The National Energy Program Revisited Research Paper

The National Energy Program Revisited - Research Paper Example The program also aimed at finding new sources of the Canadian gas and oil (Franà §ois 2006). Lastly, the program was aimed at increasing federal share on oil and gas revenues. This meant that the program was economic minded. To achieve these objectives, the program then introduced several rules, tax rates and several regulations including the petroleum compensation charge, which was imposed on the country’s domestic refiners (Robert, 2011). The Western provinces especially Alberta were not impressed by the program making the federal-provincial relations reach one of their lowest points. In other words, it meant that the program was not popular in the Western province thus Alberta which also produces most of the oil in Canada (Franà §ois 2006). With indications that the natural resources in the nation would fall constitutionally within the provincial jurisdiction domain, most of the Albertans felt that the program was a detrimental incursion by the federal government especially where province affairs are involved. To the Albertans, the program was perceived to be only benefiting the eastern provinces. Economically, the Western province felt that the program was sidelining it and instead favor other parts of the country. Furthermore, there were bankruptcies in the Western province as a result of the program. Businesses such as real estate performed poorly in not only Alberta but also other parts of the country and other petroleum exporting economies including the United States and Norway (Franà §ois 2006). This prospect weakened Alberta in terms of its economic dominance hence faulting the National Energy Program. Generally, the National Energy Program cultivated to federal deficits due to the substantial revenues increase from the gas and the oil sectors. At the same time, Western province GDP fell due to the

How Apple Can Gain Competitive Advantage through Leveraging Its Coursework - 1

How Apple Can Gain Competitive Advantage through Leveraging Its Internal Resources and Competencies - Coursework Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that Apple is the second-largest global information technology company by revenues and can leverage its internal resources and core competencies to attain market leadership position in the industry. The PEST (political, economic, social-cultural, and technological) analysis is useful in understanding the macroenvironment facing Apple. The political environment is stable, but Apple is required to adhere to legislation on product quality and consumer health. The economic environment is favorable due to positive economic growth, stable interest rates, and high disposable consumer incomes. The social-cultural environment is characterized by favorable attitudes towards sophisticated consumer electronics, high education levels and high demand for information. The technological environment is favorable for the business activities of Apple due to the recent advancements in mobile computing, research and development, and growth in internet communications. Apple has various internal resources that it can be utilized to attain a competitive edge in the market. Accordingly, Apple has various core competencies that present unique strengths that can be utilized to differentiate its business activities and drive competitive advantage. Apple has both tangible and intangible resources that it can leverage to attain high market share and competitive advantage in the market. Some of the tangible resources of Apple include the plant and equipment, buildings, capital, and human talent. Apple has highly qualified human resources that have the required education, skills and attitudes to drive innovation in the company. Apple has invested heavily in training and development of its research and innovation teams.