Sample Masters Oil And Gas Dissertation Proposal

A sample Masters ‘ level oil and gas management dissertation proposal to help you kickstart the most important project of your academic career. This is just a demo of the quality our writers are capable of producing. Click here to place your order for our proposal writing service.

An Inquest into The Sustainability in The Oil And Gas Sector Supply Chain in UAE

Introduction

Background of Research

With the advancement of technology and rapid globalization, the demand for efficient systems has increased. Since the past few years, the supply chain has emerged as a field widely recognized as the mode of adding value to processes. A company’s performance is directly associated with the supply chain functions to achieve the desired level of operational efficiency (Coyle et al., 2016).

However, the Supply chain is associated with sustainability because one of the goals of supply chain activities is to minimize wastage of resources. Sustainability is an important aspect of the supply chain as resources are becoming scarce. Companies must ensure steady growth along with minimizing costs, reducing the usage of power, and achieving long-term stability.

Aims and Objectives

The study will aim to investigate the supply chain sustainability practices of UAE’s oil and gas industry. The following objectives are designed to achieve the aim of the study:

• To study the concepts of Supply Chain Sustainability from a theoretical perspective.
• To identify key factors pertinent to Supply Chain Sustainability in the Oil and Gas industry.
• To investigate the sustainability practices of the UAE Oil and Gas industry.
• To provide relevant recommendations regarding the benefits of Sustainable supply chain management that could lead to the enhancement of the Utilization of Scarce Resources While Maximizing Profitability in the Oil and Gas Sector.

Research Questions

The research questions designed for this study will shed light on the aspects that will be covered and answered:

• What are the concepts of Supply Chain Sustainability from a theoretical perspective?
• What are the key factors pertinent to Supply Chain Sustainability that can be used to enhance productivity in the UAE Oil and Gas industry?
• What methods can be implemented to access the Supply Chain Sustainability practices of key players in the UAE Oil and Gas industry?
• What are the relevant recommendations regarding the benefits of sustainable supply chain management that could improve productivity while maximizing profitability in the oil and gas sector?

Rationale

The following study will be carried out in the oil and gas sector domain because sustainability is not entirely dependent on external but internal factors of an organization. With the help of this study, the researcher will shed light on the effective practices of the supply chain that will be useful in ensuring sustainability.

The oil and gas sector contributes significantly to the environment in terms of wastage and the use of resources. Therefore, this study will explore how the supply chain can help to become more sustainable for oil and gas companies.

Structure of Report

The following study will comprise five major chapters that will cover the introductory chapter, literature review, methodology, findings, and conclusion. The introductory chapter defines the aim and objectives of the study, along with research questions and rationale.

The literature review explains the concepts of the study, whereas methodology highlights the methods and techniques used in collecting and analyzing the data. However, the analysis of findings is conducted in a separate chapter, and recommendations are given to summarize the entire study.

Literature Review

Concept and Key Factors effective Supply Chain Management

The existing studies have shed light on the concept of sustainability associated with supply chain practices. Jacobs, Chase, and Lummus (2014) have defined supply from a broader perspective of the company as a system that ensures efficiency and smooth flow of products and services from the manufacturer to the end-user. However, Searcy (2012) argued that rapid developments had changed business models. Hence, the supply chain practices should also be changed accordingly.

Hong and Ding (2018) argued that sustainable supply chain practices are effective for a company’s growth. Still, the competitive environment and limited resources create barriers for many industries to integrate efficient processes and systems.

Past research conducted in this domain has highlighted some effective factors for supply chain practices such as economic stability, political support, competitive environment, support from stakeholders, and the availability of funds. These factors contribute to making the supply chain process more effective in the oil and gas sector. Though the argument whether sustainability can be increased through it or not has not yet been validated, and thorough research has to be conducted to prove it.

Methodology

Research Design

For the following study, the researcher will use a mixed method of research design. The mixed-method is the blend of qualitative and quantitative study. The researcher will design a survey questionnaire to examine the supply chain practices of the oil and gas sector and this case study to compare the sustainability index of companies. The existing studies have shed light on sustainable practices. This study will be effective for determining whether they are sustainable or not for the oil and gas companies of the UAE.

Data Collection

The data collection methods adopted for this study will be primary and secondary. The primary data will be collected from a survey questionnaire, whereas secondary data will be collected from case studies BP and ADNOC. The management of the oil and gas sector will be approached to fill the survey questionnaire analyzed through the quantitative method.

Sample Size

70 respondents will be approached for a survey questionnaire, whereas 2 annual reports of BP and ADNOC respectively will be accessed to obtain insights about the sustainability index.

Data Analysis Technique

The data analysis technique is defined as the method used in analyzing the findings. Frequency analysis will be used to analyze the results of a survey questionnaire. In contrast, content analysis along with sustainability indices will be studied to understand how supply chain practices impact the sustainability of a firm.

References

• Coyle, J.J., Langley, C.J., Novack, R.A. and Gibson, B., 2016. Supply chain management: a logistics perspective. Nelson Education
• Hong, J., Zhang, Y. and Ding, M., 2018. Sustainable supply chain management practices, supply chain dynamic capabilities, and enterprise performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, pp.3508-3519
• Jacobs, F.R., Chase, R.B. and Lummus, R.R., 2014. Operations and supply chain management (pp. 533-535). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin