International Taxation Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Taxation - Research Proposal Example Anti-avoidance legislation Tax avoidance can be defined as the lawful measures that a firm may take in order to reduce their liability to payment of tax. It should be noted that tax avoidance is not illegal but its effect on the economy may be dire. The question of avoidance of tax has been of great contention considering the fact that the firms have a responsibility of being diligent in their dealings with the state. In order to mitigate the negative impacts of tax avoidance, governments have been at the forefront of enacting anti-avoidance legislation that is aimed at sealing the loopholes that allow for tax avoidance. One of the strategies that governments have used is the adoption of the general anti-avoidance rule. The logic of this strategy is the fact that legislation has limits on the extent to which it may foresee all arrangements of taxpayers2. Therefore, a general anti-avoidance rule may operate within existing laws or provide a caveat against general tax avoidance issues. In the United Kingdom, governments have implemented anti-avoidance are targeted to deal with specific abuses of tax law. This is consistent with the legal view that legislation should be specific and outline the specific circumstances under which liability arises. There are scenarios whereby the anti-avoidance laws are applied retrospectively in order to comprehensively account for previous abuse of the law. However, the United Kingdom courts require concrete proof of avoidance before a conviction can be upheld. In Partington v The Attorney General3, the courts ruled that for the government to recover tax the prosecution must bring the subject to the letter of the law. It is not sufficient to have a case that is just backed by the spirit of the law. In the context of Canadian law, the courts lay emphasis on the substance of the legal arrangements in a given transaction rather than the economic outcome of the transactions. The interpretation of the Income Act 1976 is literal and the burden of proof of avoidance is upon the prosecution. The Revenue Canada department gave guidelines that expressly allowed the taxpayers to be subjected to minimum pay. However, cases of crafty tax planning grew exponentially leading to a major decline in the amount of revenue that the government collected. This led to the enactment of general anti-avoidance legislation that reinforced anti-avoidance provisions in the Income Tax Act 1976 and the Goods and Services Act 19873. The essence of the rule was to distinguish from between abusive and legitimate tax avoidance measures. Australia has had a longstanding general anti-avoidance rule over the years.

Technological advances of globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Technological advances of globalization - Essay Example But government policy and technical developments of the last few years have urged increases in cross border trade, migration, and investment. The volume of world trade has increased in recent years. Comparatively, today globalization is very faster cheaper, farther and deeper than olden years. The current policies such as domestically and internationally open economies are major reasons for the current wave of the globalization. In the last two decades, many governments have tried or adapted free-market economy systems for international trade and investment. To promote trade in goods, services, and investment government also have provided reductions in barriers to commerce. Corporations have opened factories in foreign countries and established production and marketing preparations with foreign associates by getting a benefit of new opportunities in overseas markets. Technology is known as the other chief driver of globalization. Information technologies have given all kinds of indiv idual financial players - consumers, investors, businesses - valuable new tools for recognizing and continuing economic opportunities, including quicker and more conversant analyses of economic styles around the globe, easy transfers of belongings, and alliance with distant partners. Globalization has now become a controversial matter. ... Resistance to globalization has therefore taken figure both at a popular and at a government level as people and government attempt to supervise the flow of investment, merchandise, employment, and ideas that represent the present wave of globalization. Even though globalization has now become a fiscal, political and social concept, it is not a new occurrence. Travelers such as Marco polo, and Ibn Battuta were innovators of globalization facing casualty and risk in their mission to explore new distant land. But in 21st century, globalization receives on a new definition. It might mean sitting in your room in U.S while talking with a companion in U.K. Trade, Health, Environment, and culture Trade is a significant part of globalization. It steers globalization. Current shipping and telecommunication facilities enable exports to and imports from distant places without any difficulty. But few trade policies, international rules and regulations can still create problems for developing nations. Globalization has had spectacular effects on health department. Treatments for deceases such as HIV/AIDS are commonly accessible, and their costs have fallen by the reason of international agreements. Latest medicinal stuffs to identify, measure, and treat known and emerging diseases are being used all over the globe. The people are more conscious on health issues by the entry of internet and e-mail. At the same time the global actions teams such as national institutes, international bodies, and public society are helping to amplify alertness, monitor developments, and generate solutions to health issues. On the other hand, cross border voyage increases HIV/AIDS and other contagious

Representation of Evil in “Vasilisa the Beautiful”

Representation of Evil in â€Å"Vasilisa the Beautiful† Introduction Russian folklore is rich with various myths, legends and folk tales that detail the life of various mythical characters. In many of such tales, there is extensive use of magic, witchcraft and the use of extraordinary powers. However, the most common characteristic of Russian folklore is the use of women in storytelling. Historical scholars define Russia’s literature as one that is rich with folk tales involving mystical adventure. However, most of these tales have a heroine instead of a hero at the end. Vasilisa the Brave has its setting at a time when magic and the use of extraordinary power was at its peak. A story is told of a young lady named Vasilisa who is sent by her cruel step-mother to collect some light from a witch called Baba Yaga. However, the main essence of the errand is to have Vasilisa be harmed and possibly die in the process of collecting the light. However, it is her humility and generosity that saves Vasilisa from being devoured by the witch Baba Yaga. The condition given by the witch is that Vasilisa completes a few tasks including basic household chores for Baba Yaga. After successfully completing the task, Baba Yaga hands Vasilisa a lantern fashioned from a skull, which ultimately burns the stepmother and the stepsisters to ashes. Background The story of Vasilisa is laden with symbolism. The writer uses various representations of the local culture to relate to the actual happenings in contemporary culture. The character of Baba Yaga has also been used on various platforms to bring out not only an evil but also a powerful character. â€Å"Vasilisa the Beautiful† characterizes Baba Yaga as a dangerous person who wields massive power of magic. However, her actions towards Vasilisa paint a person who despite being associated with evil does not seem to support evil deeds against the innocent in the society. From the common folklore history, Baba Yaga comes out as the villain who will go to any lengths to harm the protagonist. It is no doubt that Baba Yaga’s character is meant to strike a balance in terms of interpretation and giving the story the intended happy ending. Representation of Evil in â€Å"Vasilisa the Beautiful† â€Å"Vasilisa the Beautiful† is seen as being more of a Russian Cinderella story thus appealing to the Western readers. Despite the fact that the story has been written in so many forms by writers who have different versions of what happens in the story, the basic facts in the story are predominantly similar. The story revolves around a young lady Vasilisa. After the death of her mother, Vasilisa is left with no one to take care of her. However before her death, Vasilisa’s mother leaves her a doll that is supposed to help Vasilisa whenever she needs help. The condition by the mother is that whenever she needs help, Vasilisa should feed the doll and the doll reciprocates by assisting her in her problems. The greatest condition that Vasilisa is given by her mother is never to let anyone know of the doll’s existence (Zheleznova, 1966). Vasilisa’s stepmother is described as a cruel woman who discriminates against Vasilisa making her do most of the chores in t he household while her daughters lazy around the house doing nothing. Further cruel treatment directed towards Vasilisa is whereby she is given only a merger portion of all meals. However, Vasilisa does not eat her meals but rather saves the entire meals for the doll which in turn helps her complete her chores. The doll in the story is a characterization of how Russians and the society in general view super-natural beings. The doll in this case is presented as a mundane object that has extraordinary capabilities while keeping in mind that it can be found anywhere. The author tries to portray Vasilisa’s relationship to the doll as mutually exclusive. It is the treatment towards the doll that dictates whether the doll offers any help to Vasilisa. By feeding the doll, Vasilisa is rewarded by having her chores done by the doll. It is important to note that Vasilisa does not have direct power in her relationship with her doll. Hartman (1993) is of the view that it is only by using the doll that Vasilisa is able to improve her living condition characterized by cruelty. Vasilisa was able to follow her mother’s instructions who directed that she feeds the doll any time that she needs the dolls’ assistance. In addition, Vasilisa is not supposed to tell anyone regarding the doll’s existence. The application of these in the contemporary society is the need to follow instructions. The author depicts Vasilisa as an obedient lady who always heeds instructions from elders as it is depicted throughout the story. It is this obedience that helps Vasilisa time and time again during difficult situations. By being obedient, Vasilisa is able to escape the wrath of her stepmother and later from Baba Yaga. Towards the end, it is the willingness to listen to advice that eventually sees Vasilisa get married to the tsar. When her father is away on business, Vasilisa’s cruel stepmother plots to kill Vasilisa and together with her daughters send Vasilisa though the forest to Baba Yaga for some light. Upon arrival Vasilisa is required by the witch Baba Yaga to do menial household duties and also serve her meals. Vasilisa does all the work without questioning and even goes further to enlist the help of her doll when Baba Yaga requires her to do some almost impossible tasks. After completing all her task, Baba Yaga asks Vasilisa why she is so humble and why she does things without questioning. In her response, Vasilisa asks Baba Yaga about three horsemen who she had previously seen entering and leaving the witch’s homestead. Baba Yaga responds by saying that the three horsemen are her my bright daymy red sunand my dark night—and all three of them are my faithful servants(197). In a critical analysis of fairy tales known as Shadow and Evil In Fairy Tales, the author states that Baba Yaga’s reference to owning the night and day is a literary representation of the pagan culture not only in Russia but the world in general. Franz is of the view that Russian paganisms manifest itself particularly in the Russian society that often has hard-line views on different issues in the society. For some reason, Russia has over the years been viewed as ‘female’ with the reference of ‘rodina’ which means motherland being the best example to support this reference. In relation to â€Å"Vasilisa the Beautiful†, the author is seen to hand more power to women based on the fact that from the story, women seem to make decisions and are also the key characters in the story. In light with all the female characters in the story, Vasilisa’s fate rests with the major characters that are; her mother, the doll, Baba Yaga and her stepmother. Baba Yaga claims to own day and night. This situation replicates most countries and the level of authority exerted to the common citizens. Franz also notes that there are several skulls in Baba Yaga’s hut which is interpreted as the witch’s power over life and death. This can be compared to the power of life and death that the state has over ordinary citizens. In Indo-European folklore, light is often used to symbolize knowledge. Most Western fairy tales describe the quest for knowledge as progressive growth that is beneficial in the society. From the story, Vasilisa was sent by her stepmother to get some light for Baba Yaga. The representation of light in the contemporary society is knowledge. However, â€Å"Vasilisa the Beautiful† introduces a rather unique feature of Russian tale. Instead of the quest for knowledge being represented as a beneficial process, the Russian version suggests that the quest for knowledge is a dangerous process and thus should be avoided unless there are compelling reasons as to why the process must be undertaken. It is important to note that by being sent to collect some light from Baba Yaga, Vasilisa’s stepmother expects that she will not survive her task. However, Vasilisa’s behavior and conduct enables her to succeed in her quest. In addition to this, Vasilisa is able to acknowledge her subordinate role in the society particularly based on how she treats Baba Yaga. Thus from a wider perspective, the author tries to emphasize the rewards that come with good behavior and humility in the society. Faced with a near-impossible task, Vasilisa is able to tame even Baba Yaga who is a witch. Baba Yaga even goes further to state that she does not comprehend how Vasilisa is willing to take orders without questioning. As stated by Compora (2010), the metaphor of identifying Baba Yaga with the state is continued further in the story. From the story, it is permissible for Vasilisa to inquire about some of the things that happen at Baba Yaga’s hut. However, Baba Yaga tells Vasilisa that not every question has an appropriate answer. Baba Yaga goes further to tell Vasilisa that too much knowledge will lead to old age. Before answering the question about the three horsemen, Baba Yaga asks Vasilisa how she was able to complete all the tasks given to her. Vasilisa says that the reason why she successfully completed various tasks was because she had her mother’s blessing. From the story, Baba Yaga is seen as both the villain and the protagonist. This assumption is based on the fact that she rewards Vasilisa for her good behavior and exhibiting good morals. On the other hand, Baba Yaga is described as terrible when she is angry. All the main characters have certain characteristics that define their personality. Vasilisa is portrayed as humble, obedient and hardworking. Vasilisa’s stepmother and stepsisters are portrayed as cruel, selfish and evil. Baba Yaga on the other hand strikes out as considerate and non-manipulative. The portrayal of Vasilisa as selfless implies that she always considers other people’s opinion in her decisions. This reflects in modern society the importance of selflessness. Perhaps to show just how much generosity is in the society, Vasilisa’s stepmother and stepsisters attempt to use Baba Yaga’s power to destroy Vasilisa. This is evident from the story whereby Vasilisa is sent to fetch some light from Baba Yaga even though the stepmother and stepsister knew that she was likely to be harmed in the process of collecting the light. However, it is the stepmother and stepsisters who pay for their evil deeds with their lives. According to Schielzo (1983), â€Å"Vasilisa the Beautiful† further characterizes the use of stepmothers in mythology. Since time immemorial, there is always a negative connotation that accompanies the word stepmother. Stepmothers have been used in myths to contradict the positive nature of mothers. It is therefore not surprising that throughout the folklore history, stepmothers always seem to carry specific personal traits. The most common attribute that is associated with stepmothers is jealousy. In the case of Vasilisa, she is mistreated by her stepmother simply because the stepmother felt that she was prettier than her own children. The same scenario of a jealous stepmother is replicated in various stories throughout history. Baba Yaga gives Vasilisa a skull with fiery eyes indicating that this was the light that the stepmother and the stepdaughters had requested for. Vasilisa innocently takes the skull with her back to her stepfamily that is immediately burnt to ashes by the fiery eyes. The death of Vasilisa’s stepmother and stepsisters mark the assumption in early mythology and story writing that evil never wins. Vasilisa maintains her humble nature which gives the story one of the rarest features of Russian literature which is a happy ending. Conclusion â€Å"Vasilisa the Beautiful† is a manifestation of how various phenomena influenced early folklore. Most mythical analogies incorporate the use of a supernatural being, witchcraft and magic. Also a common trait in such analogies is the use of an evil stepmother. This application relates to so many things in the society and is meant to reflect the situation on the ground. From the beginning of the story, the writer is very specific regarding the direction of the story. Perhaps it is the use of magic that has the greatest impact on the story. Critics argue that despite it not being realistic to apply magic in modern literature, the latter was extremely relevant in early literature especially Greek Myths and Legends. More importantly, the major themes analyzed in the story indicate a systemic application of literature to influence behavior and promote good conduct. This is evident from the story where the evil stepmother and the stepsisters are burnt to ashes by the skull. The d eath of the stepsisters and the stepmother is considered as payback regarding how the same people treated Vasilisa. References Compora, D. P. (2010). Folk and Fairy Tales. Journal of Folklore Research Reviews Hartman, D. K., Hartman, J. A. (1993). Reading across texts: Expanding the role of the reader. The reading teacher, 202-211. Louise, M.F. (1974). Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales. Boston: Shambhala  Publications Mayer, M. (1994). Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave. Morrow Junior Books. Sanders, R. Folk Fairy Tales. (1978)UK: Methuen Co.Ltd. Scielzo, C. (1983). AN ANALYSIS OF BBA-YAG IN FOLKLORE AND FAIRY TALES. The American journal of psychoanalysis, 43(2). Zheleznova, I. L. (Ed.). (1966). Vasilisa the Beautiful: Russian fairy tales. Progress Publishers.

Van Gogh failure Essay -- Essays Papers

Van Gogh failure In the realm of art there have been numerous accounts of infamous artists who have stood out in their art period, such as Goya, Monet and Picasso. One artist who stood out during his art period was Vincent van Gogh, not only for his artwork but also because of his tragic life. Vincent van Gogh is now a world-renowned painter who was born on March 30th, 1853. He was born in Groot Zundert in North Brabant and was the son of Theodorus van Gogh. His art is considered to be part of the expressionism era and his most famous art works include Starry Night, Sun Flowers and The Mulberry Tree. But though he has had much love, admiration and popularity after his death, van Gogh could be considered a failure during his life, for he could not have any type of stable relationship with anyone. He failed to get along with other people including other artists, failed to have a stable relationship with his family and also failed in having any type of successful love relationships. Although an artist should be able to be at peace with his/her surroundings, van Gogh could never blend in with society nor could he get along with other artists. As a young man, his peers did not accept Vincent: â€Å"in the class of Mr. Bokma he certainly was the most advanced, but he does not feel at home at the school, he is ‘like a fish out of water’ he says, and is ridiculed for is peculiarities in dress and manners.† (48). Van Gogh was uncomfortable in his surroundings at Brussel, a school for teaching religion, and was mocked by his classmates because his attire was disagreeable to their taste. As he matured as a man, he still was unable to get along with other people: â€Å"Acquaintances, and relatives are shocked to see him walk about with such a slovenly woman; nobody cares to associate with him any longer and his home life is such that nobody come to visit him.† (56) Many people disagreed or disliked the fact that he was involved with a woman , who was â€Å"such a slovenly woman†, and so they never cared to visit Vincent anymore or have any association with him any longer. Even as an artist, van Gogh could not even get along with other artists let alone society as a whole: â€Å" Vincent and I simply cannot live together in peace, in consequence of incompatibility of temper, and he as well as I, we need quiet for our work.†(73). This quote was from a letter from G... ...d he has also drawn a portrait of her (which seems to have been lost), but the thought of a more intimate relation did not occur to her, and when Vincent spoke to her at last about his love, a very decided no was the immediate reply†(54). Once again as Vincent gathered his courage to express his love, but again denied. Lastly, Vincent failed again to establish a love relationship with a woman named Kee, who entered into his life when he lived in Holland. His method, which he followed to win her heart, was, â€Å"to love her so long, that she’ll love me in the end†(130). But in the end she never loved Vincent and once again Vincent was left alone. In all of his attempts, Vincent had failed in all his adventures to develop any type of love relationships. For a world-renowned artist, Vincent van Gogh led a life of failure. He failed in almost to get along with people in society. He failed to have a healthy and balanced l relationship with his family. Lastly he had failed in any type of love interest, for a number of women who entered his life. Love, admiration and popularity simply was not a life that Vincent van Gogh had lead, instead one of heartache, solitude and rejection.

Stress pshcyology

A method of managing stress is hardiness training developed by kobasa in 1979 here this method works by assessing peoples levels of hardiness then offering them a series of increasing that hardiness here they: try to change the way the person appraises the threat level of the stressor and their ability to cope with it. (ii) Outline one limitation of this method. (3 marks) A limitation to this method is that it takes a lot of time and money and you have to show a high level of commitment to the process. (b) Describe the procedures and findings of one study of the workplace as a source of stress. (6 marks) Johansson (1978) took two groups of workers at a Swedish saw mill, one was a group of 14 finishers this job was repetitive and isolated but very highly skilled. The other group were the â€Å"low risk† of 10 cleaners whose work was more varied and largely self paced they were also allowed to socialize more with the other workers. To find out the stress levels Johansson recorded levels of stress hormones on work days and rest days, he found that the high risk group of finishers secreted more stress related hormones on work days than on rest days and higher levels than that of those in the control group of cleaners, the finishers also showed more signs of stress related symptoms e.g. Headaches and a higher case of absenteeism than that of the cleaners. (c) Discuss research into the relationship between stress and cardiovascular disorders. (18 marks) There have been many studies undertaking research into the correlation between cardiovascular disorders and stress. Friedman and Rosenman undertook a study into coronary heart disease (CHD) in 1959, their hypothesis was that patients who displayed type A behaviour; who fitted into the group that had a pattern of impatience, competitiveness and hostility where more likely to get CHD than those who fitted into the type B group; these displayed a pattern of being laid back and relaxed. Friedman and Rosenman took a sample of 3000 males from California, USA aged between 39 and 59, who were healthy at the start of the study, they established which personality group the sample fitted into through a series of questions put forward in an interview. Friedman and Rosenman found that after eight and a half years 257 men in the sample were diagnosed with CHD and that of this group 70% had been previously classed as a type â€Å"A† personality. They also found hat type â€Å"A†s had a higher level of cholesterol and that twice as many men in the type â€Å"A† group had died compared to the type â€Å"B† group. Friedman and Rosenman concluded that Type â€Å"A† personality is more likely to be associated with CHD. Because type â€Å"A† is also linked to other factors that cause CHD, such as smoking (which we now know can cause CHD), it is not certain if type â€Å"A† is a direct or indirect cause of CHD. Cirtisms of this study include that it is an extremely biased sample, with the sample being all males from California; this means it lacks population validity. It is also critised due to the fact that it is not know whether CHD is brought on souly from the type of personality you are as Friedman and Rosenman concluded there were a series of extraneous variables that could not be controlled in this study i.e. smoking. It is classed as over simplistic with the sample being classed as one or the other as there are only two choices. Positive critisms of this study include that it has a large sample at 3000 males and that it was a longditudinal study running for 8 1/2 years. Other studies that back up friedman and Rosenman into stress and the effect on the cardiovascular system are that of Williams who conducted a study on 13000 people, he got the sample to fill in a questionnaire which consisted of 10 questions and placed them on an anger scale. He found that six years later of the 13000 sampled he found 256 had experienced a heart attack and that those who scored most highly on the anger scale were nearly three times more likely to experience one. This study has good time validity as it was carried out in 2000.

Cameron International Corp Essay

The three major issues facing Cameron International (CAM) are acquisitions, environmental, and competition risk. Cameron International is primarily involved in the manufacture of petroleum production equipment, compression and power equipment to direct flows of oil and gas wells. Acquisitions The company is formerly known as Cooper Cameron Corporation. The company growth depends on the availability of natural resources. To be able to be competitive in the industry, it needs to analyze the existing processes and identify the best production method for harnessing oil and gas, and adjusting it manufacturing operations towards the identified need. The Company made significant investments in improving its services and products over the years. During 2004 to 2005, the company has acquired Petreco International and Dresser Flow Control Businesses. Also, â€Å"Recently CAM paid approximately $44 million to acquire DES Operations Limited, a Scotland-based supplier of production-enhancement technology, which will enhance the subsea operations within the Drilling and Production Systems segment† (value line). Subsea operations is the new direction to which the company is heading. In fact, the company is currently working on more than 15 major subsea projects using motors and other equipment made by an aerospace-industry contractor (Factiva Wall Street Journal). These projects will require a longer time, a large increase in financial scope, a need in substantial engineering, and it will also involve the application of existing technology to new environments or new technology (CAM 10K 2006 p. 7). Because this new operations are larger and more complex than traditional operations, the Company may not be prepared for meeting the expertise and technical requirements of the projects. Failure to meet client’s expectations does not only lead to loss in revenue, but also to loss of the significant financial investments committed by the company towards this innovation. The company has had both success and failures in this new endeavor. Subsea operations account for eight percent (8%) of the company’s revenue in 2006 (CAM 10K 2006 p. 7). According to Fortune magazine, the company has raised earnings by producing an array of subsea valves, wellheads and blowout protectors which are currently on high demand. The result is expected to make Cameron’s profits to climb thirty-nine percent (39%) this year. On the other hand the company experienced backlogs on the projects, amounting to as much as four hundred eight million dollars ($408 millions). Based on these figures, it is clear that the new operations of the Company can be lucrative and risky. As mentioned above, the new operations involve the following risks: not meeting client’s expectations, incurring delay, loss of revenue, loss of opportunity and loss of capital. Environmental Litigation The Company has a strong policy on environment sustainability and has implemented measures to ensure the quality, safety and reliability of its products. It utilizes an all electric sub-sea production system which is designed to reduce environmental contamination risks. It line of compression products offer greater efficiency and reduced emission levels. (Annual report 2006 p. 9) The company has conducted oil risk spills analysis through the OSRA models originally developed by Smith and company, which has been enhanced over the years and uses realistic data fields of winds and ocean currents in the GOM (OCS Report 2007). However, it may be noted that with Cameron’s policy to pursue an electric sub-sea production system, the risk of oil spills is reduced and the likelihood of it being involved in a major oil spill is reduced. In addition to this, the company has exerted efforts towards managing environmental risks involved in subsea operations by contributing in the development of a shut-off device called Environmental Safe Guard. This device has been proven successful in operation under 2000-m water (Simondin, et. al. 2005). Competition Risk Cameron International has maintained a track of growth in the oil industry, from 1833 up to the present. It currently manufactures 50 different brands of drilling and production systems. Growth can be expected to continue. As pointed out in the Company’s annual report (2006), sales of equipment like compression systems has registered a steady increase with the greatest share of revenues accruing from sales outside the United States. The Company has maintained an excellent revenue growth rate at thirty-nine point sixty-seven percent (39. 67%). It also has a net income growth rate of eighty-one point eighty-eight percent (81. 98%), while maintaining a good debt to equity ratio of forty-three point fifty-two percent (43. 2%). Debt to equity ratio is good compared to the industry average of 63% (Corn 2007). A comparison of the company’s ratios with others in the fields provides a clearer picture of its performance in the industry. The company’s touted revenue growth rate is ranked fifteenth (15th) in the industry and is extremely small compared to the leading company. Its long term growth rate is assessed as twenty-one percent (21%), also fifteenth in the industry. These ratios show us that the company’s performance is not the leading company in its industry but it does perform respectably compared with the other players. In its 10K, the company claims that it has a growing global market (CAM 10K p. 7). Some financial analysts agree with this statement. The CEO of Clear Indexes LLC and Clear Asset Management LLC claims that there is an increasing demand for oil in China and India and the Company is â€Å"ideally placed† in supplying the demand for increased production (Corn). However, because of the ties of Corn’s own company with CAM, this statement should not be taken at its face value. In the 30 April 2007 issue of Fortune, the company is only seventh in the industry with Halliburton ranking first. On a positive note, the company did climb up the Forbes 500 list with a present ranking of five hundred fifty-third (553rd) from last year’s six hundred eighty-fifth (685th). (Fortune 500 annual ranking) Based on the analysis above, the company’s performance is acceptable but not stellar. The changes made by the company towards subsea operations may be the wave of the future, providing not only a significant portion of the company’s revenues but also lowering environmental liability risks that are necessarily included in the company’s operations. The move, however, is not without its disadvantages. Subsea operations requires the commitment of large amounts of capital and expertise, expertise that the company has not fully mastered. The failure of the company in this endeavor will adversely affect the company’s growth for years to come.