Chevron Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Chevron Corporation - Case Study Example The company owns or has stakes in 9,700 gas stations in the US which operate under the Chevron and Texaco brands. Outside the US it owns or has stakes in 15,400 gas stations, which also use the Caltex brand. The study examines in detail, the three different sectors or industries that Chevron has a stake in: oil and gas exploration and production, petroleum refining, and chemical industry. Earnings for the upstream segment are closely aligned with industry price levels for crude oil and natural gas. Crude oil and natural gas prices are subject to external factors over which the company has no control. Earnings for the downstream segment are closely tied to margins on the refining and marketing of products that include gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricants and fuel oil. The company recorded sales growth of 5.1 percent to $221 billion and net income of $18 billion. Revenue of the company rose to $61.4 billion from $47.7 billion. Worldwide oil-equivalent production fell by 42,000 barrels to 2.61 million barrels per day. A detailed SWOT Analysis has also been conducted in the study, analyzing the various internal sources to examine the strengths and weaknesses, and external factors to examine the opportunities and threats in the environment. Finally, the conclusion and recommendations analyze the different strengths of the company to offset the weaknesses and environmental threats faced by Chevron. Chevron - Company overview Chevron Corporation (Chevron) is one of the largest oil refiners in the United States. The company was incorporated in 1926 and currently has operations in the United States and approximately 180 additional countries. Chevron Corporation, then called Standard Oil Company of California, in 1938 made a huge oil discovery in Saudia Arabia, which eventually led to the discovery of 52 oil fields. After World War II, the company began a major effort to market Arabian crude oil, which was probably the single most important factor in establishing Chevron as a major multinational company. The company acquired thousands of service stations and terminals on the East Coast and part ownership of many more throughout Europe, East Africa, and Asia. The Chevron discovery changed the course of history throughout the world (Jiffynotes, 1998). Today, the company is engaged in every aspect of the oil and natural gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, marketing and transportation, chemicals manufacturing and sales, geothermal and power generation. It is headquartered in San Ramon, California and employs approximately 65,000 people. The company recorded revenues of $204,892 million, during the fiscal year ended December 2006, an increase of 5.8% over 2005. The operating profit of the company was $32,497

Sociology Exam questions tackling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sociology Exam questions tackling - Essay Example Sending food and supplies to starving people in developing countries can sometimes prove to be more harmful because it shakes up the economy. The market in the developing country can become flooded with goods that are donated, meaning these products do not have production cost to recoup, unlike the local products. Because of this competition, the local products are forced to lower their prices which can make them lose their investment. For example, if there are food drives from richer countries, there would be a large supply for a commodity, let’s say corn. This would down the prices of the local farmers’ corn produce, which is bad for them. In short, sending food and supplies can kill the local industries in developing countries. Discuss the main assumptions of world systems theory and outline how this perspective views the economy. The main assumption of the world systems theory is to view the world-economy as a whole, not by merely units that stand alone per country. The study of the social change in any element in the system such as regions, ethnic groups and classes must begin by finding out where in the economic scale these certain elements stand. For example: a state. In the world systems theory, the state will be examined for the changes in has undergone internally, and it will also be studied as an element of society which is affected by changes by the world economy as well. World systems theory is basically the foundation of globalization. According to the main proponent of the idea, Immanuel Wallerstein, there is only one world that is connected by a complicated and complex economic exchanges and an endless accumulation of capital. This theory has features that separate it from other theories. The core, periphery and semi-periphery terms in this theory explain how it works. The societies that work outside the world system is at the periphery while the core has a high level of technological development that enables that society to manufa cture complex products. Now, the role of the periphery is to supply the core these raw materials and cheap labor. There goes the inequality between these societies as the people from the periphery would also buy the manufactured products (fashioned from theirs) from the core. This theory can make the whole world a commodity. It promotes the commodification of materials, including human social relationships, labor and materials. This makes everything material and therefore, everything can be bought. List and describe the three major contributions of feminist research toward understanding the relationship between work, labor and gender. Major contributions of feminist research toward understanding the relationship between work, labor and gender includes equality, laws pertaining to the female sex (like maternity leaves) and the ability of women to participate in work and labor and even sexual violence because of discrimination due to lack of education and work opportunities. Before, s ocial rules deemed women as second class citizens. This is just a social construct, no scientific basis whatsoever. This is usually what happens when something is termed as weak or strong. The feminist movement began in the late 1900s. This brought along large waves of change in the world, and was backed by â€Å"universal† values that claim equality between sexes. This movement is, according to