Strategic Performance Management Of British Petroleum Management Essay

Strategic Performance Management Of British Petroleum Management Essay This study explores the oil giant, British Petroleum also known as BP within the global oil sector and also it recent activities. Some key external factors have been investigated which includes PESTEL, SWOT, Competition Analysis, Five forces model (Michael Porters). This study has formulated SMART objectives after putting the above factors into consideration and this has led to the creation of Strategic Plan, Measurement and Implementation of the formulated SMART objectives. 1.2 Company background The company British petroleum also known as BP was incorporated in 1909 then as Anglo Persian Oil Company with headquarters in London, operating in both upstream (oil exploration) and downstream (oil refining, sales and marketing) of the world oil sector, BP is one of the largest oil company in the world. The company, BP has more than 21,400 service stations worldwide and its shares is quoted on New York, London, Toronto, Paris, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Zurich stock exchanges. The history of BP will not be complete without making mention of the activities of Williams Knox DArcy, in the year 1901 he was granted concession by Grand vizier (Shah) in todays Iran and as a result of inadequate fund he entered into an agreement with the British government which involved investing the sum of  £2 million that led to the transfer of major shares to the government at the later end. In the 1990s British Petroleum acquired Amoco, Arco and Burmah-Castrol. BP has several retail brands which include Arco in US, BP connect, BP travel centres, BP Express etc. BP is ranked as one of the top three oil giants in the world with staff strength of more than 97,600. Recently, the brand BP has been undergoing serious scrutiny and criticism as a result of it past and recent activities which include Texas refinery explosion in 2005, dumping of toxic waste in some African countries, Prudhoe Bay oil spillage and the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spillage. This study will focus on the brand BP and how to manage brand name damaging crisis. 2 External Analysis 2.1 PESTEL factors Table 1: PEST 2.1 Political/Legal UK government endorsement/ support for BP UK government support during the gulf of Mexico oil spillage crisis BP activities in the Gulf of Mexico has been banned but the UK government has given the company go-ahead to continue on with the search for oil and gas in the deep waters off the coast of Britain. 2.2 Economic The global recession has resulted into reduction in Profit of BP from the previous year. Replacement cost of profit for year 2009 was $14 billion with a return on average capital employed of 11% Gained new resource access in Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and Offshore US. 30% increase in lubricants income generated from core market, and market extension to India, China, Russia and Brazil. Strong presence in China with upgraded Zhuhai 2 plant. Reported production increased by 4% and unit and production costs reduced by 12% Refining availability for the year was 93% up around 5% in 2008 Investment of $20 billion in business expansion In Trinidad and Tobago BP recorded launch-to-production time of 18 month with Saronette Project Discovery of Tiber in the gulf of Mexico 2.3 Socio-Cultural Encouraging health and fitness Creation of work environment where diversity and inclusion are valued. Strengthening employee engagement Creation of modernized farming initiative in Argentina Increased employee moral The number of employees fell from 92,000 in 2008 to 80,300 in 2009 as a result of the transfer of BP US convenience retail site to a franchise model. 2.4 Technological Improved operating management system (OMS) All refineries and petrochemical plants are operating on OMS Investment in key technology like wind, bio-fuels, solar, hydrogen power and carbon capture and storage Improved form of transportation of products. 3. SWOT Analysis Table 2: SWOT Analysis 4.1 Strengths Strong brand name with the slogan beyond petroleum. Strong market position in both downstream and upstream of the global oil sector. BP (Castrol) Sponsor of the FIFA 2010 world cup. In 2009 BP and Pan American Energy in Argentina offered 63 young people scholarships with emphasis on engineering. In 2009 the company had a 12.0% market share of the world lubricant oil which put them at 2nd largest market share after ExxonMobil. Ranked among the top three oil in the world Stock quoted on London stock exchange Third quarter 2010 profit of $1.8 billion Operates through retail brands and subsidiaries (Amoco; ARCO; BP Express, BP Connect; BP Travel Centre; ampm; Burmah Castrol etc) BP signed a technical service contract with the Iraqi government in November 2009 to develop the Rumaila oilfield 4.2 Weaknesses Money being lost to clean up of gulf of Mexico Unstable oil price due to the recent recession BP Texas refinery explosion in 2005 Toxic spillage of methanol in Prudhoe Bay in 2006 Total closure of Alaska wells 2010 third quarter loss Oil spillage in the gulf of Mexico A law suit been instituted by the American government Second quarter loss of $ 17 billion Call to shelve the use of all BP product in US during the gulf of Mexico crisis The recent removal of Tony Harward as the CEO of the company and being replaced by a US citizen 4.3 Opportunities Government of UK endorsements Discovery of significant deep gas in Egypts West Nile Delta Award exploration block in Indonesia Investment in Egypt and Libya Increase brand awareness Increase market share Completely new product launch ultimate 1.5 Change customers by continuous product development and awareness Completely rebranding of company image as a result of the recent spillage in US Expansion into African countries Continuous research and development strategy e.g. $8 billion investment in research of alternative source of energy to oil including solar, wind, natural gas and hydrogen etc. Flexible pricing to enhance healthy competition with sector rivals 4.4 Threats Threat of substitution due to high prices Drop in BP share price as a result of Gulf of Mexico oil spillage Suspension of production in Rhum gas field Sales of upstream interests in Pakistan to United Energy Group Limited Agreement to sell interests in Pan American Energy to Bridals Corpoaration Pipelines corrosions Global economic recession Refineries and rig explosions Possibility of tax increment in countries wherein BP operate Economical/political change in countries in which BP operates. Legal action against company by US government Oil price being determine by market forces Exchange rates could affect companies profitability Remodification of oil products to reduce pollution New technology to substitute the usage of oil High focus on green fuel Government policy in countries where BP operates regarding their oil sector e.g. penalty for oil spillage Termination of lease agreement between Bp and foreign governments Competition from Mobil, Chevron and Shell. 3. External Analysis- Competitor Audit As British Petroleum (BP) is situated in many different global markets the following competitor audit will focus on BPs main competitors in the global oil industry. Competitors: 3.1.1 ExxonMobil ExxonMobil is the foremost publicly traded petroleum and petro-chemical venture in the globe, it operations encompasses almost all countries of the world, it has different brand names such as Exxon, Mobil and Esso, it is an organisation that is built on a concept of global business which allow it to compete favourable, efficiently and effectively in the world of energy industry. Both Exxon and Mobil have been in existence for more than a century, but ExxonMobil came into being as a result of merger between Exxon and Mobil on 30 November 1999 to form Exxon Mobil Corporation. It headquarters is located in Irving, Texas, United State with market capitalisation of $323.717 million, revenue of $301.5 billion and assets value of $233.323 billion as at 2009. The CEO of the company is Rex W. Tillerson with staff strength of 90,800, the company is quoted on New York Stock Exchange; it has thirty seven refineries and operate in most countries of the world. 3.1.1 Royal Dutch Shell Shell is an energy giant and one of the worlds largest independent oil company with staff strength of around 101,000 and it headquarters is located in The Hague, the Netherlands. The parent company is Royal Dutch Shell Plc and it is incorporated in England and Wales with Peter Voser as the CEO. The company account for 2% of world oil and 3% of gas, it has 44,000 service stations globally and thirty five refineries. Shell operates in both upstream and downstream sector of the world oil industry. As December 2009, its revenue stood at $278.2billion and capital investment of $31.7 billion with market capitalisation of $186.618 million and assets worth of $292.181 billion, the company is quoted on London stock exchange. 3.2.1 Chevron Chevron is one of the leading energy companies in the world. It activities encompasses crude and natural gas and the company operates in both upstream and downstream sector of the oil industry which includes manufacturing, marketing and transportation, exploration and production, sales and manufacturing of chemicals, power generation and geothermal energy. The organisation Chevron came into being after the merger between Standard Oil Company and of California and Gulf oil Corporation in 1984. Chevron headquarters is located in San Ramon, California, United State with market capitalisation of $154.462 million, revenue of $167.402 billion and assets value of $164.621 billion as at 2009. The CEO of the company is David J ORelly with staff strength of 60,000, the company is quoted on New York Stock Exchange; it has sixteen refineries and operate in thirty three countries and it brand includes Texaco and Caltex. 3.2.3 ConocoPhilips ConocoPhillips is a key global, integrated energy corporation, with universal scale and scope all over the oil and natural gas value chain. The company came into been as a result of merger between Conoco and Philips Petroleum Company which was completed on 30 August 2002. It headquarters is located at Houston, Texas, United State with market capitalisation of $75.772 million, revenue of $152.843 billion and assets value of $155 billion as at 2009. The CEO of the company is James Mulva with staff strength of 30,000, the company is quoted on New York Stock Exchange; it has twelve refineries in US, four in Europe and one in Asia and also operate in thirty countries of the world. ConocoPhilips is the third largest integrated energy company in United State of America. 6. Porters Generic Strategies Diagram 1: British Petroleum and Porters Generic Strategies Focus Middle of the road Middle of the road BP in future BP Presently Cost leadership Differentiation Porter (1980) states that there are four types of generic strategies that are required by an organisation to be competitively successful, and these are Focus, Cost Leadership, Middle of the Road and Differentiation. Before now, BP was using the Cost leadership strategy but at present, the company is using the generic strategy of Middle of the road as a result of the last Gulf of Mexico oil spillage. British petroleum Brand and the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.(Rebuilding the broken bond) This oil disaster is the biggest crisis in the history of the oil industry in United States. We can only agree on the cause of the accident based on the testimonies of the parties involved. The chief mechanic on the Deepwater Horizon rig testified at a hearing held by the US coastguard, he said he was present at the meeting between BP manager and the crew from Transocean. That Transoceans chief driller was not comfortable with the request for the removal of the drilling mud from the well that day because he did not think the well is fully prepared for shut-down but based on the request and persuasion of the BP manager (as a result of the cost incurred in renting the Deepwater exploration rig which cost $500,000 a day to rent) insisted that they should start removing the mud before plugging the well, which later led to the explosion of the rig and the death of eleven crew members. This crisis has really affected the BP brand, because brands are not created by advertising, they are created primary by what organisation does. A Model of Strategic Communication (Grunig Hunt, 1984) A model of strategic communication is composed of two components which are aimed to describe the evolution of stakeholders and publics. The contribution of this model is to overall strategic communication and management by diagnosing the environment to make the overall organization aware of stakeholders and publics as they evolve. The Stakeholder Stage The terms of stakeholder and public are often used synonymously. There is a subtle difference, however, that helps to understand planning of strategic communication. People are stakeholders because they are in a category affected by decisions of an organization or if their decisions affect the organization (Grunig Hunt, 1984). There are internal and external stakeholders including employees, director of boards of BP Company, society, customers, media, universities, research centres, U.S. and U.K. governments, activist groups, etc Internal Stakeholders External Stakeholders Employees of BP Media Director of Boards British petroleum Public/Society CEO Advocate groups US and UK governments Customers of BP Competitors Investors Research centres Universities Shareholders Stakeholder mapping of BP Company in case of the oil spillage. Demirel. K, (2010) After the identification of the various stakeholders, the next stage should be the determination of level of relationship i.e. the linkages. Stakeholders State regulators Govt. Regulators Board of directors Employees unions Suppliers Enabling linkages Input Normative linkages Functional linkages Competitors Association Political groups Professional society BP Customers Retailers Distributors Output Diffused linkages NGO Residents Advocacy group Media Linkage model of BP Company, Demirel. K, (2010) Referring to: Grunig, J. / Hunt, T. (1984): Managing public Relations. Rinhehart and Winston: Holt, P.141. Part A has to do with the enabling linkages that is, stakeholders who have total control and authority over BP company operations especially the government of U.S. Part B. functional linkages: the input and the output, the input deals with provision of the service and output has to do with the product consumption. Part c is the normative linkages that is, groups and association that has common interest. And lastly, Part D is the diffused linkages these groups do not usually have anything to do with BP, they are only active during crisis situation. BP Public Relations In the first days of oil spill, BP Company downplayed oil spill and CEO Tony Hayward stated relatively tiny for the disaster of oil spill. After two months, BP Company has changed head of public affairs. After that, they started to provide consistent and responsible messages for oil spill through various media channels. As a part of PR strategy, BP Company got sponsored links on Google in order to provide first ranked results of key words related to oil spill direct to special part of BP Companys website. Even though it can be considered as implementation of spin doctrine, sponsored links were successful, because most people are not able to distinguish sponsored and actual links. Demirel. K, (2010) Crisis response and rebuilding stakeholders confidence It involves seven specific steps to obtain public forgiveness Voluntarily admit that mistake has been made. Explain why the mistakes occurred (no matter how stupid). Show/say/demonstrate contrition and sincere concern. Agree to take the step necessary to fix the problem. Ask for help from the victims/accept counsel from the community Promise (or publicly commit to) never to let it happen again. Find a way to pay (do penance)/alleviate/remediate Penitential model by Gottschalk. J (1993) We can conclude based on the penitential model that BP company responded to the crisis by voluntarily admitted that mistake has been made, and this can be seen by the stepping down of Tony Hayward as the CEO of the company, we all know the cause of the disaster based on the chief mechanic on the Deepwater Horizon rig testimony and the company has really shown concern and the U.S. government has requested compensation for the cleanup of the gulf of Mexico which the company has agreed to pay . BP vowed on to pay all necessary and appropriate clean-up costs from the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as the Obama administration called on the energy giant to clarify how it plans to do so.   Other models that can be use to earn stakeholders confidence and trust Key levers to building customer trust, Dr Aaron Sum Wei Wern and David Levi (2009). Building enduring customer trust 1. Integrity Bridge gap between promise and reality 2. Competence 3. Transparency Know whats right for me Be honest with me Building enduring trust 1 Return to the fundamental trust levers Focus on meeting fundamental expectations before addressing higher-order 2 De-risk and simplify Minimise uncertainty in the customers decision-making process 3 Build and solidify enabling capabilities Prioritise capability-building through the lens of the trust levers uing Conclusion: As stated by Edward Artzt Brand loyalty is very much like an onion. It has layers and a core. The core is the user who will stick with you until the end. Shaun and Wheeler, (2002 p.25). BP was able to get out of the mess as a result of the following Quick/prompt response Acceptance of blame Total responsibility Accepted solutions provided Took realistic approach Involvement of top management team

Nickel and Dimed

As the main objective of this experiment was to determine that it is practically impossible for a low skilled and low-wage female worker and a single mother to earn enough money in order to get proper lodging, fulfill necessary needs and support her children, the outcome of her experiment in her own perspective was quite positive and satisfactory. Ehrenreich spend one month in three different cities of the United States to determine the workplace conditions, wages, behavior of the employers regarding the low-wage and low skilled employees and she was successful in finding out with a nearly real life experience that’s why she was satisfied with her experience and find herself as an above average low skilled worker. The experiment undertaken by Ehrenreich was extremely successful in her own perspective because she eventually found out what she intended to. As she has discussed in her last chapter â€Å"The Evaluation† that all the three case studies explicitly reveal that it is extremely difficult for a low-wage worker to find proper lodgings with the current level of wages in the country. She also found out that a single job is never enough for a low skilled worker to earn enough money in order to meet his/her end meets. Moreover the employers behavior is also highly disparaging. The employers use wicked techniques to keep the wages as low as possible and keep the employees in constant pressure so that they never get organized against their unfair treatment. (Ehrenreich) All these things make the life of a low-wage worker extremely difficult and demanding. According to her evaluation in all the three cities the rate of housing surpassed the wages of the low-income employees making it virtually impossible to get proper lodgings. (Ehrenreich) So by keeping in mind that her objective was to finding out that it is impossible for a low-income wageworker to get proper lodgings and meet end meets, her experiment was extremely successful in her own perspective also. She can certainly said that she has met the objectives of her experiment as she has found out that lowest 20% of the workforce of the U.S. economy is in extremely difficult condition and their problems are so severe, so complex that it is also extremely difficult for them to overcome these problems or find better jobs even if they exist in their surroundings. (Ehrenreich) Her main objective was to determine the difference between the lives of the high paid and low-wage workers, and that most of the needs of the high paid labor is met by the low paid and unskilled labor. In my own perspective the experiment carried out by Ehrenreich was highly successful. She presented us the true picture of the low-income Americans’ lives and helps us realize the severity of the problems the low-income labor force faces during their jobs and in their workplace. She gives the living proof of the reality that it is virtually impossible for a low-wage worker to survive in these conditions and find a shelter for himself, especially if the worker is a single mother and she has to provide food and support to her siblings also. Thus the outcome of this experiment clearly indicates of its success. She proved that the employers’ exploit is so extreme in nature that even the shortage of the labor does not compel them to raise the wage, i.e. universal economic rules do not apply for these low-income labor. (Ehrenreich) As a learned member of society I can use the knowledge of this book by making people realize that the so-called claim of a prosper and welfare America is just a bluff and a slogan which only depicts the external shine and wealth of the corporate America. While in the deep there are certain levels of the American economy and workforce, which suffers as much as any other workforce in a third world and developing country. We can use this book and the outcome of this research in order to find the solution, which will help us to eradicate the deprivation of the low-income workforce at the bottom of the U.S. economy. We can use this book to increase the awareness of the people about the sufferings of the low-income workers. We can use this knowledge to disclose the persecution of the corporate sector of their low-income employees and to persuade the employers to behave more humane with their low-income employees and make the workplace a better place for them and raise their wages to a level which would practically make it possible for them to meet their end needs, but also to go ahead. The overall output of the experiment of Ehrenreich and the tone of the language of last chapter evaluation clearly indicates that the experiment was a complete success in the view of the author and she thinks that she has finally determined what she has sought through out her 3-month expedition. She finally came with the living proof of what she initially claimed that it is virtually impossible for a low-skilled and low-income wageworker to earn enough money, by which they can get proper housing and meet their end meets and support their dependants like siblings or get medical treatment even when their lives and health is at stake. The book is a complete success in a reader’s perspective become it creates awareness of this unfair practice of the employers of the corporate America, who continue to insist on exploiting the low-wage workers and deprive them not only of their end needs but also from any prospect of getting ahead. Thus this book and the research in it is an important and helpful knowledge regarding the unfair class structure in the American Society. Works Cited Ehrenreich, Barbara. â€Å"Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.† Holt Paperbacks. May 1, 2002.                                                                      Nickel and Dimed Nickel and Dimed, written by Barbara Ehrenreich has been published in 2001 for the first time. This book explains and describes the condition of the working poor in United States in the 21st century. To write this book the author who is a well-known journalist at the New York Times decides to experience being a low-wage worker for a few months. She gives up her middle class life to become and live as a working poor. The author establishes a few rules at the beginning of her challenge such as not to go hungry or always having a car. But, except for those few exceptions she decides to go through the same life as her new coworkers. She starts her experience in Florida then she goes to Maine and finally to Minnesota. Therefore, Nickel and Dimed describes the experiment and the troubles Ehrenreich had to go through while she was a working poor. She particularly accentuates on how humiliated and how ashamed people are of being poor. Shame and humiliation are essential themes of this book are explained and described through different ways such as the fact that poor people are invisible or not respected in their jobs or not able to talk freely, or mistreated by their manager even if they are sick. First of all, the author explains that the poor are invisible and how they feel about it. â€Å"Maids as an occupational group, are not visible, and when we are seen we are often sorry for it† (99). The feeling of invisibility is normally one of the worst feelings that a human being should feel. But according to Ehrenreich, the maids feel relieved when they are not seen. Other people are looking at them as stupid people. They do not fit in the society. In fact, nowadays a person who does not use their brain in their work is not respected by others or by the upper classes. Holly, Ehrenreich’s coworker and friend, describes in chapter two the mean and negative remarks people did to her when they know that she is a maid. She said, â€Å" We’re nothing to these people† (100). Therefore, the poor are invisible in this society where the intellectual skills are valuable. They feel better when they are not noticed because they prefer to avoid the mean remarks from other. But, feeling invisible in their everyday life is a shame. They are human beings who need to be considered by others and integrated in a group to socialize as everyone else. Second of all, readers understand that low-wage workers are not respected in their job and this starts at the hiring process. While Ehrenreich tries to be hired at Wal-Mart in chapter three she explains that she has to go through psychological and drug tests. The first test is not supposed to affect the decision of the managers but in fact it does. Roberta, her coworker â€Å"takes it off to another room where, she says a computer will ‘score it’. After about ten minutes, she’s back with alarming news: I’ve gotten three answers wrong† (240). Corporations start to lie to their employees before hiring them. Low wage people as B. Ehrenreich are not hired because of their quality or personality. The relation between the employees and them is a computer. The corporation does not consider them. Working poor could be compared as animals that pass or fail a test before being bought. Those workers lose their self-esteem because of the lack of consideration they receive in their jobs. It is a perpetual humiliation to feel ignore by everyone. Third of all, Ehrenreich describes how employees are not allowed to talk to the customers. For example, when the author works at Hearthside her manager tells her, â€Å"No chatting for you, girl. No fancy service ethic allowed for the serfs. Chatting with customers is for the good-looking young college-educated servers in the downtown capriccio and ceviche joints, the kids who can make $70-$100 a night† (35). And Ehrenreich explains that she was not also allowed to talk to her coworkers while she was at Wal-Mart of certain subjects. And if she did, she could be fired. But, forbidding people to talk about certain subjects or to discuss with some of their coworkers is a violation of the fundamental rights. In the author’s experiences, readers understand that she has lost her humanity because freedom of speech is one of the fundamental rights that is expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was established in 1945 by the United Nations. Speaking is an advantage of men because we are the only species who can communicate. Losing this advantage makes the person feel like she is not even human anymore. He loses all his self-esteem and feels humiliated. Finally, Ehrenreich shows how the health of people is not respected in the low wage class. While the author works at The Maids we have the perfect description of this kind of humiliation because her manager â€Å" Ted doesn’t have much sympathy for illness, though; one of our morning meeting was on the subject of ‘ working through it’ †(87). He mistreats the author’s friend and coworker, Holly who is pregnant and has to work to survive because she does not have any money. But Ted forces her to work in terrible conditions. Holly cannot take a real lunch break or a few days of vacation to rest even if she is extremely sick and tired because of her pregnancy. And if she takes her break without her manager’s approval she could be fired. She appears like a slave who is forced to do every task her manager assigns her even if Ted does not pay attention to the fact that she is sick. Therefore, Ehrenreich has to stand up and fight for her friend to have the permission to take a day off. But Ted would let a woman works even if he knows that she is about to be taken to the ER. I believe that a person who is sick cannot be forced to fight against her body. Unhealthy people should be helped and not used as slaves. Therefore, this episode underlines how humiliating it is for a sick person to be forced to work. Holly in this episode becomes an animal who has to work even if she is physically unable to. Working poor are not only having money problems they also have to go through humiliation and shame in their everyday life. Trying to modify their social status is almost impossible when we understand how they are treated. They lose their self-esteem and do not trust themselves anymore. Therefore, they will not even try to change jobs. They are stuck in their own conditions. They are not considered as humans in their job. The low-wage workers are unsocialized because of their wages and are mentally destroyed by their managers. Barbara Ehrenreich describes their situation in this book through her own experience to inform the world of their situation. In the 21st century in a country like United States, which is supposed to be the most powerful nation in the world, citizens cannot accept that others are treated like that. Low-wage workers need to be respected. Nickel and Dimed Nickel and Dimed, written by Barbara Ehrenreich has been published in 2001 for the first time. This book explains and describes the condition of the working poor in United States in the 21st century. To write this book the author who is a well-known journalist at the New York Times decides to experience being a low-wage worker for a few months. She gives up her middle class life to become and live as a working poor. The author establishes a few rules at the beginning of her challenge such as not to go hungry or always having a car. But, except for those few exceptions she decides to go through the same life as her new coworkers. She starts her experience in Florida then she goes to Maine and finally to Minnesota. Therefore, Nickel and Dimed describes the experiment and the troubles Ehrenreich had to go through while she was a working poor. She particularly accentuates on how humiliated and how ashamed people are of being poor. Shame and humiliation are essential themes of this book are explained and described through different ways such as the fact that poor people are invisible or not respected in their jobs or not able to talk freely, or mistreated by their manager even if they are sick. First of all, the author explains that the poor are invisible and how they feel about it. â€Å"Maids as an occupational group, are not visible, and when we are seen we are often sorry for it† (99). The feeling of invisibility is normally one of the worst feelings that a human being should feel. But according to Ehrenreich, the maids feel relieved when they are not seen. Other people are looking at them as stupid people. They do not fit in the society. In fact, nowadays a person who does not use their brain in their work is not respected by others or by the upper classes. Holly, Ehrenreich’s coworker and friend, describes in chapter two the mean and negative remarks people did to her when they know that she is a maid. She said, â€Å" We’re nothing to these people† (100). Therefore, the poor are invisible in this society where the intellectual skills are valuable. They feel better when they are not noticed because they prefer to avoid the mean remarks from other. But, feeling invisible in their everyday life is a shame. They are human beings who need to be considered by others and integrated in a group to socialize as everyone else. Second of all, readers understand that low-wage workers are not respected in their job and this starts at the hiring process. While Ehrenreich tries to be hired at Wal-Mart in chapter three she explains that she has to go through psychological and drug tests. The first test is not supposed to affect the decision of the managers but in fact it does. Roberta, her coworker â€Å"takes it off to another room where, she says a computer will ‘score it’. After about ten minutes, she’s back with alarming news: I’ve gotten three answers wrong† (240). Corporations start to lie to their employees before hiring them. Low wage people as B. Ehrenreich are not hired because of their quality or personality. The relation between the employees and them is a computer. The corporation does not consider them. Working poor could be compared as animals that pass or fail a test before being bought. Those workers lose their self-esteem because of the lack of consideration they receive in their jobs. It is a perpetual humiliation to feel ignore by everyone. Third of all, Ehrenreich describes how employees are not allowed to talk to the customers. For example, when the author works at Hearthside her manager tells her, â€Å"No chatting for you, girl. No fancy service ethic allowed for the serfs. Chatting with customers is for the good-looking young college-educated servers in the downtown capriccio and ceviche joints, the kids who can make $70-$100 a night† (35). And Ehrenreich explains that she was not also allowed to talk to her coworkers while she was at Wal-Mart of certain subjects. And if she did, she could be fired. But, forbidding people to talk about certain subjects or to discuss with some of their coworkers is a violation of the fundamental rights. In the author’s experiences, readers understand that she has lost her humanity because freedom of speech is one of the fundamental rights that is expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was established in 1945 by the United Nations. Speaking is an advantage of men because we are the only species who can communicate. Losing this advantage makes the person feel like she is not even human anymore. He loses all his self-esteem and feels humiliated. Finally, Ehrenreich shows how the health of people is not respected in the low wage class. While the author works at The Maids we have the perfect description of this kind of humiliation because her manager â€Å" Ted doesn’t have much sympathy for illness, though; one of our morning meeting was on the subject of ‘ working through it’ †(87). He mistreats the author’s friend and coworker, Holly who is pregnant and has to work to survive because she does not have any money. But Ted forces her to work in terrible conditions. Holly cannot take a real lunch break or a few days of vacation to rest even if she is extremely sick and tired because of her pregnancy. And if she takes her break without her manager’s approval she could be fired. She appears like a slave who is forced to do every task her manager assigns her even if Ted does not pay attention to the fact that she is sick. Therefore, Ehrenreich has to stand up and fight for her friend to have the permission to take a day off. But Ted would let a woman works even if he knows that she is about to be taken to the ER. I believe that a person who is sick cannot be forced to fight against her body. Unhealthy people should be helped and not used as slaves. Therefore, this episode underlines how humiliating it is for a sick person to be forced to work. Holly in this episode becomes an animal who has to work even if she is physically unable to. Working poor are not only having money problems they also have to go through humiliation and shame in their everyday life. Trying to modify their social status is almost impossible when we understand how they are treated. They lose their self-esteem and do not trust themselves anymore. Therefore, they will not even try to change jobs. They are stuck in their own conditions. They are not considered as humans in their job. The low-wage workers are unsocialized because of their wages and are mentally destroyed by their managers. Barbara Ehrenreich describes their situation in this book through her own experience to inform the world of their situation. In the 21st century in a country like United States, which is supposed to be the most powerful nation in the world, citizens cannot accept that others are treated like that. Low-wage workers need to be respected.

Factors That Influence The Matriculation Into Graduate...

America is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever before. Today, more than half of all newborns are of color and some demographers predict that more than half all youth under the age of 18 will be of color before the end of this decade (Frey, 2011). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2050, America will be a country without any clear racial or ethnic majority. Yet, our institutions of higher education do not reflect this rising demographic tide. America’s global leadership depends on gaining a competitive edge in an ever-expanding, diverse world economy that depends on the expertise of professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) fields. Yet universities continue to struggle to admit†¦show more content†¦college-age population (2010). Together these three groups earned only 12% of the doctoral degrees awarded in 2012 (National Science Foundation, 2012). However, according to the U.S. Department of Education, URM students are jus t as likely to enroll in STEM studies as White and Asian students when they initially begin their undergraduate education, yet they are more likely to switch to non-science majors (2012). Background Variables Literature indicates background variables can be attributed to the racial and ethnic disparities in education. Background, or sometimes referred to as defining variables, refer to those factors that occur prior to students’ enrollment in post-secondary education that are expected to affect their academic outcomes (Wood Williams, 2013). Students bring these variables with them upon entry into post-secondary education. Background variables for minority students that may affect their matriculation into STEM PhD programs include academic disadvantages and lower, socio-economic circumstances Academic Disadvantages One of the main barriers to college attainment is the alarmingly high, high school dropout rate among minority students; only 56 percent of Blacks and 54 percent of Hispanics graduate from high school (Green, 2002). Many of those that do graduate arrive to college academically underprepared. National studies have found the academic intensity of one’s high school curriculum to be one of the most important pre-collegiate factors

Terrorism As A Process And Its Significance - 1176 Words

Midterm 2014 Brian Marks HLSS154: Mind of a Terrorist September 25, 2014 How does our coursework explain the concept of terrorism as a process and its significance? The concept of terrorism as defined by Hoffman in his book, Inside Terrorism, is not easily defined. Hoffman indicates that most definitions do not give the word â€Å"terrorism† a clear definition for today (Hoffman 2006). However, according to Hoffman, the Oxford English Dictionary does provide a definition that embodies terrorism since its beginnings. â€Å"Any one who attempts to further his views by a system of coercive intimidation.† (Hoffman 2006, 3). The views that are typically political or idealogical in nature (Hoffman, 2006, 2-3). While Hoffman†¦show more content†¦This appears to be a never ending cycle. How does our coursework explain the difference between religious and secular terrorism? In addition, what are potential countermeasures against religious terrorism? Hoffman, indicates that in religious terrorism the terrorists believe that what they are doing is some type of divine directive (Hoffman 2006, 88). This thought is further expanded by individuals receiving blessings, etc... prior to terrorist attacks. Due to this â€Å"divine† directive religious terrorists do not pay attention to morals that the secular terrorist would (Hoffman 2006, 88). While a secular terrorist may have misgivings in harming children or women, the religious terrorist does not have these misgivings. Hoffman also indicates that religious terrorist see themselves outside of society whereas secular terrorists see themselves inside society (Hoffman 2006, 89). Both use force in an attempt to bring about change, but due to the secular terrorist being within the system, they typically are not bent on destroying the system, rather changing it. Religious terrorists believe that the society or system has to be destroyed in its entirety. In an article from Stratfor, Pakistan s Deadly Struggles With Politics and Religion, January 5, 2011, the author gives an idea to counter