Corporate Governance Ethics & BHP Billiton - Free Sample

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Governance and Ethics of BHP Billiton. Answer: Introduction BHP Billiton is a leader in the field of energy resources in the world (BHP Billiton, 2015). The company is the largest mining company in Australia and had diversified its business in petroleum resources. BHP Billiton was formed by the merger of Australian Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd and Anglo Dutch Billiton in the year 2001 (BHP Billiton, 2015). The organization is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The primary products of the organization are iron ore, uranium, coal and different gases (BHP Billiton, 2015). The organization has a diversified portfolio of products along with experienced employees to retain the leading position in the energy resource industry. The company also looks after the welfare of the employees and the environment while carrying out its different activities. Strategic issues related to BHP Billiton According to Carroll (2015), environmental scanning is an important procedure which helps an organization to analyze the different trends, issues, and relationships about the external factors which are related to the organization. The outcomes of the environmental scanning help an organization to take important decisions. A detailed analysis of the environmental factors helps the managers of an organization to take future steps and methods of activities. Economic factors with respect to theories Different activities of BHP Billiton depend on the political environment of the country. According to Dunlevie (2015), BHP Billiton mainly carries out its business in Australia, but the organization is spread throughout the world. Australia is a politically stable country, and the government of Australia supports the functioning of the organization. As stated by Floris, Grant and Cutcher, (2013), BHP Billiton has employee strength of over 3000 workers who are employed in different factories of Australia and America. The trade law introduced by the government of Australia is also helpful in the functioning of the organization. The board member of BHP Billiton represents the shareholders of the organization. Agency Theory and Stake holder Theory According to Grnig and Khn, (2015), the board members added value to the functioning of the organization with the help of corporate governance. Agency theory finds out a relationship between the share holders and the agents. The board members of BHP Billiton have clearly specified the role of the different people in the organization through the Chief Executive Officer. The Group company secretary helps the chairperson of the organization to take different decisions. Agency theory is followed by the organization to maintain a close relation with the stakeholders and the top management. Stake holders often recruit agents who take decisions on their behalf. According to Mangiavacchi and Rapallini, (2014), the main objective of the organization is to create long-term strategies. Individual board directors and the chairperson of the organization may give different pieces of advice for the development of the organization. Sustainable development helps BHP Billiton to have a competitive adv antage over others. The feedback from the stakeholders and shareholders also helps the activities of the organization. Stewardship Theory Stewardship theory is also followed in the organization. According to Floris, Grant and Cutcher, (2013), Stewardship theory looks after the maximum benefit of the shareholders and increases their wealth. The management works for the benefit of the share holders. In this theory stress is put on individualism. This theory also clearly explains the role of CEO in the organization. BHP Billiton has also implemented this theory for the benefit of both the organization and its employees. Resource development theory According to Ni and Ã… ¾tefea, (2014), resource dependence theory concentrates of the role of the board of the directors and their allocation of the resources. External environment is also an important part of the theory. Representatives and different members are recruited according to resource dependence theory. On the other hand Dunlevie, (2015), the directors of the organization also consults with the suppliers and the buyers of the organization and make decisions accordingly. According to the resource development theory the directors are divided into four categories. They are business experts, support specialist, community influential and also insider specialist. Business experts are the current and former are the executive directors of the organization and they take part in decision making. Support specialists are the lawyers, bankers and insurance specialist of the organization. Community specialists are political leaders, social leaders and even the faculty members of the orga nization. Insiders are the former executives who give special consultants to the law and finance department of the organization. In resource dependency theory the the directors also looks after the different resources of the organization. The directors of BHP Billiton implements monitor process so that the resourcs are implemented optimally (Pivorien, 2015). Main resources of the organization are human power. The organization always looks after the benefit of the employees. Environmental factor with respect to theories. Political Theory According to Mangiavacchi and Rapallini (2014) political theory develops the voting criteria in the organization. Decision making, cultural challenges and environmental factors are important part of political theory. Political models also have a huge impact on the activities of the organization. New laws have been implemented the government of Australia to protect the environment. Different activities of the organization affect the environment. The organization is responsible to producing large amounts of carbon dioxide which in turns results in greater generation of Greenhouse gases. On the other hand, Grnig and Khn, (2015) believe that Greenhouse gases increase the global temperature of the world, and this is a serious issue for the organization. However, the organization has taken various measures to stop the burning of fossil fuels with the help of alternative processes. The iron ore production of the organization pollutes the land and the water of the environment highly. The org anization BHP Billiton also has introduced several measures to remove harmful substances from the waste materials before they are disposed into the environment. The organization also has taken steps to prevent land pollution by engaging in planting trees and proper maintenance of ores (Ghosal, 2015). According to Dunlevie, (2015) the board of Directors of BHP Billiton has introduced sub-committees to look after the environmental issues which are related to the organization. The presence of these committees has reduced the emission of carbon fuels into the environment. The government of Australia has also introduced several laws to prevent environmental degradation. On the other hand, Grnig and Khn, (2015) have opined that the sub-committees set up by the organization reduced the level production of harmful gases. Stake holders also monitors on the different activities of the organization to reduce carbon emission. The Strong environmental performance of the organization has increased the Corporate Sustainability level. However, the presence of CSR level is not exactly cleared by the organization and its functional activity. Transaction Cost Theory According to Ni and Ã… ¾tefea, (2014), transactional theory was an alliance of law with the organization. The theory states that different people in the organization has different views. The theory also determines the cost of production in any organization.BHP Billiton is a huge organization and different costs are involved with the company. Different activities of the people with related to cost is described in this theory. Conclusion BHP Billiton is an international organization which has spread its business in the various parts of the world. A thorough analysis of the organization has been done by the researcher on the corporate social responsibilities of the organization. It has been found that economic condition of the organization is quite healthy. The CEO of the organization and the board of directors take important decisions which are beneficial in the future. They always look after the well-being of the employees, stakeholder, organization and the environmental factors. The CEO and other board members are also knowledgeable about the environmental circumstance and take decisions accordingly. All these have helped BHP Billiton to emerge out as a strong ethical organization. References BHP Billiton,( 2015),EMJ - Engineering Mining Journal,vol. 216, no. 4, pp. 12. Carroll, A. B. (2015). Corporate social responsibility.Organizational Dynamics,44(2), 87-96. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2015.02.002 Dunlevie, J. (2015),Cyclone Lam rains cause manganese spills at BHP Billiton GEMCO mine, environment watchdog says; The NT Environment Protection Authority says heavy rains from Cyclone Lam are the likely cause of four discharges of manganese from a BHP Billiton mine into the ocean, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sydney. Floris, M., Grant, D. Cutcher, L. (2013), "Mining the Discourse: Strategizing During BHP Billiton's Attempted Acquisition of Rio Tinto",Journal of Management Studies,vol. 50, no. 7, pp. 1185-1215. Ghosal, V. (2015). Business strategy and firm reorganization: Role of changing environmental standards, sustainable business initiatives and global market conditions: Ghosal: Business strategy and firm reorganization.Business Strategy and the Environment,24(2), 123-144. doi:10.1002/bse.1815 Grnig, R., Khn, R. (2015). Global Environmental Analysis. InThe Strategy Planning Process(pp. 89-96). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Mangiavacchi, L., Rapallini, C. (2014). self reported economic condition and home production: Intra household allocation in italy.Bulletin of Economic Research,66(3), 279-304. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8586.2012.00446.x Ni, C. G., Ã… ¾tefea, P. (2014). Cost control for business sustainability.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences,124, 307-311. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.02.490 Pivorien, A. (2015). Flexibility valuation under uncertain economic conditions.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences,213, 436-441. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.11.563 Xia, Y., Yang, J., Zhou, T. (2015). Revenue management under randomly evolving economic conditions: RM under randomly evolving economic conditions.Naval Research Logistics (NRL),, n/a. doi:10.1002/nav.21635

Sir Lancelot Du Lake Essays - Holy Grail, Knights Of The Round Table

Sir Lancelot Du Lake Sir Lancelot du Lake Sir Lancelot du Lake was quite possibly the bravest and most gallant knight in the world. His battles were pretty much lopsided, due to his extreme skill. He was King Arthur's best knight. He was very adventurous and prone to getting into trouble, which he always came out of without a scratch. Why was Lancelot honored so? In the last four paragraphs, I will try to explain this to my best ability. Why did I say he was Arthur's best knight? Sir Lancelot was sworn to protect Guenevere, King Arthur's wife. At no time at all was he ever over come, except by either treason or enchantment. His belief in himself was strong enough that he wouldn't let anyone but the king push him around. Those that tried to do the pushing usually wound up with their blood on Lancelot's sword. Another reason he was the best knight at the Table Round, was because he upheld the ideals of chivalry and the heroic tradition. He believed in being noble, and just. As I said, Lancelot was very adventurous, and never turned down an endeavor. While out one day, he took a nap, and woke to find his friend gone, and four queens looking upon him. This is one of the few times Lancelot did something against his will, and he did it only by enchantment. He was set free by King Bagdemagus' daughter, on a deal that he would help the King win the upcoming tournament. He helped win the tournament by killing alot of knights, or simply defeating them in battle. By doing this, he earned his freedom. There are many reason's why Lancelot was honored the way he was. Lancelot fought for King Arthur, til his banishment for his acts with the Queen. He remained loyal to Arthur, and came back, when Arthur was on his deathbed. He delievered Excaliber back to the lake from which it came, and conveyed a message of forgiveness and love to Guenevere, from Arthur. Lancelot was defeated in battle only by Arthur, and only once, for they only fought once. His name was known to everyone, as the best knight in all the land. Lancelot had proven himself worthy of his title of the bravest and most noble knight around, many times, and probably did, long after the stories had ended, if they are true. Lancelot has always been my favorite knight, since whatever year we did King Arthur in grade school. The topics I have gone over are as truthful as I can make them, and I hope they get me a good grade. As I hope the points I have expended upon further support my topic, I know that everyone knows Lancelot, wether they heard it from a cartoon, an English book, or a movie, and that everyone knows what a great and fearless knight he was.

Causes Of Wwi Essays - Bulgaria In World War I, World War I

Causes Of Wwi The Causes and Effects of World War I World War I was a military conflict from 1914 to 1918. It began as a local European war between Austria - Hungary and Serbia on July 28, 1914. It was transformed into a general European struggle by declaration of war against Russia on August 1, 1914 and eventually became a global war involving 32 nations. Twenty - eight of these nations, known as the Allies and the Associated Powers, and including Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the United States, opposed the coalition known as the Central Powers, consisting of Germany, Austria - Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria. The immediate cause of the war between Austria - Hungary and Serbia was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, at Sarajevo in Bosnia by Gavrilo Princip, a Serb nationalist. (Microsoft Encarta, 1996) On July 28 Austria declared war against Serbia, either because it felt Russia would not actually fight for Serbia, or because it was prepared to risk a general European conflict in order to put an end to the Greater Serbia movement. Russia responded by partially mobilizing against Austria. Germany warned Russia that continued mobilization would cause war with Germany, and it made Austria agree to discuss with Russia a possible change of the ultimatum to Serbia. Germany demanded, however, that Russia demobilize. Russia refused to do so, and on August 1, Germany declared war on Russia. (Microsoft Encarta, 1996) The French began to mobilize on the same day. On August 2, German troops invades Luxembourg and on August 3, Germany declared war on France. On August 2, the German government informed the government of Belgium of its intention to march on France through Belgium in order, as it claimed, to prevent an attack on Germany by French troops marching through Belgium. The Belgian government refused to allow the passage of German troops and called on the witnesses of the Treaty of 1839, which guaranteed the justice of Belgium in case of a conflict in which Great Britain, France, and Germany were involved, to observe their guarantee. Great Britain, one of the witnesses, on August 4, sent an ultimatum to Germany demanding that Belgian justice be respected. When Germany refused, Britain declared war on it the same day. Italy remained uninvolved until May 23, 1915, when, to satisfy its claims against Austria, it broke with the Triple Alliance and declared war on Austria - Hungary. In September 19 14, Allied unity was made stronger by the Pact of London, signed by France, Great Britain, and Russia. As the war progressed, other countries, including Turkey, Japan, the U.S., and other nations of the western hemisphere, were drawn into the conflict. Japan, which had made an alliance with the Great Britain in 1902, declared war on Germany on August 23, 1914. The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. (Microsoft Encarta, 1996) The outbreak of war in 1914 set in motion forces more gigantic than any previous war had seen. Two million Germans were on the march, the greater part of them against France, and there were another 3,000,000 trained men to back them up. France had nearly 4,000,000 trained men at call, although they relied on only 1,000,000 active troops in the first clash. Russia had more millions to draw upon than any, but their mobilization process was slow, a large part of their forces were in Asia and even their great potential strength was to a large extent canceled out by lack of munitions. (Captain Sir Basil Liddell Hart, 1984) The growth of these tremendous forces had been due primarily to a military gospel of mass. Known by Clausewitz, the Prussian military philosopher, who drew his inspiration from Napoleon's example, the spread of this gospel had been stimulated by the victories of the Prussian conscript armies in 1866 against Austria and in 1870 against France. It had been assisted also by the development of railways, which enabled far larger numbers of men to be assembled, moved and supplied than had been possible previously. Therefore the armies of 1914 - 1918 came to be counted in their millions compared with the hundreds of thousands of half a century earlier. (Captain Sir Basil

Happiness Enough Already Essays

Happiness Enough Already Essays Happiness Enough Already Essay Happiness Enough Already Essay Teddy Murray Brent Jackson English 5 March, 2015 Happiness: Enough Already In respects to being a popular work, I personally find Sharon Burgles article, Happiness: Enough Already, to be rather good. Firstly, this article is easy and interesting to read. Secondly, it contains the points of views of different authors. And thirdly, its information is generic enough to be relative to almost everyones life. Barleys article is structured logically and is worded clearly to the audience. One does not feel bored while reading this piece. The author does a erroneous job capturing the readers attention throughout the article. However, being a popular article, the author does include very specific words that would be difficult for a reader to understand if he or she was not educated in the topic this article covers. But these words are well explained, which do make the article less scientific and more pleasurable to read. In my opinion, good article is based on the inclusion of multiple researchers and sources. This article does this by acquainting the reader to multiple authors and their works (De Dinner of Rethinking Happiness, Eric Willows Against Happiness, and many more). I also thought this article was well done because of the insightful message it conveys. The article explains that people must feel sad or melancholic sometimes in order to experience all aspects of human emotion, which benefits ones quality of life. Being sad teaches people how to survive, makes them stronger and generally hardier. Moreover, the author captures the readers attention by pointing out evidence that suggests people who feel some kind of discontent are more ambitious and tend to be more eager to change their life for the better by pursuing their goals. : The author notes how most artists created their masterpieces in the period of melancholy. Sadness can be named the muse of art. Best poems are written because of unrequited love; the most significant ideas came to those who were on the edge. I believe that everyone will find the information in this article to be useful and relatable. American society is oriented in all the aspects of life. People are used to seeking happiness for themselves and for others, but sometimes people are placed in situations where unhappiness is necessary and natural. And this article does a great job expressing that fact. However, this article does have a downside-?the entire thing is extremely negative. I found the authors criticism of positive psychology and of the salesmen to be rather unfair. In my mind, positive psychology does a lot for understanding the well being of others, and think it deserves more respect than what the article gives. Furthermore, the whole spirit of the article is too dismal. The fault in this article is that there are no positive promises to the audience, which might lead some to choose overall sadness for his or her life. In fact, one might even find themselves rather sad themselves from just reading it.

Therapeutic Hypothermia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Therapeutic Hypothermia - Essay Example This is so because paramedics who usually have to treat such patients initially do not have sufficient therapeutic means to stymie this neurologic damage process during ischemic conditions. Mild hypothermia () have been induced in patients with cardiac arrest as a therapeutic means for protecting the brain against the global ischemia that usually accompanies open-heart surgery (Nolan et al, 2003). This therapeutic means was available since the late 1950s after which it was discontinued for some time because there was indefinite indication of benefits to patients (Nolan et al, 2003). Much later, this means has again been reintroduced in the context of cardiac arrest for a select group of patients and there are positive indications that when this therapeutic means is used after return of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest there is improved functionality and preemption from histological defects to the brain. This is true of a number of animal models, including the human one (Nolan et al, 2003). ... gh stringent and complex inclusion criteria in Europe and Australia has established that neurological outcomes (ability to live independently and work at least part-time, etc.) are selectively available for groups of patients free from certain pathological complications (Nolan et al, 2003). Nevertheless, there are significant adverse effects that entail more research on the treatment option (Nolan et al, 2003). Mechanisms of action of induced moderate/mild hypothermia primarily include reduction of cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen @ 6% for every degree (Celsius) fall in temperature >. This reduces chances of mitochondrial damages and apoptosis from decreased production of free radicals, excitatory amino acids and calcium shifts (Nolan et al, 2003). External cooling techniques to induce mild to moderate hypothermia include use of cooling blankets, application of ice packs to groin, axillae and neck, use of wet towels and fanning and use of cooling helmets (Nolan et al, 2003). Recent internal techniques such as intravenous infusion of crystalloids and intravascular heat exchange devices are beginning to become available (Nolan et al, 2003). Since it is found that though extracorporeal techniques are efficient they are too invasive for use in prehospital treatments and most emergency departments this paper shall now discuss research on introducing a hypothermia therapeutic technique that is internal, safe, easily administrable out-of-hospital and cheap and includes infusion with selective crystalloids like common salt. This following section shall be deemed as the problem statement of the paper. Problem Statement: As has already been mentioned, the need for an internal technique that is not invasive and that can be performed safely and cheaply out of hospital and

War and the media (focusing on the First Gulf War) Essay

War and the media (focusing on the First Gulf War) - Essay Example It is believed that although the main cause of the war was a very ancient conflict of Persians and Arabs. At that time and moment there was a great social and revolutionary change that was occurring in Iran. There was a whole lot of establishment of religious leadership. The reforms that were occurring in Iran were of quite a serious nature. The reforms were both social and political. Saddam Hussein judged the fact that this conflict would put Iran in a weaker position and hence make it easier for the Iraqi soldiers to get hold of the situation and thus invade Iran. The master mind behind this war was Saddam Hussein who believed, that if they attacked the Iranian at this point and time of conflict and turmoil, they will not be able to counter attack and hence face quite a lot of issues with their own security. He considered as the best time for the Iraqis to take over and establish their own supremacy over the whole area. They believed this as the most opportune moment. There was als o a fear of loss of power that had driven Saddam Hussein to consider the attacks. He believed that the Shiite uprising in Iran can ultimately affect the people living in Iraq too. Iraq has a dominant Shiite population and hence he feared that the Shiite Iraqis might feel motivated and rise against the Sunni establishment. It was this fear and the will to become the leader in the region that Saddam Hussein leapt into war. The reason that Saddam Hussein also felt fearless and jumped into war was that they had the support of Americans as well. Iran was undergoing a complete religious transformation and they had always considered Americans as the great Satan. They had declared openly their anti US feelings. This was what fueled the US and they sided with Iraq in this war to terrorize Iran and take control of it. Also, after the First World War , there was a demarcation that was made between the countries. The continued border disputes within both the countries also fueled the incident. If we consider the role of media, media has always been in the hands of those who are in power. In this case it was America who was quite at much stake. They had freshly lost a battle in Vietnam, which despite being a prolonged war turned out to be a gift of deaths alone for the Americans. It was highly important for them that they get a good name and reputation for themselves. Therefore, in this case they favored the Iraqi. The Iranians were very openly against the Americans and therefore, to be able to have their own say and hold in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf they sided with Iraqis. Iraqis had the worst fear in the form of their own Shiite population who might rise up against them as they attacked the Iranians, whose majority population was Shiite. This was what made the war more of name saving game for the Americans. They very publicly showed their support for the Iraqis and provided them with help and guidance so as to be able to overcome Iran. The first two years of t he war proved to be difficult for Iran as they had a very weak army , and which had been further weakened by the constant uprising that was occurring in their state. They could do little to protect themselves, with the continuous infiltrations of the Mullahs in the army. Once they had been able to regain a bit of their control over the army their attack had turn to offensive instead of a defensive one. America just to prove that they were

How Does Social Networking Affect Us Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How Does Social Networking Affect Us - Essay Example The analysis will seek to examine the way in which social media and the paradigm shift of mobile computing and texting have helped to provide a new representation of English language. In such a way both of these unique aspects will be discussed with regards to how they impact upon society. As with so many elements of life and the way in which the individual integrates with society, the most important aspect which will be discussed with regards to the following two elements is ultimately a question of balance and the means by which the individual is able to integrate both with the world of social networking and the world of real personal communication; both the world of abbreviated English and the world of standard English.According to the essay  before delving into the extent to which social media can be beneficial for the professional, Goldsborough spends a great deal of time discussing many of the aspects of social media within the younger generation that give it a negative repre sentation. In such a way, rather than whitewashing the reputation of social media and presenting the reader with an understanding that it is applicable and useful in each and every situation, the author delves into discussing the ways in which social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and others are ultimately abused by means of posting a seemingly endless stream of meaningless comments and perpetual updates of the my new shift of life that many of its participants feel so necessary to publish. (Goldsborough 251). The generational divide which was briefly discussed within the introduction comes into play within Goldsborough’s piece as he seeks to integrate an understanding of the fact that the older generation is almost categorically opposed and ultimately reticent to adopt such a new technology and integrate with some of the benefits that he can provide. However, as a means of seeking to evoke a level of participation from those individuals that remain and thence wi th regards to social networking, Goldsborough relates many of the positive ways in which social media can impact upon business creation, the small town feel of friendships and connections, and even the positive benefits of being able to spend downtime getting acquainted with new people and building a greater network of potential clients and friends. In this way, Goldsborough discusses the positive benefits that social networking can have upon the life of the professional while at the same time seeking to minimize the negative implications social networking has oftentimes been set famous for A secondary way in which social networking and the growth of technology within the past several years can impact upon individuals and society at large is with regards to the way in which language is ultimately being changed as a result of such a practice. John Humphrys’ piece, â€Å"I H8 TXT MSGS: How Texting Is Wrecking Our Language†, the author invokes the reader will with the und erstanding that although language has perennially changed, texting and the utilization of abbreviated forms of speech so often referenced in the social networking world of Twitter and Facebook is ultimately