Saturday, December 28, 2019

How Cattle Are Being Humanely Slaughtered - 1325 Words

Of all the things that this week’s lesson could have begun with the strange description of how cattle are being humanely slaughtered in large commercial slaughterhouses was a huge surprise. The author of our lesson begins by describing how cattle that have been transported to a slaughterhouse are unloaded from their transport trailers. The unloading is handled completely different than what I would have envisioned. I would have thought that the cattle would have been driven out of the trailers with cattle prods and a lot of pushing and yelling. Instead the cattle are unloaded without any yelling or prodding. The pathway and ramps that the animals are led down from the trailers are constructed with gently descending grades and all the pathways have smooth surfaces while the curves along the pathway contains no blind spots or turns that the cattle can’t see around. The unloading of the trailers is done in a manner that the cattle encounter nothing while being unloaded that would induce fear, excitement or confusion in them. The unloading process is done as quietly as possible with the cattle’s first encounter after leave the trailers being a squeeze chute that simulates the feeling for the cattle of a gentle motherly caress; the squeeze chute induces an even greater calming effect upon the animal. The effects produced by the silence and the serene surroundings lull the cattle into such a calm state that they are completely unaware of the moment when they are lifted off theirShow MoreRelatedEssay On Australia Export Live Cattle For Slaughter707 Words   |  3 PagesA) Should Australia export live cattle for slaughter? Arguments for: †¢ Benefits the economy, supports thousands of Australian jobs and is helping to provide protein to some of the world’s poorest people across Asia and the Middle East. Australia’s beef cattle exports are wroth $1.35 billion and the sector employs more than 10,000 people, including many Indigenous Australians. †¢ Animal welfare conditions overseas would decline if Australian stopped exporting livestock. Australia is the only countryRead MoreLegalizing Horse Slaughter949 Words   |  4 Pages People are curious. Its our human nature. Have you ever been curious about the meat you eat? Where it comes from, how it was killed, and is it safe to eat? In America we eat beef, pork, and poultry for the average everyday consumption. What about other countries, or other parts of the world? What do they eat? Your beloved pet, your furry companion, your best friend. Maybe your horse, perhaps. What is this horse slaughter that people are speaking of? Should it be legal? Yes. It should be legalRead MoreFactory Farming1493 Words   |  6 Pagesturn a blind eye towards it. Our society has a fairytale image of how factory farm animals live: Cows grazing the luscious green fields, hens nesting in a warm, spacious barn, and pigs rolling around in mud enjoying the sunny day. This vision of farm life is far from reality, especially today with demand for cheap, delicious meat rising. Today, billions of animals are born, confined, biologically manipulated, transported, and slaughtered for hu man consumption. The majority of farm animals are not enjoyingRead MoreA Feminist Perspective On Rural Women Essay1531 Words   |  7 Pagesinsists that cooking with awareness and conscience is, in its own way, a strong form of social and political activism (Stovall et al., 2015, 113). Although it is a commonly held counterclaim that locavore feminists just reinforce the stereotype of women being the ones who always cook, it is important for women to consider the food they do cook with, since a lot of women do not focus enough on their health (Stovall et al, 2015, p. 113). Women’s work in the kitchen is valuable and empowering, as it breaksRead MoreHorse Slaughter : The Inhumane Murder Of Innocent Horses2187 Words   |  9 PagesHorse slaughter is just exactly as it sounds. It is the inhumane murder of innocent horses. I will never understand how someone can sit and actually enjoy a meal consisting of horse meat knowing how that horse came to be served for dinner. Itâ€℠¢s a cruel and heartbreaking process that starts from the moment the poor horse is loaded on a transport trailer. These horse suffer in worst fashion from abuse and neglect until they are unfortunately killed and severed for a meal. This is not okay. The practiceRead MoreAnimal Rights At Factory Farms1629 Words   |  7 PagesFarms The idea that industrial farming is bad for the environment is well known, but what people do not think about is horrible practice of factory farms within industrial farming. Factory farms are inhumane and not only because the animal is being slaughtered, but because of the way the animals are treated before the are killed. A person would think that if they were to be innocently killed that they would want to be treated with respect and dignity before they die. In this paper, I will argue thatRead MoreCan The Human Methods Of Slaughter Act And The Prop 2 Standards1480 Words   |  6 Pagesnot socially acceptable is how these animals are exploited and oppressed up until they are slaughtered and used as food. The way the hierarchy works is that humans are superior to animals because we have feelings and a voice, but this does not mean animals do not have feelings of fear, loneness and sadness. They have been given a life on this earth just the way we were and it is the duty of animal rights movement groups to create an awareness around treating animals humanely and to create change inRead MoreIs It A Vegan?1460 Words   |  6 Pagesyou that I wasn’t a big animal lover. Ever since becoming a vegan, I have grown to love and appreciate every living being with a mother and a father. It is a relief to know that I do not have to kill animals for my own food. Every year billions of animals are killed in the United States alone (101 - Reasons to Go Vegan - Presentation). This is no longer about families raising cattle of farms but the huge meat industry which has managed to inhumanely end so many lives everyday. There is no â€Å"humane†Read MoreVenison: The Perfect Substitute1333 Words   |  6 Pages Deer have been roaming planet Earth for over three million years, and man has been consuming the meat of these animals since the beginning of human existence. When human beings were hunters and gatherers, wild animals were on the menu. Society has change d so drastically over centuries to where many people view hunting and the consumption of wild animals such as deer a wrong thing to do. Venison is a high quality meat that not many people have tried or would think to have in their daily diet. ThereRead MoreFactory Farms Is Not An Authentic Life At All1670 Words   |  7 PagesA life lived in confinement could be considered not an authentic life at all. Although being fed and watered may keep someone or something alive, being restricted from fresh air, sunlight, freedom and living in one’s own feces can be detrimental. Poultry, pigs, and cattle all go through one of these things if not all on factory farms. Factory farms, or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations as well as Intensive Livestock Operations, are industrial farms primarily managed and owned by large corporations

Friday, December 20, 2019

Two Halves of the Same Song Essay - 758 Words

Two Halves Of The Same Song One of the crucial components of Amy Tans Two Kinds is her choice of narrator. This narrative voice develops the story by adding to the characters. By using this narrator, Amy Tan allows the story to come alive through the eyes of a child. Jing-Mei, who is the daughter of a Chinese immigrant, paints the picture of her relationship between herself and her overbearing mother. Being the protagonist of the story, Jing-Mei is able to portray what she is going through as the storyteller. This choice of first person narrative allows the audience to look through the eyes of a young Chinese-American girl and take part in her coming of age. If the author chose another character as narrator, the childlike†¦show more content†¦I wont be what I am not(195). In being able to witness the first person narrative account, the readers are able to hear an honest view of what is happening, therefore Jing-Mei is able to build the trust of her audience. The altercation that Jing-Mei has with her mother after the talent show led to her verbal attacks as she shouts, I wish I were dead! Like them(200). The words spoken between Jing-Mei and her mother are realistic and throughout the story the tone is set by anger and disappointment, but nearing the ending it changes directions. The narrators voice grows from a child into a woman. Jing-Meis mother offers the piano that they fought over years ago as a peace offering. Jing-Mei finally realizes that her mother never lost hope for her, but only wants her to be the best she could be. Nearing the end of the story and from an adult perspective, Jing-Mei dwells on the piano piece that she had struggled to play at the recital. It is titled Pleading Child and proves to be a very slow and difficult piece of music. She later on sees that the title across the page is titled Perfectly Contented which proves to be quick and happy. The two halves of this song can be compared to Jing-Meis life. During her childhood she feels unsatisfied with her choices and only after her mothers offering of the piano she is able to find inner peace and reconcile her failures. The fact that Amy Tan utilizes Jing-Mei as theShow MoreRelatedA Literary Analysis of Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay example976 Words   |  4 PagesTHEME The title of this short story â€Å"Two Kinds† is describes the theme of this story. The mother had stated that there are only two types of daughters. â€Å"Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind.† (pg 412) Jing Mei did not understand the truth or meaning behind that declaration until after her mothers death. Jing Mei realized that her mother only meant that she could be an obedient child by listening to her mother while at the same time follow her own heart and want her own prodigyRead MoreAnalysis Of Two Kinds By Amy Tan1567 Words   |  7 Pagesof short stories about Chinese mothers and their assimilated daughters. One of these stories is â€Å"Two Kinds,† which looks into the life of Jing-Mei Woo and her struggle to gain a sense of self. Some key themes in The Joy Luck Club are the generational and intercultural differences among Chinese-American families, the complex mother-daughter relationship, and the journey of self-discovery. The ti tle â€Å"Two Kinds† can take various meanings in relation to the context of the story, and Amy Tan skillfullyRead MoreTwo Kinds Character Analysis Essay935 Words   |  4 Pages A mother’s belief in the American dream causes her to incessantly encourage her daughter to be an Americanized prodigy in Amy Tan’s Two Kinds. An immigrant from China, where she lost everyone and everything in her life, Jing-mei’s mother sets about training her daughter to achieve the best quality of life America can offer. At first excited, Jing-mei, tries everything her mother sets before her. The conflict arises when Jing-mei begins to feel the effects of her failed attempts and her mother’sRead MoreEssay on Watching Tennis and A Subaltern’s Love Song969 Words   |  4 Pagesand A Subaltern’s Love Song Introduction The themes and ideas are so similar that if one was to briefly explain what both poems were about, you would think that they were exactly the same poems. Yet what really separates these two poems is their technical side. Form The form of a poem can be mainly observed by looking at and listening to the poem. Rhyme scheme, verse length, and line length are but a few examples of a poem’s form. A Subaltern’s Love song is a relatively long poemRead MoreTwo Kinds by Amy Tan Essay981 Words   |  4 Pages In the short story, Two Kinds by Amy Tan, a Chinese mother and daughter are at odds with each other. The mother pushes her daughter to become a prodigy, while the daughter (like most children with immigrant parents) seeks to find herself in a world that demands her Americanization. This is the theme of the story, conflicting values. In a society that values individuality, the daughter sought to be an individual, while her mother demanded she do what was suggested. This is a conflict withinRead MoreAnalysis Of Brooke Fraser s Kings And Queens 1423 Words   |  6 Pages‘Arithmetic’ is a very simplistic, acoustic song off her first album ‘What to Do with Daylight’ (2003). ‘Kings and Queens’ is off her newest album and is a highly produced song containing elements of rock, pop and electronic sounds. These two songs I have chose n use various music techniques and show the development of Fraser’s music over the past decade. ‘Arithmetic’ (AR) and ‘Kings and Queens’ (KQ) share three similarities with its arranging techniques as both songs use common time 4/4 and a major tonalRead MoreThe Relationship of Mothers and their Expectations of Daughters in Amy Tan’s Two Kinds751 Words   |  4 Pagesones we can count on when there was no one else. They have been the ones who love of us for who we are and forgive us when no one else wouldn’t. In Amy Tan’s â€Å"Two Kinds,† the character Jing-mei experiences being raised by a mother who has overwhelming expectations for her daughter, causes Jing-mei to struggle with who she wants to be. â€Å"Only two kind of daughters,† â€Å"Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind!†(476). When a mother pushes her daughter to hard the daughter rebels, but realizesRead MoreEssay on The Ideal Parent1070 Words   |  5 Pagesthe time from all kinds of kids who come from all sorts of different ba ckgrounds. It seems in the world today parents get all the negative attention, and it seems like all the good they do go unnoticed by the public. Two different kinds of mothers were presented in the stories Two Kinds by Amy Tan, and I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen. Sometimes children complain about their mothers, each wishing they could have different type of mom. The lives and situations of each mother were differentRead More An Analysis of Blakes The School Boy Essay1745 Words   |  7 PagesAn Analysis of Blakes The School Boy  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The School Boy is a typical example of Blakes Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience in its themes and imagery. Like many of the other poems in this work it deals with childhood and the subjugation of its spirit and uses imagery from the natural world. While first published in 1789 as one of the Songs of Innocence there are strong reasons why Blake moved it to the Experience1 section of the 1794 edition. If we compare it to other poems inRead MoreFrederick Douglass And The 21st Century1146 Words   |  5 Pagesmuch, was more organized on how he wanted to learn. In other words, he had an actual plan mapped out instead of just winging it. Mr. Douglass was not rich whatsoever. As a matter of fact, he was a slave. He didn’t have much, but the young lad had two positive personality traits that guided him on his path to learning to read and write. Douglass was very perpetual. Despite the fact it took him longer due to not having a constant teacher, and not being able to get a chance to find a book or paper

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Sheds Critical Light on Human Resource Management

Question: Discuss about the Sheds Critical Light on Human Resource Management. Answer: Introduction Human resource management is one of the key elements in an organization. Labour force is viewed as an indispensable part of an organization. Thus, management of the human resources is viewed as one of the critical areas in an organization (Weinstein 2014). Organizations channelize a major and significant portion of their energy and strategies in managing human resources. Thus, it becomes a critical area of concern regarding the management of human resources. However, the current age has seen various issues and loopholes in human resource management. The incidents of conflicts, strikes, lockouts, growing trend of dissatisfaction among employees highlight the issues in the human resource management avenue (Warr and Inceoglu 2012). Qatar petroleum is a petroleum company that is owned by the state in Qatar. The activities undertaken by the company includes exploration, transportation, storing, refining, and production of oil and gas. The human resource management is systematic and integr ated in the company. The company is ranked third as the largest oil company in the company. Human Resource Management issues in Qatar Petroleum Company Management of labour and skills of labour is seen to be a major role of the human resource management of a company. In Qatar Petroleum Company, human resource management is viewed as a major area in the management of the company. The company has integrated and systematic method of management of human resource. According to reports and current findings, it has been seen that there are certain issues that are noticed in the human resource management issues. Motivating and retaining employees is seen to be a major issue in the human resource management issues in the company (Afioun, Rul and Schuler 2014). It is seen that the company faces major shortcomings and issues in increasing the motivation among employees and retaining the employees. This is the human resource management issues that have risen in the company in the last few years. Motivation and retention are two sides of the same coin. The two elements go hand in hand. Retention is not possible without motivation. It is seen tha t employees leave organization because they lack the motivation and the level of morale that is needed for the employees to continue in the organization. It is a major cause of concern for the human resource management team. The human resource team of the company has witnessed major shortcomings and loopholes in increasing the motivation level among employees. One of the facts that are visible in this case is that motivation is influenced by both external as well as internal factors. The work environment, interpersonal relationship and the nature of the job profile is seen to be contributing factors of internal job motivation factors (Anthony and Hong 2014). The human resource management team has not been able to motivate the employees and increase their morale. The retention ration has decreased and the company has witnessed a major increase in the labour turnover ratio and absenteeism among employees. The human resource managers of the company believe in the notion that the employ ees would have the feeling of motivation within themselves. However, it is not true and it can be seen that motivation is about inducing people to discharge their responsibilities and duties to the best of their abilities. Effect of the issue on Qatar Petroleum Company The increasing rate of labour turnover has resulted in the shortage and scarcity of labour. The increasing rate of absenteeism and labour turnover has resulted in the sharp decline of the productivity and performance of the company. There have been growing incidents and episodes of conflicts and resistance from the end of the workers (Al Maita et al. 2015). It is a major cause of concern for the employees since it is seen that such conflicts would hamper the image and the productivity of the employees. The increasing labour turnover issue is an evil that stunts the growth of the company and acts as a major hindrance to the productivity issue of the company. Thus, it is a growing concern in Qatar Petroleum Company regarding these human resource management issues in the company. Various negative inferences of labour turnover can be seen. It has affected the financial performance of the company and it has escalated the expenditure level of the company. It can be seen that the cost of tr aining and development of the new employees and the company has to compromise with its financial functioning that is noticed in the company. The lack of efficiency of the new employees has resulted in the company losing out on chances and opportunities to increase the productivity of the company. The financial performance of the company has received a major setback in terms of low profitability of the company. Thus, labour turnover and lack of motivation among employees and the inability of the company to retain employees have severe adverse effect on the financial performance of the company. The quantity and the rate of production according to a given amount of time is defined and described as productivity. Qatar Petroleum Company has boasted of skilled and efficient employees and it has been seen that the inability of the company to retain employees and motivate employees has resulted in high labour turnover ratio in the last few years of the company. Thus, the productivity and performance of the company has suffered from major shortcomings (Bakker, Demerouti and Sanz-Vergel 2014). The induction of new and fresh employees has resulted in major drop in the level of performance of the company. This has a direct correlation with the competencies and skills of the workers. It has been seen that the company has a pool of new and fresh employees that has major shortcomings in the skills and competencies. Employees with shorter duration of work experience have issues in achieving production goals. The efficiency can also be linked with the evils of low employee retention in Qa tar Petroleum Company. The lack of experience and competencies of the employees have turned to be a major issue for the company. As a result, the company has lower level of efficiency in the performance and productivity (Carpentier and Mageau 2014). Another issue that high labour turnover and low retention of employees that exists is that it has given a negative image of the company to the public and as a result, it impacts the customer satisfaction aspect as well. The lack of experienced employees and the increase in fresh talent in the organization has given way to the inability of the company to meet the standards of the industry. High labour turnover causes experienced employees to shift from the company to different companies in search for better scope of growth and expansion of career. It can be seen that the company suffers from shortcomings in such aspects and as a result, the increase in inexperience employees has caused the company to suffer from inability to sustain the standards of quality that has been set according to the industry standards (Cherian and Jacob 2013). Thus, one can say that it has majorly impacted the goodwill of the company. Another effect of labour turnover issues is that it makes the company relatively and comparatively incompetent to sustain the competition in the industry. One thing that can be seen is that the low retention and low motivation quotient among experienced employees lead to low retention of such employees. In the light of these events it can be seen that the productivity and the ability of the company to sustain the competition depends on the experience and competency of the employees (Jerome 2013). Fresh and new employees might take a considerable amount of time to improve and harness the skill and to increase their level of competency and skills. The gestation period might make the company instable and incompetent to sustain the level of competition and it stunts the scope of growth and expansion of the company (Ealias and George 2012). In addition to this, it has jeopardized the existence and the profitability of the company. Figure: Qatar Crude oil exports 1986-2013 (Source: Afiouni, Rul and Schuler 2014) Cause of the issue There is a cause and effect relationship between everything. One thing that needs to be kept in mind is that one needs to finds the roots of this evil. In other words, one needs to decipher the cause behind the low, motivation and low retention rate in Qatar Petroleum Company. There are various points that contribute to this issue. A significant fact that has to be assessed is that there are significant changes in the oil and gas companies. These changes have paved the way for the rising human resource management issues in the company. On carefully evaluating the changes in the industry, one can view that there are various external factor that are instrumental in creating such issues. Firstly, the increase in the competition can be viewed as a major issue in the rise of human resource management issues (Dedousis and Rutter 2015). Initially, there were not many companies that belonged to the oil and gas industry. Thus, it can be said that there was a dearth in the competition in this industry. However, there was an initiative from the government to increase the production level in the country. This would require the setting up of many more companies in this industry that could contribute to the increased production, which on the other hand could increase the profitability of the government and could contribute to the positive economic growth. The consequence of this initiative could be viewed from this angle that this move has led to an increase in the number of local oil and gas companies in addition to international oil and gas companies. The numbers of ancillary and relative companies have also increased in the Qatar Market. One startling aspect of this change was the presence of cut throat competition in the industry. The escalation of the level of competition led to many employees terminating their service with national oil and gas companies and government organization in the quest of joining these companies in the oil and gas industry (Cerasoli, Nicklin an d Ford 2014). The rationale of these employees of making this move was regarding the pay scale and the remuneration. The pay scales of the government companies were limited and not attractive in comparison to the new private an international companies. The incentives schemes, work life balance and the scope of growth and expansion appeared limited in comparison to these companies. Thus, the experienced employees of Qatar Petroleum Company started leaving the company for greener pastures due to the low motivation level among them. This low motivation level contributed to the high labour turnover in the company. Secondly, another fact that could be evaluated as a cause for this issue is that, the increase in the number of private and public companies meant that the increase in the number of companies in the Qatar market would correlate to the issue of scarcity of labour (Faisal Ahammad et al. 2015). The shortage of labour and the growing scale of companies in the industries made this problem extremely critical. The scarcity of labour is not only pertaining to the Qatar market but it is a global phenomenon. Thirdly, one issue that could be spotted is that the expenditure of hiring and recruiting a local Qatar employee would be half compared to the cost of hiring and recruiting an employee from a different of country. The import and mobilization of labour could be costly for the oil and gas companies in the Qatar market (Kirat 2015). This has led to an increase in the demand of local Qatar employees. Consequently, the pay scales of the new private and international companies were higher and more efficient compared to the Qatar Petroleum Company. It created resentment and low morale level among the employees of Qatar Petroleum Company and it contribute to one of the major issue of Human Resource Management in the company (Kossowska et al. 2014) The inability of the company to compete with new private and international companies in terms of pay scale and incentive s chemes and the demand of local labour could be viewed as the reasons and the root cause for employees of Qatar Petroleum Company leaving their employer and this led to the issue of low motivation and low retention of employees in the company, which made the human resource management ponder over this critical issue. Effects of organizational change on employee motivation Organizational change is one of the means of giving direction to the business, which is implemented for the organization to sustain growth and expansion in the longer run. The purpose of implementing organizational change is to cast a positive impact on the organization (Federici and Skaalvi 2012). However, it can be seen that managing such changes is a challenging task. The same was seen in the case of Qatar Petroleum Company. A starting fact that was seen was that organizational change in the company had a significant impact on the performance of task by the employees due to the perception of these changes by the workers (Fernandez and Ali 2015). The effect of organizational change in Qatar Petroleum Company led to a rise in the level of doubts and stress among the workforce of the company. The labour force viewed these changes as a threat and a major challenge and it led to growing discontentment, tension and resistance to change among the employees. A major example of these changes was the increase in the number of strikes and retaliations from the employees. There were different kinds of change within the organization. One of them was the total quality management change in the organization. This was implemented with the intention that the company wanted to change the quality aspect of its operation, which could enable to survive the growing competition (Fernandez and Ali 2015). However, the company faced resistance and challenges due to the growing incompetency within them. This increased the low motivation index among the employees. Figure: Employees Importance (Source: Pinder 2014) One of the common and conspicuous inferences among the employees regarding organization change was the increase in mental stress. The changes that were implemented by the management across the organization were viewed by the employees as a threat to their job profile and their tenure of work in the organization (De Baerdemaeker and Bruggeman 2015). Some of the factors for this stress level were due to the perception of the changes as unfair move and as means to exploit the workforce of the organizations. The lack of communication by the management and the apprehension of similar changes in the future led to the growing discontentment among the employees (Pinder 2014). The organizational change that was implemented in Qatar Petroleum Company led to the decrease in the loyalty of workers towards the company. This was the product of low motivation among employees. The quality management change by the company had an adverse effect of the motivation and morale level of the employees. They viewed this as a means and the strategy to manipulate with their salaries and incentives (Miner 2015). This loss of loyalty resulted in many employees shifting to different companies with a better scope of growth and expansion. The employees that continued in the company had low motivation and loyalty towards the company, which in itself was an adverse condition that the company had to face. It had a severe impact on their performance and productivity, which consequently impacted on the performance of the company (Kim and Scullion 2013). Another significant impact of organizational change on motivation of employees was absenteeism and avoiding work. One inference that was majorly noticed was that those who resisted the organizational change started spending excess time away from work, which contributed to the extra incident of absenteeism at work. This was a major condition that could not be avoided. The low morale and low motivation among the employees and the implementation of organizational change resulted in a situation that was critical for the company. The growing incident of absenteeism at work was a major inference and impact of organizational change at work. The employees simply avoided the change and the work that was given to them. Thus, it can be seen that organizational change severely and majorly hampered the motivation level of employees and in case of low motivation among employees it severely aggravated the situation leading to resistance and conflict. It led to increased tension, stress among the employees and it cause loss of loyalty, which resulted in labour turnover and consequently the human resource management had to deal with low retention issue and mismanagement and miscommunication among the employees were seen. The performance and productivity of the employees were severely hampered by the organizational changes in Qatar Petroleum Company (Kumar, Hossain and Nasrin 2015). Presently, the feedbacks of the employees are being evaluated to bring about positive change and more training sessions are being conducted to communicate and explain the reason of change to the employees and in the process reduce their grievances and dissatisfaction. Figure: Factors of employee motivations (Source: Parker 2014) Impact of Work Culture on employee motivation Work culture is another aspect that needs to be analysed and evaluated to develop a comprehensive idea of the issue of low motivation and low morale among employees. Every organization is unique in its own way. This unique feature of the organization paves the way for the definition of the term work culture. The term work culture refers to a system of value and norms that is shared within the organization and it contributes to the governance of the company. This has a strong and deep impact on the psychology of an employee and in the process affects the motivation of the employees. In the case of Qatar Petroleum Company, the organizational culture was based on achieving outcome and an aggressive culture in the organization to fight the competition in the industry. In the current years it is seen that the work culture of the company has been viewed to be tentative and vulnerable to the extent that it caused negative energy and feelings among the employees. In the bid to sustain the increasing the competition in the oil and gas industry, it has been viewed that the company had increased its working hours and the level of performance to ensure quality performance (Parker 2014). This had a negative effect on the employees leading to growing resentment and frustration among employees. This led to a decrease in the motivation level of employees. It reduced the employee participation in strategic operations and decision making of the employees. This was characterized by resentment and conflict from the employees, in order to change the organizational culture. This led to decease in the motivation and morale of the employees of the organization. It adversely affected the performance of the employees leading a decline in the standard of perform of the employees. The work culture had a detrimental effect on the motivation of the employees and made them incapable of achieving their goals, which in turn made the organization incapable of achieving its goals (Mowday, Porter and Steers 2013). The increasing mental stress and resentment among the employees due to work culture led to decrease in the quality of the performance of the employees and subsequent increase in the productivity of the employees. The effect of work culture of Qatar Petroleum Company was that it led to emotional pressure on the employees. The aggressive work culture led to feeling of fear, apprehension and resentment among employees, which all led to the decrease in the motivation and morale of the employees. The work culture along with organizational changes in the company threatened the workers of the security of tenure and the revised nature of work. All of this led to high rate of labour turnover within the organization. The nature of work of the company was highly resisted by the employees and this led to the result of low productivity and low performance. It resulted in reduced potential of the employees since they did not believe that work would enhance their future prospective and identity. It has been seen that the work culture in certain instances have led to positive changes in the organization, in terms of increasing the competency and skill of the employee. It did provide purpose and vision to ach ieve the goals. Mission and vision of the organization plays a major role in the work culture, which in turn has a major role on the motivation level of the employee (Sheikh, Newman and Al Azzeh, 2013). The dissatisfaction of the employees regarding their purpose of work and the lack of the intrinsic motivation played a major role in reducing the motivation of the employees, which consequently led to labour turnover in the company. The lack of scope of growth and expansion also led the employees to shift to different companies for better career growth and expansion and in the process improve and expand their career. The increasing competition in the oil and gas industry led to an aggressive work culture in the company, which led to the growing dissatisfaction and low motivation among employees (Skudiene and Auruskeviciene 2012). Currently, the company is taking certain steps and measures to modify the work culture in the organization and shed more light and equal treatment of employees so that it increases their motivation and their loyalty towards the company. Assessment of different ideologies and goals of the company is made to induce a favourable work culture that would bring about a positive change in the organization (Sheikh, Newman and Al Azzeh 2013). Impact on conflict on employee motivation Emergence of conflicts is one of the most severe issues in an organization and it can significantly impact the behaviour and motivation of the employees. In general, conflicts in organizations led to lower productivity, decrease in the quality of performance and increase in the stress level of employees, which results in lower motivation and morale of the employees working in an organization. It reduces the belief and faith in the organization, resulting high labour turnover and low retention of employees in the organization. It is seen that there were growing incidents of conflicts in Qatar petroleum Company. It resulted in strikes and hindrances in the operations of the company. These incidents compounded the current issue of low motivation among employees in the organization and resulting in low retention of employees due to high labour turnover ratio. The conflicts were a result of disagreements with regards to interests and ideologies. The growing incompatibility of ideologies between workers and management led to reduction in the productivity and performance of the workers and the motivation of the employees continued to decrease (Medina 2016). The aggressive work culture and the growing competition in the industry led to an environment of resentment and frustration since the competitive ideology of the company resulted in negative conflicts in the workplace. However, more efforts are being made to induce healthy competition in the organization to give rise to positive. This could and to an extent h as increased the productivity of a small section of employees (Parker 2014). The increasing level of conflicts within the organization has caused an increase in the level of labour turnover within the organization. The growing level of conflicts has resulted in dissatisfaction and low employee motivation (Scurry, Rodriguez and Bailouni 2013). The increase in the incidents of conflicts has led to a decrease in the productivity and performance of the employee, which consequently has a detrimental effect on the motivation of the employees. The interpersonal relationship between employees and management deteriorated, resulting in poor communication (www.emeraldinsight.com 2016). This hampered and dampened the morale of the employees. There have been positive aspects of conflicts within the organization since it induced creativity among human resource team to solve issues and formulate new policies that could be viewed as positive change in the organization backed by alignment of organiz ational goals and goals of the employees. However, generally it has majorly caused low motivation among employees and high rate of dissatisfaction among employees (Soutschek et al. 2014). Currently, Qatar Petroleum Company is viewing these conflicts as the means to incorporate creative solutions to combat conflicts. The human resource team are taking measures to listen to the grievances and the point of debate from various members to induce amiable environment in the organization and facilitate better team work (Vaara et al. 2013). Recommendations There are certain recommendations that are made to improve the human resource issue in Qatar Petroleum Company. Some of these are: Attractive Remuneration and incentives One of the most important ways of improving motivation among employees is by rewarding the employees for the work they do. Paying quality incentives and remuneration increases the motivation of the employees. Paying bonuses based on the performances improves the motivation among employees. This would help to retain experience and quality employees and limit the rate of employee turnover in the organization. Better work-Life Balance Another way of improving the motivation among employees is by creating healthy work-life balance for the employees. This tends to increase the morale and motivation among the employees and in turn, increases the productivity and performance of the employees. Better training programs Better training programs need to be conducted to improve the skill and development of the employees. These training programs can be used to communicate about the rationales of organizations change and the evolving work culture of the organization. Training and development increases the motivation and morale of the employees. Better communication Better communication in the organization tends to bring about positive change in the organization. It results in better resolutions of conflicts and grievances in the organizations. At the same time it can be used to increase employee participation, which could increase the employee motivation and morale. Conclusions It can be viewed that low employee motivation and low employee retention is the human management issue in Qatar Petroleum Company. Low employee motivation, low employee retention and labour turnover are interrelated issues that exist in the company. It can be seen that increase in the competition in the oil and gas industry has contributed to the human resource issues in the company. In addition to this, scarcity of labour is also seen to be a cause of this evil. The current issue has resulted in low productivity, sub-standard performance and reduced profitability of the company. It has also resulted in the incompetency of the company to sustain the competition. The current organizational change, corporate culture and conflicts have resulted in negative impacts on employee motivation. The overall implications and conclusions that can be drawn is that there is a growing discontentment, low motivation among employees that have contributed to low employee retention and increasing labour turnover in the company. Reference List Afiouni, F., Rul, H. and Schuler, R., 2014. HRM in the Middle East: toward a greater understanding.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,25(2), pp.133-143. Al Maita, L., Fakhoury, N., Jarrad, S. and Caputo, A., 2015. Conflict management styles, religious motivation and nepotism: evidences from Jordan. Anthony Wong, I. and Hong Gao, J., 2014. Exploring the direct and indirect effects of CSR on organizational commitment: the mediating role of corporate culture.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,26(4), pp.500-525. Bakker, A.B., Demerouti, E. and Sanz-Vergel, A.I., 2014. Burnout and work engagement: The JDR approach.Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav.,1(1), pp.389-411. Carpentier, J. and Mageau, G.A., 2014. The role of coaches' passion and athletes' motivation in the prediction of change-oriented feedback quality and quantity.Psychology of Sport and Exercise,15(4), pp.326-335. Carter, M.Z., Armenakis, A.A., Feild, H.S. and Mossholder, K.W., 2013. Transformational leadership, relationship quality, and employee performance during continuous incremental organizational change.Journal of Organizational Behavior,34(7), pp.942-958. Cerasoli, C.P., Nicklin, J.M. and Ford, M.T., 2014. Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic incentives jointly predict performance: A 40-year meta-analysis.Psychological Bulletin,140(4), p.980. Cherian, J. and Jacob, J., 2013. Impact of self efficacy on motivation and performance of employees.International Journal of Business and Management,8(14), p.80. De Baerdemaeker, J. and Bruggeman, W., 2015. The impact of participation in strategic planning on managers creation of budgetary slack: The mediating role of autonomous motivation and affective organisational commitment.Management Accounting Research,29, pp.1-12. Dedousis, E.V. and Rutter, R.N., 2015. Workforce Localisation and Change Management: The View from the Gulf.Organizational Change Management Strategies in Modern Business, p.301. Ealias, A. and George, J., 2012. Emotional intelligence and job satisfaction: a correlational study.Research journal of commerce and behavioral science,1(4). Faisal Ahammad, M., Mook Lee, S., Malul, M. and Shoham, A., 2015. Behavioral ambidexterity: The impact of incentive schemes on productivity, motivation, and performance of employees in commercial banks.Human Resource Management,54(S1), pp.s45-s62. Federici, R.A. and Skaalvik, E.M., 2012. Principal self-efficacy: Relations with burnout, job satisfaction and motivation to quit.Social Psychology of Education,15(3), pp.295-320. Fernandez, R. and Ali, S., 2015. SME contributions for diversification and stability in emerging economiesAn empirical study of the SME segment in the Qatar economy.Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government,21(1), pp.23-45. Jensen, J.M., Patel, P.C. and Messersmith, J.G., 2013. High-performance work systems and job control consequences for anxiety, role overload, and turnover intentions.Journal of Management,39(6), pp.1699-1724. Jerome, N., 2013. Application of the Maslows hierarchy of need theory; impacts and implications on organizational culture, human resource and employees performance.International Journal of Business and Management Invention,2(3), pp.39-45. Kehoe, R.R. and Wright, P.M., 2013. The impact of high-performance human resource practices on employees attitudes and behaviors.Journal of management,39(2), pp.366-391. Kim, C.H. and Scullion, H., 2013. The effect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on employee motivation: A cross-national study.The Poznan University of Economics Review,13(2), p.5. Kirat, M., 2015. Corporate social responsibility in the oil and gas industry in Qatar perceptions and practices.Public Relations Review,41(4), pp.438-446. Kossowska, M., Czarnek, G., Wronka, E., Wyczesany, M. and Bukowski, M., 2014. Individual differences in epistemic motivation and brain conflict monitoring activity.Neuroscience letters,570, pp.38-41. Kumar, D., Hossain, M.Z. and Nasrin, M.S., 2015. Impact of Non-Financial Rewards on Employee Motivation.Asian Accounting Auditing Advancement. www.emeraldlight.com 2016. Localization of human resources in the State of Qatar: Localization of human resources in the State of Qatar: Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues: Vol 4, No 3. (2016). Education, Business And Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues. Retrieved from https://www.emeraldinsight.com Medina, M.N., 2016. Conflict, individual satisfaction with team, and training motivation.Team Performance Management: An International Journal,22(3/4). Miner, J.B., 2015.Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge. Mowday, R.T., Porter, L.W. and Steers, R.M., 2013.Employeeorganization linkages: The psychology of commitment, absenteeism, and turnover. Academic press. Parker, S.K., 2014. Beyond motivation: Job and work design for development, health, ambidexterity, and more.Annual review of psychology,65, pp.661-691. Pinder, C.C., 2014.Work motivation in organizational behavior. Psychology Press. Scurry, T., Rodriguez, J.K. and Bailouni, S., 2013. Narratives of identity of self-initiated expatriates in Qatar.Career Development International,18(1), pp.12-33. Sheikh, A.Z., Newman, A. and Al Azzeh, S.A.F., 2013. Transformational leadership and job involvement in the Middle East: the moderating role of individually held cultural values.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,24(6), pp.1077-1095. Skudiene, V. and Auruskeviciene, V., 2012. The contribution of corporate social responsibility to internal employee motivation.Baltic Journal of Management,7(1), pp.49-67. Soutschek, A., Stelzel, C., Paschke, L., Walter, H. and Schubert, T., 2014. Dissociable effects of motivation and expectancy on conflict processing: An FMRI study.Journal of cognitive neuroscience. Vaara, E., Sarala, R., Stahl, G.K. and Bjrkman, I., 2012. The impact of organizational and national cultural differences on social conflict and knowledge transfer in international acquisitions.Journal of Management Studies,49(1), pp.1-27. Warr, P. and Inceoglu, I., 2012. Job engagement, job satisfaction, and contrasting associations with personjob fit.Journal of Occupational Health Psychology,17(2), p.129. Weinstein, N., 2014.Human motivation and interpersonal relationships. Springer Netherlands.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Legal Aspect of Gas and Oil Management

Question: Discuss the legal aspect of oil and gas management? Answer: Introduction Certain nations that are having huge quantities of natural resources use those resources to maintain their economic stability. They even gather funds that can be used for developmental purposes. In order to do so, the governments of such countries engage into legal contracts with those oil companies that operate in the international oil market and perform various activities associated with the exploration, drilling and processing of such natural resources with the aim of selling the processed resources in the market. The technical, economical and commercial aspects of such oil exploration processes are considered with great importance by both the parties: the government of the countries that are home to such resources and the organizations that are interested in the extraction or drilling procedures. For the exploration of natural resources, both the parties like the government and the oil companies must put efforts on the challenging task of the agreement. One of the challenges is t he negotiation process of such agreements. In most of the developing countries, including Mexico, Bolivia and Kazakhstan, the natural resources like that of oil and natural gas are considered to be the national assets, instead of being the property of any individual or private organization or entity. The legal right over the surface land is not considered when the governments of these nations claim their right over the natural resources that lay beneath the ground: the constitutions of these countries are enshrined by laws that validate this process. In this essay, the legal aspect of oil and gas management is discussed, and the contracts that are about the legality of oil and gas management are discussed. Definition of Contract The voluntary and deliberate agreement between two or more parties that is bound by law is known as a contract (Berthelot, Coulmont Thibault, 2013). In general, contracts are well documented by the competent parties that take part in the agreement, but might also be implied in some other form or be developed as a verbal agreement. The elements that are fundamental for a contract are legality, capacity, consideration and mutual assent (Bhar Mallik, 2012). The following factual elements are to be in consideration for the legal existence of a contract: I. An offer that is being made by one party to another. II. The evidence of the acceptance of the offer. III. A promise regarding the performance of any job IV. A mentionable consideration V. A time span within which the promised performance will be made VI. Various terms and conditions that apply to the process of fulfilling the above mentioned promises. Parameter setting There are some stakeholders for the process of exploration of natural resources. But the fact is that the Government of these nations does not put much attention in the development of such contracts and its negotiation. According to Bilstad, Stenberg, Jensen, Larsen and Toft (2013), the experienced and esteemed lawyers are appointed to look after the legal aspects of these contracts, engineers, and engineering firms are appointed to look after the technical aspects of the contracts being drafted. When there is direct negotiation process, there are successful oil contract generations. However, it is found in general that various complex issues are involved the process of negotiating an oil extraction contract, as such negotiations are more often than not flourished by indecision (Uk.practicallaw.com, 2015). According to Boschee (2013), the indecisions being associated with the lack of knowledge of the location of probable oil field, the lack of any estimation of the amount of oil that could be drilled out of the oil wells and / or the lack of capability of the parties taking part in the contract to make predictions about the future of the market. The experience of domain experts, along with judgmental power are essentially required so as find out the priority and importance of each of these factors, such that a balanced contract can be prepared: however it should also be considered that no such contract is identical to another, as the importance and the priority of the above m entioned factors keep on changing from time to time and from place to place. During the process of negotiation of oil contract, certain factors are to be kept in consideration. These are the probable costs associated with the operational activities of oil drilling, the fluctuations of the market, the probable size of the oil fields and the estimated quantity of oil and natural gases that could be drilled from the oil wells and so on and so forth. Negotiation issues Negotiation process issues are given below: 1) Environmental as well as social issues are not considered for suing the negotiation process. 2) Natural resources conflict zone. Time Zone Factor For the process of negotiation of oil contracts, time responsive factors include: I. The price of crude oil in the international market II. Socio-political and economic condition of the country and III. The inter-dependency of the above mentioned factors To confirm the various changes, the oil contracts must be defined in such a way that it can change itself from time to time. Indigenous communities The interests of indigenous groups should be considered by the government during the negotiation process. The various indigenous communities, who are socially and economically affected by the oil contracts, are drafted in between the governments of the nations and the oil companies demand compensations (Dauwalter, 2013). Transparency When the terms conditions and prices are quoted in the contracts, are disclosed to the public, the indigenous communities of the nation can accept legal contracts between oil companies and government. It must be ensured that the minimum level of transparency is maintained at the process of oil contract negotiation. Interest Conflict During the process of negotiation, there is a chance of conflict in regards to the interest of the Governmental part. This is because the government is considered to be one of the parties who is involved in oil contract (Foster, 2012). One hand of the government tries in profit maximization of the nation. The other hand tries to control the interest of the indigenous communities of the country. Expert Negotiators The extraction process of oil and natural gas involves certain aspects like economical, legal, technological and environmental. The government must employ experienced domain experts to look after these aspects of the oil contracts, as the international oil employ such experts so as to conduct the negotiation process. Oil contract types Various types of oil contracts that occur in between oil companies and the government are as follows: License Agreements License Agreements and Concession Agreements process let the oil companies to earn exclusive rights to develop infrastructure, oil fields exploration, and oil extraction and sell oil in the international market. The company pays a license fee to the government, which the government retains, not withstanding production (Skea, Chaudry and Wang, 2012). Then the production starts, the company pays income taxes and royalty to the government. Thus, such contracts put the government in the advantageous position. Production sharing agreement (PSA) PSA agreements gather the process of oil and natural gas exploration for both the parties that are involved in the contract. The government and the oil company that is involved in the operational activities of drilling of oil are dealt with PSA (Garren Brinkmann, 2012). The government also has to take the burden of risks that are associated with the process of oil extraction. However, the government is relieved of the task of taking decisions regarding the operations of the oil fields as this part of the operational activity is considered as the responsibility of the oil companies. Thus, it can be said that such types of agreements mandate the participation of the government in the process of oil extraction. Joint Venture Agreement The profits that are generated from the exploration of oil and natural gas are shared by both the parties who are involved in the contract according to this contract. The government and the oil company that is involved in the operational activities of drilling of oil are involved in JVA. The government also has to take the burden of risks that are associated with the process of oil extraction (Samosir, Popineau and Lechon, 2013). However, the government is relieved of the task of taking decisions regarding the operations of the oil fields as this part of the operational activity is considered as the responsibility of the oil companies. Thus, it can be said that such types of agreements mandate the participation of the government in the process of oil extraction. Service agreements The process of disbursement is facilitated by the participation of oil companies and the government. These agreements are not found to be common in oil and gas exploration fields. Terms of contract Work plan When companies realize that a particular plan might not be profitable for them, they tend to delay or shelve the projects. A possible safeguard that the government can introduce against such strategies implemented by the oil companies is that they can clearly state those circumstances only under which the companies will be allowed to shelve or delay it (Lefsrud, Graves Phillips, 2013). Stabilization Clause Drafting of oil contracts must be done in that particular way that ensures stabilization clause is not included in contracts. These clauses deal with the restriction of implementation of certain legislative clauses of the nation for operational activities of oil companies (Gobyr, 2013). Parties The drafting of oil contracts must be done in such a way that it does not make the government be one of the contact parties. This strategy is taken so as to not bear any direct and unlimited liability of the contract. On the other hand, the government can participate in the contract by the process of making the government enterprise a direct party involved in the contract. Mission of government in negotiation process During the process of negotiating any oil contract with international oil corporations, the government should consider the development of the country as the sole interest and mission. The government should also try to include such clauses in the contracts that would ensure that the resources of the companies are utilized properly so that the infrastructure of the country is developed (Haber, 2013). The following section provides some insight into those factors that the government should consider during the negotiation process: Employment Projects regarding oil exploration require a large number of manpower. To employ the members of indigenous project community, the government must involve clauses for maintaining it. Sustainable Development It must be kept in mind by the Government that oil and natural gas is limited. This exploration of such non-renewable sources of energy must be done according to requirement. Rate of extraction of non-renewable sources of energy must be limited to one particular oil company (Krupa, 2013). Dispute Resolution Mechanism For the process of dispute resolution, the various mechanisms that are used must be stated unambiguously in the drafted contract (Wilson, 2013). The most common methods of dispute methods, as mentioned in oil contracts are: I. The parties that are involved in any oil contract that approach any court of law in the case of disputes: however it should also be considered that most court proceedings are highly time-consuming processes. II. International Commercial Arbitration laws can also be used so as to resolve disputes regarding those contracts that are signed between international oil companies and governments of various nations. Conclusion and recommendation Government of such countries that have very large natural resources reserves like natural gas, oil and coal face problem related to the nature of the contract and its clauses. Most of the organizations that are associated with the process of extraction of oil and natural gases operate in the international domain and specialize in this particular sector, they are much more experienced in such negotiating process that are used to determine the type of contract being made and the clauses that are being mentioned in the contracts. Such companies indulge in all necessary procedures that would lead to the reduction of costs on the part that they often tailor their negotiation strategies according to the political, economical and social conditions that prevail in the impugned country (Rawlins, 2013). During the negotiation process, very often than not, the oil companies express such behavioral traits that might be easily considered as cynical, inflexible and aggressive. For these reasons, it is very necessary for the Governments to ensure strict procedures and policies to strategies the contract process of negotiation. According to Rawlins (2013), three most important strategies that the nations follow for the adaptation of natural resources to negotiate contract with oil companies are as follows: I. Forming indigenous state-owned companies that would handle the process of exploration of natural resources, processing of the crude resources and proper marketing of the products. Countries like Venezuela, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Oman use such strategies to exploit their natural resources. II. Inviting international oil companies to participate in the process of exploiting the natural resources. Countries like United Kingdom, Canada, and Russia employ such strategies to collect funds for their developmental procedures. III. Employing a combination of the above mentioned strategies, as done by companies like Indonesia, Nigeria, and Kazakhstan. Governments of other nation must choose at least one strategy from above to ensure suitability of political and socio-economic culture in the nation for engaging international oil companies in oil contracts. Reference List Berthelot, S., Coulmont, M., Thibault, K. (2013). Sustainability Content on Oil and Gas Company Websites. Business And Management Research, 2(1). doi:10.5430/bmr.v2n1p94 Bhar, R., Mallik, G. (2012). Inflation uncertainty, growth uncertainty, oil prices, and output growth in the UK. Empir Econ, 45(3), 1333-1350. doi:10.1007/s00181-012-0650-9 Bilstad, T., Stenberg, E., Jensen, B., Larsen, T., Toft, M. (2013). Offshore drilled cuttings management. AGH Drilling, Oil, Gas, 30(1), 47. doi:10.7494/drill.2013.30.1.47 Boschee, P. (2013). Tanker Conversions to FPSO: Design and Integrity Management Challenges. Oil And Gas Facilities, 2(05), 16-21. doi:10.2118/1013-0016-ogf Dauwalter, D. (2013). Fish assemblage associations and thresholds with existing and projected oil and gas development. Fish Manag Ecol, 20(4), 289-301. doi:10.1111/fme.12007 Foster, P. (2012). Shale Gas Exploration Onshore UK, Energy Institute Lecture 21st Nov 2011. Energy Environment, 23(1), 207-208. doi:10.1260/0958-305x.23.1.207 Garren, S., Brinkmann, R. (2012). Linking greenhouse gas emissions to greenhouse gas reduction policies at the local government level in Florida. Greenhouse Gas Measurement And Management, 2(2-3), 146-161. doi:10.1080/20430779.2012.729987 Gobyr, I. (2013). Forming of the effective management system of repair service of oil and gas enterprises. RAJ, 24(2). doi:10.15535/73 Haber, I. (2013). Improving of the management system of material streams of oil and gas enterprises. RAJ, 24(2). doi:10.15535/86 Herbane, B. (2012). Exploring Crisis Management in UK Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises. J Contingencies Crisis Man, 21(2), 82-95. doi:10.1111/1468-5973.12006 Krupa, J. (2013). Optimal supply chain management in oil, gas, and power generation. Energy, 63, 400-401. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2013.10.024 Lefebvre, L. (2013). Smart Battery Thermal Management for PHEV Efficiency. Oil Gas Science And Technology Revue DIFP Energies Nouvelles, 68(1), 149-164. doi:10.2516/ogst/2012076 Lefsrud, L., Graves, H., Phillips, N. (2013). "Dirty Oil, Ethical Oil: Categorical Illegitimacy and the Struggle over the Alberta Oil Sands". Academy Of Management Proceedings, 2013(1), 13283-13283. doi:10.5465/ambpp.2013.13283abstract Rawlins, H. (2013). Sand Management Methodologies for Sustained Facilities Operations. Oil And Gas Facilities, 2(05), 27-34. doi:10.2118/1013-0027-ogf Samosir, T., Popineau, D., Lechon, A. (2013). Implementing a Deepwater-Pipeline-Management System. Oil And Gas Facilities, 2(06), 86-91. doi:10.2118/165586-pa Skea, J., Chaudry, M., Wang, X. (2012). The role of gas infrastructure in promoting UK energy security. Energy Policy, 43, 202-213. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2011.12.057 Uk.practicallaw.com,. (2015). Practical Law. Retrieved 2 August 2015, from https://uk.practicallaw.com/5-524-5349?q=*qp=qo=qe=# Wilson, A. (2013). Reservoir Management for World's First Thermal Gas/Oil Gravity-Drainage Project. Journal Of Petroleum Technology, 65(03), 140-143. doi:10.2118/0313-0140-jpt

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Preparation of a vesicle suspension containing methylene blue as a hydrophilic model drug.

Preparation of a vesicle suspension containing methylene blue as a hydrophilic model drug. IntroductionColloid drug delivery systems (CDDSs) are vesicular dosage forms. They include liposomes niosomes nanospheres and nanocapsules. Their size avoids any risk of embolism following intravenous injection. CDDSs were initially designed, and were studied, as drug carriers for targeting purposes. The assumption was the expected ability of CDDSs to concert the drug at the therapeutic target and/or divert if from the toxicological one. Some interesting results have been obtained with drugs possessing a narrow therapeutic margin such as anticancer drugs. In addition, CDDSs were shown to be able to act as sustained-release dosage forms when injected subcutaneously.However, the oral route of administration has the advantage of conveniences versatility and safety, and is preferred whenever the physicochemical properties of a drug allow adequate bioavailability. Many drugs are rendered ineffective after oral administration because of their chemical ability or susceptibility to enzymes i n the G.I. tract, or because of their hydrophilic character and ionizability at various pH values, or because of their high Mr or Insolubility.emulsion lift 2So CDDs could be able to protect drugs from G.I. degradation. Candidate drugs for entrapment in CDDS could be peptides (hormones, enzymes, clotting factors, etc.), for example, all of which exhibit poor oral bioavailability.Since the discovery of liposomes in the 60s most of the studies involving CDDSs have examined parenteral routes. Their use as oral delivery systems only began in the 70s and has not been completely investigated. Furthermore, nano-spheres and nanocapsules were developed as more promising tools.Niosomes themselves are unilamellar or multilamellar vesicles which are analogues of liposomes. Niosomes are formed mainly by self-assembly of synthetic non-ionic surfactants with the optional combination of cholesterol and charged surfactants. The ability to entrap solutes allows them to be used as drug carriers. The f act that they are made of bilayer membranes allows them, like...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Psychology - Essay Example I have a sound educational backing with a minor in Psychology. My educational experiences have taught me the importance of staying organized, studying diligently and meeting deadlines. I have greatly enjoyed learning about the theories and theorists in my Psychology courses and have a great desire to further my studies in this area so I can help other people overcome obstacles in their lives. In addition to my educational experiences, I have work related skills that make me a good candidate for your Mental Health Master’s program. I have worked for the past year as a teacher. I have had the opportunity to work with many types of children. Some are motivated and excited by learning. Others have many problems, both cognitive and emotional. These are the children that I was most concerned with helping. Some days the work was exhausting. Helping these children that had so many problems has taught me to never quit. This attitude of perseverance has served me well in my current teaching position and will serve me well in my studies in your program. Difficult problems often take time and tenacity to overcome. I have learned this by working with these children. Another attribute I have learned as a teacher is how to communicate clearly with the children’s parents. Many of these parents are difficult to deal with because they are frustrated by their child’s academic performance. I have learned that showing empathy for these parents and clearly expressing expectations to them helps them to cope with their child’s behavior in school. I realize that as I enter the field of professional mental health, these types of parents and children may be my clients. As a result of my teaching experience, I have gained a great desire to help these people that struggle to cope with their daily lives. A final attribute I have acquired as a result of work experience is compassion. I have experience working as a

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Blog Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Blog - Article Example The organizations, big and small, scattered around the globe tend to have more than their ample share of what may be called the bad managers, whose only concern seems to be to mar the organizational efficiency and nip the talent right in the bud, wherever it is deployed within or outside the organization, thereby restraining the organization from achieving the levels of productivity and efficiency that may shock the shareholders, pushing most of them towards a premature stroke or heart attack (Lussier and Achua 5). One other role of bad managers is to give way to a pervasive despondency, apathy and cynicism within organizations so that employees may genuinely end up believing that they scarcely deserve a promotion or a raise, thereby sparing the organizations from splurging much money in the name of motivation and efficiency. When it comes to recruiting bad managers, the organizations may complain of a serious dearth of real talent. However, the good news is that bad managers happen to be just like regular managers with a discerning pool of skills and abilities at their disposal, which help them justify their title and denomination. While talking of bad managers, the one person that emerges on the canvass of my memory is Mr. Dam Doolittle, a paragon of managerial dexterity and a virtual paradigm of a bad manager, whom I came across while working in a local advertisement firm. One thing that outshined Mr. Doolittle from the pool of inefficient menials working under his tutelage in the firm was his panache for professional outlook. Mr. Doolittle had a passion for designer suits, ties and Italian patent leather shoes. Perhaps his guiding maxim was that if one successfully managed to look like a manager, than perhaps 99 percent of one’s job is done. No wonder, Mr. Doolittle’s managing acumen stood to be merely skin deep and superficial like the garishness of his apparels. However, sadly, this was not the be-all and end-all of his managerial acumen and talent. Mr. Doolittle indeed was endowed by the providence with some rare and special skills that aptly placed him at an assorted place in the hall of fame of the worst managers. His reputation was indeed well deserved and well earned, scarcely impervious to any tarnishing by the ravages of time or bursts of organizational change. When it came to micro management, it goes without saying that on this entire globe there scarcely existed a manager born of a human womb that could match the adroitness of Mr. Doolittle. Mr. Doolittle scarcely believed in the obsolete concept of ‘vision’. He was a stickler for change. He believed that in the current times defined by fast altering consumer preferences and the onslaught of digital solutions, ‘vision’ happened to be a thing of the past. He not only believed in leading from the front merely, but generously spread his management talent, right, left, behind and center, firmly convinced that the day he contracts his man agerial acumen from the floor, the business will virtually fall down on its knees. He believed in ruthlessly cracking the whip whenever and wherever the need be, luckily restrained by the organizational norms from wielding a whip in the literal sense. Being deprived of the superfluous notion of vision, the employees mostly felt insecure, confused and intimidated, and that is how Mr. Dam Doolittle expected them to be (Benfari 109). Esteemed to be a manager worth his salt, he had

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 73

Reflection - Essay Example I have taken this concept of leadership from the leader of Starbucks where he consults and engages the low level staff before making a decision. Thirdly, and lastly, I have learnt the concept of objectivity and subjectivity in relation to financial management and asset acquisition. This is from the considerations that the Starbucks Company has to consider some aspects accepting offers. All these concepts that I have learnt apply both to my professional and personal life in terms of being an effective resources manager pertaining to corporate resources and making personal budgets to avoid spendthrift activities (CheckMate, 2009). Leadership also applies to both professional and personal life in that I will engage the junior employees in a company once employed and even in my personal life I will be an effective leader. Lastly, the concept of critical analysis and subjectivity and objectivity applies in my professional life in terms of assessing all aspects before making decisions on taking or dropping offers or venture g into a certain activity. This applies in my personal life as well since it can help me in making a decision with first assessing the different

Friday, November 15, 2019

Looking At The Maybank ATM Machines

Looking At The Maybank ATM Machines Maybank was founded by Malaysian business tycoon Khoo Teck Puat, who died in 2004. Amirsham Abdul Aziz. Dato Sri Abdul Wahid Omar was officially appointed as President and CEO of Maybank Group in May 2008. (http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) Today, it is the largest financial services group in Malaysia. Its extensive products and services include commercial banking, investment banking, Islamic banking, offshore banking, leasing and hire purchase, insurance, factoring, trustee services, asset management, stock broking, nominee services, venture capital and Internet banking. (http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) Maybank currently ranks among the top five banks in ASEAN, and is a Qualifying Full Bank (QFB) in Malaysia. For the convenience of Maybank customers, all Maybanks 374 branch offices and more than 2,800 ATM machines are strategically located in both the business districts and suburban estates.( http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) Today, Maybank proudly stands above its peers as Malaysias flagship financial services group in a vibrant, strong and highly competitive banking and financial services landscape. Total assets of the Group stand at RM310.7 billion.( http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) 2.0 Internal Chiefly, the environmental factors are categorized into two different groups, they are internal and external. Internal factors are taken place within the boundaries of organisation. Specifically to the case of Maybank, there are few significant internal factors that they are subject to will be examined such as products and services, vision and mission, SWOT analysis, and Leadership. 2.1 SWOT analysis Strength well known bank 374 branch offices in Malaysia. more than 2,800 ATM machines Correspondent banking relationship with 700 foreign banks throughout the world. Strong performance where it was listed second largest in Malaysia Stock Exchange and Bursa Malaysia Weaknesses -Inefficient Service and poor customer Service. Have to pay huge amount of money to stakeholder Opportunities -experts in the industry and shares their experience with the employee Maybank have many other investments from other companies Threat Economic slowdown like right now where stalling economies are bad for the banking sector Table 1.0 SWOT analysis 2.1.1STRENGTHS It is a well known bank where it have over 374 branch office and more than 2,800 ATM machines. Correspondent banking relationship with 700 foreign banks throughout the world. It also have diversity in product where they provide opening account, giving loan, credit cards, investment insurance, and Islamic banking.(http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) Strong performance where it was listed second largest in Malaysia Stock Exchange and Bursa Malaysia and Maybank workforce come from a multifaceted background of skills, disciplines, experience and industry knowledge to create talented teams of idea generators. 2.1.2WEAKNESSES Inefficient Service and poor customer service, for example Maybank does not have bank systems be automated with built-in security features to verify their customers accounts and details without having to rely on a piece of physical paper with a signature. This would make customer harder to replace card or change account if go to different branch. This kind of service is totally unacceptable in todays competitive world where time equals money. Have to pay huge amount of money to stake where dividend payout ratio (of 60%) to the stakeholders. They set policy to pay dividend of 60% percent of their profit as the long term policy. 2.1.3OPPORTUNITIE Growth of existing market where Maybank is experts in the industry and shares their experience with the employee so by then they can expand further in the industry. Maybank have many other investments from other companies and expand its operations in Vietnam, China, Philippines and India. (http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) 2.1.4THREATS Economic slowdown like right now where stalling economies are bad for the banking sector as it impedes loans growth which is the sectors bread and butter (borrowers become more cautious) and it stirs up bad loans (due to the burden of rising borrowing cost) which in turn erodes a banks financial comfort.) The job is made harder by a brutally competitive landscape HSBC and how it has grown from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp in the past to becoming a truly global bank today. They were even been bold enough to venture into Islamic Banking and created HSBC Amanah at a time when most banks, especially foreign ones, were figuring out what Islamic Bank was all about and were skeptical.(http://www.hsbc.com.my/1/2/personal-banking/deposits/basic-current-and-amanah-basic-current-account-i) 2.2Product and service Maybank product and service range includes commercial banking, investment banking Islamic banking, offshore banking, insurance and takaful, factoring, trustee services, asset management, stock broking, nominee services, venture capital and internet banking.Maybank has consistently set new benchmark for the product and service delivery by achieving many firsts in the industry which include the first to introduce a rural credit scheme, mobile banking services, internet banking and receivable financing on a non-recourse basis.( http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) The product is designed to satisfy a certain need and normally is sold in a competitive environment and so that product success is very much driven by market forces and must compete on cost, quality in the board sense, and delivery time.(Derek L.Waller 2003,page 147) In an effort to reinforce service quality standards and continuously promote service excellence, the Maybank implements various programmes such as customer sales, and service training programmes, service standards monitoring, and customer surveys. In Maybank, it has several different type of savings account services provide to the customer.Example for the savings account products are Golden Savers Saving Account, specially tailored for senior citizens, retirees and those planning for early retirement. This account offers high returns and a host of other benefits and discounts meant to enhance your golden years. Yippie saving account a saving account designed for children aged below 18 years old.Children can start an account with as little as rm1, and enjoy monthly dividend on a profit-sharing basis. (To get more information, please refer to appendix 1 and appendix 2) (http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) 2.3 Vision and mission Vision The visions of Maybank are To be a leading regional financial services group by 2015. Mission An organization need to have effective operation management effort must have Mission, it will help them knows it is going and provide boundaries and focus for organization. Maybank mission are 1) To be the top five financial services group in South/South East Asia, by size and Performance. 2) Undisputed leadership in Malaysia, across all high margin/profitable products/segments 3) Truly regional organization, with 40% of gross loans derived from international operations 4) Recognition for delivering innovative and superior value proposition to customers 5) Top quartile employer of talent in each of our markets. (http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) (To get more information please refer to appendix 3) Figure 1.0 Leap 30 Performance Improvement Programme 2.4 Leadership Maybank is committed to inculcating a leadership culture which not only encourages high impact communication but also values ideas and feedback. Active communication is the key to ensuring Maybankers are well-informed and knowledgeable about the Groups operations, business strategies and management decisions. As part of Maybank vision to create world-class managers, Maybank have a robust Leadership Model built on the leadership philosophy and competencies that are required to support the Groups aspirations. Maybanks leadership philosophy describes the essence of a great leader guided by the corporate values of teamwork, integrity, growth, excellence, efficiency and relationship building. The leadership competencies serve as a guideline for assessment of leaders and reiterate the six core competencies that every Maybank leader should have. These are strategic thinking, a spirit for achievement, ability to develop talent and cultivate relationships, being customer-centric and the desire to innovate and change. (http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) In order to increase the effectiveness of maybank staff, a Mentoring programme was introduced for the succession plan candidates of identified C-suite positions. Foundation programmes within Maybanks Personal Managerial Effectiveness Learning Roadmap were also structured for entry level and executive positions while intermediate programmes were targeted at team leaders and new managers. The advanced programme promotes a talent development culture which places emphasis on leadership across all boundaries. One such example is the Maybank Great Manager (MGM) programme aimed at improving managerial skills, capabilities and knowledge. In 2009, a total of 103 Human Capital workshops involving the participation of 2,000 managers were completed.(http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) Maybank Annual report 2009 3.0External 3.1Political and Legal The operations of Maybank are affected by the government policies on the regulations of banking industry. Currently government are controlling the marketing of banking industry because of responsible for promoting a stable monetary and financial structure.. Governments also control the license given for open the banking industry and other legislation need to follow such as Central Bank of Malaysia act 2009,Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989(BAFIA), and Exchange Control Act 1953. (http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=14)Good relationship with government in giving mutual benefits such as employment and tax is a must for the company to succeed in any foreign market. Maybank should also protect its workers by ensuring all the hiring, compensation, training or repatriation is according to Malaysian Labor Law as stipulated. Example Wages, salaries, bonuses and social security contributions are recognised as an expense in the year in which the associated services are rendered by empl oyees of the Group and the Bank.(http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) 3.2Economics The year 2009 was tough would be an understatement given the upheaval created worldwide as a result of the global financial crisis that saw financial giants fail or requiring Government support. In these difficult times, Maybank remained prepared and strong. Maybank was able to withstand the challenges of a highly stressed and competitive operating landscape given its strong capital and liquidity position, and continued to play a significant role in ensuring that credit remains available to help the Malaysian economy and to support Malaysian business and consumer economic activities. Example For the year ended 30 June 2009, Maybank recorded higher revenue of RM10.5 billion compared to RM9.6 billion last year. However, net profit was lower at RM691.9 million compared to RM2.9 billion recorded in the previous year. The lower profit was largely due to higher loan loss provisions, interest on the additional RM9.1 billion securities and subordinated debts issued in 2008 as well as the imp airment charges in relation to its investment in BII and MCB Bank of RM1.62 billion and RM353 million respectively. Excluding the impairment charges and the reversal of the allowances for the non-refundable deposit for the BII acquisition, Maybank Groups core profit after tax stood at RM2.18 billion. ( (http://www.maybank2u.com.my/)( To get more information please refer to appendix 4) 3.3 SOCIAL The changing lifestyles of Malaysia due to development of Malaysian economy should be also taking into consideration. While more people are able to purchase car and house, there are a number of housing loan and hire purchase packages that have been developed in the market to suit the particular needs of the borrower. They want to have greater innovation, value, quality in services and more conveniences that can differentiate one bank from another. Besides that, Consumers want technology in their life and facilities such as credit card payment, online banking channel for payments or opening a bank account. All these needs should also be taken into consideration. For example Maybank online portal has the largest number of payee corporations. Close to 700 types of bills can be paid via Maybank2u.com (http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) 3.4Technology Technology is widely recognised by various literatures on strategic management (Capron and Glazer, 1987; Johnson and Scholes, 1993).Over the past few decades the impact of technology, in particular information technology, is undisputed in almost every aspect of banking industry. Currently, Maybank is the established market leader in online banking in Malaysia, with the largest user base of 3.8 million customers and the highest number of web based product offerings online. Maybank2u.com was voted as the Best Brand for Banking Online and was awarded the Brand Laureate Award by the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation. Besides that, Maybank employ the latest in encryption technology to ensure safety and confidentiality of your transactions. 3.5Environmental Maybank has a strong policy that supports environmental issues. Maybank efforts to reduce its carbon footprint encompass both its operational as well as product offerings. In daily operations, environment-friendly practices are constantly encouraged. This includes recycling of paper, electronic communication, utilising energy-saving practices for lighting and air-conditioning as well as centralised printing to reduce use of individual printers and consumables. Example in introducing new products, Maybank is offering more paperless transactions, implementing electronic payment and online statements. The new American Express Gold Credit card provides online statements, while the nations first Online Bill Presentation service with Tenaga Nasional Berhad introduced electricity bill statement and online payment via Maybank2u.com.( http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) Task2 4.0 Influence of policies and decision making on E- business E-banking is defined as the automated delivery of new and traditional banking products and services directly to customers through electronic, interactive communication channels. E-banking includes the systems that enable financial institution customers, individuals or businesses, to access accounts, transact business, or obtain information on financial products and services through a public or private network, including the Internet. Customers access e-banking services using an intelligent electronic device, such as a personal computer (PC), personal digital assistant (PDA) or automated teller machine (ATM).( Institut Bank; Bank Malaysia) 4.1 Influence of policies and decision making on E- business to customer 4.1.1ATM (automated teller machines) Automated teller machines providing banking services, in particular cash dispensing service which facilitate direct withdrawals from deposit accounts and check account balance at previously unfeasible location and time. ATM are efficient in dispensing controlled amount of cash rapidly and accurately. To move customer to more efficient delivery channel, ATM handle other simple transactions, which are often categorized as being of low value to the bank.(Institut Bank ;Bank Malaysia) Maybank provide more than 2,800 ATM machines are strategically located where customers require cash to make purchases, such as at shopping centres, PETRONAS petrol service station or outside the branch premises. Maybank customers are able to conduct banking transactions after normal office hours. Maybank ATM performs banking transactions including cash withdrawals and funds transfers at customer preferred time; convenient access to cash, in local currencies, when customers are overseas. .( http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) 4.1.2E statement With the growth and maturity of online statement delivery, paperless statements are fast becoming the norm in the banking industry. Paperless statements under different service tags ranging from E-Statements, Email Statements, PDF Statements and Online Statements. Paperless statement can be made available through emails, e-banking services or over websites and are usually free of charge. Maybank bank is offering more paperless transactions, implementing electronic payment and online statements Example the new American Express Gold Credit card provides online statements, while the nations first Online. Customers are also being to switch to online statements instead of receiving printed copies. It is easy n convenient for customer to tracking personal financial and mange personal account online any time. (http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) 4.1.3Credit card(online transaction) A plastic card that allows a person to purchase goods and services by paying with money borrowed from a creditor. The borrower then repays the credit card company, often with interest. The borrower doesnt always have to pay interest, because paying the debt off on time might not result in interest being charged. http://157.166.255.31/2009/LIVING/studentnews/03/15/financial.glossary/index.html Credit card is often the most convenient method around when customers need to buy something important or when customers need to fund an emergency that occurs. Maybank offers a wide variety of credit cards. There are different types to suit different lifestyles and needs. There is the Maybank-Sogo Visa Card in Classic and Gold, The Classic and Gold MasterCard and the Classic and Gold Visa card. The Maybank credit card payment online service is a facility that is available to customers. The valued customer can pay a variety of bills over the internet by using a Maybank credit card. It saves plenty of time that would be better spent on other pursuits and projects. ( http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) There are rewards to be had when customer use the Maybank credit card payment online service. Customer becomes eligible for points under the banks GiftPoints programme when customers use their Maybank credit card to make purchases over the Internet. (http://www.maybank2u.com.my/) 4.1.4 E-shopping Improve on its policy of meeting the customer needs efficiently and effectively by assisting the commercialisation of e shopping. Customer can find it convenient and easy to online shopping from the comfort of their home or office. Maybank offer variety of product service online such as electronics, gift and collectibles, health and beauty, kids and newborn, branded fragrances, clothing and travel gear. (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/online-shopping.html) Decision making Maybank Customers can purchase a variety of products and services online and pay conveniently by direct debit from their Maybank Savings and Current Accounts Maybank2u.com Cyber Mall offers convenient and reliable online shopping. Maybank number one focus is customer satisfaction. Customer can expect quality merchants, value for money and take advantage of special offers. Enjoy shopping at customer own convenience from customer home or office with the assurance of a secure connection. Maybank trust that shopping at Maybank2u.com Cyber Mall will be a rewarding experience.( http://mall.maybank2u.net/main.jsp?pageid=Home)(To get more information, please refer Appendix 6 ) 4.2Influence of policies and decision making on E- business to business The flagship B2B cash management system from Maybank, Maybank2e.net, remains a sought-after solution as it maintains its cutting-edge lead in managing complex financial supply chain and working capital activities under a well integrated platform. The system has expanded its capabilities and currently contains six different modules: Information Management, Payables Management, Receivables Management, Liquidity Management, and Financial Supply Chain and Corporate Services. The cash management front is becoming increasingly demanding where companies have to efficiently manage liquidity across their businesses. A strong testimony to Maybank our commitment is the number of awards accorded by international organisations to Maybank2e.net including FinanceAsia Best Cash Management Bank Country Award 2009, Best Cash Management Bank for Malaysia Asset Triple A Transactional Banking Awards, Best Local Currency Cash Management Services 2008 Award by AsiaMoney Polls and Alpha SEA Best Cash Management Bank Award. (To get more information, please refer to appendix on title of Award and Recognition.) 4.2.1 E-payment Electronic payment is any digital financial payment transaction involving currency transfer between two or more parties (source: World Bank) Internet is usually believed to be the only mode. In reality e-payments cover a much broader range (phone, interbank networks, etc)(http://www.intracen.org/e-trade/docs/nepal/catani.pdf) Maybank2e.net e-payment represents a revolution in the manner in which customer business is able to execute payment transactions. It caters for a complete range of payment transactions such as funds transfers and local / foreign remittances. Maybank e-payment also provides a comprehensive payroll service, allowing customer to automatically credit employee salaries directly into their designated accounts. Convenience is offered via the ability to submit contributions online to statutory bodies such as Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organization (SOCSO). (http://www.maybank2e.net/is_epayment.shtml) Submitting payments online increases the efficiency of the payment process by cutting down manual tasks and processes. Payments can be made to both Intrabank (within Maybank Group) and Interbank (other local banks) accounts through the GIRO and RENTAS platforms. All transactions are guaranteed total security with Maybank leading edge security infrastructure. With online reporting, customer access to accurate and timely information for account reconciliation. Customer can view their file status, download processed files or print a summary of the processed files. 4.2.2E security Maybank2e.net is highly committed in ensuring that all transactions performed through www.maybank2e.net are secure, safe and confidential. The security features of Maybank2e.net have been tailor-made to meet the requirements of corporate users. Maybank2e.net is located within the internal security system of the bank, which provides firewall systems, strong data encryption (128-bit SSL), anti-virus protection and round-the-clock security surveillance systems. Beside that, regular security reviews of Maybank systems by Maybank internal system auditor as well as external security experts. In additional, Maybank2e.net has incorporates a comprehensive security infrastructure, utilising binding encryption on all data transmission. Security control is further enforced via audit trails, dual control access levels and re-authentication. This guarantees that corporate user transactions are protected, private and secure at all times. 5.0Effectiveness of e-business in Maybank 5.1Electronic Banking Maybanks Consumer Banking is anchored by its strong franchise, which encompasses the most extensive ATM network coverage in Malaysia. Maybank maintains the lead in having the most number of largest ATM network in the country with market share of 32%. During the year, Maybank installed 92 Off-Bank ATMs throughout Malaysia. In January 2008, the branch network was migrated from a legacy framerelay system to an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IPVPN), leading to reduction in network complexity, easier network management and improved cost effectiveness as well as exchange of encrypted confidential data. Currently the IPVPN service operates at more than 400 branch networks, over 2,800 ATMs and 160 point-of-sales merchant networks. Figure 2.0 Number of Maybank ATM and CDM From Figure 2, it shows that, Maybank has increased their number of ATM machine by 107% from 1356 to 2804 in year 2005 to 2009. Beside that, Maybank has increased their number of CDM machine by 87% from 485 to 910 in year 2005 to 2009. 5.2Online banking Maybank2u.com is the No.1 Internet banking website in Malaysia with 3.8 million registered users and a market share of over 54%. The strong growth during the year was attributed to innovative product offerings through electronic commercial transactions as well as a shift from simple fund transfers to more complex transactions. Example the First Public Report of Online Usage in Malaysia released by comScore a leader in measuring the digital world, listed Maybank2u.com as the top local site in Malaysia. The report includes a ranking of the most visited Internet properties and top visited local-based properties, based on the comScore World Metrix service. In June 2009, 9.3 million people in Malaysia age 15 and older accessed the Internet from home and work locations, with each consuming an average of 1,066 pages of content and spending nearly 14 hours online during the month. Maybank2u.com topped the list as the most visited local site, with more than 1 million visitors, reaching nearl y 12 percent of all Malaysians online, making it the most engaging site of the top 10 Malaysian properties. Table 2.0 Top 10 sites in Malaysia 5.3 New Electronic Services Maybank introduced the All-new, All-you Maybank2u.com by revamping Maybank existing website with new features in compliance with web 2.0 technology. Maybank also kicked off Malaysias first online bills summary by a bank, My Bills. Initially launched with Tenaga Nasional Berhad, users can now also view, pay and save DiGi and TM bills via this facility. Additionally, Maybank online portal enables users to make additional ASB investments online, the first and only facility in Malaysia. Launched by the Prime Minister on 21 April 2009, the facility also allows third party investment in ASB. Currently, Maybank online portal has the largest number of payee corporations. Close to 700 types of bills can be paid via Maybank2u.com. This will be further bolstered with additional Government-partnered initiatives such as online payments for Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit, Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Nasional and the Ministry of Finance Housing Loan Scheme. 6.0Area to improvement 6.1Hire expertise, provide training Maybank should hire more expertise in order to implementation and administration e-banking efficiently and effectively. Beside that, Maybank should provide a holistic approach enhancing employee skills and competencies through its online e-learning programmes. The programmes include upkeep, maintenance, security and implementation of networks. All crew members should be well-trained before sending them to work career. 6.2Improve quality of maybank website (www.maybank2u.com.my/) Maybank should consume extensive amounts of time and money to define, design, develop, test, implement, and maintain website in order to improve the quality of e products and service. Beside that, Maybank staff should treating complaints seriously and resolving them as quickly and fairly as possible.If Maybank wants their Maybank2u.com to be popular among online banking website it should leave the user with a positive impression about the organization, so consumers can get an impression that the company cares about them. 6.3Increase online security Maybank should ensure that all transactions performed through their online financial service are secure, safe and confidential by installing the latest firewall systems, strong data encryption, anti-virus protection and round-the-clock security surveillance systems to detect and prevent any form of illegitimate activities on maybank network systems. Beside that, keep on update privacy protection control systems when new versions are released. So that Maybank customers can enjoy Maybank Internet Banking with total peace of mind. 6.4 Increase Maybank e shopping At Maybank2u.com Cyber Mall, Maybank offer variety categories such as electronics, gift and collectibles, health and beauty, kids and newborn, branded fragrances, clothing and travel gear but each category provides few or even none of product and service. Example the travel gear didnt provide any product or service. Maybank should find more potential and quality partner merchant, to provide more product and service to satisfies customer need and want. Beside that, Maybank need to provide multiple images from different angles for the product. An image in each color, of the front, back, and sides, and even detailed shots of specific features can all go a long way toward making a consumer more likely to buy. 7.0Conclusion In conclusion, this report analyzes both internal and external environment of Maybank, a largest financial services group established in Malaysia. Due to the length constraint of the report, there are only significant environmental factors are analysed in terms of their influence on the organization and the organizations response towards environmental changes. Internal environment factors are analyzed include products and services SWOT analysis, Vision and mission, and leadership,. Any product or policy of a company has to reviewed and make change accordingly that fit to the contemporary needs of the organization. Example the Maybank Great Manager (MGM) programme aimed at improving managerial skills, capabilities and knowledge. The external factors are political, economy, social, technology, environment and legal. Five of these factors exert tremendous pressure on Maybank business operation especially the economical factors. For Example result of the global financial crisis that saw financial giants fail or requiring Government support. Maybank remained prepared and strong. Maybank was able to withstand the challenges of a highly stressed and competitive operating landscape given its strong capital and liquidity position. The second part of the report analyzes the influence of e- business toward Maybank in terms of policy and decision making. Besides, the effectiveness of response to those concepts is studied as well. Lastly, there are few recommendations have been suggested to improve their current initiatives of knowledge management and learning organization concept. For instance, Maybank could move themselves even closer to success in e-business by Improve online security, improve maybank e- shopping, improve quality of maybank website and provide training and hire expertise. Reference Derek L. Waller, 2003, Operation Management, Italy, Gray Publishing. Capron, N. and Glazer, R. (1987), Marketing and Technology Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (1993), Exploring Corporate Strategy Operational of Financial institution (Institut Bank; Bank Malaysia) Access From www.maybank2u.com.my/ [2 march 2009] Access from http://university-essays.tripod.com/pest_pestel_pestle_lepest_analysis.html [2 March 2009] Access from http:/