and training programs, or proven managerial knowhow.
2a) Compare the Company’s human assets and intellectual
capital with several major companies in the same industry.
3a) Are the Company’s human assets and intellectual capital
“strong”, “moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like “moderate and
improving” or “strong but declining”) compared with major
competitors in the industry?
4a) List your references regarding the Company’s human assets
and intellectual capital here.
1b) List the Company’s brand, image, and reputational assets
(with numbers or other measures) that fall in this category, such
as brand reputation and awareness ranking by third party and
trade associations, buyer loyalty, superior services, or
reputation for product quality.
2b) Compare the Company’s brand, image, and reputational
assets with several major companies in the same industry
3b) Are the Company’s brand, image, and reputational assets
“strong”, “moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like “moderate and
improving” or “strong but declining”) compared with major
competitors in the industry?
4b) List your references regarding the Company’s brand, image,

4. and reputational assets.
1c) List the Company’s relationship resources (with numbers or
other measures) that fall in this category, such as
2c) Compare the Company’s relationship resources with several
major companies in the same industry
3c) Are the Company’s relationship resources “strong”,
“moderate”, or “weak” (or terms like “moderate and improving”
or “strong but declining”) compared with major competitors in
the industry?
4c) List your references regarding the Company’s relationship
resources here.
1d) Describe the Company’s culture with balanced views and
also refer to Section 4.1.4 (but you should discuss more briefly
here).
2d) Compare the Company’s culture with several major
companies in the same industry to justify your judgment in 1a).
3d) Are the Company’s culture “strong and productive”,
“weak”, or “strong and counterproductive” (or similar
descriptive terms) compared with major competitors in the
industry?
4d) List your references regarding the Company’s human assets
and intellectual capital here.
4.2.3 Capabilities
The following table describes seven common types of
capabilities. Follow that typology to analyze each of them
following the same sequence and requirement as that in the

5. previous section (4.2.2). Please use bullet points for your
arguments. Keep in mind for each of these capabilities you need
to 1) describe/analyze the capability, 2) compare it with
industry peers, and 3) give your judgment (strong, moderate,
weak, etc). Lastly you need to provide any references that help
you to conduct the analysis.

6. 4.2.4 Core Competencies and Sustainable Advantages
1) Use one sentence to summarize the definition of “core
competencies”.
2) Among all the resources and capabilities, you analyzed in
previous two sections, what do you think are the core
competencies of Waste Management, Inc according to the
definition of core competencies? Briefly give your justification.
3) Use VIRO framework, make a table below similar to (any of)
our sample papers to show those resources/capabilities that can
pass the VIRO check. Do not list those that cannot pass the
check. Also, you need to fill the table with some justification
for your selection.
4) List your references here.
4.2.5 Value Chain Analysis
1) Draw a figure/table (with simple descriptions) for the
industry value chain (following the textbook and/or sample
paper). Make your terms/descriptions specific to our industry.
2) Draw a figure/table (with simple descriptions) for Waste
Management, Inc’s value chain (following the textbook and/or
sample paper). Make your terms/descriptions specific to the
Company.
3) Do you think the Company’s various activities in its value
chain are consistent with each other and aligned with the
Company’s strategy and positioning?
4.2.6 Summary of Firm Resources, Capabilities, and Value
Chain
(NO outline needed)

7. 5. SWOT Analysis
1) After reviewing your team’s project part one, analyze and list
the Company’s opportunities, and specify the sourcing sections
(such as “4.1.6”) that you were using to identify them.
2) After reviewing your team’s project part one, analyze and list
the threats that the Company is facing below, and specify the
sourcing sections (such as “4.1.6”) that you were using to
identify the threats.
3) After reviewing your team’s work on internal analysis of the
Company, analyze and list the company’s strengths, and specify
the sourcing sections (such as “4.1.6”) that you were using to
identify them.
4) After reviewing your team’s work on internal analysis of the
Company, analyze and list the company’s weaknesses, and
specify the sourcing sections (such as “4.1.6”) that you were
using to identify them.
5) Search in our online databases to find an existing SWOT
analysis of the Company. Copy their SWOT below.
6) Find and list the discrepancy between your own SWOT and
the one from literature. If it is significant, please discuss with
your team to see if revisions for the previous sourcing sections
are needed to make a better and thorough SWOT. Please reflect
the revisions in your complete drafts.
7) List your references here.
PHI-413V Topic 1 Overview

8. Foundational Issues in Christian Spirituality and Ethics
Introduction
Welcome to Grand Canyon University's course on Ethical and
Spiritual Decision-Making
in health care. Some students may be apprehensive and object to
taking this course
because they feel such a course is not necessary for their major.
Yet Grand Canyon
University has a long-standing Christian heritage, meaning that
our Christian faith is
fundamental to all that we do. We want all students to feel
welcome here, regardless of
their religion or beliefs, but we also want all students to at least
understand the
Christian worldview and be challenged to think carefully about
the deeper questions of
life.
In addition, this course serves several key purposes for training
in health care. First, it is
important to understand that many of the foundational beliefs
that the fields of
medicine and health care take for granted (such as the intrinsic
dignity and value of all

9. human beings, regardless of race, gender, religion,
socioeconomic status, etc.) are
deeply held Christian values that come from the Christian
worldview and have shaped
the practice of medicine for almost 2,000 years. Second, all
human beings hold beliefs,
live, and act in the context of their worldview. All decisions,
including health care
decisions, that human beings make are informed by their most
deeply held values and
beliefs which comprise a person's worldview. Thus, it is
important to understand how a
patient's worldview will shape their decision-making and values
in health care.
Third, decision-making in health care often times involves
ethical decisions about right
or wrong, and it is crucial for health care practitioners to have
an understanding of the
nature of ethical decision-making, as well as some practical
training. Fundamentally, this
course is about how the Christian worldview approaches various
issues and questions in
health care. In understanding the Christian worldview, one will
also come to learn how

10. different worldviews might approach the same questions.
Some students may be unsure what their worldview is or have a
worldview that is very
different from Christianity and wonder how they will fit into
such a class. Everyone has a
mixture of beliefs that make him or her unique. Please be
assured that the goal is to
help each student feel comfortable interacting with other
students and to have a
positive experience. The College of Theology and instructors
hope to encourage critical
thinking about one's worldview and purpose in life. This is an
opportunity to think about
what you believe, challenge your assumptions, learn from
others, and move forward on
your unique life journey.
Throughout this course, you will be seeking wisdom. And from
the Christian worldview,
all wisdom comes from God. This is why James, the brother of
Jesus, wrote in his letter,
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives
generously to all without
reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5 NIV).

11. Understanding what a worldview is,
and in particular the elements of Christian worldview, will help
one understand the
foundations of Christian spirituality and ethics.
What Is a Worldview?
The following definitions are helpful:
• "A set of assumptions or beliefs about reality that affect how
we think and how we
live" (Cosgrove, 2006, p. 19).
• "The comprehensive perspective from which we interpret all
of reality" (Keller,
2012, p. 157).
Worldview is often described as a set of lenses through which
we view the world. As a
descriptive lens, our worldview influences our perception of the
world. What is true?
What is reality? As a prescriptive lens, our worldview
influences our evaluation of what
is true. What does it mean? How should we live?
One may readily see that if one views the nature of the universe
as consisting of only

12. physical matter and energy, then that person's understanding of
the meaning of life and
how we should live will likely be far different from one whose
perception of the
universe includes a spiritual realm where life continues after
death and goodness is
rewarded.
While it is true that all people have their own private
worldviews with values and beliefs
that have been shaped by culture, education, experiences, and
relationships, it is also
valuable to speak of shared worldviews, those foundational
assumptions or beliefs that
many people hold in common. For the sake of this course, the
course content will be
reduced from the many-shared worldviews to three basic
worldview families.
What Are the Three Basic Worldview Families?
Though there are many different worldviews, for the purpose of
this course they have
been simplified into three basic worldview families. There are
many variations within
these families.

13. Atheism
Atheism is the worldview of those who believe only in what
their senses can detect—
only what may be analyzed and understood in a scientific
laboratory. This view believes
in no God or spiritual realm. The cosmos consists of only the
natural or physical realm of
matter and energy. Other names often associated with this
worldview family are
naturalism and secular humanism. Most whose worldview
values and behavior are
aligned with atheism prefer to be considered agnostics. These
are uncertain of the
existence of God, skeptical for the most part, yet open to the
possibility.
Pantheism
Pantheism is the worldview of spiritualism, the belief that "all
is God" as the word
implies. Pantheists believe in a spiritual realm, but no relational
God who has revealed
himself to humanity and is actively involved in the lives of
those who believe in him. This

14. worldview family consists of the Eastern religions of Hinduism
and Buddhism, as well as
the more eclectic Western belief known as New Age. Pantheists
typically embrace an
impersonal oneness of which all humans may become a part,
becoming godlike
themselves as they reach higher levels of spirituality.
Theism
Theism, or monotheism, is the worldview of the three major
religions, Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam. Though these three have huge
differences rendering them
incompatible with each other, they do nonetheless have some
similarities. Theists all
believe in a single, personal, and relational God who is the
creator and sustainer of all
that exists. They all likewise believe in absolute truth and
morality, and an afterlife. The
focus of this course is Christianity, so the course will be
comparing these three
worldviews: atheism, pantheism, and Christianity.
Another common worldview name, deism, is somewhat of an
enigma—having a basic

15. belief in God, but a God who is not relational or involved in
human life. So although
falling under the broad category of theism, deists may
effectively live as atheists. Many
people have complex worldviews that are a mix of various
beliefs from the major
worldview families.
How Do We Determine Our Worldview?
There are six components that help to determine worldview. The
following questions
correspond to each component. Answering each of the following
questions for yourself
will help you begin thinking about your own worldview:
1. What Is Ultimate Reality?
Does reality consist basically of physical matter and energy, as
the atheists believe? Is
reality an impersonal spiritual entity that dominates the
universe and to which all
humans must endeavor to attain unity with, as the pantheists
assert, or is there a
personal and relational, all-powerful, and sovereign God who
exists everywhere, but is

16. separate from the physical world he created, as believed by
Christians and other
theists?
2. What Is the Nature of the Universe?
This is similar to the question above but focuses strictly on
what one believes about the
natural world. Is the universe strictly physical and yet eternal in
one form or another? Is
it merely an illusion intended as a battleground for us to work
toward enlightenment, or
was the universe created by God and far more complex than can
be detected by
scientists, consisting of both a physical and a spiritual realm?
3. What Is a Human Being?
Is a human basically a biological machine, just a higher level of
animal? Is a human a
type of god with powers to reach perfection, or is a human an
off-the-charts creature
designed in the image of God with an eternal spirit like his and
similar abilities to reason,
seek moral purity, communicate on a high level, create for
beauty, and love even those

17. who cannot love in return? Is death the end of existence, or is
there a soul that lives on?
Does that soul return in another life, or does it return to God
and await judgment?
4. What Is Knowledge?
Is there such a thing as absolute truth, or is truth relative? Is
true knowledge only that
which may be acquired and understood through scientific
means, or is there also
knowledge that only may be acquired by revelation from God?
Should you only trust
your senses, or should you explore the spiritual realm and seek
knowledge from God?
5. What Is Your Basis of Ethics?
How do you know right from wrong? Is morality learned, or is it
designed into our
conscience? Is there a set of absolute moral standards given by
God, or is morality
relative, a matter of culture, and what is acceptable to a
society?
6. What the Purpose of Your Existence?
Is human life as you know it merely the result of some amazing
cosmic accident, or is

18. there an underlying meaning to history, a purpose toward which
time will culminate?
Does life have meaning and purpose for individuals, or is it
simply whatever one makes
it? Did the Creator design his children with a purpose? If so,
what might that be?
How Do We Test Our Worldview?
Everyone (not only religious people) forms his or her worldview
on the basis of faith
(assumptions and presuppositions) and reason. So we must ask
ourselves "how
reasonable or consistent is our worldview?" Are there any
contradictions that are
apparent? Testing a worldview is critical because at the end of
the day, most people
want to make sure that they have true beliefs about the world.
The following tests are
just some ways of determining whether or not a particular
worldview is true. Consider
only three basic tests summarized here:
1. The Coherence Test checks the internal consistency of a
worldview to see if one's
specific values and beliefs contradict any other beliefs within
the worldview.

19. 2. The Correspondence Test examines how well a worldview
corresponds to reality. It
evaluates evidences and experiences to see if the worldview
matches with what one
perceives in the real world.
3. The Practical Test evaluates a worldview's livability. Does
the worldview bring
satisfaction as one faces life's challenges, or is it found to be
lacking?
Foundations of Christian Spirituality and Ethics
The foundational beliefs of Christianity inform the Christian
understanding of the nature
of spirituality and the nature of ethics. Thus, the way in which
the Christian worldview
answers the six questions above shapes a distinctly Christian
spirituality and Christian
ethic. The term spirituality has many different definitions in
popular culture and in
different contexts. One influential definition claims,
"spirituality is an aspect of humanity
that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and
purpose, and the way
they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to

20. others, to nature, and to
the significant or sacred" (Puchalski et al., 2009). This
definition is broad enough to give
a general idea of what spirituality involves, but it does not give
a full picture of a
person's spiritual life or spiritual needs. Those details will be
filled in by examining a
persons specific worldview.
Spirituality in the Christian worldview has its foundations in
the reality of a triune God
who eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one
being in three persons
and is the creator and sustainer of all that exists. He is all-
knowing, all-powerful, and
loving to his core, "And so we know and rely on the love God
has for us. God is love.
Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (1 John
4:16). This God has
revealed himself in different ways to human beings, including
through the natural
world. However, he has revealed himself and his will for human
beings most
authoritatively through the Bible and in the person of Jesus
Christ. In this view,

21. whatever it means to be spiritual will in some sense be related
directly or indirectly to
God, and will come to be known primarily through the teachings
of the Bible.
Furthermore, Christian spirituality will refer to the beliefs and
practices that are meant
to reflect the proper functioning of God's creation, and which
promote right relationship
to God and deeper knowledge of him. Many times spirituality is
taken to be
synonymous with the feeling of deep emotion or of oneness with
a transcendent reality,
but Christian spirituality is not limited to the experience of
mere emotions or feelings.
Feelings and emotions are an important part of being human,
and they are even an
important part of one's relationship to God. Yet, spirituality in
the Christian worldview is
not dictated by the feelings or emotions one might be
experiencing in the moment, but
by trust in the goodness of God and obedience to him.
In the same way that Christian spirituality finds its foundations
in the reality of the

22. triune God of the Bible, ethics also has its foundations in God.
Ethics, broadly speaking,
is the study of good and bad, right and wrong. Every worldview
has to explain the
foundations of ethics (in line with worldview question #5
above) such that it explains the
basis of what counts as good and bad, right or wrong. In the
Christian worldview, there
is a God who exists and has created the world with a moral
structure and purpose such
that what is truly right and good is a reflection of God's
character. God's own holy,
loving and perfect character is the standard of right and wrong.
Badness or what is
wrong is then defined as anything that is contrary to God's
character, his will, or to his
design and purpose for his creation.
The Bible reveals what God's character is like. Exodus 34:6-7
says,
The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger and
abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to
thousands, and forgiving
wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty

23. unpunished; he
punishes the children and their children for the sin of the
parents to the third
and fourth generation.
Similarly, 1 John 4:7-9 says,
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who
loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not
love does not
know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his
love among us: He
sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live
through him.
Psalm 18:30 declares, "As for God, his way is perfect: The
LORD's word is flawless; he
shields all who take refuge in him." Many more verses could be
surveyed, but the Bible
makes clear that God is perfectly good and holy. Knowing right
and wrong then will
mean knowing that which accords to God's character.
Right or wrong can be discovered in multiple ways. It can be
discovered in God's

24. creation by examining the natural world or by the use of human
reason. In this way, one
discovers God's design for the way things are supposed to be by
examining what is built
into creation; this is often referred to as "natural law." For
example, one can know by
means of reason and observation that murder is wrong or that a
broken bone is bad and
not the way it is supposed to be. Conversely, one might come to
know that feeding the
homeless is good, and loving one's spouse is right. One does not
need to be religious or
even believe in God to be able to know propositions of "natural
law." Nevertheless, the
Christian worldview holds that these truths are built into the
world by God. Second,
right or wrong can be discovered by reading the Bible or
looking at the example of Jesus
Christ. The Bible reveals God's commands and principles such
as the Ten
Commandments or the teachings of Jesus on the sermon on the
mount. In addition, the
Bible provides us with examples of virtuous people. The perfect
man and moral

25. exemplar (though much more than only a man and an exemplar)
in the Christian
tradition is Jesus Christ himself. The Christian is to not only
obey God's commands, but
to be transformed into the kind of person that reflects the
character of God. Jesus Christ
is the perfect representation of such a life; Christians, thus,
ought to embody the virtues
and character of Jesus himself. The attaining of these virtues
will not only be a matter of
intellectual knowledge of right and wrong, but an active
surrender and transformation
by means of God's own Holy Spirit. The wisdom to navigate all
the complexities of
ethical decision-making will be a consequence of a person's
character and the active
guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Knowledge of God, Knowledge of Ethics
A key component of the foundations of Christian spirituality
and ethics as described
above is the view that people can have genuine knowledge of
God and knowledge of
right and wrong. A few observations about the word knowledge

26. need to be considered.
First, by knowledge we mean the opposite of mere opinion.
Knowledge is more than just
an educated guess; it is being in touch with the real world as it
really is. Thus, knowledge
in this sense is not merely subjective, but is rather an objective
description of reality. For
example, the proposition "the earth is round" is an objectively
true description of reality,
even if some people happen to subjectively deny that the earth
is round. Subjective
beliefs may be true or false. What would make subjective
beliefs true would be if they
matched the real objective world. Fundamentally, knowledge is
the possession and
awareness of truth.
There are two philosophies, however, that stand in contrast to
the Christian belief that
one can have knowledge of God and knowledge of right and
wrong, namely scientism
and postmodernism. These two philosophies are very influential
in today's society,

27. although they are not compatible with the Christian worldview.
It is important to
understand these philosophies because not only are they not
compatible with the
Christian worldview, they arguably have negative effects on the
practice of medicine
and health care.
Scientism
Although the term scientism has the word science in it, it is
crucial to recognize that (1)
scientism is not the same thing as (2) science. In the Christian
worldview, science is a
great and good thing. In fact, the Christian worldview has
always encouraged careful
investigation of the natural world. In the Christian worldview,
medical technology is
considered a good gift from God insofar as God has created the
kind of world that has a
structure that can be discovered and manipulated to bring about
the good of human
beings (Rae & Cox, 1999). Scientism, however, is not
compatible with the Christian
worldview. Scientism is the belief that the best or only way to
have any knowledge of

28. reality is by means of the sciences (Moreland & Craig, 2003,
pp. 346-350). In other
words, if something is not known scientifically then it is not
known at all, and the only
way to hold true beliefs about anything is to know them
scientifically.
That may sound reasonable and even commonsense, but there
are two problems with
scientism: (1) scientism is a self-refuting philosophy, and (2)
science has clear limits.
First, if the only way to have true beliefs is through science,
then the thesis of scientism
itself ("the only way to have any knowledge of the world")
could not be true because it
cannot be proven scientifically. Thus, the thesis of scientism
fails its own truth test.
Scientism's thesis is, in fact, a philosophical statement.
Philosophers call such
propositions self-refuting because they invalidate themselves by
definition, similarly to
someone claiming, "I cannot speak a word of English."
Second, while science is a powerful way of gaining knowledge
of the natural world,

29. science is limited and is not the only way of gaining knowledge.
Consider the following
two limitations of science (though there are many others);
science cannot tell us
anything about (1) ethics or (2) how one ought to use the results
of science (University
of California Museum of Paleontology, n.d.). Science is
wonderful and describes the way
things are, but it has no authority to tell us what we ought to do
morally. Science cannot
tell me whether or not I ought to love my spouse, keep my
promises, or give to the
poor. Even when it comes to ethical issues that involve science,
science cannot
determine what the right thing to do would be. For example,
science might be able to
describe the nasty effects of a terminal disease on a person or
explain the state of a
person's brain if that person is in a vegetative state. However,
science cannot determine
whether euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide is good, bad,
right, or wrong. Science
also cannot determine how scientific data and results ought to

30. be used. Science might
enable the discovery of chemical processes or structures, but
should the results be used
for creating biotechnology to engineer human DNA? Should the
results of scientific
research be used to create bioweapons for military purposes?
Such questions are
beyond the bounds of what science can answer. Remember
scientism is NOT science; it
is a philosophical thesis that claims that science is the only
methodology to gain
knowledge and that every other claim to knowledge is either
mere opinion or false.
However, as Nicholas Rescher remarks, "to take this stance [of
scientism] is not to
celebrate science but to distort it" (as cited in Moreland &
Craig, 2003).
Postmodern Relativism
Postmodernism is a broad philosophical position that claims
that there is no such thing
as truth or an objective reality that can be known. A common
way in which
postmodernism is expressed is through a view called relativism.
Relativism is the view

31. that there is no such thing as truth in the common sense of that
concept. Every claim
about the nature of reality is simply relative to either an
individual or a society/culture.
Another way to put this is to say that truth is invented by people
(whether it is
individuals or entire societies) instead of being discovered.
According to this way of
thinking, there is not genuine truth to be had or known, only
subjective opinions or
beliefs. While certain questions are no doubt matters of
subjective opinion, such as
"what is the best flavor of ice cream?" or "what is the proper
way to shake hands?" not
all questions are. This is most clearly seen when we consider
moral or ethical
propositions about right or wrong. It would be a serious mistake
to claim that the
propositions "murder is wrong" or "racism is evil" are mere
subjective matters of
opinion. However, that is what relativism implies. If all truth
including morality is simply
a human invention, then there is no standard for genuine truth,
and it follows that there

32. is no genuine right or wrong. However, this is certainly false.
Whether or not the Nazi
party, made up of thousands of individuals, believed that killing
6 million Jews was a
good thing, we have to say without any hesitation that they were
genuinely wrong. But
it is not possible to be wrong unless there is genuine objective
truth to be known.
Both scientism and postmodern relativism are incompatible with
the foundations of
Christian spirituality and ethics. The Christian worldview holds
science in high regard and
accepts it as one of the most powerful communal ways of
obtaining knowledge about
the world. However, contrary to scientism, the Christian
worldview does not accept
science as the only way of knowing things about the world.
Secondly, contrary to
postmodern relativism, the Christian worldview holds that
genuine objective knowledge
of God and of right and wrong is possible. It follows then that
who God is and what is
right and wrong are not merely matters of subjective opinion,
but genuine truths to be

33. discovered.
Conclusion
The foundations discussed above provide the framework for
Christian ways of ethical
and spiritual decision-making in health care. It is important to
understand therefore that
the Christian way of ethical and spiritual decision-making is
distinct from other
worldviews and is not the same as Buddhist, Muslim, or even
atheist ways of ethical and
spiritual decision-making. It is not fair or respectful to paint all
religions or worldviews
with the same brush under the heading of "spirituality" and
ignore the differences.
Topic 2 will discuss a foundational principle to the practice of
medicine and health care,
as well as bioethics namely, the principle of respect for persons.
The Christian worldview
goes even further and states all human beings are made in the
image of God and
therefore have intrinsic value and are worthy of dignity and
respect.

34. Topic 3 will discuss the field of bioethics and introduce some of
the main methodologies
of ethical decision-making in health care. The focus in this
section will be on the
methodology called principlism which stresses the application
of four moral principles to
all ethical decisions in health care. Prinipalism will be used and
interpreted in light of the
Christian worldview and the overarching narrative presented in
the Bible.
Topic 4 will briefly introduce issues of death, dying, and grief.
The focus will be on
ethical issues at the end of life and the Christian worldview
regarding death in light of
the biblical narrative and the hope of resurrection inaugurated
by the person and work
of Jesus Christ.
Topic 5 will conclude with discussion about the facilitating of
ethical and spiritual
decision-making for patients, and the practical application of
the principles and tools
introduced in this course.
References

35. Cosgrove, M. P. (2006). Foundations of Christian thought:
Faith, learning, and the
Christian worldview. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel.
Keller, T. (2012). Every good endeavor: Connecting your work
to God's work. New York,
NY: Dutton.
Moreland, J. P., & Craig, W. L. (2003). Philosophical
foundations for a Christian
worldview. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
Puchalski, C., Ferrell, B., Virani, R., Otis-Green, S., Baird, P.,
Bull, J., … Sulmasy D. (2009).
Improving the quality of spiritual care as a dimension of
palliative care: The report of
the consensus conference. Journal of Palliative Medicine,
12(10), 885-904.
Rae, Scott B., & Cox, P. M. (1999). Bioethics: A Christian
approach in a pluralistic age.
Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
University of California Museum of Paleontology. (n.d.).
Science has limits: A few things
that science does not do. Retrieved from

36. https://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/0_0_0/whatisscience_12
© 2019. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
Rubic_Print_FormatCourse CodeClass CodeAssignment
TitleTotal PointsPHI-413VPHI-413V-O500Worldview Analysis
and Personal Inventory100.0CriteriaPercentageUnsatisfactory
(0.00%)Less than Satisfactory (65.00%)Satisfactory
(75.00%)Good (85.00%)Excellent (100.00%)CommentsPoints
EarnedContent70.0%Christian Perspective of Spirituality and
Ethics in Contrast to Postmodern Relativism20.0%Explanation
of the Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and
ethics in contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism is
incomplete or insufficient.Explanation of the Christian
perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to
the perspective of postmodern relativism is unclear. Explanation
is not supported by topic study materials.Explanation of the
Christian perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in
contrast to the perspective of postmodern relativism is clear.
Explanation is not supported by topic study
materials.Explanation of the Christian perspective of the nature
of spirituality and ethics in contrast to the perspective of
postmodern relativism is clear and detailed. Explanation is
supported by topic study materials.Explanation of the Christian
perspective of the nature of spirituality and ethics in contrast to
the perspective of postmodern relativism is clear, detailed, and
demonstrates a deep understanding of the subject. Explanation
is supported by topic study materials.Scientism and
Arguments20.0%Explanation of scientism or the explanations of
two main arguments against scientism are inaccurate. Details
are not supported.Description of scientism is accurate.
Explanations of two main arguments against scientism are
unclear. Details are not clearly supported by topic study

37. materials.Explanation of scientism is clear. Explanations of two
main arguments against scientism are clear. Details are
supported by topic study materials.Explanation of scientism is
clear and accurate. Explanations of two main arguments against
scientism are clear. Details are clearly supported by topic study
materials.Explanation of scientism is clear and accurate.
Explanations of two main arguments against scientism are clear
and insightful. Details are clearly supported by topic study
materials.Personal Perspective and Worldview 30.0%Worldview
questions are not fully answered.Each of the worldview
questions is answered but is lacking a personal connection or
clarity. Each of the worldview questions is answered with
personal connection. Each of the worldview questions is
answered clearly and with personal connection.Each of the
worldview questions is answered clearly and with deep personal
insight.Organization, Effectiveness, and Format 30.0%Thesis
Development and Purpose7.0%Paper lacks any discernible
overall purpose or organizing claim.Thesis is insufficiently
developed or vague. Purpose is not clear.Thesis is apparent and
appropriate to purpose.Thesis is clear and forecasts the
development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of
the arguments and appropriate to the purpose.Thesis is
comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis
statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.Argument Logic
and Construction8.0%Statement of purpose is not justified by
the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim
made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible
sources.Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument
lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic.
Some sources have questionable credibility.Argument is
orderly, but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument
presents minimal justification of claims. Argument logically,
but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are
credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis.
Argument shows logical progression. Techniques of
argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of

38. claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are
authoritative.Clear and convincing argument presents a
persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All
sources are authoritative.Mechanics of Writing (includes
spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)5.0%Surface
errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of
meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is
used.Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the
reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word
choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not
varied.Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are
not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence
structure and audience-appropriate language are employed.Prose
is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be
present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence
structures and figures of speech.Writer is clearly in command of
standard, written, academic English.Paper Format (use of
appropriate style for the major and assignment)5.0%Template is
not used appropriately, or documentation format is rarely
followed correctly.Appropriate template is used, but some
elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with
formatting is apparent.Appropriate template is used. Formatting
is correct, although some minor errors may be present.
Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no errors
in formatting style.All format elements are correct.
Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references,
bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and
style)5.0%Sources are not documented.Documentation of
sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to
assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.Sources
are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style,
although some formatting errors may be present.Sources are
documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format
is mostly correct. Sources are completely and correctly
documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format
is free of error.Total Weightage100%

39. DETAILS INSTRUCTION
4.2 Analysis of Firm Resources and Capabilities
Hints (also for sub-sections):
A. You will find a good guide for this section. Follow the
lists in the chapter and search for related data for our case
company.
B. Make your own judgment on resources, capabilities, and
competences using terms like
“strong”, “moderate”, and “weak” by comparing our company
with other firms in the
same industry.
C. Your competition analysis in Project Part One should give
you some thoughts for better
understanding the strength of the firm’s resources and
capabilities.
D. Keep in mind that your analysis for Section 4.2 should be the
basis of your “S” and “W”
of your SWOT analysis.
E. Length recommendation for Section 4.2 (including all sub-
sections): at least ten pages
(APA format)
F. As you will have detailed analysis in sub-sections, just a few
bridging paragraphs are
needed under the title “4.2”.
4.2.1 Tangible Resources
4.2.2 Intangible Resources
4.2.3 Capabilities
4.2.4 Core Competencies and Sustainable Advantages
Hints:
A. In this section you need to identify core competencies of the
firm from the
capability/resources you analyzed in other 4.2.1-4.2.3. But you
need to make sure
those competencies identified can create sustainable advantage
for the Company using

40. the VRIO framework based on Barney (1991) article. You can
find some information
about VRIO here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VRIO
B. Here are two articles relevant to this section: Barney (1991):
“Firm resources and
sustained competitive advantage”; Prahalad and Hamel (1990):
“The core competence
of the corporation”.
C. No more than four core competencies, because too many
competencies would not be
called “core”!
D. Read the sample report “Nucore” or “Calpine” for some
guide.
4.2.5 Value Chain Analysis
Hints:
A. Please read the value chain analysis part of Chapter 4 before
you start.
B. First you need to briefly describe and analyze the value chain
for related industries
following the content in Chapter 4 (e.g., Figure 4.2).
C. Then, analyze the company’s value chain following the
guidance in the textbook. The
sample paper (“Nucor”) gives you a good example too.
4.2.6 Summary of Firm Resources, Capabilities, and Value
Chain
5.1 Strength
5.2 Weakness