Femicide in Guatemala free essay sample

Femicide in Guatemala â€Å"Six women and girls were killed in Guatemala last week in one day alone. Two of the girls, about 6 and 12 years old, were found strangled to death in a street in the capital Guatemala City wearing their pajamas† (Moloney 1). Guatemala has the third highest rate of Femicide in the world. Femicide is defined as the killing of a woman by a man because she is a female. In Guatemala, a significantly high number of femicide cases have been reported and I strongly believe that this is a very troublesome and unhealthy issue for the population. More than 3800 females have been murdered in Guatemala since the year 2000 and this is just the official number. This clearly suggests that numerous innocent women are tortured and killed by men each day throughout the region. Another report suggests that 512 women were killed between January 1 and October 16 in the year 2012 alone and this is after a 10 percent decline from the previous year. We will write a custom essay sample on Femicide in Guatemala or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (PCUSA, 1) Most of these cases were reported in the province of Guatemala, which includes the country’s largest city and capital. The fact that this number is still so high despite the drop suggests what an urgent issue this is. There are various reasons for this violent victimization of women throughout Guatemala and is becoming an increasingly pressing issue which needs serious attention. It has been reported that this region is one of the unsafe areas in the world for women. Each day countless women are raped, mutated, forced into sexual slavery and abortions, sterilized and murdered. This creates a sense of fear among the entire population and makes them more submissive to this brutality. Men and women throughout the country live their lives in immense anxiety and stress of losing the women that they love. One of the main concerns regarding femicide is impunity, meaning that most of these cases are not brought to trial. Reports suggest that only 1%-2% of femicide cases are prosecuted whereas criminals have a 98% to 99% chance of completely escaping any punishment or prosecution. This poses a huge problem because women don’t get the justice that they deserve and criminals easily escape. This is very unfair for the innocent women who are victims of such crimes because their offenders don’t receive the punishment that they deserve. Another main reason for this exigent issue is the inability of the Guatemalan authorities to ensure the safety of women. This is to say that the Guatemalan government is so corrupt that they are unable to provide security for women and with the extremely high rate of impunity it is almost impossible for women to find justice. Now, it is very important to understand why these gender specific crimes exist in the region. One of the main reasons for this violent targeting of women goes back to the â€Å"Guatemalan government and military’s 36 year old genocidal counterinsurgency campaign against the country’s Mayan population† (Mychalejko 1). This is to say that the reason behind this problem of femicide exists to destroy the intricate social bonds of Mayan communities. Additionally, â€Å"Gender violence not only terrorizes women in the community, but it also disrupts traditional patriarchal gender relations by sending the message to men that they are not capable of protecting women† (Mychalejko 1). I find this medium of using gender violence to target an indigenous population very disappointing. It is not ethical for a population to kill thousands of women in order to get even with a community. Further, it is believed that this harsh behavior against women is really effecting the male population because such incidents happen so frequently that they are becoming insensitive to such incidents. Men in the Guatemalan society have become normalized to such reports and this can be seen because the crimes are continuing to become more inhumane and frequent. As mentioned above, one of the primary reasons for this ongoing violence against women is the Guatemalan Civil war, which left behind harsh memories of violence and impunity. The increased militarization cause by the ongoing war on drugs also continues to contribute to these high femicide rates. Guatemala is one of the regions strongly involved in the drug trade and thus women are used as collateral damage in the battle between gangs. Additionally, the economic and political climate in the region is not very stable and thus the land a resource conflict also contributes to these innocent deaths. Lastly, it has also been found that the increased involvement of foreign governments, especially US and Canada play an important role in this violence targeted to women. Basically, the Guatemalan government uses the targeting of women as a â€Å"tactical and deliberate tool of political repression (Mychalejko 2). In my personal opinion, not only is this very disturbing but it is also very unfair. Women play an important role in building a society and this unnecessary violence against them is very alarming. Using women as a bait to target the bigger economic and political issues is unethical and should not be practiced by any government. It is impossible for women to find hope and justice in a society where such high impunity exists. This continues to be a never-ending cycle for thousands of innocent women who lose their lives, while the people responsible are let free. Overall this is an absolute shame and mockery of the system. The Guatemalan civil war really contributes to these high rates of gender violence in the country. The aftermath of the war left more than 200,000 Guatemalans murdered, most of who were indigenous. Also, thousands were raped, tortured, disappeared and displaced. The most disappointing part however, is that over 98 percent of the people who engaged in these war crimes were left free. It is this lack of justice that left criminals in the country in power and innocent victims hurt. Therefore, these high rates of femicide are to inform the local population about this harsh past and to remind them that justice has not yet come. In conclusion, I think that we must all focus our attention to this increasing issue of femicide in Guatemala. In the recent times, as the political repression against women in increasing, they are becoming more active in order to prevent femicide. For example, â€Å"In Guatemala it has been proven that as more women participate politically and socially, it brings out more repression. An example is the recent attempt on the life of [the aforementioned anti-mining activist] Yolanda Oqueli† (Mychalejko 3). Yolanda is a leader of FRENAM, a movement that aims to defend land from expansion activities. She was returning home from a peaceful protest when she was shot. I believe that this issue of femicide is one that needs immediate attention. It is absolutely wrong and immoral to use a country’s women as a way of gaining political control. Additionally, the Guatemalan government is extremely corrupted and has a very high rate of impunity, which in turn, allows criminals to go free and possibly even commit the crime again. I suggest that the citizens of the world acknowledge this and do an intervention throughout the region. It is high time that women not be used as a bait to target men or to settle past scores. Women are an integral part of any society and deserve respect and security.

The Impact of Culture Differences on Strategy Realisation in the Post-Acquisition Process The WritePass Journal

The Impact of Culture Differences on Strategy Realisation in the Post-Acquisition Process REFERENCES The Impact of Culture Differences on Strategy Realisation in the Post-Acquisition Process Impact of Culture on the Post-Acquisition Integration ProcessResearch frameworkHypothesesDiscussion and ImplicationsLimitationsFurther researchREFERENCESRelated This study sets out to develop an understanding of why and how in the post-acquisition integration process, culture differences impact strategy realization. Based on clinical research, the effect of culture differences was explored in multiple integration settings within a single multinational corporation. This pointed to various degrees of perceived organizational and perceived personal uncertainty associated with different integration approaches impacting on commitment to organizational goals. A controlled laboratory experiment validated perceived uncertainty causing an individual change on the socially constructed variable culture, which affects employees’ behavior, such that it negatively impacts the process to strategy realization. The theoretical and practical relevance of these findings is discussed, as are directions for further research. Mergers and acquisitions (MA) as a strategy for growth, by their sheer size and number, carry strategic importance for companies, industries, and the economy as a whole. MA are a select opportunity to enhance a firm’s capabilities, and though a well-traveled, not proven road to value creation. Success depends on companies’ ability to achieve their specific synergy goals by integrating their specific organizations, sharing their specific resources, and reconfiguring their organization toward value-creation processes. The needed inter- and intra-company cooperation, turning potential into achievement, reinforces the need to regard strategy formulation and implementation as aspects of the same objective. The study develops an understanding of why, and how, culture differences impact strategy realization in mergers and acquisitions (MA). The following three premises set the framework of the research area: (1) MA are a select opportunity to enhance a firm’s capabilities (Haspeslagh and Jemison 1991); (2) The post-acquisition integration process is a crucial factor in MA, whereby management of the post-acquisition integration process is generally considered important in achieving organizational objectives (Pablo 1994, Schweiger and Walsh 1990); (3) Culture is found to be a plausible explanation for obstructions in the post-acquisition integration process (Nahavandi and Malekzadeh 1988) It has been argues that culture and strategy are overlapping constructs. Culture in an organizational setting serves two critical functions. It solves both problems of external adaptation (defining objectives) and those of internal integration, namely how opportunities and threats in the environment are dealt with. Social scientists have defined culture in a myriad of ways. â€Å"Culture gives you a set of codes to deal with phenomena in a social environment† Impact of Culture on the Post-Acquisition Integration Process In value-creating MA, post-acquisition integration is the vehicle to transfer competencies and to share knowledge and skills between organizations. Though cultural diversity offers the opportunity to use the competencies and knowledge contained in each organization to the benefit of the combined company, clashing cultures throughout the corporate structure are found to poison an integration process and subsequently prevent synergy from being achieved. Two phenomena have made culture harder to come to terms within present-day MA. The first is the growing number of cross-border, cross business (e.g. retail and investment banking), and cross-industry (e.g. banking and insurance) MA. Not only do employees have different norms, values, and attitudes, they filter the environment and acts of others through the lenses of their own experience. Cross-border MA are even less likely to succeed than within country MA: accommodating both national and organizational cultures results in â€Å"doubl e layered acculturation†. The second phenomenon is the growing importance of human capital, the primary â€Å"raw material† of the service industry. In providing a service there is both a high â€Å"personal† factor and a high level of interaction. In such an environment, the acquired business’ resentment over loss of autonomy and its subsequent resistance to change are detrimental to achieving organizational objectives. Assimilating the staff of merging or acquired companies is a matter of strategic importance in the realization of synergies.   Failure to integrate cultures makes for an organizational void soon filled with dilemmas and conflicts, thus making for a situation where culture clashes are unavoidable. Furthermore, caution that culture clashes between members of different sub- cultures will likely evolve from a dormant level to an overt one if business is no longer â€Å"as usual†. Research framework This study diverges from earlier research findings in that obstructions to cooperation are not assumed to stem entirely from formerly independent organizations coming into contact with one another. If culture differences between acquisition partners obstruct post-acquisition integration, then the degree of culture differences between the acquisition partners and the degree of contact between the acquisition partners are of a determining nature. In this study, empirical work was conducted to investigate specifically how organizational and personal uncertainty change individuals’ responses to cultural dimensions relating to goal-directed behaviors. In the specific MA framework for investigation, it is hypothesized that dimensions of culture are affected by perceived uncertainty created by the integration approach implemented, ultimately impacting commitment to organizational goals and strategy realization. It is argued that above a certain level, perceived uncertainty causes a r eaction outside the conscious control of individuals, affecting extra-role behavior, notwithstanding earlier collective programming of the mind. The specific framework for investigation allows for how and why the dimensions of culture moderate the behavioral outcomes of post-acquisition integration and, ultimately, strategy realization for the firm. In order to understand why and how culture contributes to strategy realization, the following hypothesized relationships are tested in a controlled laboratory experiment. Hypotheses The following hypotheses test the perspective that the dimensions of culture are a dynamic contextual dependent variable in the post-acquisition integration process. Null hypothesis 1: Dimensions of culture will not differ between the integration approaches. Null hypothesis 2: The median of the answers given on the same questions in the different integration approaches does not differ between the integration approaches. The acceptance of the null hypotheses would signify that the study provides no evidence to suggest that there is a significant within-person difference on the dimensions of culture under conditions of change. This field study showed that, contrary to expectations, respondents did not find the culture differences problematic and/or affecting the various post-acquisition integration processes. Thus, regardless of the degree to which different cultures came into contact with each other in the different integration approaches, respondents did not object to adapting to the culture of the partner as long as the post-acquisition process was perceived to be fair, honoring employees’ past commitment to organizational goals, and free from opportunistic behavior. In the field study, perceived uncertainty, stemming from organizational change in the integration approaches, was a major issue. Respondents described it impacting the post-acquisition integration process to the extent that it affected commitment to organizational goals and subsequently strategy realization. They considered uncertainty as a processual phenomenon of post-acquisition integration, reflecting both perceived organizational and perceived personal uncertainty. Perceived organizational uncertainty comprises the future of the company, knowing and understanding of what the goals are, the availability of resources to accomplish the goals set, legitimate concern for the protection of value drivers, and the industrial and economic environment in which the organization operates. Perceived personal uncertainty includes among other things, job security, honoring psychological contracts, altered career expectations, job satisfaction, new colleagues, work practices and/or business sys tems, and opportunistic behavior of others. Discussion and Implications The primary theoretical contribution of this study is the establishment of why and how, in the post-acquisition integration process, culture differences impact the realization of strategy. In general, the dimensions of culture as described as influence employees’ participation in bridging the gap between synergy potential and synergy achieved. The dimensions of culture are found to be a moderating variable rather than an independent factor in the post-acquisition integration approach. A within-person change on the dimensions of culture, stemming from a change in the levels of autonomy granted and interdependence required, explains why culture impacts strategy realization. The effects of this within-person change on commitment to organizational goals resolve how culture impacts strategy realization. Culture is found to be a socially constructed variable, which in the post-acquisition integration process is impacted at an individual level, regardless of earlier programming of th e mind. Uncertainty as it is perceived, stemming from organizational change in the post-acquisition integration processes, has an inverse relation to behavior conducive to realization of strategy. The research results contribute to knowledge in the field of strategy, organizational behavior, and social psychology by validating that dependent on context the dimensions of culture become dynamic. Research findings also illustrate that in the post-acquisition integration process perceived uncertainty is a dual construct and a context-dependent process variable. Particular to the field of strategy is that the absence of resistance to neither change nor employees continuing to perform their daily routines is enough of a condition to bridge the gap between synergy potential and synergy achieved. Extra-role behavior is the critical factor in the post-acquisition integration process toward strategy realization. The scale applied in the controlled laboratory experiment, measuring the dimensions of culture, shows the discretionary nature of extra-role behavior. There is practical relevance for business leaders is that it is not necessarily the degree of culture differences between acquisition partners, nor the degree cultures come into contact with each other, nor these culture differences originating cross-business, cross-industry or cross-border that explain the impact of culture on strategy realization. The effect of perceived uncertainty on the post-acquisition integration processes is such that the importance of management action cannot be overstated. The inverse relation between the level of perceived uncertainty and employees’ extra role behavior seriously impacts strategy realization. Any integration approach can show a pattern of high perceived organizational and high perceived personal uncertainty if no clear choices are made or if internal communication is lacking. In the post-acquisition integration approach, business is not as usual and the requirements for strategy realization have not yet crystallized to the extent tha t they can be incorporated in job descriptions, work procedures, structures, and processes. Extra-role behavior to a large extent being discretionary and in the span of control rather than under the control of business leaders is an important finding. The more employees’ activities consist of actions that are non-fragmented, non-routine, and require interaction, the more strategy realization hinges on leadership creating an environment where value can be created. It is not so much that culture differences are incompatible; the effect of perceived uncertainty on extra-role behavior is such that employees throughout the hierarchy do not make the opening moves. The obstruction to cooperation is not so much employee resistance as that there is no platform for transfer of competencies, for sharing of knowledge and skills, or an environment for cooperation. Limitations The sample of the questionnaire is neither random nor has it been possible to test for non-reply. As stated earlier, in management research judgment samples are more common than probability samples. The number of respondents is sufficiently large, and deliberately composed of dissimilar respondents for external validity not to pose a problem. Eight questions following the vignettes are measuring personal behavioral intentions, while two are measuring the behavior of colleagues. Asking direct question reference absenteeism was considered too intrusive to gather answers that were not influenced by considerations of â€Å"social correctness†. The question on cooperation between divisions being smooth was purposely phrased as such cooperation is more of a group effort than that of a solitary individual. In this study, the most widely used analytical tool to establish reliability, Cronbach’s alpha, and the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure to determine sampling adequacy have been used. The use of these mean-based tests on ordinals is considered an acceptable risk as they test the scale applied. They are not used to interpret the controlled laboratory experiment results. Taking into account that the answers following the different vignettes were drawn from a true replicated sample, comparing the results of the reliability tests across the vignettes warrant attention. The application of mean-based statistics to an ordinal scale might not be without penalty or alternatively it might be that environmental contexts affect reliability tests. Further research This study is only the first step toward a better understanding of how and why culture differences impact strategy realization. Research into whether one or some dimensions of culture are clean in their effect while others are more of a moderating nature and/or their interrelation is deemed important. Further analysis of the data is deemed worthwhile but at the moment impaired by the unconventional premise that the difference between a discrete and a continuous solution space is such that it might seriously affect the meaningfulness of analytical statistical results. In this context, it will be a contribution to the management literature to explore whether, and how, historic events influence perceptions of uncertainty in a present situation. And, whether and how, tolerance for absorbing impact within certain boundaries explains differences in the performance of firms. It is expected that current and historic organizational modus operandi and external environmental factors will determ ine these factors in specific change situations. The impact of these on strategy realization in addition to perceived uncertainty stemming from changing levels of autonomy and required amount of interdependence should be taken into account. It was a core premise of the chapter that strategies and their implementation are an integral part of strategy realization. Investigating the generalizability of the research findings to other organizational change efforts might not be without significance in explaining differences in firms’ performance. REFERENCES Haspeslagh, P. and Jemison, D. 1991.   Managing Acquisitions: Creating Value through Corporate Renewal.New York: Free Press. Pablo, A. 1994. Determinants of acquisition integration level: A decision-making perspective.AcademyofManagementJournal, 37(4): 803–36. Nahavandi, A. and Malekzadeh, A. 1988. Acculturation in mergers and acquisitions. Academy of Management Review, 13

Charles Martin in Uganda Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Charles Martin in Uganda - Case Study Example Or is it more appropriate to appoint another person in his place? We analyze the case and recommend that Green should retain Martin because of his knowledge of the local business conditions. He has developed a good network with key people in the Government. Besides he would be able to induct any new entrants who may be deputed by HG into the Ugandan project. However, we need to issue a cautionary note to Martin. He should be immediately asked to refrain from all unethical practices and he needs to report any unfair demands directly to Green so that the issues can be tackled with due regard to the cultural sensitivity. Additionally, Martin needs to develop the role of a functional manager who can cross fertilize ideas and transplant best practices from the host nation to the local country. Introduction The case discusses the cultural issues that Hydro Generation (HG) has faced in Uganda and the decision point faced by the vice-president Green. Martin as the liaison officer for HG has proved to be extremely capable and has completed all the tasks on time. At this juncture, Green ponders over some of the methods adopted by Martin. While some of them seem to go against the stronger views held by American companies, some of the approaches seem to be completely unethical and unfair. Under these circumstances, Green needs to decide on the next crucial phase of the project: should he continue to retain Martin as the chief liaison officer overseeing the entire project? Case Analysis Question 1 has to do with an understanding of cultural aspects of doing business in Uganda. We have insights from the case here. Uganda has largely been a developing nation thus far with the progress not percolating down to the lower strata of society. It has not had a stable government though Multinational companies and their operations are well encouraged. Some of the cultural aspects points to a backward, superstitious nature wherein tribal sacrifices and soothsayers seem to hold sway ove r cold logic and reasoning. Culture could be defined as a system of knowledge and standards adopted for perceiving, believing, evaluating and acting (Allaire & Firsirotu, 1984). Culture is a system of socially transmitted patterns of behavior that helps people relate to their environment. It develops gradually over time and is often influenced by social and economic progress also. A simpler definition has been put forward by Hofstede (1984) who described it as a collective programming of the mind that helps distinguish one category of people from another. From the case, we also observe certain patterns of Ugandan society. They tend to favor nepotism and are largely driven by a commitment to their family and kin. A stronger bonding and accountability towards the social circle seems to take precedence over business commitments. Both attributes could affect the operations of a multinational company interested in doing business in Uganda. Firstly, superstitious beliefs could hamper usua l logical decisions that rely on business judgment and analytical outcomes. Obviously, multinational companies would be driven by logic and rationale. They would be offended if superstitious beliefs posed hurdles to business commitments and operations. Martin has however tried to blend in with the locals by adopting their cultural practices and participating in their rituals. This makes a strong point in his favor for he has understood the cultural diversity and sensitivity (Trompenaars,

The Usefulness of Marketing for Media and Entertainment Companies such Essay

The Usefulness of Marketing for Media and Entertainment Companies such as Disney - Essay Example Another marketing strategy that entertainment companies have resulted to is using electronic advertising in animated billboards. An example is Sony which has chosen to advertising in the ever busy New York’s Times Square where it is sure to attract millions of consumers. This marketing strategy has ensured that all the people using Times Square on a daily basis will have the opportunity to experience the advertisement and long to have the Sony phone which means that the sales of the Sony products and hence continue growing the company (Beattie, 2013). Lastly the media and entertainment industries should embrace using social media to advertise. They can advertise their upcoming movies and programs or premier events on their social media pages as a way to notify many people as well as market their products to their consumers to purchase. This marketing strategy has been used by other industries including the airplane companies and the results have been evident in the increase in client base as well as ensuring consumer satisfaction (Vorvoreanu, et al. 2013). Media industry as well as the entertainment industry in general has been experiencing competition in the recent past and marketing is one of the ways to ensure they have gained competitive advantage in the busy industry. Marketing will provide a niche for the company that will decide to spend more in their marketing (Haupeet, 2012). Marketing is also essential because entertainment forms keeps on changing as technology changes. In order to ensure that people are keeping up with these changes and they embrace it as it comes, marketing is the best strategy to do this. If the marketing strategy used will be able to reach many people at once, it then means that these people will also be kept abreast with the changes and will embrace them without much criticism to go with it (Anderson, 2007). The other importance of marketing strategy for the media and entertainment industries is to encourage

ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE AND ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE AND ANALYSIS - Essay Example The 21st century has seen the emergence of adaptive organization styles to cope with these increasingly evolving changes in the economic, technological and social-cultural environment. This has had an impact on the traditional organization structure from the previous bureaucratic to today’s emerging post-bureaucratic or otherwise known as network model of organization. A closer look at today’s organizations will show that both the human and structural components have been on a constant change path (Casey 2002). Casey (2002) further observes that today’s organization has faced some form of revolution that has been created by the ever increasing quest for modernity. The issue that arises in this observation is, therefore, what are the causes of such changes and to what extent the present corporate organizations have embraced the change or shown the signs for those changes. This paper therefore examines the various factors that have led to the shift from the bureauc ratic style to that of post-modernism or network model of organization by looking at structures and the human factors. It also tries to ascertain the extent to which today’s organizations have embraced these changes. ... To begin, the revolution of the information and communication technology has been a major influencing factor in the way organizations have been operational. Processes, functions and the general environment of operations in organizations have changed and corporations have felt this change in a massive way. Organizations have encountered and experienced surprising changes in the twenty first century more than that of the industrial revolution (Castells 2011). Decisions are today made more promptly because top management have shed off some of their decision making responsibilities with the emergence of new technology or computer information systems such as decision support systems. They have improved accuracy and the time taken to make decisions and they have facilitated involvement of many people as opposed to the previous bureaucratic style where lower cadre employees had to wait several days for final decisions to be made (Heyderbrand 1989). Information technology has also effectivel y improved the way feedback is sought from the top management. For instance, today you do not have to book an appointment to meet the manager; instead you could just send him or her an email and you will be sure that there will be response soonest they access their mails. Another influence that technology has brought into organizations is the rise of professional workers who are more independent in thinking and decision making and the reduction of manual workers who depend on supervision and orders for them to perform their tasks appropriately (Frenkel 1999). This has in turn reduced bureaucratic tendencies of relying on orders and waiting for instructions from the top organs as will be further seen in this discussion. To plainly relay the

Market Trends Analysis of Indian Oil and Gas Industry

Market Trends Analysis of Indian Oil and Gas Industry OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY This study provides an insight into the oil and gas industry. Analyze market trends for oil and gas industry in the global arena. To understand financial performance and financial position of oil and natural gas companies like ONGC, Petro china, Chevron and Exxon Mobil. To analyse the financial statements of 2009-2010, so as to understand about the key factors like Profitability and Solvency for decision making and ultimate business solvency. To find out the ratios of the company and carry out a comparative study. To understand the current position of these companies. To analyze the Indian oil market. To see the international scenario. To analyze the oil prices in India and other countries. BROAD APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY Type The study carried out will be more like a Descriptive Research. For analyzing the financial statement, methodology to be used is financial ratio analysis and comparative study. Purpose The study mainly focuses on giving knowledge about the importance of annual reports. Data collection The data collection has been made in two ways: Primary source: Data has been collected with the help of constant interaction with my mentor Ms. Uma Rajamani Manager (FA). Secondary source: Data has been collected with the help of : Annual report of ONGC. ONGC reports. Internet. This source helped me in collecting information about the company as a whole, financial performance. Before making use of secondary data both the data and its source were evaluated. Particular attention was paid to definitions used, measurement error, source bias, reliability and the time span of the secondary data. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INDIAN OIL AND NATURAL GAS SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS IN THE PETROLEUM NATURAL GAS SECTOR DURING 2009-10 India has total reserves (proved indicated) of 1201 million metric tonnes of crude oiland1437 billion cubic metres of natural gas as on 1.4.2010. The total number of exploratory and development wells and metreage drilled in onshoreand offshore areas during 2009-10 was 428 and 1019 thousand metres respectively. Crude oil production during 2009-10 at 33.69 million metric tonnes is 0.55% higher than33.51 million metric tonnes produced during 2008-09. Gross Production of Natural Gas in the country at 47.51 billion cubic metres during 2009-10 is 44.63% higher than the production of 32.85 billion cubic metres during 2008-09. The production of Natural Gas at 44.94% and 0.08% of the total were highest and lowestin JVC/Private and West Bengal respectively during 2009-10. The flaring of Natural Gas in 2009-10 at 2.09% of gross production is lower than at 3.29% in 2008-09. The refining capacity in the country increased to 184.386 million tonnes per annum(MTPA) as on 1.4.2010 from 177.968 MTPA as on 1.4.2009. The total refinery crude throughput during 2009-10 at 160.03 million metric tonnes is0.46% lower than 160.77 million metric tonnes crude processed in 2008-09 and the prorate capacity utilisation in 2009-10 was 89.92% as compared to 107.43% in 2008-09. The production of petroleum products during 2009-10 was 151.898 million metric tones (including 2.244 million metric tonnes of LPG production from natural gas) registering adecrease of 0.51% over last years production at 152.678 million metric tonnes (including2.162 million metric tonnes of LPG production from natural gas). The country exported 50.974 million metric tonnes of petroleum products against theimports of 23.49 million metric tonnes (including 8.828 million metric tonnes of LNG) during 2009-10. The consumption of petroleum products during 2009-10 were 138.196 million metrictonnes (including sales through private imports) which is 3.60% higher than the sales of133.400 million metric tonnes during 2008-09. The total number of retail outlets of Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies as on1.4.2010 has gone upto 36462 from 34948 on 1.4.2009. The total number of LPG consumers of Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies as on1.4.2010 were 114.952 million against 105.632 million as on 1.4.2009. The number of persons employed (including contract employees) in petroleum industryas on 1.04.2010 and 1.04.2009 are 129988 138973 respectively. OIL INDUSTRY INTRODUCTION TO THE OIL INDUSTRY Energy in all its forms is critical to economic growth, development, and social welfare. The worlds need for reliable and affordable energy supplies is growing. Energy is a critical input for economic growth and its availability determines the quality of both, the national economy and the life of citizens. Sustainable economic progress hinges crucially around the supply of stable and competitively priced energy. Oil is a fungible, international commodity whose ownership and ultimate destination is determined by market forces once it leaves the producing country. No country can effectively isolate itself from changes elsewhere in the market, nor is it likely that any nation can take actions that do not indirectly affect other nations. Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture. OIL industry is considered to be the back bone of an economy because this is the main source of energy till date. Any economy around the world would fail to precede a single step in the absence of petroleum industry. Thus, before using this energy source, the crude petroleum is required to be refined in the petroleum refineries for extracting various fractions for energy generation namely, petrol, natural gas, kerosene, asphalt and many more. The processes that are involved in the petroleum industry are: Drilling at the site of petroleum for making well so that the crude oil could be extracted. Refining of the crude oil Storing of the extracted oil in a secured place. Transportation of the stored crude oil is required to be done to the different refineries. Processing of the crude oil needs to be done in the processing units of refineries for converting it into usable fuel form along with the other important derivative products. Core activities of oil and natural gas sector Exploration and Production India is heavily import dependent for its oil and gas requirements. Our total imports of crude oiland petroleum products in the year 2008-09 amounted to 146.441 million metric tones (MMT), worth about Rs. 4,01,631 crore. The country also exported petroleum products amounting to 36.414 MMT, earning foreign exchange worth nearly Rs. 1,15,987 crore. The gap between demand and availability of crude oil from indigenous sources is likely to increase over the years. In case of gas, this gap is expected to decrease with production of gas from KG basin. The growing gap in demand and supply of oil and the shortfall in supply of gas requires greater emphasis to be placed on exploration and production. Objectives of Exploration and Production activities To undertake a complete appraisal of the Indian Sedimentary basin area for tapping thehydrocarbon potential. To optimize production of crude oil and natural gas in the most efficient manner. To keep pace with the technological advancements and remain at the technological forefront in the global exploration and production industry. To achieve a near zero impact on environment. Refining and Marketing The development of refining and marketing activities is crucial for achieving self sufficiency inpetroleum products and in moving towards a competitive and consumer oriented market. Objective of Refining and Marketing Activities Maintain self-sufficiency in all petroleum products by appropriate enhancement in refiningcapacities by National Oil Companies private players including international oil companies. Develop export capability in petroleum products so that the refining industry becomes globally competitive and oil security is enhanced. To develop corresponding infrastructure including ports, pipelines and depots, etc. for anefficient oil industry. To make available quality fuels at affordable prices while continuing subsidies for sensitivepetroleum products. To improve consumer services through better retailing practices and competition. Tariff and Pricing A rational tariff and pricing policy is vital to ensure healthy growth of the hydrocarbonsector and to protect the consumers as well. Objectives of Tariff and Pricing Policy To provide incentives for cleaner, greener and quality fuels so as to promote an environment friendly hydrocarbon sector. To balance the need to boost Government revenue with the need to align taxes and duties with Asia- Pacific countries and the prices to international levels. To promote new investments, by ensuring adequate protection to domestic producers The industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream. The upstream oil sector is known as exploration and production sector. It includes the searching for potential underground or underwater oil and gas fields, drilling of exploratory wells, and subsequently operating the wells that recover and bring the crude oil. The midstream processes, stores, markets and transports the crude oil. The downstream oil sector is used to refer to the refining of crude oil, selling and distribution. Oil companies measure oil production in the unit of barrels (bbl). Oil Natural Gas Commission was established on 14th August, 1956 as a statutory body under Oil Natural Gas Commission Act (The ONGC Act), for the development of petroleum resources and sale of petroleum products. ONGC was converted into a Public Limited Company under the Companies Act, 1956 and named as â€Å"Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited† with effect from 1st February, 1994. The Government disinvested around 10% of the equity shares of ONGC in March 2004 through a public offer in the domestic capital market at Rs. 750 per share. After the above disinvestment, the shareholding of the Government in ONGC came down to around 74.15%. HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR 2009-10. ONGC has made 15 oil gas discoveries in the areas under its operative control. State-of-the-art technologies inducted in hardware software for seismic data acquisition, processing interpretation, and in well logging. Advanced drilling techniques for sidetracks, multilateral and extended reach wells absorbed and implemented on fast track. Engineering design audit introduced with significant cost savings. ONGC registered its fifth Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on September 22, 2009. The project, ‘Energy Efficiency of Amine Circulation Pumps at Hazira involves enhancing energy efficiency achieved in the Amine Circulation Pumps of Hazira Plant. The project will fetch an estimated Certified Emission Reduction (CER) of 4043 per year for a period of 10 years. With this, ONGC achieves a total annual CER of about 1.24 lakh. National Safety Awards in Oil Mines Category: ONGC has bagged four National Safety Awards in Oil Mines Category for year 2007. This is fourth consecutive years that ONGC has bagged these awards, instituted by the Ministry of Labour Employment, Government of India to motivate, appreciate and recognize the extraordinary performance in the area of mines safety. These awards were given by the Honble Vice President of India in New Delhi on October 23, 2009. These awards are based on Longest Accident Free Period (LAFP) and Lowest Injury Frequency Rate (LIFR) and were judged by jury of Director General of Mines Safety, Management Representatives and Trade Union Representatives. PCRA Award for Oil and Gas Conservation: ONGC bagged the Best Overall Performance PCRA Award amongst the Upstream Oil Companies for the Oil and Gas Conservation Programmes during the year 2009. The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd, Mumbai The Company has the following ASSETS /PLANTS/ BASINS/ REGIONS : A. ASSETS/ PLANTS: Mumbai High Asset, Mumbai Neelam Heera Asset, Mumbai Bassein Satellite Asset, Mumbai Uran Plant, Uran Hazira Plant, Hazira Ahmedabad Asset, Ahmedabad Ankleshwar Asset, Mehsana Mehsana Asset, Mehsana Rajamundry Asset, Rajamundry Karaikal Asset, Karaikal Assam Asset, Nazira Tripura Asset, Agartala B. BASINS: Western Offshore Basin, Mumbai Western Onshore Basin Vadodara KG Basin, Rajamundry Cauvery Basin , Chennai Assam Assam-Arakan Basin , Jorhat CBM- BPM Basin , Kolkata Frontier Basin , Dehradun C. REGIONS: Mumbai Region, Mumbai Western Region, Baroda Eastern Region, Nazira Southern Region, Chennai Central Region, Kolkata PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE DURING 2008-09 2009-10 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE DURING 2008-09 2009-10 PROGRESS OF PROJECTS : MAJOR PROJECTS COMPLETED DURING THE YEAR MAJOR PROJECTS APPROVED DURING THE YEAR MAJOR INITIATIVES Strategic goals set for two decades 2001-2020 Doubling Reserve Accretion to 12 Billion MTO+OEG Improving Recovery Factor to the order of 40% Production of 20 MMTPA O+OEG equity oil and gas from acquisitions abroad. Short-term Strategy Time scheduled exploration activities for prospect recognition and drilling. Prioritisation of exploration activities on fast track basis for enhancing reserves accretion. Pre-drill 3D seismic in deepwater and blanket 3D in key growth areas. Knowledge building in new sectors of producing as well as frontier basins. Medium-long-term Strategy Further intensification of exploration in the producing basins to realise the hydrocarbon resources to in-place volume conversion. Exploration spread in non-producing basins and yet to be explored basins to establish their potential and knowledge building. Major shift to deep offshore as the major thrust and contributing sector. Strategic Initiatives Major development projects including IOR/ EOR schemes with an approved cost of Rs. 30,000 crore are under various stages of implementation to enhance crude oil and natural gas production. A new and dedicated business unit viz. Eastern Offshore Asset has been constituted with an aim to put east coast discoveries on a fast track development through an integrated east coast hub. Substantive decentralization of administrative authorities together with delegation of financial authorities carried out to empower the field executives. Induction of new technologies in core areas of EP activities like: Acquisition, processing and interpretation of seismic data Drilling and production technology IT and communication. Materials Management Inventory Management and codification procedure have been implemented and computerized to track and identify the materials efficiently. NON-CONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY (i) Wind Power Project: Wind Farm Project of 50 MW at Motisindoli in Kutch district of Gujarat is an initiative of ONGC towards its commitment for environment-friendly and pollution-free energy production. The power generated from this wind power project is being wheeled to 101 locations of ONGCs oil field installations/ offices/ residential quarters in the state of Gujarat. ONGC shall be saving about Rs. 30 crore per year on electricity charges in Gujarat, considering the present purchase price of electricity. (ii) Installations of Solar thermal plants: Solar thermal plants in ONGC guest house, hospital, academy hostel, officers club, central workshop, Baroda and colony are already installed. Initiatives have been taken to install the solar water heating system at other locations of ONGC also. Solar panels were installed at well heads of (Bokaro) Jharkhand. 9600 lakhs per day (LPD) capacity of solar water heating system is added in this year and total capacity installed is 38100 LPD. HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT (HSE) Environmental initiatives encompassed solid waste, liquid effluent, air emission monitoring mechanism for proactive planning to manage waste through environment-friendly technologies like bio-remediation, reduction and recycling options and environmental reporting based on global reporting initiative principles. Several initiatives of long-term and continuous nature like bio-remediation of oily sludge, effluent management, ISO certification of installations on international benchmark standards, Mangroove and Hingal plantations etc. are also being carried out in ONGC. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS ONGC is actively pursuing energy conservation measures. The conservation of petroleum products namely HSD, Lube oil and natural gas are important activities. These measures include: Phasing out of old diesel engines more than 15 years old. Awareness campaign on use of bio-diesel as alternate fuel. Use of small DG sets during lean periods in rigs, proper capacity utilization, rationalization and efficiency improvement of equipments, use of energy efficient devices. Substitution of diesel engines with gas engines at installations where gas is available. Increase in lube oil change period resulting in substantial saving. Natural gas flaring has been reduced and the same is being supplied to consumers. Use of small DG sets and waste heat recovery equipment at offshore platforms, rigs, LPG plants at Hazira and Uran. Use of energy efficient equipment and devices such as top drives, linear motion shale shakers, electronic diesel engines, soft start systems and energy efficient lamps etc. Use of gas engines in place of diesel ones for power generation. Thermal energy cost reduction achieved by maintenance of steam traps at processing plants. Conducting energy audit on regular basis and Petroleum Products Conservation Opportunities (PPCOs) are identified. Harnessing solar energy by using solar water heaters/ photo-voltaic panels at various locations. ONGC VIDESH LIMITED (OVL) ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ONGC, was incorporated as Hydrocarbons India Private Limited on 5th March, 1965 with an initial authorised capital of Rs. 5 lakh, for the business of international exploration and production. Its name was changed to ONGC Videsh Limited on 15th June, 1989. The authorised and paid-up share capital of OVL as on 31st March, 2007 was Rs. 1,000 crore. The primary business of the company is to prospect for oil and gas acreages abroad. These include acquisition of oil and gas fields in foreign countries as well as exploration, production, transportation and sale of oil and gas. OVL currently has participation in 39 projects in 15 countries namely, Vietnam (3 projects), Russia (2 projects), Sudan (3 projects), Iran (1 project), Iraq (1 project), Libya (3 projects), Myanmar (5 projects), Syria (2 projects), Egypt (2 projects), Cuba (2 projects), Nigeria Sao Tome Principe JDZ (1 project), Brazil (5 projects), Nigeria (2 projects), Colombia (6 projects), and Venezuela (1 project). OVLs share of crude oil and natural gas production is currently from 9 projects in seven countries, viz., Russia, Sudan, Vietnam, Syria, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. OVLs share of crude oil and natural gas production in 2009-10 is expected to be 8.142 Million. Metric Tonne of oil equivalent (MMTOE) including of 2.017 BCM of natural gas. The other 30 projects being implemented by OVL are at various stages of exploration and appraisal. The gross revenue of Rs.13,444 crore is estimated by OVL during the financial year 2009-10 with net profit of Rs.412 crore. Further, OVL is pursuing acquisition of various oil and gas exploration and production opportunities in Russia, Central Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Middle East, which are at different stages. Established as a joint stock company with limited liabilities on November 5,1999, as part of the restructuring of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). It was respectively listed on the NYSE (ADS code: PTR) and the HKSE (stock code: 00857) in April 2000 and on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (stock code:601857) in November 2007. As at end of 2010, CNPC holds 86.292% shares of Petro China. Ranked 7th by Platts in the â€Å"Top 250 Global Energy Companies† published by Platts Energy in 2010, which was the top ranking among enterprises in the Asia Pacific region for eight consecutive years. Included as a constituent stock of the SSE Social Responsibility index and the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index. Adheres to the corporate policy of â€Å"Caring for Energy, Caring for You† and core business management principles of â€Å"Honesty, Innovation, Performance, Harmony and Safety†. Perseveres in carrying out business in a more effective, safe and environmentally friendly manner; pursues the balance among the economy, environment and society; provides sustainable energy for economic and social development; and creates a better life for people. CORE BUSINESSES Engaged in a broad range of businesses related to oil and natural gas, which mainly include the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas, the refining, transportation, storage and marketing of crude oil and refined products, the production and marketing of primary petrochemical products, their derivatives and other chemicals, and the transportation and marketing of natural gas. Chevron is an American multinationalenergycorporation. Headquartered inSan Ramon, California, and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of theoil,gas, andgeothermalenergy industries, includingexplorationandproduction, refining, marketing and transport; chemicals manufacturing and sales; andpower generation. Chevron is one of the worlds six super major oil companies. For the past five years, Chevron has been continuously ranked as one of Americas 5 largest corporations byFortune 500. Market Trends Analysis of Indian Oil and Gas Industry Market Trends Analysis of Indian Oil and Gas Industry OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY This study provides an insight into the oil and gas industry. Analyze market trends for oil and gas industry in the global arena. To understand financial performance and financial position of oil and natural gas companies like ONGC, Petro china, Chevron and Exxon Mobil. To analyse the financial statements of 2009-2010, so as to understand about the key factors like Profitability and Solvency for decision making and ultimate business solvency. To find out the ratios of the company and carry out a comparative study. To understand the current position of these companies. To analyze the Indian oil market. To see the international scenario. To analyze the oil prices in India and other countries. BROAD APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY Type The study carried out will be more like a Descriptive Research. For analyzing the financial statement, methodology to be used is financial ratio analysis and comparative study. Purpose The study mainly focuses on giving knowledge about the importance of annual reports. Data collection The data collection has been made in two ways: Primary source: Data has been collected with the help of constant interaction with my mentor Ms. Uma Rajamani Manager (FA). Secondary source: Data has been collected with the help of : Annual report of ONGC. ONGC reports. Internet. This source helped me in collecting information about the company as a whole, financial performance. Before making use of secondary data both the data and its source were evaluated. Particular attention was paid to definitions used, measurement error, source bias, reliability and the time span of the secondary data. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INDIAN OIL AND NATURAL GAS SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS IN THE PETROLEUM NATURAL GAS SECTOR DURING 2009-10 India has total reserves (proved indicated) of 1201 million metric tonnes of crude oiland1437 billion cubic metres of natural gas as on 1.4.2010. The total number of exploratory and development wells and metreage drilled in onshoreand offshore areas during 2009-10 was 428 and 1019 thousand metres respectively. Crude oil production during 2009-10 at 33.69 million metric tonnes is 0.55% higher than33.51 million metric tonnes produced during 2008-09. Gross Production of Natural Gas in the country at 47.51 billion cubic metres during 2009-10 is 44.63% higher than the production of 32.85 billion cubic metres during 2008-09. The production of Natural Gas at 44.94% and 0.08% of the total were highest and lowestin JVC/Private and West Bengal respectively during 2009-10. The flaring of Natural Gas in 2009-10 at 2.09% of gross production is lower than at 3.29% in 2008-09. The refining capacity in the country increased to 184.386 million tonnes per annum(MTPA) as on 1.4.2010 from 177.968 MTPA as on 1.4.2009. The total refinery crude throughput during 2009-10 at 160.03 million metric tonnes is0.46% lower than 160.77 million metric tonnes crude processed in 2008-09 and the prorate capacity utilisation in 2009-10 was 89.92% as compared to 107.43% in 2008-09. The production of petroleum products during 2009-10 was 151.898 million metric tones (including 2.244 million metric tonnes of LPG production from natural gas) registering adecrease of 0.51% over last years production at 152.678 million metric tonnes (including2.162 million metric tonnes of LPG production from natural gas). The country exported 50.974 million metric tonnes of petroleum products against theimports of 23.49 million metric tonnes (including 8.828 million metric tonnes of LNG) during 2009-10. The consumption of petroleum products during 2009-10 were 138.196 million metrictonnes (including sales through private imports) which is 3.60% higher than the sales of133.400 million metric tonnes during 2008-09. The total number of retail outlets of Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies as on1.4.2010 has gone upto 36462 from 34948 on 1.4.2009. The total number of LPG consumers of Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies as on1.4.2010 were 114.952 million against 105.632 million as on 1.4.2009. The number of persons employed (including contract employees) in petroleum industryas on 1.04.2010 and 1.04.2009 are 129988 138973 respectively. OIL INDUSTRY INTRODUCTION TO THE OIL INDUSTRY Energy in all its forms is critical to economic growth, development, and social welfare. The worlds need for reliable and affordable energy supplies is growing. Energy is a critical input for economic growth and its availability determines the quality of both, the national economy and the life of citizens. Sustainable economic progress hinges crucially around the supply of stable and competitively priced energy. Oil is a fungible, international commodity whose ownership and ultimate destination is determined by market forces once it leaves the producing country. No country can effectively isolate itself from changes elsewhere in the market, nor is it likely that any nation can take actions that do not indirectly affect other nations. Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture. OIL industry is considered to be the back bone of an economy because this is the main source of energy till date. Any economy around the world would fail to precede a single step in the absence of petroleum industry. Thus, before using this energy source, the crude petroleum is required to be refined in the petroleum refineries for extracting various fractions for energy generation namely, petrol, natural gas, kerosene, asphalt and many more. The processes that are involved in the petroleum industry are: Drilling at the site of petroleum for making well so that the crude oil could be extracted. Refining of the crude oil Storing of the extracted oil in a secured place. Transportation of the stored crude oil is required to be done to the different refineries. Processing of the crude oil needs to be done in the processing units of refineries for converting it into usable fuel form along with the other important derivative products. Core activities of oil and natural gas sector Exploration and Production India is heavily import dependent for its oil and gas requirements. Our total imports of crude oiland petroleum products in the year 2008-09 amounted to 146.441 million metric tones (MMT), worth about Rs. 4,01,631 crore. The country also exported petroleum products amounting to 36.414 MMT, earning foreign exchange worth nearly Rs. 1,15,987 crore. The gap between demand and availability of crude oil from indigenous sources is likely to increase over the years. In case of gas, this gap is expected to decrease with production of gas from KG basin. The growing gap in demand and supply of oil and the shortfall in supply of gas requires greater emphasis to be placed on exploration and production. Objectives of Exploration and Production activities To undertake a complete appraisal of the Indian Sedimentary basin area for tapping thehydrocarbon potential. To optimize production of crude oil and natural gas in the most efficient manner. To keep pace with the technological advancements and remain at the technological forefront in the global exploration and production industry. To achieve a near zero impact on environment. Refining and Marketing The development of refining and marketing activities is crucial for achieving self sufficiency inpetroleum products and in moving towards a competitive and consumer oriented market. Objective of Refining and Marketing Activities Maintain self-sufficiency in all petroleum products by appropriate enhancement in refiningcapacities by National Oil Companies private players including international oil companies. Develop export capability in petroleum products so that the refining industry becomes globally competitive and oil security is enhanced. To develop corresponding infrastructure including ports, pipelines and depots, etc. for anefficient oil industry. To make available quality fuels at affordable prices while continuing subsidies for sensitivepetroleum products. To improve consumer services through better retailing practices and competition. Tariff and Pricing A rational tariff and pricing policy is vital to ensure healthy growth of the hydrocarbonsector and to protect the consumers as well. Objectives of Tariff and Pricing Policy To provide incentives for cleaner, greener and quality fuels so as to promote an environment friendly hydrocarbon sector. To balance the need to boost Government revenue with the need to align taxes and duties with Asia- Pacific countries and the prices to international levels. To promote new investments, by ensuring adequate protection to domestic producers The industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream. The upstream oil sector is known as exploration and production sector. It includes the searching for potential underground or underwater oil and gas fields, drilling of exploratory wells, and subsequently operating the wells that recover and bring the crude oil. The midstream processes, stores, markets and transports the crude oil. The downstream oil sector is used to refer to the refining of crude oil, selling and distribution. Oil companies measure oil production in the unit of barrels (bbl). Oil Natural Gas Commission was established on 14th August, 1956 as a statutory body under Oil Natural Gas Commission Act (The ONGC Act), for the development of petroleum resources and sale of petroleum products. ONGC was converted into a Public Limited Company under the Companies Act, 1956 and named as â€Å"Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited† with effect from 1st February, 1994. The Government disinvested around 10% of the equity shares of ONGC in March 2004 through a public offer in the domestic capital market at Rs. 750 per share. After the above disinvestment, the shareholding of the Government in ONGC came down to around 74.15%. HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR 2009-10. ONGC has made 15 oil gas discoveries in the areas under its operative control. State-of-the-art technologies inducted in hardware software for seismic data acquisition, processing interpretation, and in well logging. Advanced drilling techniques for sidetracks, multilateral and extended reach wells absorbed and implemented on fast track. Engineering design audit introduced with significant cost savings. ONGC registered its fifth Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on September 22, 2009. The project, ‘Energy Efficiency of Amine Circulation Pumps at Hazira involves enhancing energy efficiency achieved in the Amine Circulation Pumps of Hazira Plant. The project will fetch an estimated Certified Emission Reduction (CER) of 4043 per year for a period of 10 years. With this, ONGC achieves a total annual CER of about 1.24 lakh. National Safety Awards in Oil Mines Category: ONGC has bagged four National Safety Awards in Oil Mines Category for year 2007. This is fourth consecutive years that ONGC has bagged these awards, instituted by the Ministry of Labour Employment, Government of India to motivate, appreciate and recognize the extraordinary performance in the area of mines safety. These awards were given by the Honble Vice President of India in New Delhi on October 23, 2009. These awards are based on Longest Accident Free Period (LAFP) and Lowest Injury Frequency Rate (LIFR) and were judged by jury of Director General of Mines Safety, Management Representatives and Trade Union Representatives. PCRA Award for Oil and Gas Conservation: ONGC bagged the Best Overall Performance PCRA Award amongst the Upstream Oil Companies for the Oil and Gas Conservation Programmes during the year 2009. The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd, Mumbai The Company has the following ASSETS /PLANTS/ BASINS/ REGIONS : A. ASSETS/ PLANTS: Mumbai High Asset, Mumbai Neelam Heera Asset, Mumbai Bassein Satellite Asset, Mumbai Uran Plant, Uran Hazira Plant, Hazira Ahmedabad Asset, Ahmedabad Ankleshwar Asset, Mehsana Mehsana Asset, Mehsana Rajamundry Asset, Rajamundry Karaikal Asset, Karaikal Assam Asset, Nazira Tripura Asset, Agartala B. BASINS: Western Offshore Basin, Mumbai Western Onshore Basin Vadodara KG Basin, Rajamundry Cauvery Basin , Chennai Assam Assam-Arakan Basin , Jorhat CBM- BPM Basin , Kolkata Frontier Basin , Dehradun C. REGIONS: Mumbai Region, Mumbai Western Region, Baroda Eastern Region, Nazira Southern Region, Chennai Central Region, Kolkata PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE DURING 2008-09 2009-10 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE DURING 2008-09 2009-10 PROGRESS OF PROJECTS : MAJOR PROJECTS COMPLETED DURING THE YEAR MAJOR PROJECTS APPROVED DURING THE YEAR MAJOR INITIATIVES Strategic goals set for two decades 2001-2020 Doubling Reserve Accretion to 12 Billion MTO+OEG Improving Recovery Factor to the order of 40% Production of 20 MMTPA O+OEG equity oil and gas from acquisitions abroad. Short-term Strategy Time scheduled exploration activities for prospect recognition and drilling. Prioritisation of exploration activities on fast track basis for enhancing reserves accretion. Pre-drill 3D seismic in deepwater and blanket 3D in key growth areas. Knowledge building in new sectors of producing as well as frontier basins. Medium-long-term Strategy Further intensification of exploration in the producing basins to realise the hydrocarbon resources to in-place volume conversion. Exploration spread in non-producing basins and yet to be explored basins to establish their potential and knowledge building. Major shift to deep offshore as the major thrust and contributing sector. Strategic Initiatives Major development projects including IOR/ EOR schemes with an approved cost of Rs. 30,000 crore are under various stages of implementation to enhance crude oil and natural gas production. A new and dedicated business unit viz. Eastern Offshore Asset has been constituted with an aim to put east coast discoveries on a fast track development through an integrated east coast hub. Substantive decentralization of administrative authorities together with delegation of financial authorities carried out to empower the field executives. Induction of new technologies in core areas of EP activities like: Acquisition, processing and interpretation of seismic data Drilling and production technology IT and communication. Materials Management Inventory Management and codification procedure have been implemented and computerized to track and identify the materials efficiently. NON-CONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY (i) Wind Power Project: Wind Farm Project of 50 MW at Motisindoli in Kutch district of Gujarat is an initiative of ONGC towards its commitment for environment-friendly and pollution-free energy production. The power generated from this wind power project is being wheeled to 101 locations of ONGCs oil field installations/ offices/ residential quarters in the state of Gujarat. ONGC shall be saving about Rs. 30 crore per year on electricity charges in Gujarat, considering the present purchase price of electricity. (ii) Installations of Solar thermal plants: Solar thermal plants in ONGC guest house, hospital, academy hostel, officers club, central workshop, Baroda and colony are already installed. Initiatives have been taken to install the solar water heating system at other locations of ONGC also. Solar panels were installed at well heads of (Bokaro) Jharkhand. 9600 lakhs per day (LPD) capacity of solar water heating system is added in this year and total capacity installed is 38100 LPD. HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT (HSE) Environmental initiatives encompassed solid waste, liquid effluent, air emission monitoring mechanism for proactive planning to manage waste through environment-friendly technologies like bio-remediation, reduction and recycling options and environmental reporting based on global reporting initiative principles. Several initiatives of long-term and continuous nature like bio-remediation of oily sludge, effluent management, ISO certification of installations on international benchmark standards, Mangroove and Hingal plantations etc. are also being carried out in ONGC. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS ONGC is actively pursuing energy conservation measures. The conservation of petroleum products namely HSD, Lube oil and natural gas are important activities. These measures include: Phasing out of old diesel engines more than 15 years old. Awareness campaign on use of bio-diesel as alternate fuel. Use of small DG sets during lean periods in rigs, proper capacity utilization, rationalization and efficiency improvement of equipments, use of energy efficient devices. Substitution of diesel engines with gas engines at installations where gas is available. Increase in lube oil change period resulting in substantial saving. Natural gas flaring has been reduced and the same is being supplied to consumers. Use of small DG sets and waste heat recovery equipment at offshore platforms, rigs, LPG plants at Hazira and Uran. Use of energy efficient equipment and devices such as top drives, linear motion shale shakers, electronic diesel engines, soft start systems and energy efficient lamps etc. Use of gas engines in place of diesel ones for power generation. Thermal energy cost reduction achieved by maintenance of steam traps at processing plants. Conducting energy audit on regular basis and Petroleum Products Conservation Opportunities (PPCOs) are identified. Harnessing solar energy by using solar water heaters/ photo-voltaic panels at various locations. ONGC VIDESH LIMITED (OVL) ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ONGC, was incorporated as Hydrocarbons India Private Limited on 5th March, 1965 with an initial authorised capital of Rs. 5 lakh, for the business of international exploration and production. Its name was changed to ONGC Videsh Limited on 15th June, 1989. The authorised and paid-up share capital of OVL as on 31st March, 2007 was Rs. 1,000 crore. The primary business of the company is to prospect for oil and gas acreages abroad. These include acquisition of oil and gas fields in foreign countries as well as exploration, production, transportation and sale of oil and gas. OVL currently has participation in 39 projects in 15 countries namely, Vietnam (3 projects), Russia (2 projects), Sudan (3 projects), Iran (1 project), Iraq (1 project), Libya (3 projects), Myanmar (5 projects), Syria (2 projects), Egypt (2 projects), Cuba (2 projects), Nigeria Sao Tome Principe JDZ (1 project), Brazil (5 projects), Nigeria (2 projects), Colombia (6 projects), and Venezuela (1 project). OVLs share of crude oil and natural gas production is currently from 9 projects in seven countries, viz., Russia, Sudan, Vietnam, Syria, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. OVLs share of crude oil and natural gas production in 2009-10 is expected to be 8.142 Million. Metric Tonne of oil equivalent (MMTOE) including of 2.017 BCM of natural gas. The other 30 projects being implemented by OVL are at various stages of exploration and appraisal. The gross revenue of Rs.13,444 crore is estimated by OVL during the financial year 2009-10 with net profit of Rs.412 crore. Further, OVL is pursuing acquisition of various oil and gas exploration and production opportunities in Russia, Central Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Middle East, which are at different stages. Established as a joint stock company with limited liabilities on November 5,1999, as part of the restructuring of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). It was respectively listed on the NYSE (ADS code: PTR) and the HKSE (stock code: 00857) in April 2000 and on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (stock code:601857) in November 2007. As at end of 2010, CNPC holds 86.292% shares of Petro China. Ranked 7th by Platts in the â€Å"Top 250 Global Energy Companies† published by Platts Energy in 2010, which was the top ranking among enterprises in the Asia Pacific region for eight consecutive years. Included as a constituent stock of the SSE Social Responsibility index and the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index. Adheres to the corporate policy of â€Å"Caring for Energy, Caring for You† and core business management principles of â€Å"Honesty, Innovation, Performance, Harmony and Safety†. Perseveres in carrying out business in a more effective, safe and environmentally friendly manner; pursues the balance among the economy, environment and society; provides sustainable energy for economic and social development; and creates a better life for people. CORE BUSINESSES Engaged in a broad range of businesses related to oil and natural gas, which mainly include the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas, the refining, transportation, storage and marketing of crude oil and refined products, the production and marketing of primary petrochemical products, their derivatives and other chemicals, and the transportation and marketing of natural gas. Chevron is an American multinationalenergycorporation. Headquartered inSan Ramon, California, and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of theoil,gas, andgeothermalenergy industries, includingexplorationandproduction, refining, marketing and transport; chemicals manufacturing and sales; andpower generation. Chevron is one of the worlds six super major oil companies. For the past five years, Chevron has been continuously ranked as one of Americas 5 largest corporations byFortune 500.

The Role of Women in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay -- Things

More than those of any other African writer, Chinua Achebe’s writings have helped to develop what is known as African literature today. And the single book which has helped him to launch his "revolution" is the classic, Things Fall Apart.   The focus of this essay includes: 1) Achebe's portraiture of women in his fictional universe, the existing sociocultural situation of the period he is depicting, and the factors in it that condition male attitudes towards women; 2) the consequences of the absence of a moderating female principle in his fictions; 3) Achebe's progressively changing attitude towards women s roles; and 4) feminist prospects for African women. In the context of this study, the Igbo people whom Achebe describes will represent the rest of Nigeria -- and a great many of the nations of Africa. Sociocultural Background Were Nigeria and Africa oppressively masculinist? The answer is, "Yes." Ghana was known to have some matrilineal societies, such as the Akans; but Nigeria's traditional culture, Muslim as well as non-Muslim, had been masculine-based even before the advent of the white man. The source, nature, and extent of female subordination and oppression have constituted a vexed problem in African literary debates. Writers such as Ama Ata Aidoo of Ghana and the late Flora Nwapa of Nigeria have insisted that the image of the helpless, dependent, unproductive African woman was one ushered in by European imperialists whose women lived that way. On the other hand, the Nigerian-born, expatriate writer Buchi Emecheta, along with other critics, maintains that African women were traditionally subordinated to sexist cultural mores. I ally myself to the latter camp. I believe that, in creating a masculine-based society, Ac... ...Function of Folk Tradition." Approaches To the African Novel: Essays in Analysis. London: Saros International, 1992. Nwapa, Flora.   Efuru.   London: Heinemann, 1966. ---.   Idu.   London: Heinemann, 1970. Ogunyemi, Chikwenye Okonjo.   "Women and Nigerian Literature." Perspectives on Nigerian Literature. Vol. 1.   Lagos, Nigeria: Guardian Books, 1988. Okonkwo, Juliet.   "The Talented Woman in African Literature." African Quarterly 15.1-2: pages. Rich, Adrienne.   Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution.   New York: Norton, 1976. Thiong o, Ngugi   wa.   Petals of Blood.   London: Heinemann, 1977. ---.   Devil on the Cross.   London: Heinemann, 1982.   Walker, Alice.   "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens." In Search of Our Mothers   Gardens: Womanist Prose. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1983.   231-243. Weinstock, Donald, and Cathy Ramadan.     

Characters in Teechers Essay

The characters that I played were Mr Basford and Doug the Caretaker. Mr Basford is the deputy head, a typical child hater, a nasty piece of work while Doug the Caretaker is, a miserable old man who hates kids and drama. I think I was very well suited to play these characters, as I like to shout a lot and use my voice to project what I’m saying. With Mr Basford my face was in a permanent frown, as that’s how I would imagine him to be, just a man that would never ever smile, even at anything that everybody else would find funny. I don’t think that I did any specific gestures as Mr Basford. I know that when I was shouting, I was rocking back and forth on my feet to try and emphasise that I was angry and to try and show that I was so angry that I couldn’t control myself. I walked around the room like I owned it, to try and show that I was in total control as I think that Mr Basford would just have a lot of authority so that’s what I was trying to show. I put my back straight and led my walk with my nose, as if I was looking down it at people because I had a higher status then them. My favourite phrase that I used was â€Å"May the Lord thy God have mercy on your soul, for I, my child, certainly will not!† I used this one obviously to show what Mr Basford would be like, using ridiculous phrases to show how angry and crazy he is, which I said in a sarcastic tone. I didn’t necessarily put a specific accent on, but I did raise my voice quite a lot because I think that he would just be shouting all the time. I think that if I could choose a costume for Mr Basford then he would be wearing a grey, boring dull coloured suit with an equally dull shirt and tie, just to emphasise how boring and dull he is. He would probably wear the same clothes all through the week only washing it at weekends so that he had a quite stale smell. He would also be wearing some sensible black shoes because he is in general a sensible man that wouldn’t really be caught wearing trainers. My other character, Doug the Caretaker I think was quite an easy character to play as he was sort of a stereotype of a caretaker. He wasn’t a very smart character and only moaned about was everybody else not letting him do his job. Again, with Doug, I had a frown on all the time I was in role as him. As I said earlier Doug is a miserable old man who hates kids and drama. So because of this I thought it would be a good idea to make him look as grumpy and miserable and unhappy as possible. I tried to show this by changing my facial expressions accordingly. When I was arguing with Mr Nixon, I tried to show as clearly as possible that I was not very happy that he wasn’t letting me clean the hall. All the way through, I had my buffer out and tried to show that I wanted to clean so I held my arms out to try and show that I really had it to try and show it realistically. When I moved, I was hunched over and I was on a quite low level. I did this for this character because I think he would have quite a low status and that all of those years of cleaning would have done his back in so therefore he would have to hunch over so he didn’t do anymore damage to it. With Doug, I put on a Norfolk-come-Farmer accent. I used this because I tried to make him sound different and kind of uneducated. I think that my accent was quite effective and it had a bit of a comedic effect on the audience, as it was so unexpected. I didn’t use any specific phrases while I was in role as Doug but I said things like â€Å"Argh†¦get out of my hall, I need to do my job and you’re not letting me!†

How to Write a Research Essay in Statistics

How to Write a Research Essay in Statistics Statistics is a type of social activity, the purpose of which is to collect, process and analyze information that characterizes various manifestations of social life (socio-political, technical-economic, cultural and many others) in their inseparable interaction. This method has something in common with the mathematical concept of statistical accounting, respectively, the subject is mainly studied by students of mathematical and economic faculties. To demonstrate the fullness of the knowledge of the discipline and to enable the teacher to adequately evaluate them, the student must independently write an essay on statistics. In this article, we will explain what you need to do, how and why. Start with the Definition of the Object What You Need to Explore The object of research in applied statistics is the statistical data obtained as a result of observations or experiments. Statistical data is a collection of objects (observations, cases) and signs (variables) characterizing them. For example, the objects of study may be countries of the world and features, namely, their geographical and economic indicators characterizing: continent; terrain height above sea level; average annual temperature; countrys place in the list of quality of life, the share of GDP per capita; public spending on health, education, army; average life expectancy; unemployment rate; life quality index, etc. Variables are values that can take on different values as a result of the measurement. Based on the Object, Choose the Research Method Here are the main scientific methods of collecting information for your statistical essay. Statistical Observation Statistical observation is a planned, organized and systematic collection of information, aimed mainly at the phenomena of social life. This method is implemented through the registration of the previously defined most prominent features, the purpose of which is to subsequently obtain the characteristics of the phenomena being studied. Summary and Grouping of Materials of Statistical Observation Speaking about the second method, first of all, it should be said about the summary. A summary is a process of processing certain single facts that form a common set of data collected during an observation. If the summary is carried out correctly, a huge amount of single data on individual objects of observation can turn into a whole complex of statistical tables and results. Also, this study contributes to the definition of common features and patterns of the phenomena studied. Absolute and Relative Statistics Absolute quantities are considered the very first form of presentation of statistical data. With its help, it is possible to impart dimensional characteristics to phenomena, for example, by time, by length, by volume, by area, by mass, etc. If you want to know about individual absolute statistics, you can resort to measuring, estimating, counting or weighing. And if you need to get the final volume indicators, you should use a summary and grouping. It should be borne in mind that the absolute statistical values are distinguished by the presence of units of measure. These units include value, labor, and natural quantities. Variation Series In some cases, the data on the average indices of one or another of the studied quantities may not be enough to carry out the processing, evaluation and in-depth analysis of a certain phenomenon or process. Then it is necessary to consider the variation of indicators of individual units, which also represents an important characteristic of the studied set of phenomena. Sample The meaning of the sampling method is that the properties of one part determine the numerical characteristics of the whole (this is called the general population). The basis of the sampling method is internal communication, which unites the parts and the whole, the individual and the general. Correlation and Regression Analysis Correlation analysis and regression analysis are two highly effective methods that allow analyzing large amounts of data to study the possible relationship between two or more indicators. Dynamic Series Using this method of statistical analysis, it is very convenient to determine the intensity or speed with which phenomena develop, to find the tendency of their development, to isolate fluctuations, to compare the dynamics of development, to find the interrelation of the phenomena developing in time. How to Choose a Method: 3 Examples The choice of a statistical criterion for the processing of empirical data is determined by the empirical research scheme. If the essay is intended to identify differences in the severity of indicators in the two comparative groups, the Mann-Whitney U-test or Students t-test can be used. If the statistical essay is intended to identify the relationships between certain parameters, then correlation analysis can be used. In particular, the Pearson correlation coefficient or the Spearman rank correlation coefficient is suitable for the calculation. If the essay involves formative and control experiments, then you may need to compare the severity of a particular indicator. For this, the Wilcoxon test or the G-sign test is appropriate. 3 Pillars of a Statistical Research Essay As we have said, the main purpose of writing an essay is the formation of high professional qualities (skills) of a statistician-practitioner. The content of the essay, as a rule, is disclosed in three interrelated sections: General provisions and questions of statistical accounting; Questions of statistical analysis; Problem-solving. This structure of the essay allows the student to fully disclose the purpose, meaning, methodology, technique, and organization of statistical work within each topic, to state the statistical methodology, based on the relevance of the tasks of socio-economic development. For the teacher, this is a practical opportunity to control the depth and accuracy of students knowledge of the statistical methodology of accounting and analysis of economic phenomena, techniques, and ways of working with statistical indicators, tables, graphs, diagrams. Start with a Plan After studying the literary sources, students should make their own individual essay plan based on an approximate list of questions given in each topic. The degree of generalization or differentiation of questions in each section of the topic is determined by the student independently (depending on the interest shown, the possibility of selecting literature or factual material, etc.). Within each section of the work, the student must disclose at least three related questions. Go to the Body of Your Statistics Research Essay Part 1 General provisions should be stated by the student in the form of a brief description of the economic side of the issue, the role, and tasks of statistics, sources of official statistical data performance of enterprises. The student must correctly reflect the target setting, the economic sense, methodology, technique and organization of statistical accounting for the size of economic signs. An understanding of the degree of relevance and relevance of considering a particular statistical indicator (or group of indicators) in the modern practice of estimating, stimulating and managing the economy should be primarily reflected in the work plan, in references to new official documents and materials. Part 2 The second part of the paper (Questions of statistical analysis) should reflect the essence of specific methods of statistical generalization and analysis of indicators considered by the essay. The content of statistical methods, calculation formulas, stages of calculations, the system of the interrelation of indicators are mandatory for this section. It is advisable to cover all issues on a specific numerical example with the subsequent economic and statistical interpretation of the results obtained; the construction of meaningful conclusions is a mandatory requirement of any economic and statistical calculation. Along with the above questions in the essay, it is necessary to show concrete examples of methods and techniques of the statistical study of socio-economic phenomena: the index method, factor analysis, the definition of closeness. Important! The presentation of theoretical material should be accompanied by specific links to the relevant pages of the literary source, a table of source data, illustrated with specific numerical examples. The ability to substantively, concisely and accurately investigate the essence of the problem is expressed in the extensive use of tabular, graphics and other visual image methods. The work must have at least three graphs. Part 3 In the third part of the work (the solution of a practical problem) the student must practically show the quality of mastering the basic theoretical questions of the topic. The student must be able to rationally, accurately and convincingly perform a number of statistical calculations that allow him to fully and conclusively answer the questions posed in the problem statement. It is important to remember here that arithmetic calculations must proceed from the accepted calculation formulas, the latter must be expanded, sequentially stated; the main results of the calculations should be briefly explained, summarized or analyzed; it is possible to conduct a comparative analysis with data from another country or enterprise. If there are several methods for calculating one indicator or another, the simplest of them should be applied, indicating (for control purposes or balance of the obtained solution) other methods of the solution as well. What You Need to Remember When Making a Conclusion in a Statistical Essay Statistical findings are used to summarize data from the sample in relation to the entire population. Random errors characteristic of a sample study can lead to the fact that the sample will not be a sufficiently accurate model of the population. In fact, the sample is never a model of the general population at 100%, but only its more or less distorted version. In order to estimate such distortions and, therefore, to draw more accurate conclusions about the general population, statistical conclusions are used. First of all, they allow the student to assess the likelihood that the relationships identified in the sample, differences, magnitudes, etc. are characteristic exclusively for the sample, but not for the general population. The logic is as follows: if such a probability is high, then a decision is made according to which the sampling parameters are not characteristic of the general population and vice versa if such a probability is low, then it is considered that the corresponding sampling parameters speak about the parameters of the general population. It is important to remember that the achievement of a 100% guarantee that the results obtained in the study are characteristic of the general population is possible only when a complete study has been conducted, i.e. survey of all representatives of the general population. But this is not a study by a sampling method and it does not involve the use of statistical conclusions. In the most general form, statistical conclusions can be divided into two groups: interval estimation (construction of the interval in which the mean value or proportion of the general population should fall into a given probability); verification of statistical hypotheses (the probabilistic conclusion that certain parameters of the sample reflect (or not) the parameters of the entire population). Some Interesting Topics to Research Essays in Statistics After you understand the basics of how to write an essay on statistics, lets look at a list of interesting topics that you can explore. The Methodology of Statistical Studies of the Reliability of Commercial Banks; The Methodology of Statistical Research of the Processes of Formation, Distribution, and Use of Income of the Population; Problems of the Statistical Study of Emergency Environmental Situations of Man-Made Nature; Cost of Agricultural Products: Factors and Analysis Methodology; Statistical Analysis of the State of the Stock Market and Forecasting the Stock Price of Corporate Issuers; Statistical Reporting of Credit Institutions and Its Reform at the Present Stage; Statistical Analysis and Forecasting of the Stock Market Using Neural Network Algorithms; Statistical Analysis of the Cyclical Demographic Processes; Economic and Statistical Analysis of the State and Development of Foreign Trade and Tourism in Laos; Economic and Statistical Study of the Exchange Rates of the Cis Countries; Economic and Statistical Study of the Functioning of the International Labor Market; Statistical Analysis of the Residential Real Estate Market in a Certain City; Statistical Study of the Dynamics of the Birth Rate of the Population of Sri Lanka; Economic and Statistical Modeling of the Social Sphere: Methodology and Analysis; Economic and Statistical Research of the Government Securities Market; Methodological Problems of Improving the System of Environmental Statistics Indicators; Indicators of the Standard of Living of the Population in French Statistics and Their Analysis; Statistical Study of Employment and Womens Health Status.

Definition and Examples of Disjuncts in English Grammar

Definition and Examples of Disjuncts in English Grammar In English grammar, a disjunct is a type of sentence adverb that comments on the content or manner of what is being said or written. Put another way, a disjunct is a word or phrase that explicitly expresses the stance of a speaker or writer. Also called a sentence adjunct or sentence modifier. Unlike adjuncts, which are  integrated into the structure of a sentence or clause, disjuncts stand outside the syntactic structure of the text they are commenting on. In effect, says David Crystal, disjuncts look down from above on a clause, making a judgment about what it is saying or how it is phrased (Making Sense of Grammar, 2004). As explained below, the two basic types of disjuncts are content disjuncts (also known as attitudinal disjuncts) and style disjuncts.   The term disjunct is sometimes also applied to any of  two or more items connected by the disjunctive conjunction or. Etymology: From the Latin, to separate Examples and Observations Without a doubt, one of the  most popular and influential television shows  from the 1960s is the original  Star Trek  series, created by Gene Roddenberry.(Kenneth Bachor, Five  Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Original  Star Trek. Time,  September 8, 2016)Strangely enough, they have a mind to till the soil, and the love of possessions is a disease in them.(Sitting Bull, Powder River Council Speech, 1875)â€Å"As weve discussed, the information you brought us has been, shall we say, a bit thin.  To be perfectly candid, my government feels as if were being played.†(Jeffrey S. Stephens, Targets of Opportunity, 2006)But sadly, one of the problems with being on public radio is that people tend to think youre being sincere all the time.(Ira Glass, quoted by Ana Marie Cox and Joanna Dionis in Mother Jones, September-October, 1998)Regrettably, the book is no longer in print, but copies can be found in libraries and secondhand bookshops.â€Å"Well, cou ld you sleep? the Count asked the next night upon his arrival in the cage.â€Å"Quite honestly, no, Westley replied in his normal voice.(William Goldman, The Princess Bride, 1973) Hopefully, the book will inspire readers to a wider interest in weather, atmospheric science, and earth science in general.(Keay Davidson, Twister. Pocket Books, 1996)Hopefullyand Other Commentary Disjuncts- Its time to admit that hopefully has joined that class of introductory words (like fortunately, frankly, happily, honestly, sadly, seriously, and others) that we use not to describe a verb, which is what adverbs usually do, but to describe our attitude toward the statement that follows. . . . But be aware that some sticklers still take a narrow view of hopefully. Will they ever join the crowd? One can only hope.(Patricia T. OConner, Woe Is I: The Grammarphobes Guide to Better English in Plain English, rev. ed. Riverhead Books, 2003)- Long before the controversial use of hopefully came along, it was possible to marshal words like happily, fortunately, foolishly, cleverly, in dual roles, as manner adverbs or disjuncts: He spent all his money foolishly or Foolishly, he spent all his money; He landed fortunately in a haystack or He landed in a haystack, fortunately; She did not weave all of the tapestry cleverly, Cleverly, she did not weave all of the tapestry. All the howling about hopefully, all the moralizing and execration, ignored the fact that a pattern of usage already existed, and that the hated word was merely taking up an available position. Other words of the same kind are currently being treated in the same way. One of them is regretfully, which is now being used as a commentary disjunct with the meaning It is to be regretted that . . . (Regretfully, we cannot serve early morning tea). This usage might be criticized on the grounds that we already have a perfectly adequate commentary disjunct in regrettably, and that there can be no good reason for pressing an impostor into service. Users, however, are stubbornly unanswerable to the gods of good reason.(Walter Nash, An Uncommon Tongue: The Uses and Resources of English. Routledge, 1992) Style Disjuncts and Content DisjunctsThere are two kinds of disjuncts: style disjuncts and content disjuncts. Style disjuncts express comments by speakers on the style or manner in which they are speaking: frankly as in Frankly, you have no chance of winning ( I am telling you this frankly); personally in Personally, Id have nothing to do with them; with respect in With respect, it is not up to you to decide; if I may say so in They are rather rude, if I may say so; because she told me so in She wont be there, because she told me so ( I know that because she told me so). Content disjuncts comment on the content of what is being said. The most common express degrees of certainty and doubt as to what is being said: perhaps in Perhaps you can help me; undoubtedly in Undoubtedly, she is the winner; obviously in Obviously, she has no wish to help us.(Sidney Greenbaum, Adverbial. The Oxford Companion to the English Language, ed. Tom McArthur, Oxford University Press, 1992)