Conoco phillips Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Conoco phillips - Essay Example Furthermore the company is vertically integrated and is actively engaged in operations from upstream (oil exploration and production) to downstream (oil refining and marketing). From its vast operations base ConocoPhillips has seen its revenues steadily increase over the past few years as shown in Figure 1 below: The energy industry – in particular oil – has been experiencing slow growth which has led to intense competition among the existing companies. Also, due to its capital intensive nature and the limited options of converting existing equipment to other use implies that even where a company is facing difficult times, there are high exit barriers to overcome. Probably the only viable alternative for companies in this industry is to merge or acquire others so as to derive economies of scale. Nevertheless, in spite of the intense competitive rivalry, ConocoPhillips and its competitors are in an industry with minimal threat of new entrants to either its upstream business – which requires huge investment in equipment, research and technology, and strategic sites – or its downstream business – that requires huge investment in distribution, logistics and marketing. The fact that the major players (ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and BP) are vertically integrated increases the barriers to entry further. Another great advantage of the vertical integration to these three major players is that it gives them great bargaining power over both their suppliers and buyers. However, the latter may be significantly better placed than the former in the sense that oil is now considered a commodity. This means that oil products from BP or ConocoPhillips of ExxonMobil do not significantly differ thus the buyer has some leverage to seek lower prices and better contract terms (â€Å"The Industry Handbook: The Oil Services Industry†). Finally, although renewable energy sources have

Critically evaluate the legal options and administrative processes Essay

Critically evaluate the legal options and administrative processes that could be used to reduce the impact that environmental noise can have on the health and - Essay Example Burns (1973) affirmed this viewpoint. He believed that an individual’s performance in their workplace is reduced drastically because they have an inability to concentrate. Consequently, such persons develop psychological stress which is manifested by frequent outbursts and dissatisfaction. The Department of Environment (1994) explain how sleep disturbances are mainly felt at night rather than during the day. Porter et al (2000) demonstrated the relationship between awakenings and noise from aircrafts. Berglund et al (2000) deduced that frequent use of sleeping pills and higher mental hospital admissions could originate from high levels of noise. Research by Meister and Donatelle (2000) explained how people who are exposed to aircraft noise have higher chances of heart disease and other physical health conditions. The Dutch Environmental Consultants (2007) did a survey in Europe and found that 50% of European residents are subjected to noise from the transport sector. The group provided links between traffic noise and residents’ health. Over 200,000 cases of heart diseases are as a result of exposure to transport noise and a quarter of these cases result in death. (The Dutch Environmental Consultants, 2007) There is also a lot of money spent on health services due to transport noise. It reached the tune of 40 Billion euros per year. (The Dutch Environmental Consultants, 2007) HUD (2004) realised that the type of construction equipment adversely affect the level of annoyance felt by nearby residents; some equipments and appliances were too noisy. At the same time, it is also possible to cause noise through the type of techniques used in design of buildings. Neighbours get affected by noise from their counterparts when construction material used for the house has low acoustic designs. MORI (2003) found that approximately thirty percent of all residents in London consider noise emitted by their neighbours a nuisance. Furthermore, houses with poor

Individual Reflection Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual Reflection Report - Essay Example In addition, I also had difficulty getting through examinations and processing instructions for my various course requirements. As mentioned, I am not a native speaker and I still have a long way to go mastering the English language. It was extremely difficult particularly whenever I am about to take an exam. Reviewing the course and subjects was already difficult to begin with, especially whenever I had to deal with new words and concepts. So whenever there was an exam, my anxiety doubles up. Definitely, the language barrier was the main reason for slow progress in academics. In my classes, I double my effort to follow the instructions and syllabus needed for the course. Aside from taking notes, I also compare with other students so I could monitor my progress. I consult regularly with my professors to be able to ensure that I am catching up on the lessons. I have already missed a lot of things in my first year and I am determined to make it this time around. I feel that I am improv ing, little by little, so that eventually, I could reach my goals. At present, I am still working on making it better by continuously improving on my communication skills. By this, I do not only mean speaking the language, but more importantly, be able to get along well with other people and build relationships. In school, I am trying again to get better by taking the courses I failed last term, and doubling my efforts to successfully pass them this time. I have started building friendship with other foreign students who also share the same sentiments and hurdles with me. This way, we can assist each other in the adjustment processes. I talk to my professors regarding my performance, and seek help whenever I need it. Guidance is important for me at this point, as I need all the assistance I could get so I could truly get synchronized into the system. I engage in group studies, join groups that would help me improve my performance. I am now focusing on simultaneously mastering the la nguage and learning all the concepts being taught. More than memory work, I have to immerse myself into various situations and participate in activities that would allow me to create relationships and form a support group that would help me improve my performance. Eventually, I want to be really familiar with University life, finish my courses with flying course and eventually get a Degree in Business and Management. I want to have the capacity to eventually apply for a job in UK, a job that would not consider my being non-native a disadvantage. Later on, when I would be getting advanced courses, I would be able to really participate in the learning process even more. My perseverance would eventually lead me towards the achievement of my goals. So far, I think I am a work in progress, as I have already basically learned the language, and can now somehow communicate whenever I have to go out, do my errands, shop or simply interact with other people. I am slowly building my confidence to be able to engage in simple conversations even outside the university. Though there are still new challenges and hurdles that come along now that I am in the university, I think that with careful planning and evaluation, I can get my objectives done in time. CAREER As I said, I am taking up Business and Management because of my goal to secure a long tern job from the private sector. I want to given the chance to apply for corporate job in probably a bank, or in

Comparative Analysis of Tesco PLC and Primarks Capacity Management Essay

Comparative Analysis of Tesco PLC and Primarks Capacity Management - Essay Example n demand, retail service providing companies are faced with a challenge of managing, expanding and planning their capacity to meet increased demand for retail products. In this pursuit of retail capacity management, two main options have been considered by the retailers across the UK. The first option is the expansion of retail floor space by opening up new retail outlets and the second option has been to go online and make use of the omnipresent advantage. Tesco PLC and Primark, both of which are retailing companies, have catered this increase in demand and the challenge of capacity management by focusing on these options. However, it is pertinent to note here that both companies have different challenges to face; Tesco PLC has a large and mature customer segment which needs to be catered, managed and facilitated through conventional and unconventional means. On the other hand, with a comparatively small customer segment, Primark’s aim to build capacity is aimed at increasing customer base, rather than managing or facilitating it. Having taken into consideration the increase in retail customers’ demand, Tesco has considered a paradigm shift in its capacity planning and management. As per the interim report published by the company in company for the year 2012 – 13, the management is focusing more on online retailing rather than increasing physical retail outlets. The possible outcome of this strategy to increase capacity can be the catering of increased demand of the customers and to have a wider reach by nullifying the impact of constraints associated with physical outlets (Tesco PLC, 2012). Having considered the fact that the customers of the company increased significantly, Tesco PLC required a solution for increasing its capacity to manage growing customer... This esay sresses that Tesco PLC has a large and mature customer segment which needs to be catered, managed and facilitated through conventional and unconventional means. On the other hand, with a comparatively small customer segment, Primark’s aim to build capacity is aimed at increasing customer base, rather than managing or facilitating it. Having considered the fact that the customers of the company increased significantly, Tesco PLC required a solution for increasing its capacity to manage growing customer base. Having taken into consideration the increase in retail customers’ demand, Tesco has considered a paradigm shift in its capacity planning and management. This paper makes a conclusion that keeping in view the comparative analysis of Tesco PLC and Primark in this report with regard to their capacity management and initiatives taken in this respect by both of them, it is evident that there is a marked difference between the strategies of both companies. Tesco PLC, having a strong physical presence and large retail floor space in the UK, has been focusing on going online to target a greater customer base. In fact, the management at Tesco PLC is considering reducing its retail space, which will ultimately benefit the company in reducing its operating costs. On the other hand, Primark has persisted with its strategy of increasing retail floor space in the UK and has also planned to carry it forward in the future too.

Essentials of Political Thought Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Essentials of Political Thought - Research Paper Example During Lewis lifetime, science was just beginning to emerge as the Western world's preferred principal system of thought. Essentially, modern life was beginning to be transformed by technological discoveries that resulted from the developing intellectual activity. Lewis felt that that some attitudes were absolutely fundamental to the existence of man while others were essentially false. He scoffed at the emerging popular belief that moral values could be said to be subjective; and that they could evoke different responses from different people- all of which were right in their own settings. Lewis also differed with schoolteachers who disregarded the function of emotional inclinations in favor of practical utilitarian thinking. He would assert that the purpose of education was to stimulate the development of values, â€Å"good† feelings, and thoughts in students while concurrently curbing the development of â€Å"bad† ones. John Dewey (1859-1952) held completely differen t thoughts from Lewis in the importance of moral absolutes. He stated that in life, real truth is not something that really exists and that any theory that will be referred to as truth has to be experimentally determined. Dewey claimed that in life, no theory or object can be said to be inherently evil or inherently good; it is merely a person's choice on how to view the theory or object that makes it seem either good or bad. Dewey also asserted that nothing can be said to be more valuable than another thing. He would claim that morality is mainly situational, and that even religious beliefs ought to be examined scientifically, and that change in belief is inevitable and desirable. He also rejected subjected to scientific evaluation before they can be verified as fact. Dewey, himself, believed in the truth of organic evolution. He held that man was essentially a sophisticated type of animal that could not be said to have any inner being or claim to immortality in the afterlife. For him, the non-physical aspects of man amounted to being little more than a sophisticated habit system. Dewey would further state that human beings are not naturally selfish or depraved, but are conditioned to behave as they do- whether badly or well, by their environment. Owing to the fact that C. S. Lewis felt that the Western world was engaged in rejecting the biblical statutes that determined the existence of objective wrong and right, and believed that once these principles were presented to school children as being real truths there would be a collapse of society, he defended the tradition of natural law in his famous text, 'The Abolition of Man'. His objective was the salvation of Western civilization (Lewis, 5). For Lewis, the beginning of false teachings was initiated by the 18th century Enlightenment when the West was transformed by the most disastrous cultural transition, which he would aptly name the â€Å"un-christening of Europe† or the â€Å"post-Christian† age (Lewis 6). Demoralized by the changes he saw, Lewis stated, "Until the modern era, no eminent thinker would ever presume to doubt that our value based judgments were logical and practical or that what they stated was objective. The modern perspective is quite different; and does not believe in the veracity of value judgments" (Lewis 7). In his arguments, Lewis categorically stated that there is an existing and unassailable universal moral order, and that every

Is ethical Business Good or Bad for Business Essay

Is ethical Business Good or Bad for Business - Essay Example The researcher states that as recently as about a decade ago, most firms perceived business ethics in terms of compliance with the legal standards as well as their adherence to the internal regulations and rules only. In the present day business world, this situation has changed greatly. Attention to the business ethics has increased throughout the globe and many organizations have realized that they must earn their customers confidence and respect for them to attain remarkable success. Corporations like never before, are being encouraged, asked, as well as prodded towards improvement of their business practices in emphasizing ethical and legal behavior. Corporations, individuals, and professional firms are increasingly being held accountable for their operations, as business witness growth in demand for higher corporate social responsibility standards. Workplace ethics have been a very hot topic in the current business studies. In the American workers’ eyes, the market downtu rn can certainly be attributed to deceit and greed. However, there are some other additional factors for the growing discussion concerning ethical practices in the workplace and they include the executives conduct regarding pay: throughout multiple firms, there exist inequalities in pay from the individuals at the highest organisational levels to those below them. The discrepancy is frequently linked to custom and entitlement but not to performance. Second is the awareness of potential of falling off the slippery slope, whereby individuals have witnessed many people falling off from their levels. Third is the behavior of sports and academic heroes, particularly the recent Syracuse and Penn State Universities’ scandals, which surpass football fields to leadership at various levels in both institutions. Finally is an unpinning of the way individuals treat each other. Current political game has rhetoric of blames making individuals assume that the society only cares about winnin g with civility being ruled out of winning (Lattal, 2012, p. 22). Answering the question whether ethical behavior is good or bad for business organizations is not an easy task. Unquestionably, ethical conduct makes a good sense of business. However, just as with all the other business studies’ issues, there exist two sides to this argument and this could be highlighted in the advantages and disadvantages of ethical business. Some of the benefits of ethical business include improvement in business and brand recognition and awareness, higher revenues- due to the demand from the positive consumer support, new financial sources such as from ethical investors, and better motivation and recruitment of employees. Arguments against ethical business present such disadvantages as higher costs like sourcing from the fair-trade suppliers instead of lowest prices, dangers of creating false expectations, and higher overheads such as communication and training of ethical policies. These arg uments form the basis of this paper. Focus is on establishing whether ethical business is good or bad for business entities and this shall be given from the literature review findings from which the writer shall draw strong points to support ethical business conduct/operations. Thus, this paper wishes to present ethical business conduct as being good for businesses. Literature Review Business ethics is one of the specialized ethics’ branches that focus on the application of moral standards to business behavior and organizations (Velasques, 1998). Being as such, business ethics cannot be comprehended separately from general ethics ideas and the common ethical theories as well applying to the business ethics (Fritzsche & Becker, 1984; Hunt & Vitell, 1986; Lahdesnati, 2005; Schumann, 2001). The normative ethical theory present varied moral theories, which independently prescribe set of the moral rules, which individual

Oedipus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oedipus - Essay Example Questioning the prophecies foretold in Oedipus’s life only lead him to disaster. The metaphor of blindness and sight in Oedipus The King suggests that the ability to see the truth of one's situation can have tragic results. This idea is evident when the traits, motivations, and language of each character are examined. Character Traits of Oedipus Oedipus is a man who gives importance to his head than his heart. Tragedy befalls him when he tries to alter the fate. Oedipus hears an Oracle prophecy hinting he will kill his father and marry his mother. He believes Corinth’s royal couple to be his parents. Hence, he simply stays out of Corinth to avoid causing any trouble to them. Even as a young man Oedipus believes he could change the fate through logical actions and science. But, the all powerful almighty just leads him out of Corinth only to kill his biological father Laius on the way (Oedipus Greek Mythology, 2004). Oedipus’s traits are revealed early in the story when he acts without discretion to banish the plague from his country. Oedipus’s intentions are good. But, his haste and over confidence simply makes him take one wrong decision after another. He kills Laius in a crossroad unnecessarily for a petty fight without thinking about the consequences. A person in his position would consider twice about handling people of his parents age. But, Oedipus blindly kills a man of his father’s age and marries a women who is aged enough to be his mother. He doesn’t give a second thought about anything and acts instinctively. Oedipus’s Greatest Motivation Oedipus's act of solving the Sphinx’s riddle makes him a headstrong man. He believes he can solve the mystery about his life without the help of the Gods. Oedipus’s motivation comes largely from this single victory. He cherishes it throughout the life as his own accomplishment without understanding it was yet another trap prepared for him to make him marry his biological mother Jacosta. He does not understand, questioning too much about ones fate will only lead to disaster. He turns blind to the several clues thrown before him about the murderer of Laius until the final confrontation with the Shepherd. Similarly, when Teiresias refuses to answer his questions, he unjustly accuses Creon for plotting against him. Though Oedipus occurs as an adult man throughout the play, his actions are childlike, immature and adamant almost all the time. His adamant nature is a result of his over confidence. It makes him take hasty and baseless decision which hurt others often. Oedipus’s Interactions with Teirsias Teiresias is a very important character in the story of Oedipus. He is a wise man who can actually see the future. He too is blind. Sophocles the author of Oedipus, the King purposely made the wise man blind to stress the metaphor. He is forcibly bought into the court of Oedipus as he does not wish to reveal fate's horrible game throu gh his mouth. Teiresias is insulted and threatened in various ways by Oedipus. But, Teiresias bears all of them humbly, knowing well the life of Oedipus is finished the moment he opens his mouth. Gifted with amazing prophetic power he does not bow to any threat. His unflinching courage makes him challenge two mighty kings without any compromise. Teiresias's dedication to truth and unshakable belief in Gods is his greatest motivation. The words spoken by Teiresias are as follows. â€Å"To twit me with my blindness--thou hast eyes / Yet see'st not