Swot Analysis For Different Business Types Business Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3310 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Family business is definitely a strength for RCDC as in a family owned business ,the owners view their as an asset to pass on to their descendants rather than wealth to consume during their lifetimes (carron,1999).In addition,as recently argued by Zellweger(2007),the extended time horizon that characterizes family firms reduces the marginal risk of an investment and therefore the corresponding risk-equivalent cost of equity capital (McNulty,Yeh,schulze and Lubatkin,2002).Consequently,family owned firms can seize investment opportunities their non-family competitors do not consider as sufficiently attractive or consider too risky;such a situation offers family owned firms the possibility of developing their activities unhindered by aggressive competitors and of conquering markets that competitors cannot enter(Zellweger,2007,p-9) Moreover,families may bring with them significant financial and physical resources,called survivability capital(Simon and Hitt,2003),wh ich can be used to sustain the business during economic hardship or after unsuccessful strategic movies (Dyer,2006).These elements are usually known by customers and suppliers,who may establish and cultivate long-lasting relationships because of the goodwill and trustworthiness generated by the family commitment (dollinger 1995). 2)Strong Criticism from shareholders: The continuous negative feedback from directors of warwick investments regarding the poor dividend payment record and the lack of strategic direction is actually a strength of RCDC as it acts as a drive for improvement .It is because of this critism and the drop in turnover that the Lancasters and Yorks are trying to find every possible way to save their business and satisfy the stakeholders. 3)Longterm experience in the dry cleaning business: As per the case RCDC has been in the dry cleaning business for more than a decade and they have managed to run the business reasonably well which means that they have had a good market share and enough customers to patronize and a fairly good knowledge of the particular business. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Swot Analysis For Different Business Types Business Essay" essay for you Create order They can use this experience to overcome the weaknesss and excel in their traditional business. 4)Flexi-timing: The RCDC has got boh full time and partime staff which is a strength as it increases the employee morale ,engagement and commitment to the organisation.It reduces the absenteeism to a certain level and increase the chances of recruiting outstanding employees.It even helps in reducing the staff turnover and developing the image of the employer. Weaknesses: 1)High staff turnover: As mentioned in the case, RCDC is facing a hgh level of staff turnover at both staff and managerial level which is one of the causes of the reduced organisational performance .Excessive employee turnover can hurt the overall productivity of a firm and is often a symptom of other difficulties.Every organisation strives to have high productivity,lesser turnovers and maximum profitability.managing turnover successfully is a must to achieve the above goals.Abassi and Hollman(200) stressed that the managers must recognise the employees as major contributor to the efficient achievement of the organisations success.Furthermore,highly motivated and performing individuals are the crucial factors of the organisational productivity. Therefore,there is need to develop a thorough understanding of the employee turnover from the perspective of causes,effect and strategies to minimize turnover. 2) Absence of training and development: This another weakness of RCDC wh ich is worth mentioning as this can be a major cause for employee turnover as there is no growth within the organisation.according to the case ,the training and development interventions are completely nonexistent which means that there is no scope for employees to develop or achiveve some sort expertise in their particular professions.Moreover,Training and development is asource of competitive advantage for companies which helps to remove performance deficiencies in employees. There I greater stability,flexibility and capacity for growth in an organisation.Training contributes to employee stability in at least two ways .Employees become efficient after undergoing training. Efficient employees contribute to the growth of the organisation and growth in trn renders stability to the workforce. 3)safety Measures at work: The mishap that happened with one of the employees at RCDC makes it evident that safety measures are completely missing in the company which means RCDC is putt ing the ife of its employees at risk by making them work in an unsafe environment which in turn spoils the image of the company. 4) Conflict among the owners: There is a lot of conflict among the owners of the RCDC which is one of the root causes of the underperformance of the company.There is no strategic planning ,no control and no direction at all. Threats: 1)Competion: One of the main threats to all the businesss is competion and RCDC is no exception.RCDCs main competitor is Bletcheys fast clean plc which operstes approximately in the same geographical area .The Bletcheys can even take advantage of the internal problems faced by RCDC to take greater market share.as compared to RCDC, the marketing strategies and pricing policies of Bletcheys.are better and their success rate is also quite high which is why many of the RCDC employees have joined Bletchey and they have been able to pull many of the customers along with them. 2) Seasonal work : Usually people consider dry cleaning for woollen and expensive clothes so the sales tend to be higher in winter and autumn where as summer is marked with reduced sales as the clothes are machine washable. 3) Increasing nmber of supermarkets Another threat posing the traditional neighbourhood dry cleaning business is the increasing number of supermarkets having the dry cleaning store s.Most of the pople nowa-a-days find it convenient to shop from these supermarkets where they get their clothes also drycleaned.This can eventually lead to complete extinction of the traditional drycleaning. 4)Legal issues: Court cases filed against RCDC by its employees is another threat to the smooth functioning of the business.Firstly it can spoil the image of the company by reducing the sales and secondly it does not allow the management to concentrate completely on their business as most of their time goes in finding new ways to deal with these problems. Opportunities: 1)Diversification of business: One of the opportunities is to diversify their business into areas such as shoe repairs,film processing,key cutting and contract cleaning in addition to achieveing a level of excellence in their core business i.e dry cleaning.Diversifiacation can help RCDC with increased profitability and seasonal challenges. 2)Innovative Marketing strategies: RCDC can come up with some innovative marketing ideas to top the market e.g:E-marketing,offering discounts to its loyal customers etc.It can also improve its customer service by providing the option of home delivery which can prove convenient to customers having a busy daily routine and can even beat the threat of one stop-shopping. 3)Improved organistioanl strategies: RCDC needs to implement training and development programmes for employees which can help in attracting more and more people for work,reduce employee turnover and will make the process more organised.Safety measures also needs to be included in this program so that the rate of accident is minimised. 4)Centralisation of operations: Decentralisation Iis a better opportunity than centralisation as decentralisation would lead to better customer care and speedy dry cleaning which could be helpful in getting more customers and increasing the profits .In addition to this store managers should be given more responsibility and powers so that they can take decisions regarding an problem related to the specific store as and required and do not have to depend on getting orders from headquarters. Present and potential problems faced by RCDC in the following areas: a)Operations management and organisational issues: Operatins management is the activity of managing the resources which produce and deliver products and services.The operations function is the part of the oranisation that is responsible for this activity.Every organisation has an operations function because every organisation produces some type of products and /or services.Page 4 No organisation can survive in the long term if it cannot supply its customers effectively.And this is essentially what operation s management is about designing,producing and delivering products and services that satisfy market requirements.For any business,it is a vitally important activity. General problems in operations management faced by small and medium sized organisations : Operations management is just as important in small organisations as it is in large ones.Irrespective of their size,all companies need to produce and deliver their products and services efficiently and effectively.Ho wever,in practice,managing operations in a small or medium size organizations has its own set of problems.Large companies may have the resources to dedicate individuals to specialized tasks but smaller companies often cannot,so people may have to do different jobs as the need arises.such an informal structure can allow the company to respond quickly as opportunities or problems present themselves.But decision making can also become confused as individuals roles overlap.small companies may have exactly the same operations management issues as large ones but they can be more difficult to separate from the mass of other issues in the organisation. Present and potential operations management problems faced by RCDC can be discussed a follows: 1)No understanding of the operations strategic performance objectives: The first and foremost responsibility of any operations management team is to understand what it is trying to achieve,which means understanding how to judge the performa nce of the operation at different levels,from broad and strategic to more operational performance objectives.The management in RCDC is not paying any attention to this crucial area which can lead to further damange to the companys market share. 2)Operations strategy for the organisation: Operations management involves hundreds of minutes by minute decisions so it is vital that there is a set of general principles which can guide decision-making towards the organisations longer term goals called an operations strategy.RCDC do not have any specific operations strategy which is why the organisational growth is suffering and will continue to suffer if this issue is not addressed. 3)No measures for improving the performance of the operations: The continuing responsibility of all operations managers is to omprove the performance of their operations which is another issue to be addressed in RCDC. 4)social responsibility of operations management: It is increasingly recogni sed by many businesses that operations manager have a set of broad societal responsibilities and concerns beyond their direct activities.the general term for these aspects of business responsibility is corporate social responsibility or CSR.The accident that took place with one of the employees and the managements attitude towards that incident makes it evident that RCDC completely lacks CSR.This has already spoiled the brand image of the company and can ruin it completely. All these issues can turn RCDC into a failing organisation. Organisational Issues: 1)Due to the heavy drop in sales over the last few months ,the directors are considering centralisation of operations at Leicestershire site leading the company to substantial savings in staff costs and providing it with the opportunity to dispose of surplus machinery.However due to the conflict between the owners the idea of centralisation does not seem to work out.If any decision is not taken in the near future, the profitability of the company will keep going down and finally the owners may have to close don the company. 2)The present 24 branches operated by RCDC are not at all enough as far as the idea of centralisation is concerned.RCDCs main target is to increase the sales and for doing this they have to attract more and more customers which can only happen if they provide better and quik services to their customers as compared to the competitors.so,the geographical coverage is very important for the growth of the business. 3)The problem of moving goods from the retail outlets to the plant and then back to the outlets and customers is another issue which needs to be addressed.Making goods and services available to the customers on time is the biggest challenge for all the organisations as it is one of the ways of building healthy relationship with customers and making them loyal to the company. c)Sales and maketing Issues: Marketing Planning: Marketing Planning can be defined as the application of marketing resources to achieve marketing objectives(P-16,marketing plans that work) In simple words marketing planning is a series of activities and the formulation of plans for achieving them.Companies generally go through a management process in developing marketing plans .In small ,undiversified companies this process is usually informal and same is the case with RCDC.RCDC needs a much more systematized marketing plan to target more customers. Constructing a marketing plan is the most difficult tak for RCDC as the owners do not agree to each other and they all have different expectations and goals altogether. 2)Decling Sales: The sales of RCDC are decling rigorously and the company is not taking any serious action regarding this issue .The company needs to conduct a marketing audit which is usually conducted by organisations in situation of decling sales ,falling margins,lost market share etc.Marketing audit is a means of defining problems precisely so that each problem can be addressed and eradicated. 3)Undiversification: According to the case ,Yorks want to diversify their business and move into related ares such as Shoe repairs,film processing.key cutting and contract cleaning which is actually a good idea to increase the overall profitability and can help RCDC to overcome the bad phase of reduced sales .Hoever the disagreement from lancasters is not allowing this idea to be turned into reality. 4)Sales Promotion: d)Personnel and industrial relations: 1)Training and development: Absence of training of and development is one of the biggest problems in RCDC.As per the case training and development programmes are considered to be an expense to the company and the employees are expected to pick up work as they go.Training and development can provide RCDC with the much needed competitive edge by improving the performance of the workers and the organisation as a whole. If this practice continues RCDC will completely fail in attracting employees to work for it ,as there are no growth opportunities for employees. 2)employee relations: As per the case ,there is a lot of friction between the employees and the management which is one of the many reasons for RCDCs high staff turn over.The management needs to value its employees and show concern to their problems as the employees are the building blocks of any organisation.In order to achieve longterm goals and future success RCDC must improve its relations with its employees. 3) Health and safety: The workers at RCDC are prone to accidents as there are no health and safety measures .The management is only concerned about increasing the profits without a proper planning and concern about the people who can actually help RCDC achieve it. 4)Job dissatisfaction: The high employee turnover makes it quite eveident that the employees are not at all satisfied with their job at RCDC.There can be various reasons for it e.d: No growth opportunities. Risk factor No concern for employees well being from the management. Work stress. Competitors etc. 5)Orientation : Orientation programmes are must for every organisation as it helps new employees to get aware of the work practices and the expectations of the organisation.These orientation programmes are completely missing in RCDC and it effects the perception of employees. 6)legal issues: RCDC is dealing with court cases which is not a good sign for the growth of any business as it affec ts the brand image. 7)Internal conflicts: Another serious issue is the conflict between the owners which has created a sort of deadlock in the company as no plans are put into action.These internal problems have already affected and can futher affect the goodwill of the company. Accounting and Finance: The present and potential problems faced by RCDC in accounting and finance are as follows: 1) Payment of dividends: One of the main problems in RCDC is the poor dividend payment plan.Every organisation has a responsibility towards its stakeholders and if an organisation does not fullfill the expections of its shareholders,it has to bear the consequences such as internal conflicts,loss of credibility,reduced sales etc.which is exactly the case with RCDC.Therefore, RCDC has to improve the standard of paying dividends to its shareholders and for doing so ,it has to manage its financial resources in a proper and planned way and keep maximising the shareholders wealth. If the business is to achieve its objective of maximising shareholder wealth then it must use its resouces to maximise profits and cash flows.This will maximise shareholder wealth because there is general agreement that share prices reflect the discounted value of a firms cash flows.Whilst it may not be possible to increase dividends every year,shareholders like to know that dividends will be paid because they provide a signal to investors.A reduction in dividends is likely to lead to a reduction in share price because the signal to the market is one of the financial difficulties ahead.such a reduction in a firms share price will in evitably have other financial implications.The company may become target for a possible take over,particularly if another company believes that the reduction in earnings has been brought about by poor management rather than hostile trading conditions.Even if this does not happen the company may well see its credit rating reduced thus increasing its capital costs because of the increased risk perceived by investors.Capital spending may also have to be stopped in an attempt to protect the firms cash flow. 2)Financing the new project of centralisation: RCDC is considering centralisation of operations which according to the management will help in reducing sta ff costs and the concentration of operations will allow the company to take advantage of the economies of scale.In,addition to this the machinery in the branches could be sold off to get some finance to invest in the new plant.The main problem with the centralisation is that the company is not having enough funds to invest in the new plant which is estimated to cost around 7,50,000 pounds.even selling off the surplus machinery in branches will hardly aid in solving the finance problem. At present ,there is no possibility of assuming any increase in sales ,that leaves RCDC with the option of taking a loan from a bank to finanace the project and for doing this the company needs to discuss the profitability of the proposed project which is expected to be 1300000 pounds that can act a basis for the bank authorities to sanction the loan.However ,considering the present market condition of the company ,it is quite difficult for RCDC to get a loan sanctioned from a bank as it has lost i ts credibility.Even if RCDC manages to get a loan ,it has to give a serious thought on how to repay the loan.Every business and every new project involves risk,but it should be a calculated one.Calculated risk makes the success of a company more predictable while, uncalculated risk can completely damage the business. 3)Costs involved in the new project: As per the proposed plan,only the staff cost is showing a reduction by 1,80,000 pounds all other costs are assumed to be same or to show an increase e.g,the head office cost at present is 240 and even for the new plant ,it is proposed to be 240, but the operating surplus is supposed to increase by 130000 pounds,same is the case with flat rental and other entities.According to the data provided in the summary of annual operating statement ,it can be understood that the proposed plan involves more cost and only marginal saving.so, the management should seriously analyse the implications of the proposed plan and decide whether the y should invest in this plan or not.

Qualities Of A Hero By Phillip Zimbardo - 1010 Words

Qualities of a Hero A psychologist named Phillip Zimbardo said, â€Å"I m saying to be a hero is means you step across the line and are willing to make a sacrifice, so heroes always are making a sacrifice. Heroes always take a risk. Heroes are always deviant. Heroes always doing something that most people don t and we want to change - I want to democratize heroism to say any of us can be a hero.† As a child, I watched cartoons and movies that have protagonist being a hero with superpowers. When in reality heroes don’t have the superpowers like the one in television. Everyone has their own perspective of what a hero is. I never really had a hero to look up to it’s more like a role model or someone whom I look up to. A hero is as an individual or a network of people that take action on behalf of others in need, or in defense of integrity or a moral cause. Heroes take risks and help others without the expectation of material gain. Heroes are people whom we admire or look up to. They a re viewed as role models. Heroes’ qualities are having courage, willingness to sacrifice, humility, and wisdom. Courage is the first thing that comes in into mind when talking about heroes. It’s difficult to achieve anything truly heroic unless you’re up against daunting odds. A hero always overcomes their fears and confronts any challenge head on. Even the faintest tinge of fear doesn’t linger in the heart of a hero. They display confidence under stress and are courageous enough to take risks whenShow MoreRelatedThe Hobbit, By. R Tolkien993 Words   |  4 Pagesshowing strength in the face of great pain, grief, or danger. To be seen in admiration by the people for one’s noble qualities and achievements. This defines the courageous behavior to that of a hero. During the progression of the novel, The Hobbit, by J.R.R Tolkien, a clear resemblance of heroism has been shown by many characters throughout. However, when asked to define the term â€Å"hero,† the majority of people would describe a physically strong man, who’s tall and stands in the face of d anger; peopleRead MoreWhat Makes a Hero?1209 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is a Hero? What is a hero? What makes him or her different from everyone else? In Phillip Zimbardo’s article â€Å"What Makes a Hero?† he states that heroes surround us. One in five or 20 percent of people qualify as heroes. Seventy-two percent of people report helping another person in a dangerous emergency. Sixteen percent report whistle blowing on an injustice. Six percent report sacrificing for a non-relative or stranger and fifteen percent report defying an unjust authority (1). AlthoughRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesManagement, 8th ed., with David DeCenzo and Mary Coulter (Prentice Hall, 2013) Supervision Today! 7th ed., with David DeCenzo and Robert Wolter (Prentice Hall, 2013) Training in Interpersonal Skills: TIPS for Managing People at Work, 6th ed., with Phillip Hunsaker (Prentice Hall, 2012) Managing Today! 2nd ed. (Prentice Hall, 2000) Organization The ory, 3rd ed. (Prentice Hall, 1990) The Truth About Managing People, 2nd ed. (Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2008) Decide and Conquer: Make Winning Decisions

Employment and Job free essay sample

The next step in the recruitment process is to determine whether the employees that are already working for the organization qualify for the position, or should they go out and look through an external source. There are three different methods of recruitment: internal, external, and online. Internal recruitment method is used to recruit current employees who qualify the position as they become available. Some methods of internal recruitment include: job posting which is a procedure to inform employees of the new job opening. Job bidding is a procedure to allow the employees who believe that they qualify, to apply for the position. Also, employee referral is used to recommend someone you believe is perfect for the spot. External recruitment is needed for the following: fill entry-level jobs, acquire skills not possessed by current employees, and obtain employee with different backgrounds to bring diversity to the company. Examples of external recruitment sources include: high schools, colleges, universities, competitors, former employees, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Employment and Job or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As for online recruitment, the company can recruit through an inter recruiter whose responsibility is to use the Internet to recruit. Also, they can join virtual job fairs and corporate career websites. In Dorothy’s case, it appears as if she used the external method to recruit for the Software Design Engineer positions. Dorothy needed to specify exactly what the requirements were for the position so that those who did not qualify would not even think of submitting their resume. Also, Dorothy did not specify the date in which the employee would need to start orking, and the pay/benefits the employee would receive. 2. Are there any hiring standards that should be avoided? Identify them and explain why they should be avoided. I believe that in the AD the words â€Å"with good appearance† should be eliminated. There is no need to have that on the AD because if someone believes that they were fully qualified for the position but were not hired because of â€Å"appearanceâ €  that will look very bad on the company. Also, â€Å"good credit rating† I assume that Dorothy meant that the applicant need to be in good standings with their credit but it is not specific. Moreover, Dorothy really needed to give a more detailed job description of what exactly is required from the employee so that they can better understand what their job fulfillment would be and if they even qualify for the position. P. 193 HRM Incident 2 – â€Å" Career vs. Job Security. † 1. Is J. D. concerned more with job security or career security? Discuss. Career security requires developing marketable skills and expertise that help ensure employment within a range of careers. On the other hand, job security implies security in one job, with one company. After reading this article, J. D. seems to be more concerned with career security. J. D. says â€Å" Companies in this industry cycle from having 5 or 6 projects in-house to as few as 1 or 2. Therefore, it is important that an individual maintains a competitive edge in order to stay employed and advance your career. † He cares more about having a steady career and advancing with the changes the world brings to the industry. J. D. is very interested in learning about different marketable skills to help his chances of having employment with a range of careers. 2. Do you agree with J. D. ’s statement that â€Å"Your knowledge is your portfolio within your current work place or within the industry? Discuss. I do agree with J. D. s statement because your knowledge is something that no one can ever take away from you. They can remove your title, or demote you but regardless of the work place of the industry your knowledge will help you stick through anything. Applying your knowledge from other work places or industries always helps one, when they are starting a new job or chapter in their life. Knowledge is very beneficial and an important asset to ones life. You should always keep yourself updated with the latest technology and news. This is to make sure you are well informed and properly educated for your career. If you have no knowledge and experience you will have a hard time trying to stick through your job and getting new and better opportunities in life. P. 40 HRM Incident 2 – â€Å"You Can’t Fire Me† 1. What would you do now if you were Norman? If I were Norman, I would have not let Tom work for me either. I completely agree with Norman, regardless if that was Frederick’s brother-in-law or not the rules are the rules and they need to be followed in order to be fair throughout the company. If it would have been any other employee they may have not even considered giving the employee the opportunity to come back to the company. I think he did a great job being fair and following the rules. Good things happen to those who follow directions and are honest hardworking people. 2. Do you believe that the regional HR manager handled the matter in an ethical manner? Explain. I do not think that the regional HR manager handled the matter in an ethical manner. He was going to give Tom the job back only because he was the regional vice president’s brother-in-law, which is most likely his own boss. He wanted to look good in front of the regional vice president, to make sure he did not look like he agreed with the termination by Norman. As I stated previously, if the employee were any regular employee who did not do their job as requested, I am sure they would have terminated them immediately without question. Tom was safe because of his connection to the regional vice president, which is completely not fair, although many things in life are not fair. I agree with Norman one hundred percent, but I definitely do not agree with the way the region HR manager handled this situation.

Solvent free essay sample

I can not help but smile at the thought of a world where wealth is not judged by numbers of paper rectangles and metal circles. This â€Å"currency† was lost in an abundance of human character, knowledge, and love. These are the true measures of wealth, even though they lack any direct material presence. However, their inhabitance in people is unmistakable. It is difficult to describe character as much more than doing the right thing. The gratified feeling of honesty and service compares to nothing else. This feeling is addictive. At any age this sensation can hook any unsuspecting individual. There is no choice, but to repeat the act of kindness until the craving is satisfied. Mowing the neighbor’s lawn never fails to bless me with this sensation. Yet nothing is as empowering as knowledge. Understanding is the key to success and peace. Ignorance is not bliss. To understand the world surrounding me, including the people and cultures that I share it with, which in my exp erience has proved to be exceptionally important. We will write a custom essay sample on Solvent or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Finally, love. Words can only attempt to describe it. Love is different for everyone because in each individual’s life a different person gives the word meaning. All three of these mighty elements combine to wash away money. Without money, wealth would be measured according to immaterial things. Happiness is the sum of the solvent. Wealth and happiness are now synonymous. People would begin to change jobs. The majority of people are not currently working their â€Å"dream job† for a number of reasons. The most prominent of these is that it does not provide income similar to that of their accounting or managerial position. Cubicle prisoners would undergo a metamorphosis, birthing athletes, chiefs, scientists, and other exciting professions. With money not a factor, loads of new artists of all genres are constantly being introduced. Music supply will especially increase as a result of how many people can honestly say they never wanted to be a rockstar? I am not saying th at there is a Jimi Hendrix, Gene Simmons or Celine Dion inside of everyone, but if these new musicians have a blast living their dreams all the wealthier they become. Crime levels will exponentially decrease. Money is the reason for burglary, corruption, fights, murder, and the majority of hate in general. With nothing to steal or gain from these lowly deeds, criminals may stop being criminals. Convicts may try their hand in acting or even painting. No desperate father would ever have to steal for his family because any parent who would do this has more than enough love to be extremely wealthy. The particular age when people begin opulence is no longer relevant. Infants to grandmothers can both be rich. The best part is that their love for each other can make them both wealthier. The environment is in dire peril, well at least when money was around. Do we really need to devote twenty percent of the 1.2 billion acre Amazon rainforest to soybeans and wood for skateboard ramps and pen cils? Not if there is no profit involved. Heavy pollution been taken as an unstoppable force because the industries it comes from can not produce their products without it. If they fail to produce people lose their jobs and it becomes one big mess. With no need to make money these companies have no need to continue production. But what if nothing gets produced? Well money or no money things make people happy. Those certain opulent individuals are rich because they like to make others happy. If electricity makes people happy, I have faith that there will be light even without cash to pay for it. If only this were possible, just for one day or even one hour. College would essentially be free. From a university I would gain knowledge and affluence, a combination that is inconceivable in today’s world. However, in mine it makes perfect sense.

A Report on Oil Production in Libya and Operational Policies with Global Societal Impacts

A Report on Oil Production in Libya and Operational Policies with Global Societal Impacts Background The hydrocarbon industry forms the back bone of the Libyan economy. It is estimated by the IMF that contributed to about 95% of export earnings in Libya in 2010 (Country Analysis Briefs, 2011). The oil and gas journal (OGJ) has approximated Libya’s oil reserves to be about 46.4 billion barrels, the largest in the African continent.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on A Report on Oil Production in Libya and Operational Policies with Global Societal Impacts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In 2010, it is estimated that the total oil production was about 1.8 million barrels per day. A majority of the oil in Libya (about 80%) is in Sirte basin. 25% of total oil production is from Murzuq basin and the remaining largely comes from Pelagian Shelf Basin (Country Analysis Briefs, 2011). Sector Organization The Oil industry is run by state owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) which implements Exploration and Pro duction Sharing Agreements (EPSA) with international oil companies (IOC’s) such as Total, Repsol YPF, Statoil Hydro, Occidental, OMV, ConocoPhillips, Hess, Marathon, Shell, BP and Exxon Mobil. NOC also engages in field development and downstream activities (Country Analysis Briefs, 2011). Production and refining Libya’s oil production has been on the decline despite hitting 3 million barrels per day (bbI/d) in 1960’s. Despite the decline, crude oil has increased from 1.4 million bbl/d in 2000 to 1.8 million bbl/d in 2010. There are about 5 refineries with a total capacity of 378000 bbI/d. These include Ras Lanuf-crude oil capacity of 220,000 bbl/d; Az Zawiya -120,000 bbl/d; Tobruk -20,000 bbl/d; Sarir, 10,000 bbl/d; and Brega 8,000 bbl/d (Country Analysis Briefs, 2011).. Challenges Facing Oil Production Civil war and a decade of the United States and international sanctions have affected oil industry.These include sanctions by the United States and the United N ations in 2003 and 2004. Since sanctionS were lifted, Libya has been the target of international oil companies which boosted oil production even despite uncertainties in terms of regulations and renewal of contracts. However, government plans to increase oil production were slapped by the US’s designation of Libya as a state sponsor of terrorist activities in 2006 and the civil war (Country Analysis Briefs, 2011).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Operational Polices With Global Societal Impacts Oil companies in Libya are usually locally or globally subjected to operational policies which have global societal impacts. Such policies are geared towards environmental protection (Wawryk, 2010). For example IOC’s operating in Libya that are members of other bodies and are subjected to laws and best practices to improve health, safety and environment globall y. On a global perspective, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) have guidelines and standards with a global societal impact. Other operational policies may include those of NGOs, IGOs, World Conservation Union, (UNEP), World Bank and the international chamber of Commerce (Wawryk, 2010). Operational policies tend to address vulnerability to disruption and higher prices and the effects can be long-term. This is because material shifts in the energy sector takes time either through efficiency, renewable or increased oil and gas production. Policy options which are short-term (unlike wider national security and diplomatic issues) are limited. Oil exporters like Libya with alternative production capacity are bound to take short-term decisions in an attempt to moderate prices through product-level-adjustments, but this ability is determined by internal decisions (Country Analysis Briefs, 2011). Other operational policies with global impacts are from within the Lib yan government. For example participation of IOC’s in oil concessions was previously at 49% which was reduced due to changes in oil production and sharing agreements under EPSA. The IOCs were under obligation to rewrite contracts in an attempt to comply NOC’s demands. This created uncertainty in the contractual arena and reduced oil exploration, despite the global need for oil (Country Analysis Briefs, 2011). References Country Analysis Briefs, (2011). Energy information administration. Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis_includes/countries_long/Libya/libya.pdfAdvertising We will write a custom report sample on A Report on Oil Production in Libya and Operational Policies with Global Societal Impacts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Wawryk, A. (2010). International environmental standards in the oil industry: improving the operations of transnational oil companies in emerging economies. Univers ity of Adelaide: University of Adelaide Press.

The Biological Importance of Water Essay

The Biological Importance of Water Essay The Biological Importance of Water Essay The Biological Importance of Water Water is essential to us humans and all other living organisms, without it life on Earth would not exist. Water as a molecule is quite peculiar and it is its unusual properties that give it the ability to sustain life. Water has the molecular formula of H2O, this means that there are two Hydrogen atoms (H) and one oxygen atom (O). The water molecules layout could be described as a Mickey Mouse head; the face being the oxygen molecule and the ears being the hydrogen molecules. Water is a dipolar molecule this means that one end is slightly positively charged (the hydrogen) and the other is slightly negatively charged (the oxygen), because of the dipolar charges water molecules attract each other, and this is called cohesion. Cohesion is when the oxygen atom of one water molecule forms a hydrogen bond with the hydrogen atom of another water molecule (opposite charges attract), cohesion can also occur between other molecules of similar substances. Water molecules on the surface of the water form hydrogen bonds with the surrounding water molecules but not with the molecules in the air, the unequal distribution of bonds enables the water to form a force called surface tension, this causes the water to form a sort of tough ‘skin’. This is important because it keeps the water as a singular body, protecting itself from disruption. It can also be important for insects, such as pond skaters, and other life forms, such as birds, because it enables them to sit on the surface of the water. Water can also form hydrogen bonds with polar substances; this is why water feels ‘wet’. The water molecules actually stick to other molecules with hydrogen bonds, causing a thin layer of water to form on the surface of a material, but because of the cohesion force the water never forms a flat layer. The molecules stick to each other to form circular drops called ‘droplets’. When oil is mixed with water, because of it non-polar properties it does not dissolve, it simply sits on the surface in a droplet, it does this because the oil is cohesive to itself and less dense than water. These bonds are weak and so the water can easily move and break away from the material, this intermolecular bonding is known as adhesion. This ‘sticky’ property enables water to move, unbroken, up the xylem tissue of plants up to the leaves to be used in photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process that plants us to turn water and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen ( 6H2O + 6CO2 - C6H12O6 + 6O2). This process is essential for the plants to have energy and for the production of oxygen, which is essential for other organisms in allowing them to perform the process of respiration. Water is also essential for other biochemical reactions such as peptide bonding for protein formation, without proteins life would not exist. Proteins perform the majority of functions within a living organism, for example; catalyzing metabolic reactions, responding to stimuli, replicating DNA and transporting molecules from one location to another. Water forms the peptide bonds that hold the amino acids together to form proteins such as enzymes. Enzymes are biological catalysts, they depend on water to reach their substrates and bind to them. There is no enzymatic activity without water. In addition, enzymes depend on sufficient pH interval to work and the pH is a consequence of the delivery of hydrogen cations (H+) and hydroxyl anions (OH-) by acids and bases in water solution. Water is also essential in living organisms because it is a universal solvent, this means that the majority of solutes (polar and ionic substances), are attracted by the waters charges and break down in the water to form a solution. If the substance can dissolve in the water they are known as hydrophilic and non-polar substances that won’t dissolve are known as hydrophobic. Biologically, the solvent properties of water are essential because this means that the water can transport

Using an extended example critically examine whether the sector matrix Essay

Using an extended example critically examine whether the sector matrix framework gives a better strategic understanding of product markets than the concepts of product or commodity chains - Essay Example This has given rise to the concept of commodity chain. Different firms with heterogeneous geographical distribution engaged in production activities of a commodity is said to constitute a global commodity chain. This is known as the Global Commodity Chain (GCC) model. (Dicken P., 2003) According to Hopkins and Wallerstein a commodity chain is defined as â€Å"a network of labor and production processes whose end result is a finished commodity†. The process of production of a commodity is of main importance in the commodity chain. The entire process can be thought of being comprised of a network of points where each point is related to its preceding one in terms of procuring raw material, production, distribution and consumption. These interorganaisational points are technically defined as ‘nodes’. The geographical location of the nodes is generally different from one another. This explanation provides an innovative view for explaining the global inequalities in development. The nodes that are located at the periphery of the network are open to more competition than the nodes at the centre. As a result, central nodes are subject to more aggregate wealth than the peripheral nodes. This distribution is augmented by competitive pressures of innovat ion that flows from the centre to the periphery. It is natural that the core areas will enjoy better support facilities like infrastructure than the peripheral area. (Birch K., April 2006) The Value Chain Analysis developed by Michael Porter is an important tool in the hands of business managers that help to increase the value of the offering by a firm.. The generic value chain model suggests of breaking the entire set of activities undertaken by a firm into primary activities and support activities. The primary value chain activities include inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and after sales