Oil Industry in Saudi Arabia

Introduction
The oil market is normally oligopoly since the industry normally has a few firms although the large proportion of the output in the industry shared among a few firms. Oil is one of the commodities heavily traded in the entire world. The oil demand, on the other hand, normally prices inelastic as a result of the versatility in its uses. The fluctuations in the oil prices play a significant role in the impacts for the oil exporters/producers as well as the fact that most of the nations around the world are dependent on oil being their chief energy source.

Body

Saudi Arabia is among the most rapidly growing nations in the greater Middle East regions. The development of the country’s oil sector is the main attribute that has been making it possible for the major improvement of the county’s position in the context of the international community. The evident increase energy needs in the world have contributed to the rapid development of the nations that have major oil productions, with Saudi Arabia the main country. The economy of Saudi Arabia is heavily dependent upon their oil industries. The ministry of petroleum, as well as mineral resources, offers the estimation that more than 90% of the expert in the country are normally from the proceeds of the oil export (Fattouh 2013). The export of oils into the world markets contributes more than 40% of the country’s GDP. Additionally the common assertion is that Saudi Arabia is world’s second largest producer of crude oil as well as an exporter.

For decades, the Saudi Arabian economic development has been dependent on their strong success in the oil industry. The country is world’s largest producer as well as exporter of the petroleum products and at the same time is a second largest producer of crude oil after Russia. Their economy is also dependent on the oil as well as the oil related industries encompassing the refinery of petroleum as well as petrochemicals. At the same time, Saudi Arabia is the biggest consumer of energy in the Middle East countries mainly as a result of their growing population as well as the large-scale development projects they are undertaking (Aissaoui 2013). The large government subsidies on fuel as well as the historically high prices of oil are the main causes that have been stimulating domestic consumption.

Considering the country’s high levels of production, it accounts for approximately 13% of world’s oil output and consequently almost 35% of the overall OPEC annual oil productions. The country has become a major determinant of the world oil demand as well as supply implying that the country’s oil production policies cold have a far-reaching effect on international oil prices (Naimi, 2012). From the 1970s, Saudi Arabia has been using their dominance to influence the prices of oil and consequently further their objectives in the sustenance of the long-term oil consumption. Additionally they have been using their dominance to promote their economic stability in the context of the industrialized world.

Reserves
Research indicates that Saudi Arabia possesses approximately 266 billion of oil reserves that have already proven which accounts for 16% of all the proved oil reserves in the world. Even though the country has approximately 100 main oil as well as gas fields, over 8 of their fields are normally located in the country’s northeast portion (Fattouh and van der Linde 2011). The giant Ghawar oil field is the world’s biggest field in the context of production as well as overall remaining reserves.

Production
The country produced an average of 11.8 million bbl/d of the overall oil liquids in the year 2013. The total production of the petroleum products, however, declined by 0.14 million bbl/d from the year 2012 which was their first decline since the year 2009 (Fattouh and van der Linde 2011). Additionally the country declined it oil production in the year 2013 with the objective of accommodating the non-OPEC production development from the country as Canada as well as the US.

Processing
Saudi Aramco is the firm that operates the world’s biggest oil processing facility in addition to a crude oil stabilization plant. It additionally possesses a crude oil processing capacity of over 7 million bbl/d. The efforts by Saudi Arabia to maintain their leading position in the international oil market has been the foundation of their economic policies from the beginning of the 1990s. Although the country has been making attempts aimed at diversifying their economy, the development of a self-propagating mo oil sector has been a very difficult task for the Saudi planners (Naimi, 2012). The government none the less has been able to offer above-average living standards for its citizens as well as the development of a world-class infrastructure basis as well as the social services. However, the sustenance of these living standards, however, is greatly dependent chiefly on the spending of the government which relies on the revenues from its oil industries. In this case, it is not possible for the Saudi Arabian government to neglect their oil industry as it has proven to be their chief economic engine.

The development of the oil industry is additionally a significant attribute in the promotion of the domestic political stability. In the early production days, it was evident that there was going to be the reduction in the Russia as well as from the other OPEC countries. Consequently, the country realized an opportunity to develop their disproportionate share of the net increment in the crude oil demand over the following years. With the objective of realizing their endeavor, the country focused on expanding their oil industry and consequently augments their production capacities. Also, the country embarked on the plans for upgrading their refineries with the objective of meeting the contemporary environmental standards in the west as well as their growing domestic demand.

The oil production in Saudi Arabia negatively correlated with those of other OPEC producing nations and consequently has been highly volatile although the country has not experienced any political shocks. Saudi Arabia sets its oil output in the anticipation that there is going to be the reaction of the fringe as well as maximize their profits relying on the residual demand (Naimi, 2012). The additional evident that is available from the various literature is that Saudi does not vary the output of their oil industries about the demand changes in the international markets. Instead of Saudi acting as the dominant oil producer, the country adopts a tit for tat strategy in punishing their members who produce beyond their quotas while at the same time rewarding those who normally comply.

Business policy and strategy

Summary of McDonald’s strategies and performance

The McDonalds Corporation is a successful global restaurant that operates chains around the globe. The organization has employed global expansion and effective management strategies to enter new markets and gain a share of the diverse, fast food market. It is clear that McDonalds has achieved this massive success. The business has established best practices in the global food industry. However, it has also experienced international growth challenges trends in the recent past. These factors have seen the company perform poorly in its different businesses in both local and foreign nations. (Mourdoukoutas, 2013)

One of the strategies employed by McDonalds is the creation of both customer and brand loyalty for its products and services. Right from the beginning, the founder, Ray Kroc ensured that the French fries customers bought in one restaurant would be similar to another McDonald restaurant by developing a sophisticated operating and delivery system. He proved himself an industrial pioneer who revolutionized the American restaurant industry by imposing discipline on the production of milkshakes, hamburgers, and French fries. The consistency made McDonald’s the brand name that defined American fast food. In the restaurant industry, the McDonald’s is well known for high-quality foods and services evident in the quantity of customers they serve. The making of a uniform and consistent product for customers is one of the most important aspects of McDonald’s success. (Beef Central, 2015)

Irrespective of where customers purchase their products, once they see the ever-present “golden arches” they know exactly they are expected to get. McDonald’s Mission Statement has helped the business to focus on what really matters both to itself and to stakeholders. It has acted as a guide to strategic and routine operational decisions. In addition, it represents the glue that binds all the franchises under the organization together. Another strategy employed by McDonalds is rapid expansion. Right from the beginning, McDonalds expanded by franchising. By 1960, more than 200 McDonald’s outlets were operational. McDonald’s Corporation has been recording declining sales and profits both in its local and foreign businesses. On the other hand, competitors have been formulating strategies to attract more customers to their business. In 2015, McDonald’s reported 30% drop in profit and 11% decrease in revenue for the first three months of the year. It announced hundreds of store closings. The company has been trying to fix its problems particularly in the U.S market that generates 40% of its profit. It is simplifying its menu to appeal to its customers. It is testing all-day breakfast and has slowed down service and focused efforts on reducing errors in orders. (Mourdoukoutas, 2013)

The reality is that McDonald’s recent performance has been poor. In 2015 first quarter, the company recorded US$5.6 billion in global revenue down from $6.7 Billion in 2014 first quarter. The net income recorded amounted to $ 811 million down from $1.2 billion in the year 2013. Part of the business expenses arose from charges linked to restaurant closures. In the US and Canada, 220 restaurants were closed as well as 130 in Japan. The company is expected to close other 350 restaurants worldwide to avoid further loses. McDonald’s largest division in the United States saw a decrease in sales of up to 2.6% reflecting low customer traffic and negative sales amidst high competition. (Mourdoukoutas, 2013)

The operating income decreased by 11% as a result of weak sales and restructuring and closing activities. In its Europe’s division, the business experienced a decline in sales of 0.6%. First quarter operating income decreased by 20% partly as a result of currency and inflation pressures in Russia and continuing macroeconomic pressures facing much of Europe The business’s Pacific, Asia, Middle East and African divisions saw first quarter sales decrease by 8.3%. Asia region had a prolonged impact of consumer perception issues particularly in Japan over food safety breaches. The operating income in these regions decreased due to restaurant closing in response to poor performance.

Telenursing

Introduction
Telenursing is the utilization of technology to conduct nursing practice and deliver nursing care. The use of technology has changed the delivery medium of nursing care. It has necessitated competencies related to its use to deliver nursing care. Practitioners engaged in telenursing plan, assess, evaluate and intervene the outcomes of nursing care. Technologies commonly used in this practice include computers, Internet, telephones, telemonitoring equipment and digital assessment tools. The term telehealth is used to describe the breadth of health services provided through communication technologies. The paper will explore telenursing as a specialty of telehealth. Advantages and disadvantages for the patient and legal and ethical principles for the nurse of this technology will be explored. These will be used as the basis for decision-making and whether it is a good fit for me.

Advantages and disadvantages for the patient
Advantages
Diagnosis and Consultation
Research evidence shows increased success of diagnosis of diseases. Telenursing has productively been used as a tool for diagnosing acute conditions including leukemia. In addition to diagnosis, nurses can provide educational sessions or other patient education efforts. Telenursing has been shown to be a successful undertaking for nurses in patient education as it offers two-way video and audio technology. Nurses also have benefited from consultations through telehealth tools. Just as in patient education, nurses can use the two-way audio and video technology to consult with other providers. For example, home health nurses may use technology to consult with physicians or specialists regarding a particular patient (Hebda & Czar, 2013).

Monitoring and Surveillance
Adherence and compliance problems are among the various issues that are essential to achieving patient safety. After patients leave a facility, they take responsibility for their own health care at home. Patients may not always follow treatment plans as directed by providers or physician due to various factors, including wrong understanding and miscommunication of the treatment plan, complex treatment schedule that requires additional guidance for the patients to comprehend and the lack of access to facilities required for the treatment plan. This can cause negative outcomes and creates safety issues for the patient. Therefore, these technologies provide nurses with efficient tools of caring for patients. The use of these technologies improves adherence or compliance to the prescribed regimen of care. They also allow effective symptom management. Telenursing is one strategy that nurses currently use to monitor and communicate with patients beyond the acute care setting. It also reduces health care utilization rates for acute care services by reducing visits to the Emergency Department (Hebda & Czar, 2013).

Clinical and Health Services outcomes
Telenursing has been associated with an improvement in clinical and health service outcomes. Technologies have been used in the management of chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure and diabetes. Mortality and morbidity are the outcomes measured for these patients. Telenursing shows better outcomes in these areas. More specifically, telenursing technology has been shown to be an important tool in health intervention. For example, nurses can induce communication to help patient reduce HbA1c levels. They may also offer assistance to patients with traumatic brain injury in their transitioning from the hospital to the community. In addition to these technologies, other devices and applications are also making a difference in patient health care and safety. Essentially, telehealth technologies have replaced traditional care as practical alternatives (Hebda & Czar, 2013).

Reduction of cost
With telephone-based telenursing, there is relatively no technical setup required for interaction or cost to the patient. Many individuals own a cell phone in their home that can be utilized during sessions. Often, nurses limit telephone discussions to education or counseling as there are no visual cues for the telenurse. Technologies offer more and broader potential for telenursing practice. With telehealth technologies, patient access to care is improved; adherence to care increases and providers network with each other improves. Nurses can also closely monitor safety of patients at homes or alternative living facilities. The evident improvement in patient’s outcome has an indirect impact on cost of delivery of services (Hebda & Czar, 2013).

Disadvantages
As the use of technology increases in nursing profession, cost, privacy, autonomy, security and confidentiality issues have emerged. Facilities invest heavily in the security of patient information. These measures call for significant allocation of resources interms of human resources and money. Thus, the use of telecommunication increases the costs of purchase and operations of these equipments. These costs are passed on to consumers of health. Patients meet these costs through charges to health services. Health organizations are also faced with continued threat of as the need for confidentiality and security of patient data remain in the forefront of telenursing. On the other hand, Laws and regulations continue to place requirements for the protection of personal information. Data breach incidents have more impact than government fines, publicized lawsuits, and labor or union disputes. Breaches also have an impact on patients. Another disadvantage of telenursing is the technicality associated with the use of specific technologies. Telehealth technology differs and can range from telephone calls postoperatively to live, interactive voice and video patient education to using a popular video game system and downloadable data devices (Schlachta et al., 2010).

Legal and ethical principles for the nurse
With telenursing, confidentiality remains a concern that must always be addressed. Telehealth sessions must remain confidential interaction between a provider and a patient. Information privacy is the relationship between technology, collection and sharing of data, the public expectation of privacy, and the legal and related issues surrounding them. Privacy concerns exist when there is sensitive information or personally identifiable information that might be of interest to other parties. Maintenance of information privacy is a risk management issue for any organization (Greenberg, 2000).

The security risks increase with the extraordinary utilization of internet services due to the advent of cloud computing. Hence, training is a necessary component of an organization’s security practices. Hospitals are forced to instead focus on making information system users intrinsic to the security processes through awareness, training and information rather than focusing purely on implementing technologies. Technologies such as firewalls, intrusion detection system, intrusion prevention system, antivirus content filtering and encryption are commonly implemented to reduce the risk of cyber attacks. While such technologies are widely available to help hospitals mitigate the risk of intentional and unintentional threats, their effectiveness is limited if security threats and risks fail to focus on user intrinsic components of the organization’s ICT system. Computer dependency, false sense of entitlement and ethical flexibility increases the security risk to the disadvantage of the medical facility. This exposes health facilities to risks of security and data breach. In the long run, this may compromise patients’ safety (Greenberg, 2000).

Conclusion and Recommendations
Innovative technologies are employed in nursing practice to improve patient care and thus improve safety. Technologies range from the ubiquitous computing to simple telephone and only promise more in the future. The research on telenursing practice shows significant benefits related to consultations, diagnosis surveillance and monitoring of patients, technology advancement and clinical and health services outcomes. These areas have considerable patient safety concerns. On the other hand, special concerns in relation to patient safety have emerged with this method of health care delivery. As the use of technology increases in nursing profession, cost, privacy, autonomy, security and confidentiality issues have emerged. A job in telenursing is in my future. The pro of this decision is that I will get to work in a field that has shown high potential of growth in the future. The con of this decision is that ability to safeguard data is important as personal information increasingly continues to be collected.