Tuesday, May 26, 2020

IELTS Essay Task 2 - How is It Different From the Other Two Tests?

IELTS Essay Task 2 - How is It Different From the Other Two Tests?IELTS essay task 2 is similar to IELTS essay task 1 but more. So, make sure you go through both IELTS essay task 2 and IELTS essay task 1 to get a proper idea of how the GRE II exam is different from the IELTS exam. This is the reason why it is advisable to take at least three exams, if not four, to get a good idea about the types of questions that are put to the IELTS test. So, if you have done the three things mentioned above, then you can start reading this article.The first IELTS essay task that you will encounter in the free version of the test is a test for grammar. It has the same format as that of the other two test topics. What's different is that the question will come after you answer all the questions from the sample given. So, make sure you read it carefully.On the other hand, the second IELTS essay task that you will face is one for a test for composition. You will be asked to take a document and turn it into a paragraph, without the use of italics or bold, adding full stops, quotes, and change all the punctuation mark to the format that you prefer.Now, for the third test, you will be asked to draw on a paper a pattern that is entirely black or white. You will then have to continue this pattern throughout the rest of the essay. The trick here is to make sure that the pattern you create is clear and unambiguous.The final IELTS essay task for which you need to prepare is for test for reading comprehension. This time, you will be asked to read four sentences and then tell the purpose of each one of them. The reason why this one is different from the others is that there is no repetition in the question - each of the sentences must be its own unit.These four different types of essays are important for a number of reasons. The first reason is that the IELTS test is an exact match to the ETS English Language Test and that means that the explanations given will closely match what you are u sed to when reading these kinds of essays. You are also unlikely to receive answers that do not match the kind of writing you are used to, so that you know exactly what the purpose of the sentence is and the right punctuation marks to use.All of these tests give you a good idea about how the GRE II exam is different from the IELTS English Language Test. All you need to do is to continue your preparation and begin taking the samples.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Rowan University Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Rowan University is a public research university with an acceptance rate of 73%. Located in Glassboro, New Jersey between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, Rowan offers over 80 undergraduate majors through its 10 colleges and schools. Music education and business administration are popular among undergraduates. Rowan has a 17-to-1  student/faculty ratio  and an average class size of about 20. Considering applying to Rowan University? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Rowan University had an acceptance rate of 73%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 73 students were admitted, making Rowans admissions process somewhat competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 14,221 Percent Admitted 73% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 26% SAT Scores and Requirements Rowan University requires that most applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 94% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. Note that applicants with an average GPA high school of 3.5 or above in a rigorous college preparatory curriculum may choose to apply test-optional. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 520 620 Math 485 605 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of Rowans admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Rowan scored between 520 and 620, while 25% scored below 520 and 25% scored above 620. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 485 and 605. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1225 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Rowan University. Requirements Rowan does not require the SAT writing section. Note that Rowan participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. While Rowan is test-optional for applicants with an average high school GPA of 3.5 and above, note that there are some exceptions. Home-schooled students, EOF applicants, international students, prospective engineering majors, and those students applying for merit scholarships are required to submit standardized test scores ACT Scores and Requirements Rowan University requires that most applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 12% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. Note that applicants with an average high school GPA of 3.5 or above in a rigorous college preparatory curriculum may choose to apply test-optional. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 20 27 Math 21 27 Composite 20 27 This admissions data tells us that most of Rowans admitted students fall within the top 48% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Rowan received a composite ACT score between 20 and 27, while 25% scored above 27 and 25% scored below 20. Requirements Note that Rowan does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. Rowan does not require the ACT writing section. While Rowan is test-optional for applicants with an average high school GPA of 3.5 and above, note that there are some exceptions. Home-schooled students, EOF applicants, international students, prospective engineering majors, and those students applying for merit scholarships are required to submit standardized test scores. GPA In 2018, the average high school GPA of Rowan Universitys incoming freshmen class was 3.54, and over 60% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.5 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Rowan University have primarily high B grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Rowan University Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Rowan University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Rowan University, which accepts fewer than three-quarters of applicants, has a somewhat competitive admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. Keep in mind, however, that Rowan also has a  holistic admissions  process and is test-optional, and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. A strong  application essay  and  glowing letters of recommendation  can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful  extracurricular activities  and a  rigorous course schedule. The college is looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, not just students who show promise in the classroom. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and scores are outside of Rowans average range. In the scattergram above, the blue and green dots represent students who were offered admission. Admitted applicants typically had SAT scores (ERWM) of 1050 or higher, an ACT composite of 21 or higher, and a high school average in the B range or better. A significant percentage of admitted students have grades in the A range If You Like Rowan University, You May Also Like These Schools Drew UniversityNew York UniversityRider UniversityRutgers  University - New  BrunswickSeton Hall UniversityHofstra University All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Rowan University Undergraduate Admissions Office. Rowan University Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA Rowan University is a public research university with an acceptance rate of 73%. Located in Glassboro, New Jersey between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, Rowan offers over 80 undergraduate majors through its 10 colleges and schools. Music education and business administration are popular among undergraduates. Rowan has a 17-to-1  student/faculty ratio  and an average class size of about 20. Considering applying to Rowan University? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Rowan University had an acceptance rate of 73%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 73 students were admitted, making Rowans admissions process somewhat competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 14,221 Percent Admitted 73% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 26% SAT Scores and Requirements Rowan University requires that most applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 94% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. Note that applicants with an average GPA high school of 3.5 or above in a rigorous college preparatory curriculum may choose to apply test-optional. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 520 620 Math 485 605 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of Rowans admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Rowan scored between 520 and 620, while 25% scored below 520 and 25% scored above 620. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 485 and 605. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1225 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Rowan University. Requirements Rowan does not require the SAT writing section. Note that Rowan participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. While Rowan is test-optional for applicants with an average high school GPA of 3.5 and above, note that there are some exceptions. Home-schooled students, EOF applicants, international students, prospective engineering majors, and those students applying for merit scholarships are required to submit standardized test scores ACT Scores and Requirements Rowan University requires that most applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 12% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. Note that applicants with an average high school GPA of 3.5 or above in a rigorous college preparatory curriculum may choose to apply test-optional. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 20 27 Math 21 27 Composite 20 27 This admissions data tells us that most of Rowans admitted students fall within the top 48% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Rowan received a composite ACT score between 20 and 27, while 25% scored above 27 and 25% scored below 20. Requirements Note that Rowan does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. Rowan does not require the ACT writing section. While Rowan is test-optional for applicants with an average high school GPA of 3.5 and above, note that there are some exceptions. Home-schooled students, EOF applicants, international students, prospective engineering majors, and those students applying for merit scholarships are required to submit standardized test scores. GPA In 2018, the average high school GPA of Rowan Universitys incoming freshmen class was 3.54, and over 60% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.5 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Rowan University have primarily high B grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Rowan University Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Rowan University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Rowan University, which accepts fewer than three-quarters of applicants, has a somewhat competitive admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. Keep in mind, however, that Rowan also has a  holistic admissions  process and is test-optional, and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. A strong  application essay  and  glowing letters of recommendation  can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful  extracurricular activities  and a  rigorous course schedule. The college is looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, not just students who show promise in the classroom. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and scores are outside of Rowans average range. In the scattergram above, the blue and green dots represent students who were offered admission. Admitted applicants typically had SAT scores (ERWM) of 1050 or higher, an ACT composite of 21 or higher, and a high school average in the B range or better. A significant percentage of admitted students have grades in the A range If You Like Rowan University, You May Also Like These Schools Drew UniversityNew York UniversityRider UniversityRutgers  University - New  BrunswickSeton Hall UniversityHofstra University All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Rowan University Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

International Economics And The Field Of International...

I would like to mention some courses that I have taken at Knox College that not only have encouraged me to take up the particular field of study as a major, but have also fortified me to volunteer and intern in the field of international development. These courses are: International Economics (Manisha Pradhananga, Professor), Business Society (John Spittell, Professor) Environmental Natural Resource Economics (Steve Cohn, Professor) and Environmental Ethics (Bill Young, Professor). These particular courses had a great impact on my decision to pursue a major in Economics and a double minor in International Relations Business. In International Economics, I had written a research paper on low-income nations and their dependence on primary commodities for exports and its vulnerability to price shocks. I had carried out my research only keeping applied economics in perspective, therefore, I could not really understand as to why these low-income countries, although having a wide variety of natural resources readily available for production and consumption, still struggling to alleviate themselves from poverty and poor health. The reality and the real-life scenario of such situations was explained to me in the Environmental Economics class by Professor Steve Cohn. Toward the end of the term, I was assigned to write another research paper on greenhouse gas abatement options for third world nations. The ideal solution that came up while working on the project was developedShow MoreRelatedInternational Aid Allocation : The Path For Global Success1151 Words   |  5 PagesInternational Aid Allocation: The Path to Global Success From the origins of large-scale international humanitarian projects in the post-World War I period to current global aid allocation programs, scholars in the field of international aid have focused on the motives behind countries’ generous donations to their underdeveloped counterparts. Myriad studies, regardless of the time frame they encompass, make reference to the moral obligation rich nations have to help the poorest countries. In thisRead MoreShould China Adopt International Accounting Standards?.1532 Words   |  7 PagesShould China Adopt International Accounting Standards? The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued and developed the new International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as new international accounting standards after 2001. In 2006, the Chinese government issued a new set of Accounting Standards for Business Enterprises (ASBE) which are substantially consistent with IFRS. As mentioned in the scholarly article of Li and Sun (2011), there are some primary differences between ChineseRead MoreThe Role Of The U. S. State Department863 Words   |  4 PagesThe U.S. State Department uses U.S. Ambassadors for economic reforms designed to level the playing field in entrepreneurship development. They hold countries to their international trade commitments and help with global networks of law, telecommunications, and transportation. The U.S. Trade Representative handles developing and coordinating U.S. international trade and overseeing trade negotiations with other countries. They serve as the president’s principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokespersonRead MoreForeign Investment And Its Effects On Economic Development1171 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Foreign investment is a tool to foster the economic development in a country. It can be denied that foreign investment helps poor countries to boost their development faster than just only relying on domestic business. The first bilateral treaty was signed in 1959 between Germany and Pakistan. After World War II, European countries started to expand their business to the developing countries? markets. BITs were signed to give confidence to business players from developed states by offeringRead MoreBusiness1209 Words   |  5 Pagesletter is to explain my motivation to study the Masters in Sustainable Development in Agriculture offered by Agris Mundus. I completed from Larenstein University of Professional Education in The Netherlands with a Bachelor Honours Degree in Agribusiness and Management. Since 2004 after I completed the degree program, I have gained experience in Business Management through teaching and learning. The Masters in Sustainable Development in Agriculture offered by Agris Mundus will enable me to get more experienceRead MoreThe Future of the Arctic Is in Our Hands1468 Words   |  6 PagesPreface The arctic is facing today drastic climate changes that, together with technological development will in the near future disclose the Arctics economic potential. We, the people of Greenland, believe that the inhabitants of the Arctic should be the first to benefit from the economic opportunities the Arctic will bring. As historical inhabitants of the Arctic it is our responsibility to make it a peaceful and rich region ensuring at the same time the safeguard of its environment. The futureRead MoreInternational Journal Of Web Services Research1110 Words   |  5 Pagespublications intended to further progress in different fields by reporting new research and findings by various authors. There are thousands of journals dedicated to information technology, most of which release several issues a year. Out of all of these journals, the five that will be discussed are ones that cater specifically to technological applications and developments. International Journal of Web Services Research (IJWSR) The International Journal of Web Services Research is a journal dedicatedRead MoreMy Interest On Health Policy1229 Words   |  5 Pagesstudying population health in more depth through courses in â€Å"Health Promotion† and â€Å"Indigenous Community Development†. This experience opened my eyes to the potential impact of population level work and ultimately led to the decision to focus on broader reaching public health practice. I concentrated my Master’s studies in international health, and, to understand and experience health from an international perspective, felt it was important to live and be educated overseas. Studying in Australia, I wasRead MoreImplementing The Millennium Development Goals1250 Words   |  5 PagesMillennium Development Goals (MDGs) faced major criticism, the pressure lies on the post-2015 development goals to provide a new and efficient set of criteria for global development. The MDGs were perceived as limited and incomplete, and while there is a more extensive list of SGDs, they remain vague. Once gain the goals are high achieving and unattainable within a 15 year span. Although the world has succeeded in significantly reducing poverty, since the creation of the Millennium Development goals,Read MoreGlobalization and the Multinational Corporation: Multiple Choice Questions1378 Words   |  6 PagesInternational Financial Management, 2e (Bekaert / Hodrick) Chapter 1 Globalization and the Multinational Corporation 1.1 Multiple Choice Easy 1) Which of the following was created in an effort to promote free trade? A) World Trade Organization B) the Sarbanes-Oxley Act C) multilateral development banks D) the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Answer: A 2) Which one of the following is an investment from which the payoff over time is derived from the performance

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Merger and Acquisition

Question: Write a report critically analysing how the strategy of merger and acquisition is used in the energy sector during the oil price drop. Answer: Introduction The entire gas and oil industry was in a complete shock when everyone has to face the cost and cash flows pressures. The 18-month long collapse of oil prices have led to mergers and acquisitions from all the four sectors that is upstream, oilfield, midstream and downstream (England and Slaughter 2016). Moreover, the impact in oil drop has not only affected the viability of short term but also influenced the investments and the long-term objectives. The wave to reshape the energy industry when oil prices hit the energy sector led to one response that is mergers and acquisitions. This strategy was widely accepted to bring stability while improving the situations of the companies so that they could access the new markets (Joshi and Desai 2015).This research highlights the sharp decline in oil prices in the past years and the help that had been provided by mergers and acquisitions to the small producers to enable them to earn profit in the external as well as the internal environment. Th e oil price volatility constitutes to be harmful as it results in fluctuations in output growth leading to uncertainty for future prices. The study will analyze the oil drop and the effectiveness of the mergers and acquisition in different companies to analyze the process while redefining the sector. Merger and Acquisition in 2014-2016 during Oil Drop The oil drop in 2014 has been from the peak price of 115 US billion dollars per barrel in June 2014 to approximately 50 US billion dollars per barrel in 2015. The reduction in prices of oil added with the continued low natural gas prices has declined the number of operations in rigs affecting the drilling commitments to more than 250,000 professionals (Krauss 2016). On the other hand, when we consider according to the sectors then the downstream had been benefited while widening the refining margins for falling feedstock rapidly. The midterm sector had been providing cash flows based on the pipeline transportation fees whereas the prospects seemed to have slow down the upstream sector. Many companies resorted to mergers and acquisition strategies because companies with low economic outlook could not achieve the growth strategy. However, this strategy was adopted by the organizations to strengthen the technical and financial base that could reduce the cost structures. Conversely, mer gers were for that company where the corporations combined their share of resources with a common objective whereas acquisition was done for the small corporations where the organization took a legal subsidiary or the selected assets of the firms. This strategy adopted yielded benefit to give wealth maximization to the shareholders (Joshi and Desai 2015). However, adopting this strategy lowered the pressure on both the buyers and the sellers. The financial investors have been significant in maintain a consistent presence in the energy value chain such that the investors are mainly focused on establishing their upstream with larger capital needs or complex assets. Although, there has been growth in mergers and acquisitions since 2015 and the certain examples that deals with more complex investments include companies like Hutchison Whampoas that acquired a stake in Husky Energy for 2 billion dollars followed by Macquaries Stake Brookfield and Asset Management hold a stake for 2.1 bill ion dollars in Apache Energy (Atkearney 2016). Moreover, the largest merger deal between BP and Royal Dutch Shell cannot be fruitful for the oil drop scenario because the deal and the operations are fiendishly complex and regulated (Crooks 2014). Mergers and Acquisitions Outlook for 2015 The industry oil and gas experienced a wave of mergers and acquisitions providing a decisive action towards the oil prices stabilization. It started with notable acquisition of 82 billion dollars of BG Group by Royal Dutch Shell. In the first quarter, here were a total of 100 million dollars value mergers across 40 deals. Among the non-oil and gas entities, most deals were focused downstream including Qatars 5 billion dollars acquisition in Shandong Dongming Petrochemical as well as SamrukKazyna of a stake of 49% and JSCs 4.7 billion dollars investment in KMG Kashagan BV with a stake of 50% (England and Slaughter 2016).However, the opportunistic as well as consolidated acquisitions was required to provide a competitive edge that not only restructured to emerge stronger than before but also meet challenges, specifications on time. Conversely, the small service oil companies became targets for creative financing so that that valuation gap could be structured with considered limitations on the viability. This was possible through by using derivative instruments to create options for stable cash regarding fees as well as forward discounting. Mergers and Acquisitions Outlook for 2016 The consistent scenario in reduction in oil prices ensured liquidity to be one of the imperative factors such that in early 2015, Exxon, Chevron, BP and Total issued a debt of worth 31 billion dollars in raising cash through secondary equity. However, to meet the ongoing deal structures of the organization, there had been job cuts in the international oil companies that comprised of 7,000 job cuts by BP, creating headcount reductions as a measure of cost reductions (Atkearney 2016). Hence, the oil companies had to use more transformative measures like competitiveness of high-grade portfolios. BP, Chevron and Shell announced 45 billion dollars sales over the next few years focusing on sustainable assets to meet the reduction in oil prices. Models The model that can be used for external environment is PESTEL whereas the model that can well describe the internal factors are the Porters Five Forces. However, the strategy for market development based on mergers and acquisitions can be studied using Porters Generic Strategies. PESTEL (External Factors)The external factors highlight the business environment for the external environment. The strategic analytical techniques that can be used to evaluate the impact of external factors on the adoption of mergers and acquisition during the oil drop is PESTEL. PESTEL Tool Political FactorsThe political events that had led to decrease in oil drop was majorly because of the war or rebellion that had struck the oil producers and prevented to produce or sell oil such that the supply of oil reduced. The side effects are known to be as resource curse because of the geopolitical politics and political instability. Moreover, the changes in the oil production is due to the collapse of oil prices that remain to be stagnant since 2014 levels (Pitatzis 2016). However, the slumping down of global demand and a glut of global supply is still making smaller or larger companies struggling to cope with the energy sectors doldrums. Politically, all the global companies as if Shell plunged sold extra 10 billion dollars assets to plunge 87% of profits. Halliburton and Baker Hughes abandoned its tie up of 28 billion dollars. On the other hand, to meet the cost structures in the political environment, BP had done 1 billion dollar cuts including job cut as a response to oil prices. Comparatively, though BP has strategic partner Statoil that agreed to sell a portion to for 740 million dollars (Atkearney 2016). Economic FactorsThe economic environment has equally in a turmoil after the drop in oil prices from 115 US billion dollars per barrel to 35 US billion dollars per barrel at the end of February 2016 (Rogoff 2016). The oil sector was not able to hold anymore of spending of projects as the supply exceeded the demand (Austin 2016). The following diagram below can explain the latest imbalance in supply and demand. Moreover, the differences in prices has been prevalent due to the global economic crisis. Although, the world economies had been recovering from the crisis but the extraction from the unconventional and off shore gas fields led to high cost of extraction amongst the reserves. The other reasons that added to these economic factors were over mounting of public and private debt in OECD countries and shadow banking system in emerging economies (Pitatzis 2016). Social FactorsThe socio-cultural factors that played a role in the reduction of oil prices includes migration, demography, income, culture, religion views on issue. The social trends that significantly affected the oil and industry are the reduction in the usage of fossil fuels like oil sands, shale gas and coal and opting for alternative sources of energy. The loss in jobs during the aftermath of crisis and in the period of 2015-2016 resulted in negative attitude of the people towards larger companies (Austin 2016). Technological FactorsThe technological factors that laid the foundation for the oil drop are the risks that can be associated with the access to rare resources that enabled deep-water drilling in cash rich industries. Such operations have not only increased the danger but also have provided barriers in upgrading to a new technology (Pitatzis 2016). The innovation market may pose risk from exploration leading to software innovation from the unlevelled g round that may lead to extreme costs in the oil and gas industry. Environmental FactorsThe medium effects of low oil prices depend on the environmental sustainability of biofuels causing unavoidable competition in food production and providing restricted greenhouse gas benefits. Moreover, the energy prices in 2013, have been straining public finances. As a result, there are countries that redirect pollution to environment and public health as most of them lack carbon prices that could reinforce structural change to lower carbon economy. Moreover, the basic environmental reason that led to the low oil price is the nuclear incident that took place in Fukushima Japan and the Hurricane Karl because of which various wells had been shut down in Mexican Gulf (Krauss 2016). Legal FactorsThe legal factors that briefly describe the reduction in oil prices is due to the certain taxes and tariffs in the notable capital and labor that has not only discouraged the economic activity but also has also worsen the future economic growth. On the other hand, the reduced subsidies had been undertaken to balance budgets in the economies. However, the transitioning to a competitive workforce has not only made the oil producing countries one of the least productive countries but also entailed the freedom to enterprise their families. OECD receives the only benefit as lower energy prices create an opportunity to reduce fossil fuel subsidies while providing wide range of economic benefits like tax breaks, opening up political space for reforms, etc. (Baffes et al.2016)Porters Five Forces (Internal Factors)The internal factors can be analyzed based on the microenvironment of the various organization that had been driven by the cause and effect of the reduction in oil prices.New Potential Entrants The new entrants will have benefit to enter in the market in the form of mergers and acquisition that will lead to potential lucrative markets, as there would be government backing for drill ing. Moreover, Cuadrillas position, as one of the organizational in the UK oils and gas sector will improve. On the other hand, shale gas market will be uplifted.Industrial Rivalry and Competitiveness The industry rivalry and competitiveness is low because the growth of the organization has fallen to a level where market share can be taken from other firms based on mergers and acquisition. However, as there is strong market for oil the standardization could be maintained.Power of Buyers The organization and OPEC hold a large market for oil and gas buyers stating that the power of buyers will be high and the market demand will rise, as there storage for airlines and haulage will increase.Power of Suppliers The power of supplies will be considered medium, as there will be many oilfields from where the oil extraction could be done. However, due to extraction in unconventional farms, the competition might exist between Baker Hughes and Schlumberger (Evans, Nyquist and Yanosek 2016).T hreat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes will be higher for oil and gas industry because the only substitute available is renewable energies that comprises of biomass, solar, wind, geothermal and water. Although, the demand for renewable will be lower in comparison with lower prices but the effectiveness, viability and efficiency will be enable to replace traditional fossil fuels to an extent keeping in mind the environmental concerns (Klevns, Stern and Frejova 2016).Porters Generic Strategies According to the Porters Generic Strategies, the economies as well as companies after mergers and acquisitions have adopted the portfolio expansion strategies in the oil and gas industry. The onshore producer have been seeking operations by operating on the unconventional oilfields for shale oil basins. Although, with diversification in the oil and gas industry they are implying cost leadership strategy so that there could be economies of scale and scope after the mergers and acquisitio n and the organization can make some profit. However, the companies have a first mover advantage in both cost leadership and diversification strategy through mergers and acquisitions. Conversely, there is a need to climb the learning curve in the process to enable players to low cost deals that could be prove to be most valuable in the volatile oil price world. Challenges and Benefits of Mergers and Acquisitions According to the merger and acquisition strategy, the organizations will benefit from the deal as the International Oil Companies (IOCs) will survive the intense cost structures but this strategic alliance can drive cost synergies to some extent. Secondly, mergers and acquisition will help the company with healthy balance sheets to get opportunities on advantage account while others will define strategies to survive. Thirdly, the mergers will help the distressed companies to capitalize through mergers and acquisitions such as Schlumbergers acquisition of Cameron that expanded on offerings to complete drilling to production by joining in-house basin technology with Camerons support and external technologies. On the other hand, oil service companies will be hitting hard for consolidation. Moreover, mergers will be beneficial in reshaping competitive landscape as well (Wilson and Turaga 2016).The challenges that the IOCs will be based on the following factors. Firstly, in terms of faile d mergers there would be due on overpayments with the expectation to expand. Secondly, the IOCs might face integration issues like Halliburton Hughes merger failed due to the scrutiny based on European and US regulators on the overlapping business segments, as it did not succeed in selling businesses due to low prices. Thirdly, the selection of the targets and motives needs to be in need of the financial motives and needs (Joshi and Desai 2015). Lastly, the three levels that could affect the strategic alliance are the recovery in oil prices, policy, tax, regulatory changes and availability of capital (Slaughter and Yee 2016). Conclusion To conclude, it can be said that although the period of 2014-2016 faced drop in oil prices but the only way the bigger companies could survive was by selling their assets and small companies getting into mergers. However, many mergers and acquisitions took place in the International Oil Companies (IOCs). Moreover, the mergers and acquisitions entered in the market to create win-win situation but depending on the scenario from a longer perspective it was done to cut costs, cope up with the competition and lead to growth in the business environment. References Atkearney. 2016. Mergers and Acquisitions in Oil and Gas. Available at: https://www.atkearney.es/documents/3900187/7057723/Mergers+and+Acquisitions+in+Oil+and+Gas+2016+PRINT(25abril).pdf/f2fbfab7-a973-4e40-8ed4-17a59720fa7d [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Austin, S. 2016. Six reasons why oil prices reached new 2016 highs. Oil-price.net. Available at: https://www.oil-price.net/en/articles/six-reasons-why-oil-prices-reached-new-highs.php [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Baffes, J., Kose, A., Ohnsorge, F. and Stocker, M. 2016. The Great Plunge in Oil Prices: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Responses. worldbank.org. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/Research/PRN01_Mar2015_Oil_Prices.pdf [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].BBC News. 2016. BP shares plunge as profits halve - BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-35469380 [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Crooks, E. 2014. Oil price slide sets the stage for MA - FT.com. Financial Times. Available at: https://next.ft.com/content/626dea3 6-3c06-11e4-96b8-00144feabdc0 [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].England, J. and Slaughter, A. 2016. Oil and Gas Merger and Acquisition Report. Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions. Available at: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ru/Documents/energy-resources/er-og-ma-year-end-2015-repor.pdf [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Evans, B., Nyquist, S. and Yanosek, K. 2016. Mergers in a low-oil-price environment: Proceed with caution. McKinsey Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/oil-and-gas/our-insights/mergers-in-a-low-oil-price-environment-proceed-with-caution [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Griffin, R.W. 2013. Fundamentals of management. Cengage Learning.Joshi, N. and Desai, J. 2015. A Study of Mergers Acquisitions in Aviation Industry in India and Their Impact on the Operating Performance and Shareholder Wealth. Journal of Business Management and Economics.Klevns, P., Stern, N. and Frejova, J. 2016. Oil Prices and New Climate Economy. newclimateeconomy.report. Available at: htt ps://newclimateeconomy.report/2015/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oil-prices-and-the-New-Climate-Economy.pdf [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Krauss, C. 2016. Oil Prices: Whats Behind the Drop? Simple Economics. Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/business/energy-environment/oil-prices.html?_r=0 [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Pitatzis, A. 2016. PEST Analysis for Global Oil and Gas Companies Operations. linkedin.com. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pest-analysis-global-oil-gas-companies-operations-athanasios-pitatzis [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Rogoff, K. 2016. Whats behind the drop in oil prices? World Economic Forum. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/03/what-s-behind-the-drop-in-oil-prices/ [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Rothaermel, F.T. 2015. Strategic management. McGraw-Hill.Russell, K. 2016. How Oil Prices Are Falling Again, Explained in Four Charts. Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/business/energy-environment/oil-pric e-supply-demand-imblance.html [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Slaughter, A. and Yee, M. 2016. Oil and gas mergers and acquisitions report: Year-end 2015 | Deloitte US | Energy Resources. Deloitte United States. Available at: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/energy-and-resources/articles/oil-and-gas-mergers-and-acquisitions-report-year-end.html [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].Tassabehji, R. and Isherwood, A. 2014. Management use of strategic tools for innovating during turbulent times. Strategic Change, 23(1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 2), pp.63-80.Wilson, T. and Turaga, U. 2016. What Does the Failure of the HAL BHI Merger Mean for MA in Oilfield Services?. Adi-analytics.com. Available at: https://adi-analytics.com/2016/05/11/what-does-the-failure-of-the-hal-bhi-merger-mean-for-ma-in-oilfield-services/ [Accessed 2 Aug. 2016].