Strategic management and leadership (Royal Dutch Shell plc) Essay

Strategic management and leadership (Royal Dutch Shell plc) - Essay Example Before assessing a business performance indicator, it is important to delve into the ambiance so that a causal analysis may be put forward. This is called understanding the environment. It helps in establishing what-leads-to-what in a more objective way. Royal Dutch Shell p.l.c like all other multinationals is prone to such variable. According to Ben Van Beurden, CEO Shell, 2013-2014 remains tumultuous years for the company (Ben, 2014). The main variables that were held responsible for swerving performance of the company were related to law and order of their business countries. The operating environments which Royal Dutch Shell p.l.c had to face were confronted by deteriorating security situation. Citing Asia and Africa the CEO outlined that a depression was seen lower demand and an oversupply of global refining capacity. 2013 was the year which performed below the potential company has. Lack of competitiveness in capital efficiency and day to day operational performance was seen, as acknowledged by Ben in 2014 CEO Review note. The strategy in theory remains robust and calls for a change in focus only. Ben is of the view that improving cash flow performance and returns must be taken as challenge so that company’s strategy may emerge as sure success (Jeong, 2014). To an answer to how, Ben states that focus should be kept on: Dismal performance in 2012 and 2013 brought a paradigm shift in company’s plans for divestment and new acquisitions. This does not mean that Royal Dutch Shell p.l.c has not been able to perform at all. It means that company is gearing up to realign itself with current market forces and business environments. An abrupt response to the performance in 2012-13 has proven maturity of the company’s leadership. In 2013, earnings fell from $27 billion to $17 billion, and the net cash flow from operating activities went down from $46

Qualitative analysis using the transcript provided Essay - 1

Qualitative analysis using the transcript provided - Essay Example I am like a pig stuck in the middle of everything. I want to do my job well. I want to help the people in the community but I have to also listen to the people in charge of me because they are my bosses. They say one thing, the people out there, they want something else. What can I do? Sometimes my hands are tied up. But I do try to do things to make a difference to the people out there – those ones in the rural communities in the district. There are many things which they are facing which can affect their health these days. Maybe I can help them to sort some of this out by working with them. P. Yes. It’s me. There’s nobody else. I deliver training on health issues such as hygiene. I try to help people to understand how they need to wash their hands before they prepare food or something like that...the children, they can get so sick with running stomachs which is bad. Or sometimes, if there is an outbreak, then I will do something different, something about what the trouble is. If there is cholera it is not about prevention it is about action and it needs to be quick and co-ordinated. But it is difficult for some people when they do not have soap or when they have to fetch water from some other place or people are sick and cannot work in the fields. Umm, but really it’s not for me to tell people what to do. I am not their mother or their father but I can try to help them to understand how they can help themselves. Sometimes they listen and sometimes they don’t. The old ones sometimes say ‘who is this young thing who is coming to tell us what it do when we have lived all this time?’ Hopefully you are just putting things into people’s heads and, you know, making them think that next time they will do something. Maybe if they are worried and they can speak to you if you are friendly. So yeah, it is only me that does†¦it can be a struggle†¦(fades off). P. Me, I am the one who does