Report into Strategy and Social Responsibility of British Petroleum

Report into Strategy and Social Responsibility of British Petroleum This project examines the operation of British Petroleum (BP) in the light of established international business theories. Two major aspects are considered; Globalisation strategy and corporate social responsibility ethics. Although certain failings are highlighted BP is assessed to perform optimally on both counts. A conclusion is drawn and certain recommendations with respect to the style of research are made in the final section. Report Contents The report assesses the operations of British Petroleum to establish to which degree the operations of BP are in line with related management theory. The project starts with a brief introduction on the business of BP. This sets a stage and develops a context for further discussion. The second section discusses the research method adopted in the preparation of this project. Several methods are explored and the most feasible selected as the method of choice. The third section looks at BPs operations in two respects; international trade and globalisation strategy, and corporate responsibility and ethics. The final section of the project is a conclusion that summarises the main themes highlighted in the work, noting its achievements and limitations and sets the stage for future research. At this stage some recommendations are also made. Introduction British Petroleum (BP) is a global Oil and Gas company with its headquarters in the UK. It is one of the worlds largest businesses by virtue of its revenues. On is corporate website, it terms its self as one of the worlds largest companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemical products for everyday items. As of its financial year end 2009, it owned 22400 service stations around the globe, it owned operations in 30 countries around the world, it employed 80,300 people in different countries, it owned 16 refineries around the world (with the biggest in Houston Texas), it produces 2.3 million barrels per day and owned oil reserves of about 18.3 Billion barrels (BP web 2010) Research Methods This project aims to assess the operations of BP. It takes into focus two major issues in global business and strategy; International trade globalisation strategy and ethics including aspects of corporate social responsibility. The management literature proposes several qualitative research methodologies (Bryman, 2004). These methodologies include; surveys, questionnaires, case studies, focus groups, experiments and interviews (Bryman, 2004). Pursuant to the aims of this project, a case study approach is employed in which I consult several documents which discuss management theory (detailed in Hill, 2009) and I examine how their application in practice basing on the case of British Petroleum. I use the BP website as a core source to derive information for this purpose. Given the lack of resources, other research methods such as interviews, questionnaires and focus groups are impractical. The next section details the operations of BP and the related theoretical underpinnings. British Petroleums globalisation strategy Globalisation refers to the current trend where the world is becoming a global village by effectively inter-knitting, national boundaries are being relaxed and countries are increasingly dependent on each other for survival. Globalisation presents significant opportunities to businesses as well as challenges. Firms that can cope with the trend enjoy larger markets, cheaper resources and therefore higher profitability. Firms that are unable to compete efficiently are faced out. As highlighted above BP is a global company with a highly acclaimed globalisation strategy. The success of this strategy could be attributed several (three main) factors as discussed below. First-mover advantage The history of BP can be traced back to the establishment of the Anglo Persian Oil Company, a subsidiary of the Burmah Oil Company in 1909. This firm explored the Persian golf for many years and was converted to the British Petroleum company after the Second World War. Scanty reports show that the firm expanded tremendously by 1960 developing its operations beyond the Persian golf into North America. Most importantly it established a significant presence in the North Sea by being the first company to find Oil in Alaska (BP web, 2010). The above indicates the length to which BP has gone to establish itself as one of the worlds biggest and most successful companies. New Trade theory suggests that first movers can benefit enormously from certain economic and strategic advantages in terms of operations. The theory argues that for those products where economies of scale are significant and represent a substantial portion of world demand, the first movers in an industry can gain a scale based cost advantage that later entrants find almost impossible to match (Hill, 2009. p 187). First mover advantage can potentially explain the structure of the Oil and Gas industry. The industry is made up of few big players and many small players in the Western world where competition is free. In other countries such as Kuwait, Saudi, Russia, China, Iraq and Qatar competition in the industry is restricted and the major oil exploiters are government owned. BP has established itself in most of the western world due to its first mover advantage. It is able to cut costs in its operations and derive benefits from economies of scale and scope. Many firms can compete effectively in Oil exploitation, exploration, extraction and refining, and therefore they turn to engage in the provision of support services such as distribution or the derivation of chemicals for other manufacturing industries. Competitive advantage Porters findings on national competitive advantage can be extended to understand why BP locates in the regions it does. BP is a global firm but has operations at varying degrees in about 30 different countries world wide (BP web, 2010). Despite operating significantly in 30 countries, its products and services are available in over 100 countries (BP web, 2010). Porters diamond asserts that the degree to which a nation is likely to achieve international success in a certain industry is a function of the combined impact of factor endowments, domestic demand conditions, related and supporting industries and domestic rivalry (Hill, 2009. p 191). Hill (2009) argues that based porters theory a profit seeking firm should localize its operations in those countries where such activities can be performed optimally. BP operates in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America and South America. In Africa, it operates in Joint Ventures with firms in Egypt, Angola and Algeria. Its choice to operate only in join ventures in this country can be explained by the political economy of these countries. These countries cannot be termed as full democracies and are often susceptible to civil crisis. Operating as a joint venture, curbs the firms risk in the event of a political crisis but allows it to enjoy the revenues to be derived from its operations. It also has a huge presence in the Southern regions of Africa but in these regions it engages more with the marketing of its solar energy concepts. This region is rich in natural resources (sunshine) but the development of energy networks is very poor. The countries in this region rely heavily on hydroelectricity which is usually not sufficient to provide for industries and households. BP also operates as joint ventures in Asia with operations in Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, South Korea and Malaysia. It manufactures lubricants and solar panels in China and India where labour is cheap. BP does not explore petroleum in Australasia. Its operations in this region are geared towards the provision of solar energy. BP operates as a stand alone entity in much of Europe. Its operations in Russia are partly owned (joint venture) by a Russian company. It has major exploration and production facilities in Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Columbia. These regions are rich in natural gas and oil necessitating BPs localisation to the areas. Products Hill (2009) noted that Raymond Vernon developed the product lifecycle theory after his realisation that firms had to keep innovating in order to maintain a demand for their products and ensure growth in revenues. The theory can be used to explain the globalisation trends, innovation drive and product mix of British Petroleum. BP currently produces a wide range of energy products including oil, natural gas, wind energy, solar energy, bio fuels and petroleum based lubricants. Two decades ago, its primary product was Oil. Research and development in the industry has led to the introduction of cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy. These forms of energy are widely regarded as the future of the Oil and Gas industry. Speculators believe that at some point in time oil will be faced out as coal was faced out with the discovery of oil. BP has realised the fact that oil as a product has reached its maturity stage and its demand might diminish with the advent of new forms of energy. The firm has taken a colossal position in the new energy market by running a major portfolio of energy products representing the mix of all bespoke and innovative new forms of energy. Unlike televisions for example, Oil cannot be re-engineered and further developed. Innovation by modification is therefore difficult. BP has turned the focus on energy efficiency i.e. researching and developing ways in which energy can be saved. Instead of devising faster or stronger energy which might be impossible BP has turned the focus to the development of equipment and usage techniques that will save energy through low consumption. This encompasses innovation that fuels the demand for its products. Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility As Hill (2009) emphasized ethical issues in international business are brought about by political, legal, economic and cultural differences in between countries- what is considered normal practice in one country might be considered unethical in another (p. 124). The ethical challenge, I will argue, is significantly increased for global firms. BP for example operates in all the different continents of the world. In keeping with Hills argument ethics is relative and context dependent. In certain countries, it is ethical to employ young people. In the UK, all employees must be above the legal age of 18 to gain full employment. The legal age changes significantly between countries varying from 16 to 21. Most multi national firms deal with this challenge by devising a set of corporate values which govern their operations in all regions. BP web (2010) argues that the company is driven by four major values; progressive, responsible, innovative and performance driven. In terms of being responsible, BP asserts that We are committed to the safety and development of our people and the communities and societies in which we operate. We aim for no accidents, no harm to people and no damage to the environment. This commitment can be seen in the fact that BP reporting covers all aspects beyond financial reporting including health, safety, human rights, environment and energy. BP is at the forefront of the cleaner energy debate. It does its bit by engaging in energy saving initiatives and constantly researching on cleaner ways in which energy can be produced and delivered. It has diversified strongly into the green energy industry engaging in the production of liquefied petroleum gas, fossil fuels and renewable energy. A major part of corporate ethics that has been pervasive in the management literature in recent years is corporate social responsibility. Hill (2009) argues that multinational corporations such as BP have power that comes from their operations and their ability to move production from country to country. Considering for an instance the revenues generated by BP annually, I find that the corporations revenues is higher than the GDP of many countries. Social responsibility advocates that managers should consider more than just the economic consequences of their decisions (hill, 2009). More importantly, importance should be placed on the social consequences of decision making. The European commission defines corporate social responsibility as A concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis (EC website, 2010). It basically refers to the companys interactions with its surrounding communities and looks at how the company strives to promote development and social cohesion and participates in maintaining the environment within such communities. A firms community is a major stakeholder of the firm and thus needs to be considered. BPs financial reporting incorporates major aspects such as its social responsibility, its strive for cleaner energy, its contributions towards preserving the environment and its strive to improve sustainable extraction of energy. Communities take corporate social responsibilities seriously especially when it comes to Oil and Gas firms. This is largely as a result of the potential dangers that can arise from their operations with these communities. Recent crises have ranged from large explosions with severe casualties to major spillages with the destruction of flora and fauna. -A review of the BP 2010 Oil spill crisis BP faced a deep water horizon drilling rig explosion which killed 11 of its off shore workers and injured 17 other workers. The rig gushed out over 5 million barrels of crude oil into the Mexican Golf between April and July 2010. The spill was catastrophic and so were its effect on wild life, the fishing industry, the tourism sector and the surrounding neighbourhoods. In response to this BP set up a crisis management program. It publicly apologized for the distress it caused and undertook to foot the clean up costs. The company has currently set up a $20 Billion dollar fund to manage the after-effects of the crisis. During the crisis, BP showed effort employing several techniques to attempt to stop the leakage. It also arranged a compensation plan for those affected by the crisis. This attests to the fact that BP takes its corporate social responsibility and ethics very strongly. Hill (2009) also notes the social contributions or social investments of BP in Algeria. Hill notes that BP realised its communities in Algeria lacked clean drinking water and created two desalination plants to produce clean what for the public. To add to this, the company provided water cans to help residents transport water from plants to their homes. Conclusions Summary of findings This study has examined the operations of BP in the global context to see how certain management concepts are applied in practice. Two aspects; globalisation strategy and corporate social responsibility were reviewed. BP is found to have a sophisticated globalisation strategy which it has fortified over the years. This helps it to compete efficiently and to remain one the worlds leading corporations. Again, BP is found to have a robust stance towards corporate social responsibility and ethics. Its industry is hazardous and it is pruned to corporate disasters such as spills and explosions. BP has managed to keep these to a minimum and when they do occur, BP has taken necessary steps to manage the crisis and limit the damage Limitations This work is limited in the fact that it strongly relies on public information sources to assess the operations of BP. Several aspects could have been better scrutinized and invaluable insights drawn through other research methods such as interviews with key workers and focus groups to draw varied opinion. Due to the limitations in space (number of words) the aspects discussed can not be reviewed in greater detail. Future research Recommendations This research has examined BPs operations in light of established theory but has not confirmed if such a method of operation is optimal. It might be interesting to investigate whether the product strategy, globalisation strategy or their approach to ethics and corporate social responsibility affect their performance or contributes significantly towards the achievement of organisational goals and objectives. The limitations highlighted above also provide avenues for future research into the area. Several theories have been propounded in the management literature. Their understanding will only be facilitated by examining how these theories are applied in practice or by investigating the contributions of such theories to management practice. In light of this argument, this form of study is encouraged.

Community Colleges vs College Universites- Compare Contrast Essay

When graduating high school many students are concerned with choices they have to make as to which college they would like to attend. Some may have more options than others that have to be considered as far as their lifestyle, current jobs, other responsibilities they may have, personality and their academic goals. Choosing a college can be quite difficult. You can either decide on a college university or the local community colleges in your area. Community colleges are smaller than universities. Students will find them to have fewer enrollments which mean smaller classroom sizes. They have a better chance of getting hands on learning, asking more questions and learning course material better. Community colleges have strong advising systems and the advisers know their students well. The courses are usually taught by professors unlike some universities whose courses may taught by grad students. Small colleges as these do not offer near as many courses or academic programs as universities. Tuition at community colleges are so much more cheaper than universities, you may have tuition as much as $3,500. 00 to 5,500. 00 at community colleges versus $30,000. 00 to $50,000. 00 at universities and that itself is a great deal to consider. Another great thing about attending a local community college in your area is that most people can drive back and forth from their own home. They do not have to worry about dorm cost or finding apartments to rent when going away to college universities. College Universities may be for you if you’re interested in having much more degree programs to choose from, if you’re a go getter, not afraid to speak up for yourself and take advantage of opportunities. You may also want to attend a university if you are ready to get away and adventure out from your hometown and meet a whole new diversity of thousands of people. If attending a university you can expect a much higher number of students than a community college. Universities have a wide range of majors and class courses. They tend to have better stocked libraries for all of your researching needs. A lot of students choose universities because of the more programs that are offered and they feel when graduating from a university it looks a lot better having a diploma from a university than community college when applying for a job you have majored in. They also like the fact that there are many activities and a large number of sporting events. They also have a chance to break free and are not tied down at home with their parents. Succeeding at a university requires knowing what areas or subjects you are interested in and motivated about pursuing. Class sizes can contain up to hundreds of students and with that many people in one classroom it can be very hard to keep focus, ask questions and get hands on learning like you can at community colleges. Some students love the environment and find it exciting with that many students but on the other hand others feel depressed and overwhelmed because they may not be able to ask questions and find out the exact information they need to learn. Students who attend universities can be ready to hit the books hard each week and be sure to have a lot of study time. Professors are going to expect a great deal of their students and pile a lot of work on them at one time because they are considered as top-notch schools and they want their students to be well educated and really know the material. It can be very stressful for students who work jobs while in college but they have to make money and support themselves some way or another. Even though universities require a lot of work, students still find time to participate in extracurricular activities such as student organizations or community services. Some even join fraternities and sororities. Universities are likely to have great athletic teams and have a NCAA Divisions with games that are on television. Students love to support their college by wearing school colors on game day and attending all of their games whether they are home or away. Students enjoy the tailgating and party time that comes along with the games, too! Students will either live on the college campus or just a short distance off campus. Most students who stay in dorms have roommates. Some may know their roommates and others may be complete strangers and it can be very uncomfortable for them until they learn who and what kind of person they are. You must expect to sleep in the same room as your roommate, share the bathroom and have no privacy. It’s takes a lot amount of time to get from one place to another on a college university campus because of the number of students. You can expect a rush during lunch hour and a timely wait. There will also be very long lines when trying to register for classes and buying books. It’s up to the person where they choose to attend college. Community colleges and Universities can be very similar but again it’s a whole new world especially when living on a University Campus.

Marquez - 1801 Words

The Solitude of Latin America Gabriel Garcia Marquez was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982, fifteen years after the publication of his book One Hundred Years of Solitude. His speech accepting the Nobel Prize, lived up to his stature; a brilliant author and narrator seamlessnessly blending the real with the unreal, the ordinary and the magical. The speech offers glimpses into Marquez’s thoughts pertaining to Latin America, to his childhood and to humanity as a whole. Marquez’s speech, akin to all his other works is embedded in his native land of Latin America, following the vicissitudes of life amongst the rampant corruption, destruction and anarchism. The speech at its core is a political statement to the Europeans and the†¦show more content†¦The novel explores the issue of timelessness or eternity even within the framework of mortal existence. A major trope with which it accomplishes this task is the alchemists laboratory in the Buendia family home. It is a place where the male Buendia characters can indulge their will to solitude, whether through attempts to deconstruct the world with reason as in the case of Jose Arcadio Buendà ­a, or by the endless creation and destruction of golden fish as in the case of his son Colonel Aureliano Buendia. Furthermore, a sense of inevitability prevails throughout the text. This is a feeling that regardless of what way one looks at time, its encompassing nature is the one truthful admission. Latin America at the current juncture is akin to a blind man left to find his way across the desert. The quest for a national identity is bloody, full of ups and downs. Every country has its own unique epoch through history that marks its identity; Latin America is yet to come across one. Marquez’s chief complaint is the apathy exhibited by the west towards steps taken by Latin America to render plausible its own social aims. Agreed Latin America abounds with madness and obstinacy yet the only sentiment echoed by the west has been that of sympathy and not support. This is the crux of the Latin American Solitude, a solitude both geographic and ideological in its nature. Solitude is the central theme of the novel and expressions throughShow MoreRelatedGabriel Garcia Marquez1449 Words   |  6 Pagesin the simpler ones, themes like the fight between good and evil, love, between others. There are also the authors that actually mix the fantasy and the reality to a point that it is really hard to see the difference between them, Gabriel Garcia Marquez is said to be the father of this gender called â€Å"Magic Realism†, he said that the reason that he sees the world in that particular way of his, is because of the persons that raised him when he was really young â€Å"He was made by the sententious, worldlyRead MoreGabriel Garcia Marquez Essays1109 Words   |  5 PagesGabriel Garcia Marquez, an established author and journalist, is a product of the Post Modern Era. This era is the immediate time after World War II which ended in 1945. His writings depict the literary characteristics of blurring of distinctions between genres, in addition to over lapping with other eras, including Colonialism and Post Colonialism. â€Å"Ultimately, literature is nothing but carpentry. With both you are working with reality, a material just as hard as wood.† The quote in the line aboveRead MoreWilliam Golding, Gabriel Garcia Marquez1144 Words   |  5 Pagescarelessness. Golding and Marquez highlight the negative impacts on human nature, through dialogue and setting. The authors want readers to believe, that there is more wrong doing in today’s society, than there is good. To start out, at one point in everyone’s life they have most likely wanted to be famous or be involved in leadership. Too much of this treatment may lead to greed, which is a downfall of human nature. Two authors Golding of, Lord of the Flies and Marquez of, â€Å"I Only Came to Use theRead MoreChronicle of a Death Untold by Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez1008 Words   |  4 PagesTQ: To what extent do the Machismo and Marianismo ideals act as a catalyst to the plot of Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez? Honor over Love Honor can be earned and built throughout years of work and commitment but lost in just one single action. When looking at many Latin American cultures it is the women’s duty to preserve the honor, and the male’s job to protect it if there is ever a threat. The social ideologies of machismo and marianismo act as a source of pressure toRead More The Short Stories of Gabriel Garcia Marquez Essay969 Words   |  4 PagesThe Short Stories of Gabriel Garcia Marquez Short story writer. Novelist. Journalist. Political activist. Nobel Prize winner. Most beloved of 20th century Latin American authors, Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born on March 6, 1928, in the small coastal town of Aracataca, Colombia. He published his first story, The Third Resignation, in 1947 and began studying law and journalism. His first novel, Leafstorm, was published in 1955, the same year the Colombian government shut down his employer, theRead MoreChronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez661 Words   |  3 Pagesnovel, a murder becomes a mystery case. The plot of the novel is to not only distinguish who committed the crime, but also, his/her rationale behind doing so. In order to avoid the reader having to feel like a speculator, perhaps, Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez uses inconsistencies in writing to incite the confusion in the reader. This concept is best explained through the New York Time literary criticism article entitled, â€Å"MURDER MOST FOUL A ND COMIC† (Michaels). Essentially, this criticism seeks to understandRead MoreChronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez1240 Words   |  5 Pageshis life in its defense and it’s conscious that he gains protection while he gives it.† Gabriel Garcia Marquez bases the novel, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, off of a true account of a murder that occurred in Sucre, Columbia. In the Columbian culture presented in this novel, he portrays the theme of honor as a fundamental value and important value that everyone is obligated to respect. Marquez does this through repetition to highlight the idea that actions taken to preserve one’s honor are neverRead MoreEssay on Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez820 Words   |  4 PagesIn his Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel Garcia Marquez raises that very question, the question of whether the desires of society can overshadow the needs of an individual. If a man cries out in a forest, and no one around him cares, does he make a sound? In his Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel Garcia Marquez raises that very question, the question of whether the desires of society can overshadow the needs of an individual. In his Chronicle, two brothers, Pablo and Pedro VicarioRead MoreEssay Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez and Chronicle of a Death Foretold1164 Words   |  5 Pagestown madam which by society’s standards makes her to most marginalized, but ironically she is not brought down by her society’s rules. Gabriel Garcia Marquez uses characterization and irony to demonstrate Maria Alejandrina Cervantes’s contradictory role and to develop the theme of going against society in Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Garcia Marquez presents Maria Cervantes as highly respected and a powerful woman through the use religious allusions or references when developing Maria Cervantes.Read MoreThe Use of Birds in Chronical of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez1009 Words   |  5 PagesIn the novel, Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, birds are used as motifs intentionally in the imagery of scenes to convey sentiments, ideas and messages to the reader. Some of the roles taken by the symbolism of birds include indicating signs of the future and afterlife, supporting character portrayal and development throughout the text. The symbolism of birds is discussed in the essay because the recurring images of birds have a pertinent significance to the novella. In

A Profile of Marita Bonner

Born on June 16, 1898, educated in Brookline, Massachusetts, public schools and Radcliffe College, Marita Bonner published short stories and essays from 1924 to 1941 in Opportunity, The Crisis, Black Life and other magazines. She occasionally published under the pseudonym Joseph Maree Andrew. Her 1925 essay in Crisis, On Being Young, A Woman, and Colored which deals with racism and sexism and poverty, is an example of her social commentary. She also wrote several plays. Bonners writing dealt with issues of race, gender, and class, as her characters struggled to develop more fully in the face of social limitations, highlighting especially the vulnerability of black women. She married William Almy Occomy in 1930 and moved to Chicago where they raised three children and where she also taught school. She published as Marita Bonner Occomy after her marriage. Her Frye Street stories were set in Chicago. Marita Bonner Occomy did not publish any more after 1941 when she joined the Christian Science Church. Six new stories were found in her notebooks after she died in 1971, although the dates indicated shed written them before 1941. A collection of her work was published in 1987 as Frye Street and Environs: The Collected Works of Marita Bonner. Marita Bonner Occomy died in 1971 of complications of injuries sustained in a fire in her home.

Male Birthpill - 615 Words

| | | | | Blog Male birth control pill moves a step closer16th August 2012Researchers have finally found a compound that may offer the first effective and hormone-free birth control pill for men.The study, published today in the journal Cell, describes how the small molecule makes male mice reversibly infertile, without putting a damper on their sex drive. When the animals stop taking this new form of birth control, their sperm rebound and they are able to produce perfectly healthy offspring once again.This compound produces a rapid and reversible decrease in sperm count and motility with profound effects on fertility, said James Bradner of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and lead author of the study.A male birth control†¦show more content†¦| | | | | Askmen In 1960, an invention revolutionized female sexuality and paved the way for the women’s liberation movement. It was the birth-control pill, or simply â€Å"the pill† as it became popularly known. For four decades, the pill has put women primarily in the contraceptive driver’s seat. But an increasing number of people — both men and women — want men to take a more active role in contraception use. Their wish may be granted in the foreseeable future, as research companies grow closer to revealing the first continuous, reversible male contraceptive pill. Researchers at Edinburgh University’s Centre for Reproductive Biology have finally found a way to suppress daily sperm production while maintaining normal testosterone levels. This was not an easy task given that men emit millions of sperm in each, while women only produce one egg per month. The pill has proven to be 100% effective in preliminary clinical trials and is completely reversible. The pill contains desogestrel, a synthetic hormone that is the main component in the female pill, as well as the male hormone testosterone. This combination blocks the production of

Ways of KNowing Free Essays

WHEN Is a focus on the primary medical management of women’s health throughout the phases of a man’s life. Many aspects of a woman’s life are variables that will affect her general health and wellness. For example, relationships, children, career, family, finances, environmental factors, spirituality, and other influences collectively impact a woman’s health and wellness. We will write a custom essay sample on Ways of KNowing or any similar topic only for you Order Now In my own nursing experience, I recall a difficult client care situation that perplexed me with serious ethical questions and allowed me to unfold a â€Å"bigger picture† of the woman’s life. This woman contracted HIVE during her first sexual encounter at the age on nineteen. I had the privilege of knowing her when she was the age of thirty-three which for her was the end of her life due to the disease processes. I spent a good deal of time with her In clinical practice and came to a full understanding and appreciation of her life story but not at first. I created many barriers for myself and for her with respect to vast commodities and clinical needs beyond comparison to many other patients I had encountered. The barriers were created because of my intolerance and objectivity I had created against the WAITED population. I learned later that she was the loving mother of a child that she could not physically see because she had lost her eyesight. She was alone. She was abandoned by the father of the child who was the carrier of the HIVE she had contracted. She was angry. She was scared. She was mistreated and abused by her family and the system. My moment of knowing myself finally came when I was able to see myself as being this person. She could have been anybody life story. During this time I was able to re-evaluate my personal feelings and biases and this particular tuition brought to fruitful a nurse that was less Judgmental, more understanding, more tolerant, and most Importantly more knowing. This happened long before I knew there was Integrated Theory and Knowledge Development in Nursing. All the while, we nurses have been developing ways of knowing and like many of my fellow undergraduate nurses, I did not acknowledge the term â€Å"Knowing† in the sense of an art. Former clinical experiences have influenced how I acquire knowledge in my latter clinical practice. I use an integrated approach to the collection and analysis of ATA from personal, ethical, and empirical perspectives. Personally, I am aware that I am human and can easily become consumed in opinions and prejudices. I understand that ownership of a prejudice in nursing creates barriers that will not allow the nurse patient relationship to flourish. The nurse’s failure in realizing the self as a potential barrier Is also the nurse’s failure In delivering the most therapeutic and holistic care possible. I consider psychosocial, demographic, ethnic, cultural, and/ or religious factors that may bear weight on a therapeutic plan of care. I pay attention to facial expressions, educational level, language, and family members. Is religious practices that prevent certain treatments? Is the patient in pain? These are important questions that I ask or observe for gathering information and formulating a specific plan of care. What can I do as the primary nurse to be part of a therapeutic clinical plan of care? What can I say to add words of comfort in times of fear? How can I be proactive in the community to raise a level of awareness concerning senseless acts of violence or the spread of disease and infection? Am I using the best possible aseptic techniques to facilitate the most optimal outcomes during wound care and other invasive procedures? A combination of clinical objectivity, personal knowing, and ethical/disciplinary knowing are utilized during clinical practice to ensure I deliver the best care I can to the patients that I serve. The Phenomenon of Interest that I would like to further examine is as follows: Investigating the quality of life and health in infertility. How to cite Ways of KNowing, Papers Ways of Knowing Free Essays I choose to talk on this essay about how they have an Impact on my process of acquiring knowledge are: 1) Emotion 2) Memory 3) Reason I will start with emotion. I believe emotion has a great role on all individuals’ process of acquiring knowledge. That’s because emotion Is Interfering in our choices at all moments. We will write a custom essay sample on Ways of Knowing or any similar topic only for you Order Now For example: When I started writing this essay I had to choose three from seven ways of knowing, and my emotions play a key role in this choice because I ended up choosing the ones I like the best, and now I will write a completely different say from which I would if I had chosen any other of the seven ways of knowing and this will have an impact on my process of acquiring knowledge. Another daily example of when emotion comes into its defining role is when we come into the position of having to choose where we are going to eat, at which restaurant. Emotion might lead us to choose our favorite restaurant other than trying out a new restaurant and this is avoiding us to try out new experiences, learn new food tastes and therefore emotion again has an impact on my/everybody process of acquiring knowledge. However emotion might also have a positive impact on ones process of acquiring knowledge. For example, I once traveled to New Zealand and had the chance to bungee Jump. My parents told me not to jump, they were scared that I could hurt myself Jumping, but my emotions told me that I should Jump, that It would be a good experience, something new. And so I did. Exposed myself to something new and therefore learned something, acquired knowledge. And all this positive acquiring of knowledge was only possible because my emotion told me to jump, to try something new. I believe memory has a very negative role on an individual’s process of acquiring knowledge. That’s due to the fact the many times people try something out and have a negative experience and this first negative experience stays in their memory and blocks them from trying this actively again and possibly having a positive second experience. I myself have many example of a blocking first negative experience. For example: When I was a kid, I tried this Russian food called â€Å"standoff’ once and didn’t like it, because of this experience I have never tried it again and this has avoided me from possibly having a positive second experience and possibly liking the dish very much, but the memory from the first negative experience has blocked me from ever having the second try. However memory can have some positive effects on an Individual’s process of aqualung knowledge. For example: You might not have seen a friend for a long time, and you pass by him on the street. If it wasn’t for your memory you might not recognize him and call his attention so that you two could meet each other after so many years and chat. If it wasn’t for your memory (which allowed you to recognize your friend) you would not be able to meet him and chat with him, therefore you would not learn what he has been up too In the last few years. This recognition allowed an encounter which opens has been up too in the last few years). Reason is very similar to emotion, they are linked in a way, some say they are opposites. Reason is present in every decision we make. Using the example from emotion about the restaurants, reason might be present. For example: You might chose between restaurant A and restaurant B because restaurant A serves a type of food you like the best, that’s reason involved in your Judgment. But how can reason affect your process of acquiring knowledge? Well, when studying for a test, you might be undecided whether to study from a book or study from the internet. When taking this decision you will (maybe even unconsciously) use reason to decide whether to study from a book or from the internet, and when you do so you will then have effectively affected your process of acquiring knowledge, as you will now be acquiring knowledge for your test from a different source. One personal example of how reason has affected my process of acquiring knowledge was when I was undecided whether to buy a book called â€Å"How to rap† or a book called â€Å"The www-tang manual†. I used reason on deciding which book to buy, Judging the pros and the cons of each book. And I finally decided to buy â€Å"How to rap†. This truly had an impact on my process of acquiring knowledge because I am now acquiring knowledge from the book â€Å"How to rap† but if my reason process had decided that â€Å"The www-tang manual† was a better book then I would be acquiring knowledge from â€Å"The www-tang manual†. Therefore reason helped me choose between two different sources of knowledge and now I am acquiring knowledge from one of them and not the other, therefore my process of acquiring knowledge has be affected. Reason might not always make you make the best decisions, it all depends on how you’re reasoning process is made, but it surely happens in every decision we cake, Just like emotion. As a conclusion, I believe that all seven ways of knowing has an impact on an individual’s process of acquiring knowledge. Some might be positive sometimes and some might be negative sometimes, but they are always taking a role, no matter if positively or negatively in or decisions and in or process of acquiring knowledge. The seven ways of knowing are present in or day to day lives (as seen in the examples given) and therefore it this important to understand how these impact our process of acquiring knowledge so that we can have better control of the effect these take in our life. How to cite Ways of Knowing, Papers

Nicki Minaj Significant Influence free essay sample

l am a young, female mogul before I am an artist. As a business woman there isnt a single day where I dont use my education or acquire new knowledge to ensure my success. Regardless of where you are today, with education you can take yourself here you want to be. Nick Mina] There is someone in everyones life that influences him or her tremendously. This person could be a friend, family member, a musician, an actor; anyone. For me it is Monika Tanya Mar], known as Nick Mina]. Nick is such an inspiration to stay true to ourselves and be to be different, no matter how people perceive you or what they say. At the same time, she preaches to work hard, to never be lazy, to never complain about hard work because it always pays off and always puts an emphasis on how important it is to stay in school. We will write a custom essay sample on Nicki Minaj Significant Influence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Nick has been on a very long and difficult Journey.Despite growing up In a troubled home, with her drug addict father and struggling mother looking after both her and her little brother, Nick went on to graduate from Laggardly High School in Manhattan where she studied singing and acting. She overcame the many obstacles ND came out on top in the male dominated music industry. I was reading one of her many magazine articles Lully 2010 Issue of the XSL magazine) and she gave a brief overview of her life up to that point. I was surprised to learn that as a teenager she struggled with her self-confidence.However coming Into the music business, Nick Changed herself and over the years she realized that the goal Is not to want their acceptance and the goal Is to Just do you. She Is a strong, confident woman and a leader in her business. She does not see herself as being anybody but herself; Knick is a woman that could never be defined. Knick once said, Use your smile to change the world, dont let the world change your smile. I Interpreted this as, stay true to grousers and never let anyone tell you who you are or arent and you can make a difference.Knick taught me how to accept me for me and to careless of what people thought or said about me. She Inspires me to not only stay In school to get an education, but to Nor hard towards what I want. In the words of Knick, Barb stay In school, dont you ever be lazy, dont ever complain about hard work, work hard, It pays off! Several people will argue that there Is nothing appealing about her, but to me, she presents Individuality and relationally.Yes she has been Influenced by many female artists who came before her but essentially, Knick bought her own unique style and personality to her music. In my pollen, there are plenty admirable things about her, for example, she worked hard from such a young age to get where she Is now, proving Just how hard working and ambitious she Is. She Is a very wise and intelligent woman. Shes a very versatile artist who knows how to make music for more than one genre. Her music speaks to me; I can always find a Knick Milan song to and is very good at what she does.