This is my last senior paper i have to write before my last final
(which I am going to do by myself).
I would much appreciate it if It was done with excellence. I really need an A.
The last paper I paid someone to write on here was great but they didnt do the full length
I asked for. No biggie, I dont mind helping a tiny bit out but im completely
swamped this weekend.
Here is the assignment:
Paper 2: Africa Oil and Gas
Assignment description:
Online resources you will want to utilize, at a minimum:
· “Corruption Perceptions Index,” Transparency Int’l (https://www.transparency.org/en/research)
· “Index of Economic Freedom,” Heritage Foundation (https://www.heritage.org/index/?version=6)
· “Doing Business,” World Bank (https://www.doingbusiness.org/)
· Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, Department of Justice and/or Securities & Exchange Commission:
o https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act
o https://www.sec.gov/spotlight/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.shtml
Scenario:
You work for an oil and natural gas company that is seeking to develop capacity for the extraction and refinement of petroleum and possibly other natural resources in an African country known for being a bureaucratic nightmare. You have very little experience in this part of the world, although you have successfully managed operations in other countries. Your initial inquiries with officials in the country went very well, as they welcomed you with enthusiasm and presented you with token gifts of appreciation, and tentatively granted you rights for exploration in a national reserve, in which you promised to minimize your industrial “footprint.” Following a series of meetings, however, progress came to a halt after permits were delayed and significant fees were imposed, ostensibly to conduct environmental impact studies. Four of your employees conducting a site visit were slightly injured in what appears to have been an attempted kidnapping, yet local police authorities have done very little to investigate. Since then your work has come to a standstill, as you wait for word from various government officials. More than once, when it appeared that lower-level bureaucrats were suggesting that processes could be expedited for a modest fee, you referenced U.S. law and made it clear that you could not pay any non-standard fee. However, executives at your company have also made it clear that development in this country is essential to the company’s future success, and that your division’s continued employment hinges on making some progress. Corporate leaders have stated explicitly that they “trust your judgment,” and that they do not need to be informed about the details of the enterprise but should instead be kept up to date with general progress reports. Now an opportunity has arisen: an agent with significant experience in oil and gas who is a native of this country, and very well-connected by all accounts, has come to see you. He and his associates are registered as a legitimate firm and have assisted or represented several other global enterprises. They charge a substantial fixed fee, but promise to help you navigate the administrative processes in a much faster way, while providing strategic advice about sourcing supplies, recruiting top local employees, handling local financial matters, etc. Questioned about their methods, the agent has made it clear that some transactions and activities should be done at “arm’s length,” letting the agent handle most of the detail work; having to secure approval at each step would slow progress and “could possibly impose unfortunate domestic legal obligations on the company.” What should you do?
Assignment
For this paper, you will be assigned a country by the instructor. You should gather information about your country, focusing on the overall economic and political institutional environment, prospects for development in the oil and gas industry, and the potential for foreign investment. Pay special attention to ethical risks and explore the possibility of finding in-country agents or consultants who can help you. Consider the extent of corruption and look for any available history of FCPA violations by firms doing business in this country and this region. Then write your paper as if preparing a professional report for your firm with this specific scenario in mind. You will want to lay out your background information, analysis of the business potential alongside the ethical and cultural considerations, relevant comparisons or supplemental information, and agent considerations, concluding with your recommendation. Be sure to document your resources carefully; use the APA style guide for paper format. Your paper should be no more than three single-spaced pages.
