competition is healthy essay

Essays About Competition: Top 6 Examples and 10 Prompts

As you write about competition, discover our examples of essays about competition and writing prompts to unlock your competitive self.

We live in a highly competitive time, and one might easily say that competition makes the world go round. Indeed, doing your best to get ahead of others has perks, such as fame, money, promotion in the workplace, or esteem from your parents if you’re a student.

Beyond these immediate rewards, competition can help develop self-confidence, discipline, and tenacity, which help people survive and thrive. So unleash your competitive side by writing a thrilling essay about competition, and read our examples to inspire you.

6 Helpful Essay Examples

1. is lack of competition strangling the u.s. economy by david wessel, 2. why competition is good for kids (and how to keep it that way) by devan mcguinness, 3.  how great power competition has changed by shivshankar menon, 4. how life became an endless, terrible competition by daniel markovits, 5. how to create a successful partnership with your competition by norma watenpaugh , 6. the importance of positive coaching in competition by oscar ponteri, 10 exciting writing prompts on essays about competition, 1. how schools can encourage healthy competition, 2. how competition builds self-esteem, 3. importance of competition laws, 4. business competition in the digital age, 5. competition vs. cooperation, 6. dealing with sibling competition, 7. preparing for a competition, 8. competition in mother-daughter relationships, 9. love is not a competition, 10. competition in the animal kingdom.

“If we’re slow to take action to bolster competition — perhaps because incumbents successfully wield their power or because of a distaste for regulation of any sort — we risk diluting the dynamism of the economy and restricting the flow of innovations and new ideas, darkening the prospects for our children and grandchildren.”

The essay looks at the decline of competition in various US industries. In particular, it investigates factors — profits, investment, business dynamism, and prices — that can indicate the robustness of competition in a country. Falling competition is worrisome in economies as it enables incumbent firms to abuse their power and block new entrants, restricting consumers’ options for more affordable and better quality goods and services.

“Besides setting them up for wins and losses later in life—hey, they won’t always land that big promotion—competitive activities help them develop important skills they’ll use well into adulthood, like taking turns, developing empathy, and tenacity.”

Well-meaning parents might disapprove of competition to shield children from getting disheartened at losing. But child development experts say that competition has lifelong benefits for children, reinforcing the value of hard work, thinking positively, and being a good team player. However, parents should be careful in delineating healthy competition from unhealthy ones.

“Competition among great powers has extended to the sea lanes that carry the world’s energy and trade and is visible in the naval buildup by all the major powers that we see today—a buildup over the last ten years which is unmatched in scale in history.”

With the influence among global superpowers now spread more evenly, coupled with the fact that their interventions in conflict areas have only yielded prolonged battles, global superpowers are now more focused on their geopolitical reach. But some factors, such as their dependence on other superpowers for economic growth, also compel them to go beyond their horizons. 

“Outrage at nepotism and other disgraceful forms of elite advantage-taking implicitly valorizes meritocratic ideals. Yet meritocracy itself is the bigger problem, and it is crippling the American dream. Meritocracy has created a competition that, even when everyone plays by the rules, only the rich can win.

Instead of intensely engaging in competition, why not just stop competing? This essay laments how meritocracy destroyed people’s relationships at home, all for advancing in the workplace. While throwing competition out of the window seems like an ambitious proposal, the author offers a glint of hope using the case of a policy framework created during the Great Depression. 

“In my experience, working with your competition is not an intuitive thing for most people. It takes a strong value proposition to make the risks and effort worthwhile.”

When cooperating with your competition becomes a key to your goals, you resort to a strategy called “co-opetition,” short for cooperative competition. This essay fleshes out the situations where such alliances work and provides tips on making the most out of these relationships while avoiding risks.

“I have learned that competition holds incredible power… It’s all about how you utilize it. How our youth coaches frame competition will dictate the way we compete beyond athletics for our entire life.”

A high-school student shares his profound thoughts on the essence of positive coaching in the life of athletes even beyond the field. His beliefs stem from his experiences with a cold-hearted coach that turned around his love for sports. 

To start, cite the numerous benefits of competition in developing well-rounded students. Make sure to back these up with research. Then, write about how you think schools can create an atmosphere conducive to healthy competition. Provide tips, for example, calling on teachers to encourage students to participate and motivate them to do their best instead of keeping their eyes on the trophy. You may also share how your school is promoting healthy competition.

Competition can drive you to improve and build the foundations for your self-esteem. For this essay, research the scientific links between healthy competition and self-confidence. Look also into how competition can promote a mindset that goes for growth and not just the gold medal. Some who lose may see themselves as a failure and give up rather than seeing their loss as an opportunity to learn and do better. 

Competition or antitrust laws aim to ensure robust market competition by banning anti-competitive acts and behaviors. First, briefly explain your country’s competition law and enumerate acts that are prohibited under this law. Then, to help readers understand more clearly, cite a recent case, for example, a merger and acquisition, where your antitrust office had to intervene to protect the interest of consumers. 

The borderless digital world has made the competition very cutthroat, with the demands for innovation at a neck-breaking pace. But one advantage is how it has somewhat leveled the playing field between big and small businesses. Enumerate the pros and cons of the digital age to business competition and cite what emerging trends businesses should watch out for.

Should we be more competitive or cooperative? Or should we stop pitting one against the other and begin balancing both? Provide a well-researched answer and write an argumentative essay where you take a position and, with research backing, explain why you take this position. To effectively execute this writing style and its techniques, see our ultimate guide on argumentative essays .

Competition among siblings goes as old as the story of Abel and Cain. It can disrupt family peace and become a vicious, toxic cycle that can last into their adult years if unresolved. What are the other negative impacts of sibling competition on the family and the well-being of siblings in the long term? Identify these and research what experts have to say on managing sibling rivalry. 

How do you prepare your mind and body for a competition? If you regularly participate in competitions, this is the right topic prompt for you. So, share tips that have worked to your advantage and find science-backed recommendations on how one can be ready on competition day both psychologically and physically. For example, studies have shown that visualizing your performance as a success can increase motivation, confidence, and self-efficacy.

Describe the factors that trigger competition between mothers and daughters. You can cite aspects of the gender theory identity developed by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud . Then, differentiate the nature of the competition and its different stages as the daughter grows. Finally, help mothers navigate this confusing period and deal with strength and enormous understanding.

This quote is best for couples who fight like cats and dogs. For this writing prompt, explain how seeing your partner as a competition can destroy a romantic relationship. Then, offer tips on how your readers can make amends with their partners, reconnect with them and see them as allies. After all, relationships need intensive teamwork.

Write an informational essay about competition in the animal kingdom. For example, you might have to differentiate interspecific competition from the intraspecific competition. You might also have to flesh out the differences between competition and predation. Then cite the factors that trigger competition and its effects on biodiversity.

Before publishing, make sure your essay is error-free by using the best grammar checkers, including the top-rated Grammarly.  Find out why Grammarly is highly recommended in this Grammarly review .

Argumentative Essay on Competition’s Pros and Cons

Is Competition Really Good?

Introduction

Almost every day, people have to compete at work, in family, or in society. It may be the signing of a contract, or the winning or losing of a race, but this causes people to experience different emotions. In addition to the opportunity to feel joy, or to find new friends, competition can also lead to stress or obsession with a competitor.

The implication of competition

Competition always implies that a person needs to make an effort in order to achieve the desired result, for instance, to win tender or a race. It requires spending not only physical, but emotional energy. By overcoming personal limitations, a person becomes psychologically stronger, which can positively contribute to future achievements. The individual gets an opportunity to develop such qualities as stress resistance, creativity, and a sense of purpose (Harrison). Also, it is possible to develop other skills like speed or agility if the competition is related to physical activity. Also, achieving the desired results can bring positive emotions.

Apart from feeling joy for winning a competition, a person may also experience pleasant emotions in the process of achieving goals. For instance, in a summer camp, counselors organize competitions among several groups of children. Although everyone wants to win, the process of achieving a goal can be fun and interesting. Another example is that if competition is related to an activity that a person likes, then he or she will take part in it with great satisfaction, in addition to gaining new knowledge or skills. Therefore, it is worth not taking part in events where there is only one winning position, and it seems to be initially difficult, stressful, and impossible. Besides winning, an individual can gain experience of communication and find new friends in the course of a contest.

Interaction with people as a key to competition

In any case, competition involves interaction with people regardless of whether they are members of one team or opponents. If it is a group of people united by one idea, then it is a great way to learn how to communicate with others and take their opinions into account. Also, by taking the initiative and making efforts, a person gets an opportunity to become a group leader, which has a positive effect on the formation of personality traits (Bloomgarden). If it comes to competitors, an individual needs to be able or learn to accept the fact that rivals are also participants of the contest. However, everyone should be prepared for the negative factors of competition.

The first thing a participant should pay attention to is the fact that he or she may experience stress during a competition, and it may subsequently negatively affect well-being and productivity. Also, people may begin to experience anxiety both before and during the competition. This problem is most often faced by athletes, as they have to worry about their results (Hanton et al.). One more issue of the competition is that while reaching a goal, a person can be more focused on merely becoming better than someone else and not on developing personal skills and knowledge. Thus, the individual spends more attention on the opponent, rather than on himself or herself. In the case of achieving goals, it is worth considering the pros and cons of the competitive process.

Conclusions

To conclude, it should be said that no process in a person’s life can be too easy. Although during a competition an individual may experience negative emotions, it is also possible to get new knowledge or learn how to commune with strangers. Plus, it is an excellent opportunity to become an emotionally stable individual.

Works Cited

Bloomgarden, Kathy. “Being Competitive: Why It Will Get You Ahead.” Fortune , 12 Apr. 2015, http://fortune.com/2015/04/12/kathy-bloomgarden-staying-motivated/. Hanton, Sheldon et al. “Management of Competitive Stress in Elite Sport.” Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science, Sport Psychology, 2009, pp. 30-42., doi:10.1002/9781444303650.ch4. Harrison, Craig. “5 Reasons Why Competition Is Good (and Bad) for Your Child.” AUT Millennium, 14 Feb. 2017, https://news.autmillennium.org.nz/athlete-development/5-reasons-competition/.

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Life is an endless battle. We combat our fears, destiny, inner demons, and other phenomena that make us feel miserable and unhappy. But do we have to compete to feel better? Is competitiveness necessary for our development? The author of the essay on the competition above believes that competitiveness has a wide range of positive effects. Do you agree? Express your personal opinion in your essay on the competition!

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Is Competition Good? Understanding Its Impact and Benefits

This article examines whether competition is beneficial, discussing its impact on productivity, innovation, and personal growth.

Key takeaways:

• Competition can be direct or indirect in various contexts.
• Healthy competition fosters innovation and personal growth.
• Competition is driven by evolutionary and psychological factors.
• It spurs innovation but can also cause undue stress.
• Competing can lead to personal growth and teach valuable skills.

What Is Competition?

Competition occurs when individuals or groups vie for a limited resource, whether it’s a trophy, a title, a position, or recognition. This struggle can unfold in nature, as in species competing for food, or in human environments, such as companies battling for market share. Here are a few key points to consider:

• Types of Competition: It can be direct, like two sports teams facing off, or indirect, where businesses compete for consumer attention without direct confrontation.
• Scales of Competition: It ranges from personal (competing with a coworker for a promotion) to global (countries vying for technological supremacy).
• Healthy vs. Unhealthy Competition: Not all competition encourages positive outcomes. Healthy competition can lead to innovation and improvement, whereas unhealthy competition can cause stress and unethical behavior.

This concept is integral to understanding human behavior and societal development. It drives progress but also challenges our ethics and values.

Why Do We Compete?

Humans are naturally driven to compete for a variety of evolutionary and psychological reasons. Initially, competition was a survival mechanism to secure scarce resources like food and shelter. Today, these primal instincts manifest in more modern settings—sports, academics, and the job market.

Competition also stems from a desire for social standing. Achieving higher status within a group can lead to better opportunities and increased respect among peers. This social comparison often motivates individuals to enhance their performance in various aspects of life.

Moreover, competition serves as a motivational tool. It pushes us to exceed our limits and innovate. By comparing our achievements with others, we identify areas for improvement and personal growth, which can lead to significant advancements in both personal abilities and broader societal progress.

Yet, the drive to compete might also link to personal fulfillment. Many find joy and a sense of accomplishment in the process of striving for excellence, not just the outcome. This intrinsic satisfaction can be a powerful motivator, independent of external rewards.

The Virtues and Downsides of Competition

Competition can spur innovation. Teams or individuals often push their limits when they’re trying to outdo others, leading to fresh ideas and approaches. This dynamic drives progress in technology, business, and science.

On the flip side, it might lead to undue stress. The pressure to be the best or to win can cause significant anxiety and may discourage risk-taking, as the fear of failure becomes overpowering.

In terms of personal growth, competition can be a great motivator. It encourages people to improve their skills and work harder to achieve their personal best. However, this can sometimes foster an unhealthy focus on winning at all costs.

Furthermore, competition can enhance teamwork. In a group setting, competing against another team can strengthen internal bonds and collaboration. Conversely, it can sometimes lead to conflict or an overly competitive environment that disrupts teamwork and communication.

Lastly, competition can teach resilience and adaptability—valuable life skills in both personal and professional settings. But, if not managed well, it may also breed jealousy and a scarcity mindset, where individuals see success as a limited resource only a few can achieve.

How Competition Affects Our Brains

Competition sparks heightened levels of dopamine in our brains, the chemical largely responsible for our sense of pleasure and reward. This release motivates us and increases focus and energy levels, essential during challenging tasks or events.

However, not all effects are positive. Prolonged exposure to stress, often a byproduct of intense competition, might lead to increased cortisol production. Excessive cortisol can impair cognitive functions such as memory and concentration, and if not managed, it may contribute to long-term health issues.

Furthermore, competition encourages brain plasticity. Engaging in competitive activities, particularly from a young age, helps in developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This cerebral flexibility can aid in learning and adapting across various aspects of life.

Understanding how our brains react to competitive situations helps us better manage our responses and leverage the positive aspects while mitigating the negative impacts.

Should I Compete?

Deciding whether to engage in competition depends on personal goals and context. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:

**1. Personal Growth:** If you thrive under pressure and are motivated by challenges, competition could be a catalyst for significant personal development.

**2. Skill Enhancement:** Competitions can push you to refine your skills more rigorously than solitary practice might.

**3. Stress and Pressure:** It’s crucial to assess how competition affects your mental health. For some, it leads to positive stress, or eustress, while for others, it may contribute to unhealthy anxiety.

**4. Nature of the Competition:** Evaluate the environment. Is it supportive and aimed at mutual growth, or cutthroat and win-at-all-costs?

**5. Long-Term Impact:** Consider how the competitive experience will influence your future. Will it open doors, build valuable connections, or enhance your resume?

Reflect on these points to decide if competing aligns with your values and aspirations.

Related Reading

• Company Culture: Understanding Its Impact and Best Practices for Improvement
• 15 Ways to Make Work More Enjoyable
• What is Productive Struggle: Understanding the Role in Learning
• Productive Struggle: Understanding Its Role in Learning and Growth
• Your New Team is Working Hard: Understanding Their Efforts and Impact

Is Competition Healthy or Unhealthy? 7 Important Lessons

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Last Updated on October 11, 2023 by Glori Surban

Consider the common (albeit, often unspoken) competition between friends to have the nicest car, newest electronics, and most expensive clothes.

I’m sure that you’re familiar with this phenomenon enough to know that it’s often coupled with feelings of jealousy, resentment, and discontent.

Humans are naturally competitive and have an intrinsic drive to have a relative advantage over one another. There is a lot of research to support this claim, such as this 1974 study  that found that a country’s richer citizens were generally happier than those who were poor.

However, as the country  gained wealth, their citizens’ sense of happiness didn’t correlate– if everyone became richer, no one got happier . This is because in this case, people’s happiness stemmed from their relative amount of wealth when comparing oneself to others.

Furthermore,  a study of 12,000 citizens in England  revealed that an increase in income only heightened life satisfaction when one’s income rose comparatively to similar aged peers with an equivalent  education.

These social comparisons are examples of unhealthy competition.

Now, think back to your childhood when you had postgame lineups to exchange high-fives with the other team, saying “good game, good game, good game” to each opponent as you walked down the line.

This was done not only to teach you sportsmanship as a child, but also to reiterate the intention of healthy competition for these events.

The difference between healthy and unhealthy competition really boils down to your perspective and attitude about both your and other people’s success.

Your competitive nature should be carefully monitored because if you have an unhealthy sense of competition, it can leave you feeling frustrated, unfulfilled, and inadequate–and it’s a quick way to lose the respect of those around you.

In this article, we are going to talk about the benefits of healthy competition and then look at 7 ways to tell when your competitive attitude is becoming a negative thing.

Table of Contents

What is Healthy Competition?

Competition cultivates excellence, as it encourages people to engage with each other,  master a skill , and it breeds aspirations for achievement.

Competition teaches children critical thinking skills and teamwork, which are vital competencies for their long-term success once they get into the real world.

Competition in any area of life (work, sports, among friends) can be a catalyst for unlocking your personal potential, increasing your sense of motivation, and continuously improving your performance .  

Competition is vital because it leads to innovation, as people and companies are continuously aiming to be one step ahead of others who share similar goals.

Competition encourages a genuine sense of effort in children and society alike, as it sets people’s common interests in opposition; however, it does this to serve a greater, mutually-beneficial purpose.

But what happens when competition turns destructive? And how can you tell that your attitude is crossing that line from healthy to unhealthy?

Here are 6 differences between healthy and unhealthy competition, and how to tell when your competitive attitude is becoming a negative thing.

6 Differences Between Healthy and Unhealthy Competition

1. value the process.

A healthy competitive environment fosters appreciation for the value of the process . Instead of restricting the focus to the final result of one’s efforts, there is also attention placed on the lessons learned over the span of the journey.

In fact, the healthiest form of competition may be one in which you’re simply competing against yourself. When you focus on setting and meeting your goals and continuously challenging yourself to achieve higher levels of success, you will naturally be focusing on the process and analyzing how you can improve yourself .

When you’re your own opponent, you will continuously be testing your ability to find innovative solutions and improve upon your existing work. Not only does competition with yourself eliminate the factor of potentially cutting corners to make it to the end,  it’s also healthy because it is intrinsically motivating .

Watch the video below to learn about the the difference between process goals and outcome goals and the specific strategies you can use to set process goals that can help you achieve what you want from life.

2. Enjoy the Journey

People who have a healthy attitude toward competition have a sense of intrinsic motivation  to reach their final destination. They aren’t looking for a shortcut to the finish line because they place great value on the lessons that they learn along the way and the wisdom that they’re able to gain.

When you have a healthy attitude about competition, you’re able to look past just winning or losing.  

Instead, you reflect on the effort that you put into getting where you ended up. After finishing a competition of some sort, you’re able to look back and recognize the aspects of your method that were successful, even if you didn’t come out on top.

Upon reflection, you’ll look at your losses objectively while also noticing the personal progress you made  on your journey. You can use this knowledge to restructure your goals and increase your chances for success in the future.  

3. Feel Inspired

When you engage in healthy competition, you help drive other people to push harder and test their boundaries–and they do the same for you.

With a healthy attitude, you strive to be a source of inspiration and motivation  for those against whom you’re competing, and you find inspiration (and have an appreciation for) other people’s skills as well.  

When you see people who are “celebrities” in your industry,  rather than feeling any sort of jealousy , you feel inspired by these advanced people and look to them for ideas on how you can improve yourself.  

People who are successful want to see other successful people do well, and they aren’t intimidated by the idea that there is a limit to the number of people who can achieve greatness.

Unhealthy competition can lead to a scarcity mindset , meaning those who compare themselves to others believe there’s a limited amount of success in the world to go around.

This scarcity mindset makes some believe that if someone else is successful, then their own ability to be successful declines. However, those with a healthy mindset know that there’s plenty of success to go around, and other people’s successes don’t limit their own potential.

An example of what would not be healthy in this case would be if you lost yourself in the other person’s success by becoming obsessed with their work, allowing it to make you feel negative about yourself and damage your self-esteem .  

4. Don’t Compare Yourself to Other People

This may be easier said than done.

However, no two people have the  exact same skill set.  Everyone comes from their own unique circumstances and has had different life experiences. That said, you can’t compare yourself to someone else , especially if you’re limiting your focus to one skill or one of life’s domains.

There will always be someone who has different skills than you do–which may mean they’re more proficient in their ability to do something than you are–or, it could just mean just that –that their skills are different from yours.

So at the same time, there will always be someone who is less proficient than you are as well.

Everyone has different abilities and talents, so comparing yourself to other people  is a subjective practice to engage in that will only lead to frustration. Focus on your progress, not your level of perfection.

Don’t worry about the successes of others, just compare the person you want to be today with the person you were yesterday.

5. Consider the Bigger Picture

Those who have a healthy sense of competition are able to keep the bigger picture in mind by realizing the impact their success has on other people, their organization, and even their industry as a whole.

When someone achieves something new or breaks a record of some sort, it can be a major step towards universal success and increased potential for everyone.

So whether it is you who came up with a million-dollar idea or someone who works for a competing organization, when a major win occurs that positively impacts other people,  you have a genuine sense of appreciation for the person who originated the idea.

6. Don’t Feel Threatened

People who have a healthy attitude toward competition don’t feel threatened by up-and-comers or other people in their industry. Instead, they elevate other people in order to elevate themselves as well .

They’re able to recognize that everyone has something to offer and you can learn from other people’s experiences, no matter how new they are to the field.

People who have an unhealthy attitude toward competition and look down on other people are actually just devaluing themselves because their perspective becomes narrow, which impairs their ability to grow and develop.

Valuing others leads to valuing one’s own existence, meaning, and purpose, while devaluing others puts you in a devalued state , where your will to live becomes second to the will to have some sort of power or prestige over others.

Final Thoughts on Healthy vs. Unhealthy Competition

While the assumed point of competing is to come out victorious, there is a fine line between healthy and unhealthy competition where feelings of jealousy and inadequacy begin to surface. However, competition isn’t really black and white–there's a lot more to it than just winning or losing.

When you see other successful people, it’s best if you’re able to take the elements of their work that inspire you and incorporate them into your own work, while leaving out the things you don’t necessarily connect with. Then you can take what you learn and engage in your own self-improvement.

As a healthy competitor, focus on yourself and your progress without worrying about others who have similar goals to your own. This is the only way that you will maintain the right focus and drive to make it to the top.

Now, if you're looking for some inspiration, get to know about people who succeeded despite their circumstances in the articles below:

• 55 Famous Failures Who Became Successful People
• 51 Successful People Who Didn't Go to or Finish College
• 35 People Who Became Successful Later in Life

Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals .

Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.

IELTS Charlie

Your Guide to IELTS Band 7

IELTS Model Essays: Competition v Cooperation (IELTS 19)

In this lesson you are going to see 5 different essays written in response to the following task:

Some people think that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing. Others believe that we should try to cooperate more, rather than competing against each other. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic Test 1

Each essay responds to the same task in different ways. Each essay is accompanied by an essay plan and vocabulary list.

Here is the 1st essay. This essay discusses both sides of the debate, before arguing that cooperation is more beneficial over the long-term.

Essay 1 Plan

Introduction

• Introduce the topic of competition vs. cooperation.
• Mention the debate on which is more beneficial.
• State the aim of the essay: discuss both views and provide my opinion.

Body Paragraph 1: Competition

• Point: Competition drives individuals to excel.
• Example: Workplace productivity and innovation.
• Example: Academic motivation and critical thinking skills.
• Explanation: Competition pushes individuals to acquire new skills and knowledge.

Body Paragraph 2: Cooperation

• Point: Cooperation fosters teamwork and collective effort.
• Example: Workplace problem-solving and diverse perspectives.
• Example: Cooperative learning in schools.
• Explanation: Cooperation enhances academic performance and social skills.

Body Paragraph 3: My Opinion

• Point: Cooperation is more beneficial in the long run.
• Example: Team-oriented workplaces and job satisfaction.
• Example: Cooperative learning preparing students for real-world scenarios.
• Explanation: Cooperation promotes community and belonging.
• Summarize the benefits of both competition and cooperation.
• Reiterate the preference for cooperation.
• Final thought: Encouraging collaboration over competition leads to sustainable success.

[Introduction]

In today’s competitive world, the debate over whether competition or cooperation is more beneficial in work, school, and daily life is highly relevant. Some argue that competition drives individuals to excel, while others believe that cooperation fosters a more supportive and productive environment. This essay will explore both viewpoints and provide my perspective.

[Body Paragraph 1: Benefits of Competition]

Advocates of competition argue that it pushes individuals to reach their full potential. For instance, in the workplace, competition can lead to higher productivity and innovation as employees strive to outperform their peers. Similarly, in schools, students may be motivated to achieve higher grades and develop critical thinking skills to stay ahead of their classmates. The pressure to succeed can drive individuals to acquire new skills and knowledge, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.

[Body Paragraph 1: Benefits of Cooperation]

On the other hand, proponents of cooperation emphasize the importance of teamwork and collective effort. In work settings, collaboration can lead to more effective problem-solving and the sharing of diverse perspectives, resulting in better decision-making. In educational environments, cooperative learning encourages students to work together, promoting mutual understanding and support. This approach not only enhances academic performance but also helps students develop social and emotional skills, such as empathy and communication.

[Body Paragraph 3: My Opinion]

In my opinion, while competition can spur individual achievement, cooperation is ultimately more beneficial in the long run. Cooperation fosters a sense of community and belonging, which is essential for personal and professional growth. For example, in a team-oriented workplace, employees are more likely to feel valued and supported, leading to higher job satisfaction and retention rates. Additionally, cooperative learning in schools prepares students for the collaborative nature of modern work environments, where teamwork is often crucial to success.

[Conclusion]

In conclusion, both competition and cooperation have their merits. However, I believe that fostering a cooperative spirit is more advantageous as it promotes a supportive and inclusive environment, which is essential for sustainable growth and development. Encouraging collaboration over competition can lead to more meaningful and lasting achievements.

Vocabulary List

• Competitive world – phrase referring to a society where individuals or groups compete.
• Drive individuals to excel – idiom meaning to motivate people to achieve high standards.
• Workplace productivity – noun phrase referring to the efficiency of employees at work.
• Critical thinking skills – noun phrase denoting the ability to analyze and evaluate an issue.
• Collective effort – phrase meaning a combined effort by a group.
• Mutual understanding – noun phrase meaning shared comprehension among people.
• Supportive and inclusive environment – complex noun phrase referring to a setting that encourages and includes everyone.
• Personal and professional growth – noun phrase denoting development in personal and career aspects.
• Team-oriented workplace – adjective-noun phrase describing a work environment focused on teamwork.
• Sustainable growth – noun phrase meaning growth that can be maintained over time.

Here is the 2nd essay. This essay takes the view that while both competition and cooperation are beneficial, cooperation should be prioritised.

Essay 2 Plan

• Acknowledge the ongoing debate.
• State the aim of the essay: examine both perspectives and provide my opinion.

Body Paragraph 1: Benefits of Competition

• Point: Competition drives excellence and personal achievement.
• Example: Workplace productivity and performance incentives.
• Example: Academic motivation and resilience in sports competitions.
• Explanation: Competition leads to critical life skills.

Body Paragraph 2: Benefits of Cooperation

• Point: Cooperation creates a harmonious and productive atmosphere.
• Example: Workplace creativity and problem-solving.
• Example: Cooperative learning and social skill development.
• Explanation: Cooperation promotes a supportive environment.
• Point: Cooperation is more beneficial for long-term success.
• Example: Teamwork and employee satisfaction in companies.
• Example: Cooperative learning preparing students for future challenges.
• Explanation: Cooperation is essential in an interconnected world.
• Summarize the advantages of both competition and cooperation.
• Final thought: Prioritizing cooperation fosters a supportive society.

The ongoing debate about whether competition or cooperation is more beneficial in various aspects of life, such as work, school, and daily activities, continues to spark interest. Some believe that competition is essential for personal and societal advancement, while others advocate for the benefits of cooperation. This essay will examine both perspectives and provide my opinion.

Advocates of competition assert that it drives individuals to strive for excellence. In professional settings, competition can lead to increased productivity and innovation as employees aim to outperform their colleagues. Similarly, in educational contexts, competitive environments can motivate students to achieve higher academic standards and develop resilience. For instance, sports competitions teach students the value of hard work, perseverance, and discipline, which are crucial life skills.

[Body Paragraph 2: Benefits of Cooperation]

Conversely, those who favour cooperation argue that it cultivates a more harmonious and productive atmosphere. In the workplace, collaboration can enhance creativity and problem-solving by bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise. In schools, cooperative learning strategies, such as group projects and peer tutoring, help students develop interpersonal skills and foster a sense of community. Cooperation encourages individuals to work together towards common goals, promoting a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

I believe that while competition has its place, cooperation is ultimately more beneficial for long-term success. In today’s interconnected world, the ability to work effectively with others is essential. For example, companies that emphasize teamwork and collaboration often experience higher levels of employee satisfaction and lower turnover rates. Similarly, students who engage in cooperative learning activities are better prepared for real-world challenges, as they learn to communicate, negotiate, and compromise.

In conclusion, both competition and cooperation offer unique advantages. However, I contend that cooperation should be prioritized, as it fosters a supportive and inclusive environment that is conducive to sustainable success. By promoting collaboration over competition, we can create a society where individuals work together to achieve shared goals, leading to greater overall prosperity.

• Ongoing debate – noun phrase referring to a continuous discussion.
• Drives individuals to strive for excellence – idiom meaning motivates people to aim for the best.
• Resilience in sports competitions – noun phrase referring to the ability to recover from setbacks in sports.
• Enhanced creativity and problem-solving – noun phrase describing improved ability to create and solve issues.
• Collective goals – noun phrase meaning shared objectives.
• Interconnected world – adjective-noun phrase describing a world where everyone is connected.
• Shared knowledge and resources – noun phrase referring to information and materials that are used collectively.
• Employee satisfaction – noun phrase denoting the contentment of workers.
• Real-world challenges – adjective-noun phrase referring to practical problems faced in life.
• Overall prosperity – noun phrase meaning general well-being and success.

Here is the 3rd essay, written in response to the same task. It takes a similar view to Essay 2, arguing that while competition can have short-term benefits, cooperation has long-term benefits.

• Mention the relevance of the debate.
• State the aim of the essay: discuss both viewpoints and provide my perspective.

Body Paragraph 1: Arguments for Competition

• Point: Competition is a powerful motivator.
• Example: Workplace performance and incentives.
• Example: Academic achievement and scholarship motivation.
• Explanation: Competition drives individuals to excel.

Body Paragraph 2: Arguments for Cooperation

• Point: Cooperation fosters teamwork and mutual support.
• Example: Workplace innovation through collaboration.
• Explanation: Cooperation enhances social skills and inclusivity.

Body Paragraph 3: My Perspective

• Point: Cooperation offers long-term benefits.
• Example: Shared knowledge and resources in the workplace.
• Example: Cooperative learning preparing students for teamwork.
• Explanation: Cooperation promotes collective growth.
• Final thought: Encouraging cooperation leads to sustainable success.

The question of whether competition or cooperation is more beneficial in work, school, and daily life is a subject of much debate. Some argue that competition drives progress and individual excellence, while others believe that cooperation fosters a more supportive and effective environment. This essay will discuss both viewpoints and provide my own perspective.

[Body Paragraph 1: Arguments for Competition]

Proponents of competition argue that it is a powerful motivator. In the workplace, competitive environments can lead to higher levels of performance as employees strive to achieve better results than their peers. For instance, sales teams often perform better when there are incentives for top performers. Similarly, in academic settings, students who compete for the highest grades are likely to put in more effort and achieve higher academic standards.

[Body Paragraph 2: Arguments for Cooperation]

On the other hand, advocates for cooperation highlight its importance in fostering teamwork and mutual support. In professional settings, collaborative efforts can lead to innovative solutions and improved outcomes. For example, tech companies that encourage teamwork often develop more creative and effective products. In schools, cooperative learning helps students build essential social skills, such as communication and empathy, and can lead to a more inclusive and supportive educational environment.

From my perspective, while competition can lead to short-term gains, cooperation is more beneficial for long-term success. Cooperative environments promote a sense of community and shared purpose. For instance, in a cooperative workplace, employees are more likely to share knowledge and resources, leading to collective growth and development. In educational settings, cooperative learning not only enhances academic performance but also prepares students for real-world scenarios where teamwork is essential.

In conclusion, both competition and cooperation have their advantages. However, I believe that cooperation should be emphasized as it fosters a supportive and inclusive environment, essential for sustainable growth and success. By promoting cooperative practices, we can create a more harmonious and productive society.

• Relevant debate – adjective-noun phrase referring to a discussion that is applicable to the current context.
• Powerful motivator – noun phrase meaning a strong incentive or drive.
• Performance-based incentives – noun phrase referring to rewards based on achievements.
• Scholarship motivation – noun phrase meaning the drive to earn academic scholarships.
• Teamwork and mutual support – noun phrase denoting collaboration and helping each other.
• Innovative solutions – noun phrase referring to creative and effective answers to problems.
• Enhances social skills – verb phrase meaning improves the ability to interact with others.
• Collective growth – noun phrase meaning development as a group.
• Sustainable success – noun phrase referring to long-term achievement.
• Encouraging cooperation – verb-noun phrase meaning promoting teamwork.

Essay 4 Plan

• Introduce the debate on competition vs. cooperation.
• State the aim: discuss both views and argue for the benefits of competition.
• Brief overview of the main points.
• Point: Competition drives innovation and progress.
• Example: Tech industry advancements driven by rivalry (Apple vs. Samsung).
• Explanation: Competitive environments encourage continuous improvement and creativity.
• Point: Cooperation fosters teamwork and collective success.
• Example: Group projects in academic settings.
• Explanation: Cooperation helps develop communication and collaboration skills.

Body Paragraph 3: Opinion in Favor of Competition

• Point: Competition prepares individuals for real-world challenges.
• Example: Sports competition teaching resilience and discipline.
• Explanation: Competitive experiences build crucial life skills.
• Reiterate the stance that competition is more beneficial.
• Final thought: Emphasizing competition leads to personal and societal growth.

The debate over whether competition or cooperation is more advantageous in work, school, and daily life is ongoing. Some argue that competition drives progress and excellence, while others believe that cooperation fosters teamwork and mutual support. This essay will discuss both perspectives, ultimately arguing that competition offers greater benefits.

Competition is a powerful driver of innovation and progress. In the tech industry, for instance, the rivalry between companies like Apple and Samsung has led to significant technological advancements. Each company strives to outdo the other by introducing new features and improvements, benefiting consumers with cutting-edge products. Such competitive environments foster continuous improvement and creativity, pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

On the other hand, cooperation is essential for fostering teamwork and collective success. In academic settings, group projects encourage students to work together, share ideas, and solve problems collaboratively. This helps them develop vital communication and collaboration skills, which are crucial for success in the modern workplace. Cooperation ensures that everyone’s strengths are utilized, leading to well-rounded and effective solutions.

[Body Paragraph 3: Opinion in Favor of Competition]

Despite the advantages of cooperation, I believe that competition is more beneficial as it prepares individuals for real-world challenges. Sports competitions, for example, teach participants resilience, discipline, and the importance of hard work. These experiences build crucial life skills that are applicable in various aspects of life. Furthermore, competition motivates individuals to strive for excellence and achieve their personal best, leading to personal and societal growth.

In conclusion, both competition and cooperation have their merits. However, competition is more beneficial as it drives innovation, prepares individuals for challenges, and promotes personal and societal growth. By emphasizing competition, we can foster an environment where individuals are motivated to excel and continuously improve.

• Competitive environments
• Continuous improvement
• Collective success
• Communication skills
• Collaboration
• Real-world challenges
• Personal growth
• Societal growth
• Technological advancements
• Academic settings
• Market dynamics
• Problem-solving
• Product development
• Strategic planning
• Skill development
• Productivity
• Entrepreneurship
• Economic growth
• Benchmarking

Essay 5 Plan

• Introduce the competition vs. cooperation debate.
• Point: Competition enhances personal performance and achievement.
• Example: Performance-based incentives in workplaces.
• Explanation: Competition motivates individuals to reach their highest potential.
• Point: Cooperation builds strong, supportive communities.
• Example: Collaborative community projects.
• Explanation: Working together helps solve local issues and fosters a sense of belonging.
• Point: Competition drives economic growth and innovation.
• Example: Competitive markets leading to better products and services.
• Explanation: Competition encourages efficiency and higher standards.
• Final thought: Prioritizing competition fosters excellence and societal advancement.

The debate between the benefits of competition and cooperation in work, school, and daily life is an important one. While cooperation promotes teamwork and collective success, competition can enhance personal performance and achievement. This essay will discuss both views, ultimately arguing that competition is more beneficial.

Competition significantly enhances personal performance and achievement. In workplaces, performance-based incentives drive employees to excel and reach their highest potential. For instance, sales teams often compete to achieve the best results, leading to increased productivity and higher sales figures. This competitive spirit motivates individuals to set ambitious goals and strive for excellence, ultimately leading to personal growth and success.

Conversely, cooperation is crucial for building strong, supportive communities. Collaborative projects, whether in schools or local communities, encourage people to work together towards common goals. For example, community clean-up initiatives bring residents together to improve their environment, fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility. Cooperation helps solve local issues effectively and creates a supportive network where individuals can rely on each other.

Despite the advantages of cooperation, competition drives economic growth and innovation. In competitive markets, companies are constantly striving to offer better products and services to gain a competitive edge. This leads to higher standards, efficiency, and continuous improvement. For instance, the fierce competition in the automotive industry has resulted in safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly vehicles. Competition encourages businesses to innovate and optimize resources, driving economic prosperity and societal advancement.

In conclusion, while cooperation builds supportive communities and addresses local issues, competition is more beneficial as it enhances personal performance, drives economic growth, and fosters innovation. By prioritizing competition, we can create an environment where individuals and businesses are motivated to excel and continuously improve, leading to societal advancement and excellence.

• Personal performance
• Achievement
• Performance-based incentives
• Highest potential
• Supportive communities
• Collaborative projects
• Sense of belonging
• Competitive markets
• Higher standards
• Societal advancement
• Goal setting
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Competitive edge
• Market leadership
• Talent development
• Strategic initiatives
• Resource optimization
• Competitive advantage
• Performance metrics
• Organizational success
• Consumer satisfaction
• Quality improvement

Practice Exercises 1

Try to complete the essays as above. Drag and drop the missing words/phrases into the correct spaces. (The exercise work best on desktop, not mobile).

Practice Exercise 2

The paragraphs in the following essay are in the wrong order. Try to put the paragraphs into the correct order.

Practice Exercise 3: Hard!

The sentences in the following essay are in the wrong order. Try to put the sentences into the correct order. This is quite difficult, so good luck!

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Discover the 7 STEPS to BAND 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

Arthur Brooks: Healthy Competition

How do we cultivate competing ideas and voices?

When competition works the way it’s supposed to, people love it. Think of a sports event: No one wants it to be noncompetitive. Even if you love your Red Sox, you don’t want the Yankees’ bus to break down on the way to the game. You want the Yankees to show up with their absolute best and get beaten, fair and square. But “fair and square” requires clear rules, an umpire who calls strikes and balls the same for both teams, and teams that accept the final score—whether they like it or not. For competition in sports (or any other area of life) to work, you need fair play, agreed-upon rules, and voluntary cooperation.

“True competition is the secret to a free society that respects differences, ensures the right to dissent, and creates the conditions for progress through learning. Unfortunately, the competition of ideas is currently under threat.”

Arthur brooks.

Consider competition in another part of our lives: politics. Democracy is a form of political competition. It can’t function when there are uncontested elections or cheating. We make fun of elections in countries where the Dear Leader gets 98 percent of the vote unopposed, ballot boxes are stuffed, and if you try to run against the leader, you’ll go to jail (or worse). We’re grateful to live in a multiparty democracy where candidates truly compete (which means, by the way, that we’re grateful for the people who disagree with us politically).

Today, there is a particular need for healthy competition in the world of ideas. In an idea-based economy, true competition is the secret to a free society that respects differences, ensures the right to dissent, and creates the conditions for progress through learning. Unfortunately, the competition of ideas is currently under threat. In some circles, there is a culture of “deplatforming” and “canceling”—of shutting down the competition of ideas instead of trying to win it. Acceptable discourse is narrowed, protest is squashed, opposing views are silenced, and contrary opinions are painted as evil or ignorant. This behavior afflicts everyone—progressives, conservatives, and centrists alike—because it weakens us: It dulls our ability to argue, makes us less likely to see our mistakes, and renders us less tolerant of others. All of us, no matter what our point of view, need to stand up and fight for our right to disagree, and for the right of people to disagree with us.

Of course, there are some bad actors out there with bad ideas. The answer to their ideas is more speech, not less. And in truth, whether they agree with us or not, the majority of people in the public sphere aim to make the country better. While we will—and should—disagree over how to achieve prosperity and happiness and secure our freedoms, we must maintain a shared commitment to being able to disagree per se.

Ideas are the currency of progress, and Harvard is one of the most important idea factories in the world. At the Kennedy School we are committed to the competition of ideas and free speech. We will not allow deplatforming or canceling. We’ve put in place school behavioral norms that say: You can peacefully protest all you want, because that is a form of participation in the competition of ideas. But you can’t shut down that competition and take away someone else’s voice.

Why does this commitment matter? Because, although the Kennedy School can’t improve the national discourse by itself, we can model the behavior we know our nation and the world need, and send forth our graduates—the leaders of the future—armed with these values.

Arthur Brooks is professor of the practice of public leadership. Previously, he served for 10 years as president of the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington, D.C.

Explore more essays on democracy

Archon fung: we voted, nancy gibbs: truth and trust, tarek masoud: a fragile state, julia minson: just listen, cornell william brooks: democracy behind bars, jane mansbridge: a teachable skill, pippa norris: kicking the sandcastle, benjamin schneer: drawing a line, by the people: essays on democracy.

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Is Competition Healthy in Schools? The Pros and Cons

Susan Cumberland August 25, 2017

When you hear the word “competition,” your thoughts may run to images from your childhood, winning the first-place match in a soccer tournament. Oh the ‘high’ that gave you! Or the race for the highest GPA to become high school valedictorian. And you may also remember the embarrassment of failing at certain competitions. So, is competition at school healthy?

Today, the idea of ‘competition’ in our schools is much different (and the Internet seems to be complaining about it, correlating it with everything that’s wrong with so-called ‘millennials’). When comparing your own competition memories to your child’s current reality, you may glance over a shelf full of ‘participation’ trophies and wonder if the competitive activities from your childhood could still hold a place in your child’s life today.

Is it better to keep competition out of the way at school, so no one gets hurt? Or could competition be the key to unlocking even more of your child’s potential?

Below we’ll cover the pros and cons of encouraging competition in schools:

The Pros of Competition in Schools:

1. motivation thrives in competitive situations.

It’s probably every parent’s dream for their children to be motivated at school all the time. Competition at school can be a great way to motivate kids, by challenging them to put in their maximum effort.

2. Competition in schools leads to valuable skills

When children face competitive activities at school, they not only gain individual skills, like resilience and motivation, but they also build on important interpersonal skills. Competitive activities actually help students learn to let others have their turn, see things from others’ point of view, and build a strong character in spite of failure. These are skills that help prepare students for the workplace later in life. It also helps them succeed socially and academically in school.

3. Healthy competition boosts self-esteem and engagement

Positive, healthy competition at school will help build students up, and engage them as they discover new skills. Some signs of healthy competition include seeking opportunities to repeat the competition, developing new talents, desiring to improve, and experiencing higher self-esteem.

The Cons of Competition in Schools:

1. stress often comes hand-in-hand with competition.

Competition can easily lead to stress and anxiety, especially if it promotes academic competition between individual students. This stress can force students to push back other interests and extracurricular activities, leading to an unbalanced life.

2. Be prepared for disappointment

The emotional impact and confidence of your child can be negatively affected by a less-than-ideal outcome, which is one of the disadvantages of competition in learning process. Unless the objective is to ensure every child emerges victorious in every contest, there will inevitably be moments of disappointment when they don’t win. Undoubtedly, experiencing defeat is a challenging and difficult aspect of competition.

3. Unhealthy competition leads to lower engagement

If a competition does not provide kids with a goal that is attainable for everyone, the activity becomes unbalanced, with some jumping ahead and others ending up left in the dust. This is the kind of competition that will lead to anxiety and a diminished desire to participate in related activities. An unhealthy competition may be one that is focused on winning, says Jessica Velasco of  howtolearn.com , instead of honing in on learning a new skill or working as a team. These are the competitions that you may want to think twice about before incorporating into your classroom!

Healthy Competition Is the Way To Go

Regardless of where you stand in your opinion of whether competition is healthy in schools, keep in mind there are many different forms of competition that can take place. Some are definitely more positive than others! Aim for competitive activities that involve setting attainable goals and encouraging teamwork . And of course, above all, keep students engaged and having fun.

Stay tuned for more specific tips on how to implement healthy competition in the classroom!

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IELTS Cambridge 19 Essay: Competition

by Dave | Cambridge 19 | 0 Comment

This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay from the newly released Cambridge IELTS 19 book of past tests on the topic of competition.

If you sign up for my Patreon below, you will get access to many years’ worth of past EBook and PDFs – that are only available on Patreon here:

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The other Cambridge 19 essays can be found here:

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IELTS Essay: Competition

Some people think that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing. Others believe that we should try to cooperate more, rather than competing against each other.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Many argue that competing in a variety of daily environments is a positive, while others feel a focus on cooperation would be ideal. In my opinion, although competition can yield transformational results, it is more valuable to embrace cooperation as a guiding principle.

Those who argue in favor of competition contend that it serves as powerful motivation. Examples of the impact of competition exend to many segments of life, including school and work. In schools, the desire to compete can lead a student to study harder than their classmates in order to achieve better grades and secure esteem from teachers and family members. At work, competition for promotions and higher compensation packages is the entire reason that individuals work diligently in the majority of company contexts. However, at home, competition rarely has positive ramifications. Family members that are consistently competing for admiration and recoginition are likely to suffer from some degree of poor mental health.

Indeed, there is greater value in fostering a cooperative environment. When individuals work together in teams, whether it be at school, work, or in the home, they are more likely to experience high levels of motivation, and more crucially, enjoyment. Competition can serve as a catalyst for achievement but is unlikely to engender the same heights of unifying satisfaction. A standout example of this would be the dynamics present on a sports team at any level of competition. Even though the players on the team are engaged in a competition, the most memorable and lasting memories of their experiences are more likely to come from small moments of comradery shared with teammates. This is the reason that many cite times spent working in groups towards a common goal as the highlights of life.

In conclusion, although competition can encourage innovation, cooperation provides a more vital environment of mutual respect and enjoyment of life. Depending on the situation, it is therefore imperative to seek cooperative understanding.

1. Many argue that competing in a variety of daily environments is a positive, while others feel a focus on cooperation would be ideal. 2. In my opinion, although competition can yield transformational results, it is more valuable to embrace cooperation as a guiding principle.

• Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
• Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here .

1. Those who argue in favor of competition contend that it serves as powerful motivation. 2. Examples of the impact of competition extend to many segments of life, including school and work. 3. In schools, the desire to compete can lead a student to study harder than their classmates in order to achieve better grades and secure esteem from teachers and family members. 4. At work, competition for promotions and higher compensation packages is the entire reason that individuals work diligently in the majority of company contexts. 5. However, at home, competition rarely has positive ramifications. 6. Family members that are consistently competing for admiration and recognition are likely to suffer from some degree of poor mental health.

• Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
• Explain your main idea.
• Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
• Keep developing it fully.
• Better to have more detail.
• This paragraph has a concession because I agree with the other side.

1. Indeed, there is greater value in fostering a cooperative environment. 2. When individuals work together in teams, whether it be at school, work, or in the home, they are more likely to experience high levels of motivation, and more crucially, enjoyment. 3. Competition can serve as a catalyst for achievement but is unlikely to engender the same heights of unifying satisfaction. 4. A standout example of this would be the dynamics present on a sports team at any level of competition. 5. Even though the players on the team are engaged in a competition, the most memorable and lasting memories of their experiences are more likely to come from small moments of comradery shared with teammates. 6. This is the reason that many cite times spent working in groups towards a common goal as the highlights of life.

• Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
• Explain your new main idea.
• Include specific details and examples.
• Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
• This essay is a bit long – aim for about 275 words.
• Finish the paragraph strong.

1. In conclusion, although competition can encourage innovation, cooperation provides a more vital environment of mutual respect and enjoyment of life. 2. Depending on the situation, it is therefore imperative to seek cooperative understanding.

• Summarise your main ideas.
• Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here .

What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.

Many argue that competing in a variety of daily environments is a positive, while others feel a focus on cooperation would be ideal . In my opinion, although competition can yield transformational results , it is more valuable to embrace cooperation as a guiding principle .

Those who argue in favor of competition contend that it serves as powerful motivation . Examples of the impact of competition extend to many segments of life , including school and work. In schools, the desire to compete can lead a student to study harder than their classmates in order to achieve better grades and secure esteem from teachers and family members . At work, competition for promotions and higher compensation packages is the entire reason that individuals work diligently in the majority of company contexts . However, at home, competition rarely has positive ramifications . Family members that are consistently competing for admiration and recoginition are likely to suffer from some degree of poor mental health .

Indeed , there is greater value in fostering a cooperative environment . When individuals work together in teams, whether it be at school, work, or in the home, they are more likely to experience high levels of motivation , and more crucially , enjoyment . Competition can serve as a catalyst for achievement but is unlikely to engender the same heights of unifying satisfaction . A standout example of this would be the dynamics present on a sports team at any level of competition . Even though the players on the team are engaged in a competition , the most memorable and lasting memories of their experiences are more likely to come from small moments of comradery shared with teammates . This is the reason that many cite times spent working in groups towards a common goal as the highlights of life.

In conclusion, although competition can encourage innovation, cooperation provides a more vital environment of mutual respect and enjoyment of life . Depending on the situation , it is therefore imperative to seek cooperative understanding .

For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:

competing – contending a variety of daily environments – diverse range of daily settings focus on cooperation – prioritize collaborative efforts ideal – optimal yield transformational results – produce revolutionary outcomes more valuable – of greater worth embrace cooperation as a guiding principle – adopt collaboration as a core belief in favor of – supportive of serves as powerful motivation – acts as a strong driving force impact – influence extend to many segments of life – reach various aspects of life desire – aspiration study harder than – put in extra effort compared to in order to achieve better grades – to attain improved academic performance secure esteem from teachers and family members – gain recognition from educators and relatives higher compensation packages – increased salary offerings entire reason – sole purpose diligently in the majority of company contexts – consistently in most corporate scenarios rarely has positive ramifications – seldom has positive consequences consistently competing – continuously vying admiration – respect recognition – acknowledgment likely to suffer from some degree of poor mental health – prone to experience certain levels of mental distress Indeed – unquestionably greater value in fostering a cooperative environment – enhanced significance in cultivating a collaborative atmosphere whether it be at – whether it occurs in experience high levels of motivation – encounter elevated levels of drive more crucially – of greater importance enjoyment – pleasure serve as a catalyst for – act as a catalyst to unlikely to engender – improbable to generate heights of unifying satisfaction – pinnacle of unified contentment A standout example of this would be – An exceptional instance of this can be seen in dynamics present on – interactions existing within at any level of competition – regardless of the competition level engaged in a competition – involved in a contest memorable – unforgettable lasting memories – enduring recollections come from small moments of comradery shared with teammates – arise from small instances of camaraderie among teammates cite times spent working in groups towards a common goal – mention instances of collaborating in groups toward a shared objective highlights – emphasizes provides a more vital environment – offers a more dynamic setting mutual respect and enjoyment of life – shared respect and delight in life Depending on the situation – Depending on the circumstances imperative – crucial seek cooperative understanding – strive for collaborative comprehension

Pronunciation

Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search :

kəmˈpiːtɪŋ ə vəˈraɪəti ɒv ˈdeɪli ɪnˈvaɪrᵊnmənts ˈfəʊkəs ɒn kəʊˌɒpᵊrˈeɪʃᵊn aɪˈdɪəl jiːld ˌtrænsfəˈmeɪʃᵊnᵊl rɪˈzʌlts mɔː ˈvæljəbᵊl ɪmˈbreɪs kəʊˌɒpᵊrˈeɪʃᵊn æz ə ˈɡaɪdɪŋ ˈprɪnsəpᵊl ɪn ˈfeɪvər ɒv kənˈtɛnd sɜːvz æz ˈpaʊəfᵊl ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃᵊn ˈɪmpækt ɪkˈstɛnd tuː ˈmɛni ˈsɛɡmənts ɒv laɪf dɪˈzaɪə ˈstʌdi ˈhɑːdə ðæn ɪn ˈɔːdə tuː əˈʧiːv ˈbɛtə ɡreɪdz sɪˈkjʊər ɪˈstiːm frɒm ˈtiːʧəz ænd ˈfæmᵊli ˈmɛmbəz ˈhaɪə ˌkɒmpɛnˈseɪʃᵊn ˈpækɪʤɪz ɪnˈtaɪə ˈriːzᵊn ˈdɪlɪʤᵊntli ɪn ðə məˈʤɒrəti ɒv ˈkʌmpəni ˈkɒntɛksts ˈreəli hæz ˈpɒzətɪv ˌræmɪfɪˈkeɪʃᵊnz kənˈsɪstᵊntli kəmˈpiːtɪŋ ˌædməˈreɪʃᵊn ˌrɛkəɡˈnɪʃᵊn ˈlaɪkli tuː ˈsʌfə frɒm sʌm dɪˈɡriː ɒv pɔː ˈmɛntᵊl hɛlθ ɪnˈdiːd ˈɡreɪtə ˈvæljuː ɪn ˈfɒstərɪŋ ə kəʊˈɒpᵊrətɪv ɪnˈvaɪrᵊnmənt ˈwɛðər ɪt biː æt ɪkˈspɪəriəns haɪ ˈlɛvᵊlz ɒv ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃᵊn mɔː ˈkruːʃᵊli ɪnˈʤɔɪmənt sɜːv æz ə ˈkætəlɪst fɔː ʌnˈlaɪkli tuː ɪnˈʤɛndə haɪts ɒv ˈjuːnɪfaɪɪŋ ˌsætɪsˈfækʃᵊn ə ˈstændaʊt ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl ɒv ðɪs wʊd biː daɪˈnæmɪks ˈprɛzᵊnt ɒn æt ˈɛni ˈlɛvᵊl ɒv ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃᵊn ɪnˈɡeɪʤd ɪn ə ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃᵊn ˈmɛmᵊrəbᵊl ˈlɑːstɪŋ ˈmɛmᵊriz kʌm frɒm smɔːl ˈməʊmənts ɒv ˈkɒmreɪd ʃeəd wɪð ˈtiːmmeɪts saɪt taɪmz spɛnt ˈwɜːkɪŋ ɪn ɡruːps təˈwɔːdz ə ˈkɒmən ɡəʊl ˈhaɪˌlaɪts prəˈvaɪdz ə mɔː ˈvaɪtᵊl ɪnˈvaɪrᵊnmənt ˈmjuːʧuəl rɪˈspɛkt ænd ɪnˈʤɔɪmənt ɒv laɪf dɪˈpɛndɪŋ ɒn ðə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃᵊn ɪmˈpɛrətɪv siːk kəʊˈɒpᵊrətɪv ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ

Vocabulary Practice

I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:

Many argue that c__________g in a________________________________s is a positive, while others feel a _________________________ n would be ideal . In my opinion, although competition can y _______________________________ s , it is m_____________e to e ____________________________________ e .

Those who argue i_____________f competition c __________ d that it s________________________n . Examples of the i_______t of cooperation e__________________________e , including school and work. In schools, the d_______e to compete can lead a student to s__________________n their classmates i _______________________________________ s and s ______________________________________________ s . At work, competition for p__________-__s and h ______________________________ s is the e______________n that individuals work d _________________________________________________- s . However, at home, competition r_______________________s . Family members that are c__________________-g for a_____________n and r_____________n are l _________________________________________________________________ h .

I_________d , there is g________________________________________________t . When individuals work together in teams, w__________________t school, work, or in the home, they are more likely to e_________________________n , and m_____________y , e____________-t . Competition can s _______________________ r achievement but is u____________________r the same h ___________________________ n . A ___________________________________ e the d_____________-n a sports team a __________________________ n . Even though the players on the team are e________________-_n , the most m__________e and l ______________________ s of their experiences are more likely to c __________________________________________________________ s . This is the reason that many c ____________________________________________________ l as the h__________-s of life.

In conclusion, although competition can encourage innovation, cooperation p _________________________________ t of m ________________________________________________ e . D ______________________________ n , it is therefore i___________e to s _________________________________________ g .

Listening Practice

Learn more about this topic by watching from YouTube below and practice with these activities :

Reading Practice

Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice :

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1378106-the-10-greatest-michael-jordan-chicago-bulls-stories-ever

Speaking Practice

Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam :

• How important is it for people to set goals?
• Do people set different goals at different stages of life?
• Are personal goals more important than professional goals?
• What sort of goals do young people today set?
• Are people becoming more pessimistic about their life goals?

Writing Practice

Practice with the related IELTS essay topic :

Nowadays, there is more and more competition for getting into university.

Is this a positive or negative development?

IELTS Essay: Competition for University

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The power of competition: Effects of social motivation on attention, sustained physical effort, and learning

Competition has often been implicated as a means to improve effort-based learning and attention. Two experiments examined the effects of competition on effort and memory. In Experiment 1, participants completed a physical effort task in which they were rewarded for winning an overall percentage, or for winning a competition they believed was against another player. In Experiment 2, participants completed a memory task in which they were rewarded for remembering an overall percentage of shapes, or more shapes than a “competitor.” We found that, in the physical effort task, participants demonstrated faster reaction times (RTs)—a previous indicator of increased attention—in the competitive environment. Moreover, individual differences predicted the salience of competition’s effect. Furthermore, male participants showed faster RTs and greater sustained effort as a result of a competitive environment, suggesting that males may be more affected by competition in physical effort tasks. However, in Experiment 2, participants remembered fewer shapes when competing, and later recalled less of these shapes during a post-test, suggesting that competition was harmful in our memory task. The different results from these two experiments suggest that competition can improve attention in a physical effort task, yet caution the use of competition in memory tasks.

Introduction

Social motivation has been defined as a drive for a particular goal based on a social influence ( Hogg and Abrams, 1990 ). Although research has examined correlative relationships between competition and learning ( Dweck and Leggett, 1988 ; Zimmerman, 1989 ; Oldfather and Dahl, 1994 ; Wentzel, 1999 ), few studies have examined how the presence of a competitor directly influences motivation, effort, and memory. In Burguillo (2010) found that implementing competition-based games in a classroom improved course performance. One might therefore assume that competition may directly improve some aspect of the memory process; yet, it is unclear whether competition directly affects attention, effort, or memory.

Recent research has shown that the presence of a competitor can increase physical effort over both short ( Le Bouc and Pessiglione, 2013 ) and long durations ( Kilduff, 2014 ). Competitiveness has also been shown to increase physical motivation, such as motivation to practice a sport ( Frederick-Recascino and Schuster-Smith, 2003 ). A better understanding of how competition improves performance may help shed light on how to improve cognitive performance (e.g., memory in the classroom). For example, if the presence of a competitor affected attention, we may expect to see an effect at encoding, since attention is one of many necessary components for accurate encoding ( Craik et al., 1996 ; Anderson et al., 2000 ; Fernandes and Moscovitch, 2000 ). However, if the presence of a competitor is affecting memory retention, we may expect a difference regarding long-term memory, but not short-term memory. Furthermore, competition could affect components of memory without affecting attention at all.

There may also be individual differences in the magnitude and direction of competition’s effect on performance. Individual differences exist in a variety of domains, especially those involving motivation ( Duckworth et al., 2007 ; Maddi et al., 2012 ). For example, previous research has found that individual differences in normative goals—i.e., wanting to perform better than others ( Grant and Dweck, 2003 )—have been shown to predict performance on ostensibly difficult tasks ( Swanson and Tricomi, 2014 ), suggesting that individual differences may be at play when examining competition’s effect on effort, attention, and memory. Also, competition may affect elements of effort and elements of memory in different ways. For example, if competition does indeed have an effect on attention, competition could have a varying effect depending on attentional load. In accordance with the Yerkes and Dodson (1908) law, one might expect that competition may improve performance in situations requiring a low attention load, but not in learning environments requiring high attentional load.

Additionally, research has yet to examine the potential social stigma associated with competition, or in other words, whether being competitive is viewed as a negative personality trait. Moreover, previous research regarding illusory superiority has found that individuals tend to rate themselves as having significantly more positive personality traits than the rest of the population, including traits such as trustworthiness, honesty, good-humor, and patience ( Hoorens, 1995 ). Furthermore, previous research has found that the majority of individuals rate themselves as significantly less likely to act selfishly than the rest of the general population ( Pronin et al., 2002 ), as well as drive better ( Horswill et al., 2004 ) than the rest of the general population. Since individuals tend to have unrealistically positive reflections of themselves, participants may tend to rate themselves as having less competitive behaviors—if competitive behavior is viewed as a socially negative trait—in order to continue to view themselves in a positively-skewed light.

Experiment 1 examined the effect of social motivation on a physical effort task. Experiment 2 examined the effect that the presence of a competitor can have on working memory and long-term memory. We hoped to gain insight regarding competition’s effect on effort, attention, and memory, as well as individual differences in competitive performance and the likely possibility of a social desirability bias regarding competitive habits.

Experiment 1

Experiment 1 examined whether competition affects physical effort. Specifically, we wondered if competition would affect sustained effort on an isolated, simple physical task, or if competition affects some other mechanism necessary for successful performance regarding physical effort, such as attentional control. Le Bouc and Pessiglione (2013) found that, when participants believed they were competing, they increased physical effort, suggesting that social factors often increase motivation. However, research has yet to parse the mechanisms at play in social motivation and physical effort. For example, does competition increase effort at the attentional level, or does the presence of a competitor increase sustained effort over time? Previous research has suggested that reaction times (RTs) are indicative of an individual’s level of selective attention ( Eason et al., 1969 ; Stuss et al., 1989 ; Prinzmetal et al., 2005 ), while sustained press rates have been regularly implicated as a means for measuring sustained effort over time ( Maatsch et al., 1954 ; Treadway et al., 2009 ). We also wanted to examine the possibility of individual differences in physical effort in the presence of a competitor, and the possibility of gender differences in the saliency of social motivation.

Participants

One hundred and twenty-nine undergraduates from Rutgers University’s Newark campus participated in the study, which was approved by the Rutgers IRB. Participants received course credit for their participation, and were told upon arriving they would be eligible to earn $1–3 in bonus money in addition to course credit. Participants entered the lab and were introduced to a fellow “participant” they would later be interacting with—a same or opposite sex confederate. After obtaining written informed consent from the participant, the experimenter brought the confederate into a testing room and waited for about 5 min, the expected time for the confederate to complete the practice session of the task. Participants then completed a practice version of the task, the actual task, and a battery of surveys, including demographic information. After completing the surveys, participants were probed about whether or not they believed they were actually competing against another individual and if they believed the confederate was a real participant. Then, participants were debriefed about the confederate and real purpose of the task. Seven participants were removed for not believing the manipulation, and two participants were removed for failing to complete the task in its entirety. Analyses were thus performed on the remaining 120 participants.

Effort Bar Task

Participants completed an effort bar task in the form of a computerized carnival water gun game. Participants saw a fixation cross with a 3–7 s jitter, then were required to press the “x” key to move the effort bar (in this case, in the form of a “water tube”). If participants pressed the “x” key before the water tube appeared, the jitter reset. Participants were required to press between a randomly generated requirement of 5 and 30 times to fill the effort bar in order to win the trial. Participants had to press at an average rate of 150 ms to fill the tube with water in time to win the round, with an extra 350 ms to account for the expected first press time. This time amount was decided due to the results of a pilot study that found that participants had an average first press of 350 ms and press rate (excluding the first press) of one press per 150 ms. Titrating the task at this rate led to the expectation that participants would win an average of 50% of trials. We analyzed participants’ first press RTs as a measure of their attention to the task ( Eason et al., 1969 ; Stuss et al., 1989 ; Prinzmetal et al., 2005 ), as well as their sustained press rate over the span of the task, which provided us a measure of sustained effort ( Maatsch et al., 1954 ; Treadway et al., 2009 ).

“Self” condition

In the “self” condition, participants were told they were playing against the clock, and that if they could win 2/3 of the games (trials) played in this round, they would be granted $1 in addition to their course credit. There were 100 trials per condition (200 trials total). Participants were given immediate feedback after each trial as to whether they won, and were immediately told at the end of each self and each competition condition if they won the bonus money. Conditions were counterbalanced across participants to prevent order effects.

“Competition” condition

In the competition condition, participants were told they were playing against the other “participant” they met earlier (again, a confederate), and would be granted an additional $1 if they could beat their competitor in more of the games. At the end of each game, they were told whether they or the other player won the game, and were told who won the bonus at the end of each self and each competition condition. If participants won 2/3 of the games in a particular condition, they were granted the bonus. Each participant completed both conditions, and conditions were counterbalanced across participants to account for possible order effects. Task depiction is illustrated in Figure ​ Figure1 1 .

Experiment 1 task depiction. Participants saw a preparation screen (Slide 1) for 2 s, then a fixation jittered for 1.5–3 s (Slide 2). Participants pressed the x key repeatedly when they saw the effort bar appear; time was varied by the number of required presses (Slide 3). Participants were told if they filled the effort bar in time (Slide 4) and were given feedback regarding their performance (Slide 5).

We administered several surveys to investigate potential individual differences and their relationship to task performance.

Hypercompetitive Attitude Scale (HAS)

The HAS examines individual differences in general hypercompetitive attitude ( Ryckman et al., 1990 ). The HAS asks participants to reflect on habits and traits that may be associated with a competitive personality (e.g., “I can’t stand to lose an argument.”).

Personal Development Competitive Attitude Scale (PDCAS)

The PDCAS examines if individuals regard competition as a means of improving personal development ( Ryckman et al., 1996 ) The PDCAS reflects on preference for situations in which competition may improve their performance (e.g., “I enjoy competition because it gives me a chance to discover my abilities.”).

Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (SDS)

We included the SDS ( Crowne and Marlowe, 1960 ) to measure possible bias in responding, whether it be because participants have unrealistic representations of their own traits, or because of a desire to please the experimenter. This questionnaire examines the extent to which a subject may positively skew their survey responses to represent themselves in a positive manner, and requires a “true or false” response to items such as “I am always courteous, even to people who are disagreeable.” The SDS has been previously used to detect the tendency of participants to have unrealistically positive representations of their own traits ( Zerbe and Paulhus, 1987 ; Paulhus, 1991 ; DiMenichi and Richmond, 2015 ). Because Ryckman et al. (1990) found that HAS was also correlated with high aggression, we were unsure whether participants would be likely to admit the extent of their competitive natures. Furthermore, research has yet to examine whether or not individuals view competition as a negative personality trait, and a correlation with the HAS and SDS would suggest this.

Main analyses

A within-subjects t -test examined differences between the first-press RTs in the self condition and the first-press RTs in competition condition. A within-subjects t -test also examined differences between the sustained press-rates in the self condition and the sustained press-rates in the competition condition.

Individual differences analyses

Pearson correlations examined the relationship between trait competitive tendencies (HAS and PDCAS), first-press RTs, and sustained press-rates from the competition condition and the self condition. Pearson correlations also examined relationships between survey scores and scores on the SDS in order to examine possible biases in participants’ responding, as well as if competitive habits are viewed as a socially-negative trait. We used a Bonferroni corrected significance threshold of p = 0.017 (0.05/3 scales) and interpreted correlations with p -values between 0.018 and 0.05 with caution.

Gender differences analyses

Between-subjects t -tests examined gender differences in performance and on the survey measures (HAS, PDCAS, and SDS) used in our experiment. Two-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) also examined the effects of the factors gender and confederate gender on competitive first-press RT (first-press RT in the competition condition minus the first-press RT in the self condition) and competitive press rate (press rate in the competition condition minus the press rate in the self condition). Within-subject t -tests for each group individually also examined differences in performance across conditions (30 participants per group).

Results and Discussion

A paired-samples t -test revealed that participants’ first presses—i.e., immediate RTs on the task—were significantly faster in the competition condition ( M = 339.43 ms, SD = 72.96) than in the self condition [ M = 352.89, SD = 86.84; t (119) = –2.62, p = 0.010, Cohen’s d = 0.24], suggesting that participants demonstrated greater attentional focus on the task when they believed they were competing against another participant (Figure ​ (Figure2). 2 ). There were no other significant findings regarding press rate, score, and condition, suggesting that competition affected attentional focus on the task, but not sustained physical effort over time.

Results from Experiment 1. Participants’ first press reaction times (RTs) were significantly faster in the competition condition than the self condition. Error bars reflect standard errors of the means. *Significant at p < 0 .05.

Scores on the SDS were significantly negatively correlated with scores on the HAS ( r = –0.367, p < 0.001), suggesting that overt competition may be implicitly viewed as a negative personal quality by most individuals. There was no significant relationship between scores on the SDS and scores on the PDCAS, suggesting that the PDCAS may be immune to participants’ tendencies to paint themselves in a positively-skewed manner. Scores on the PDCAS were significantly correlated with faster RTs of the first press in competition condition ( r = –0.239, p = 0.008), suggesting that individuals who view competition as a means for personal development may have greater attentional focus in the presence of a competitor. However, there was no significant relationship between scores on the PDCAS and first press RT in the self condition, which is consistent with the idea that competitive personality traits should not affect performance in an environment with no competition.

Men also scored significantly higher on the PDCAS ( M = 51.59, SD = 9.65) than women [ M = 46.62, SD = 11.68; t (118) = 2.53, p = 0.012, Cohen’s d = 0.46], suggesting that men may view competition as a greater motivation for improving skills pertaining to personal development. Additionally, male participants demonstrated significantly faster first press RTs in the competition condition than female participants’ first press RTs in the competition condition [male M = 323.23, SD = 71.44; female M = 335.09, SD = 71.53; t (118) = –2.44, p = 0.016, Cohen’s d = 0.17] Furthermore, male participants also had faster sustained press rates in the competition condition ( M = 128.36, SD = 16.01) when compared to females participants’ press rates in the competition condition [ M = 138.26, SD = 11.98; t (118) = –3.84, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.70]. However, there were no significant gender differences involving first press RT in the self condition or press rate in the self condition. Furthermore, when examining male participants’ sustained press rate performance, there was no significant difference between press rate in the competition and self conditions. See Figure ​ Figure3 3 for gender difference results across conditions. A two-way ANOVA with the factors participant gender and confederate gender did not reveal a significant main effect of confederate gender [ F (3) = 0.48, p = 0.695] or interaction of gender by confederate gender [ F (42) = 0.63, p = 0.825 Cohen’s d = 0.08] on competitive first-press RTs. Also, a two-way ANOVA with the factors participant gender and confederate gender did not reveal a significant main effect of confederate gender [ F (3) = 0.75, p = 0.528] or interaction of gender by confederate gender [ F (42) = 1.25, p = 0.209, Cohen’s d = 0.10] on competitive press rate. Overall, these findings suggest that men were significantly more socially motivated in the presence of another competitor, at least in terms of attention in a physical effort task.

Gender differences from Experiment 1. Males had significantly faster first press reaction times and significantly faster press rates in the competition condition compared to female’s first press reaction times and press rates in the competition condition. However, there was no significant gender difference in the self condition. Error bars reflect standard errors of the means.

Our findings from Experiment 1 suggest that competition had an effect on participants’ attention to our task. We did not find a significant relationship between competition and sustained physical effort in our task, suggesting that competition may have a more cloudy relationship with physical effort than our task was able to provide. Furthermore, our results suggest that there are predictable individual differences in competition’s influence on attention, although reflection on these individual differences may be vulnerable to a bias of individuals to paint themselves in an overly positive light, whether implicitly or explicitly (e.g., due to task-demand characteristics or the presence of an experimenter). Also, our findings show that men’s attention on a physical effort task may be more influenced by the presence of a competitor than women’s.

Experiment 2

Because Experiment 1 found that competition increased attention, Experiment 2 examined whether the presence of a competitor enhanced working memory as well as memory retention, mechanisms that both rely heavily on attention. Specifically, we examined whether competition would inspire greater performance on a memory task and, if so, what mechanisms are responsible.

One hundred and twenty-four undergraduates from Rutgers University’s Newark campus participated in the study, which was approved by the Rutgers IRB. Participants received course credit for their participation, and were told upon arriving they would be eligible to earn $1–3 in bonus money in addition to course credit. Experiment 2 followed the same laboratory format as Experiment 1: upon entering the lab, participants were introduced to another “participant” they would later be interacting with—a same or opposite sex confederate. After obtaining written informed consent from the participant, the experimenter brought the confederate into a testing room and waited for about 5 min, the expected time for the confederate to complete the practice session of the task. Participants then completed a practice version of the task, the actual task, a surprise recall task, and a battery of surveys, including demographic information. After completing the surveys, participants were probed for task believability and debriefed about the confederate and real purpose of the task. Four participants were removed from the sample for not believing that the confederate was a participant. Analyses were performed on the remaining 120 participants (60 females).

Working Memory Task

Our working memory task was adapted from ( Redick et al., 2012 ). Participants decided if a matrix was symmetrical or not, and then were presented with a line drawing of an abnormal shape, along with a number (1 through 3). See Figure ​ Figure4 4 for task depiction. They were asked to memorize the association between the shape and the number. Novel shapes were taken from Endo et al.’s (2001) Novel Shape database. After three different matrices and shapes were shown, participants were shown a recall screen with the shapes from the trial, and asked to recall the numbers associated with the shapes they were just shown. Each condition contained 12 rounds with 18 novel shapes randomly assigned to each condition, and each round was shown twice because of a later recall task. Each participant completed both conditions, and shapes in the “self” condition were not repeated in the “competition” condition (and vice versa ). Conditions were counterbalanced across participants to prevent order effects, and shapes in each condition were counterbalanced across participants, in case shapes in one condition were somehow more difficult than shapes in another condition.

Experiment 2 task depiction. (A) Participants were shown a matrix for 2 s (Slide 1) and asked to decide if the shape was symmetrical (Slide 2). Participants were then shown a novel shape paired with a number (1, 2, or 3) for 2 s, and were asked to memorize this association (Slide 3). After three rounds (of Slides 1–3), participants were asked to recall the numbers associated with the shapes. (B) Subjects were given immediate feedback for 6 s regarding their performance on the previous round. In the self condition (left), subjects were informed about how many shapes they recalled correctly. After a 2 s delay, they also saw the number of symmetry errors they made on this trial, and the total percentage of symmetry problems answered correctly throughout the condition (top right corner—subjects were required to answer at least 85% of symmetry problems correctly in order to receive the monetary bonus). In the competition condition (right), subjects were also given feedback about the number of shapes their “opponent” remembered correctly—a randomly generated number from 0 to 3. After a 2 s delay, they were also given feedback about their symmetry performance.

In the self condition, participants were given feedback about their performance directly after the recall screen: they were told how many shapes they recalled correctly out of three, as well as how many symmetry problems they answered correctly. They were also given the running total percentage of correct symmetry problems for the entire condition. Participants viewed feedback for 6 s after each round, and were told that if they could remember a total average of 2/3 shapes across all rounds for this condition, they would be given a $1 bonus in addition to their course credit. They were also told that in order to receive the bonus, they were required to complete the task with a symmetry matrix accuracy of at least 85%. Inclusion of the symmetry task also allowed us to examine if effort on the task varied across conditions, since this section of the task did not have a memory component.

In the competition condition, after each recall screen, participants were given feedback about how many shapes they correctly recalled out of three, as well as feedback about their “competitor’s” performance. Competitor performance was randomly generated out of 3, and averaged out to be 2/3 across the entire condition, making the task goal equivalent across both the self and competition conditions. After a 2 s delay, participants were also given feedback about symmetry matrices errors for the round. This delay was issued in order to present the same amount of information across conditions, therefore making cognitive load on working memory more equal across conditions. Total recall viewing time was 6 s after each round. Participants were told if they could recall more associations than the other participant on the most rounds—as well have a symmetry matrix accuracy of at least 85%—they would get a $1 bonus at the end of the condition. Condition feedback is depicted in Figure ​ Figure1B 1B .

Recall task

In a surprise recall task that followed the working memory task, participants were again asked to recall each number associated with each shape. Shape order was randomized to prevent order effects.

A within-subjects t -test examined differences between the number of shapes remembered in the self condition and the number of shapes remembered in competition condition of the working memory task. A within-subjects t -test also examined whether there were differences in subsequent memory between the two conditions, i.e., whether there were differences between the number of shapes originally learned in the self condition and the number of shapes originally learned in the competition condition that were correctly recalled on the surprise recall posttest. To compare any differences in immediate attention across conditions, a within-subjects t -test examined RT to the first symmetry problem between the two conditions. We also subtracted each participant’s total number of shapes remembered during the self condition of the working memory task from their total number of shapes remembered during the competition condition of the working memory task, and deemed this score each participant’s “competitive performance score.” A positive number would indicate better performance on the competition condition of our task. We also repeated the process for post-test scores. A linear regression examined if competitive performance scores predicted competitive recall scores, in order to examine if recall scores on the post-test were the result of learning during the working memory task. If there was no significant relationship between competitive performance scores and competitive recall scores, we would assume that competition increased effort on our task, but not immediate long-term memory. Self scores were subtracted from competition scores in order to account for general memory ability on the task.

Pearson correlations (Bonferroni corrected for multiple comparisons, α = 0.017) examined the relationship between trait competitive tendencies (HAS and PDCAS) and working memory scores from the competition condition and self condition, as well as recall scores. Pearson correlations also examined relationships between survey scores and scores on the SDS in order to examine possible biases in participants’ responding, as well as if competitive habits are viewed as a socially-negative trait. A partial Pearson correlation also examined relationships between trait competitive tendencies and performance while controlling for scores on the SDS.

Between-subjects t -tests examined gender differences in performance, recall, and on the survey measures (HAS, PDCAS, and SDS) used in our experiment. Two-way ANOVAs also examined the effect of the factors gender and confederate gender on competitive performance and competitive recall scores. Furthermore, within-subject t -tests for each group individually examined differences in performance across conditions (30 participants per group). Partial Pearson correlations controlling for SDS also examined the relationship between trait competitive tendencies (HAS and PDCAS) and working memory scores from the competition condition, self condition, and recall conditions in order to examine if the presence of a same- or opposite-sex confederate is salient enough to override state tendencies.

A paired-samples t -test revealed that participants performed significantly better in the self condition ( M = 28.78, SD = 6.87) than the competition condition [ M = 26.72, SD = 6.24; t (119) = 3.85, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.31] during the working memory task. There was no significant difference between symmetry error rates across conditions, as well as no significant difference in RT to the first symmetry problem across conditions, suggesting that competition did not affect participants’ expended effort on the task, but specifically affected working memory performance. Furthermore, a paired-samples t -test revealed that participants later recalled more shapes on the post-test learned in the self condition ( M = 10.61, SD = 4.40) than in the competition condition [ M = 8.76, SD = 3.34; t (119) = 4.06, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.37]. A linear regression revealed that competitive performance scores significantly predicted competitive recall scores [β = 0.25, t (119) = 3.34, p = 0.005], and competitive performance scores also explained a significant proportion of variance in competitive recall post-test scores [ R 2 = 0.09, F (1,118) = 11.15, p = 0.001], suggesting that recall scores on the post-test were the result of learning during the working memory task. If there was not a significant relationship between competitive performance scores and competitive recall scores, we would assume that competition increased effort on our task, but not immediate long-term memory.

A Pearson correlation on our survey data revealed a marginally significantly positive association between scores on the PDCAS and performance in the competition condition ( r = 0.17, p = 0.061), but not in the self condition. Because scores on the SDS were again relatively high in our sample—participants answered an average of 55.25% of questions in a “socially desirable” manner—we conducted a partial correlation that revealed that, when controlling for SDS, PDCAS scores were marginally significantly associated with performance during the competition condition ( r = 0.18, p = 0.048). However, after adjusting for multiple comparisons, this finding was no longer significant.

As predicted, SDS scores were again significantly negatively correlated with scores on the HAS ( r = –0.367, p < 0.001), replicating our findings from Experiment 1 and again suggesting that our participants’ self-reflections of their own competitive habits may be skewed. Since HAS contains questions pertaining to direct competitive tendencies, overt competitiveness may be considered a negative personality trait by most individuals. Furthermore, although HAS scores were significantly associated with PDCAS scores ( r = 0.304, p < 0.001), PDCAS scores were not significantly associated with SDS scores, again suggesting that competition as a means for personal development may be viewed more positively than overt competitive behavior and beliefs.

Although the men in our sample again scored significantly higher on the PDCAS ( M = 56.03, SD = 13.26) than women [ M = 49.27, SD = 14.76; t (118) = 2.87, p = 0.005, Cohen’s d = 0.48], there were no significant differences regarding gender and task performance or recall. We also examined the results with respect to the gender of the confederates. A two-way ANOVA with the factors participant gender and confederate gender did not reveal a significant main effect of confederate gender [ F (3) = 1.48, p = 0.229] or an interaction of gender by confederate gender [ F (42) = 1.09, p = 0.735, Cohen’s d = 0.36] on competitive performance scores, nor did a two-way ANOVA with the factors participant gender and confederate gender reveal a significant main effect of confederate gender [ F (3) = 2.28, p = 0.088] or an interaction of gender by confederate gender [ F (42) = 1.73, p = 0.066, Cohen’s d = 0.45] on competitive recall scores. Furthermore, pair-wise t -tests revealed that neither men nor women who competed against male confederates showed any significant difference in self vs. competitive performance. Yet, male participants who competed against female confederates performed significantly worse [ t (29) = 3.54, p = 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.65] and female participants who competed against female confederates performed marginally significantly worse [females: t (29) = 1.91, p = 0.066, Cohen’s d = 0.35] while they believed they were competing than when they were not competing. Furthermore, both male and females participants who competed against female confederates later recalled significantly fewer shapes learned in the competition condition [males: t (29) = 3.38, p = 0.002, Cohen’s d = 0.62; females: t (29) = 3.00, p = 0.006, Cohen’s d = 0.55]. All groups contained equal n ’s of 30 participants in each group. Although one could suggest that a significant difference among participants who believed they were competing against females may have resulted because these participants were exerting less effort against female competitors, there were no significant group differences regarding symmetry errors, suggesting that effort on the task was equal across groups, while memory on the task was hindered in those participants who faced female competitors. Details regarding group differences are depicted in Figure ​ Figure5 5 .

Results of Experiment 2. (A) Participants remembered significantly more shapes during the task in the “self” condition than the “competition” condition. (B) Participants later recalled more shapes learned in the “self” condition than the “competition” condition. (C) “Competitive performance scores” (score on “self” condition subtracted from score on “competition” condition) significantly predicted “competitive recall scores” (shapes from the “self” condition successfully recalled on the post-test subtracted from shapes from the “competition” condition successfully recalled), suggesting that our working memory task produced significant immediate long-term learning. In this graph, a positive score signifies more competitive score. Error bars reflect standard errors of the means.

When controlling for social desirability bias, scores on the PDCAS were significantly positively correlated with performance in the competition condition (but not the self condition) for female participants who believed they were competing against female confederates ( r = 0.49, p = 0.009). This suggests that the more these participants viewed competition as a way to improve their skills, the better they performed in a competitive environment. However, given the small sample of female participants who competed against female confederates ( n = 30), this finding may be very speculative. Furthermore, although one would then expect the PDCAS to be correlated with the number of shapes recalled from the competition condition, this finding was not significant. However, competitive performance scores (score during self condition subtracted from the score during the competition condition) did not predict competitive recall scores for females who believed they were competing against other females, suggesting that, although competition may increase performance for individuals who prefer competition as a means of improving performance, competitive performance does not very often translate to an increase in immediate long-term memory.

Overall, our results suggest that competition hindered working memory performance and immediate long-term memory for most groups in our task. The finding that competition may hinder memory is surprising; one explanation for this finding could be that the presence of a competitor could invoke high anxiety among participants, and high levels of anxiety have been shown to decrease working ( Darke, 1988 ; Ashcraft and Kirk, 2001 ; Miller and Bichsel, 2004 ) and long-term memory ( Rosenfeld, 1978 ; Cassady, 2004 ; Miller and Bichsel, 2004 ). Specifically, research has found that adolescents raised in high normative goal environments report the highest rates of competitive anxiety ( White, 1998 ), which may lead to decrements in performance.

Perhaps even more unanticipated is that the finding that the presence of a female competitor, but not a male, was most likely to hinder performance on our memory task. An alternative explanation for this finding would be that participants exerted less effort on the task because of the presence of a female competitor. However, because there was no significant difference involving gender, competition condition, and symmetry errors, these results suggest that the presence of a female competitor is more likely to be hindering processes involved in working memory—and subsequently, the processes necessary for encoding, as evident by the results of our recall task. Furthermore, we found significant differences between conditions for participants who believed they were competing against female confederates, but there was no significant interaction of gender by confederate gender. This may suggest that all participants may have reduced performance in the competition condition in a similar fashion (see Figure ​ Figure6), 6 ), and therefore not produced an interaction of gender by confederate gender.

Gender differences in Experiment 2. Male and female participants performed worse in and recalled fewer shapes at post-test when they believed they were competing against female competitors. There were no significant differences for participants who believed they were competing again male competitors. Error bars reflect standard errors of the means.

Moreover, disparities in subjective reward could affect the memory processes required for learning, such as attention: succeeding in a competitive learning environment could feel subjectively more rewarding than succeeding in an individualist learning environment, and therefore distract participants’ attention, thereby disrupting working and long-term memory.

General Discussion

Competition, attention, and memory.

Our results support the notion that a competitive environment can affect memory and effort. In Experiment 1, we examined the effect of competition on attention and effort; we found that the presence of a competitor increased attention on a physical effort task. However, we did not find that competition increased sustained effort on our task—just as competition did not affect the effort portion of Experiment 2 (symmetry matrices). This result could have occurred for a number of reasons: first, since RTs tend to be viewed as an implicit marker of motivation ( Glaser and Knowles, 2008 ), perhaps competition affects effort on an implicit, rather than explicit, level, especially since our survey results suggest that participants tend to view overt competitive behavior as a negative trait. Second, perhaps competition is only salient enough to increase immediate attention in a laboratory setting, and not sustained physical effort on a task over time. More likely, however, competition may only affect performance on a physical effort task in an environment where competitors compete side-by-side, which did not occur in our task. Furthermore, Kilduff (2014) has found that competition tends to increase physical effort on a gross physical effort task (i.e., running a race). Nonetheless, the finding that competition may increase attention has crucial real-world applications for education and the workplace.

In Experiment 2, we examined the effects of the presence of a competitor on memory. Participants in our sample performed best on our working memory task in a non-competitive environment, and also learned more in a non-competitive environment, as demonstrated by their performance on a later recall test. These results could have occurred for a number of reasons. First, competition could be viewed as an anxiety-provoking threat for most participants: previous research has suggested that high levels of anxiety could have a negative effect on both working memory ability ( Darke, 1988 ; Ashcraft and Kirk, 2001 ; Miller and Bichsel, 2004 ; Owens et al., 2012 ) and on learning ( Rosenfeld, 1978 ; Cassady, 2004 ; Miller and Bichsel, 2004 ; Einsel and Turk, 2011 ). We would expect that, if participants viewed their competitor as a threat, this would indeed hinder performance, as was seen in our results. These findings were even stronger in our results regarding recall, suggesting that for most individuals, competition actually hinders memory. Furthermore, our sample consisted of students already at the undergraduate level of education, who may already be acclimated to cooperating with other students in academic settings (as opposed to competing). Since our sample consisted of U.S. undergraduate students—as opposed to students from a country such as Japan, in which competitive learning environments are common ( Heine et al., 2001 )—perhaps our participants were not adjusted to learning in a competitive environment. Competitive learning environments may have led to improvements in countries which have taught this way from an early age, suggesting that a competitive learning environment may be too novel for someone already at a higher level of education ( Sanders, 1987 ; Smith, 1992 ).

Although competition improved initial RT in Experiment 1, the presence of a competitor hindered both working memory and immediate long-term memory in Experiment 2. Since attention is likely to increase both working memory ( Awh et al., 2006 ; Berryhill et al., 2011 ) and learning ( Nissen and Bullemer, 1987 ; Cohen et al., 1990 ; Gottlieb, 2012 ), why did this finding occur? It is possible that the difficulty of the task was responsible for this paradox: Experiment 1 featured a simple, button press task that required minimal effort. However, the multi-faceted task from Experiment 2 required more effort to succeed, and since greater emotional arousal may hinder performance and motivation on a very difficult task ( Yerkes and Dodson, 1908 ; Watters et al., 1997 ; Diamond et al., 2007 ), it may be that the presence of a competitor was anxiety-provoking enough to hinder working memory performance and immediate long-term memory. In fact, previous research has found that RT tends to be faster after an increase in arousal, whereas executive tasks such as those necessary for successful working memory tend to benefit from a decrease in arousal ( Luft et al., 2009 ). Furthermore, since competitive performance scores significantly predicted competitive recall scores, it may be that anxiety affected memory at the encoding phase—as opposed to affecting retention or retrieval.

An alternative explanation lies in the reward literature, as previous research has found that receiving rewards for a task can sometimes hinder performance, learning, and memory ( Spence, 1970 ; McGraw and McCullers, 1974 ; Mobbs et al., 2009 ; Chib et al., 2012 ). Perhaps succeeding in a competitive learning environment was subjectively more rewarding than succeeding in an individualist setting, despite objective rewards remaining the same across conditions. If succeeding in a competitive learning environment is subjectively more rewarding than succeeding in an individualist setting, competition may be more likely to distract participants—similarly to “choking under pressure” ( Baumeister, 1984 ; Beilock and Carr, 2001 , 2005 ; Ramirez et al., 2013 ). This explanation may be why competition negatively affecting working memory and immediate long-term memory on our task. There also may individual differences in preferences for competitive learning environments. In future research, it would be valuable to discern participants’ preference for the competition condition, as this information may provide insight as to the possible distractibility of competition and memory.

Individual and Gender Differences

In Experiment 1, we found that the PDCAS predicted how competitive an individual was at an effort bar task. In Experiment 2, the PDCAS predicted how competitive an individual was in a memory task, although this finding did not remain significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. Competitiveness in a learning setting is likely to be contingent on more factors than can be grasped from one survey measure. Furthermore, we found that men scored significantly higher on the PDCAS, suggesting that men may value competition as a means for improving personal development more than women. Men also exhibited a more competitive performance in our physical effort task in Experiment 1, in line with recent research that suggests men tend to both prefer and perform better in competitive physical environments more so than women ( Gneezy et al., 2009 ; Niederle and Vesterlund, 2011 ). However, men did not outperform women in our repeated memory task in Experiment 2. Competition may affect performance on memory tasks differently than competition traditionally affects effort and attention. Furthermore, since previous studies [such as Gneezy et al. (2009) ] have typically utilized effort tasks to compare preference for competitive environments, future research studies may want to further examine gender differences in preference for competition in memory tasks specifically, since these are typically utilized in educational settings.

We also found high rates of social desirability in our sample, which was negatively correlated with the HAS—but not the PDCAS—suggesting that the PDCAS may be a superior survey measure when tapping an individual’s true trait competitive habits and preferences. Furthermore, because the HAS contains blatant questions regarding competition, its negative correlation with social desirability may suggest that competition may be viewed as a negative personality trait by most individuals.

In Experiment 2, we found significant differences in performance on a memory task when a participant believed they were competing against a female participant. However, this result was not the case in Experiment 1 in a physical effort task. Although some research has found that females tend to excel at tasks involving episodic memory ( Herlitz et al., 1997 ; Davis, 1999 ) and object identification memory tasks ( Voyer et al., 2007 ), which were strong skills necessary to succeed at the type of task used in Experiment 2, whether this gender advantage was known by our participants remains unknown. Research suggests that increased attention drawn to one’s own performance can result in performance decrements or “choking under pressure” ( Baumeister, 1984 ; Beilock and Carr, 2001 , 2005 ; Ramirez et al., 2013 ), so the presence of a female competitor may increase pressure in a learning environment if participants have had previous experience with an object identification memory tasks and a female rivals, such as in a classroom learning setting. Yet, it is unclear whether the performance differences we found among participants who believed they were competing against female competitors were due to increased pressure due to the presence of a female competitor, or the opposite view: that females did not appear to be strong opponents in a learning setting, so they did not cause their competitors to devote more attentional resources to the task. However, although we found significant differences between conditions for participants who believed they were competing against female confederates, there was no significant interaction of gender by confederate gender, suggesting that all participants may have reduced performance in the competition condition.

Limitations

It may be difficult to generalize our experiment to competition and memory in a real-world sense. Our task in Experiment 1 examined how social motivation’s effect on a simple physical effort task, but competition may affect gross physical effort (e.g., running, team sports, etc.) on a more complex level. Additionally, our task from Experiment 2 was a specific, short memory task that did not offer any realistic long-term gains. Future research should include a longer period before administering a recall task, as a longer delay before recall would more realistically illustrate how learning occurs in a classroom setting. Furthermore, although individual preferences in competition were obtained, individual differences in intrinsic vs. extrinsic reward preference were not accounted for, and an additional sum of a few dollars may not have been enough motivation for some individuals to increase performance. Future research should examine how competition may influence long-term memory in a true educational setting.

Because our study examined the effect of competition on memory in two tasks that also featured gains and losses, our findings may have been driven by the effect of gains and losses on attention and performance, moderated by the saliency of a competitor. Since previous research has suggested that losses can increase both attention and performance ( Yechiam and Hochman, 2013 ), future research studies should attempt to distinguish whether or not competition merely moderates this affect, especially since most competitive learning environments incorporate some type of gains and losses, such as in educational settings.

In sum, our research suggests that social motivation—specifically, competition—can have strong effects on attention and memory, although significant individual and gender differences exist. Competition in a physical effort setting may increase attention, while the presence of a competitor may have detrimental effects on memory and performance. These findings present strong implications for education, the workplace, and other real-world settings involving social interaction.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Zana J Hanini, Joe Melon, and Tanasia Hall for their help as experimenters. We would also like to thank Holly Sullivan Toole with design of the effort bar task, and James Bradley, Frank Nick, Ahmet Ceceli, Christina Bejjani, Samantha DePasque Swanson, Jamil Bhanji, Onaisa Rizki, Kiranmayee Kurimella, and Stuti Prajapati for their help as confederates. This work was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (BCS 1150708) awarded to ET.

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Pros and Cons of Competition Essay

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Introduction

Pros of competition, cons of competition, reference list.

As Geroski (p.1) argues, with the current situation of the corporate world and ever-changing trends in people’s lifestyles, the ability of a business or individuals to thrive well within a certain environment, depends on their ability to compete positively and effectively. That is, because competition is inevitable in all spheres of life, survival in the current competitive world depends on individuals’ survival strategies of defeating their opponents. For example, in any working scenario, managements judge employees’ work using their level of work proficiency and output. Employees’ performance levels depend primarily on their ability to maximize their potentials in order to have a competitive advantage over their fellow workers.

The same thing happens in business, competition being the primary determinant of a business’s ability to thrive and survive in a market full of producers or services providers with the same products. Further, even in learning institutions, the ability of a student to outshine others depends on one’s ability to compete effectively through maximization of their potentials and utilization of the available resources. Although this is the case, in uncontrolled scenarios, competition can be very detrimental to the performance level of individuals, because individuals are always ready to do anything and use whatever is at their disposal to achieve desired outcomes. Therefore, although competition has many advantages, which include increased productivity, improved quality of work output, meeting of deadlines, and increased profit margins, it has also many associated disadvantages, for example, it increases job stress, creates unhealthy competition, and it may kill teamwork spirit (Lewis, 1997, p.1).

Competition primarily involves peoples struggle to outshine their opponents in whatever they are doing be it in business, school, or work. In a healthy competing environment, individuals or organizations; whether they are tangible goods producers, for example, producers of pain killers, or service offering, for example, dental services, competition takes many forms. The most prevalent ways that organizations use to have a competent advantage over their opponents include, improving the quality of their products, varying prices, and adding innovative ideas to their products of services. One primary advantage of competition is increase production and general work output, which acts as a primary mechanism of controlling prices of essential goods. Achieving of success in any activity that one engages in is one of the primary goals of any individual.

Therefore, because the level of success depends on the amount of effort individuals put in whatever they are doing, in an endeavor to defeat opponents in the same industry, most individuals will use whatever is at their disposal to achieve their desired level of success. Through such efforts, people are able to stretch their potentials to higher levels of success, leading to increased production whereby, if such products or services meet the market demand, then likelihoods of increased profits are high. In life, nobody wants to be a failure or be associated with failure. Hence, to fit in the present competitive world, individuals have to put more effort in their daily endeavors, to meet and overcome any obstacles that they face everyday, making competition a primary motivational factor in any life endeavor (Lewis, 1997, p.1).

Going hand in hand with increased profits is increased product qualities, because of increased competition. Every producer of a good or provider of a service always aims to win buyers’ hearts and trust. To achieve this, producers and service providers have to improve their production process to meet the market standards or their buyer’s needs. Therefore, to meet such needs individuals have to formulate innovative ideas of improving the qualities of whatever they are offering, for this will define their level of success in the market. Production or offering of goods and services that do not meet consumer’s needs and, which are detrimental to consumers’ health may make an individual or organization tom loose its customers trust and loyalty; hence, leading to looses. On the other hand, in a learning or working scenario, because managements judge workers’ performance levels using their work output quality and level, through competition, workers are likely to enhance their working methodologies, in an endeavor to receive recognition and achieve success (Shukla, 2009, p.1).

In addition to increasing work output and quality of produced products, competition greatly boosts the formulation of new or innovative ideologies, depending on the prevailing conditions. Through vigorous and health competition, individuals will always struggle to formulate new production and marketing ideologies in an endeavor win a bigger segment of the market. Stiff and health competitions bring forth many working, learning, and production challenges, which in most cases, demand innovative ideologies necessary to counter such challenges. For innovational ideals to meet the challenges of competition, individuals must set boundaries, meet time deadlines, formulate new working strategies, and methods of ensuring they beat their competitors in the same fields. Hence, competition plays another crucial role of ensuring individuals do things in the desired manner and within set limits, as this defines the standards of judging their level of achievement (Singh, 2003, pp. 1-2).

Although competition has such advantages, sometimes in an endeavor to beat their opponents, most individuals or organizations may involve themselves in unhealthy practices hence, making the significance of competition questionable. One primary disadvantage of competition is creation of an unhealthy business, study, or working environment. The level competition in learning or working environments never takes into consideration the differences in people’s potentials. In addition to not considering personal abilities, the level of competition always favors well developed or resource endowed individuals or business in certain aspects of competition. For example, in any production process or service offering process, well developed or experienced practitioners of a certain field are more advantaged than new entrants into the field or production process; hence, making it hard for such new entrants to succeed. In addition, well-developed and experienced individuals have the expertise in their areas of specialization; hence, customers will always prefer them to new entrants, although the new entrants may be offering better goods and services (Philipose, Kamat, & Ananthanarayan, 2009, p.1).

Sometimes beating competitors can be one of the most stressing factors, as it requires formulation of new ideologies, pumping of more resources into any activity one engages in, and finding new methodologies of having control over an activity that one is doing or being the most successful. For example, in a learning scenario, for students to excel in their endeavors, although it is to their advantage, students have to spend extra time reading, consulting, and formulating appropriate strategies of defeating their opponents. The same is the case in business, as individuals have to find new methodologies, increase their work ratios, speed and proficiency, or formulate new working methodologies, necessary to enable them beat deadlines. In stressing working or learning environments likelihoods of individuals suffering work burnout and other health complications, associate with work stress, for example, ulcers are high (Ganster & Ivancevich, 1986, pp. 7-27).

In addition to making wok very stressful, unhealthy competitions negatively affects teamwork spirit or cooperation among individuals doing the same task. That is, because of human selfishness and egocentrism, most individuals working in a competing work scenario will rarely assist their co-workers or friends, although they may have the potential to do so. For example, because every individual may be struggling for managements to recognize and award them, rarely will such individuals cooperate in doing an act, or offering some requested help, as most individuals will never want their friends to excel than them (Lewis, 1997, p.1).

In conclusion, to curb the negative effects that may result due to unhealthy competition, and to ensure competition is beneficial to all participating individuals, it is of great significance for all competitors to create health competing environments. A health competing environment will guarantee formulation and implementation of innovative ideas, which are beneficial and not detrimental to all participating parties.

Ganster, D. C., & Ivancevich, J. m. (1986). Job stress: from theory to suggestions. London: Haworth Press. Web.

Gerowski, P. A. (2004). Is the competition policy worthy it? Web.

Lewis, M. B. (1997). Pros and cons of competitions. Web.

Philiposse, M., Kamat, V., & Ananthanarayan, R. (2009). The pros and cons of market Competition. Money Matters. Web.

Shukla, A. (2009). Competition at work place- advantages and disadvantages of competition . Web.

Singh, A. (2003). Emerging markets: the significance of competition and corporate governance for future economic growth. Web.

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Why Competition is Important For Your Success

May 01, 2023 5 min read

Developing a competitive mindset is a requirement for success in business and life.

A lot of you will hear me say this and roll your eyes.

Go ahead, but you won’t win with that attitude.

The world has winners, and the world has losers…

…and regardless of whether you like it or not, you have to compete in order to earn your wins.

If you don’t … the default is losing.

That’s the reality of how the world works.

I didn’t make it up … it just is what it is.

Instead of letting that be the reason as to why you never step out of your comfort zone to compete and win…

You need to embrace it and go all in on becoming someone who doesn’t only win…

But completely dominates everyone you’re in competition with.

Let’s talk about what that looks like, and how with the right approach to competition ... you can win and help the people around you win as well.

Where Has Competition Gone?

It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that society has become extremely soft.

Just take a look at how our youth is being raised.

They are brought up in such a way that by the time they are 18…

They are convinced that they are special, deserving, and are going to win without having to put in any real effort.

But what happens to these kids when they are actually released into the real world?

They get their faces smashed in.

That’s not their fault.

The real problem is the “everybody wins” mentality that’s made its way into our society.

If we actually want to raise a generation of excellent human beings … they need to know how to compete.

Look, I get it … nobody wants to get their feelings hurt.

But if we’re not teaching the future generation that the real world doesn’t give out participation trophies … isn’t that much worse for them long-term than protecting them from experiencing losses?

If we don’t start teaching the next generation the truth … the real truth … then we’re setting them up for failure.

When you take away the chance to win because everybody wins…

You undermine the motive to achieve and the drive to become great.

What we actually should be doing is teaching our kids how to learn and grow from their losses…

Not prevent them from losing at all.

Without teaching them this skill, you are creating an entire generation of adults that feel victimized by and disenfranchised with the world.

They need to learn about healthy competition…

They need to learn what it’s like to lose…

They need to learn how the real world works…

Otherwise, they will have zero chance at success.

Competition Drives Excellence

One of the biggest reasons why competition is so important is for this reason...

Competition drives excellence.

Use business as an example…

If there was only one shoe company in the world … what do you think would happen?

Do you think the company would have any need to make better, more affordable shoes?

Because if they’re the only shoe company … you HAVE TO buy shoes from them. Whether you’re happy with the price, style, fit, or function of the shoe is irrelevant.

You can either buy their shoes … or walk around bare foot. You’d have no other choice.

Side note: Monopolization is ILLEGAL in America for this reason.

Now consider this...

If you weren’t in competition with other people in order to put food on your table…

Would you even have a reason to improve yourself? Of course not.

Instead of becoming a great human being who contributes and provides a massive amount of value to others and the world…

You’d more than likely be fat, lazy, unmotivated, undisciplined, and ultimately unhappy with yourself and your life.

Competition is what drives the change necessary to make ourselves, and this world, better.

Competition is also a necessary element to become successful.

If you leverage it properly, it can help you reach your goals and build yourself and your life into something you truly want.

Here’s how…

1. Competition Will Help You Pursue Your Potential

I talk a lot about how I believe that success is the fulfillment of your true potential at all times…

…and while I understand that everybody has their own definition of success…

No matter what that may be … pursuing your potential will help you reach it.

Most people think of success strictly from a monetary standpoint, which is completely understandable.

If this is you … have you ever considered the fact that by pursuing your potential and becoming more skilled, you’ll be a more valuable asset to your company?

Because it’s the truth.

By acquiring more skills, improving upon your skill set, and applying those skills to your craft…

You bring more value to the table. Assuming you’re with a good company (or assuming the company you own/operate actually provides a valuable solution to your customers) ... the money you earn will be in direct correlation with the value you provide.

Don’t believe me?

Then who do you think earns more money…

The painter who leaves brush strokes, takes 10 hours, and gets paint on your furniture...

Or the painter who does an excellent job, takes half the time, and doesn’t get a single drop of paint anywhere?

You know the answer.

Competition requires that you pursue your potential.

It’s in the pursuit of your potential where you’ll be able to learn, grow, become more skilled, and eventually meet your definition of success.

2. Competition is Hard

Competition is not easy … and it’s not supposed to be either.

But through the hardship…

Through the struggle…

Through the pain…

Through the sweat…

Through the tears…

…and through the daily battle it takes to become great and compete at a high level…

You are developing skills that aren’t only important for your success … but required for your success.

These are skills such as confidence…

Self-belief…

Self-worth…

Persistence…

Mental toughness…

All of which can only be built and maintained by doing the hard work it takes to win.

These skills are actually so critical for your success that I designed a free program called 75 HARD that will help you build these skills.

You can learn more about the program here .

3. Competition Teaches You the Value of Losing

One of the most valuable things that competition teaches you is how important losing is for your success.

Let me explain…

Even though most people think of losing as this horrible thing to be avoided at all costs…

Your losses actually provide you with a lesson.

If you have the humility and self-awareness to find that lesson…

…and if you have the discipline to apply that lesson moving forward…

Your losses will help guide you toward your wins.

I’ve learned 1000x more from my losses than I’ve ever learned from my wins.

In order to become successful, knowing what not to do is just as important, if not more important, than knowing what to do.

Instead of allowing your losses to make you bitter…

Start seeing them as a necessary component to becoming successful, and an opportunity to learn and direct you toward your future wins.

If You Want To Become Successful … You Have to Compete

No matter what you’re trying to achieve…

You have to compete.

Looking for a relationship? You have to compete.

Looking for a promotion? You have to compete.

Looking for the gold medal? You have to compete.

Looking to build the best business in your industry? You have to compete .

It’s not something you can just opt out of.  You will be in competition no matter what, and choosing not to compete is choosing to lose.

But competition will help you grow into the person you want to become ... and help you build the life you want to build.

Quit avoiding it.

Start competing…

You won't regret it.

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• Competition: Toxic or Healthy?

Competition serves as a powerful driving force for some, but is the need to compete stifling our success?

American football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” This quote reflects the uber-competitive nature of American culture, where society sets people up to compete with each other. Everyone wants to win or be the best, and many go to great lengths to try to achieve this, but is it healthy? Is being competitive worth it, or do its cons outweigh its pros?

“Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” – Vince Lombardi

For many, competition serves as a powerful motivator. Competition is a form of extrinsic motivation, where external circumstances work as the driving force instead of motivation coming from within an individual. Competitions can be a useful tool to motivate those without strong internal motivation. Competition can also boost productivity. Since winning often means outperforming your opposition, people often work harder and longer to get an edge over their competition. Another positive aspect of competition is that it can inspire personal growth. In a competitive situation where people are given a goal to strive towards, they will work hard to reach it, learning and developing new skills. 

However, for some, competition leads to burnout and leaves them exhausted. Psychologist Alice Schluger, Ph.D . suggests that competition makes people constantly compare themselves and look to others for approval. This constant comparison and search for validation is unhealthy and can lead to a negative self-image and worsened self-esteem. Competition also may not be the best motivator. According to Sander van der Linden, Ph.D. , when competition is the main source of people’s motivation, they are no longer motivated when the competition ends. He describes a study where college students competed to reduce their energy consumption, and during the span of the competition, energy usage at the campus decreased significantly. However, when the competition ended, the energy usage almost immediately bounced back to where it had been before the competition. In short, relying on competition as a motivator often only causes superficial changes in behavior. 

The negative results of competition are often cited as reasons for eliminating competition, but it isn’t that simple. Yes, competition can push people too far and lead them to burn out, but it can also be utilized to create positive outcomes for those involved. Like many things, competition is good in moderation, and an emphasis should be placed on having healthy competition rather than no competition. Schluger suggests four tips that can help make competition healthier. 

Tips for Healthier Competition

Tip #1: Reflect on your insecurities and find ways to manage them

Those who reflect on their insecurities can examine how competitions may impact their self-image and can make informed decisions when deciding which competitions to participate in. 

Tip #2: Look at the progress made

It’s easy to get caught up in competition and forget the mountains summited and gains achieved. Looking at the progress one has already made can help alleviate some of the stress associated with competition and boost confidence.  

Tip #3: Focus on your strengths 

Focusing on one’s strengths rather than weaknesses can help competitors better focus on how to reach their goals.

Tip #4: Instead of trying to be the best, focus on doing the best

Turning competition on its head and trying one’s best can be a better source of motivation than trying to outperform others. This can also help improve self-esteem, eliminating the need to compare oneself to others. 

Competition will always be a part of life and business, so learning how to engage with it healthily is important. If competition becomes increasingly stressful or is negatively impacting mental health, perhaps it is time to take a step back, go through Schluger’s tips, and find a way forward that is healthy and productive.

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Debate: Is Competition good for kids?

Is competition a good, or a bad, thing f or children? It’s a subject that has divided opinion for years. Some argue that it encourages a child to excel in today’s fiercely competitive world where we compete for everything be it a job, a partner or a house. Others say it can destroy self-esteem and lead to resentment. Whatever your view, the jury’s still out. We sought a few words of wisdom from those who have had something to say on the subject …

Most of us were raised to believe that without competition we would all become fat, lazy, and mediocre. And I used to think that competition could be healthy and fun if we kept it in perspective. But there is no such thing as ‘healthy’ competition. In a competitive culture, a child is told that it isn’t enough to be good. He must triumph over others. But the more he competes, the more he needs to compete to feel good about himself. But winning doesn’t build character; it just lets a child gloat temporarily. By definition, not everyone can win a contest. If one child wins, another cannot. Competition leads children to envy winners, to dismiss losers. Co-operation, on the other hand, is marvelously successful at helping children to communicate effectively, to trust in others and to accept those who are different from themselves. Children feel better about themselves when they work with others instead of against them, and their self-esteem doesn’t depend on winning a spelling test or a Little League game. American Alfie Kohn, author of No Contest:The Case Against Competition

Sports’ competitions are bad for children if those taking part are expected to achieve more than they are capable of. We realised this and, as such, have changed the emphasis in club athletics nationally. New disciplines in the field of kids’ athletics have been designed that are especially adapted for children aged between 6 and 11. Priority is given to team competition with children taking part in a great variety of disciplines. All the children wishing to take part are allowed to do so and they all proudly go home after a formal ceremony equipped with a written document attesting their participation. Athletics competitions have always been popular with children. Children feel the need to compare their strength and skills to others. Since the beginning of this year we have strengthened that innate motivation by offering children new forms of competitions and disciplines that are even more attractive now, more challenging and thrilling. David Deister, project manager, German Athletics Federation

Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but co-operation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off. The late Franklin D. Roosevelt, former President of the United States

There are enough opportunities in life for children to have a disappointment and to learn to handle that. At our school we are helping them to get ready for all stages of life. We don’t need them to be losing while they’re children in our school. Elizabeth Morley, Principal of the Institute of Child Study Laboratory School, Toronto, Canada

Healthy competition inspires kids to do their best – not just good enough. When students compete they will become more inquisitive, research independently, and learn to work with others. They will strive to do more than is required. These abilities prepare children for future situations of all kinds. Whether it’s applying to college, seeking a promotion, or finding a cure for cancer, the ability to be competitive will give them an important edge. Jennifer Veale, founder and executive director of TrueCompetition.org

Competition can be a double-edged sword for kids, promoting positive values under the right conditions but creating negative environments that are demotivating under the wrong ones. Competition can be healthy when it provides feedback to kids about their performance and improvement, when winning is not the sole or primary objective, and when kids get to learn about themselves under challenging situations. Under these circumstances, competition can teach invaluable lessons our children do not typically learn in the classroom. Unfortunately, the frequent win-at-all costs mentality associated with many competitive endeavors can undermine children’s motivation and lead them to avoid or even disengage from activities they may otherwise enjoy. It is critical that coaches, educators, and parents work to teach kids these valuable lessons from competition. That way, win or lose, our children will learn, grow, and be better prepared for life, which (like competition) provides highlights, adversity, and continual opportunities to play well with others and treat opponents with dignity and respect. John Tauer, Men’s Head Basketball Coach, Professor of Psychology, University of St Thomas, Minnesota

Competition is good for children. It is quite normal for people to judge themselves against others, thus in that respect competition is quite healthy. In a supportive environment it can teach a child to accept failure without losing self-esteem. However, it becomes unhealthy when the competitor is forced to compete or feels that they have to compete in order to gain love or status within the family. Lyn Kendall, Gifted Child Consultant for British Mensa

Our national preoccupation with ‘safety first’ and prevailing climate of risk aversion is creating a generation of children who are ill prepared for a world that requires risk taking on a daily basis. Competition teaches critical thinking, decision-making and problem solving. Without those skills countries can’t compete in a global economy. Other proponents of competition in North America claim that competition enhances learning, physical fitness and deters juvenile delinquency. Sir Digby Jones, former UK Government Minister of State for UK Trade & Investmen t

We need to end the ‘all must have prizes’ culture and get children playing and enjoying competitive sports from a young age, linking them up with sports clubs so they can pursue their dreams. That’s why the new UK national curriculum now includes a requirement for primary schools to provide competitive sport. UK Prime Minister David Cameron

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The Grangemouth dispute

The Grangemouth complex, including the refining joint venture Petroineos, is one of the three largest sites in INEOS. It was built over 50 years ago to process oil and gas from the North Sea. video The site has not performed well since the 2008 crisis and has relied on funding from other businesses in INEOS Group, each year since, to survive. A total of £600m (€715 m) has been funded by Group in this period. There are two businesses on this complex and each one has its issues. Refining has suffered from a poor business environment in Europe since the crisis and low margins. It also has had poor reliability and high costs. At the heart of the second business on the site, Chemicals, lies the KG cracker which converts North Sea gases into olefins. These gases have declined rapidly in recent years such that now we can only operate at 50% rates. In addition, the cost base is much too high. Grangemouth (Chemicals and Refining) has been unable to address its high fixed cost base which has been crippling the business, because the resident union on site, Unite, would not sit down to discuss the seriousness of the situation. Pensions are a prime example of the uncompetitive position. A typical pension on our Grangemouth site costs 65% of salary. This is simply unaffordable. Salaries are double the national average in the UK. Any attempt to discuss this unsustainable position by the union was simply met with a ‘no’ and a threat of strike action. Unite threatened to strike 3 times in 2013, in February, in July and in September. The 2008 strike cost the business £120m and deprived Grangemouth of much needed investment in infrastructure. Following a ‘summer of discontent’ over the union convenor, Stevie Deans, who sadly had misused INEOS facilities and information together with mounting losses, we decided that either Grangemouth must accept change or closure. The only scenario for Chemicals that offered a bright future was to supplement the declining North Sea gases with US shale gas, which is both abundant and cheap. Transporting large quantities of gas however requires investment and infrastructure. It requires special ships and large import and export terminals that can handle liquefied gases at minus 100ºC. The total investment necessary to enable Grangemouth to bring in, and process, US shale gas, is in the order of £300m, of which £150m is required to build the import facility at Grangemouth itself. INEOS Capital agreed with management before the summer, that it was prepared to fund this ‘transformational’ project for Grangemouth, but only on condition that the business addressed its cost base including the unaffordable pensions and an overall wage package for operators of £100,000 per year (€120,000 or $160,000). Management constructed a ‘Survival Plan’ for Grangemouth that involved closure of the current pension scheme but replacement with a ‘best in class’ pension scheme, a pay freeze for 3 years and changes in redundancy terms and work flexibility. In return, INEOS agreed to invest £300m to import US gas. Unite continued to refuse to engage in any discussion on the ‘Survival Plan’ meaning that further losses were inevitable, and further more, that businesses elsewhere in the INEOS Group would have to continue to prop up Grangemouth. We asked employees to vote on the Survival plan but sadly the result was a split vote. After much internal discussion following this disappointing outcome, we had little option but to announce closure of the Chemical assets rather than sustain further losses. At the eleventh hour the union announced a reversal of its position and accepted the requirement for the changes needed to secure the funding of £300m. Looking back now the outcome was clearly a very positive one for the site. It means that Grangemouth has a future, and potentially a very good and long lived one at that. It is very regrettable however that the process took the path that it did. It caused distress to employees and families, and it wasted an immense amount of money, over €40,000,000. It was unnecessary and wasteful. Grangemouth needs to find a constructive way to have a dialogue between employees and management as we do in virtually all of our other sites, whether they are unionised or not. We have had two strikes in recent years at a cost of €200 million, years of aggressive confrontational dialogue with unions, multiple strike threats and heavy losses. The world is a changing place, business fortunes rise and fall. At times there will be need for change and there needs to be an effective forum to discuss this. I would ask employees at Grangemouth to consider how in the future they would like to be represented in an effective and constructive way, bearing in mind that both employee and employer benefit from a successful future for Grangemouth. JIM RATCLIFFE

Grangemouth

The Grangemouth oil refinery dispute took on a new turn in the autumn. After learning that the petrochemical plant in Falkirk, Scotland, will stay open following a deal struck with Unite, allegations emerged of a campaign of bullying and intimidation echoing the union militancy of the Seventies and Eighties. A senior manager at INEOS, the company that operates Grangemouth, claimed that the Unite union sent a mob of protesters to his home, leading him to fear for the safety of his wife and two young children. Meanwhile, the daughter of another director said that she had received a “wanted” poster criticising her father, at her home in Hampshire, hundreds of miles from the Grangemouth plant. David Cameron described the allegations as &nbsp;“quite shocking” and called on the Labour Party to investigate the claims about the union, which is its largest donor. Len McCluskey, Unite’s general secretary, defended the tactic as “legal and legitimate”, adding: &nbsp;“If a company director is engaged in what we believe is an unfair attack on workers and their families and their communities, then the idea that faceless directors can disappear to their leafy suburbs and get away with that type of action is something we think is wrong.” Here, Jim Ratcliffe, the chairman of INEOS, talks about how he took on the union, and what British industry can learn from a thriving Germany. INEOS chairman Jim Ratcliffe reflects on the Grangemouth dispute and union militancy Towards the end of 2005, INEOS acquired Innovene, the petrochemicals arm of BP, for $9 billion. It quadrupled the size of INEOS overnight and brought with it some of the world’s largest industrial sites. &nbsp;One of those was in Cologne, Germany. Three months later I visited the Cologne site, similar in size to Grangemouth but far more profitable, where I met the union convenor. His name was Siggi, he stood 6ft 4in tall and was known to represent employees robustly, but fairly. After 15 minutes of ‘get to know you’&nbsp;chat, he said: “Jim, I don’t like your bonus scheme.” Taken aback, I replied: “But why, Siggi? It’s a very generous bonus scheme.” He responded: “I would rather you spend the money on the plant, on capital expenditure, maintenance and painting so we can be sure there will be jobs for the employees’ children and their children.” There has never been a strike on that site, or a hint of one. The union, on behalf of employees and INEOS, share a common goal: a long-term, successful future. Employees retain good-quality jobs, and INEOS makes profitable returns and reinvests on the site. Sad to say, but invariably a chemical complex in Germany is in better condition and is more efficient than an equivalent one in the UK. And, equally regrettably, the German chemical industry has fared better than its British counterpart, which has experienced a number of closures in the North East and North West. The constructive dialogue that we encounter in Cologne has been lacking at the Grangemouth petrochemicals plant in Falkirk. &nbsp;&nbsp; Unions can play a valuable role in large organisations where it is difficult to talk to a thousand people. They can negotiate annual pay awards with management, represent grievance cases, and explain and advise &nbsp;&nbsp;on complicated changes in employment or pension law. However, in my view, they must understand that a business has to be profitable to survive, that the world is always changing, so firms have to adapt to remain competitive, and finally that their role is to safeguard the long-term employment of their members. On the Grangemouth site this year, Unite threatened a strike three times – in February, July and October. In February, the union demanded a pay rise of 3.9 per cent, a level that the business simply could not afford. We had no option but to accede, as the site was not prepared for a strike and it simply would have been too damaging. In late July, Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, telephoned the site personally and demanded the reinstatement of Stevie Deans – who had just been suspended following a discovery of thousands of Labour Party emails on our system – or he would “bring Grangemouth to a standstill”. Again, a strike would have been too damaging at that time. And then, in October, came the straw that broke the camel’s back. Unite declared a strike over the investigation of Stevie Deans but, critically and far more damaging, they refused to engage in discussions about the future of the site. Without change, Grangemouth would certainly fail. The business had been unable to adapt to a world that had moved on and become more efficient and competitive, because the union had kept a stranglehold on the plant. Each operator on the Falkirk site now costs close to £100,000 per annum, if one takes salary of £55,000 plus a pension contribution of £35,000, plus bonuses and National Insurance. This level of expense is simply unsustainable in our industry. It is misplaced for unions in Britain to think that we are the enemy. We are not. It is not necessary, nor appropriate, to sow dissent and misrepresent employees or constantly to threaten industrial action. It is wrong for “brothers and sisters” letters (this is how missives from the union to members on site are addressed) to describe doubters or anyone who deigns to cross the union as scabs. It also has the hallmarks of bullying. Not only is it wrong but it is also intimidating, and designed to suppress alternative views – an attitude that runs absolutely counter to the values of society today, in which freedom of speech is cherished. During the dispute, a female employee in accounting, who was worried by the union drumbeat, expressed concern about her job and confirmed that the business was in financial difficulty (she prepared the figures each month) in an email that she put out across the site. She received rude anonymous phone calls, with the phone being slammed down. This small incident was much discussed in INEOS. It upset many of us that a lady in our company, a mother of three, was unable to express her views and concerns freely. It played a part, ultimately, in our resolve not to accept a solution for the site that did not bring with it changes on many fronts, but most importantly, in attitude and working practices. The union issues on the Grangemouth site date back to the Seventies. Only three weeks ago, half a dozen friends and I were guided on rocky trails through the high Alps in Italy on mountain bikes. One participant, Tony Loftus, who had been the operations director for INEOS’s predecessor, Inspec, revealed in a discussion about the troubles at Grangemouth that his first job after a chemistry degree at Manchester University had been as a graduate trainee on the Grangemouth site in the early Seventies. He said, quite spontaneously: “When I was in Grangemouth, there were no problems, we didn’t have any strikes, and management did as they were told.” Little has changed since, and today the site struggles compared with its German counterparts. While unions did not play a part in my family life when I was being brought up, my early years were most certainly spent in a working-class community. My first 10 years were in Failsworth, a northern suburb of Manchester, close to Oldham. I recall being able to count more than 100 mill chimneys from my bedroom window – this is probably how I learnt to count. We lived in a small cul-de-sac called Boston Close, in what I remember as a very pleasant council house. It still exists today. I do recall my father telling me that when he was younger he had climbed every tree in Miles Platting, a neighbouring suburb where he was brought up. It was only many years later as a teenager that it dawned on me that there were no trees in Miles Platting. It is a far cry from the leafy suburbs of the Home Counties. These communities in Lancashire developed in the late 1700s. Workers migrated from the fields and sought new employment and opportunity in the Industrial Revolution that began in the heart of Lancashire. Britain invented the concept of manufacturing. I can clearly see in my family tree many of my ancestors moving from the fields of Derbyshire to Manchester. All signed their name with a cross. I undoubtedly have an affinity to manufacturing, as do many from this part of the country. I am a strong advocate for actually making things in a major economy like Britain. That is not to say I have anything against services. I do not. But I believe that a robust, balanced economy requires a healthy manufacturing sector. We spend a good portion of our income on goods of one sort or another, from washing machines to handbags (heaven knows why so many are required), and it is common sense that we are better off making some of these goods than importing them. Britain has suffered a collapse in its manufacturing base in the past 20 years. A typical economy splits three ways: agriculture, manufacturing and services. Agriculture is normally quite small, at less than 10 per cent; services is generally the largest sector; &nbsp;and manufacturing might be in the 20 per cent range, as is the case in Germany. Twenty years ago, Britain lagged behind Germany by a small margin, maybe 2 or 3 per cent. Today, Britain’s manufacturing sector is only half of Germany’s. The obvious questions are, why this collapse, and is it important? For me, it certainly is important. An over-dependence on services leads to a fragile economy. Germany emerged from the 2008/9 recession much more quickly and vigorously than Britain. Equally important is the geographic divide here. The Midlands and the North are much more heavily biased to manufacturing, and communities have suffered from high unemployment. London is clearly services-based, and very successful for it. But they are not the only game in town. I see some tendency in government, which sits in a ‘services environment’, that is to say in London, to believe that the future is all about the City and its love affair with financial services. We should take some lessons from Germany, where they have a strong attachment to their thriving manufacturing base and recognise its key role in a balanced economy. I see the rapid decline in manufacturing in Britain stemming from previous governments’ lack of recognition of its importance. Britain doesn’t have a knock-out sales pitch to attract manufacturers. INEOS has several sites in Britain, but they are not as profitable as our plants in Germany, Belgium and, particularly, the US. Britain has expensive energy, skills are not at the levels of other countries, pensions are expensive, and unions can be difficult. Historically, government was not switched on to manufacturing in Britain. In contrast, the USA has excellent skills, most of our sites there are non-unionised, energy is a fraction of the cost in Britain, and they have an enormous market. Germany is simply good at manufacturing – as we used to be. There is no reason that manufacturing should not revive in Britain. The present Government is becoming more attuned to its importance in maintaining a healthy economy. We should never forget that the Brits invented manufacturing. To return to my main theme – the unions and the headlines asking “Unions, good or bad?” – I maintain that Seventies-style union behaviour leads to ruin. By contrast, Siggi, the convenor in Germany I mentioned, is in the 21st century. He challenges, he tests, he shakes the tree and negotiates, but he always persuades INEOS to invest. A good union is good for employers – and for employees.

The tide turns

For years America had to watch as companies migrated overseas. For those companies, which chose to leave US shores, the grass was much, much greener on the other side of the world. Now they are coming back and America, thanks to shale gas, is at last reaping the benefits. After years of losing out to Asia and the Middle East, the tide is turning in America’s favour. But it’s not just turning. It’s now coming in so fast that the US is struggling to keep up with the number of chemical companies wanting to build new gas crackers, restart old ones or expand existing plants so that they can take advantage of the vast amounts of cheap natural gas either as a source of energy or as a vital raw materials used by the petrochemical industry to make plastics and solvents. And it’s all down to manpower. video “We are already seeing the difficulties because there are so many projects,” said Bob Learman, CEO of INEOS Oligomers, which is due to open a new world-scale linear alpha olefins plant on the Gulf Coast at the end of 2016. “There is a shortage of engineers coming out of colleges, but our immediate challenge is finding experienced people who can build and operate complex chemical plants.” Once built, our new plant is expected to increase INEOS Oligomers’ annual profits by about $100 million. INEOS’ expansion plans, though, are only part of the American dream. In August, IHS Chemical estimated that chemical companies were planning to invest $48 billion in new plants between now and 2017, rising to $68 billion between 2018 and 2030. “That is a 60% increase from 2010 which is staggering growth,” said Bob. “And what is driving all this investment is access to low-cost ethane for chemicals.” In short, the availability of low-cost ethane, a natural gas derived from shale gas, has revitalised the US chemical industry, and given it an advantage over many competitors around the world, which rely on naphtha, a more expensive, oil-based feedstock. “Shale gas has really changed everything,” said Dennis Seith, CEO at INEOS Olefins &amp; Polymers USA. “It’s been nothing short of phenomenal and the opportunities are continuing. “Lower cost feedstocks are driving increased margins and competitiveness for our domestic markets and we are seeing increased US demand.” INEOS Capital has set aside more than $300 million to buy pipelines, improve the infrastructure and expand its production of ethylene, a chemical that is used by manufacturers to seemingly make everything from soaps to paint to clothes to plastic bottles to cosmetics. A new unit to produce 500,000 tons of high-density polyethylene a year will also be built before the end of 2015. “INEOS Capital normally invests between $50 and $100 million in our business every year,” said Dennis. “So this is a big number.” The investment is expected to add about $250 million a year to the business’ bottom line. Dennis said all the investment was being driven by access to cheap ethane, which it used to produce ethylene. “These low-cost feedstocks have enabled our business to significantly increase profitability from levels that were at $300 million a year to more than $1 billion per year,” he said. That access to cheap raw materials, that advantage, that shift in fortune, that ‘game changer’ is seen as a threat to many outside America’s borders. Saudi Arabia, Russia and China are all believed to be concerned about America’s energy boom. For although many parts of the world are sitting on vast reserves of shale gas, only America has so far managed to commercialise production on a large scale. Europe, which is one of the most expensive places in the world to make petrochemicals, has the same breakthrough technology to unlock the natural gas trapped in shale rock, but is dithering over what to do about it. In the UK, where some drilling has taken place, there have been protests over fracking. “Fracking is a very contentious subject in America too,” said Bob. “In the more densely populated places where shale gas has recently been discovered – Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania – they are concerned about perceived negative environmental implications. “But there is not the aggressive opposition you see in Europe. It’s much more of a sensible, civilised debate and one that is on-going. “In the places, though, where there is a long history of drilling for oil and gas, people see the benefits and they support it.” In a recent PwC report on the potential impact of shale gas on US manufacturing, experts forecast that shale gas could create more than one million jobs by 2025 and allow US manufacturers to cut their raw materials and energy costs by as much as $11.6 billion a year. “That’s quite conceivable,” said Jim Cooper, a senior petrochemical adviser at American Fuel &amp; Petrochemical Manufacturers. “There are many reasons why all eyes are on America at the moment and it’s because of these two huge advantages – the price of energy and the price of raw materials. “Basically we have a lot of things in the right place at the right time.” It’s a far cry from those dark days during the 2008-2009 global downturn when the world’s lights went out. The American Chemistry Council said during that time an estimated 66,000 people lost their jobs in the chemical sector alone as demand for their products slumped. Construction – a key market for the US chemical industry – came to a virtual halt. Spending on cars, furniture and electrical appliances – major markets for the chemical industry - massively dropped as people tightened their belts. INEOS Oligomers, which makes hexane and octane to produce polyethylene, low toxicity drilling fluids and a significant amount of feedstock for high performance synthetic lubricants, saw a big drop in profits, but, due to its diverse range of products, ‘rebounded nicely’ after a tough two years. “Our profits almost tripled between 2009 and 2010,” said Bob. “They went from a low of $67 million during the recession to $187 million the following year.” INEOS Olefins &amp; Polymers USA, which makes a range of products including the resins for the global plastics manufacturing industry, also emerged stronger following the recession. “We had already done our restructuring and had been more focused on reducing our costs before the recession, so when the downturn ended, we were in a position for growth,” said Dennis. “Even in those dark days, though, there were opportunities. The silver lining for us was that we were able to recruit a lot of talented people. “Many people had retired from INEOS but we were able to replace them quickly with a lot of new talent as other companies cut back on staff. And they brought in new ideas.” Today the US chemical industry produces about 19% of the world’s chemical output, which is worth billions to the US economy. With shale gas, that figure is expected to rise. The shale gas boom has also led to an insatiable appetite among banks and individuals now keen to invest in chemical companies. With more than 50% of INEOS’ profits now coming from the US, it has also become a magnet for INEOS Capital’s investment. Between now and 2017, INEOS Capital plans to invest almost $400 million in its Oligomers business in the US where production costs are half what they are at its sister plant in Belgium in Europe. In addition to the new linear alpha olefin unit on the Gulf Coast, it also intends to increase its polyalphaolefin (PAO) production to satisfy the demand for high performance synthetic lubricants, which lower carbon emissions, improve fuel consumption and protect engines from wear and tear. PAO is also used as an industrial lubricant. “It is particularly in demand for wind turbines where high shear stability is critical,” said Bob. That investment alone is expected to boost INEOS’ profits by $20 million a year. “It’s really exciting,” said Bob. “Growth creates opportunities for people, and although the PAO plans won’t add a lot of jobs, the new LAO plant will create about 100 jobs. “INEOS Oligomers is already the world’s largest producer of polyalphaolefin and our investment plans will ensure we maintain that position.” The new linear alpha olefins plant, which can be expanded by 50% if needed, will be able to produce an extra 350,000 tons every year. Most of the extra capacity will be destined for the North American market to support the rapid expansion of polyethylene production and rapid demand for synthetic lubricants. Discussions are also taking place over whether INEOS, a company which grew through acquiring others’ unwanted assets, should invest billions in a gas cracker and an ethylene glycol unit. “That is something INEOS has never done before, and it would have been unheard of for any company to build a gas cracker in the US five or 10 years ago,” said Dennis. Before the shale gas boom, America relied heavily on imports of liquefied natural gas. In 2008, the US was so worried that it might run out of natural gas that Houston-based Cheniere Energy built five massive gas storage tanks in coastal Louisiana. “If you want to see what the natural gas revolution in America has wrought, there’s no better place than the Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas port,” said Forbes reporter Christopher Helman. “Those tanks are empty.” The reason is shale gas. Drillers finally discovered how to squeeze oil and gas out of rock once thought too difficult and too expensive to tap, and now America has so much gas they don’t know what to do with it. “Cheniere Energy is effectively now turning its gas import terminal into an export terminal,” said Christopher. Bob and Dennis are both full of praise for their European colleagues who spotted, then seized, the opportunity to strengthen their own competitive position as an ethylene producer In Europe – by importing cheap US-derived ethane for their European gas crackers. “They moved very quickly to secure a deal to export ethane to Norway,” said Dennis. INEOS Olefins &amp; Polymers in Norway will start importing up to 800,000 tons of US-derived ethane feedstock a year from 2015. “That’s going to be a game changer,” said Dennis. “Others will follow, but INEOS was first.” Meanwhile, if INEOS does decide to build a cracker, it could face another potential battle. “We would need several hundred people to run it and that’s a huge, daunting challenge for INEOS in itself because we are not a household name,” he said. “But we are making lots of progress and INCH magazine is playing a big part in raising our profile. “Our best selling point, though, is our own people because they want to work with other good people who share their vision.” Both Bob, who worked for The Dow Chemical Company for 20 years, and Dennis champion INEOS’ refreshing approach to business. “It’s not uncommon for an important decision to be made in 30 minutes,” said Bob. “There are no long-winded reports to be written or committee meetings. The process is extremely clear. We just have a good discussion.” He also praised INEOS Capital’s willingness to accept calculated risks. Graduates also enjoy the freedom to make a difference by being given a real job with real responsibility from their first day at work. “When I was a young engineering graduate I wanted to change the world but it was hard to do,” said Dennis. “If someone had given me the opportunity, like INEOS does, I would have thought that was a pretty attractive feature.”

Challenging times

Chemistry makes a world of difference to the world we live in. But can the European chemical industry, which directly contributes about €500 billion to the EU economy, convince its masters to listen to its concerns so that it can compete on the global stage? Only time will tell. But time is running out, as INEOS’ Tom Crotty explains. video Europe’s status in the world is under threat. Its petrochemical industry, which directly contributes €500 billion to the EU economy, today faces great challenges from outside and within. But neither should be life-threatening if the European Union sees sense in time, says Tom Crotty, INEOS Group Director. “Europe has a very clear choice,” he said. “Between a vicious circle of decline or a virtuous circle of improvement.” Whichever choice it makes will be determined by two things: the EU’s environmental policies to decarbonize the planet and whether it exploits its own resources to bring down the spiraling cost of energy. “Those are the two biggest issues facing the European Union,” said Tom. Europe is now one of the most expensive places in the world to make petrochemicals. The Middle East is marginally still the cheapest place – but, thanks to its exploitation of shale gas, America is catching up. “The EU has got a problem in that two of the major trading blocks that surround it are accessing much cheaper energy,” said Tom. And it shows. In France, INEOS’ Olefins &amp; Polymers business spends twice as much as America to produce a ton of ethylene. “The US business is our most profitable one and the European business scale-for-scale is probably our least profitable,” he said. Cefic, the Brussels-based Trade Association which is the voice of the chemical industry in Europe as a whole, believes the situation will get worse this year before it gets slightly better next year. “Cefic is forecasting modest growth of 1.5% next year,” said Tom, a Cefic board member. “It is modest growth, but it is real growth.” That growth will be driven by the production of high quality, innovative, high value, environmentally-sound products for markets that demand the best, not necessarily the cheapest. “If you are looking for a specific engineering plastic to make a key component for a brand new BMW, you are not going to go around and ask who’s cheapest, you are going to say: ‘Who’s best?’” That – so far – has safeguarded Europe’s chemical industry. “That is key to Europe’s future,” said Tom. “Without that protection Europe would be flooded by cheap chemical products. “But we must continue to make highly technical products that are difficult for competitors to copy.” One such product is made by INEOS. It specialises in making polymer that the French use for milk bottles. The plastic has to be able to stop chemicals seeping into the milk. “It is not something a big plant in the Middle East can copy or would want to copy because many of them are too big for that,” said Tom. But still, there is no margin for complacency. Cefic is currently urging the European Commission not to impose additional environmental regulations in isolation from the rest of the world. It warns if the EU pursues its 2050 environmental objectives and thereby drives up energy and carbon costs, it will undermine competitiveness and result in carbon leakage and a reduced level of investment in the European Union. “The EU needs to take stock of its environmental policy-making because increasing regulations are driving up prices and it’s having a huge impact,” said Tom. Cefic shares the European Commission’s objective to decarbonise the planet. What it does not agree on is how to achieve that. “Imposing environmental regulations, in isolation from the rest of the world, will cause European chemical production to cease because we won’t be able to afford it,” he said. “That won’t decarbonise the planet because those same products will still be used by Europe’s 350 million consumers. They will simply be imported from the likes of China where you’ll have the additional carbon from production and from transportation. “So you will have increased the amount of carbon and also lost jobs and wealth from the EU. “It makes more environmental and commercial sense to encourage European industries to do the right thing by using their technical expertise to create greener products,” he added. Tom said a ton of PVC currently made in China using energy generated from coal fired power stations, emitted seven times more CO2 than a ton of PVC made in the EU. And that was without taking into account the carbon needed to transport it. “It may be an extreme example,” he said. “But it is a real example.” So the question is: Is the EU listening? The European Commission’s Directorate-General Energy and Directorate-General Enterprise are, says Tom. But he’s not so sure about the Directorate- General Environment, which imposes the regulations. “Their message is that the EU must set an example to the world,” said Tom. “But the reality is the rest of the world is not following. Europe is running in front and the Americans are saying ‘See you later. We are not going to screw up our industry or our economy’.” Tom said carbon taxes would work only if they were imposed globally. “It’s right that the best way to encourage companies to do something different is to make what they do now too expensive, and that is what carbon tax does,” said Tom. “But everybody must do it. “If a tax on carbon is introduced in the EU alone, then nobody upon nobody will run their industrial operations in Europe. They will operate in China, the Middle East or America.” Cefic believes 9% growth is already needed just to bring European production back to where it was before the 2008-2009 downturn, which saw one of INEOS’ major competitors go bust. “We bounced back from the downturn because our reliance on the car and construction industries was much less than our competitors,” said Tom. “For us it was really painful but it wasn’t terminal.” Aside from the threat of carbon taxes, though, the chemical industry is also dismayed at the EU’s reluctance to unlock the natural gas trapped in shale rock and, in turn, help to lower production costs of energy for the industry and consumers in general. “You can keep driving down your own costs but you can only go so far and that’s when you get into the energy policy issue,” said Tom. “I know I sound like a broken record but it’s a huge issue for us.” INEOS’ ChlorVinyls plant in Runcorn in the North of England currently uses as much power as the neighbouring city of Liverpool. Cefic believes the European chemicals sector, which employs 1.2 million, will face tough competition again next year as it battles for growth from US producers who are benefiting from cheap energy and feedstock thanks to shale gas exploitation in America. So far, the UK is European Union’s best hope for cheaper energy. “There is no point in looking anywhere else in Europe at the moment because the opposition is too high,” said Tom. Despite protests in the UK – such as happened in July at Balcombe, West Sussex – the British Government does support the search for shale gas, and has promised to hand control over important, complex, technical planning issues to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency (EA) instead of local councilors. Cuadrilla is one of a dozen UK companies, which have licenses to drill for shale gas. INEOS – with a cracker at Grangemouth in Scotland that needs to find a long-term source of ethane gas to run it – is in talks with all of them. “Clearly we would get involved because we are a customer,” said Tom. “But the question is: Do we want to get even more involved?” “What we do know is that the North Sea ethane gas is virtually gone now and unless we find another source of gas we will be struggling to run the Grangemouth cracker after 2017,” said Tom. In October INEOS announced it planned to invest £300 million in a terminal at Grangemouth so it can import cheaper liquefied gas from America, after staff agreed to support the site’s Survival Plan. The Scottish Government has also indicated that it will provide a £9 million grant to help finance the terminal and the UK Government has given its pre-qualification approval for a £125 million loan guarantee facility, even if Scotland does vote to sever its 306-year-old ties with England in next year’s independence referendum. “We need all their support,” said Tom. Cracks start to appear in Europe America’s ability to produce chemicals cheaply is already having a huge knock-on effect. Worst affected is Europe’s chemical industry that uses mostly crude oil to produce the same products. In a report published by KPMG in October 2012, Mike Shannon, global head of chemicals and performance technologies, forecast that it might cause some economic disruption. “It may cause the shutdown of less lucrative assets – and possible countries blocking the flow of US exports to protect local production.” Arguably it has already started in Europe, which is now one of the most expensive places in the world to manufacture petrochemicals. In September, Total announced it planned to shut down a loss-making steam cracker in Carling, France. The naphtha cracker, which uses crude oil to make chemicals and has been struggling for the past five years, will close in 2015. It will come as no surprise to KPMG, which, in 2009, forecast that 14 of the 43 crackers in Europe would become uneconomical by 2015 due to stiff competition from the Middle East, Asia and America. Meanwhile, in America, with low-cost and abundant ethylene coupled with a slowdown in the growth of domestic demand, US companies are looking for expansion opportunities. The US is already a net exporter of ethylene derivatives and the volume is expected to increase significantly.

United Front

With Europe facing pressure from outside and within, it has never been more important for management and unions to work together to find solutions. INCH spoke to union representatives from Norway, Italy and Germany about what they believed INEOS needed to do to remain competitive and how they could help. They say marriages are made in heaven. That may well be the case for the defence. But anyone who is married knows they can also be fraught with difficulties. The key to survival is openness, honesty and fairness. Thomas Meiers, the union representative at INEOS Köln, says openness, honesty and fairness are equally as important in business too. “We work closely with INEOS and that’s a good thing,” he said. He said discussions were often intense but that was something INEOS actively encouraged. “Sometimes the discussions between us can get heated, but because we are allowed to be open, all of us can spot any potentially dangerous situations and deal with those potential problems at a very early stage,” he said. Those frank, on-going discussions, he said, meant the union and management could thrash out the best way to approach a particular issue, and find a solution that satisfied all. “Usually the outcome ensures both further economic successes and competitiveness for the company as well as decent working conditions and welfare for the workforce,” he said. And it seems to be working. The Köln site of INEOS Olefins &amp; Polymers is one of the most profitable in Europe. Thomas believes that INEOS’ flat management structure, the way it conducts its business and the fact that staff identify with the company and its aims, have all contributed to that. “Our approach to industrial relations at INEOS is so unique,” he said. “It’s also what makes us sustainable and successful.” Working together towards a common goal is also what motivates Wenche Jansen Tveitan, the union representative at INEOS’ Olefins &amp; Polymers plant in Norway. “Any workplace needs to have the staff on board if it wants to remain competitive,” she said. “And an open relationship, built on trust, is built through openness.” She said regular informal contact between the union reps and management had been the key to building that trust. “Any difference of opinion is brought to the table as soon as possible and not left until the next works’ council meeting,” she said. Management, she said, also used the union as a sounding board. “When that happens, the employees can play an active part and contribute to even better solutions in the end,” she said. That kind of approach is critical, especially in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing and competitive world. Many petrochemical companies are currently investing most of their money in the US rather than Europe because of America’s access to cheap feedstock and energy. With Europe now one of the most expensive places in the world to manufacture petrochemicals, Wenche believes the union can directly – and indirectly – ensure INEOS remains competitive. She said that was especially important in Norway where the cost of living is high. “Our site depends on good performance – all the time,” she said. “We do that by showing our investing in our site yields a good profit.” Wenche said the union was equally as concerned as management about energy prices and taxes – and had often lobbied the government and organisations to try to influence policies that might affect the smooth running of INEOS’ O&amp;P site in Rafnes. “The co-operation between management and unions is of great importance in this regard,” she said. “Together we’re stronger.” Wenche said the union had recently played an important role in setting up meetings with politicians. “We work constantly to show what challenges the land-based industry is facing and what should be done to solve these,” she said. “Together we have managed to get some tax relief and advantageous energy agreements which have improved our competitiveness.” She said the union had also played an important part when both the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and leader of the Standing Committee on Business and Industry visited Noretyl/O&amp;P in Norway. Tom Crotty, INEOS Group director said it was important for the unions to be working on solutions with management. “The relationship with the unions in Köln and Rafnes is fantastic,” he said. “They want to understand the business’ targets and they want to help both indirectly and directly. “They are quite prepared to talk about whether practices need to be changed but also indirectly in how they can put pressure on government and assist you.” Italy’s union representatives expressed similar views to their colleagues in Norway and Germany. “Close dialog and co-operation between the company and us is very important,” said Stefano Santini, union representative at INEOS’ O&amp;P site in Rosignano, Italy. “Over the years we have, together, built up a mutual confidence and trust due to the various commitments taken and then honoured.” In September Total announced it was planning to shut down a loss-making steam cracker in Carling, France. Patrick Pouyanné, President Refining &amp; Chemicals and member of the Executive Committee of Total, blamed growing international competition. “The European petrochemicals market is facing continued overcapacity,” he said. The cracker, which refines crude oil into chemical components to make plastics, is due to close in 2015. The announcement has worried INEOS staff at Rosignano. “The fear here is that this closure could potentially hit also the personnel working in the site of Saralbe,” said Stefano. He is worried – as are many – about the spiralling cost of energy and feedstock in Europe. “We need to work on the energy saving, especially reducing the energy waste by using equipment with low energy consumption,” he said. “We also need to review the energy contracts, and try to produce energy ourselves for the site, and invest in alternative energy sources like the ones coming from use of biomasses.” He said, from a union perspective, INEOS needed to invest in research to develop innovative products, which demanded technical and structural expertise. “We could also invest in finding easier ways to access raw materials,” he said Five things that will help the European chemical industry remain competitive: Cheaper energy:A policy shift towards reducing EU energy costs is seen as vital to drive innovation and investment, create jobs and growth and ultimately help to cut greenhouse gases. Better regulation:The EU’s chemical legislation, Reach, is already viewed as one of the most burdensome pieces of legislation in Europe. The chemical industry has so far complied with it and registered all chemical substances that are manufactured or imported in quantities of more than 100 tons per year. But there is more to come. Under ‘phase 3’ companies, which produce one to 100 tons per year, must register those substances. That will affect nearly every chemical company in the EU and all their customers. A Transatlantic Trade &amp; Investment Partnership:The proposed TTIP would see import duties scrapped on the €48 billion worth of chemicals traded in 2012 between America and Europe. Cefic would like to see all chemical tariffs eliminated, and hopes the negotiations, which are expected to be finalised in two years, will lead to greater regulatory transparency and co-operation. Retention of Key Enabling Technologies:KETs, as they are known, are seen as critical to re-energise the EU economy. At the moment, although Europe is a global leader in KETs research and development – with a global share in patent applications of more than 30% – it is not translating that research into the production of processes and products needed to stimulate growth and jobs. Protection of its trade secrets:The European Commission is being urged to ensure adequate systems are in place to ensure European innovation know-how is protected. Moving breakthrough ideas to market are viewed as the best way for EU industry to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive global race.

East looks to the west

China is entering a new and an exciting phase. It needs to continue to provide the chemical raw materials to help deliver growth and it needs to tackle the pollution that is choking its cities, by cutting its CO2 emissions. It cannot do it alone. It needs help from innovative, energy-efficient companies that have the technical expertise together with proven safety records. Companies like INEOS. The Chinese dragon &ndash; long seen as a symbol of power, strength and good fortune &ndash; has so far served its leaders well. It has witnessed the meteoric rise of China from a small, emerging market into the second biggest economy in the world &ndash; and it is even now snapping at America&rsquo;s heels. But that unprecedented, rapid growth, driven largely by exports and heavy manufacturing, has come at a huge cost to the environment, with China now emitting more CO2 gases than any other country in the world. The world&rsquo;s perception is that China cares little for the environment. But China&rsquo;s leaders are no longer willing to accept that. Their latest Five-Year Plan marks a dramatic turning point in their thinking. For years, China has been focused on exports. Now it is looking closer to home. Chinese Business are being actively encouraged to form partnerships with Western companies to help them improve energy efficiency and achieve growth, detailed in the plan. &ldquo;The seeds were sown in that Five-Year Plan,&rdquo; said Rob Nevin, CEO of INEOS Nitriles. &ldquo;The door is open for business.&rdquo; Earlier this year China formed joint ventures with two of INEOS&rsquo; world leading businesses. INEOS Nitriles and INEOS Phenol &ndash; to build the largest phenol facility in China and a world-scale acrylonitrile plant to satisfy the growing domestic demand for their petrochemical products. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s incredibly exciting,&rdquo; said Rob. &ldquo;China is the engine room for petrochemicals and chemicals in terms of demand. And it is the engine that will pull the world. &ldquo;For INEOS it is an opportunity for us to operate in the largest market in the world. &ldquo;We wanted to expand and INEOS&rsquo; market position and technological know-how meant we were the ideal choice.&rdquo; China was often referred to as a second planet earth. &ldquo;You have to go there to appreciate the scale of the place,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I have lived in the US but China is like nowhere else in the world.&rdquo; INEOS Phenol is the world&rsquo;s largest manufacturer of phenol and acetone. China is the world&rsquo;s fastest growing market for both chemicals, which are used to produce polycarbonate, plastics, phenolic resins, synthetic fibres, such as nylon, and solvents. INEOS Nitriles is the world&rsquo;s largest producer of acrylonitrile, which is the key ingredient to make carbon fibre, and China cannot get enough of it. Once both facilities are operational, INEOS Nitriles will be the only producer to have plants in each of the world&rsquo;s largest acrylonitrile markets and INEOS Phenol will be the only company to be producing acetone and phenol in Europe, America and Asia. &ldquo;It is the leading global producers in the world entering the largest global market,&rdquo; said Rob. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the perfect marriage.&rdquo; INEOS Phenol&rsquo;s joint venture with Sinopec Yangzi Petrochemical Company will lead to the creation of a 1.2 million ton cumene, phenol and acetone complex at Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park in Jiangsu Province. The plant, which will be capable of producing at least 400,000 tons of phenol and 250,000 tons of acetone every year, is due to start satisfying China&rsquo;s needs by the end of 2016. The new plant will also allow INEOS&rsquo; European and US plants to focus on growth in their own markets. &ldquo;This mutually beneficial partnership is an important development for INEOS Phenol and for INEOS in China,&rdquo; said Harry Deans, CEO of INEOS Phenol. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s also the largest capital investment ever undertaken by INEOS. &ldquo;Combining a strong, local partner like Sinopec YPC with our leading phenol technology and access to the market brings considerable value to our business and our customers.&rdquo; INEOS Nitriles has gone into business with state-owned Tianjin Bohai Chemical Industry Group Corporation. Together they plan to build and operate a world-scale acrylonitrile plant in Tianjin, which will be designed using the latest INEOS process and catalyst technology. &ldquo;We have not started building yet because we haven&rsquo;t finalised the details, but we have aspirations,&rdquo; said Rob. &ldquo;We are widely viewed as the industry safety leader and we intend to bring our very high standards to China. &ldquo;Safety performance is not great in China but they hope to learn from the way we do things, both in terms of personal safety and our processes. They want high Western standards.&rdquo; Joint ventures of this type and scale with foreign companies are what China&rsquo;s leaders want to help it tackle the problems of the past and create a more sustainable economy. Their clear, long-term vision to shift to a highly-efficient, low carbon economy &ndash; using advanced, manufacturing technology &ndash; is laid out in the China State Council&rsquo;s 12th Five-Year Plan. Under the plan, China&rsquo;s leaders promise to: Set new limits on energy consumption Clamp down on companies and industries that consume a lot of energy but produce very little Cut carbon emissions by up to 45% by the year 2020 Reduce China&rsquo;s reliance on fossil fuels, especially coal Invest in energy-saving technology, and Tackle pollution It&rsquo;s a challenge but China&rsquo;s leaders believe it is achievable. Rob, who worked for BP for 25 years, said the speed at which INEOS worked also appealed to the Chinese. &ldquo;INEOS is a slim, slick and easy company to work with and it&rsquo;s made a massive difference,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The contrast between BP and INEOS, in terms of getting something approved, is like night and day.&rdquo; He said once INEOS Nitriles had agreed on the right project, the right structure and the right location, the proposal was put to chairman Jim Ratcliffe who approved it. &ldquo;Sometimes things can be approved at a frightening speed,&rdquo; said Rob who has worked for INEOS for eight years. &ldquo;But then you have to deliver.&rdquo; That said, though, Rob explained that the Chinese approval processes had got more and more difficult over the years. &ldquo;Ten years ago you could have started building anywhere and faced a fine,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If you ignored that today, construction can be stopped. Today there is an unprecedented level of care and diligence for the environment and its people.&rdquo; And that, he said, was understandable. &ldquo;Pollution in China is something that touches people&rsquo;s lives,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In the major cities people wear face masks because it can be so bad.&rdquo; Air pollution is now the biggest cause of civil unrest in China, with The World Bank estimating that 16 of the world&rsquo;s 20 most polluted cities are within China&rsquo;s borders. The Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences said the number of protests over pollution in China had increased by about 29% every year since 1966. &ldquo;In 2011, the number of major environmental incidents, though, actually rose 120%,&rdquo; said the society&rsquo;s vice-chairman Yang Zhaofei. In September, the authorities in Beijing unveiled their own five-point plan to tackle pollution in the capital. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s new about this is the level of real determination and the level of detail,&rdquo; said Alvin Lin, China Climate and Energy Policy Director with the Natural Resources Defense Council in Beijing. &ldquo;There is a new resolve to do something serious about air pollution.&rdquo; The World Resources Institute said China and the US were currently to blame for 43% of global emissions. China&rsquo;s problem is that it relies so heavily on coal. &ldquo;Coal provides China with 70% of its energy and nearly 80% of its electricity,&rdquo; said Luke Schoen, who wrote a report for The World Resources Institute. Although it has vast domestic coal and gas resources, it has problems accessing it, so it increasingly relies on foreign imports. Its oil comes from the Middle East and Africa, its coal from Australia and Indonesia and its gas from Central Asia and Australia. &ldquo;China&rsquo;s leaders acknowledge that the country&rsquo;s dependence on carbon for energy is a problem,&rdquo; said Luke. &ldquo;And that growing dependency on foreign energy is a strategic concern among China&rsquo;s leaders.&rdquo; China has discovered huge areas of shale gas but &ndash; unlike USA &ndash; it does not yet have the breakthrough technology to access it. In the meantime, China&rsquo;s leaders are concentrating on maintaining growth whilst developing policies to cut carbon emissions and deploy more clean energy. &ldquo;China actually already invests more in renewables than any other nation,&rdquo; said Luke. In 2011 it invested $52 billion in renewable energy resources which rose to $67.7 billion last year, 50% more than the US. While other nations may view clean energy as a costly drag on economic growth, China does not. It believes its latest policies will help it to maintain its position as a major global player while tackling climate change &ndash; something that it believes poses a significant threat to its long-term prosperity. &ldquo;By its own estimates, China ascribed $50 billion in direct economic losses to natural disasters in 2011,&rdquo; said Luke. &ldquo;And one independent study estimated that that figure could increase to nearly $748 billion per year by 2030 if no action is taken.&rdquo;

Kids switch off and get switched on…

INEOS has never been one to run from a challenge. This one is no different. It wants to get kids running again and has launched a bold, new initiative that is doing just that. INEOS is hoping to inspire thousands of children to give the TV, the Internet, and video games a rest, and go out and have some fun. Chairman Jim Ratcliffe has turned his own passion for running into an initiative, which could, in turn, help to tackle one of the most serious global public health challenges facing the 21st century – child obesity. “It’s not rocket science,” he said. “We just want to get children out of the house. “Running is the basis of so many great sports so if our children catch the running bug early, they are more likely to stick to it. And that can only lead to them enjoying a more active and healthier lifestyle.” The first Go Run For Fun event – and it is one of scores planned throughout the UK – saw hundreds of children taking part in a mile-long run. And by the time you read this more than 10,000 children will have taken part. Former British hurdler Colin Jackson, an Olympic silver medalist, was in Newbury, London, to see them off. “Running is simple and kids do it naturally anyway so this is a great way for them to have fun with their mates,” he said. To ensure the campaign’s long-term success, though, INEOS is working with the people behind the iconic Great North Run to stage a series of small and large running events for children aged four to 11 all over the UK. By 2014, it is hoped more than 30,000 children will have taken part in one of the 70 planned Go Run For Fun events, rising to 50,000 – and 100 events – by 2016. “If this comes off – and I have no doubt that it will – it will be the biggest kids’ running initiative in the world,” said Brendan Foster, a former British Olympic long-distance runner who founded the BUPA Great North Run. “It’s also a fantastic legacy from London’s Olympic Games.” The role of Brendan and his team at Nova International will be contact Schools and Local Authorities to encourage children to take part in each event. “You cannot have a Great North Run without people so people will make this happen,” he said. “They will be the essential ingredient to the event’s longevity.” Initially, Brendan believes the INEOS fun runs will attract mostly kids who already enjoy running, and whose parents understand the mind, body and soul benefits of running – rather than those who class running as a chore. “We need to target the parents but where parents are difficult, it will be difficult to get those children involved initially,” he said. “That’s why we need to make the events appealing and inspire those who do take part. “Those kids will then inspire other kids to get involved. And parents will inspire other parents.” So why has this not been done before? “Good question,” said Brendan. “But who knows? “All I know is that we run the largest mass participation event in the UK and are happy encouraging people to participate,” he said. He said it was a combination of the right circumstances – Britain is still on a high after staging last year’s successful Olympic Games – and three like-minded people who wanted to make a difference. Those three people – Jim Ratcliffe, Brendan and Olympic gold medalist Sebastian Coe – met in London earlier this year. “It was INEOS’ inspiration, Jim’s idea,” said Brendan. “He had a very clear idea of what he wanted to happen and when. “It was a typically bold move. But Jim’s right and his approach is admirable.” Brendan said he was also delighted that the initiative had come, not from the government but, from the UK’s largest privately-owned manufacturing company. video The campaign is being launched in the UK, which has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in Europe, but it has been designed so that it can easily be rolled out across Europe and America. “We will have events in Switzerland, France Germany, Belgium and the US but the main focus is the UK at the moment where kids are less active,” said Jim. That sedentary lifestyle – coupled with eating too many fatty, sugary foods – has led to a huge increase in the number of children in the UK with obesity. But the UK is not alone. The World Health Organization said child obesity was now so widespread that it regarded it as one of the most serious global public health challenges facing the 21st century. “Our key objective is simply to inspire children to be active,” said Jim. “Young children like to run around. It’s in their DNA. But so often children are told to slow down and sit still. This campaign is about encouraging children to run again.” Many of the runs will be timed to coincide with existing major running events, such as the Great North Run, to allow children to experience the thrill of taking part in a mass participation event. The Great North Run, which was founded in 1981, is now the world’s largest and most popular half marathon for adults attracted over 55,000 entrants this year. Along side this; a record 6,000 children entered the 4km Junior Great North Run. Brendan and his team are excited at what can be achieved through INEOS’ Go Run For Fun events. “It is such a fantastic initiative because it’s all about young kids simply having fun outside and enjoying running,” he said. “It’s not difficult. We are not trying to put a man on the Moon. We are just trying to get as many kids running for fun as possible. “It can be a competition for those who want it to be, but the objective is to encourage kids to run for fun. “If they go for a run and enjoy it, they might then want to get more involved in the competitive stuff. And they will be the future Great North and London Marathon runners and you can bet that at least one of those 50,000 kids will be at the Olympics.” For INEOS, the rewards will come in seeing young children enjoying sport. “Go Run for Fun really does have just one aim,” said Jim. “And that’s to get kids running. “There isn’t really a link to our business apart from the fact that we are making the investment to get this program up and running. “We don’t have public shareholders to influence or products that consumers can buy. This is just about getting kids running and having fun.” For more information or if you would like to plan an event visit: www.gorunforfun.com

Best way to feel miles better

Running is one of the best ways to improve the mind, body and soul. It’s also easy. “You don’t need any equipment and you can do it anywhere,” said Dr Fred Wadsworth, a medical director at Corperformance, which has worked closely with INEOS in the past. He said the medical profession was finally realising that running was not just about burning calories. “There are lots of studies now which show that running is as useful as taking anti-depressants for moderate depression,” he said. One of the biggest misconceptions is that running damages your joints. “If you are fit and well, it actually protects you from arthritis,” said Fred. “The problems arise when you have existing injuries. The best thing you can do is make sure you don’t get overweight.” Fred said running was the best – and quickest – way to get fit. He went on to praise INEOS’ Go Run For Fun initiative to get Britain’s kids running again. “It’s a no brainer but governments haven’t set up a campaign like this so it’s down to companies like INEOS to act,” he said. But he believed the key to its long-term success would be to inspire parents. “The most powerful influence in a child’s life is what his or her parents do,” he said. “They copy what they see. “And they are unlikely to get involved if a parent says: ‘What are you doing that for?’” INEOS is hoping that those, who do get involved, will become keen runners and enjoy a healthier lifestyle. For the long-term benefits of running are now well researched and well documented. Running gives your heart and lungs a workout, it improves circulation and reduces the risk of a heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke. It also relieves stress, improves endurance, boosts your immune system, increases energy and helps you to maintain a healthy body weight. Studies have further shown that healthy adults who exercise regularly are generally happier than those who don’t, they sleep better and their brains are sharper. video

Is competition a good, or a bad, thing f or children? It’s a subject that has divided opinion for years. Some argue that it encourages a child to excel in today’s fiercely competitive world where we compete for everything be it a job, a partner or a house. Others say it can destroy self-esteem and lead to resentment. Whatever your view, the jury’s still out. We sought a few words of wisdom from those who have had something to say on the subject … Bad:&nbsp; Most of us were raised to believe that without competition we would all become fat, lazy, and mediocre. And I used to think that competition could be healthy and fun if we kept it in perspective. But there is no such thing as ‘healthy’ competition. In a competitive culture, a child is told that it isn’t enough to be good. He must triumph over others. But the more he competes, the more he needs to compete to feel good about himself. But winning doesn’t build character; it just lets a child gloat temporarily. By definition, not everyone can win a contest. If one child wins, another cannot. Competition leads children to envy winners, to dismiss losers. Co-operation, on the other hand, is marvelously successful at helping children to communicate effectively, to trust in others and to accept those who are different from themselves. Children feel better about themselves when they work with others instead of against them, and their self-esteem doesn’t depend on winning a spelling test or a Little League game.American Alfie Kohn, author of No Contest:The Case Against Competition Sports’ competitions are bad for children if those taking part are expected to achieve more than they are capable of. We realised this and, as such, have changed the emphasis in club athletics nationally. New disciplines in the field of kids’ athletics have been designed that are especially adapted for children aged between 6 and 11. Priority is given to team competition with children taking part in a great variety of disciplines. All the children wishing to take part are allowed to do so and they all proudly go home after a formal ceremony equipped with a written document attesting their participation. Athletics competitions have always been popular with children. Children feel the need to compare their strength and skills to others. Since the beginning of this year we have strengthened that innate motivation by offering children new forms of competitions and disciplines that are even more attractive now, more challenging and thrilling.David Deister, project manager, German Athletics Federation Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but co-operation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.The late Franklin D. Roosevelt, former President of the United States There are enough opportunities in life for children to have a disappointment and to learn to handle that. At our school we are helping them to get ready for all stages of life. We don’t need them to be losing while they’re children in our school.Elizabeth Morley, Principal of the Institute of Child Study Laboratory School, Toronto, Canada Good: Healthy competition inspires kids to do their best – not just good enough. When students compete they will become more inquisitive, research independently, and learn to work with others. They will strive to do more than is required. These abilities prepare children for future situations of all kinds. Whether it’s applying to college, seeking a promotion, or finding a cure for cancer, the ability to be competitive will give them an important edge.Jennifer Veale, founder and executive director of TrueCompetition.org Competition can be a double-edged sword for kids, promoting positive values under the right conditions but creating negative environments that are demotivating under the wrong ones. Competition can be healthy when it provides feedback to kids about their performance and improvement, when winning is not the sole or primary objective, and when kids get to learn about themselves under challenging situations. Under these circumstances, competition can teach invaluable lessons our children do not typically learn in the classroom. Unfortunately, the frequent win-at-all costs mentality associated with many competitive endeavors can undermine children’s motivation and lead them to avoid or even disengage from activities they may otherwise enjoy. It is critical that coaches, educators, and parents work to teach kids these valuable lessons from competition. That way, win or lose, our children will learn, grow, and be better prepared for life, which (like competition) provides highlights, adversity, and continual opportunities to play well with others and treat opponents with dignity and respect.John Tauer, Men’s Head Basketball Coach, Professor of Psychology, University of St Thomas, Minnesota Competition is good for children. It is quite normal for people to judge themselves against others, thus in that respect competition is quite healthy. In a supportive environment it can teach a child to accept failure without losing self-esteem. However, it becomes unhealthy when the competitor is forced to compete or feels that they have to compete in order to gain love or status within the family.Lyn Kendall, Gifted Child Consultant for British Mensa Our national preoccupation with ‘safety first’ and prevailing climate of risk aversion is creating a generation of children who are ill prepared for a world that requires risk taking on a daily basis. Competition teaches critical thinking, decision-making and problem solving. Without those skills countries can’t compete in a global economy. Other proponents of competition in North America claim that competition enhances learning, physical fitness and deters juvenile delinquency.Sir Digby Jones, former UK Government Minister of State for UK Trade &amp; Investment We need to end the ‘all must have prizes’ culture and get children playing and enjoying competitive sports from a young age, linking them up with sports clubs so they can pursue their dreams. That’s why the new UK national curriculum now includes a requirement for primary schools to provide competitive sport.UK Prime Minister David Cameron

Who dares, wins

This year is the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. In 1998, a 12-year-old Scout was listening to a talk about Everest. That boy was Rhys Jones who went on to climb Everest on his 20th birthday and, in doing so, set a record as the youngest person to scale the highest mountains in the world’s seven continents. Mount Everest is not for the faint-hearted. It is a hostile, unforgiving place. A place where, five miles up, death lives in the faces of frozen corpses that litter the route to the top. Apart from the lack of oxygen – high altitude can strip you of your senses – avalanches, rockslides, hurricane-force winds, shifting glaciers, blizzards, frostbite, pneumonia, exhaustion and freezing temperatures await climbers in the ‘death zone’. “It’s called the death zone and it’s even less fun than it sounds,” said climber Rhys Jones. “Taking the endless steps upwards in thin air is like swimming in glue. There’s ice inside the tents. It’s miserable. You have no appetite, you cannot rest properly and it’s brutally cold.” But he who dares, wins. And for Rhys, who had dreamed about climbing to the top of the world’s highest mountain since he was 12, all the pain would be worth those five minutes he would spend on the 29,035ft (8,850m) summit. “I heard a talk about Mount Everest when I was a Scout,” he said. “I didn’t really know anything about mountains until then. But I just decided I wanted to climb Everest one day and the rest of what happened was a result of working towards that goal.” The goal was not only to conquer Everest, but to become the youngest person to complete the Seven Summits Challenge by climbing the highest mountains in each of the world’s seven continents. Mount Everest would be the last of the seven, but first he needed to raise £30,000. “I had sent literally hundreds of letters to potential sponsors but had very little luck,” he said. “But then INEOS stepped in which effectively guaranteed I could do the climb.” INEOS chairman Jim Ratcliffe agreed to meet Rhys to discuss the planned expedition. “I had no idea what to expect when I met him,” said Rhys. “I remember turning up in my beaten up hatchback and wearing a suit. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.” The two chatted for an hour. “I got the impression nothing is lost on him and he seemed very engaged the whole time we were talking, which was impressive considering how much was probably going on,” said Rhys. “It was also a sign that he had good people working for him in that he could spend a big chunk of the day talking to me.” The face-to-face meeting resulted in a £30,000 sponsorship deal with INEOS. “It was a game changer,” said Rhys. With the money in his pocket – and an INEOS flag to plant at the summit – Rhys could now concentrate on the journey that lay ahead. In May 2006, Rhys, three other climbers, two guides and five Sherpas left Everest Base Camp. “We were the first team of the year to go for the summit so we had to fix rope all the way and break trail in the snow which was a test of character,” he said. “To this very day, that experience provides me with good perspective on what is difficult or not.” Fear, though, was something the team left behind. “To be successful, you can’t afford to have demons,” said Rhys. “Of course I had worries. There were some very close calls. I was nearly taken out twice by an avalanche. People do die on Everest, but I remember being very objective about it, and only scoring things as hit or miss. So long as they were all ‘misses’, I’d continue. “I just hoped I’d be lucky with the weather and not end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Had his carefully laid-out plans unraveled – and on Everest, they can unravel at breathtakingly terrifying speeds – Rhys would have turned back. No matter how close he was to the summit. “No mountain is worth my fingers or toes or my life,” he said. “I’d just go back again. The mountain isn’t going anywhere. Everest, sadly, seems to encourage intelligent people to take stupid risks.” Everest has so far claimed more than 200 lives and about 150 bodies have never been recovered. “You need an overriding mental toughness to climb Everest that stops you from ever turning around unless it’s too dangerous,” he said. “If it’s not, you just have to dig in and get on with it.” Rhys reached the summit, which was shrouded in cloud on May 17 2006 at 3pm after a final 16-hour climb. The relief was immense. “I was monumentally relieved to reach the top but I was also acutely aware of the fact that it was late and I had a very long descent ahead of me,” he said. “I just unrolled the INEOS flag, took off my oxygen mask, had a few photographs taken, said ‘thank god for that’ and went down.” Today Rhys runs his own business, RJ7 Expeditions, a company that operates from offices in four continents, helping others to plan trips of a lifetime. “It’s not in the same league as INEOS but we are growing aggressively,” he said with a smile. Lessons learned from climbing have helped him to shape the business. “There’s a lot of synergy between the two,” he said. “Managing a team in a high risk environment, achieving goals and being ambitious apply equally to both.” His also views risks in life as necessary. “A degree of risk is usually the key to achieving something,” he said. “The risks I take climbing are still sometimes a matter of life or death, the risks I take in business may be more financial. But I treat them both in a similar way, and focus on the facts, the likelihoods, the outcomes and then make a judgement.” He believes many businesses fail today due to poor management and lack of focus. “A poorly motivated team is a huge money pit yet it can cost relatively little to remedy,” he said. “A lack of clear focus is also a trap, as many companies try to grab what they can in the current climate, instead of sticking to what they’re good at.” Rhys is – and will always be – driven by his passion. “In all the years I have been climbing, I have never felt like I’ve conquered a mountain,” he said. “I just feel lucky to have enjoyed the climb and been able to stand on the summit for a few moments.”

The life-saver

INEOS is obsessive when it comes to safety. But when you work in a high-risk environment, you cannot afford to be complacent. Safety runs through the very heart of all that INEOS does. But INEOS-owned Norward AS exists for one reason alone. And that’s to save lives, as Øyvind Klæboe knows only too well. In August 2003 an Indian helicopter ferrying 25 offshore rig workers nose-dived into the sea, its blades still spinning. The crew, still strapped in their seats, died as the helicopter sank in seconds. Only two passengers survived. They escaped by swimming out of the rear clamshell doors, and were rescued. Both of them were also the only two to have undergone helicopter underwater escape training (HUET). Tragedies like that remind Øyvind Klæboe why the work his team at INEOS-owned Norward AS in Norway matters. They have been teaching offshore workers how to escape in the event of a helicopter ditching in the sea for the past seven years.&nbsp; video “There is absolutely no doubt about the value of HUET,” he said. “Can it mean the difference between life and death? Absolutely. “You literally have seconds to decide what to do in the event of a crash and, with training, you would have a much greater chance of survival.” Mechanical failure, pilot error and bad weather can all cause a helicopter to crash. A helicopter can fall out of the sky like a stone, spin horribly out of control or actually land quite gently. Whatever happens, the key to survival is to get out as quickly as possible.&nbsp; “You don’t know how long you have got before a helicopter turns over and sinks so your first priority is to get out of the chopper,” he said. “But then you can face a whole host of other challenges.” Those ‘other challenges’ can include adverse weather conditions, icy cold waters, rough seas, poor visibility, fire or petrol in the water. “You cannot say for certain what you will face but the course teaches people to be prepared for that uncertainty,” he said. It also gives them the confidence to face the unimaginable and stay calm. At Norward, instructors use a mock helicopter in a pool to demonstrate what will happen when a helicopter ditches in the sea and then, in all likelihood due to the fact that helicopters are top heavy, flips over. A wave machine, wind generator and lighting are all used to create different scenarios. “Basically we are able to recreate different situations under very controlled conditions,” said Øyvind. Helicopter crashes are thankfully rare but since 2006 all offshore personnel have to undergo HUET by law. “No one today can go off-shore without a ‘green card’. That means that HUET is mandatory to all employees and visitors,” said Øyvind. “In fact anyone who flies to an off-shore installation must have undergone the basic training.” During the eight-hour HUET course at Norward, workers are taught how to cope with both the physical and psychological stress of ditching in the sea. It’s the type of training that Øyvind hopes they will never need, but knows that, if they do need it, it will be the most important training they have ever had. INEOS acquired the Norward training facility when it bought Norway’s Norsk Hydro ASA’s polymers business in 2007. By then it had been transformed from a simple, in-house emergency response centre, affiliated to Norsk, into a successful business – with a five million Euro turnover – offering training to outside companies and members of the public. “Step by step Norward took up new challenges,” said Øyvind. “We ended up developing our own employees, improved in-house competence and penetrated new markets. “We now serve customers from the private market all over Norway.” One of their biggest customers is Statoil, which this year asked Norward to launch a new course to help its offshore workers learn how – among other things – to help a helicopter pilot land safely on an oil rig, and what to do in the event of an accident. Apart from the standard fire-fighting course modules, and first aid, Øyvind’s team also offers training in industrial safety, and how to tackle gas and chemical leaks. “Courses like these have industrial clients from all over Norway and Norward is one of the best suppliers,” said Øyvind. For more information visit: http://norward.no/

All power to Switzerland

The world needs chemistry now more than ever. Far from being a drain on society, the chemical industry is best placed to understand what needs to be done to create a sustainable world and, more importantly, it knows how to achieve it. So far 11 countries have signed up to SusChem Europe. Switzerland is next. And INEOS – a company that thrives on finding innovative solutions to challenging problems – is in the driving seat. The Fukushima nuclear disaster – triggered by an earthquake and a massive tsunami in Japan in March 2011 – sent shockwaves around the world. Germany shut down eight of its reactors, Italy voted overwhelmingly to keep their country nuclear free and Spain banned the construction of new reactors. There was a similar reaction in Switzerland, which actually was the first country in Europe to announce plans to phase out nuclear power in the wake of the crisis in Japan. In its place, the Federal Council and Parliament laid the foundations for a new strategy for Swiss energy to 2050. Initially Switzerland will have to rely on imported energy and electricity, which will increase its carbon footprint and presents a huge political and economic challenge. But that bold decision has also created a real opportunity – and incentive – for Switzerland to use energy more responsibly and upgrade the use of carbon – as a feedstock rather than a fuel. In November SusChem Switzerland will be launched at an Ecochem gathering of the world’s most influential industry and government leaders, scientists and innovators in Basel. And the timing of this INEOS-driven initiative could not be better. “INEOS has been one of the key companies behind SusChem Switzerland right from the start,” said Greet Van Eetvelde, chairman of SusChem Switzerland. Its aims will be to find ways of cutting carbon emissions, reducing energy consumption, managing resources effectively, handling waste and developing clean technologies. “Industrial symbiosis will be a key focus,” said Greet. “To make things happen, different industry sectors will need to find new ways of working together to build a shared vision for the future that benefits all.” Greet, who works for INEOS Europe, said process industry produced a lot of waste heat that could easily be re-used onsite, by other industries or even in neighbouring communities. “That’s the future,” she said. “And it is a win-win situation for all parties. One industry may have a question; another the answer. We will act as the glue in between.” Today INEOS works closely with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) to create energy integration and optimisation on the INEOS production sites. Last year INEOS also agreed to financially support innovative and entrepreneurial projects involving the EPFL researchers until 2022. Greet said, “She hoped the ‘INEOS Innogrant’ would support some fascinating laboratory research, especially in the field of green chemistry.” The first ‘INEOS Innogrant’ will be awarded at the SusChem conference to Imperix, a young company that has been tackling power grid stability. Energy production, management and storage, as well as CO2 capture and utilisation, will also be researched at the EPFL Valais Wallis campus in the Swiss canton of Valais. One study has been focusing on whether Switzerland could take advantage of its glaciers, which are melting at an alarming rate due to rising temperatures. When glaciers meet, new lakes are formed. But the study explored whether these natural reservoirs could in fact help to boost hydroelectric power production. So far 11 countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, currently have their own SusChem National Technology Platforms. Switzerland – thanks to a push from INEOS – will be the 12th. The Swiss initiative will be launched at the three-day Ecochem conference, which will see the brightest sparks from across the chemical industry and value chains gathered in one place with one aim: to speed up ‘green chemistry’. This network of national technology platforms are all linked to SusChem Europe – The European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry, which was launched as a joint initiative between The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) and others in 2004. Far from being a ‘talking shop’, it has become a force for good and is now formally recognised by the European Commission. Over the years SusChem has helped to develop advanced materials and process technologies that have led to a more efficient use of energy, feedstock and water. And It is now very much at the heart of the European Union’s growth strategy and also ‘Horizon 2020’, a new Research and Innovation Framework program due to be launched next year to tackle climate change, energy and food security, health and the ageing population. In short, the European Commission believes the European chemical industry has a pivotal role to play in creating a better future for us all. SusChem Switzerland will be building on SusChem Europe’s vision and mission to create an even more competitive and innovative Europe where sustainable chemistry provides solutions for future generations. “INEOS knows it can help,” said Greet. For INEOS, which moved its headquarters to Rolle in 2010, its involvement also gives the company a chance to play a bigger part in shaping Switzerland’s future, while at the same time increasing its own presence. Cefic said it was delighted at INEOS’ decision to become a key player in SusChem Switzerland. “Switzerland is an important manufacturing hub for Europe, both in base chemicals and fine chemicals for active ingredients for health and many more,” said Esther Agyeman-Budu, Cefic’s communication counsellor for research and innovation. “Companies, like INEOS, which has more ‘know how’ on the production side are needed to rejuvenate manufacturing. With our limited resources, we need to ensure that our resources are maximized, in terms of the value they bring to society.” For more information about the Ecochem conference, log on to www.ecochemex.com, or for SusChem, visit www.suschem.org

Climate of change

Some of the world’s leading chemical companies have challenged themselves to tackle a global problem to preserve the Earth’s natural resources. By 2030 INEOS, AGA, AkzoNobel, Borealis and Perstorp, the chemical cluster in Stenungsund, Sweden, want to be producing plastics and chemicals used for tubes, pipes, flooring, paints, cables, detergents, and many other applications, where possible, without fossil oil, coal or natural gas. For INEOS in Stenungsund, which relies solely on fossil fuels, it will be a tough challenge. But Lars Josefsson, Chairman of INEOS Sverige AB, says finding and switching to renewable fuels is vitally important, not only to Sweden but the rest of the world if it is to help reverse the effects of climate change. “It is a major challenge but we want to help build a future society where resources are used efficiently and all our products are recycled,” he said. “We want to use renewable resources to develop more sustainable products.” The chemical cluster with the five companies in Stenungsund, are viewed among the best in the world. As such, they have already secured significant funding since launching their vision – Sustainable Chemistry 2030. “If we succeed, it would mean a significant improvement towards the environment and the economic prosperity of our region,” said Lars. “We know that it’s possible but it cannot happen by itself. It requires many players to achieve it, including the collaboration with academia, politicians and other industries. We all need to work together.” And that’s what they have been doing since they outlined their vision. So far they have won funding from, among others, the European Union and several Swedish government agencies. Their vision to break their dependence on the Earth’s reserves of oil and gas, has also earned them the respect of the local community. Within 20 years, the five key companies believe Stenungsund will be the engine in Western Sweden’s economy, the hub for manufacturing of sustainable products within the chemical industry, and the place for companies with similar mindsets to thrive and develop. But the journey towards 2030 has arguably already started. Both INEOS and Borealis have been involved in pushing and supporting Stena Recycling’s plans to develop the technology to enable thousands of tons of cable plastics to be recycled and upgraded to new products yearly. The recycling started a couple of years ago and every year thousands of tons of plastics (PVC and PE) is successfully recycled. “That previously wasn’t possible due to the high content of metal in the material,” said Lars. Another example involves AkzoNobel, which invest a lot in research and development. One end – commercial – result is a water-based and effective dirt and grease remover, which now allows more than 97% of water to be re-used in car washes. Most of all new car washing stations in Sweden are built using this technology. “Energy is also very important,” said Lars. “And we have a project ongoing for energy saving. “A total site analysis study carried out by Chalmers University of Technology and funded by the Swedish energy agency is showing a big saving potential if we look at all the five companies together. “A second phase has now been started to find out how this potential can be realised.” The chemical cluster has also launched a project for increased plastic recycling from hospitals. “There is a lot of plastic used in hospitals including PVC,” said Lars. “We have now a consortium of partners, including the county of Stockholm and the west coast region of Sweden. In addition to INEOS other partners include Universities and Institutes of Sweden, Recycling Companies and PVC MedAlliance*. The aim is to establishing a sustainable management system for medical plastic waste through close collaboration between various stakeholders and field projects.” Another project is a joint program with leading Swedish paper and pulp companies to explore possibly sourcing renewable raw materials from forests. Sweden, which has the third largest paper and pulp industry in Europe, is in a unique position in that large swathes of the country are covered in forest. But with paper consumption decreasing, the industry is looking for new applications. The project, Forest-Chemistry, is supported by the Swedish government agency VINNOVA. Sustainable Chemistry 2030, meanwhile, has also won support from academic institutions such as Chalmers University of Technology, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, The University of Gothenburg, IVL, and Luleå/Umeå University among others. “Our vision, Sustainable Chemistry 2030, has increased the co-operation in the cluster and is a platform to communicate that chemistry is needed to move towards a bio-based society,” said Lars. “This will be very important when we also discuss other important issues with the politicians.” Lars said the year 2030 provides clear focus and maintains the pressure to achieve our target. “We think it’s possible to reach our goal,” he said. *Read more about PVC Med Alliance a www.pvcmed.org/

Ethylene terminal gives INEOS edge over rivals

INEOS Oxide has opened a new million tonne deep-sea terminal at its plant in Belgium so that it can access competitively-priced ethylene from around the world. Video CEO Hans Casier said it meant the Antwerp site would be able to compete successfully with the best in the world. The new terminal, which is at the heart of the second largest petrochemical region in the world, was officially opened by the Kris Peeters, the Minister-President of Flanders. “This new terminal gives a new strength to the petrochemical cluster in Antwerp, which for the past 50 years has brought skilled jobs and prosperity to Flanders,” he said. “This investment shows that INEOS sees a future in Antwerp and is a sign that the policy of Flanders is starting to bear fruit.” The terminal will be capable of unloading shipments of ethylene from the world’s largest ethylene vessels for INEOS’ European plants located at the Antwerp site and also those connected along the ARG pipeline, which links Antwerp to Köln and the Ruhr industrial areas. By connecting the terminal to INEOS Oxide in Antwerp and beyond, via the pipeline, to INEOS Oligomers LAO/PAO facility in Feluy Belgium, and INEOS Olefins &amp; Polymers in Lillo and Köln, INEOS will be able to supply a competitively-priced raw material to efficiently balance its requirements across many of its main European facilities.

Industry viewed in a new light

The French glimpsed industry in a different light this summer. Giant, illuminated images and photographs of people working at INEOS and Petroineos were beamed on to huge storage tanks, and big photographs of the Lavéra refinery were also displayed on buildings in Martigues and Port-de-Bouc. The occasion – dubbed Industrial Night – was part of European Capital of Culture Marseille-Provence’s tribute to its industrial heritage. The Lavéra site – including subsidiaries Appryl, Naphtachimie and Oxochimie – is normally closed to the public, but that too opened its doors. Martine Le Ster, from Petroineos Manufacturing France SAS, said more than 700 people took advantage of the special opening hours and enjoyed bus tours with full commentary from actors. Elsewhere plays and concerts were staged and other companies’ sites also welcomed streams of visitors.

Unipetrol puts faith in INEOS

The Czech Republic’s leading refinery and petrochemical group has chosen INEOS to help it develop its polyethylene business. Unipetrol has licensed INEOS Technologies’ Innovene S Process so it can manufacture medium density and high density polyethylene at its cracker complex in Litvinov. Unipetrol said the construction of the new polyethylene unit was a key investment project in its medium-term strategy. “We have chosen the newest technology, which will allow us to innovate our current product portfolio and satisfy most demanding requirements of our customers,” says Marek Świtajewski, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director. The technology will also improve production safety and reliability.

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Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “Healthy Competition” Complete English Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Healthy Competition

How would we know where we stand or how much we have learnt unless we compete? Competition is necessary to test our knowledge, our skills. The world is not a cocoon, quite the contrary; it is like the rough sea and everyone who is better than us is a predator. Competition builds character and it prepares us for the world outside. In life, you cannot be a winner every time and it is better to learn that at an early age.

Competition teaches you humility and grace. Competition teaches you that all days are not the same. Some days you will get glory and some days it will be your turn to bite the dust. Healthy competition is about competing and not so much about winning or losing. Winning and losing are results of it but one must never forget the important thing is to compete. Competition pits you against stronger players and you have the chance to learn something new. Sometimes you could be the person teaching someone something new. Healthy competition is that competition where the competitors are there just to test their skills against each other. Healthy competition leads to children learning to respect each other’s talents and strong points. It makes the children want to perform better.

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2024 Mental Health Essay Contest Awardee: Gold

Tenacity Through Tumultuousness

Max, california.

For as long as I can remember, pockmarks and scars littered my body: irreparable symptoms from an invisible illness named major depressive disorder. Seemingly paradoxical, I owe my resilience to this battle with suicidality and self-harm; It is through these experiences that I connect, uplift, and challenge my community to shape a society that functions for us: a dream I strive to continue feeding.

At the age of 14, my entanglement with depression officially acquired a name. All it took was: hospitalization, IVs, six blood draws, and middle-of-the-night visits from the head doctor. My survival leads me to vouch for the validity of other teens’ mental healths – regardless of the severity or attached medical bills. On the cusp of adolescence, the only route for me to circumnavigate the stigmatization behind a diagnosis was to commit to the unthinkable–a route no one should feel forced to take. This goes to say that no matter the struggle, mental health is utterly vital to wellbeing: especially for teenagers. Yes, puberty is a difficult time, but that doesn’t negate the importance of equipping youth with the resources and courage to ask for help before it becomes too late. For me, I proudly tell my story so others can tell theirs. Baring my own healed scars, I hope others will soon, too, recognize the beauty in life’s hardships and complexities.

To uplift students like myself, I proudly serve my school district’s superintendent advisory board – a platform I utilize to advocate for my peers as well as spearhead Seity Health, an app Garden Grove Unified pilots to amplify student mental health support. With modern technology, the app layout is convenient to access via daily check-ins. However, I aim to encourage direct teacher mediation and training so our educators can better address the needs of their students firsthand. I’ve recognized my voice is crucial, empowering me to propose these ideas to the Superintendent. Through my own transparency and advocacy, I’ve encouraged students to take the leap of faith for support while ensuring adequate measures are implemented. Mental health was never a conversation for the shadows, and it’s my job as a survivor to bring its realities and resources to life.

Taking away from my past, I’ve utilized my experience to connect with similar folks to actualize change. Notably, my participation with nonprofit OCAPICA during their voter registration canvassing campaign specifically targeted the needs of community members. Over several weeks, I engaged in robust conversations with fellow neighbors door-to-door with questions such as, “Are you aware of the mental health services nearby?” and “Do you feel adequately supported?”. It was my own journey that allowed me to authentically relate to the marginalized neighborhoods in my area, opening dialogues that are essential to the functioning of support systems like OCAPICA. Compassion drives the community: through my own experience as a youth facing mental health struggle, I’ve propelled a deeper connection amongst my community through policy work and honesty.

All in all, my mental illness led me to a vital insight: in order to create future leaders, our current role models must remain cognizant of the challenges that threaten to uproot our youth.

The problem here is not mental illness; the problem here is stigmatization, lack of resources, and reduced emotional capacity that envelope already struggling adolescents. This generation’s ability to succeed is not hindered by our mental health: it is directly due to our perseverance in the face of this struggle that we become leaders.

NIH recognizes these talented essay winners for their thoughtfulness and creativity in addressing youth mental health. These essays are written in the students' own words, are unedited, and do not necessarily represent the views of NIH, HHS, or the federal government.

Page published May 31, 2024

May 2024: NIH Announces Winners of High School Mental Health Essay Contest

Dec. 2023: High School Students Invited to Reflect on Mental Health Stigma in National Essay Contest

National Institute of Mental Health

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

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Item of Interest: NIH launches prize competition to improve health equity for people with disabilities

The National Institutes of Health is offering up to $485,000 in cash prizes to encourage community-based organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce health disparities experienced by people with disabilities. Organizations participating in the Community Champions for Disability Health Challenge also will receive training and mentoring opportunities. NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is leading the challenge.

“People with disabilities often experience preventable health disparities, many of which result from systemic factors, not the disabling condition,” said Theresa Cruz, Ph.D., director of the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research at NICHD. “This challenge seeks effective, sustainable, and community-led solutions to reduce these disparities and promote health equity for people with disabilities.”

More than 70 million people in the United States have one or more type of disability. Compared to people without disabilities, those with disabilities are more likely to experience chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. People with disabilities also are less likely to be up to date on preventive health care and have less access to exercise equipment and adequate nutrition. They often face barriers to accessing care, including inaccessible medical facilities and equipment, lack of transportation to medical appointments, and communication barriers with health care providers.

The two-phase Community Champions for Disability Health Challenge seeks creative ideas to promote healthy habits for people with disabilities, increase their access to health services and information, and reduce barriers to promoting health. The challenge is open to non-academic, 501(c)(3) organizations based in the United States, including advocacy, community, and faith-based organizations. Teams must describe how people with lived experience of disability will be part of their solutions.

In the first phase, organizations will submit innovative proposals to reduce health disparities by improving, expanding, diversifying, or amplifying their current programs and offerings for people with disabilities. Submissions to Phase 1 are due November 1, 2024. Up to eight organizations will each be awarded $25,000 and be invited to advance to Phase 2.

Organizations participating in Phase 2 will have one year to implement their proposal and demonstrate how they have enhanced the services and output of their organization. Halfway through this phase, they will have the opportunity to compete for an interim prize of $7,500 each. Throughout Phase 2, they will receive training and mentorship from experts at NIH and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), part of the Administration for Community Living. NICHD expects to announce up to three grand prize winners, each of whom will receive $75,000, in February 2026.

HeroX is supporting the design, implementation, and management of the challenge on behalf of NIH through a multi-award contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Additional funders of the challenge include NIDILRR and the following NIH components: National Eye Institute; National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; and Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives within the NIH Office of the Director.

For more information on entry requirements, deadlines, and rules, visit https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=community-disability-health .