Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Seperation of Powers essays

Seperation of Powers papers The Judicial Branch in Regard to Separation of Powers The Doctrine of Separation of forces is that political force ought to be partitioned among a few bodies as a precautionary measure against oppression. The perfect is contradicted the total power of the Crown, Parliament, or some other body. The diagram for United States partition of forces is spread out in the U.S. Constitution and developed in the Federalist Papers. The balanced governance of the US government include the flat division of forces among the official (the Presidency), the assembly (the two places of Congress themselves organized to check and parity each other), and the legal executive (the administrative courts). There is additionally a vertical partition between the national government and the states. Safeguards of partition of forces demand that it is required against oppression, including the oppression of the lion's share. Its rivals contend that sway must lie some place, and that it is better, and ostensibly progressively law based, to guarantee that it generally exists in a similar body. The United States needed to instate a legislature organized so that each branch was discrete yet equivalent. We will see, in any case, that it isn't generally a high contrast game plan and that the legal branch has frequently wound up in the ill defined situation of sway. The hypothetical thinking behind the requirement for partition of forces is spread out by Publius (Jefferson and Madison) fundamentally in Federalist Papers # 49 51. In American talk partition of forces is even more a name than an exact depiction. In application, none of the three branches is truly independent from the others. This was the contention that James Madison tended to in The Federalist, no 47. The Anti-Federalist charge was that The few offices are mixed in such a way as immediately to crush all balance and magnificence of structure, and to uncover a portion of the basic pieces of the building to the threat o... <!

Saturday, August 22, 2020

The Impact of Divorce on Children Essay -- Family Issues

Separation, when unfathomable among a great many people, is presently an ordinary event in families when the grown-ups have concluded that they can no longer work out their disparities. Tragically, separate from will in general negatively affect the kids in the family, especially influencing youngsters who as of now have mental or enthusiastic troubles, for example, ADHD (Patten, 1999). Issues that emerge in offspring of separation run the extent from social issues to later relationship/trust issues. Offspring of separation more regularly show social issues at school than do youngsters from flawless families, with the exception of when misuse is available in the home (Corcoran, 1997). Offspring of separation additionally experience more scholarly difficulty than kids from unblemished homes. This remains constant regardless of how their scholastic accomplishment is scored, whether by grades, state administered tests, or dropout rates, offspring of separation will in general have less fortunate scores than kids in a two parent home (Patten, 1999). The issues looked by offspring of separation differ contingent upon the child’s age at the hour of the separation. Young kids (under age two) may not encounter issues at everything except from age three to age five, youngsters may turn out to be progressively forceful, weepy, and relapse to more youthful conduct, for example, returning to trouble with free toileting or requiring the solace of a familiar object (Patten, 1999). Preschool age kids may pull back, wanting to invest energy alone as opposed to playing with other kids. They may likewise search out the consideration of grown-ups all the more regularly or turn out to be progressively on edge or irate (Patten, 1999). Little youngsters are likewise regularly given to dreams about their parents’ compromise (Corcoran, 1997). More seasoned young youngsters will in general attempt and adapt to the situati... ... Works Cited Corcoran, K. (1997, June) Psychological and enthusiastic parts of separation. Web. 20 March 2015 http://www.mediate.com/articles/psych.cfm?vm=r Foulkes-Jamison, L. (2001, January 1) The impacts of separation on youngsters. Gainesville Family Magazine. Web. 20 March 2015 http://cpancf.com/articles_files/efffectsdivorceonchildren.asp?vm=r Patten, P. (1999) Divorce and kids part I: A meeting with Robert Hughes, Jr., PhD. Parent News Web. 20 March 2015 http://www.athealth.com/customer/issue/childrendivorce.html?vm=r Shaw, D and Ingoldsby, E. Offspring of separation. Web. 20 March 2015 http://www.pitt.edu/ppcl/Publications/sections/children_of_divorce.htm?vm=r Temke, M. (2006) The impacts of separation on kids. College of New Hampshire distribution. Web. 20 March 2015 http://extension.unh.edu/Family/Documents/divorce.pdf?vm=r

Monday, August 10, 2020

My First Career Fair Experience

My First Career Fair Experience As someone who aims to attend graduate school, I did not think about going to career fairs until my senior year. However, as one of my friends said: “It’s a totally unique experience from our school work, and you will find it useful in all aspects.” Therefore, I went to the Engineering Career Fair on September 2, and I had to admit that I have learnt quite a lot. Before Career Fair I had my resume reviewed a couple times both by advisors and my friends before the career fair. An outstanding resume is one of the most important parts because recruiters only have a couple minutes to scan them, and then decide whether they would schedule an interview or not. It would be nice if resumes are printed on specific paper, but nowadays most companies take photos as electronic copies, and they will ask us to apply online anyway. I also prepared an elevator pitch about my recent research experiences, and related courses I have taken. In order to impress recruiters, I have to speak fast, fluently and use keywords. During Career Fair To be honest, I did not expect such a crowd and the long time I have to wait in the line to speak with a recruiter. (Probably because those companies are very popular.) Thanks to the Illinois Career Fair App and our new career service called “Handshake, I could narrow my targets and find their locations quickly solely by using my phone. It was extremely tiring, but I got the chance to ask my dream companies’ expectations, useful courses and necessary skills I need to acquire. After Career Fair This time, I only got one feedback, but I’m not too upset about it. Attending career fairs is just one of many ways our school provides us to get a job. I did agree with my friend that it was a great chance to understand the job market and explore possibilities of ourselves. Now I am not afraid of facing my shortcomings because I still have time to improve them, then show my advantages to employers. I am really looking forward to the next career fair, and I wish everyone good luck! Connie Class of 2018 I am double majoring in Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering and Statistics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. My hometown is a historical and peaceful city called Suzhou, located in southeastern China.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

George Clinton - Fourth U. S. Vice President

George Clinton (July 26, 1739 - April 20, 1812) served from 1805 to 1812 as the fourth vice president in the administrations of both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. As Vice President, he set up the precedent of not bringing focus to himself and instead simply presiding over the Senate.   Early Years George Clinton was born on July 26, 1739, in Little Britain, New York, a little more than seventy miles north of New York City. The son of farmer and local politician Charles Clinton and Elizabeth Denniston, not much is known of his early educational years although he was privately tutored until he joined his father to fight in the French and Indian War.   Clinton rose through the ranks to become a lieutenant during the French and Indian War. After the War, he returned to New York to study law with a well-known attorney named William Smith. By 1764 he was a practicing attorney and the following year he was named the district attorney.   In 1770, Clinton married Cornelia Tappan. She was a relative of the wealthy Livingston clan who were wealthy landowners in the Hudson Valley that were distinctly anti-British as the colonies moved closer to open rebellion. In 1770, Clinton cemented his leadership in this clan with his defense of a member of the Sons of Liberty who had been arrested by the royalists in charge of the New York assembly for seditious libel.   Revolutionary War Leader Clinton was nominated to represent New York at the Second Continental Congress which was held in 1775. However, in his own words, he was not a fan of legislative service. He was not known as an individual who spoke up. He soon decided to leave the Congress and join the war effort as a Brigadier General in the New York Militia. He helped stop the British from gaining control of the Hudson River and was recognized as a hero. He was then named a Brigadier General in the Continental Army.   Governor of New York In 1777, Clinton ran against his old wealthy ally Edward Livingston to be Governor of New York. His win showed that the power of the old wealthy families was dissolving with the ongoing revolutionary war. Even though he left his military post to become the states governor, this did not stop him from returning to military service when the British tried to help reinforce the entrenched General John Burgoyne. His leadership meant that the British were unable to send help and Burgoyne eventually had to surrender at Saratoga.   Clinton served as Governor from 1777-1795 and again from 1801-1805. While he was extremely important in helping with the war effort by coordinating New York forces and sending money to support the war effort, he still always kept a New York first attitude. In fact, when it was announced that a tariff was to be considered that would greatly impact New Yorks finances, Clinton realized that a strong national government was not in his states best interests. Because of this new understanding, Clinton was strongly opposed to the new Constitution that would replace the Articles of Confederation.   However, Clinton soon saw the writing on the wall that the new Constitution would be approved. His hopes shifted from opposing ratification to becoming the new Vice President under George Washington in the hopes of adding amendments that would limit the reach of the national government. He was opposed by the Federalists who saw through this plan including Alexander Hamilton and James Madison who worked to have John Adams elected as Vice President instead.   Vice Presidential Candidate From Day One Clinton did run in that first election, but was defeated for the vice presidency by John Adams. It is important to remember that at this time the vice presidency was determined by a separate vote from the President so running mates did not matter.   In 1792, Clinton ran again, this time with the support of his former foes including Madison and Thomas Jefferson. They were unhappy with Adams nationalist ways. However, Adams once again carried the vote. Nonetheless, Clinton received enough votes to be considered a future viable candidate.   In 1800, Thomas Jefferson approached Clinton to be his vice-presidential candidate which he agreed to. However, Jefferson eventually went with Aaron Burr. Clinton never fully trusted Burr and this distrust was proven when Burr would not agree to allow Jefferson to be named President when their electoral votes were tied in the election. Jefferson was named president in the House of Representatives. To prevent Burr from re-entering New York politics, Clinton was once again elected Governor of New York in 1801.   Ineffectual Vice President In 1804, Jefferson replaced Burr with Clinton. After his election, Clinton soon found himself left out of any important decisions. He stayed away from the social atmosphere of Washington. In the end, his primary job was to preside over the Senate, which he was not very effective at either.   In 1808, it became obvious that the Democratic-Republicans would choose James Madison as their candidate for the presidency. However, Clinton felt it was his right be chosen as the next presidential candidate for the party. However, the party felt different and instead named him to be Vice President under Madison instead. Despite this, he and his supporters continued to behave as if they were running for the presidency and made claims against Madisons fitness for office. In the end, the party stuck with Madison who won the presidency. He opposed Madison from that point on, including breaking the tie against the recharter of the National Bank in defiance of the president.   Death While in Office Clinton died while in office as Madisons Vice President on April 20, 1812. He was the first individual to lie in state in the US Capitol. He was then buried at the Congressional Cemetery. Members of Congress also wore black armbands for thirty days after this death.   Legacy Clinton was a revolutionary war hero who was immensely popular and important in early New York politics. He served as the Vice President for two presidents. However, the fact that he was not consulted and did not truly affect any national politics while serving in this position helped set a precedent for an ineffectual Vice President.   Learn More George Clinton, 4th Vice President (1805-1812), US Senate BiographyKaminski, John P.  Ã‚  George Clinton: Yeoman Politician of the New Republic.  New York State Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, University of Wisconsin--Madison Center for the Study of the American Constitution (Rowman Littlefield, 1993).

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Book review on “House Rules” by Piccoult, Jodi

Book review on: â€Å"House Rules† by Piccoult, Jodi Book synopsis The book, â€Å"House Rules† is one of the selling books that interestingly narrates the story of a young boy who faced difficulty in expressing himself hence feels out of place. The book, â€Å"House Rules† vividly identifies how the disabled in the society face oppression from the other members of society. The normal human beings who lack any form of disability take advantage hence harm the less privileged especially the disabled. The author of the book, Jodi vividly narrates the story of Jacob a young boy who was suffering from Aspergers syndrome. In the first chapter of the book, â€Å"House Rules† the author, Jodi, illustrates a mother by the name Emma who faces challenges to raise her kids. This is for the key reason that her husband escapes and denies the responsibility of taking care of the children. Emma a mother of two, Jacob and Theo decides to take care of her own children. Although Jacob disability because of the Aspergers syndrome is unique, she does not give up. However, as a loving mother, she struggles to ensure that the children live in a happy and normal life. Just like the other mothers, Emma tries her level best to ensure that Jacob his life just like a normal child (Piccoult, 2011.p, 56). In the analysis of the plot of the book, â€Å"House Rules† the author narrates that Emma’s elder son Jacob suffers from a unique disease that makes him unable to communicate with ease. The physician informs Jacob Hunt, who is still young, that he suffers from Aspergers syndrome. The disease makes it almost difficulty for Jacob to relate with the society in a usual manner. Jacob mainly faces difficulty in expressing himself to the other friends and adults. In the book, the author informs the reader â€Å"The Aspergers syndrome makes it almost difficult for Jacob to read and write† (Piccoult, 2011. P.123). Therefore, Jacob faces difficult in attending to the education system, which requires students who can read and write. The poor background of the family does not allow the mother to afford fees for the special schools for Jacobs Asperser syndrome condition. Being a kid, Jacob makes efforts to concentrate in one playing field, which makes him adopt to the society in which he feels he is not part of because of the disability. Jacob is sensitive gets attracted to forensic analysis, which makes him attracted to criminal activities. He spends most of the daytime in his room studying and listening to the criminal activities through the police scanner. This makes it be possible for Jacob to understand the cause of illegal activities and measures that the police implement to manage to control crime in the society. The author of the book, Jodi identifies that Jacob secretly participates in contributing to solving of the criminal problems. Jacob learns to reveal all the wrong undertaken in the society. He also learns to inform the police and analyze the rate of crime in the town. The climax in the book, â€Å"House Rules†, is when the author Jodi identifies that a crucial murder incident took place in the town that Emma and the family lived. The police investigate in diverse places in the entire town and lack enough evidence that can assist in the solving of the murder activities. The police later decide to visit Emma’s home and interview Jacob with questions concerning the crime. Jacob gives response to the questions, but the behavior makes him suspicious to the police officers. The climax of the book, â€Å"House Rules† is when Jacob is arrested as the chief suspect for the murder of the tutor. Since Jacob faced difficulty with communication, Emma hired a tutor to assist Jacob in learning how to read and write. The climax of the book is when the police approach Jacob and arrested later as the chief suspect for the murder of his tutor. Jodi the author of the book vividly identifies that Emma complains in the manner in which the police approaches the house and arrest Jacob for murder. â€Å"The Townsend policemen showing up at my house today to berate me (at best) and arrest Jacob (at worse). Isn’t it a misdemeanor to tamper with a police investigation?† (Piccoult, 45). The hallmark behavior, attributed by the Aspergers disorder, makes Jacob to emerge as a key suspect to the police officers. Answering the police questions while looking down and avoiding the police eyes makes him a suspect. Jodi the author of the book illustrates, â€Å"The twitches and tics that Jacob makes contribute to the suspicion hence his charged guilty of murder† (Piccoult 254). Emma, Jacobs’s mother try to explain to the police officer of the disability that his son faces, but after a clinical check up, Jacob then apprehended and tried in the court of law for murder. Jacob is identified as the key suspect of the indecent since he is found with blood all over his jacket after the end of the tutoring session. Jacob is arrested and sent to jail for a crime he did not commit. The author illustrates, â€Å"He stuck in a jail cell somewhere in the basement, for God’s sake† (Piccoult 197). Jacob is sent to jail for a period of two weeks. However, since Emma knew that his son was not guilty, she finds an attorney to rescue his son from the false allegations. â€Å"As Jacob is pulled out of the courtroom against silent, the time head to a two-week stay in jail† (Piccoult 199). However, after several court cases, Jacob was released from jail since he was found not guilty of the murder of tutor. Jodi who is the author of the book, â€Å"House Rules† faces difficult in understanding how human beings can lack knowledge and respect to the disabled in the community. She identifies that the key reason that prompts her to write the book is the fact that the society has lacked to appreciate the disabled. In acknowledgement of the book, â€Å"House Rules†, Jodi explains that the chief aspect that contributed to her writing the book is the idea that she gained from her cousin’s autistic condition. Jodi suggests that, in numerous occasions, her cousin faced problem when handling society related allegations. In most cases, Jodi’s aunt is reported for child abuse, and yet she was protecting her son from harm. For this reason, the author of the book decided to notify the people of the challenges that the disabled people face in the society. Jodi also notifies the reader about the numerous problems that the disabled families face such as rejection and tribulations from the rest society. In compiling the book, Jodi tries to inform the society that disabled people also ought to be respect and assisted by the normal people who are the majority in the society. The key audience and future in the entire book is the society in general and specifically the people that neglect the disabled and handicapped. The disabled people in the society require attention just like the normal human beings since the disabled cannot take care of their own need. The disabled in the community ought to receive treatment with respect and given a chance to associate with others freely since it is not their wish to be born without normal conditions (Baker Welkowitz, 2005). The normal human beings have the capability looking after the sick. Jodi identifies that the human beings have lacked the appropriate wisdom to take exceptional care of the disabled. Therefore, in the entire book, the author, Jodi tries to enlighten the society the importance of taking care of the disabled in the society (Attwood, 2008). In the book, â€Å"House Rules† the discussion focuses on disability as the main theme since the storyline is on Jacob who is suffering from Aspergers syndrome. In most of the events of the book, the author discusses disability, thus informing the society on how to appreciate the other less privileged members of the society. In the chapters of the book, the author recognizes disability to be a substantial problem in the society, which many normal people refrain from hence avoiding responsibility. Jodi identifies that disability in the world is just like any other sickness. For this reason, Jodi tries to reveal the appropriate ways in which people can appreciate the disabled persons in the society (Shieber, 2004). The author of the book, Jodi, is accurate in delivering the information concerning Aspergers syndrome (Anderson, 2008). The book also vividly summarizes the effects of the Aspergers syndrome. However, the book, â€Å"House Rules† lacks the exact actions to be undertaken in disabled situations. The book focuses mainly on the informing and narration aspect of the disease rather than giving immediate solutions to the problems associated with disability. However, almost the entire society gains from reading the novel since it give more information concerning Aspergers syndrome. References Attwood, T. (2008). The complete guide to Aspergers syndrome. London: Jessica Kingsley Anderson, J. (2008). Aspergers Syndrome, New York: Lulu.com, 2008 Baker, L., Welkowitz, L. (2005). Aspergers Syndrome: Intervening in Schools, Clinics, and Communities, London: Routledge Picoult, J. (2011). House rules. Crows Nest, N.S.W: Allen Unwin Shieber, S. M. (2004). The Turing test: Verbal behavior as the hallmark of intelligence. Cambrigde, Mass: MIT Press.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Importance of Ethical Leadership Free Essays

Ethical leadership is the foundation to successful leadership. There is no substitute for honesty and integrity inside and outside of the workplace. It is something that is extremely difficult to earn back. We will write a custom essay sample on The Importance of Ethical Leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now Once someone’s ethical persona has been Jeopardized that person may not ever be able to regain it, especially if that person continues to work among the same peers. Ethical leadership sets the tone for the culture of the organization. In the article The Ethical Commitment to Compliance: Building Value-Based Cultures, it mentions that a study was done to ompare and contrast the effectiveness of a rules-and-punishment approach with a values-and-integrity approach to compliance. They found that programs had fewer reports of unethical conduct, higher levels of ethical awareness, more employees seeking advice about ethical issues, and a higher likelihood of employees reporting violations. These ethics are instilled from the leadership down to the employees. There is clear empirical evidence that a leader and culture built on ethics will benefit the organization through the integrity of its employees. The rticle goes on to say that leaders of an organization can greatly improve the overall quality and integrity of the organization by focusing on the executive leader’s policies and the actions of the supervisors to lead with procedural fairness. This shows that ethical leadership can be proven by the equality of the processes that are implemented. The article concludes that the â€Å"role for the ethics and compliance officer [is] a values-based approach, in which organizations seek to motivate employees to develop and act on ethical values† and that it â€Å"is a more effective pproach to managing rule adherence. † The value-based approached discussed in the article is instilled from the top down. It is important that the leadership of the organization establish this ethical standard. Once the employees understand that ethics are the norm and values will be embraced, it is a lot easier for them to adhere to the ethical standards of the leadership. Any unethical behavior performed by leaders can potentially give peers an excuse to participate in unethical behavior themselves. In the article Who’s With Me? False Consensus and Ethical Decision Making, it states â€Å"people tend to see their choices and attitudes as being consistent with others’ choices and attitudes, which, in turn, leads them to interpret their actions and beliefs as ‘common and appropriate†. Leaders set the example. If they waiver on their perceived ethical behavior, it could have repercussions with their peers who let unethical behavior become more commonplace. This is further illustrated in the article Rational Cheaters vs. Intrinsic Motivators when it states â€Å"there are conscience-driven employees whose empathy toward their employer overns whether theyll consider cheating†. An employee’s view of their leaders may potentially have a corresponding effect with how ethical they are in the workplace.  Also you can read a rather interesting article about an Ethical Flaw. In the article The Leader Machine by Geoff Colvin, it states â€Å"most companies have enunciated values that include respect for the individual, good citizenship and integrity. When company leaders also become leaders of charities, schools, and other nonprofits, they snow their commitment to those values, encouraging and inspiring employees. † This example shows the importance of leadership choosing virtuous principles. Not only should leaders behave ethically, but it is also important to inspire their employees by participating in giving back to the community. Robert Mueller, in the chapter The Networking Leader, wonderfully summarizes â€Å"Trust, mutuality, and ethics are essential. The high road to success lies in cultivating authentic, win-win relationships, inside the organization and out, while operating at the highest standards of ethics. † Thus, the evidence continues to point out that ethical leadership is irreplaceable. It is vital to the health and success of any organization achieving for greatness. How to cite The Importance of Ethical Leadership, Papers

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Strategic Management Corporate Finance

Question: Write a 2,500-word report critically analysing how the strategy of merger and acquisition has been used in the energy sector during the oil price drop of 2014 to 2016. The report should include the application of two appropriate academic models. One academic model should focus on internal and external factors. The other model used in the report should focus on strategy. You should also consider the following when carrying out your research: The report should include appropriate energy examples of merger and acquisition deals during the oil price drop of 2014 to 2016, and should critically analyse the challenges and benefits of merger and acquisition as a strategy within the energy sector. The report should not analyse any ongoing merger or acquisition deals. Answer: Introduction During the period of 2014 to 2016, the energy sector suffered due to the drop in the oil price. In order to achieve a balance between the short term viability and also to maintain their long term goals and investments, most of the organizations in the energy sector opt for the strategy of merger and acquisition (Taillard 2013). It has been found that the drop in the oil price has impacted the profits as well as the spending of the firms on their projects. Thus, various companies of the energy sector implemented various strategies in order to stabilize or to improve their financial position by either earning access to resources, technology or new markets. It has been noted that most of the organizations in the energy sector implement the merger and acquisition strategy in order to maintain their financial position in the highly competitive market. In this report, two academic models of merger and acquisition have been discussed firstly, strategic management model of merger and acquis ition in order to focus on strategy and policies of a firm. Secondly, the report focuses on risk management model of merger and acquisition that highlights the both external and internal factors of an organization (Shimizu 2012). Merger and acquisition The terminologies Merger and Acquisition are generally referred as MAs and these are considered as the most important part of the corporate restructuring. Merger is defined as a combination of two organizations that creates a new company. On the other hand, acquisition is defined as the purchase of one firm by another, where no new firm is formed. It has been found that merger and acquisition involve various transactions. These include acquisitions, mergers, tender offers, consolidations, management acquisitions and purchase of assets (Ross, Westerfield and Jordan 2014). In every case of merger and acquisition, two firms are involved, where the acquiring company offers another company to buy its entire assets or to acquire some of its assets. The basic concept of merger and acquisition is the consolidation of two firms, where by acquiring the assets of another company or by merging two companies; the management of the particular firm intends to earn synergy over the present financia l condition of the firms individually. Therefore, the concept and the understandability of both mergers and acquisitions are considered as an important factor, especially in todays world (Ross, Westerfield and Jordan 2013). It has been noted that in some of the particular sectors, the probability of occurring merger and acquisition is relatively more than other sectors. These include telecommunications, chemicals, oil, IT, pharmaceuticals and finance. Merger generally takes place between those two companies which are equal in stature and in size along with their cooperation (Ross 2012). Therefore, merger is also known as merger of equals. On the contrary, it can be said that in case of acquisitions, one firm purchases another, especially the smaller organizations such that they get absorbed within the parent company. the company that is being acquired by another is termed as target company. Implementation of strategic model Strategic Management: Merger and Acquisition At initial level, it has been noted that the mergers and acquisitions were simply the financial transactions that aims to control the target and the undervalued assets of an industry that is much different from the core business of the acquirer. Here, the main aim was to make the cash flows sufficient for the debt repayment. However, as per Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson (2013), the concept of mergers and acquisitions are totally different in recent days. Thus, during the period of 2014 to 2016, most of the companies in the energy sector opt for the implementation of the merger and acquisition strategy. The reason behind this is that in present days, the typical merger and acquisition of the companies are considered as an operational and strategic in nature. The strategy that has been implemented during the merger and acquisition of energy companies in the time period 2014 2016 includes different perceptions of the managers. According to Lynch (2012), during the period of oil price dro p, the managers do not justify the action of merger and acquisition as a mere purchase of undervalued assets. Rather, it has been found that the managers of the energy sector consider this activity of merger and acquisition as purchasing of installed customer bases, greater geographical boundaries, better distribution channels, a variety of new talent and organizational competencies. Therefore, it has been found that during the period of oil price drop, most of the companies in energy sector undergo merger and acquisition in order to maintain their profit percentage and long term investment (Raimbault and Barr 2012). All of the acquired factors thus in turn offer much strategic opportunities to the firms such that the organizations in the energy sector can gain an edge over the products and services of the competitors. Thus, it has been found that the organizations of the energy sector are still running successfully in this competitive market even during and after the oil price drop in the year 2014 to 2016. Opined to Olivas-Lujan and Bondarouk (2013), the strategic planning has been emphasized by the firms as a vital instrument that leads to the success of the business. As per Lasserre (2012), many studies have been conducted in this regard and the outcome of these studies reveals that hardly ever the managers had any strategic rationale for the activities of merger and acquisition. In addition to this, the managers had seldom any idea regarding the impact of these activities that might have on the organizations of the energy sector in the upcoming periods. Nevertheless, the managers of the organizations have recently changed their emphasis from saving cost to using the concept of merger and acquisition as a strategic driver for the growth in the corporations. There are various reasons regarding mergers and acquisitions to be justified. The companies under the energy sector that have undertaken such deals of merger and acquisition can either be a complete failure or can be a gain from them. Therefore, the alignment of the strategic plans of the organizations with their plans regarding merger and acquisition is considered as an important factor (Pitt and Koufopoulos 2012). The reason behind this is that this alignment of the strategic plans with the plans of merger and acquisition of an organization can only make the activity of merger and acquisition of the firm effective and successful. This can be done by the help of an effective instrument i.e. due diligence which involves the screening of all the acquisition targets and the potential mergers. Implementation of Risk management model The risk management model is the most suitable one that helps the organizations of the energy sector to focus on internal as well as external factors in order to analyze the process by which the strategy of merger and acquisition is used in the energy sector. It has been found that during the period of 2014 to 2016 i.e. during the period of oil price drop; this particular risk management model has been applied and implemented to better understand the strategy of merger and acquisition within the energy sector. The merger and acquisition risk management model has been proposed for considering the risk factors that are present within the activities of merger and acquisition. The objective of this model is to maximize the scope of success in the activities of merger and acquisition by reducing and managing the related risks. According to Oskooe (2012), there are various types of theories and models within the risk management model of merger and acquisition. However, the primary approach of the merger and acquisition risk management model is composed of two steps. These include firstly, risk identification of the organization with the help of fish bone method and secondly, risk quantification with the help of Fuzzy-AHP method. It has been found that most of the organizations in the energy sector use the merger and acquisition risk management model in order to identify as well as manage the risks due to the process of merger and acquisition (Parrino, Kidwell and Bates 2014). It also helps to maximize the profitability of the particular firms. As per the model, the first step is to identify the associated risks based on internal and external factors of the organizations of energy sector. The fishbone diagram helps to identify various possible causes for each problem (Parrino, Kidwell and Bates 2012). Additionally, this structure can also be used for arranging a session of brainstorming and also to sort ideas into useful categories immediately. Therefore, it can be s aid that for the organizations of the energy sector, the fishbone diagram acts as a tool that analyzes the process of dispersion. Figure 1: General structure of Fishbone Diagram (Source: Parrino, Kidwell and Bates 2012) On the other hand, most of the organizations of energy sector adopt the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with the merger and acquisition risk management model in order to quantify the risk factors that have been identified. This model acts as a useful and powerful tool for systematic analysis that ranks the relative factors and also indicates its importance. This AHP helps to link between the qualitative and quantitative methods and it also helps to solve the problems of the organization of the energy sector regarding its decision making (Parnell 2014). Therefore, it can be said that the implementation of this risk management model to the organizations of the energy sector will help to resolve all the complex problems by implementing the right strategies based on the internal and external factors of the firm. Examples of merger and acquisition in energy sector During the period of 2014 2016, many organizations under the energy sector have undergone the activities of merger and acquisition, the reason behind this being the oil price drop. However, it has been found that most of the mergers and acquisitions have provided positive results contrary to what was expected. For example INEOS has successfully acquired the U.K. North Sea Gas Fields from Deutsche Erdoel AG, Schlumbergerhas successfully acquired Fluid Inclusion Technologies Inc. and NuEnergy Gas Ltd has also acquired Dart Energy (Indonesia) Holdings Pte Ltd successfully (Ogfj.com 2016). Additionally, it has been found that Ameresco has successfully acquired all the assets of U.K. Energy Services Provider Energyexcel LLP during the period of oil price drop (Ameresco.com 2016). Moreover, the organization Camin Cargo Control Inc has also acquired Quantum Control Services during this period (Ogfj.com 2016). Therefore, from all these examples it can be said that merger and acquisition pl ay a vital role in the organizations of energy sector during the period of oil price drop. Benefits of merger and acquisition in energy sector It has been found that there are various advantages regarding the implementation of the activities merger and acquisition within an organization, especially in the energy sector. Some of the advantages of merger and acquisition are as follows: Firstly, the mergers and acquisitions help to pave the ways for the organizations in the energy sector to enter into the new markets. This activity also helps the organizations in the energy sector to add new product lines to the existing one of the firm (David 2013). Additionally, it also helps the firm to increase its distribution channel or distribution reach as this activity of merger and acquisition helps to gain a core competence to do more combinations. Secondly, the implementation of merger and acquisition to the firms of the energy sector help the management to enhance or increase the value of its shareholders. Thirdly, the value of the shareholders of an organization can be enhanced by implementing the activities of merger and acquisition by reducing the costs that are obtained due to the combination of operations, departments and trimming the employees of the firm (Brealey, Myers and Marcus 2012). Therefore, this reduction in cost in turn leads to the increase in the profitability amount of the firms in the energy sector. Fourthly, the implementation of merger and acquisition activities within the organizations of energy sector helps to increase the revenue of the firm by the process of the absorption of a major competitor. This in turn increases the market share of the organizations in the energy sector. Fifthly, the implementation of the merger and acquisition leads to the cross-selling of the services and products provided or served by the organizations of the energy sector. Sixthly, it has also been found that the savings of tax can also be obtained by the organizations of the energy sector, especially when a highly profitable organization gets merged with or takes over a money-loser company. Seventhly, the implementation of the activities merger and acquisition lead to diversification that can also stabilize the earnings of the organizations of the energy sector and can also boost up the confidence level of the investors of the firms (Berk, DeMarzo and Harford 2012). Eighthly, it has been found that some of the mergers and acquisitions take place within an organization of the energy sector, especially when the management of a business distinguishes the requirement of altering the identity of the corporate. Ninthly, the activities of merger and acquisition also help to reduce the risk of an organization or it can also be said that these activities also help to spread the risk among other organizations of the energy sector, such that it can be handled well. Tenthly, the acquisitions of the organizations under the energy sector are considered to achieve the horizontal and vertical operational synergies. These synergies signify that the entire one is greater than the different parts. Lastly, it has also been found that some of the activities of merger and acquisition occur due to the market dominance and also to reach the economies of scale. This helps the organizations of the energy sector to run profitably. Challenges of merger and acquisition in energy sector It has been found that there are several advantages of the implementation of merger and acquisition. However, close analysis indicates that there are also some challenges regarding implementation of merger and acquisition within the organizations of the energy sector. These include communication challenges, cultural challenges, employee retention challenges, flawed intentions, obstacles to making it work, accessing the corporate cultures, differences, legal and issues (Berk 2013). Recommendation On the basis of the above analysis it can be recommended that the steps taken by the firms to merge at the time of crisis is best suited to the situation and should be applied henceforth too. The past method of viewing mergers as scaling down competition at times of need has now changed. There is an improved perception among the managements that such a step would in fact help in mitigating the situation by improving customer sales, cutting down costs and by going beyond logistical or geographical boundaries. Such a step would surely benefit a firm to return to a much better position once the crisis is over, and as such is highly recommended. Conclusion Therefore, it can be rightly concluded on the basis of the above analysis and observations that mergers have resulted in firms mitigating untoward crises like a sudden and prolonged drop in oil prices, contrary to the belief that it would only aid in reducing competition. The various models like strategic and risk mitigation, to name a few, have further strengthened the notion that mergers have helped in the past and if conducted judiciously would benefit in the future too. Since risk factors like drop in prices or change in demand patterns are unpredictable, such actions should be planned in advance so that the firm itself does not collapse. 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