My Future Essays - Finance, Master Of Business Administration

My Future I like options, I like security, and I like power. With these wants, I knew at a very early age that I would enter business and thus I attended a college that specializes in the subject. In my first position out of school, I was hired by Dunhill Equities as a cold-caller. After several weeks of being hung up on by angry prospects, I decided that this career path would not lead me to success. I then moved within the firm to a position as sales assistant. While this was by no means my dream job, I learned a tremendous amount about business, and I gained useful exposure to the world of finance. Unfortunately, the company hit a period of instability, and after ten months I transferred with my boss to Coleman & Company. Thirteen months later, that company also began to fail, and I began to search for another path to advancement. With two strikes against me, I hit a home run and was hired by Sanford Bernstein into a challenging job with limitless opportunity for growth. After almost three years at Bernstein, I am once again seeking career advancement. My education and work experience have provided me with an excellent introduction to business, and they have sparked my interest in finance. Taking into consideration my foundation and my interests, graduate business school is the next logical step. At this point in my life, I consider a Stern MBA to be necessary since I need to gain a broader understanding of finance and to sharpen my analytical skills in order to be successful in corporate finance. Stern' s MBA program will allow me to concentrate in finance, strengthen my global business perspective, and provide me with the opportunity to study with and learn from people with varied backgrounds. The school' s location in the financial capital of the world and in one of the most diverse cities in the world also suits me perfectly. Aside from advancing my career, I would also like to develop personally. In college I did not join many clubs or organizations, and I did not participate in sports. Instead, I spent all my time studying, working, or dealing with family issues. Having been away from home and living in New York City for four years, I feel the need to make a name for myself and to develop a meaningful social life. I want to take advantage of the many benefits that extracurricular activities offer, and I want to be involved in the Stern community. Upon graduation from the Stern School, I will seek a position as an associate within the corporate finance department of a large, Wall Street, investment-banking firm. In three to five years, once I have become adept in financial analyses, drafting prospectuses, preparing business presentations and other financial advisory work, I will move into a senior associate position. Here I will develop my abilities to anticipate client needs and to engineer solutions that address these needs. In approximately 10 years, I will have the experience necessary to take on upper-level management responsibilities. Acceptance Essays

Theories of Myth Essays

Theories of Myth Essays Theories of Myth Essay Theories of Myth Essay Rathi Krishnan Life has a beginning, middle, and end. As all people will never know what part of the beginning, middle, or end that is at this moment. The next generation will have the same myths given to them through the ancestors. Myths will always be a part of life for as long as there is life. Myths are dreams and dreams are stories that have been told to others with hopes that people believe. Myths are to be more believable than a dream. Most people believe that dreams can come true. When people believe in the myth of the Deus Faber, then people believe Deus Faber is the Maker God. It states that â€Å"the Maker God was the architect, artisan or, craftsperson. † He was also â€Å"the Maker, Modeler, Mother-Father of life. † The breath giver of mankind and all the bearer and begetter can give. The three different myths that I will speak of is the Secretion myth the Accretion or Conjunction clause. As the third I have already used the Deus Faber myth. In the Secretion myth people believe oceans were come from urinating and earth was from defecting and divine secretion created man. Accretion or Conjunction cause: When the elements were changing the wind started to grow thicker and made the clouds. They also believe the animals represent the years of each person’s birth year. The armpits of a giant sweated and birthed man. Will ever know the truth about how man and earth came to life, I am not sure. Although each culture has its beliefs and follows those beliefs, as they are taught. The etiological myth explains how creation happened before the pre-scientific age and the age of record keeping. Each culture and people lives by what that culture says and teaches. As the world grows the more culture and myths begin to grow. The Chinese culture is allowed to have two children and if they were to have more children, they have to choose one child to give up for adoption. They usually give up the girls because the boys are to take care of the parents once they grow too old to take care of themselves. For centuries children have been taught that the Bible is the word of God. With all other myths people are led to believe that myths happen even though ancestors may have passed down items that have happened in the past, people can only go by what people are told and believe the way people are taught. I do believe that God created heaven and earth, but it does not tell how it was done in six days. The Bible does not tell where man came from, but it does tell people Eve came from Adams rib. In looking at all of the myths there are many hard to believe. Then there are the cultures that would say the same about what people believe in. What we should do is try to look closer at the beliefs of the same cultures as they believe in them today. My answer to that would be no because there are just too many to know what or where the truth lies. Myths are a fact of life and can be found where ever life takes them. Myths are also interesting to listen to as they differ with each culture and the person telling the myth. Myths will be around until the end of time. No matter what happens the same myths will on from generation to generation forever until the demise of man. This is a generation of people who do not care to know anything about myths or stories about how man came to earth. Life will continue to go forward and the answers may never be known. All that people want to do is live their lives in peace. Conclusion In conclusion, people want to believe what they are taught by their ancestors. Myths are dreams of many people and told the myths with their addition to the myth of how humans were created. References lt;a href= jrank. org/cultures/pages/5185/Creation. htmlgt;Creation kosmos, gonos, Vishnu, Purana, deus faber, ex nihilo, sipapu, Atharva Veda, Upanishads, faylusuflt;/agt;

Estate Redevelopment Program of Brownfield Site in US Essay

Estate Redevelopment Program of Brownfield Site in US - Essay Example The existence of these incentives programs is made possible by the sole fact that the Brownfield program can help in boosting tax revenue, creating jobs, reducing environmental hazards, promoting general economic health and cleaning up neighborhood eyesores. Without a doubt, real estate redevelopment in any country is a complex undertaking. It doesn’t matter whether the land in question is either clean or contaminated, bottom line is that the processes of assembling land, financing, and planning of redevelopment encounters many challenges. There have been different responses to the reuse of contaminated property due to political, cultural and economic differences. Each nation has a different approach to Brownfield since it shaped by the degree to which it is burdened by properties which are contaminated, as well as other factors such as population density, land availability, historic preservation objectives, and other governmental priorities. But given the diversity of America n States and towns, these tools and approaches- to be modified as needed- may provide new ideas to practitioners within the United States. ...BEDI grant funds are emphasized on a particular use and primarily targeted for use on the redevelopment of Brownfields sites in economic development projects and the increase of economic opportunities for low and moderate income persons as part of the creation or retention of businesses, jobs, and increases in the local tax base. The stimulus for private sector parties and local governments to go on and foresee the redevelopment is the BEDI funds. They as well as continue phased redevelopment on brownfield sites where either potential or actual environmental conditions are known and there is an existence of redevelopment plans. There is an emphasis by the HUD on the use of BEDI and the section 108 loan guarantee funds to finance activities and projects that have the ability to produce results after a short while and bring about economic benefi ts. Applications on whose scope is limited to factors such as site acquisition, no immediately planned redevelopment or remediation are not encouraged by the HUD. Through the BEDI funds, enhancement of security and improvement of the viability of a project especially if it is financed with a new section 108 guaranteed loan commitments. The BEDI program is seen as a possible way to spur the return of brownfields to productive economic use through financial assistance to public entities in the redevelopment of brownfields. It as well enhances the security and improvement of the viability of a project which has the financing of section 108 guaranteed loan authorities. Hence, due to this, the BEDI grants must be used in conjunction with a new section 108 guaranteed loan commitment.

Disability Case Studies Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Disability Studies - Case Study Example Students with bodily challenges can access learning materials through the intervention of these technologies. Children with behavioral and cognitive impairments can utilize modeling technologies that improve their social and communication abilities. These technologies can be used both in school by teachers and at home by parents or special tutors. The devices range from low cost to highly priced high-tech devices that are adapted to different learner capabilities. The following case studies present technologies that can be used for students with low vision, learning disability, autism, and cerebral palsy. Case study #1 Assistive technology gives blind and low vision students support in academic areas as well as in expanded curriculum. Students with low vision have difficulties reading regular print or the blackboard. Assistive technologies help enlarge book prints and blackboard writings enabling these students to attend regular classes and use ordinary books. Learning activities may involve interaction with pictorial information that may require magnification. Students with low vision have difficulties in interpreting pictorial information. Students with poor vision have problems in hand-eye coordination. They have the ability to write, but the shape and size of their letters may lead to ineligible handwriting (Beard, Carpenter and Johnston, 2011). This creates a necessity for Braille technologies or typing assistance. Students with visual impairment require different operating systems when dealing with computer-based assignments. Some students require full-fledged specialized software and built-in accessibility. Assistive technologies enable these students navigate computer systems independently. This improves their participation in class and provides equal abilities compared to normal-vision students. Screen and text magnifiers can improve the visibility of prints and text displayed on computer screens. The magnifiers present the text in large formats, bring the text closer to the student, and improve the angle and projection of the text. A screen magnifier is software installed in the computer that the student can use to improve and manipulate text on the screen. Text magnifiers can be handheld and are used to improve text in print books. The magnifiers give the student control over the size of text, color, icons, and images. This gives the student the ability to read fluently and he can compete with others in the class. Students can also participate in class texts due to improved ability to read, interpret, and answer questions. Screen and text magnifiers are also used in extra-curricular activities such as interclass and interschool competitions where low vision students can participate (Wiazowski, 2009). The high contrast (20/20) pen is a writing tool that makes letters visible due to the high contrast ink. Students with low vision having poor eye-hand coordination may produce illegible handwriting. These pens have extra wide tips and the bold ink creates high-contrast, easily visible hand writing. The pens have a thick diameter that makes them easy to grip. The school can provide students with high contrast pens to improve their handwriting. These pens are quite cheap, and parents can buy them for home use. They are sold in several bookshops, which make them easily available. The pens will improve the

Effective support for information users Essay Example for Free

Effective support for information users Essay Customers are an asset for any organization and to satisfy and retain them is every organization’s goal. The only way to achieve this goal is to build proper relationships with your customer through providing them appropriate customer service when ever they require. Customer gives you business because it is a cycle, if you fulfill your customer need then he will spread a good word of mouth for your organization otherwise they will give you a real hard time. Information technology has great importance in the business world today because the environment is very uncertain therefore innovation needs to be implemented rapidly. Every day we see something or the other coming up with new technology and to survive in this competent world we all have to cope with technological advancements, therefore customers tend to purchase technologically advanced products easily but the difficulty is in understanding the ways to operate these products. This is where they need help and it is a chance for the organizations to retain customers because customer will only stick to the brand which is providing him proper customer service. For this purpose IT organizations have customer service centers so that they can provide their customers with appropriate assistance. The bottleneck is faced when the employees on desk at the customer service center are not able to entertain the customers with what they want. This is usually due to the lack of information employees hold regarding the product and this leads the organization towards losing their customers. (Hoffman). Therefore in order to remove this bottle neck, the organizations should provide their customers with best service, for which they need to consider following strategies: Strategies to ensure that your customers are getting adequate technical support 1) Hire the right people with excellent communication skills. 2) Train your employees so that they are well aware of the product specifications and can easily deliver the information to the customer 3) Employee people with calm and good attitude because customers may be very frustrated or harsh at times still the employee has to remain very tranquil with him in order to avoid any further dilemma. 4) A company should make sure that on desk personnel are well aware of their goals, that is, they believe that it is their duty to entertain more and more customers, understand their needs and interact with them to provide more and more information so that they are satisfied. (Bayan) 5) Customers should be provided with a detailed guide book as well so that they can better understand the product and do not face any hurdles. 6) Customer should be provided with a very comfortable and friendly environment and he should be given great importance so that he can feel that the company really cares for his needs. (Anonymous) Socio-Technical Structure Socio technical structure is an organizational design which consists of a combination of people and technology. It includes the habits and attitudes of people; the way they interact and behave. The technical aspect of this structure includes the machinery processes and physical management. This structure includes hardware, software, people, surroundings data and data structure, law and regulations and procedures. According to this system all the needs of an employee should be identified and met which they bring along to the workplace. This system helps in motivating employees and raises their performance level by taking care of the characteristics that comprises social system. These characteristics involve their communication, involvement, performance, and team work, attitudes, behavior and job satisfaction. This system is emerged overtime through the employees of the organization and thus represents the culture of an organization and its social setup. (Whitworth) As socio technical system includes face to face work, which includes customer service therefore ensuring that your customers are getting adequate technical support and thus it is related to the socio technical structure because it fulfills the requirements, social as well as technical. Providing appropriate customer service by understanding customer needs and communicating positively with them satisfies the social requirement where as giving them technical assistance, that is, to provide information regarding the technical aspects of the product satisfies technical requirements. Any technological advancement cannot be successful if the technology does not take into account the human component because ultimately humans have to interact with the technological design therefore it is important to treat people and technology together within a system. This gives rise to social and technical subsystem in which social subsystem takes into account human needs and attitudes and technical subsystem relates to the devices, procedures and technical know how. The technological and social subsystem needs to be interdependent so that the organization can deliver the best to the customers. In this way the technology offered by the organization will be according to the needs of the customers and thus it would be a perfect fit. (Whitworth) Thus the most important strategy for any company to provide adequate technical support to customers is that it should develop a socio technical structure so that the technical assistance provided to the customers are in accordance to the social needs of the customers. REFERENCES Hoffman, R. (1996) Help is Only a Phone Call Away! How to get good service. The Real World. Retrieved October 15, 2009, from http://www. animatedsoftware. com/misc/stories/jobs/dbmscntr. htm Kay, D. (2004) Show, Don’t Tell: Remote Support Best Practices and Benefits. DB Kay and Associates. Retrieved October 15, 2009, from http://www. webbuyersguide. com/bguide/Whitepaper/Wpdetails. asp? frmCQ=Ywpid=NzU3Mwcategory=723sitename= webbuyersguidekc=newstech101607src=newstech101607 Setting up a successful help deskphysical considerations (http://articles. techrepublic. com. com/5100-10878_11-5112459. html) and Try these efficiency strategies when setting up a successful help desk (http://articles. techrepublic. com. com/5100-10878_11-5112468. html). Setting up a successful help desk (http://techrepublic. com. com/5208-6230-0. html? forumID=14threadID=146337 messageID=1623851). Whitworth,B. Socio-Technical Systems. Retrieved on 23rd July 2010 from http://brianwhitworth. com/hci-sts. pdf

Theatre and Popular Opinion In Eighteenth-Century Paris :: Arts Theatre France History Historical Essays

The eighteenth century is widely reputed to have been the Age of Theatre in France. A unique form of entertainment and mass communication, theatrical productions brought together representatives from all degrees of social and economic status in one building to share a common experience. Despite an attitude that emphasized the glorification of French culture, the government viewed the theatre primarily as a form of entertainment and sought to prevent any deviation from this main emphasis. Although plays were monitored through censorship of scripts, the agents of authority made little attempt to shape popular views on specific political issues through drama. In contrast, practitioners of bourgeois drama aimed at converting the theatre into a schoolhouse for moral values and virtue in social interaction. Parisian audiences, especially those standing in the open parterre area in front of the stage, often used the theatre as a forum for voicing their own opinions on political issues. Far from being mindlessly molded by any agenda of the French playwrights or royal patrons, the spectators claimed for themselves the capacity to pass judgment on the plays presented on the stage. The Crown's formal regulation, the playwrights' didactic intention, and the spectators' vocal reactions created an interaction of control, manipulation, and political articulation in eighteenth-century Parisian theatre. From the popularity of amateur productions among the moneyed and elite to the general trend of rising ticket sales at public theatres, drama played an important role in the social life of eighteenth-century France. According to registers of attendance at the Comà ©die-Franà §aise from the 1750 to 1774, that playhouse averaged approximately 168,000 spectators each year. Since the theatre offered an opportunity to impress people of every rank, the French government could not neglect this aspect of life. The Crown assumed that the productions called for regulation, that troupes required consistent personnel, and that theatre crowds needed supervision. In 1680, Louis XIV granted monopolies on stage production to the Acadà ©mie Royale de Musique for opera, and to the Comà ©die-Franà §aise and the Comà ©die-Italienne for French and Italian language drama, respectively. The avowed purpose for establishing these theatres was "to perfect the representation of the lyric and dramatic arts for the greater glory of the French state." This objective promoted plays that extolled the monarchy and perpetuated the powerful system of privilege. In 1706, the king charged the Paris police with maintaining control and order in these playhouses. The Crown supported the three royal theatres financially and governed their management until the end of the ancien rà ©gime.

Talisman Energy

Talisman Energy Inc. (Talisman) is an independent Canadian oil and gas producer. Talisman is a company that has been through a great deal of criticism due to their negative experience in Sudan in previous years. They were accused of numerous things such as fueling the civil war, believing the Sudanese Government was using oil revenues to purchase weaponry, and of being complicit in human rights abuses because of fees and royalties paid to the government for the rights to explore oil and gas.Now, Talisman is faced with the decision of whether or not they should enter into Kurdistan, knowing that the same thing can happen there as it did in Sudan. The KRG is asking for $220 million in exchange for allowing Talisman to search for oil reserves. Not knowing what the KRG will use the money for, whether it’s to improve economic development or to purchase weaponry creates a dilemma for Talisman. The board of directors had first-hand experience of the damage to Talisman’s reputa tion. With proper due diligence and continuous re-evaluation of the situation in Kurdistan, Talisman should now find it easier to discover political risk and solve problems before they arise.Problem StatementTalisman Energy Inc. has encountered problems in the past when entering into politically unstable markets in other countries. Now they are faced with the decision whether to enter the oil-rich Kurdistan region of Iraq, knowing there are great risks associated with it. If they decide to enter Kurdistan, can they do it without facing the same problems as they did in Sudan?AnalysisTalisman’s interest in pursuing oil exploration in the Kurdistan region of Iraq has been shaped by many factors. First being that Kurdistan is estimated to have 39 million barrels of oil reserves. Second, Talisman was optimistic about the opportunity for foreign oil companies to tap into Iraqi oil now that Saddam Hussein had been defeated. Finally, the Kurdistan area was viewed as significantly saf er than the rest of Iraq. Talisman Energy Inc. is a company who has experience doing business in countries with high political risk. Political risk can be caused by conflict and violence, terrorism and kidnapping, property seizure, policy changes, and local  content requirements (Wild & Wild, International Business, 2012). Corruption sometimes plays a role in international business. See table 1 for the Corruption perception index. The higher the CPI score the less corruptive the country is.Table 1 Corruption Perception Index CountryCPI ScoreFinland9.0 to 10.0 Canada8.0 to 8.9 United States of America7.0 to 7.9 Spain6.0 to 6.9 Hungary5.0 to 5.9 Greece4.0 to 4.9 Mexico3.0 to 3.9 Russia2.0 to 2.9 Iraq1.0 to 1.9Talisman is now faced with the decision of whether or not they should enter into Kurdistan given the uncertainty in such an unstable region. Have they done the proper due diligence to proceed into Iraq. Iraq is a region with high political risk see Exhibit 1 (Wild & Wild, Inter national Business, 2012).Exhibit 1 Political risk around the WorldIn retrospect, should Talisman have gone into Sudan?Talisman made a good decision by entering Sudan. They were aware of the risks but the rewards were potentially high. It was for this reason they took the chance. They were faced with many challenges such as being blamed for influencing the Civil War. Overcoming these challenges only made the company stronger and more knowledgeable for similar future situations. What are the learnings from the Sudan experience?Talisman learned a great deal from the Sudan experience. They established a dedicated Corporate Responsibility Group (CR) in response to the events in Sudan. The CR group have developed Talisman’s CR policies, procedures and  reporting protocols. Over the years, they have included government relations and responsibility for assessing the risks involved in new projects, especially when entering countries that have high political risk. The company has als o added the International Code of Ethics for Canadian Business to its existing corporate code of ethics (Talisman Energy Inc.: The Decision to Enter Iraq, 2009). For more information on how Talisman manages their corporate responsibility see Exhibit 2.Exhibit 2 Talisman managing Corporate Responsibility Their commitment to corporate responsibility is founded in their company values. Their people put these values into action daily. Their dedication to making Talisman a great corporate citizen is built into the policies, systems, procedures and practices they have put in place to keep them improving. Their values include: Safety: Their goal is to create working conditions that cause no harm to people. Passion: They inspire others by the passion they demonstrate in their work. Results: They have a bias for results and take initiative to get things done efficiently, creating value for their shareholders. Respect: They take time to consider and appreciate other people’s points of view and treat the environment with respect.Excellence: They strive for excellence in what they do and how they do it. Teamwork: by working effectively together, they can deliver results far beyond their individual capabilities. Honest communication: They show courage to speak honestly and support others to do the same. How much money can Talisman make by entering Iraq?If the U.S geological survey is correct in estimating Kurdistan to have 39 billion barrels of oil reserves, then Talisman can make an enormous amount of money by entering Kurdistan. The world demand for oil in 2008 is forecast at 87 million barrels per day and the price of oil was US$130 per barrel (Talisman Energy Inc.: The Decision to Enter Iraq, 2009). The profit would be in the trillions. These large figures could cloud ones judgement when making such an important decision as this. The resources are there to generate huge profits but the circumstances they have to go through to do so  will have to be examined. W hat are the costs and benefits for Talisman to enter Iraq?CostsA 220 million dollar payment has to be paid to the Kurdistan Regional Government. Talisman’s entry might be viewed as support for the Kurdistan government as it was in Sudan and as a result there could be opposition form the U.S government, which supports the unity of Iraq and the Iraqi central government. There has yet to be an agreement on revenue sharing (Talisman Energy Inc.: The Decision to Enter Iraq, 2009). This could cause problems between the central government and the Kurdistan Regional government. A decision to enter Iraq could ruin the reputation of the company if the same thing were to happen there as in Sudan. The Iraqi central government controls Iraq’s export pipeline system. Without the ability to export the oil, Talismans oil revenue would be significantly curtailed.Benefits†¢Have access to large amounts of oil reserves. †¢Financial growth resulting in trillions of dollars in pro fit. †¢An opportunity to invest in the region of Kurdistan. †¢An opportunity to increase the company’s overall market share. †¢An increased level of profit as a result of cheaper labour than other business ventures.Discussion of AlternativesThere are some alternatives that may help solve Talisman’s problems. Presented here are some advantages and disadvantages of each as well as how each would affect the company as a whole and the country in which it is conducting business. One alternative would be to become more involved in the country where the business is taking place. A positive image needs to be put forth. Talisman needs to show others that it wants to make a difference in the Kurdistan region. With the $220 million that is to be paid to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), it is possible that Talisman could approach the KRG and make some kind of a deal regarding the use of the money. Hopefully this will ensure that it is used to build affordabl e housing, hospitals, schools, roads, and improve drinking water.This has all been destroyed or damaged by past conflict within the country. The advantage of this action results in proving to others that the money is being spent to  improve economic development in the region of Kurdistan and not to create independence from Iraq. A disadvantage of this would be the actual cost to carry out such an amount of work. Ultimately, it would improve their public image and presence in Kurdistan and hopefully prevent any controversy while being there. Another alternative would be to continually evaluate their position while in Kurdistan. This involves evaluating risk to prevent unexpected risks from occurring or exposure to them. By doing this, Talisman would always be on top of the situation at hand and it will allow them to become more proactive in their presence there. It will also help them to decide to stay or leave at any particular time. An advantage of this would be awareness of the local conditions and political/economic environment.They would re-evaluate the risks on a regular basis. This should prevent them from making the same mistakes as they did in Sudan. A disadvantage of this again would be that it is more costly. In addition, Talisman is risking the chances of another company taking the opportunity to enter the region and gain control of the oil reserves. The end result would be that Talisman would be receiving constant updates on the situation in Kurdistan.RecommendationTalisman Energy Inc. is a company that has had their fair share of problems when dealing with areas involving high political risk, such as Sudan. During their time there, they learned a great deal about risk and what to look for to reduce it to an acceptable level for investment purposes. The best way to reduce risk is too continually evaluate the region in which they are conducting business. With all the experience that Talisman has gained in Sudan they should now have a higher level of knowledge and comfort in doing business in Kurdistan. Talisman should now find it easier to discover political risks in new investment ventures. By completing the proper due diligence and exploration of political, legal, social and human rights issues, they should excel in doing business in the Kurdistan region.One must always remember when conducting business in an area with high political risks come high cost. If Talisman decides to enter Kurdistan it has to make sure that the $220 million dollar payment to the Kurdistan Regional Government is transparent and that it meets the standards of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (Talisman Energy Inc.: The Decision to  Enter Iraq, 2009). A deal should try and be made with the KRG to ensure that the money be spent on economic development and not on weapons. This would show the people of the region and the world that Talisman wants to help the people of Kurdistan improve their country, while at the same time establish a viable relationship with the region in order to successfully operate its business in the oil industry. Talisman Energy Executive SummaryTalisman Energy Inc. (Talisman) is an independent Canadian oil and gas producer. Talisman is a company that has been through a great deal of criticism due to their negative experience in Sudan in previous years. They were accused of numerous things such as fueling the civil war, believing the Sudanese Government was using oil revenues to purchase weaponry, and of being complicit in human rights abuses because of fees and royalties paid to the government for the rights to explore oil and gas.Now, Talisman is faced with the decision of whether or not they should enter into Kurdistan, knowing that the same thing can happen there as it did in Sudan. The KRG is asking for $220 million in exchange for allowing Talisman to search for oil reserves. Not knowing what the KRG will use the money for, whether it’s to improve economic development or to purchase weaponry creates a dilemma for Talisman. The board of directors had first-hand experience of the damage to Talisma n’s reputation. With proper due diligence and continuous re-evaluation of the situation in Kurdistan, Talisman should now find it easier to discover political risk and solve problems before they arise.Problem StatementTalisman Energy Inc. has encountered problems in the past when entering into politically unstable markets in other countries. Now they are faced with the decision whether to enter the oil-rich Kurdistan region of Iraq, knowing there are great risks associated with it. If they decide to enter Kurdistan, can they do it without facing the same problems as they did in Sudan? AnalysisTalisman’s interest in pursuing oil exploration in the Kurdistan region of Iraq has been shaped by many factors. First being that Kurdistan is estimated to have 39 million barrels of oil reserves. Second, Talisman was optimistic about the opportunity for foreign oil companies to tap into Iraqi oil now that Saddam Hussein had been defeated. Finally, the Kurdistan area was viewed as significantly safer than the rest of Iraq.Talisman Energy Inc. is a company who has experience doing business in countries with high political risk. Political risk can be caused by conflict and violence, terrorism and kidnapping, property seizure, policy changes, and local  content requirements (Wild & Wild, International Business, 2012). Corruption sometimes plays a role in international business. See table 1 for the Corruption perception index. The higher the CPI score the less corruptive the country is.Table 1 Corruption Perception Index Country CPI ScoreFinland9.0 to 10.0 Canada8.0 to 8.9 United States of America7.0 to 7.9 Spain6.0 to 6.9 Hungary5.0 to 5.9 Greece4.0 to 4.9 Mexico3.0 to 3.9 Russia2.0 to 2.9 Iraq1.0 to 1.9Talisman is now faced with the decision of whether or not they should enter into Kurdistan given the uncertainty in such an unstable region. Have they done the proper due diligence to proceed into Iraq. Iraq is a region with high political risk see Exhibit 1 ( Wild & Wild, International Business, 2012). Exhibit 1 Political risk around the World)In retrospect, should Talisman have gone into Sudan?Talisman made a good decision by entering Sudan. They were aware of the risks but the rewards were potentially high. It was for this reason they took the chance. They were faced with many challenges such as being blamed for influencing the Civil War. Overcoming these challenges only made the company stronger and more knowledgeable for similar future situations. What are the learnings from the Sudan experience?Talisman learned a great deal from the Sudan experience. They established a dedicated Corporate Responsibility Group (CR) in response to the events in Sudan. The CR group have developed Talisman’s CR policies, procedures and  reporting protocols. Over the years, they have included government relations and responsibility for assessing the risks involved in new projects, especially when entering countries that have high political risk. The company has also added the International Code of Ethics for Canadian Business to its existing corporate code of ethics (Talisman Energy Inc.: The Decision to Enter Iraq, 2009).For more information on how Talisman manages their corporate responsibility see Exhibit 2. Exhibit 2 Talisman managing Corporate Responsibility Their commitment to corporate responsibility is founded in their company values. Their people put these values into action daily. Their dedication to making Talisman a great corporate citizen is built into the policies, systems, procedures and practices they have put in place to keep them improving. Their values include: Safety: Their goal is to create working conditions that cause no harm to people.Passion: They inspire others by the passion they demonstrate in their work. Results: They have a bias for results and take initiative to get things done efficiently, creating value for their shareholders. Respect: They take time to consider and appreciate other peopleà ¢â‚¬â„¢s points of view and treat the environment with respect. Excellence: They strive for excellence in what they do and how they do it. Teamwork: by working effectively together, they can deliver results far beyond their individual capabilities. Honest communication: They show courage to speak honestly and support others to do the same. How much money can Talisman make by entering Iraq?If the U.S geological survey is correct in estimating Kurdistan to have 39 billion barrels of oil reserves, then Talisman can make an enormous amount of money by entering Kurdistan. The world demand for oil in 2008 is forecast at 87 million barrels per day and the price of oil was US$130 per barrel (Talisman Energy Inc.: The Decision to Enter Iraq, 2009). The profit would be in the trillions. These large figures could cloud ones judgement when making such an important decision as this. The resources are there to generate huge profits but the circumstances they have to go through to do so  will ha ve to be examined. What are the costs and benefits for Talisman to enter Iraq?CostsA 220 million dollar payment has to be paid to the Kurdistan Regional Government. Talisman’s entry might be viewed as support for the Kurdistan government as it was in Sudan and as a result there could be opposition form the U.S government, which supports the unity of Iraq and the Iraqi central government. There has yet to be an agreement on revenue sharing (Talisman Energy Inc.: The Decision to Enter Iraq, 2009). This could cause problems between the central government and the Kurdistan Regional government. A decision to enter Iraq could ruin the reputation of the company if the same thing were to happen there as in Sudan. The Iraqi central government controls Iraq’s export pipeline system. Without the ability to export the oil, Talismans oil revenue would be significantly curtailed.Benefits†¢Have access to large amounts of oil reserves. †¢Financial growth resulting in trillio ns of dollars in profit. †¢An opportunity to invest in the region of Kurdistan. †¢An opportunity to increase the company’s overall market share. †¢An increased level of profit as a result of cheaper labour than other business ventures. Discussion of AlternativesThere are some alternatives that may help solve Talisman’s problems. Presented here are some advantages and disadvantages of each as well as how each would affect the company as a whole and the country in which it is conducting business. One alternative would be to become more involved in the country where the business is taking place. A positive image needs to be put forth. Talisman needs to show others that it wants to make a difference in the Kurdistan region. With the $220 million that is to be paid to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), it is possible that Talisman could approach the KRG and make some kind of a deal regarding the use of the money.Hopefully this will ensure that it is use d to build affordable housing, hospitals, schools, roads, and improve drinking water. This has all been destroyed or damaged by past conflict within the country. The advantage of this action results in proving to others that the money is being spent to  improve economic development in the region of Kurdistan and not to create independence from Iraq. A disadvantage of this would be the actual cost to carry out such an amount of work. Ultimately, it would improve their public image and presence in Kurdistan and hopefully prevent any controversy while being there. Another alternative would be to continually evaluate their position while in Kurdistan.This involves evaluating risk to prevent unexpected risks from occurring or exposure to them. By doing this, Talisman would always be on top of the situation at hand and it will allow them to become more proactive in their presence there. It will also help them to decide to stay or leave at any particular time. An advantage of this would be awareness of the local conditions and political/economic environment. They would re-evaluate the risks on a regular basis.This should prevent them from making the same mistakes as they did in Sudan. A disadvantage of this again would be that it is more costly. In addition, Talisman is risking the chances of another company taking the opportunity to enter the region and gain control of the oil reserves. The end result would be that Talisman would be receiving constant updates on the situation in Kurdistan.RecommendationTalisman Energy Inc. is a company that has had their fair share of problems when dealing with areas involving high political risk, such as Sudan. During their time there, they learned a great deal about risk and what to look for to reduce it to an acceptable level for investment purposes. The best way to reduce risk is too continually evaluate the region in which they are conducting business. With all the experience that Talisman has gained in Sudan they should now have a higher level of knowledge and comfort in doing business in Kurdistan.Talisman should now find it easier to discover political risks in new investment ventures. By completing the proper due diligence and exploration of political, legal, social and human rights issues, they should excel in doing business in the Kurdistan region. One must always remember when conducting business in an area with high political risks come high cost. If Talisman decides to enter Kurdistan it has to make sure that the $220 million dollar payment to the Kurdistan Regional Government is transparent and that it meets the standards of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (Talisman Energy Inc.: The Decision to