The Functionalism of Gangs in New Zealand Essay Example for Free

The Functionalism of Gangs in New Zealand Essay Gangs have been perceived as a predominant and rising social issue in New Zealand since as early as the 1950s. Associations of crime and deviance have been the focus of media and law enforcement throughout this time but the issues associated with gangs do not prevail singularly within the construct of the groups. It is too easy to point the finger to those on the fringes of society and say that they are the cause for social instability. It is harder to look at those ‘issues’ that seem to impede society and say that they actually have a function that keeps society stable. This essay will seek to underline the key influences of gang life in New Zealand and its effect on society from a functionalist perspective, employing Erik Durkheim’s theories, New Zealand sociologist expertise and other affiliated sources. The purpose is to explore the functions of gangs within the context of society as a whole to prove that they indeed have positive attributes that keep communities and society healthy. The three main areas this essay will be targeting are cultural breakdowns, economic instability and ‘unity and purpose’. The rise of gangs in New Zealand began as early as the 1920s but there was no systematic study of them until the 1950s (Gilbert, J. , 2013). The struggle for identity is one of the main causes for the increase in gang memberships during the New Zealand urbanisation that many Maori experienced in the 1960s. They suffered enormously from a break in traditional forms of their cultural structure as they migrated to the cities for work. The problem that arose from the exodus from rural to urban living was the breakdown of their cultural identity and traditional forms of power and hierarchy (Gilbert, J. . Cited by Turner (1973) in the European Journal for Social Psychology; ‘an insecure social identity for members of a low-status group would follow when they have some awareness that their inferiority is not completely inherent, fixed or legitimate’ (p304). This suggests that Maori who were part of the urbanization saw and noticed the change to their social status and took action to change their social inferiority. It was here gangs became an effective tool within society to deal with the large numbers of individuals that were not coping within a functional system. Ill-equipped to deal with the many realities of city living, and with the breakdown of traditional forms of authority, young Maori faced with ‘multiple marginality’ formed gangs in unprecedented numbers. † (Gilbert, J. , p292). Gangs here have proven not only to become effective surrogate communities for those who have suffered from cultural breakdowns but also have actively provided a rise of status for individuals who had become marginalized. It is this function, creating identity and community, that gang membership has proven to be a staple for maintaining healthy individual lives. Emile Durkheim’s most famous work is his study of suicide which recorded and proved statistics of suicide in relation to crisis such as economic instability and people who experienced ‘anomie’ (lack of social regulation) or ‘egoism’ (lack of social integration) (Cree, p 10). His argument was that intensely personal decisions, such as suicide, were actually influenced by the functions of the community and society people are part of. If the functions and stability of those environments then breakdown, statistics recorded by Durkheim have shown that there is an increase in depression and suicide. A functionalist perspective would then argue that the provision of gangs recreated stability for many Maori during the urbanization period, and not only in ways of community and hierarchy. Gangs were also a provision for economic stability. â€Å"The faltering economy of the 1980s reshaped gang membership. With few employment options to entice members toward conventional lifestyles the gangs became not just vehicles of rebellion but a means to achieve social and material fulfilment. † (Gilbert, p 292) Economically gangs provided security through many forms of work, both legal and illegal. Even now substances like marijuana are an important economic aspect of communities facing decline in isolated and rural areas of New Zealand, such as the East Coast and Northland (Giddens, p 239). Although the work gangs provided was often illegal it was (and still is now) an essential component for those who were struggling during economic upheaval. If anything, even in modern New Zealand, the system of the gang actually controls and manages the illegal behaviour of the individuals within it, as they have to conform to the power structures and hierarchy. The structures of power within gangs were not only good for consolidating members into their communities but also for providing unity amongst its members through having a shared purpose. Through this unity they have evolved into more sophisticated entities and are commonly known as a significant part of certain communities (Gilbert, p286). The reason that this is so is because many gang members share common identities with the communities they are embedded in, on economic grounds as well as cultural grounds. In these communities gangs often provided security and a focal point for decisions and issues that surround the people. This security can be critical for specific communities, the majority of which face marginalization because of ethnicity or economic status. Emile Durkheim suggested in his 1895 work that ‘law and morality’ were the key components for individual happiness. â€Å"Durkheim thus insists that human happiness is realised, not through the satisfaction of individual wants and needs, but through the creation of social harmony,† (Cree, p 10). It is here we see and can begin to accept the importance of the unity of the gang. A functionalist at this point would argue that it is by the existence of entities such as gangs, who create social acceptance for those marginalized, that quells higher statistics of suicide within New Zealand. The gangs provide unity, hierarchy, purpose and social standing; all of the things Emile Durkheim believed were essential for individual happiness and a prosperous society. This essay has covered several different aspects of gang evolution within New Zealand which have significant and positive attributes that contribute to a functioning society. In this regards I would argue that gangs are not an issue that needs a solution within New Zealand, nor would society benefit from their eradication. In saying this this essay did not cover many of the negative aspects of gangs, including gang violence and rivalry. In its defence this essay would conclude, there is no social structure – whether schools, businesses, families or churches – that do not have negative attributes, but that does not impede them in terms of their function within a healthy society. Gangs within New Zealand society play a larger role for social stability than people realise. Society within New Zealand does not have adequate coping tools to deal with people who have been marginalized or faced with extreme identity crisis due to cultural shifts within their life. Gangs have proven with their structures of hierarchy, provision of security and accessibility within lower socio-economic communities that they have an important function within society and play an essential role in maintaining the social health of those drawn to their communities.

Keeping kosher in a contemporary world Essay Example for Free

Keeping kosher in a contemporary world Essay Every religion found under the face of the earth where human beings live has its practical dimension. This is allowed because this practical dimension of a religion majority defines this religion, providing a bit of uniqueness hence distinguishing this religion from others. One of the aspects found in the practical dimension is the diet. Some religious like Judaism have dietary laws that govern consumption of nutrients of human that happen to be embraces of the religion. Kosher if viewed as a dietary practice of the Judaism religion, this is the proper choices and preparation of foods as pertains to the ancient Jewish ritual and dietary regulations. Kosher is food that is conformed to strictly-stated Jewish biblical laws which involve not only to the variety of food consumed but to the types of food that combinable at a single meal (e. g. daily and meat products re not miscible) alternatively, it would be rightly noted that Kesher is food that would be considered fit for consumption as pertains to the biblical and rabbinic dietary regulations which are electively known as Kashnet (Shternshis, Anna, 2006). Kosher has its origin traced back during exodus of the Jews from Egypt after 400 years of slavery. Kosher, a basic content requirement in traced bank during exodus of the Jews from Egypt after 400 years of slavery. Kosher, a basic content requirement in kashnut is among the laws derived from the torah books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus with their details given in the oral law. The reason for adoption of such a king of regulation s not clearly stated in the torah and therefore there are various reasons sourced from different perspectives. These perspectives range from ritualistic and philosophical to practical and hygienic. Religions like Islam also have different but related systems like herbal. Kosher food, having firm principles and requirements depicting the value and worth of being properly preserved to be passed even form one generation to the other, has great attraction to many people. Whether a conservative Jew or a reformed Jew there is an utter need and essence to main kosher as a dietary precise. It should be strictly adhered to on the basis that it’s a mater of religious obligation though modernly, this is no longer binding. The contemporary Jews have portrayed a different way of observance to dietary practices as pertains to keshnut. However, these contemporary folds of Jews maintain and follow some sections of the laws. Some subset of laws maintained by this folk are: abstinence from pork/shellfish, avoiding taking milk with meat as a dish. Likewise many observe some bit of kashnut on kosher at have whole no objections taking meals in a restaurant that does not observe kosher values. Another group of these contemporary Jews will strictly adhere to these dietary laws when eating out yet when at home. They would observe none On the perseverance of the kosher, the Jewish family who the examinant members are embracing the utterly adhering to the judicial religion is divided into two major groups. These groups all agree and admit the fact that kosher should be kept alive and burning in their culture and day to day religious norms. However the conflict arises whereby one group believes that kosher should be kelp just as it is, a whole of it and continue in practices. While the other group feels kosher should only be kept considering some specific aspects. The traditional learning function that really advocates for the perseverance and observance of the utter kosher practices does so with their main reasons being: the desire to absolutely maintain this dietary practice in an authentic way with no modernizations whatsoever. Subsequently the faction advocating for the perseverance of particular parts of base their view on an opinion that there are various technological advancements hence some parts of this practice and food are made in these newly introduced and adopted forms. This faction argues that observance of kosher should be done in a non-binding way. This faction argues that observance of kosher should be done in non-binding way. This wing introduces ethical kosher as it is even patched in different part of the world. The faction therefore embraces as opinion that fitness of food is wholly dependent on how it is ethically; produced especially in relation to its impact on the people and the world as a whole. This faction is for the view that maintenance of kosher is basically for the companion and contrast to other cultures on dietary basis.

Talisman Energy

Talisman Energy 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The following report outline research that will evaluate the goals and objective within organization. In doing so a series of interview with the relevant personal of Talisman (M) Sdn Bhd is done. Talisman Energy (Talisman) is an independent international upstream oil and gas company undertaking exploration, development, production, transportation, and marketing of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Talisman was establish in 1992. The company primarily operates in North America, the North Sea, and Southeast Asia. It is headquartered in Alberta, Canada and employs over 2,600 people. The Malaysia branch is located at Menara Citibank Kuala Lumpur. Refer to appendix 1 for location and subsidiaries. Talisman is listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TLM. Talisman is also part of the SP/TSX 60 Index. At year end, the company value was over $16 billion with 1,1019 million shares outstanding 2.0 INTRODUCTION The history of Talisman Energy (Talisman) dates back to 1953, when the company was established as BP Canada. It later became an independent company, in 1992. In the same year, Talisman Energy discontinued its mining operations in order to focus on its core areas. Talisman Energy (Talisman) is one of the largest independent oil and gas producers in Canada. Its main business activities include exploration, development, production, transportation, and marketing of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It has about seven operating subsidiaries. Talisman has ongoing production, development, and exploration operations in North America, the North Sea, Southeast Asia and Australia, North Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago. Talismans operations are conducted principally in five geographic segments: North America, UK, Scandinavia, Southeast Asia, and other. The company produced over 430,000 boe/d in 2008, approximately 50% oil and 50% natural gas. The North America segment includes operations in Canada and the US. The UK segment includes operations in the UK and the Netherlands. The Scandinavia segment includes operations in Norway and Denmark. The Southeast Asia segment includes operations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. The other segment includes operations in North Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Peru, and Qatar as well as other international exploration areas. 3.0 ANALYSIS AND FINDING OF THE SUMMARY SCENARIO 3.1 Company Goal and objective In any planning process, objectives and goals must be carefully established. Starting from the proposed objectives and goals, the strategies to reach them will be outlined The lack of clarity of the proposed objectives can compromise the whole sequence. According to Oliveira (2002), the objectives serve the following company purposes: 1. provide to people the feeling of a specific and adequate role in the company 2. give consistency to decision making among a large number of different executives; 3. encourage dedication and fulfillment based on expected results; and 4. supply a base for corrective actions and control. In charting direction of the company Talisman Energy (Talisman) has set three priorities objectives. Refer Table 1 Developing long-term growth opportunities Building high impact exploration Continue focusing on current portfolio Table 1 Goal Strategy The main elements of Talismans objective are: †¢ To establish sustainable, profitable growth from its unconventional gas business in North America, as well as Southeast Asia, and Norway. †¢ To create an exploration portfolio, which contributes to renewal by finding material hydrocarbons over time. †¢ And to underpin this with sustainable sources of cash from mature areas, as well as focusing the portfolio. Two main reasons the objective was introduced were to lower finding and development (FD) costs, and to increase the reserve life index over time. FD costs will be bought down in several ways: †¢ The unconventional business model has structurally lower FD costs than the conventional gas business model. †¢ Talisman is looking to expand activity in Southeast Asia, where FD costs are generally lower. †¢ If the exploration shift to larger prospects is successful, FD costs will fall. 3.2 SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong market position Diversified geographical presence Lack of scale High debt Opportunities Threats Acquisitions and agreements New oil and gas production Economic slowdown in the US and Euro zone Environmental regulations Saturation of resources Table 2 Swot Analysis Table Strengths Strong market position Talisman Energy is an independent, international upstream oil and gas company whose main business activities include exploration, development, production, transportation, and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The companys three core areas are North America, the North Sea, and Southeast Asia. In North America, Talisman is a leading deep gas explorer and has significant unconventional natural gas potential. In the North Sea, the company operates more than 40 oilfields and has extensive exploration acreage in Norway. In Southeast Asia, Talisman has substantial long-life natural gas reserves and highly prospective exploration acreage. Opportunity : A strong market position helps the company to leverage its market share. Diversified geographical presence Talisman Energy has ongoing production, development, and exploration operations in North America, the North Sea, Southeast Asia and Australia, North Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago. The companys operations are conducted principally in five geographic segments: North America, UK, Scandinavia, Southeast Asia, and others (comprising North Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Peru, and Qatar). Talismans aggregate production for the year ended December 31, 2008 was approximately 452,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), consisting of approximately 189,000 boe/d from North America, 117,000 boe/d from the UK segment, 33,000 boe/d from the Scandinavia segment, 92,000 boe/d from Southeast Asia, and 21,000 boe/d from the rest of the world. Opportunity : A diversified geographical presence enables the company to reduce business risks arising in a particular geography. Weaknesses Lack of scale The company lacks the desired scale to compete with large players in the industry. Many of the companys competitors are much larger in size in terms of revenue generated, number of employees, and their presence in Europe and other developing market. One of its key competitors, British Petroleum (BP), generated revenues of about $288,951 million and employed about 97,600 people worldwide for the financial year ended December 2007 (FY2007). Another key competitor of the company Exxon Mobil Corporation (Exxon Mobil) generated revenues of about $390,328 million and employed 81,000 people as on FY2007. However, Talisman generated revenues of about C$7,919 million during the FY2008, and employed about 2,600 people worldwide as of FY2008. Problem : Owing to its relatively small scale of operations, the company could find it difficult to face competition. High debt The company has a significant amount of debt. For the FY2008, the company has an outstanding debt of C$3,949 million. Even though it is a decrease of 9% from FY2007 which stood at CAD$4,341 million, this figure is still high especially during the credit crunch. The companys substantial debt could limit its ability to obtain additional financing to operate its business. Further, it would make it difficult for the company to satisfy its obligations including making interest payments on debt obligations. Opportunities Acquisitions and agreements The company has been expanding its geographic reach through acquisitions and agreements. In January 2008, Talisman announced that one of its subsidiaries have acquired all the shares of CNOOC Wiriagar Overseas from a subsidiary of CNOOC for a consideration of $212.5 million. CNOOC Wiriagar Overseas holds a 3.06% interest in the Tangguh LNG Project. The Tangguh LNG Project, located in West Papua, Indonesia, consists of a number of offshore gas wells, production facilities, pipelines, and LNG plant facilities with a nameplate capacity of 7.6 million tons per year. In June 2008, two wholly-owned subsidiaries of Talisman Energy entered into agreements with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) within Iraq for interests in Blocks K44 and K39 respectively. In the same month, Talisman Energy announced that its wholly-owned limited partnership FEI Shale (Fortuna) reached agreement to earn up to a one-third working interest in US properties owned by Hallwood Energy (Hallwood). Upon completion of the capital program, Fortuna will have earned a one-third interest in substantially all of Hallwoods assets, including properties in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, for a total of 108,000 acres (net to Fortuna). These agreements and acquisitions would provide Talisman with growth opportunities and drive its revenue growth. New oil and gas production New oil and gas production Talisman Energy has considerably increased its oil and gas production in recent times. In December 2008, Talisman (Vietnam 46/02), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Talisman, announced first oil production from the Song Doc field in Block 46/02 offshore Vietnam. Gross production from five pre-drilled wells is expected to reach approximately 25,000 bbls/d by early 2009. An additional three development wells are currently being drilled. Talismans share of proved and probable reserves in the Song Doc field is estimated at six million barrels (mmbbls), with proved reserves of three mmbbls. Talisman Energy announced first gas production from the Rev Field in Norway, in January 2009. The field is expected to produce at a plateau rate of 100 mmcf/d of gas and 6,000 bbls/d of condensate and natural gas liquids from two subsea wells. A third producer, the Rev East well, is expected to be brought on-stream later in 2009. Talismans share of proved and probable reserves in the Rev Field at year end 2007 is estimated at 26 million boe, with proved reserves of 16 million boe.Talisman Energy Norge, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Talisman, has a 70% interest in the Field, with Petoro holding the remaining 30%. Production is transported via a nine kilometer pipeline to the Armada platform in the UK, operated by BG International (CNS), for processing and final export to the UK. The new oil and gas production would increase the companys output which in turn increases its revenues. Threats Economic slowdown in the US and Eurozone The US and European Union are the two key markets for Talisman. According to International Monetary Funds (IMF) World Economic Outlook, January 2009, the US and Eurozone economies could face slowdown in 2009. The GDP growth rate in the US has decreased from 2% in 2007 to 1.1% in 2008 and is projected to record a negative growth of 1.6% in 2009. The GDP growth rate in the Eurozone has declined from 2.6% in 2007 to 1% in 2008 and is projected to record a negative growth of 2% in 2009. A weak economic outlook for Eurozone and the US would put pressure on the revenues of the company. Economic slow down in the US and Eurozone could impact industrial development, which could adversely affect demand for Talismans products. Environmental regulations As a result of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the worldwide Port State Control initiative, stringent new regulations have been enacted. These regulations pose the possibility of unlimited financial liability for pollution damages. Companies operating in the oil and gas industry are subject to strict environmental regulations. Distribution and storage houses need to strictly comply with environmental regulations which keep changing frequently. Compliance with these regulations forces distributors, such as Talisman, to incur high costs. These factors can have a potential negative impact on the companys margins. Saturation of resources The maturity of the North America basin reserve continues to give rise to increases in both replacement costs and operating costs. Larger companies are finding it increasingly difficult to increase their North American production as conventional production is declining in these more mature basins. Furthermore, output from proven natural gas reserves in Canada has been declining significantly. Although the development of Mackenzie Valley reserves would boost gas reserves to some extent, decreasing output is a long-term threat for Canadian oil and gas companies such as Talisman. In addition, offshore exploration space and the existing reserves are maturing and are slowly being saturated. There has been a succession of dry holes being drilled in the region in the last two years. The saturation of reserves in North America would severely impact the companys operations. 3.3 Current Year Performance Talisman generated a record $3.5 billion in net income in 2008, benefiting from high commodity prices during the year. Net income included a $1.7 billion recorded gain on held-for-trading financial instruments, primarily commodity contracts. Talisman entered into these contracts to protect 2009 cash flow and their capital program against a significant drop in prices. They also set a new record for cash flow of $6.2 billion, an increase of 42% over the previous year. Production from continuing operations averaged 419,000 boe/d for the year, 3% above 2007. Including non-core assets that were sold or are scheduled for sale, production was down 4%. Talisman used this record cash flow to strengthen the balance sheet, reducing long-term net debt to $3.9 billion, down from $4.3 billion a year earlier. In total, they paid down approximately $900 million in debt. The Company also spent a record $5.1 billion on exploration and development. North America accounted for 48% of spending, North Sea development projects 25%, Southeast Asia development 9% and international exploration 17%. Talisman replaced 75% of its production with proved reserves from drilling and non-price revisions in 2008. Refer to table 3 for further details (millions of C$ unless otherwise stated) 2008 2007 2006 Cash flow1 6,163 4,327 4,748 Net income 3,519 2,078 2,005 Earnings from continuing operations1,2 2,544 952 1,424 Per common share Cash flow ($)1 6.06 4.19 4.35 Net income ($) 3.46 2.01 1.84 Earnings from continuing operations ($)1,2 2.5 0.92 1.3 Oil production (mbbls/d) 3 224 241 262 Gas production (mmcf/d) 3 1,247 1,265 1,342 Total production (mboe/d) 3,4 432 452 485 Total production from continuing operations (mboe/d) 2,4 419 405 410 Average sales price ($/boe) 76.03 59.57 57.45 Exploration and development spending 5,106 4,449 4,578 Net debt1 3,949 4,341 4,496 Table 3 Current Year Performance 3.4 Recommended Strategies From the SWOT we found a few problems arising from the analysis below are the few strategies recommended in order to ensure the efficiency of the performance Weakness High Debt In order to reduce the high debt the company should emphasize on the strategic areas and exiting the non strategic areas. By selling of the non strategic area could increase the cash flow and therefore the company could drastically reduce greater amount of debt. Lack of scale In order to gain competitive advantages against the large scale companies such as BP (British Petroleum). The company should using the differentiate strategy. According to Micheal Porter differentiation advantage occurs when a firm delivers greater services for the same price of its competitors. They are collectively known as positional advantages because they denote the firms position in its industry as a leader in either superior services or cost. A firm possesses a sustainable competitive advantage when its value-creating processes and position have not been able to be duplicated or imitated by other firms Threat Economic slowdown in the US and Euro zone -This issue based on global issue the best way to mitigate the impact of economic slowdown is by improving the efficiency. During economic crisis the company must focus on their bottom line. Productivity, energy usage, etc. all must be made more effective. Environmental regulations Due to stringent and frequently change of oil pollution act the company might incurred high cost on compliance to the act. The best strategy for the company is to setup a team on monitoring closely on the compliance process. This is to avoid sudden change or adhoc changing process. Any sudden changes without a proper planning definitely incurred a very high cost. Saturation of resources Saturation of resources could have an impact on the company operation. The best way to deal with it is through Focusing on portfolio strategy. By focusing on high impact exploration area and exiting on depleting area or countries 3.4 Action programme The following action programme express on how Talisman could aligns with the goals and objectives of many diverse sites 1. Focus the Portfolio (core asset) Exit non strategic areas †¢ Potential non-core asset sales of 35,000-45,000 boe/d, with expected proceeds of $1.5-2.0 billion by the end of 2009. †¢ Exit some countries (i.e., the Netherlands, Denmark, Trinidad Tobago). †¢ Additional non-core asset sales in the UK and North America. 2. Grow Existing Base Maintain existing assets as firm base †¢ Size the UK to produce 80,000-100,000 boe/d through at least 2013 from existing assets. †¢ Continue to invest in core conventional North America natural gas areas with a view to keeping conventional production relatively flat. †¢ Southeast Asia production has doubled in the past five years and has the potential to double again in the next five (e.g. increasing Corridor volumes, Northern Fields development, Song Doc). 3. Findings on new Growth Opportunities Determine unconventional potential †¢ Talisman has built a large (2.5 million net acre) unconventional land base. †¢ The Company plans to spend $800-900 million on unconventional development projects over the next 18 months. †¢ An additional $300-400 million is planned for unconventional pilots over the same period. †¢ A total of 240-290 wells could be drilled as part of these program. Potential Future Growth in North Africa, South America †¢ Talisman has been active in Algeria since 1994. This is a very prolific hydrocarbon basin. †¢ The Company plans to drill up to eight exploration wells in Colombia and Peru through the end of 2009. 4. Optimize Global Exploration Support core area growth in the short term †¢ The Company will maintain active exploration programs in its core areas. †¢ Exploration spending is expected to average $700 million per year through 2010. Increase focus toward larger pool sizes †¢ Future focus areas include the Barents Sea (Norway), the central North Sea (UK), Colombia and Peru. †¢ The Company plans to drill up to 28 key exploration wells over the next 18 months. 3.4 Implementation Control Developing an effective company goals and objective is only half the battle. Getting it implemented is the other, and generally it is the tougher half. The most important part of implementation is monitoring taking a periodic look at how its going. Monitoring the implementation of objective is important for a number of reasons. First, it helps to assure that the efforts conform to the plan. Meaning the company is on track. Second, to make sure the results achieved align with objectives. Monitoring allows for corrective action and making the necessary changes along the way. To fine tune, not only strategies, but planning process as well. And since monitoring is part of a control process, it encourages improved performance. Knowing theyll be measured stimulates employees to do a better job. Finally, and most importantly, monitoring provides the essential link between the written plan and the day-to-day operation of your business. It demonstrates to all that the company are really managing the business according to plan. A significant benefit of the monitoring process is that it serves as your early warning system. It gives Talisman the opportunity to communicate how they are doing. For example, In Focus the Portfolio action program, the company may run into a technical problem such as delay on bidding process and slip its schedule by six weeks. The management needs to know about it. Through such feedback, the company can improve the implementation and reinforce the spirit of cooperation within organization. But lets be realistic. The company will run into implementation problems. Every company does. Some of the strategies may prove ineffective or strategies wont work as intended. The company can take one of four corrective actions. First, the company can change the schedule slipping in due date. Second, they can change the tactics in performing to implement the strategy. Third, by changing the strategy. Finally, as a last resort, the organisation can compromise the objective. Each of these corrective actions is applicable under specific circumstances 4.0 Conclusion Goals serve as a stimulus for effort by giving company something to strive for, the most important things must know where they are heading so they can effectively plan to get there. Goal setting, when supported by careful planning, provides a sense of direction to keep company focused on the most important activities. For Talisman they emphasize on three main objectives which are developing long-term growth opportunities, building high impact exploration and continue focusing on current portfolio. From the research we can conclude that goals serve as filters to eliminate extraneous demands. Over a period time, goals can bring to life order, meaning, and purpose that will sustain interest of stakeholder and motivation. By setting goals, an individual expresses their desire to achieve, to improve life, and to be more effective, more productive, and more successful tomorrow than today. Being a successful organization does not come by accident. It depends on following a practice of goal-setting and continuous growth (kaizen), as well as seeking predetermined goals. We could say then Success is the progressive realization of worthwhile, predetermined goals. Abbreviation Definitions bbl barrel bbls/d barrels per day bcfe/d billion cubic feet of gas equivalent per day boe barrels of oil equivalent boe/d barrels of oil equivalent per day C$ Canadian dollar LNG Liquefied Natural Gas mbbls/d thousand barrels per day mboe/d thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day mcf thousand cubic feet mcfe/d thousands of cubic feet of gas equivalent per day mmboe million barrels of oil equivalent mmcf/d million cubic feet per day mmcfe/d million cubic feet of gas equivalent per day Reference and Bibliography Goh Ing King, Lecturer Notes Purchasing Management Azlina Ghazaly, Senior Buyer Talisman Malaysia Sdn Bhd Menara Citibank CIPS Course Book. Level 5 study guide Management in the Purchasing Function Micheal E. Porter, From Competitive Advantage to Corporate Strategy Talisman Energy Inc. http://www.talisman-energy.com Appendix Appendix 1 : Location and Subsidiaries

bruce almighty :: essays research papers

Bruce Almighty is Irresistible   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a guilty pleasure one gets from watching characters we identify with struggle on screen, and we begin to think to ourselves that maybe our lives aren’t so bad after all. Such is the case in Bruce Almighty, a new release from Universal Pictures directed by Tom Shadyac. The movie is by no means sensational or groundbreaking, but it has an irresistible charm that draws in viewers in desperate need of a break from reality. The unfortunate protagonist (Jim Carrey) becomes convinced that God has abandoned him after he loses a coveted news anchor position to a slimy coworker. God (Morgan Freeman) grants Bruce his heavenly powers and challenges him to do a better job, pointing out that â€Å"†¦Gandhi only lasted a week!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Predictably, events spin out of control as Bruce is overwhelmed by prayers (received in the form of e-mails), and he manages to lose the only woman who had ever truly cared for him. It’s easy to wonder what caring and compassionate Jane sees in the somewhat narcissistic and negative Bruce, but Jennifer Aniston pulls off the role beautifully, with an ease that assures her movie career will continue to thrive. Of course, Carrey provides the life force of the movie, and it is his inimitable physical humor and impeccable comedic timing which save a script bordering on cheesy and overdone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most satisfying of all is watching Bruce’s conversion from a self-absorbed man suffering from a middle age crisis to a considerate human being aware of other people’s emotions. As God he initially grants all wishes, and pandemonium breaks out, as the real God explains that humans usually don’t know what will truly make them happy.

Essay --

Shelby Meeder English 15 Mr. Goertel December 2013 Ghosts Are ghosts real? That is the question that most of society deliberates day after day. The true definition of a ghost is a soul or spirit of a deceased individual that can appear in visible form or other manifestations to the living. Ghosts are of the most common paranormal belief in the world. Most people believe in ghosts because of a personal experience, whether that was seeing or sensing an unexplained presence. Who wouldn’t want to believe that our beloved family members are looking for us? Along with ghosts comes stories and eyewitnesses. When it comes to solid proof, the paranormal world does not have a good history. The only evidence to reported paranormal experience is eyewitnesses or pictures. Every domain of the paranormal relies deeply on the testimony of eyewitnesses. â€Å"The testimony of an eyewitness will often be the only evidence offered in a court of law† (Chambers). If an eyewitness is acceptable in a court of law, then why can’t it be acceptable for an apparition? On September 19, 1936, the â€Å"brown lady† was sighted yet again. Colonel Loftus was visiting Raynham Hall in England for the holidays when he saw the brown lady. He told others of his experience and more people then came forward to say they too had seen a strange figure. Soon after this experience, a photo was captured. The photo of the brown lady is â€Å"believed to be one of the best and most convincing of all known ghosts photos† (Dennis & Cohen). Another ghost sighting happened in 1919, of the Goddard’s squadron which had served in WWI. A photo was taken of the squadron, and an extra ghostly face appears in the back of the airman placed in the top row. This figure is said to be Fr... ... Lukach, Adam. "Ghost Hunting: With Zak Bagans." Chicago Tribune 30 Oct. 2012: 33. Print. Schlosser, S. E. "Axe Murder Hollow: From Ghost Stories at Americanfolklore.net." Axe Murder Hollow: From Ghost Stories at Americanfolklore.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. . "Top 10 Scariest Places in the US." Fox News. FOX News Network, 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. . Wagner, Stephen. "Freddy Jackson." About.com Paranormal Phenomena. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. . Wagner, Stephen. "The Back Seat Ghost." About.com Paranormal Phenomena. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. .

Chondrichthyes vs Arthropod :: essays papers

Chondrichthyes vs Arthropod The black widow is most easily recognized by the hourglass marking on the underside of its abdomen. When bitten, a neurotoxin is released that can cause dull pain and cramping in muscles, that can be accompanied by sweating and vomiting. Less than 1% of black widow bites result in death. Black widow spiders are usually not aggressive. If disturbed, they will retreat to a corner of their web. These spiders are more aggressive if they are protecting an egg sac. The natural habitat of a black widow is outdoors, under rocks, brush or piles of debris. Indoors, these spiders can usually be found behind furniture, in storage boxes, etc. A black widow's eyes are on top and near the front of its head. They have 8 eyes, arranged in 2 rows of 4 each. Some spiders have better vision than others. For example, hunting spiders have good eyesight at short distances. Their eyesight enables them to form images of their prey and mate. Web-building spiders (the black widow) have poor eyesight. Their eyes are used for detecting changes in light. A black widow's mouth opening is bellow its eyes. It does not have chewing mouth parts, and they eat only liquids. Various appendages around the mouth opening form a short "straw" through which the spider sucks the body fluid of its victim. The black widow can eat some of the solid tissue of its prey by predigesting it. To do this, the spider sprays digestive juices on the tissue. Chelicerae are a pair of appendages that the spider uses to seize and kill its prey. The chelicerae are above the mouth opening and just below the spider's eyes. Each chelicera ends in a hard, hollow, pointed claw, and these claws are the spider's fangs. An opening in the tip of the fang connects with the poison glands. When the black widow stabs an insect with its chelicerae, poison flows into the wound and paralyzes or kills the victim. The fangs of tarantulas point straight down from the head, and the poison glands are in the chelicerae. In the black widow, the fangs point crosswise, and the poison gla nds extend back into the cephalothorax. They also crush thier prey with their chelicerae. Pedipalpi are a pair of appendages that look like small legs. One pedipalp is attached to each side of the spider's mouth, and they form the sides of the mouth.

Buss1 Key Terms

BUSS 2 Key Term Definitions  ©T Ockenden Finance: Budget – A budget is regarded as a goal or a â€Å"yardstick†; it’s something a business uses in order to work to, for example: a firm may have budgeted fixed costs of ? 5000, they aim to either meet this budget or fall below it to operate to the desired level. Variance – Variance applies to budgets, and it is the difference between the forecasted or budgeted figure, and the actual figure that comes out at the end of a certain review period.Cash flow forecast – A cash flow forecast is a document that records the expected inflows and outflows of a business. Overdraft – Short term borrowing from a bank, a business will only take out as much money as it needs in order to cover its daily cash shortfall, because overdrafts are high interest short term finance options and can be required to pay back within 24 hours. Factoring – Fully named debt factoring, is the process by which the debt fa ctor company buys a percentage of the debt owed to one company by another company or customer (often around 80%).This means although the company owed to will lose 20% of the money, it means that 80% can be with them immediately rather than having to chase for it. Sale and leaseback – This is where a company will sell an asset off in order to generate short term finance, but they will buy back the asset on a lease basis as in the will pay for it as and when they need it. Net profit margin – Simply a profit margin is the gap between the prices the unit is sold for and how much it costs to produce it. Net profit margin is worked out by doing net profit over sales turnover x100.Return on capital – Profit as a percentage of the capital invested in a project. Profitability – Profitability measures profit against another variable in the business, for example you’ve got net profit margin which is profit in relation to costs, or ROC, which is profit in rela tion to the capital invested. Marketing: Niche marketing – Niche marketing is where a business is tailoring a product or service to a very specific customer or market (think cooking dinner for the queen), requires much research in to their needs and wants and other factors in order to get it right.Mass marketing – Mass marketing is almost completely the opposite, it involves creating a product or service with mass appeal and promoting it to all types of consumers (bread and other commodities). Business to business marketing – This is a term to describe the transactions that take place between one company and another, in this sense the customer is seen as another business. Consumer marketing – When a company sells its products and services to the individual consumer, it is referred to in marketing-speak as B2C, or business-to-consumer.Marketing mix – This refers to the 4 main ingredients in the marketing cake, product, price, place and promotion. Al though is BUSS 2 they ask you specific stuff on each section. USP – One feature that makes a product or service different from all its rivals, for example the apple operating system on iphone. Product differentiation – The extent to which your product or brand is differentiated is the amount to which customers feel your product or brand is different from others in the same market.Product life cycle – This is sort of like the â€Å"this is your life† book for a product, it comprises of stages; Introduction, growth, maturity, saturation and decline. Represented as a graph in most cases. Product portfolio – Product portfolio analysis looks at the existing position of a company’s products. The best way is Boston matrix here; a firm can place their product in any of the four boxes and from there, decide if a new product needs to be launched or increased promotion is needed or even an introduction to a new market.Boston matrix – The Boston matrix shows the market share of each of the firm’s products and the rate of growth of the markets each product is in; helps in the decision making process of new products or more promotion/new market e. t. c. Promotional mix – The combination of promotional methods used by a business when marketing its products. PR – This is an attempt to affect a consumer’s opinion of a product without actually spending on media advertising, it can involve getting journalists to mention the product in regular publications such as newspapers and T. V magazines.Branding – Branding is the overall image that is tagged to everything a company does, it’s the thought consumers have when they see the company logo, for example, when people see the M&S sign, they automatically think high quality. Merchandising – This requires employees to visit shops where the company’s product is sold to ensure that the brand’s display looks eye-catching and ti dy. An example is the dump bin displays you sometimes see at the end of shopping aisles when a new product is launched. Sales promotions – These range from little competitions you see on the actual product packaging to offers run by the shop itself such as BOGOF’s.Direct selling – This is where potential customers are approached directly. This used to be door to door sales type people, but increasingly more know it involves the use of tele sales. Advertising – Advertising is a form of promotion; there are various methods firms use, such as: T. V adverts, radio ads, billboards around town, leaflets given out in the street e. t. c. It’s the way firms get the knowledge that their product is around out there. Pricing strategies – A pricing strategy is a company’s plan for setting its prices for products over the medium to long term. Short term offers are known as tactics.Tactics can however make strategies or help them. Price skimming â⠂¬â€œ Skimming involves pricing a new product quite highly, it is used when the product is innovative (Apple), as the product is new there is no competition. Price penetration – This involves pricing a new product at a fairly low price in order to achieve high sales volume. It’s used when launching a product into a market where there are similar products; the price is set lower to gain market share. Price leader – This is where the price is set above the market level. This is possible when the company has strong branding or there is little threat from competitors.Price taker – This is when the price is set at the market level or at a discount to the market. This usually happens in highly saturated and competitive markets or in a market where one company dominates. Pricing tactics – Whichever strategy has been chosen, there are tactics that also need to be considered. They can be part of normal pricing or used as an element in the firm’s prom otional tactics. Loss leaders – Prices are set purposefully low – so low that the firm may make a loss on the product; the idea is that purchasing these products will encourage the customer to buy complimentary products to generate profit.Usually common in supermarket environments. Psychological pricing – Prices are set at a level that seems as if it I lower to the customer i. e. 9. 99 as opposed to 10. 50. Price elasticity – A measurement of the extent to which a product’s demand changes when its price is changed. Distribution channel – Distribution channels are the ways in which products get to consumers in the right place for them to purchase them. Oligopoly – A market in which a few large companies have dominant share, for example: the UK chocolate market a 70% share split between Cadbury, Nestle and Mars.Competitive markets – Could be described as a market where there is intense rivalry between producers of a similar good or service. Competitiveness – Measures a firm’s ability to compete (compares its consumer offer to the offers made by rivals). People: Organisational structure – Organisational structure is the formal and ordered way the management of a business is organised. When displayed in the familiar diagram format, it shows the departments or functions within the business and who is answerable to whom.Levels of hierarchy – These show the number of different supervisory and management levels between the bottom of the diagram and the top of the hierarchy. Span of control – This term describes the number of people directly under the supervision of a manager. Chain of command – This is to do with communication, and shows the reporting system from the top of the hierarchy to the bottom (the route info takes through the business). Delegation – Handing power down the hierarchy to junior managers or workers. Labour productivity – Purely and simp ly, the output per person (Output over no. Of staff).One of the ways to measure workforce effectiveness. Labour turnover – The rate at which people leave their jobs and need to be replaced. The other way to measure workforce effectiveness. Recruitment – Recruitment is the process of filling job vacancies when they arise within a firm. Selection – the process of choosing from a field of applicants from a job Selection techniques – The processes used by a company to choose the most appropriate person for a job, examples are interviews and trial runs. Internal recruitment – Where a job vacancy is filled by using someone who already works within the company.Sometimes seen as promotion. External recruitment – Where a job vacancy is filled by using someone who comes from outside the company. Assessment centre – These allow for more detailed analysis of person’s suitability for a role by subjecting them to realistic simulations, often over a number of days. Types of selection test – A number of selection techniques exist, including: Interviews, testing and profiling (aptitude tests) and assessment centres. Person specification – A document that details the qualifications, skills and other personal qualities required in order to carry out the advertised job.It describes the ideal person Job description – Not the same as a person spec, a document that outlines the duties and responsibilities associated with an advertised vacancy. It describes the job On the job training – Where employees acquire or develop the skills they need without leaving their usual work place (shadowing of higher level employees). Off the job training – Where employees leave their usual workplace in order to receive instruction on how to perform their job role well (College or university) Job enrichment – Herzberg: â€Å"giving people the opportunity to use their ability†.Job enlargement †“ General term for anything that increases the scope of a job. (Job rotation, job loading and job enrichment). Empowerment – A management practice of sharing information, rewards, and power with employees so that they can take initiative and make decisions to solve problems and improve service and performance. Team-working – Individuals work in groups rather than being given highly specialised, individual jobs. Operations Management: Operational targets – Operational targets or objectives are the specific, detailed production targets set by a company to ensure that its overall company goals are achieved.Unit costs – The cost of one unit of output is a raw measure of the efficiency of a firm’s operations (total cost over total output = unit cost). Quality – Quality or specifically quality management, means providing what the customer wants at the right time, with the right level of quality and consistency and therefore yielding high custome r satisfaction. Capacity utilisation – Actual output as a proportion of maximum capacity (out of 100%). Non-standard orders – Sometimes a company will be approached by customers with special orders at a different price to their regular selling price.A customer with special requirements may require changes to the product or a modified design, but they may be willing to pay a much higher price. Overtime – Paying staff extra to work longer hours than their contracts state. Temporary staff – Employees on fixed-term contacts of employment, either for a determined amount of time or until a specific task has been completed. Part-time staff – Staff who are contacted to work for anything less than what is considered the basic full-time hours of the business.Rationalisation – Reorganising in order to increase efficiency. This often implies cutting capacity to increase the percentage utilisation. Sub-contracting – Where another business is used to perform or supply certain aspects of a firm’s operations (outsourcing). Quality control – Quality control is the traditional way to manage quality, and is based on inspection after a certain batch number of units. Quality assurance – Quality is a system that assures customers that detailed systems are in place to govern quality at every stage of production.TQM (total quality management) – This was introduced by an American business man W. Edwards Deming in early 1980s. TQM is not a management tool, it is a philosophy. It is a way of looking at quality issues at every aspect of the business (think kaizen stuff). Quality standards – Companies can apply for quality standards certification to show the rest of their market and others that they are serious about the quality of what they do. ISO 9000 certification covers customer service in firms where the skill is relevant.Customer service – Describes the range of actions taken by a business wh en interacting with customers. Effective CS will meet or exceed the expectation that customers have of the business. Suppliers – A person or business that serves as a source for goods and services. For example, Sysco Corporation is a major supplier to the food service industry. Robotics – Robotics are the automated systems used on many of today’s modern mass production lines (car manufacturers). They are programmed to do the same thing over and over, so repetitive tasks can be completed with 100% efficiency.Automation – Typically refers to automated stock control systems, they are based on laser scanning or bar-coded info. This ensures the computer knows the exact quantity of each product that has come into the stockroom. Equally when something is sold the number is subtracted from the original stock room total. Communication technology – This covers aspects all over the business, we’ve got communication with customers; two main ways compani es can electronically communicate with customers: 1 is a website and 2 is a database management system that holds information on all of a firm’s customers.Also you’ve got communication with suppliers, with things such as electronic data interchange, this links up data sources between branches of a business this can be useful to find out instantly how much stock is in a store on the other side of the country. Design technology – Computer Aided Design (CAD) has been around for over 20 years but is now much more affordable and very useful. CAD can show 3D versions of a drawing to see what it would look like if it was a 3D model. Productivity – Output per person (a measure of efficiency).