Supply Chains and Store Operations of Oil Companies

Supply Chains and Store Operations of Oil Companies Introduction Recently, the Iraq War and the War on Terror have caused some surges for the energy industry; oil prices have been heavily fluctuated. Ironically, the solid performance in overall oil industry suggests that oil companies are heading with decent momentum. ‘The surge in oil prices, from $10 a barrel in 1998 to above $50 in early 2005, has prompted talk of a new era of sustained higher prices. Even so, an unusually loud chorus is now joining Messrs OReilly and Chavez, pointing to intriguing evidence of a new price floor of $30 or perhaps even $40. To see which camp is right, two questions need answering: why did the oil price soar? And what could keep it high?’[1] The energy industry has experienced the tumultuous era domestically and internationally. This paper will apply STEEP and Porter’s five forces to determine competitive strategies in order to respond to two questions: why did the oil price soar, and what could keep it high? Porter’s Five Forces 1. Bargaining power of suppliers The oil companies have exposed to price fluctuation risk. Additionally, currency exchange risks have increased the cost of capital and worsen the debt ratio in the oil industry. As a result, oil companies might enter into long-term sales contracts for the oil and gas suppliers and establish long-term hedging agreements to protect against currency volatility.[2] However, the question is whether the industry has succeeded in finding its way to organize alliances between oil suppliers and oil producers. Although bringing down the costs of developments through common practices has already been established, the achievement breaks down some barriers which have existed between oil companies and their contractors for such a long time. Additionally, the profits from oil reservoirs have caused political turmoil in Venezuela and the Middle East region. OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum of Exporting Countries) is confident to defend its stated high price policy at any costs. Furthermore, high-sky oil prices have been helped by the strong demand from China. Coupling with these events is the sharp downturn of the U.S. dollars. Thus, the global downstream market has undergone pressure; the oil industry has high power of suppliers. 2. Threat of Substitute Products High gasoline prices drive efforts to increase ethanol consumption and ethanol related products. Additionally, propane, methanol, natural gas and especially ethanol are most widely uses gasoline-alternatives. Besides, electricity, hydrogen and palm oil become among substitute fuels which car producers and chemical companies are developing. Europeans cut their dependence on oil suppliers by switching to substitutes, such as coal, nuclear power, and natural gas. Nevertheless, the Euro currency now appreciates against U.S. Dollars. Since Europeans usually purchase oil in U.S. currency, their profit margins become narrowed. The fuel prices are so high that it would take a quick drop to make ethanol unprofitable and stunt the growth of its use. On the other hand, gasoline prices at high record can help biotech companies achieve a breakthrough in reducing cost of ethanol. It might take a few years before reasonable prices for ethanol could be commercially available, and cheaper ethanol might not take much of a dent in gas price. Thus at this time the threat of substitutes is low for the industry. 3. Bargaining power of buyers As mentioned, gasoline at this time does not have many alternatives although many nations have tried to reduce dependences on oil suppliers. However, these substitutes also require suitably designed devices, which might cause higher cost of finished goods. As a result, in the mean time, the cost incentives will discourage the purchasing power. The oil industry is defined as a basic commodity. The outlook for the energy industry is given high commodity prices, high growing demand, and lack of alternatives to oil as the primary transportation fuels. The oil industry has efficiently squeezed from operating assets, such as untapped resources and refineries. The growth of oil price will lead to increase transportation and energy in price, driven by market forces inflamed by infrastructure shortage. Despites of many impacts, oil industry has low bargaining power of buyers due to a few substitutes. 4. Threat of New Entrants The oil industry requires more financial investment for reservoir allocation. Many major oil companies have fended off the advances of these unbranded foes. However, the â€Å"upstarts† have inroads with marketing strategies. One of the criteria is to focus on brining down drilling costs to keep the pace of activity. A combination of high oil price and uncertainty of oil price might bring about several government reviews of energy sector. Thus, this will have a marked impact on exploration operation in oil industry. They have applied different strategies from those of the past, enjoyed superior returns and captured value from the integrated giants. Thirty years ago oil companies were primary operators of service stations, enjoying exclusivity in the gasoline market. Now, many factors have combined to put pressure on margins. The consumers’ ties to the stations, operated by major oil companies, have been weakened. The convenience stores have begun selling gasoline and provided new services. But, major oil companies have not yet considered these retailers as a major threat. They still view these unbranded offering as inferior in terms of quality and consumer appeal. However, since the petroleum industry merged, consumer attitudes and the impacts on the brand choice have been changed. Unfortunately, those factors now stay largely inside the stores, not with the major oil companies. The drivers of brand choice have evolved, especially when the new consumers define brand value; these â€Å"upstart† marketers have already developed the systems and processed to stay abreast of these major oil companies. The upward trend in convenience store sales will lead to higher profit margins. In short, the threats of new entrants are increasing in oil industry. 5. Intensity of competitive rivalry Oil crisis during the end of the 1990’s help oil investors and executives understand what conditions are driving this wave of mergers. Foremost is the chronic glut of oil that has driven crude prices to near-historic lows. Some of the oversupply are derived from flattening demand in mature markets and economic difficulties in many emerging markets. ‘In recent deals such as British Petroleum (BP) and Amoco, Total and Petrofina, Exxon and Mobil, and currently BP/Amoco and ARCO, the stated goal has had a familiar refrain: to increase profits by dramatically cutting costs, reducing inefficiencies, and expanding geographically.’[3] During early the 1990’s, major companies have to fight back and watch their market shares for gasoline reduce at the hands of the upstarts. â€Å"In addition to the majors, in 1997 alone, an increasing number of c-store acquisitions by Amerada Hess, MAPCO Express, and FINA, to name a few, were announced. In Atlanta, Amoco, BP, and Texaco have begun to battle aggressively to maintain market share and repulse QuikTrip and RaceTrac.†[4] As a result, these competitors are aggressively selecting choice properties and investing in facilities. They are also pursuing and pushing programs to increase profit margins for their branded dealers. If a backdrop of growing global economy becomes uncertainty, investors in oil industry get jittery. As of July 26, 2005, ‘in a report published last week, Merrill Lynch Co. said the aggregate net income of the 70 largest companies in the sector is expected to rise 26% this year to $230 billion, on sales of $2.57 trillion, up nearly 10%. The reasons: high oil prices and fat refining margins, plus a pickup in oil-field services, particularly in rates for drilling rigs.’[5] The increased competitiveness of major oil companies can be observed in their willingness to see joint ventures or any other alliances to reduce their operating, refining and marketing costs. Furthermore, under aggressive competition, major oil companies continue to decoupling their value chains, breaking explorations and production. Merge and acquisition as well as marketing into separating different business units help reinforce efficiency and compete as standalone entities. The intensity of competitive rivalry is high in oil industry. STEEP (Societal, Technological, Economic, Ecological, and Political) 1. Societal It seems that the Iraq war has resulted extra expenses for multinational corporations, especially oil companies. ‘Yesterday, high-profile companies, such as BP, Shell, HSBC, Barclays and British Airways, either raised or maintained their security levels, and all remained on high alert.’[6] Together with calling for strengthening co-operation on combating terrorism, the oil giant is on the alarm mode to fight against terrorism, enhancing regional and international co-operation. There has been a board-level group devoted to health, safety and the environment at oil companies since the early 1990’s. Potential environmental hazards could do long-term damage to oil companies’ image. This includes tracking issues ranging from headline grabbing ones, such as oil spills, to local but insidious problems, such as leakage from tanks on the forecourts of petrol stations. 2. Technological Efficient operations depend on the integration of technology throughout the operating activities. For years, technology has become a required tool for effectively managing the customer interface. ‘According to National Petroleum News Market Facts, in 1992 the first wave of pay-at-the-pump technology was a key driver in increasing gallons of gasoline sales by 20%.’[7] Companies invest in technology to improve change in concession terms, reduce costs and increase efficiency. ‘Before-We estimate average reservoir thickness of 90 ft. Because we do not have an explicit measurement of the uncertainty in this estimate, we tend to ignore its uncertainty and implicitly assume that 90 ft is simply right†. After-We estimate average reservoir thickness of 100 ft. In addition, the technology tells us that we are 80% certain that thickness is 80-110 ft.’[8] Furthermore, technology helps improve supply chain and integrate screen applications for in-store and island reading equipments. The automated replenishment system can ensure its own invoices from which its can pay vendors, and also ensure fewer out of stocks situations and accounting defaults. Additionally, the chain uses remote monitoring to make more informed decisions about fuel replenishment. Technology can provide valuable sale information that can be implemented to understand consumers and improve services. 3. Economic The free market will adjust in accordance with the demand and supply law. Oil demand not only is fragile, but also is surprisingly strong in spite of weak world economy. The transition to a global economy has been taken place during the international economic trend and arising nationalism. The slower economic growth will depress the demand for oil and oil related products worldwide. Large oil consuming nations, such as China, the United States, should cultivate a common understanding in society on the changing aspects of global economy. Politics, wars, and economic setbacks for several years have impacted on the oil industry with the inescapable conclusion that one has to deal with the ramifications of issues before initiating the development of a new oil sector. 4. Ecological Oil companies have tried to create more environmentally sensitive sources of energy. Their basic tasks are still to stick holes in the ground in search of hydrocarbons. BP recently spent nearly $4 billion building a huge pipeline stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean. In addition, it also asked a leading environmental group, the World Wildlife Federation, to act as an environmental consultant on the project. [9] Oil companies have established steps in their strategies to enhance competitiveness and develop a strong trademark in anticipation of the world environmental images. Business has treated the reduction of carbon emissions and the development of energy policies as a technical issue, such as greenhouse gas emissions. When the prices are down, oil producers cannot afford to expand facilities and thus hardly meet the demand when oil prices are up. â€Å"Some people blame oil companies for not having any new refineries built in the past three decades as their current facilities operate at 88 percent capacity.†[10] Additionally, environmentalists block the tapping domestic resources. However, there is still a ton of oil in the world, a huge amount in Siberia and Alaska due to the tundra, but for a foreseeable future, the way oil can be extracted from earth are far different from the early 20th century images, depicting rows of jacks and derricks around towns, and destroying surrounding environment. Oil industry is proactively and socially responsible for operations in an ethical and environmental friendly manner. Thus, overall business strategies for oil companies are considered as an integral part of new cultures and territories. Oil companies are aware of the relationship between socially responsible investment and their â€Å"green† reputation, linked to their positive impacts on societies where they operate. 5. Political In order to combat government to increase offshore activities, the oil industry has considered a new light and proved to be less flattering than the common view of any industry. The pace of new field development in the UK will be sharply reduced if the government applies policies to save jobs in the coal mines by restricting the construction of new gas-fired power stations. Politics has ceded to economics and confronted to cooperation at the new realism of oil producers and consumers. However, oil and politics are still a potentially combustible mixture. The fact that the British and U.S. governments have been involved with the Iraq War has proved how oil industry can be intertwined with political concerns. OPEC might no longer be the bogey man with the West once so feared. Oil always, as essential, becomes the most politicized community in the world. There will undoubtedly be some future oil shocks, although it is difficult to known the time and directions which these oil shocks will come.[11] Conclusion Oil companies should strategize that they no longer operate as manufacturing companies, but focus on improving their supply chains and store operations. Additionally, they should be willing to implement process of upstarts. They also need to refine their brand positioning and marketing strategies to be better target consumers. Although some major oil companies have been merged and acquired, the war has not yet been over. The big integrated players start with several advantages, if they could commit to reinvent themselves. One can envision the purchase of a non-gasoline retail chain in order to capture new skills and new profits. With high entry barriers and low substitutes, oil industry has posted as an affluent, luxurious and profitable industry. As a result, the oil price keeps fluctuated under the pressure of the supply and demand law as well as the political influences. Bibliography Bhushan, B. 2005, ‘Oil Profits May Be Peaking; High Energy Prices Drive Earnings, but Some See Turn in 2006’, Wall Street Journal.(Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.p.A.2. Reviewed December 12, 2006 http://www.citizensgas.com/eb/2005/08-05/oilprofits.html Brown, M. 1991, ‘Oil in Troubled Waters’, Management Today.London, p.38 Cindric, N Dolby, P. 1998 ‘Store wars’, Oil Gas Investor.Denver: Second Quarter.p.21. Escher, A. 2000, ‘EP strategy prepares producers for 21st century’, Oil Gas Journal.Tulsa, vol. 98, no. 39, Sep 25, p.30 Moules, J. 2005, ‘Companies on alert as assaults feared on key economic targets; [LONDON 1ST EDITION]’, Financial Times.London (UK).p.6. Reviewed December 12, 2006 http://news.ft.com/cms/s/6120fcbe-f015-11d9-bd3b-00000e2511c8.html Nelson, E. Lentz, N. 1999, ‘Is bigger oil better oil? [5 Edition]’, Journal of Commerce.New York,p.5.A. Reviewed December 08 2006 from http://www.teamboston.com/599sun1.htm Neveling, N 2006. ‘BPs record profits suffer effects of IFRS volatility’, Accountancy Age.London.p.7. Viewed December 12, 2006 www.vnunet.com/accountancyage/news/2150644/bp-record-profits-suffer Nixon, M. 2004, ‘Commentary: Gasoline increases signal improving economic movement’ St. Charles County Business Record.Wentzville: May 28,p.1 Nocera, J. 2006, ‘Green Logo, But BP Is Old Oil’, New York Times.(Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.pg.C.1. Reviewed December 12, 2006 http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/tncs/2006/0812bp.htm ‘Survey: Oil in troubled waters’, 2005, The Economist.London, vol. 375,no. 8424;Apr 30, p.4. Reviewed December 12, 2006 http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3884623 Page 1 [1] ‘Survey: Oil in troubled waters’, 2005, The Economist.London, vol. 375,no. 8424;Apr 30, p.4, viewed December 12, 2006 http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3884623 [2] Neveling, N 2006. ‘BPs record profits suffer effects of IFRS volatility’, Accountancy Age.London.p.7. Viewed December 12, 2006 www.vnunet.com/accountancyage/news/2150644/bp-record-profits-suffer [3] Nelson, E. Lentz, N. 1999, ‘Is bigger oil better oil? [5 Edition]’, Journal of Commerce.New York,p.5.A. Reviewed December 08 2006 from http://www.teamboston.com/599sun1.htm [4] Cindric, N Dolby, P. 1998 ‘Store wars’, Oil Gas Investor.Denver: Second Quarter.p.21. [5] Bhushan, B. 2005, ‘Oil Profits May Be Peaking; High Energy Prices Drive Earnings, but Some See Turn in 2006’, Wall Street Journal.(Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.p.A.2. Reviewed December 12, 2006 http://www.citizensgas.com/eb/2005/08-05/oilprofits.html [6] Moules, J. 2005, ‘Companies on alert as assaults feared on key economic targets; [LONDON 1ST EDITION]’, Financial Times.London (UK).p.6. Reviewed December 12, 2006 http://news.ft.com/cms/s/6120fcbe-f015-11d9-bd3b-00000e2511c8.html [7] Cindric Dolby 1998, p.21 [8] Escher, A. 2000, ‘EP strategy prepares producers for 21st century’, Oil Gas Journal.Tulsa, vol. 98, no. 39, Sep 25, p.30 [9] Nocera, J. 2006, ‘Green Logo, But BP Is Old Oil’, New York Times.(Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.pg.C.1. Reviewed December 12, 2006 http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/tncs/2006/0812bp.htm [10] Nixon, M. 2004, ‘Commentary: Gasoline increases signal improving economic movement’ St. Charles County Business Record.Wentzville: May 28,p.1 [11] Brown, M. 1991, ‘Oil in Troubled Waters’, Management Today.London, p.38

Gesture as a Mediating Factor in Speech and Sign Language Storytelling :: Language Education Teaching

Gesture as a Mediating Factor in Speech and Sign Language Storytelling There are many hearing individuals who do not know sign language but move their hands when speaking. Chances are these people would have a hard time telling the same story if asked not to use their hands. Additionally, the story told without the assistance of gesture would likely seem lackluster by comparison. The question becomes, to what degree is gesture an integral part of effective storytelling and how much does it add to the complexity and richness of a story? How does the gesture used in oral storytelling compare to that used in American Sign Language (ASL) storytelling? If gesture is taken into consideration, will the complexity of information conveyed be equivalent between languages? These are questions that Drs. Sarah Taub, Dennis Galvan, and Pilar Pià ±ar sought to answer in their recent study on the contribution of hand and body movements to the complexity and depth of ASL, English, and Spanish storytelling (Taub, Galvan, & Pià ±ar, 2004). Dennis Galvan Pilar Pià ±ar Sarah Taub Psychology Foreign Languages Linguistics Forming Questions The inspiration to explore the above questions grew from the .ndings of Galvan and Taub’s previous study (2004) in which they compared narratives by native ASL and English users. Results from this study indicated that when compared with English users, ASL signers consistently incorporated much more conceptual A Publication of the Gallaudet Research Institute at Gallaudet University Spring 2005 Kozol Presentation Combines Wit, Wisdom, Outrage, and Compassion** By Robert C. Johnson Jonathan Kozol, author of such books as Death at an Early Age and Savage Inequalities, gave a presentation at Gallaudet on March 30 called â€Å"Shame of the Nation: Resegregation, Inequality, and Over- Testing in Public Education.† The talk was sponsored by the Gallaudet Research Institute as part of its Schaefer Distinguished Lecture Series. In addition to the presentation, Kozol participated in several other sessions with Gallaudet faculty and students in which he reported learning a great deal about deaf students and their educational needs. He said he was particularly intrigued to learn from Gallaudet Department of Education faculty and students—deaf and hearing— that the statement â€Å"separate is never equal† does not necessarily apply to deaf students, many of whom thrive in education programs outside the mainstream. Kozol said his focus has not been on separate programs that are well designed and effectively meeting students’ needs. His concern is that current governmental and socioeconomic factors in America are depriving many students of quality educational experiences because of â€Å"racial apartheid† which is forcing too many minority children to stay in inferior learning environments. During a question and answer session with Kozol, Dr. Barbara Gerner de Garcia, a faculty member in Gallaudet’s Department of Educational Foundations and Research, pointed out

Big Five Personality Traits and Age Essay

The aim of the present study was to investigate the comparison between the big five personality traits and males and females between 15 to 30 years and 50 years and over. 26 females and 26 males completed a Big 5 Personality Test online, using the internet. The hypothesis that, males and females, between the ages of 15 to 30 years, would score higher in Openness to experience and Extraversion than males and females who are 50 years and over, was supported. It was concluded that Openness to experience and Extraversion were higher in those who were between the ages of 15 to 30 years old than those who were 50 years and older. Based on these findings it could be generalised that people between the ages of 15 to 30 are more imaginative, outgoing and energetic than those who are 50 years and older, whereas those who are 50 years and over are more organised, reliable, kind and modest. Introduction Age-related differences in personality have captured the attention of many people. Personality can be defined as â€Å"an individual’s unique pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviour that are relatively stable over time and across situations†. (Grivas & Carter, 2010) Costa and McCrae (1999) had developed a five-factor model to explain the five big factors that make up a personality, the five factors are: Openness to Experience (includes traits such as imaginative, curious, artistic, excitable, insightful and unconventional), Conscientiousness (includes traits such as organised, thorough, efficient, competent, reliable and self-disciplined), Extraversion (includes traits such as outgoing, sociable, talkative, energetic, assertive and adventurous), Agreeableness (includes traits such as cooperative, compliance, sympathetic, kind, affectionate, forgiving and modest) and Neuroticism (includes traits such as tense, anxious, moody, irritable, impulsive, self-conscious and vulnerability). Past research had been conducted to investigate age differences in personality across the adult life span in five different cultures. Costa and McCrae (1999) used samples from Germany, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, and Korea and found that Extraversion and Openness to experience were lower in older participants than younger participants whereas Conscientiousness and Agreeableness showed the reverse pattern. Neuroticism was found to be lower in older participants than younger participants in Germany, Portugal, and Korea whereas age differences were not detectable in Italy and Croatia. (Donnellan and Lucas, 2007) At present, a comparison between the five factors and age has not been investigated in males and females between the age of 15 to 30 years and 50 years and over. The aim of the present study was to investigate the comparison between the big five personality traits and males and females between 15 to 30 years and 50 years and over. It was hypothesised that males and females between the ages of 15 to 30 years would score higher in Openness to experience and Extraversion than males and females who are 50 years and over. Method Participants- The sample consisted of 52 participants (26 males and 26 females). Participants were put into 2 groups depending on age. 13 males and 13 females were between 15 and 30 years of age, and 13 males and 13 females were 50 years or over. Materials- A Big 5 Personality Test was completed online, which was accessed at the following website: http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/ Procedure- Participants provided written informed consent and were informed of their withdrawal rights and confidentiality of their personal details. Participants were to complete a Big 5 Personality Test online which was accessed on the website. Participants received a score out of 100 for each of the traits. Data was collected, summarised and interpreted. Figure 1: Mean scores on each of the five personality traits. As shown above, on average participants between the age of 15 to 30 scored 58 on Openness to experience and participants who are 50 years and over got a score of 30. Participants who are between 15 to 30 years of age scored 50 on Conscientiousness whereas participants who are 50 years and over got a mean score of 75. Participants 15 to 30 years scored 66 on Extraversion and participants 50 years and older got a score of 35. Participants 50 years and over got a mean score of 60 on Agreeableness whereas participants who are 15 to 30 years got a score of 45. Participants who are 15 to 30 years of age got a mean score of 53 in Neuroticism and participants 50 years and older got a mean score of 45. Discussion The hypothesis that, males and females, between the ages of 15 to 30 years, would score higher in Openness to experience and Extraversion than males and females who are 50 years and over, was supported. These findings show that the younger age group (15-30 years) scored higher in Openness to experience and Extraversion whereas the older age group (50+ years) scored higher in Conscientiousness and Agreeableness. The group consisting of 15 to 30 year old participants scored higher in Neuroticism but had close mean scores to those in the 50 years and over group. The results were similar to the evidence found by Donnellan and Lucas (2007) that â€Å"Extraversion and Openness to experience are negatively associated with age whereas Agreeableness is positively associated with age. â€Å" Future research should focus on exploring the five-factor model in different age groups with varying cultural backgrounds. The present study has a number of limitations; a limitation could be that the online test may not be valid so it does not accurately access personality. It is uncertain whether an adequate sample size was obtained. In addition, possible extraneous variables may have also played a role, including the participant’s mood at the current time of completing the online test and personal characteristics such as their motivation to complete the online personality test. These extraneous variables should be minimised or controlled for in future studies focusing on the five factors of a personality. In conclusion the present study found that Openness to experience and Extraversion were higher in those who were between the ages of 15 to 30 years old than those who were 50 years and older. Based on these findings it could be generalised that people between the ages of 15 to 30 are more imaginative, curious, outgoing, excitable and energetic than those who are 50 years and older, whereas those who are 50 years and over are more organised, reliable, kind, affectionate and modest. However, the findings of the present study should be considered with caution, given the number of limitations discussed above. References Costa, T.R. & McCrae, R.R. (1999) Age Differences in Personality Across the Adult Life Span: Parallels in Five Cultures. Developmental Psychology, 35, 466-477 Costa, T.R. & McCrae, R.R. (2010) Theories of Personality – Costa and McCrae Five-Factor Model. Psychology for the VCE Student Units 1&2 5E, 531-534 Donnellan, M.B. & Lucas, R.E. (2007) Age Differences in the Big Five Across the Life Span: Evidence from Two National Samples. Psychology and Aging, 23, 558-566 Grivas, J. & Carter, L. (2010) Ways of Describing Personality. Psychology for the VCE Student Units 1&2 5E, Chapter 12

Rosa Parks Eulogy Paper - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1584 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/03/27 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Rosa Parks Essay Did you like this example? Rosa Parks On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was returning home from a local department store where she worked. After the bus had picked up too many passengers, the bus driver demanding that four black passengers give up their seats for the white passengers that did not have a seat (www.biography.com). Three of the African American passengers on the bus got up and exited the bus, but Rosa Parks refused. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Rosa Parks Eulogy Paper" essay for you Create order Eventually, the police were called, and Rosa Parks was arrested. Rosa Parks would later claim that she was physically tired, but that she was tired of giving in. Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama to James and Leona McCauley. Several years after she was born, her parents divorced (www.history.com). Rosa Parks attended school up until she was a junior in high school when bother her mother and grandmother become ill, and she dropped out of school to take care of them. In 1932, when Rosa was 19 years old, she married Raymond Parks. With his support, Rosa managed to earn her high school degree just a year later (www.biography.com). Life for the couple was very normal up until Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus. Life became so much more difficult for Rosa Parks and her husband after that. Both husband and wife lost their jobs shortly afterward in the boycott that soon followed Rosa arrest. Sometime later the couple moved to Detroit, Michigan, and they stayed there until her death in 2005 (www.biography.com). Rosa Parks earned many awards throughout her lifetime, including, but not limited to, the Spingarn Medal, the Martin Luther King Jr. the award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal. In Troy University, there is a museum dedicated to her, which is located at the site of her arrest in downtown Montgomery, Alabama (www.biography.com) Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey is not only one of the most successful women in the world, but she is also one of the wealthiest women in the world. While Oprah Winfrey did meet Rosa Parks later on in life, Rosa Parks did pay an influential role to the young Oprah Winfrey. Oprah was born in the South during the 1950s, and witness the Civil Rights movement as a child (www.notablebiographies.com). I guess you could say that Oprah Winfrey took Rosa Parks as a bit of a mentor, which helped her maintain the courage necessary to pressure and thrive in career choices where most would have thrown in the towel on long beforehand. But Oprah didnt and continued to succeed in her life, all thanks to one woman, Rosa Parks. Elements Commonly Found in Eulogies According to Kunkel and Dennis, there are eight elements that are often found in eulogies. In order, they are an establishment of credibility to eulogize, praise for the disease, self-disclosure of emotion, problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, positively appraisal, information of vivid past relationships, and continuation of interactive bonds with the deceased. All these factors are found in very famous eulogies, its important to note that a eulogy does not need all of these elements. It should also be mention that these elements do not have to be used in this particular order. So what do all of these elements mean? Lets start with credibility. Credibility is the quality of being trusted and believed by ones audience. Praise of the Deceased means exactly what one would think it to mean; giving praise to a deceased person for achievements and the like. Self-Disclosure of Emotion is defined as Giving voice to ones feelings about the stressful events, such as the death of a loved one. Problem-Focused Coping is the action of giving both explicit and/or implicit directions for action. Emotion-Focused Coping is very similar to Problem-Focused Coping, but instead of stating something that needs to be done, the speaker provides a bigger picture as a target to aim for. Positive Reappraisal is speaking positively about the deceased. This could be a happy memoried spent with the dead, or mentioning what a good life the deceased has lived. Affirmation of Vivid Past Relationship means to speak about the deceased as the speaker knew them, with all their traits and flaws. Finally, theres continuation of interactive bonds with the deceased, which means to address the deceased person as if they were present, allowing the speaker to bond with that person. Analysis of Elements found in Rosa Parks Eulogy The elements of Credibility in this eulogy is unique because Oprah Winfrey is one of those people who doesnt need to establish your credibility. She was a talk show host for many years on the Oprah Winfrey show. Shes one of the most successful and wealthiest women in the world. she doesnt need to establish your credibility, because he would be out of her to do so. It would be like if the President of the United States had to explain who they were and why they should have the credibility that they already have it. Still, Oprah does say one thing that helps increase her credibility right at the beginning of the speech. Oprah states that she believes it is an honor to be here to come and say a final goodbye (line 2). By stating this, Orpah humbles herself in front of an audience by making it seem like she could never hold a candle to the hero that Rosa Parker was to her, and the black community as a whole. The second element that Oprah Winfrey uses during her eulogy is praise for the deceased. Oprah uses his element to establish Rosa as this larger than life hero by describing how she imagined Rosa Parks to be when she first heard of the bus incident. Oprah recalls that she thought Rosa must be a hundred feet tall  ¦ [and] being stalwart and strong and carrying a shield to hold back the white folks, (lines 6 -7). As humorous as this detail is, it helps paint a picture into the minds the audiences members to see Rosa as Oprah did, a hero. This element is also intertwined with the next element in this eulogy. The third element that Oprah Winfrey uses in her eulogy for Rosa Parks is a Positive reappraisal. Oprah Winfreys positive reappraisal of Rosa Parks is slightly intertwined with her previous element, praise for the deceased. After all, a part of her experience with Rosa Parks is a happy memory of her from when she was a child and when her father telling her the news (line 4). The second part of her positive reappraisal comes from a memory of when Oprah Winfrey actually met Rosa Parks several years before she died. Oprah restates that her previous imaginings of how Rose Parks must look like were very wrong, as Rosa Parks was a petite, almost delicate lady who was the personification of grace and goodness, (lines 9 10). the diction that Oprah uses in this line is certainly by known mistake. Oprah Winfreys trying to paint Rosa Parks as a little old lady that everyone knows and loves. A little old lady that is someones mother, or grandmother. A little old lady that did the right thing wh en she knew I could get her in severe trouble. In this last half of her eulogy, Oprah Winfrey uses the fourth and final element found in eulogies, the continuation of interactive bonds with the deceased. Oprah Winfrey switches from simply talking about Rosa Parks to talking directly to Rosa Parks, by thanking Rosa for being a great woman who used your life to serve, (lines 14 15) to thanking her for the action that Rosa is so famous for by refus[ing] to give up your [Rosa] seat on the bus, (line 15). Oprah continues onwards, stating that if Rosa hadnt given up her seat that fateful day, trajectory of my life and the lives of so many other people in the world, (line 16) would be vastly different. Oprah would not have been the person she was, giving that speech in front of a live audience if Rosa Parks hadnt given up her seat. Oprah finishes with I marvel at your will. I celebrate your strength to this day. And I am forever grateful, Sister Rosa, for your courage, your conviction. I owe you  ¦ I will not be moved, (lines 29 33) . The reason why these last few lines are so good is that while Orpah is not only thanking a woman whom she felt mentored her, is she is praising this woman for her strength and her courage in a concise few lines and is also honor Rosa Parks all at the same time. Conclusion In conclusion, Oprah Winfrey did an incredible eulogy for the deceased Rosa Parks. she did this by using the elements of credibility, praise for the deceased, Positive reappraisal, and continuation of interactive bonds with the deceased. I thought the speech used one of the more interesting uses of credibility for a speech because Oprah Winfrey did not need to establish your credibility in front of an audience, given that the audience knew who she was. I also thought it was interesting that the last half of her speech contained only the element of continuation with the interactive bonds with the deceased. I thought that was really smart of her to do that to thank Rosa for all that she had done for others simply because she refused to give up her seat on a bus.