Nutrition and Milk Essay

Babies have very specific nutritional needs to be able to develop through the first stages of life healthily. They require milk that is high in protein for the essential amino acids to aid growth. The milk must also have a high fat content to support the quick growth rate of babies. They also require a combination of vitamins and minerals; Iron, for growth and healthy blood Zinc, for enzymes and immune function Calcium, for healthy teeth and bones Vitamin D, for calcium and phosphorous absorption to support healthy teeth and bones Vitamin A, for vision. Vitamin C, for healthy connective tissue, antioxidant protection and iron absorption Fluid is also very important for babies as the kidney and other organs are not developed enough at birth to function fully. The Department of Health recommends that babies are breast fed for the first 6 months before any solid foods are slowly and individually introduced. Breast milk is the best nutrition for babies for several reasons. It carries the mother’s antibodies helping the baby’s immunity from disease and infection. The milk will be tailor made for the babies particular nutritional needs and will change according to the baby’s changing needs. It is easier for a baby to digest than any other type of milk. It will be sterile and at the right temperature. At about six months old, when a baby can sit up and hold its head steady, solid food can be slowly introduced in stages in addition to the baby’s milk. The first stage would be to give very soft food for example, pureed fruit or vegetables, baby rice or porridge or plain dhal. Finger food may also be introduced, such as bread crusts or soft fruit. This is more for the baby to practice the motions of eating and to start using the relevant muscles, than for nutritional value. It is important to introduce foods individually in case the child has an allergic reaction to something. This allergen can be identified more easily if it is a new food. CYPOP2-5. 1 The second stage at about 8 months old starts to expand on the variety of foods and textures. It is important to add foods with soft lumps to encourage the use of muscles in the mouth. This is early preparation for speech. Foods may be introduced such as meat, fish and eggs. Harder finger food such as raw vegetables can help with teething and exercise the jaws and chewing muscles. The third stage of weaning at about 10 months children can start to eat the same sort of foods as the rest of the family. Meals can be chopped or minced and finger foods such as toast and biscuits can be given. It is important that children under one year old still continue to have some form of milk in their diet. They also need plenty of other fluid. Water and some cool herbal teas are preferable to juice and squash as they are high in sugar content. As a practitioner involved in a child’s weaning it is important to do so according to the parent’s wishes. They may have cultural or religious practices to be adhered to or may want their child to fed organically or on a vegetarian diet. Some families prefer to let the baby wean themselves. This is known as ‘Baby led weaning’ and is done by giving the child a choice of finger foods and letting them choose what and how to eat. Food and eating can become a psychological issue and difficulty for many children. Parents can become frustrated and concerned about eating habits and children can use food as a tool for getting what they feel they want. It is important to try to make eating a pleasurable and fun experience for children and to not make meal times stressful for everyone. Ref; SMAnutrition. com CYPOP2-5. 3 Evaluate the benefits of different types of formula that are commonly available. There are different types of formula milk for different stages of babies’ development and different types of diets. Babies require different levels of nutrients as they grow. Some babies find digestion of proteins difficult and some families prefer not to give their babies animal products. Most formula milk is based on cow’s milk that has been changed to resemble breast milk more closely. Vitamins and minerals are supplemented and the levels of carbohydrates and proteins adjusted. This type of formula is suitable for most babies, although the proteins in cow’s milk are the most difficult to break down. This difficulty manifests in many children as eczema. Goat’s milk formula may be used as an alternative as the proteins are less complex. Soya bean based formula may be given to babies but is not recommended for those younger than six months old. Children can have severe allergies to soya and may also have difficulty breaking the proteins down if their digestive system is not yet developed enough. Some babies have allergies and intolerances to certain substances from birth. If breast feeding is not possible, or sometimes in addition to breast milk, they may be prescribed a Hydrolised-protein formula. This formula already has broken down protein and therefore should be easier for the baby to digest. Children that are not gaining weight and developing sufficiently or ‘failing to thrive’, may also be prescribed an extra fatty formula, sometimes in addition to breast milk.

Health Care Utilization Essay

Health care reform is not a recently devised concept. The government and health professionals have studied and tried to establish legislation that would assist the general population with a means of accessing adequate health care for decades. The task has proven itself as a daunting one although studied the world over. Individuals struggle with disease and illness that they cannot afford medical attention and treatment. Insurance companies price gouge or drop individuals from their insurance coverage. Reform has to be implemented to protect the public and provide across the board health care for every situation. Ronald Andersen wrote in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior there is a model of behavior that determines the seeking out of health services (Anderson, 1995). Anderson collaborated with Odin Anderson and wrote The Initial Behavioral Model in 1968 to assist in the analysis of national survey data collected by the Center for Health Administration Studies and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (Andersen & Anderson, 1967). The model explains that there are elements that may determine if an individual will access health services. Anderson explained, â€Å"I want to stress that the model was initially designed to explain the use of formal personal health services rather than to focus on the important interactions that take place as people receive care, or on health outcomes†(Andersen, 1968, p. 1). The Initial Behavioral Model (1960s) PREDISPOSING ENABLING USE OF CHARACTERISTICS RESOURCES NEED HEALTH SERVICES Demographic Personal/Family Perceived Social Structure Community  (Evaluated) Health Beliefs (Revisiting The Behavioral Model and Access to Medical Care: Does it Matter?, 1995) The president had legislation passed in 2010 to implement the Affordable Care Act. Today, more than 45 million Americans lack access to affordable health insurance. Additionally, many individuals who do have health insurance have incomplete coverage that may include exclusions for pre-existing conditions, or they may be one-step away from losing coverage because of a change in employment. Individuals with health insurance face increasingly high premiums and medical costs that drive some to bankruptcy or force choices between maintaining health insurance coverage and paying for other household essentials (HHS, 2013). These new regulations will provide consumer protections and the developing of a competitive market. Insurance companies will be required to spend a specific percentage on health care and not excessive administrative costs. There have been major changes to the accessibility of insurance coverage for individuals which have been diagnosed with a pre-existing medical condition. Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny insurance coverage for individuals, such as children born with life-threatening illnesses. This will also address lifetime limits on medical care. There has been a health insurance exchange in an effort to pool millions of people and allow them to examine various insurance coverage policies to determine the best policy for them and their families. Health and Human Services has implemented a website for the comparison of the insurance coverage options (HHS, 2013). There have been conversations for decades about the implementation of universal health coverage. The World Health Organization defines it as a goal to ensure that people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them. It goes on explaining, access to health services enables people to be more productive and active contributors to their families and communities†¦.financial risk protection prevents people from being pushed into poverty when they have to pay for health services out of their own pockets (WHO, 2012). There is a definite similarity with the concepts of universal health care and the Affordable  Care Act now in place in this country. Attempts are being made to ensure that all citizens can access health care and increase their wellbeing in the process. The expansion of Medicaid will benefit multiple low-income citizens who, through no fault of their own, are working at a minimum wage job. They are barely earning too much money to be eligible for assistance and are not making enough of a salary to afford health insurance coverage. It turns into a viscous cycle. The individual has to decide whether it is better to quit work and get assistance for medical care or to continue struggling and still not make the grade. There have been no major issues personally with the implementation of the health care expansion. The insurances that I carry are both the Medicare and Medicaid. Medicaid has changed in that they are requiring that there is a primary care physician (PCP) established to oversee medical services provided. The initial visit would be to the PCP where any examination and testing would be performed for the determination of the necessity of a referral. The PCP’s office would organize all medical records and coordinate with the specialist’s staff to establish a consultation. I consider myself an extremely fortunate individual because I have been able to have multiple medical issues addressed and corrected because of the medical coverage. The Medicare coverage is not as restrictive as Medicaid. Medicare allows the individual to access any physician or facility that the patient desires for treatment as long as their insurance is accepted. There has not been any specific positive or negative effect with this coverage. Medicare has provided successfully for preventive measures in my health services such as yearly mammograms, colonoscopy testing every two years (if deemed necessary through findings during prior examination), and comprehensive yearly physical examinations. Unfortunately, there is minimal dental coverage and no eye examinations available. There has been major skepticism with the Affordable Care Act being voted on and implemented in the governmental realm. It is exhibiting a number of positive actions implemented with the creation of this act. It is time that this country gives thought to the individuals which are suffering because of no fault of their own other than being on the lower end of the income scale. Also citizens are pleased with the inclusion of the poor souls battling daily with an affliction that requires more attention and treatment than they could ever afford. It is in this new light that people are viewing the creation of the Affordable Care Act and see that this should prove to be beneficial to every citizen within the national borders. Reference Andersen, R. M. (1995). Revisiting The Behavioral Model and Access to Medical Care: Does it Matter? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36, 1-10, retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2137284 Andersen, R.M., Anderson, O.W. (1967), A Decade of Health Services, retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1815595 Health and Human Services (2013), Strengthen Health Care, retrieved from: http://www.hhs.gov/secretary/about/goal1.html World Health Organization (2012), What is Universal Health Coverage, retrieved from: http://www.who.int/features/qa/universal_health_coverage/en/index.html

Analysis of Breast Cancer Network Australia

Write report to analysis of Breast Cancer Network Australia.   The report is based on evaluating the legal structure of an organisation named Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA). The reports cover key organisational aspect of BCNA such as its history, organisational structure, mission and vision and programs among others. Furthermore, the report also describes the legal structure of the organisation such as the regulatory framework and the taxation system among others.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   BCNA is a national company which comprise network of above 110,000 members and 300 member groups. The founder of BCNA was Lyn Swinburne who was spotted with breast cancer in the year 1993 and underwent surgery and many therapies. As a consequence of her experience and knowledge, she became a committed supporter in the best interests of females with breast cancer. In the year 1998, she imagined a company which can positively impact on the manner breast cancer is measured in the community. Thus, she founded the organisation with the intention to talk openly regarding the illness and admit its vast personal influence. BCNA continues to act towards assisting females and their families to access best information, treatment, care and support. Any operational organisation requires to have certain structure in order to function effectively. For an organisation, the structure is regarded as the hierarchy of people and its functions. A typical organisation can take bureaucratic structure, flat structure, hierarchical structure, tall structure, functional structure, matrix structure and divisional structure. In this context, it can be stated that BCNA has flat organisational structure. It has few level of middle management between the members. It concentrates on empowering the members, rather than adhering to the chain of commands. By inspiring independence and self-direction, BCNA attempt to tap into the creative talents of the members to provide new information and to solve problems of breast cancer by cooperation.      Vision: BCNA acts to make sure that Australians impacted by breast cancer obtain the best possible support, information, cure and care according to individual requirements. Mission: BCNA supports, notifies, represents and associates Australians affected by breast cancer (Breast Cancer Network Australia, 2016).    The organisation value of BCNA is honesty, thoughtful, connection and resilience. The organisation aims to provide honest recommendations for people who are suffering from breast cancer. It built engagement and capability for the members and provide healthcare and social support. It constantly expands and improves the ranges of activities and programs to fulfil the requirements of Australians who are affected by breast cancer.   Cancer Support: BCNA provides professional one on one counselling support to male and female with secondary breast cancer. It is a free and confidential service intends to assist people suffered with secondary breast cancer and to cope with variety of concerns they are experiencing. Fitness Program: BCNA has also developed a fitness program named Fernwood Fitness, which is intended to assist female spotted with breast cancer to stay active and healthy (Breast Cancer Network Australia, 2014).   BCNA deals with only one customer segment which are female with breast cancer. Furthermore, it also provides support service to male with secondary breast cancer and the families. The key objective of financial report of trustee is to make sure that the trustee is publicly responsible for the stewardship of the capitals it maintains. The report must support the people to evaluate the charity’s development against the objectives and to comprehend its plans with respect to the objectives. Every charity or trust with gross income more than  £25,000 requires to submit the financial report to the respected authority. The component of annual report usually comprise management details, objectives and functions, achievement and performance, financial appraisal, plans for future and any funds that the organisation holds as custodian trustees for other charities (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations, 2011). Audit is a vital activity in any kind of organisation, irrespective of the legal structure. Indeed, the kind of audit required is subject to the income and assets of the organisation. In broad context, an independent evaluation is essential if the income is between  £25,000 and  £1 million and audit is also essential where gross income surpasses  £1 million. An audit is also necessary when the total asset surpasses  £3.26 million and the organisation’s gross income is above  £250,000. Irrespective of thresholds, an external audit of accounts in essential if it is required by the organisation’s governing document.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are various legal structures for starting an organisation such as sole proprietorship, partnership, limited company, trust, not for profit and charity among others. BCNA is formed on the basis of not for profit structure. It is basically a kind of trust with no specific legal entity. This type of legal structure is used for charitable purposes as with the case of BCNA (Bourgeois, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   BCNA is registered as a fundraiser company in every state and territory of Australia. It is a registered charity which is listed under Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission (ACNC). BCNA comprise board of directors with 11 key members, comprising the chairman, CEO. Furthermore, in the year 2014, the membership of the company increased to about 100,000 members who share their experience and support volunteering activities.   Charity has technical legal meaning and structure. The legal structure must satisfy the charity’s requirement and permit for future development. Charities have ranges of framework such as incorporated or unincorporated. In this context, BCNA follows the unincorporated framework. It is a trust with unincorporated association with less formal structure and no distinct legal individuality (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Licencing requirement: Trustees require to hold a Registrable Superannuation Entity licence issued by Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. This organisation supervises banks, financial institutions, credit unions, societies, general insurance and other superannuation industries. Furthermore, trustees should obtain Registrable Superannuation Entities (RSEs) licence before starting its operation. An organisation seeking RSE licence must pay the proper fees. The schedule fees are specified in r.3A.06 of the regulations which are subject to the type of RSE licence (Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, 2011).   Under the organisational structure, not for profit organisation such as BCNA generally registered as public company which has limited guarantee. Limited guarantee in this context signify that the responsibility of the key members are restricted to the amount the members commence to support the assets of the organisation. BCNA is also registered under the Corporation s Act 2001 which is a commonwealth legislation managed by the ASIC (Australian Securities and Investment Commission, 2016).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Laws and Regulations: Nor for profit organisations such as BCNA exists to undertake charitable liabilities and thus the company is highly regulated. Apart from fundraising and grant prospects, the profit resulting from such functions in BCNA is usually exempted from federal and state income tax. Since, BCNA serve the citizens for noble purposes they enjoy specific tax status and are based on significant national regulations.   Non-profit organisations perform under various designations. Diverse tax exemption requirements exist on the basis of the kind of the company. However, in order to enjoy tax exemptions, the organisation required to be devoted to undertake the activities which are not typically conducted for profit making. No revenue is permitted to provide monetary advantage to the organisational members or the shareholders. Variety of tax allowances are also exist for BCNA for example income tax, FBT, FBT rebate, GST concession for charity and gift deductible and refunds for franking credits among others. Regulations for BCNA are quite similar to those incorporating for profit business. BCNA is able to obtain foundational grants and the procedure of gaining tax exempt status is more straightforward in comparison with other companies which are not incorporated. However, it requires to complete requests for tax exception on the state government level. The organisation must also define the organisational goals along with any corporate goals. BCNA qualifies for income tax exemption under section 50-10 item 2.1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act of 1997 as a not for profit company created for social service.  Ã‚  Ã‚      BCNA in the simplest variation is an organisation for which profit making is not key objective. However, it does not signify that BCNA cannot earn profit. It generates various services and earns profit accordingly in the anticipation for enhancing the revenue. Nevertheless, every earning requires to go back to the company, i.e. there is no profit sharing among the organisational members. Generally, there are no specific owners in BCNA. There are three kinds of non-profit organisations identified by the federal government which are a corporation, unincorporated company and trust. In this context, BCNA is recognised as a trust, which has narrow interest in comparison with other two not for profit entities. The laws which oversee BCNA are established with charitable trusts (Community Tool Box, 2016).    In not for profit organisation, the mission statement must be clear. It is statement about the existence of the company. It is ambitious in nature and can never be accomplished completely. BCNA has clear and ambitious mission statement. The mission statement defines why the company act in specific manner and how its work is done. Besides, BCNA also has a vision which signifies what the company looks like. It delimits the potential strategy of BCNA and also the boundaries of the company. The boundaries within which BCNA performs define its value (Australian Taxation Office, 2015).   Receiving gifts is a vital method of obtaining financial support for BCNA. However, there are certain regulations which apply to both the donors and the company accepting the gift. In order to deductible the gift must comply with relevant gift condition and must be a gift of money or certain kind of property. The donors require to give gifts without obtaining any benefits or services in return. On the other hand, BCNA which provides financial support to possible donors can lead to loss of tax except status of the company. Besides, BCNA is required to register fundraising functions with the government in which it propose to solicit gifts. BCNA is endorsed as Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) under section 30-20 and subdivision 30-B of the Income tax Assessment Act of 1997 as a specific health recipient. Every gift values more than $2 and over is tax deductible (Breast Cancer Network Australia, 2016).   Shareholders forms a major part of the operations of the companies in the present day business context. It is believed that the role of the shareholders mainly comprise of their association with the business in the form of putting considerable investments and acquiring return for the same. This can be justified from the fact that shareholders plays an external role with regard to considering the manner in which the business could be able to attain its objectives of higher revenue and profitability in the long run.   In this particular study, focus has been on the analysis of the operations of Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA), which is one of the notable companies operating in Australia. The accountability of the shareholders mainly comprise of involving in the decision making of the business and at the same time contributing towards the attainment of the goals of the organization in the long run. The shareholders are also responsible for assuring that the company is meeting t heir goals and objectives in terms of environmental and social responsibility. BCNA is a not for profit organisation which intends to provide support to the Australian people who are suffering from breast cancer. It provides relevant information treatment and care to the people. It is registered as a fundraiser company and has above 100,000 members. As a not for profit company, BCNA enjoys various facilities such as tax exemption and gifts among others. However, in order to act according to its vision, it must enhance the fundraising activities and develop various programs which can truly help the people in need.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. â€Å"Instruction Guide Application Form – RSE Licence.† Last modified 2013.   Australian Taxation Office. â€Å"Tax-deductible gifts†. Australian Government. Last modified 2015. Accessed June 16, 2016.  Ã‚   Australian Securities and Investment Commission. â€Å"Registering not for profit or charitable organisations†. For Business. Bourgeois, D. J. â€Å"Legal Structures for Charitable and Not-for-Profit Organizations†. Butterworth’s. Last modified 2002.   Breast Cancer Network Australia. â€Å"Annual Review 2014†. Last modified 2014. Accessed June 16, 2016.  Ã‚   Breast Cancer Network Australia. â€Å"Legal Information†. Last modified 2016. Accessed June 16, 2016. Breast Cancer Network Australia. â€Å"Who are we?† Last modified 2016. Accessed June 16, 2016. Community Tool Box. â€Å"Section 4: Understanding Nonprofit Status and Tax Exemption.† Chapter 43.   Commonwealth of Australia. â€Å"Why legal structure is important.† Legal Structure. Getting academic assistance from

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microeconomics - Essay Example This is especially true in the high-end home market where inventory is rising sharply and is beginning to experience falling prices. The resiliency of the real estate market and its reluctance to react to intuitive supply and demand pressures is a result of the seller's option to hold their property. The inelastic nature of the market is largely due to two factors. Typically long lead times for real estate inventory to affect prices and the ability of the seller to exercise discretion both contribute to the seemingly strange market condition. In the article, Bob Walters, chief economist for Quicken Loans, says, "People will hold their house on the market longer, rather than accept a lower price". This seller discretion indicates we may see further slowing of sales before prices begin to slip. However, warning signs of increased weakening are on the horizon. A Deerfield, IL. agent said that homes in the $1 million dollar range are beginning to feel the stagnation. He states that houses in this range have as much as a four year inventory and in some cases have seen a 50% drop in prices in the last few months. The increase in supply in this range has finally caught up with the number of sellers who need to find a buyer.

Vulnerability Tools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Vulnerability Tools - Essay Example nformation systems. Nessus is a comprehensive and open source security scanner. Plug-in architecture allows users to customize it as per their systems and networks. The security scanner frequently updates itself and provides full reporting, host scanning, and real-time vulnerability searches. Security audit features of Nessus are (Messmer, 2005): Credentialed and un-credentialed port scanning Network based vulnerability scanning Credentialed based patch audits for Windows and most Unix platforms Credentialed configuration auditing of most Windows, Unix platforms Robust and comprehensive credentialed security testing of 3rd party applications such as iTunes, JAVA, Skype and Firefox Custom and embedded web application vulnerability testing SQL database configuration auditing Cisco Router configuration auditing Software enumeration on Unix and Windows Testing anti-virus installs for out-of date signatures and configuration errors Another popular and open source tool for vulnerability an alysis is Wireshark. This tool, which was previously named as Ethereal, also provides functionality for packet sniffing. A relatively easy GUI along with various filtering and sorting options makes this tool perfect for non-savvy IT staff within organizations (Scalisi, 2010). Comparing Nessus and Wireshark Wireshark is considered to be at top of the list for network protocol analyzers. Wireshark not only provides vulnerability analysis, as its functionality can be resembled with â€Å"tcpdump.† It emphasizes protocols and represents data streams on the GUI. The major advantage that this tool has is the compatibility of operating systems, as it supports OS X, Windows, UNIX and Linux. Moreover, it also extensively supports Voice over IP that is a significant option for the organization, as international and corporate organizations use VoIP for communication purposes to save cost and at the same time deliver quality. Nessus, on the other hand, is used in more than 75,000 organiz ations around the globe and it is considered to be one of the world’s most popular vulnerability scanner (Ferguson, n.d.). However, the third version, i.e. version 3, has now been converted to a proprietary license as the scanning engine is still free and updates are also available after a week on a release. Relating with the Scenarios When Nessus is incorporated in a large enterprise, most probably, a government organization such as Department of Defense (DOD) networks, it will initiate a port scan and target the defined host or a network. After opening the port, it examines all the services that are running on the system or network and tests all the detected services against vulnerabilities defined in the Nessus vulnerability database (Kim, n.d.). As this tool can develop a testing platform for network resilience, the report generation is very comprehensive that is ideal for large enterprises. As it is an easy remote based vulnerability analysis tool, it can be best suited for large enterprises that are geographically dispersed in more than one continent

The Strategy Behind the Brand Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Strategy Behind the Brand Building - Essay Example aining attention from the increased inconsistency associated with brand planning, strategizing, and aligning processes, which result in a brand failing quickly after its launch. The study identifies the major components associated with brand identity, i.e. brand strategy attributes, brand identity elements, the target audience, and brand applications, and converts them into a visual branding tree by explaining the brand identity process and design procedure. This is invaluable to designers, marketers, researchers, and brand supervisors. It may possibly save time and money in the long run, not to mention keeping all the elements consistent with the brand management process. The brand building process is something that every business must go through to determine how to market its markets and who to. Understanding the consumer market goes a long way in deciding how a company will perform in the long run. This study is important because inconsistent brand building can sometimes confuse the audience, resulting in lost revenue and profit. The target audience should have an emotional bond and sense of belonging, which results in customer appreciation and thus customer loyalty. A brand should be presented consistently across all applications. The only way to ensure this is through comprehensive brand identity standards or systems that are easy to understand and available through both print and Web-based sources. The brand building process can often result in success for a brand. This will attract a broader customer base, and brand managers, designers, and marketers will have less confusion in the brand building

Sexual Harassment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sexual Harassment - Essay Example The concept of sexual harassment is a conventional phenomenon, which first appeared in the 1970s in United States. The concept also appeared later in 1986 in Europe. The aspect of sexual harassment brought forth a possibility of both positive and negative effects on the society in entirety and on organizations and individuals in particular. This led to increasing attention on the subject from both researchers and organizations alike. Sexual harassment is a severe contravention on the rights of workers with unpleasant and degrading experiences, which often result in emotional and psychological trauma. Generally, sexual harassment is described as the conduct of a sexual nature, which is unwelcome, and aims at intimidating, embarrassing, degrading the victim. Furthermore, sexual harassment creates hostile working conditions for the victim, which eventually hinders productivity and social exchanges within the organization (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2013). Australia human rights commission holds that an individual sexually harasses the other when: 1. The individual makes an undesirable sexual progress or unwanted sexual request for sexual favors to the harassed. Circumstances to be considered might include, but not restricted to; (a) age, sex, sexual preference, color, race, ethnic origin and religious belief of the harassed person. (b) The association involving the person and the individual who started the progress or appeal or who involved in the behavior. (c) Disability of the harassed person or other pertinent circumstance. 2. The harasser participates in unwarranted manner of a sexual character in relation to the harassed person. Sexual harassment is an intense problem in the contemporary workplace that is increasing at a high pace. Thousands of males and females come forward every year to report their sexual harassment and employers and other state agencies. In the beginning of sexual harassment in 1970s, researchers anticipated that one in every two women would become a sufferer of sexual aggravation in the job environment. The quantity of employees who lodge complaints of sexual aggravation in the private and public labor force remains high. Discrimination in employment has been increasing over the decades, but sexual harassment has currently been the basis of 33 percent of all harassment claims (Boland, 2005) according to the national agency charged with examining sexual aggravation in the place of work. The cost of sexual harassment is very expensive to both the employer and the individual being harassed. The United States department of labour holds that millions of dollars are lost in job opportunities, and more are lost in awards after harassment cases. Types and forms of sexual harassment One of the most arising questions on the aspect of sexual aggravation in the office seeks to answer what specific behaviors amount to sexual harassment. However, studies today look at the broader range of sociosexual actions in the work place as well as the conditions highlighted above for advances of sexual harassment. In establishing whether sexual harassment occurred or not, there has to be a complete analysis of actions patterns and aspects that are unwanted. In defining the term sexual harassment, request for sexual favors, sexually oral and physical behavior, as well as the sexual advance must to be ‘unwelcome’. This implies that the person complaining of sexual har

This house support mandatory vaccinations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

This house support mandatory vaccinations - Essay Example This is where the government steps in with the interests of the general well being of the citizens in heart. Citation: Collier in his book ‘Vaccines’, 2004, explains that vaccines work to prime the immune system against future attacks by a particular disease. This disease could be either viral, bacterial, or any other disease causing agents. When a pathogen enters the body, the immune system generates antibodies to try to fight it off. In case of exposure to the same pathogen in the then or in the future, the antibodies will recognize it and fight it off. Interpretation: This is to mean that the individual has immunity against the disease he or she is vaccinated against. This is good since exposure to a disease common in a particular area means that he or she will not get infected therefore preventing its spread. Citation: Merino’s book ‘Should Vaccinations be Mandatory’ clearly states that the risks of natural infection outweigh those of immunization for each recommended vaccine. An example; a wild measles infection causes inflammation of the brain for 1 in every 1,000 infected persons. In general, measles infection results in the death of 2 out of every 1,000 infected persons. However, the combination of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine results in a severe allergic reaction only once in every million vaccinated persons at the same time preventing the spread and infection of measles. Evidence: With the global air travel increasing, there is an equal rise in the risk of exposure to infectious diseases abroad. Other travelers transmit and disseminate disease like in the case of polio and the dispersal of meningococcal strains by the returning pilgrims from Saudi Arabia. In the case of the Muslim Hajj, local authorities require vaccination from this disease and other forms of vaccinations like influenza and hepatitis B, for pilgrims. Citation:

Anlysis of The Dechra PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Anlysis of The Dechra PLC - Essay Example 36.6 million and ?11.7 million, respectively. The paper illuminates Dechra PLC’s investment, financing, and dividend payout trends in the recent years. Moreover, the paper will also conduct an in-depth analysis of the financing, investing, and dividend trends using tools such as standard deviation, averages and charts. Part 1: The company in the recent past has undertaken significant investments, changes in divided policy, and changes in its capital structure. Changes in capital structure In general, over the last five years the company has been experiencing increase in the indebtedness. In the year 2009, the company was indebted to a tune of 23.08 while in the year 2013 the indebtedness has swollen to 103.84 in just a span of five years (Dechra, 2013). This is not a good indicator in the financial statement because the more the debts the company the company has the worse its leverage ratio gets. The thumps rule requires that the ratio should not be higher than 1. That is to s ay that the debt to equity ratio should be 50:50. In the case of Dechra PLC., this is not the case the leverage ratio judging from the table below. In order to clear its debt and register a sound capital structure the company has embarked on an ambitious process to sell off its veterinary services wing at a cost of GBP 86.2 million with transaction costs and taxation on disposal cost expected to cost 0.9 million and 0.4 million respectively. The proceeds from these sales will be used to offset the debts of the company. This viable move will overhaul the financial structure of the company for the better and put its going concern concept back on track. Capital structure of Dechra PLC in the last five years Year 2013 2012 2011 2010 2012 Non current debt (millions) 103.84 114.05 56.08 17.76 23.08 Shareholders equity (millions) 174.62 103.68 98.33 86.23 80.69 Leverage ratio 1.68 0.909 1.753 4.855 3.496 Retrieved on 8 November 2013 from http://www.hl.co.uk/shares/shares-search-results/d/d echra-pharmaceuticals-plc-ordinary-1p/financial-statements-and-reports Changes in investment The company is strategically involved in various investment activities that will ensure that it commands a sizeable share of the pharmaceutical industry. One such investment is the acquisition of â€Å"Eurovet Animal Health B.V.† which was acquired on 5th of April, 2012. This acquisition is in line with the company expansion strategy. The strategy goes a long way to ensure that the company expands its foothold into the pharmaceutical market (Dechra, 2013). The other strategic investment that has been effected by the company is the successful exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with SCYNEXIS Inc. the exclusive license gives the company the authority to manufacture and commercialize SCY-641, a medication used in the treatment of KCS. This world right to produce this drug is a great achievement for the company that cements the company’s going concern concept. Changes in divide nd policy The company has been steadily increasing its dividend payout over the years judging by the financial reports in the last five years. It is worth noting that dividend policy is the discretion of the management of Dechra PLC. They have the freedom to settle on any kind of distribution policy whether stock repurchase, share split, or dividend policy (Booth & Maksimovic, 2001). It is worth noting that Dechra has over the years stuck to dividend payout as their default distribution

Proposal writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Proposal writing - Essay Example It is very important not to omit the mission statement in the writing. It should demonstrate the company’s goals and expectations. Each proposal is based on a particular budget. The latter consists of the following elements: 1) management, 2) labor, 3) facilities and equipment, 4) materials, 5) travel and 6) communication. It is necessary to mention that there are several types of budget. They are: itemized budgets, nonitemized budgets, fixed budgets, flexible budgets, fixed costs, variable costs and semivariable costs. Despite all costs, there are many benefits of proposal. They are hard and soft benefits. Hard benefits stand for the guantifiable outcomes of the project that are easy to see, measure or read. Soft benefits mean abstract things you will get in the process of working with the company. It may be trust, satisfaction, confidence, efficiency, etc. The success of the proposal is begun with its introductory part. To prepare a perfect introduction it is necessary to do the following things: 1) identify the subject of the paper, 2) introduce the purpose of the writing, 3) suggest some main point to prove in the paper, 4) persuade the readers that this subject is very significant, 5) give some background information, 6) foresee the organization of the writing. Conclusion is as important as introduction; here the main point of the proposal should be

Stalins aims for the transformation of the Russian economy Essay Example for Free

Stalins aims for the transformation of the Russian economy Essay To what extent did Stalin succeed in achieving his aims for the transformation of the Russian economy? Under the NEP, Russia had managed to recover from seven years of warfare, but by the late 1920s Russia had still not been able to develop its economy beyond the level of 1914 and its agriculture was still very backward. Stalin felt that under the NEP, the Russian economy was underperforming and he felt he had to change this as he wanted to modernise Russia and move it forwards to a truly Socialist society. Stalin wanted to transform Russian economy in order for Russia to be a socialist society there had to be more workers than peasants and the country had to be at industrially advanced. This would mean that the Russian economy, which relied heavily on agriculture, would have to be changed and modernised industries would have to be developed and Russia would have to become an industrialised country. In 1929 in the Great Turn, Stalin introduced the collectivisation of agriculture; this set of policies, along with the Five Year Plans, created the framework for what became known as the Soviet centrally planned economy and transformed the Soviet economy. Stalin, through collectivisation and industrialisation, managed to transform the Russian economy. One of Stalins aims for the transformation of the economy was to build up heavy industry and increase the industrial output of the Soviet Union through the Five Year Plans, and to catch up with the industrialised West. Stalins policy of industrialisation was based on central planning the state produced three consecutive Five Year Plans that set production and output targets for all areas of industry, with emphasis on building up heavy industry and creating new industry. In order to provide capital to finance industrialisation, Stalin introduced collectivisation, which modernised Russias agricultural system. These Five Year Plans broadly achieved Stalins aim. There was a huge increase in the productivity and output of heavy industry. Whole new industries were developed in Russia, like the chemical factories, tractor and machine tool plants. Many new factories were built, whole new industrial centres like Magnitogorsk were created and cities grew rapidly. Russia was gripped by gigantomania there was an emphasis on large-scale projects like the Dniepostroi Dam. Communications improved, the transport links in Russia were better than before and electricity became available to the masses. Russia had managed to industrialise and catch up with the West at a time when much of the Western world was suffering from an economic depression. However, the goods produced were often of a poor quality, as quantity was more important than quality for Stalin. There was also a great deal of wastage, raw materials were wasted and the production of goods was often inefficient. The Five Year Plans often had unrealistic production targets which factories struggled to meet. Another of Stalins aims was to modernise agriculture and increase productivity through collectivisation. He believed that the peasant-based farming methods used were inefficient and large collectivised state farms would vastly increase production. Stalin needed to carry out the collectivisation of agriculture to finance industrialisation and feed the workers in the cities. Large, collective farms were created, where peasants worked to increase production of grain. This was, to some extent, a success all agriculture was collective by 1941. By 1939, Russia had reached the same levels of production as 1928 with less peasants working on the farms. Also, farming was modernised, there was increased use of machinery and tractors on the collective farms, which made the work easier. However, the human cost of collectivisation was great. In 1932, there was a Great Famine, which was caused by a drop in production in the early 1930s this affected the Soviet Union badly, especially Ukraine where 5 million people died. By 1941, Russia had only just regained the production levels of 1928; there was no increase in production. Also, animals were not used efficiently, and in this sense the Russian farms were still quite backwards. Stalins final aim to transform the economy was to transform Russia into a truly Socialist economy, by turning peasants into workers and introducing central planning into the system. In order for Russia to be a truly Socialist society, there would have to be a greater number of workers than peasants a Socialist economy would be more focused on industry rather than agriculture. This would mean developing industry, so the number of workers would exceed the number of peasants. This would also mean eliminating the privileged classes such as the Kulaks, who were better off than ordinary peasants. Kulaks that refused to join collective farms and co-operate with the state were either exiled or sent to forced-labour camps. Stalin also aimed to get rid of the last vestiges of Capitalism this would mean getting rid of the NEP and replacing it with central planning. However, the Russian economy did not become truly Socialist. Wage differentials and bonuses created a privileged class among the workers. The working and living conditions for Russians were still very poor. The system relied heavily on force, in order for the transformation of the Soviet economy to take place. In conclusion, Stalin did partly succeed in achieving his aims for the transformation of the Russian economy. Stalin managed to industrialise and modernise Russia, many new key industries developed and Russia no longer relied solely on agriculture for its economy. The new, collective farms were more efficient than the old farms, the same amounts were produced with less peasants. By the 1940s, there were more workers than peasants and, generally, Russia was a more Socialist society. However, there were limits on this there was still a small privileged class, and working and living conditions in the Soviet Union were poor. Also, the transformation of the Soviet economy came at a human cost, and many people died as a result of the Great Famine and dangerous working conditions in factories.

How to Drive Value Your Way Essay Example for Free

How to Drive Value Your Way Essay MGT665 – Individual Assignment HOW TO DRIVE VALUE YOUR WAY Submitted By: Hiten Bachani (129278117) 0 MGT665 – Individual Assignment Main theme The paper revolves around the migration of the value within the supply chain as industries and technologies evolve. The basis of which can be traced down to the changes occurring in the patterns of consumer behaviour. But the changes in consumer patterns does not necessarily result in the value being shifted from one stakeholder to other; rather it is purely a function of the type of industry and how it has evolved over the years. Idea in Brief Argument Successful Companies do four things well: Problem Lessons In turbulent times, profits have a tendency of migrating up or down the value chain, away from the established companies to the upstream or downstream partners. eg: In PC industry, value moved from IBM (manufacturer) to Wintel (suppliers) The trajectory is not witnessed in the Auto Industry, where the incumbent carmakers have maintained a constant share of the industrys market capitalization despite dire predictions to the contrary. 1) Controlling the assets least likely to be commoditized 2) Being the guarantor of quality to end customer 3) Staying in close touch with the changing customers needs 4) Balancing the imperatives of growth and strategic control of the value chain The paper emphasis on four rules to that the companies can practice to influence whether the value migrates – and if so, to where in the chain. Rule 1 : Be the least replaceable player The question of who along the value chain is most replaceable fundamentally affects who can capture surplus  value. It has been argued that the system integrators are most difficult to replace in auto industry but it is not so in the PC industry. However, a company seeking to preserve or gain advantage needs not only to reinforce its own irreplaceability but also ensure that none of its suppliers become impossible to replace Rule 2: Become the Guardian of Quality Value in an industry mostly accrues to the player that customers associate most of the quality with the product. The quality guardian in the value chain, typically carries a disproportionate share of legal liability. Also the cost of liability differs across the industries, for e.g. it is quite high in auto industry since the life of customers are at risk if car crashes while it is low in PC. Rule 3: Follow the Customer When the end customer changes his needs, value may shift across the value chain. Hence it becomes imperative for the companies to link the customers need to the value proposition they offer. But in the absence of a fundamental shift in the end customer, incumbents will be well positioned to 1 MGT665 – Individual Assignment manage even disruptive technology—as long as they retain ownership of distribution and can resist the emergence of open standards. Rule 4: Manage the Growth Story This rule throws light on type of industry such as high growth or low growth and within that how the company changes its market share. It might be the case that a firm has only a small market share in a violently growing sector or a high share in a stable sector. When the high-growth industry in question is relatively small: Incumbents will be less inclined to fight hard to preserve dominance when the absolute profits are limited. The opposite applies, however, when the high-growth market is large. Here, scale often favours stability, because established players are large enough to maintain closed systems of suppliers, eschew open standards, and forestall change. Methodology study The author has tried to look at the problem through the lens of auto industry and PC industry and h as found contrasting differences while comparing. It has been observed that the value has hardly shifted along the value chain in case of Auto Industry while in case of PC industry it has drastically shifted from the hands of system integrators to the suppliers. The reason lies in the very nature of the product which both the industries sell. The paper also throws light on the methodology of how incumbents and challengers shift value across the value chain; both leveraging their strength depending upon their current capabilities. Also, it talks about the new corporate giants like Facebook and Google who do not compete in a sector but on the other hand shape it. This is because they focussed on the latent needs of the customers and came up with a value proposition leveraging the internet space (platform) at the right time making it difficult for the rivals to imitate because of the viral diffusion of the technology. Does it make sense Yes, up to a certain extent it does makes sense and there have been ample examples in the past to prove the hypothesis. Over time the customer needs have changed and successful organizations have reoriented themselves to cater to their needs. Also, they have been cautious to preserve their share of pie by follow ing the rules mentioned in the text. However, the conditions vary from industry to industry due to the different dynamics of the business scenario and the ecosystem in which they operate. It is worth noting that reputation of the player (not factored in the methodology) also plays a major role in some industries viz. Pharmaceutical industries. This may help the incumbents in the short run and give them a buffer time to rethink their strategies and retaliate so that the value does not move away from them. My opinion The author has done justice to his research by quoting right examples at the right place. One factor which has not been factored is the barrier to entry in the industry for a new player or for an existing player to transit from one stage to another within the value chain. Even in today’s world when the technology has become very sophisticated; suppliers also have a chance to build economies of scale and be a crucial member in the value chain of the industry by supplying to many players. This can be achieved by standardization of components at an initial stage and then employing methodologies like SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Dies) in manufacturing industry(Automobiles) which the author had quoted as difficult in terms of replace-ability as compared to PC industry; however thi s can be achieved given the upstream or downstream player has sufficient resources to overcome the barriers of entry. 2

Square Pharmaceuticals Limited In Bangladesh Commerce Essay

Square Pharmaceuticals Limited In Bangladesh Commerce Essay SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Limited is the largest pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh and it has been continuously in the 1st position among all national and multinational companies since 1985. It was established in 1958 and converted into a public limited company in 1991. Square Pharmaceuticals Limited has extended her range of services towards the highway of global market. It pioneered exports of medicines from Bangladesh in 1987 and has been exporting antibiotics and other pharmaceutical products. This extension in business and services has manifested the credibility of Square Pharmaceuticals Limited. It strives, above all, for top quality health care products at the least cost reaching the lowest rungs of the economic class of people in the country and value their social obligations. The companys annual turnover exceeds $300 million, far higher than the competitions. The sales turnover of SPL was more than Taka 7.5 Billion (US$ 107.91 million) with about 16.92% market share (April 2 006- March 2007) having a growth rate of about 23.17% (company annual report 2007). It is exporting its pharmaceuticals and other products to around 30 countries of the world including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Kenya, Libya, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine and Yemen. Square has some competitive advantages that make it no.1 Thus from its inception in 1958, it has today burgeoned into one of the top line conglomerates in Bangladesh. The pharmaceuticals market is oligopoly in nature despite the presence of 250 companies. The top 15 players, including Square, control around 73% of the market share. So in this competitive market, Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd., the flagship company, is holding the strong leadership position in the pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh and is now on its way to becoming a high performance global player. Their corporate focus is to add value on the quality of product, process and services leading to achieve competitive advantages. Competitive advantages in such firms depend a lot on how vale is created. Value creation is a central concept in the management and organization literature for both micro level (individual, group) and macro level (organization theory, strategic management) research. Yet there is little consensus on what value creation is or on how it can be achieved. Many prominent authors have written articles how company develops their value creation architecture to gain competitive advantage. Literature on value creation All economic activity whether in the public or private sector, ultimately revolves round the process of creating value. For organization to be self- sustaining it must create more value, as measured by its users, than the cost of resources it uses up. We define value as the benefits a (potential) user will gain from a product or service, measured. Bowman and Ambrosini (2000) in defining use value as the subjective valuation of consumption benefits by a consumer. Exchange value is the amount the consumer actually pays, representing revenue to a value system. These definitions are consistent with those offered in the value-price-cost (VPC) framework recently adopted from Tirole (1988) by Hoopes, Madsen, and Walker (2003). In their framework, V is what we label use value, P is exchange value, and C is the production cost of the seller. V P is consumer surplus, and P C is seller profit. They defined value capture as the appropriation and retention by the firm of payments made by consumers in expectation of future value from consumption. Value is captured when a firm (1) receives consumer payments by thwarting competitors attempts to appropriate those payments (e.g., through imitation) and (2) simultaneously retains those payments by denying claims on them from upstream or downstream members of the same value system (e.g., throug h channel power). Thus, value capture involves the allocation of exchange value. Strategic management deals with the question of how firms create value in terms of achieving and sustaining competitive advantage. The market-based, resource-based, dynamic capabilities and relational views identify different sources of competitive advantages. From the market-based perspective, competitive advantages are the result of strategic positioning in imperfect markets. The resource-based view identifies firm-specific resources as the main source of sustainable competitive advantage. From the dynamic capabilities perspective, temporary competitive advantages result from risk-taking and entrepreneurial insights in an uncertain or complex environment. After a while, the insights diffuse and become best practice. The relational view attributes competitive advantages to relationship-specific assets, knowledge-sharing routines, complementary resources and capabilities, as well as effective governance mechanisms. It is suggested that these advantages are jointly generated in an exchange relationship and cannot be generated by one firm in isolation. Therefore, what is needed is an adequate conceptualization of competitive advantage that can actually be used in different industry contexts to map the underlying value creation architecture and relate it to economic performance.11 Certain patterns of labour division that emerged among co-specialized actors in a sector are called industry architectures. Our aim is to develop a conceptualization of such architectures in relation to competitive advantage that can be used to identify and evaluate different value creation architectures in the same industry. The term value creation architecture describes the structure and relationships of all the value-adding activities that are carried out by various actors and companies to bring a particular product or service to market. Scholars having a resources-based view often firm see the firm as the primary unit of analysis to create value-generating activities. They argue that the firm exists because it can more efficiently coordinate the collective learning process and build competitive advantage that resides in the organizational routine and capability than the market can (Foss, 1996c: 18). The notion of the firm as a bundle of resources provides an alternative explanation to the concepts of transition cost (TC) that sees the firm as a bundle of transactions or contracts (Barney, 1986; Dierickx and Cool, 1989). However, they both overlook an important fact that resources exchange is often linked to the social context in which the firm is embedded. From this perspective, the analysis of architectural advantages is central. These competitive advantages result from the interplay between internal competition and the cooperation of different actors that form architecture of value creation and the competition between different architectures in the market. The architectures chosen in a certain market context can vary considerably in terms of core characteristics: the number of participating firms, the extent of integration, and the settings for the relationship levers (e.g., contract conditions or level of cooperation). With regard to intra-architectural competition and cooperation, the analysis focuses on the question of which actors appropriate the highest share of value and on the impact of this value appropriation on the motivation and ability of all actors to continue to contribute to this architecture. The position of each firm within the intra-architectural competition depends on its resources, its capabilities, and its relationship with other actors within the architecture. Accordingly, there are three sources of competitive advantage: (1) Cost efficiencies that make more efficient use of the firms assets and supplier inputs or that lower supplier cost; (2) Product differentiation to raise customer benefits; and (3) Transaction innovations that lower the costs of transactions or that create new combinations of customers and suppliers. Recent work has examined competitive advantage via dynamic capabilities (Eisenhardt Martin, 2000) and firm-specific knowledge (Kogut Zander, 1996). Yet only sparse attention has been paid to the demand side and, particularly, to the consumers role, even in the most recent and ambitious attempts to integrate the field (e.g., Farjoun, 2002; Hunt Lambe, 2000). Remarkably, some strategy scholars argue that an understanding of consumer utility is largely superfluous to the overall goal of the strategy field (Makadok Coff, 2002: 12), which, they say, is to explain firm profitability-and firm profitability is determined by the value captured by the firm (Makadok Coff, 2002: 10). The investigation of value creation in buyer-supplier relationships in business markets is still very much in its infancy (Flint, Woodruff, Gardial, 2002; Ulaga, 2003) with the majority of studies having explored relationships involving physical goods, where both parties have an understanding (often quite sophisticated) of the product in question (e.g. Harmsen Jensen, 2004; Moller Torronen, 2003; Ulaga, 2003) In the light of the above, this study is to examine the value creation architecture to achieve competitive advantage using Square Pharmaceutical Company as the main case study. AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: Aim: The aim of the study is find out how Square manage to create value to achieve competitive advantage. Objectives: The objective of the study is to examine the Value creation architecture in gaining competitive advantage using Square Pharmaceutical Company as case study. However, the specific objectives shall include: To evaluate the consumer perspective in value creation to achieve competitive advantage. To examine value creation and value capture in a multi level perspective. To establish theoretical linkage between value creation and competitive advantage. To examine the process of value creation and its measurement To investigate value creation in buyer-supplier relationships in business markets. To offer policy recommendation on how the organization can obtain competitive advantage through value creation. 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS From the afore-mentioned objective of the study, this study shall provide answer to the following tentative questions. How can organization achieve competitive advantage through value creation? What are the measurement and process of value creation? Is there any theoretical linkage between value creation and competitive advantage? What is the relationship of value creation and value capture in multi level perspective? What are the buyer-supplier relationships in business market? 1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS The following tentative hypothesis will be tested in this study H0: Value creation architecture do not brings about competitive advantage H1: Value creation architecture brings about competitive advantage. Research Methodology: The research methodology used must be able to give reasonable answers to the research question and fulfil the objectives of research. In this research work, researcher will follow both types of research methodologies-quantitative and qualitative approaches. In quantitative research, the information obtained from the participants is expressed in numerical form. In quantitative approach, researcher tends to collect numerical contents from the Square Company and on the other hand, qualitative part researcher will collect subjective data. In qualitative research, on the other hand, the information obtained from participants is not expressed in numerical form. The emphasis is on the stated experiences of the participants and on the stated meanings they attach to themselves, to other people, and to their environment. Those carrying out qualitative research sometimes make use of direct quotations from their participants, arguing that such quotations are often very revealing. Qualitative dat a will be collected by interviews, This study involves largely the use of primary data for the purpose of empirical analysis. The primary data will be obtained with the use of structured questionnaire and selected interviews. The questionnaires were structured in such a way as to provide pertinent information on the value created architecture and competitive advantage. That is how Square Pharmaceutical Company. Interviews will equally be conducted with some key person namely; selected staff of square Pharmaceutical Company, particularly those at the top management level. This will enable us to obtain a balanced picture of how value is created to gain competitive advantage over other competitors. Also, secondary data will be obtained from the annual report of the company and the performance will be compare with similar company. POPULATION AND SAMPLING PROCEDURES Indeed, the sum total of companies in the pharmaceutical industry constitutes the population of the study. However, as it will be cumbersome and rather unrealistic to consider all companies, a case study was considered. This case study chosen by this research work as earlier stated is square Pharmaceutical Company. Candidly; the choice of this company is deliberate. It is one of the largest companies in the pharmaceutical company where adequate data can be easily gathered for the success of the study. Therefore, questionnaire will be distributed to key persons among the staff to collect pertinent data relating to value creation and planning and organizational performance. Thus, an equal sample size will be drawn from among the staff of the organization. A total sample of 50 staff will be selected among the staff of the organization. The random sampling technique is intended to be employed in the distribution of the questionnaires. This implies that every staff of square Pharmaceutical Company stands a chance of being selected until the required sample size (50) is obtained. METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS This aspect shows the technique adopted in analyzing the collected data. In this study, both the descriptive and quantitative techniques will be employed. The descriptive statistics involved the analysis of data in frequencies, tables, percentages, chart etc. while the quantitative technique to be used is the Pearson Correlation method of data analysis as it is more realistic and clear to express the collected data. All these analysis shall be done manually with the aid of statistical tools for social sciences. All these analysis shall be done manually with the aid of statistical tools for social sciences. Research Limitations: The proposed research has some limitation and threats that may affect its credibility and reliability as follows; As the research work will be focused on only Square pharmaceutical company, results obtained may not be true for other organizations in this industry. There are resource and time limitations for this study as to generate more precise results it needs huge resources and time. Hence time and resource constraints may affect the research standards. The accuracy and quality of results may be affected as participants may not feel confident and disclosing wrong information. Or participants may feel uncomfortable with the research subject and may feel that it will affect their interests. This research might come up with different threats of reliability i.e. subject or participant error, observer error, subject or participant bias etc. There will be limited observation of the HR practices and actual procedures within the company. For sound results there will be need of observations because attitudes cannot be measured or seen but we can feel and infer them. The business data will be collected from various resources including publications and online material. In this case the validity and reliability of some of information cannot be guaranteed. Ethical Issues: There are always some ethical issues associated with the implementation and execution of a good research work. The writer will give due importance to this aspect of research and will comply with code of ethics to deliver a quality research work. Some possible ethical issues that may rise during this research project are as follows: The interviewees and other participants will be briefed about the purpose of the research, data protection and confidentiality issues to gain their confidence in advance. Subject awareness will boost them to deliver more accurate view about the issue and thus research objectives can be obtained more precisely. The participants involvement will be of voluntary nature and they will have rights to withdraw partially or completely from process at any stage. Avoidance of harm to participants during data collection including pain, stress, embarrassment and discomfort will be catered. Details of participants will be kept confidential unless their consent is obtained to disclose it. Information gathered during interviews, for example employees job satisfaction level, relationship with employer or any personal views about their job or about company etc. will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in any case safeguarding interests of every entity involved in it. Integrity of data and intellectual property rights will be of high priority along with data protection and accuracy. I will comply in honest and ethical manner throughout research and avoid any misrepresentation or plagiarism. All publications or research material used will be quoted and referred systematically. The writer will make sure that research work is neutral, free form any bias and undue influence. Research results will be used ethically for benefit of company with complete confidentiality and informed consent of respective authorities.

The Buddha, Two Lessons Essay -- essays research papers

Almost everybody I have ever met can recognize a Buddha statue, but few folks who I have ever associated with understand the meaning of the Buddha. Myself included was one of those folks blessed with such ignorance. When the term Buddha was brought up, all I thought about was the pudgy bellies of myself and fellow offensive lineman on my high school football team. Nirvana! Hey isn’t that one of the great rock bands of the early nineties? Right? In this paper, I will explain who the Buddha was and the deep meaning of the message that Prince Guatama preached. The Buddha defined the Middle Path as a way that leads to insight, which leads to wisdom, which conduces to calm, to knowledge, to the Sambodhi, to Nirvana (76). These words meant that all else was linked to some sort of suffering, that true peace and happiness could only be achieved through your mind and true pain and suffering could be achieved through reality. The Buddha illustrated this idea through his Four Noble Truths. The first of these is the Noble Truth of Suffering. These sufferings included natural situations of life, including birth, decay, death, presence of objects we hate not to obtain what we want, and finally, mere existence (76). There is a pattern that is developed in this order. Birth is the beginning of reality that has its good as well as bad times. The Buddha appears to focus on the hardships of reality that Prince Guatama knew of in this world. As life would carry onward, the hardships woul...

Chinese Cultural Anthropology :: essays research papers

Cultures have many things in common. Most things that cultures have in common are necessary to survive, such as fire and language. But there are always even more than the things necessary. Some things include music, luck superstitions, and athletic sports. In the Chinese culture, music is usually traditional. There are instruments made of many materials, usually stone and wood, in addition to silk, bamboo, clay, and many other materials. The purpose of music in Chinese culture is not to amuse but cleanse one?s thoughts. In American culture, music has many genres, such as rock, pop, and rap. Common instruments include guitar, bass guitar, and drums. There are many others in different categories of bands, such as in a marching band there are different instruments. These may include trumpet, cornet, clarinet, flute, and the instruments listed above as well. In African culture, the most common music is spiritual or gospel. Some other musical genres in African music is hip-hop, rap, jazz, or funk. Piano is a common instrument in gospel. In jazz, saxophone is widespread. All three of these cultures have music. Luck superstitions are common in all cultures. In Chinese culture, superstitions deal with a variety of things. It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom so that is why everyone, even the sick, should get dressed and sit in the living room. It is also considered unlucky to use knives or scissors on New Year's Day as this may cut off fortune. These are common superstitions, also called taboos. In American culture, superstitions are just as random and far-fetched as Chinese taboos. Some believe if you catch a snail on Halloween night and lock it into a flat dish, in the morning you will see the first letter of your sweetheart written in the snail's slime. Some believe that to put your shoes on the bed will cause a death in the family. It is common to hear that when a black cat crosses your path, you will have nine years bad luck. It is also to hear that to break a mirror will give you seven years bad luck. A four-leafed clover is considered good luck. African superstit ions are also very common in the culture. It is believed that to look through the trees at the moon will bring bad luck. Some believe that a child?s right hand should not be washed for a month after birth.

Throwing Away your Money Essay -- Environment, Trash Collection

Section One Residents may be throwing away more than trash when the city run garbage trucks collect their rubbish. Government run solid waste collection costs approximately twenty-five percent more than when a private contract company is utilized. (Teel 1993) The concept of privatizations of solid waste collection services is nothing new. This change from using government employees and government owned trucks and landfills to contracting with a private company for solid waste collection is a trend that is getting more attention lately. The move to privatization is usually driven by the desire for cost savings. (Hyres, 2010) There is much debate over the quality of public versus private contracts of municipal services. The other branch of this debate is the cost benefits to taxpayers. One of these municipal services is solid waste collection. Waste services can be broken down into three areas, all of which are available to be contracted out to private companies. The stages are collection of solid waste from households and businesses, recycling (collection and processing), and disposal of non-recyclable products at landfills. (Wright & Nebel, 2002) There are costs incurred for each stage especially at the landfill. From the collection, to the sorting, to final disposal all of this ends up being a costly process for the taxpayer. In this economic climate, many cities are facing budget shortfalls and waste collection is getting close attention. Medina County is no exception, Medina is looking for ways to save, and more efficiently use taxpayer’s money. One viable option is to privatize garba ge collection. The policy for solid waste management in Medina County needs to be amended from being a flow-control system manag... ...it. There will be resistance with privatization, but it is still worthwhile. It is an option that needs to be thoroughly considered. To minimize resistance and job loss, it can be requested for a company to hire some city workers in the contract. (Hyres, 2010) The benefits of privatization are undeniable. Privatization manages liabilities, improves efficiency, cuts costs, and improves accountability. (Raphaelson, 1998) Between the economic conditions, and local governments being faced with many projects that need taxpayer’s dollars, it is a good time to push for privatization of garbage collection and landfills. It is a very difficult decision for an elected official to make, but today’s economy is giving them the â€Å"political cover† to make the move towards privatization, and if it is done properly, it is a win-win decision for all involved. (Segal, 2000)

A Roman Senator and the Ides of March

A Roman senator heard a rumor of an assassination attempt against Julius Caesar. There were two things in his mind: 1) if the assassination succeeded, should be declared legitimate by the Roman senate, and 2) assuming Julius Caesar is a power hungry tyrant, should the assassination a matter of public policy be endorsed by the Roman Senate.Now this senator approached the Great Forum to explain his views of Julius Caesar. In his mind, Caesar is a tyrant inclined to destroy the Roman aristocracy. Although Caesar conquered lands for Rome, it does not suffice to declare him â€Å"dictator for life.† In his thoughts, if Caesar was a true leader of the Roman world, he must learn to relinquish power when required by the state.The Roman senator approached one of the benches of the Roman Senate, and began to talk. He concealed his thoughts about Caesar in metaphors and ironies, offering the Senate both the opportunity to criticize Caesar (in the form of satire) and the chance not to be killed by Caesar. Now came the Ides of March: the day of Caesar’s assassination. A senator born from a noble Roman family, this senator decided to join Brutus and Cassius.Before the assassination, he argued that â€Å"killing Caesar should be thought off as an honorable duty to the state.† Only an assassination can save the Roman Republic from the sting of a new â€Å"kingship.† Then appeared flashes of Pompey in his mind: the true champion of the Roman Republic. The Ides of March to him was his greatest achievement; that is, the means to liberate the Roman world from the bonds of a tyrant.Work CitedGibbon, Edward. The Roman Republic. Ed. By Nero A. Saunders. London: London Publishing House, 1790/1967.

Chapter 35 Veritaserum

Harry felt himself slam flat into the ground; his face was pressed into grass; the smell of it filled his nostrils. He had closed his eyes while the Portkey transported him, and he kept them closed now. He did not move. All the breath seemed to have been knocked out of him; his head was swimming so badly he felt as though the ground beneath him were swaying like the deck of a ship. To hold himself steady, he tightened his hold on the two things he was still clutching: the smooth, cold handle of the Triwizard Cup and Cedric's body. He felt as though he would slide away into the blackness gathering at the edges of his brain if he let go of either of them. Shock and exhaustion kept him on the ground, breathing in the smell of the grass, waiting†¦waiting for someone to do something†¦something to happen†¦and all the while, his scar burned dully on his forehead†¦. A torrent of sound deafened and confused him; there were voices everywhere, footsteps, screams†¦.He remained where he was, his face screwed up against the noise, as though it were a nightmare that would pass†¦. Then a pair of hands seized him roughly and turned him over. â€Å"Harry! Harry!† He opened his eyes. He was looking up at the starry sky, and Albus Dumbledore was crouched over him. The dark shadows of a crowd of people pressed in around them, pushing nearer; Harry felt the ground beneath his head reverberating with their footsteps. He had come back to the edge of the maze. He could see the stands rising above him, the shapes of people moving in them, the stars above. Harry let go of the cup, but he clutched Cedric to him even more tightly. He raised his free hand and seized Dumbledore's wrist, while Dumbledore's face swam in and out of focus. â€Å"He's back,† Harry whispered. â€Å"He's back. Voldemort.† â€Å"What's going on? What's happened?† The face of Cornelius Fudge appeared upside down over Harry; it looked white, appalled. â€Å"My God – Diggory!† it whispered. â€Å"Dumbledore – he's dead!† The words were repeated, the shadowy figures pressing in on them gasped it to those around them†¦and then others shouted it – screeched it – into the night – â€Å"He's dead!† â€Å"He's dead!† â€Å"Cedric Diggory! Dead!† â€Å"Harry, let go of him,† he heard Fudge's voice say, and he felt fingers trying to pry him from Cedric's limp body, but Harry wouldn't let him go. Then Dumbledore's face, which was still blurred and misted, came closer. â€Å"Harry, you can't help him now. It's over. Let go.† â€Å"He wanted me to bring him back,† Harry muttered – it seemed important to explain this. â€Å"He wanted me to bring him back to his parents†¦.† â€Å"That's right. Harry†¦just let go now†¦.† Dumbledore bent down, and with extraordinary strength for a man so old and thin, raised Harry from the ground and set -him on his feet. Harry swayed. His head was pounding. His injured leg would no longer support his weight. The crowd around them jostled, fighting to get closer, pressing darkly in on him – â€Å"What's happened?† â€Å"What's wrong with him?† â€Å"Diggory's dead!† â€Å"He'll need to go to the hospital wing!† Fudge was saying loudly. â€Å"He's ill, he's injured – Dumbledore, Diggory's parents, they're here, they're in the stands†¦.† â€Å"I'll take Harry, Dumbledore, I'll take him -â€Å" â€Å"No, I would prefer-â€Å" â€Å"Dumbledore, Amos Diggory's running†¦he's coming over†¦.Don't you think you should tell him – before he sees – ?† â€Å"Harry, stay here -â€Å" Girls were screaming, sobbing hysterically†¦.The scene flickered oddly before Harry's eyes†¦. â€Å"Its all right, son, I've got you†¦come on†¦hospital wing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Dumbledore said stay,† said Harry thickly, the pounding in his scar making him feel as though he was about to throw up; his vision was blurring worse than ever. â€Å"You need to lie down†¦.Come on now†¦.† Someone larger and stronger than he was was half pulling, half carrying him through the frightened crowd. Harry heard people gasping, screaming, and shouting as the man supporting him pushed a path through them, taking him back to the castle. Across the lawn, past the lake and the Durmstrang ship, Harry heard nothing but the heavy breathing of the man helping him walk. â€Å"What happened. Harry?† the man asked at last as he lifted Harry up the stone steps. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. It was Mad-Eye Moody. â€Å"Cup was a Portkey,† said Harry as they crossed the entrance hall. â€Å"Took me and Cedric to a graveyard†¦and Voldemort was there†¦Lord Voldemort†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Up the marble stairs†¦ â€Å"The Dark Lord was there? What happened then?† â€Å"Killed Cedric†¦they killed Cedric†¦.† â€Å"And then?† Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Along the corridor†¦ â€Å"Made a potion†¦got his body back†¦.† â€Å"The Dark Lord got his body back? He's returned?† â€Å"And the Death Eaters came†¦and then we dueled†¦.† â€Å"You dueled with the Dark Lord?† â€Å"Got away†¦my wand†¦did something funny†¦.I saw my mum and dad†¦they came out of his wand†¦.† â€Å"In here. Harry†¦in here, and sit down†¦.You'll be all right now†¦drink this†¦.† Harry heard a key scrape in a lock and felt a cup being pushed into his hands. â€Å"Drink it†¦you'll feel better†¦come on, now. Harry, I need to know exactly what happened†¦.† Moody helped tip the stuff down Harry's throat; he coughed, a peppery taste burning his throat. Moody's office came into sharper focus, and so did Moody himself†¦.He looked as white as Fudge had looked, and both eyes were fixed unblinkingly upon Harry's face. â€Å"Voldemort's back, Harry? You're sure he's back? How did he do it?† â€Å"He took stuff from his father's grave, and from Wormtail, and me,† said Harry. His head felt clearer; his scar wasn't hurting so badly; he could now see Moody's face distinctly, even though the office was dark. He could still hear screaming and shouting from the distant Quidditch field. â€Å"What did the Dark Lord take from you?† said Moody. â€Å"Blood,† said Harry, raising his arm. His sleeve was ripped where Wormtail's dagger had torn it. Moody let out his breath in a long, low hiss. â€Å"And the Death Eaters? They returned?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry. â€Å"Loads of them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"How did he treat them?† Moody asked quietly. â€Å"Did he forgive them?† But Harry had suddenly remembered. He should have told Dumbledore, he should have said it straightaway – â€Å"There's a Death Eater at Hogwarts! There's a Death Eater here – they put my name in the Goblet of Fire, they made sure I got through to the end -â€Å" Harry tried to get up, but Moody pushed him back down. â€Å"I know who the Death Eater is,† he said quietly. â€Å"Karkaroff?† said Harry wildly. â€Å"Where is he? Have you got him? Is he locked up?† â€Å"Karkaroff?† said Moody with an odd laugh. â€Å"Karkaroff fled tonight, when he felt the Dark Mark burn upon his arm. He betrayed too many faithful supporters of the Dark Lord to wish to meet them†¦but I doubt he will get far. The Dark Lord has ways of tracking his enemies.† â€Å"Karkaroff's gone? He ran away? But then – he didn't put my name in the goblet?† â€Å"No,† said Moody slowly. â€Å"No, he didn't. It was I who did that.† Harry heard, but didn't believe. â€Å"No, you didn't,† he said. â€Å"You didn't do that†¦you can't have done†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I assure you I did,† said Moody, and his magical eye swung around and fixed upon the door, and Harry knew he was making sure that there was no one outside it. At the same time, Moody drew out his wand and pointed it at Harry. â€Å"He forgave them, then?† he said. â€Å"The Death Eaters who went free? The ones who escaped Azkaban?† â€Å"What?† said Harry. He was looking at the wand Moody was pointing at him. This was a bad joke, it had to be. â€Å"I asked you,† said Moody quietly, â€Å"whether he forgave the scum who never even went to look for him. Those treacherous cowards who wouldn't even brave Azkaban for him. The faithless, worthless bits of filth who were brave enough to cavort in masks at the Quidditch World Cup, but fled at the sight of the Dark Mark when I fired it into the sky.† â€Å"You fired†¦What are you talking about†¦?† â€Å"I told you. Harry†¦I told you. If there's one thing I hate more than any other, it's a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most. I expected him to punish them. I expected him to torture them. Tell me he hurt them, Harry†¦.† Moody's face was suddenly lit with an insane smile. â€Å"Tell me he told them that I, I alone remained faithful†¦prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all†¦you.† â€Å"You didn't†¦it – it can't be you†¦.† â€Å"Who put your name in the Goblet of Fire, under the name of a different school? I did. Who frightened off every person I thought might try to hurt you or prevent you from winning the tournament? I did. Who nudged Hagrid into showing you the dragons? I did. Who helped you see the only way you could beat the dragon? I did.† Moody's magical eye had now left the door. It was fixed upon Harry. His lopsided mouth leered more widely than ever. â€Å"It hasn't been easy, Harry, guiding you through these tasks without arousing suspicion. I have had to use every ounce of cunning I possess, so that my hand would not be detectable in your success. Dumbledore would have been very suspicious if you had managed everything too easily. As long as you got into that maze, preferably with a decent head start – then, I knew, I would have a chance of getting rid of the other champions and leaving your way clear. But I also had to contend with your stupidity. The second task†¦that was when I was most afraid we would fail. I was keeping watch on you, Potter. I knew you hadn't worked out the egg's clue, so I had to give you another hint -â€Å" â€Å"You didn't,† Harry said hoarsely. â€Å"Cedric gave me the clue -â€Å" â€Å"Who told Cedric to open it underwater? I did. I trusted that he would pass the information on to you. Decent people are so easy to manipulate, Potter. I was sure Cedric would want to repay you for telling him about the dragons, and so he did. But even then, Potter, even then you seemed likely to fail. I was watching all the time†¦all those hours in the library. Didn't you realize that the book you needed was in your dormitory all along? I planted it there early on, I gave it to the Longbottom boy, don't you remember? Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean. It would have told you all you needed to know about gillyweed. I expected you to ask everyone and anyone you could for help. Longbottom would have told you in an instant. But you did not†¦you did not†¦.You have a streak of pride and independence that might have ruined all. â€Å"So what could I do? Feed you information from another innocent source. You told me at the Yule Ball a house-elf called Dobby had given you a Christmas present. I called the elf to the staffroom to collect some robes for cleaning. I staged a loud conversation with Professor McGonagall about the hostages who had been taken, and whether Potter would think to use gillyweed. And your little elf friend ran straight to Snape's office and then hurried to find you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Moody's wand was still pointing directly at Harry's heart. Over his shoulder, foggy shapes were moving in the Foe-Glass on the wall. â€Å"You were so long in that lake, Potter, I thought you had drowned. But luckily, Dumbledore took your idiocy for nobility, and marked you high for it. I breathed again. â€Å"You had an easier time of it than you should have in that maze tonight, of course,† said Moody. â€Å"I was patrolling around it, able to see through the outer hedges, able to curse many obstacles out of your way. I Stunned Fleur Delacour as she passed. I put the Imperius Curse on Krum, so that he would finish Diggory and leave your path to the cup clear.† Harry stared at Moody. He just didn't see how this could be†¦.Dumbledore's friend, the famous Auror†¦the one who had caught so many Death Eaters†¦It made no sense†¦no sense at all†¦. The foggy shapes in the Foe-Glass were sharpening, had become more distinct. Harry could see the outlines of three people over Moody's shoulder, moving closer and closer. But Moody wasn't watching them. His magical eye was upon Harry. â€Å"The Dark Lord didn't manage to kill you. Potter, and he so wanted to,† whispered Moody. â€Å"Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him. I gave you to him – the thing he needed above all to regenerate – and then I killed you for him. I will be honored beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter†¦closer than a son†¦.† Moody's normal eye was bulging, the magical eye fixed upon Harry. The door was barred, and Harry knew he would never reach his own wand in time†¦. â€Å"The Dark Lord and I,† said Moody, and he looked completely insane now, towering over Harry, leering down at him, â€Å"have much in common. Both of us, for instance, had very disappointing fathers†¦very disappointing indeed. Both of us suffered the indignity, Harry, of being named after those fathers. And both of us had the pleasure†¦the very great pleasure†¦of killing our fathers to ensure the continued rise of the Dark Order!† â€Å"You're mad,† Harry said – he couldn't stop himself- â€Å"you're mad!† â€Å"Mad, am I?† said Moody, his voice rising uncontrollably. â€Å"We'll see! We'll see who's mad, now that the Dark Lord has returned, with me at his side! He is back, Harry Potter, you did not conquer him – and now – I conquer you!† Moody raised his wand, he opened his mouth; Harry plunged his own hand into his robes – â€Å"Stupefy!† There was a blinding flash of red light, and with a great splintering and crashing, the door of Moody's office was blasted apart – Moody was thrown backward onto the office floor. Harry, still staring at the place where Moody's face had been, saw Albus Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall looking back at him out of the Foe-Glass. He looked around and saw the three of them standing in the doorway, Dumbledore in front, his wand outstretched. At that moment, Harry fully understood for the first time why people said Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. The look upon Dumbledore's face as he stared down at the unconscious form of Mad-Eye Moody was more terrible than Harry could have ever imagined. There was no benign smile upon Dumbledore's face, no twinkle in the eyes behind the spectacles. There was cold fury in every line of the ancient face; a sense of power radiated from Dumbledore as though he were giving off burning heat. He stepped into the office, placed a foot underneath Moody's unconscious body, and kicked him over onto his back, so that his face was visible. Snape followed him, looking into the Foe-Glass, where his own face was still visible, glaring into the room. Professor McGonagall went straight to Harry. â€Å"Come along, Potter,† she whispered. The thin line of her mouth was twitching as though she was about to cry. â€Å"Come along†¦hospital wing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No,† said Dumbledore sharply. â€Å"Dumbledore, he ought to – look at him – he's been through enough tonight -â€Å" â€Å"He will stay, Minerva, because he needs to understand,† said Dumbledore curtly. â€Å"Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery. He needs to know who has put him through the ordeal he has suffered tonight, and why,† â€Å"Moody,† Harry said. He was still in a state of complete disbelief. â€Å"How can it have been Moody?† â€Å"This is not Alastor Moody,† said Dumbledore quietly. â€Å"You have never known Alastor Moody. The real Moody would not have removed you from my sight after what happened tonight. The moment he took you, I knew – and I followed.† Dumbledore bent down over Moody's limp form and put a hand inside his robes. He pulled out Moody's hip flask and a set of keys on a ring. Then he turned to Professors McGonagall and Snape. â€Å"Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here.† If either Snape or McGonagall found these instructions peculiar, they hid their confusion. Both turned at once and left the office. Dumbledore walked over to the trunk with seven locks, fitted the first key in the lock, and opened it. It contained a mass of spell-books. Dumbledore closed the trunk, placed a second key in the second lock, and opened the trunk again. The spellbooks had vanished; this time it contained an assortment of broken Sneako-scopes, some parchment and quills, and what looked like a silvery Invisibility Cloak. Harry watched, astounded, as Dumbledore placed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth keys in their respective locks, reopening the trunk each time, and revealing different contents each time. Then he placed the seventh key in the lock, threw open the lid, and Harry let out a cry of amazement. He was looking down into a kind of pit, an underground room, and lying on the floor some ten feet below, apparently fast asleep, thin and starved in appearance, was the real Mad-Eye Moody. His wooden leg was gone, the socket that should have held the magical eye looked empty beneath its lid, and chunks of his grizzled hair were missing. Harry stared, thunderstruck, between the sleeping Moody in the trunk and the unconscious Moody lying on the floor of the office. Dumbledore climbed into the trunk, lowered himself, and fell lightly onto the floor beside the sleeping Moody. He bent over him. â€Å"Stunned – controlled by the Imperius Curse – very weak,† he said. â€Å"Of course, they would have needed to keep him alive. Harry, throw down the imposter's cloak – he's freezing. Madam Pomfrey will need to see him, but he seems in no immediate danger.† Harry did as he was told; Dumbledore covered Moody in the cloak, tucked it around him, and clambered out of the trunk again. Then he picked up the hip flask that stood upon the desk, unscrewed it, and turned it over. A thick glutinous liquid splattered onto the office floor. â€Å"Polyjuice Potion, Harry,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"You see the simplicity of it, and the brilliance. For Moody never does drink except from his hip flask, he's well known for it. The imposter needed, of course, to keep the real Moody close by, so that he could continue making the potion. You see his hair†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Dumbledore looked down on the Moody in the trunk. â€Å"The imposter has been cutting it off all year, see where it is uneven? But I think, in the excitement of tonight, our fake Moody might have forgotten to take it as frequently as he should have done†¦on the hour†¦every hour†¦.We shall see.† Dumbledore pulled out the chair at the desk and sat down upon it, his eyes fixed upon the unconscious Moody on the floor. Harry stared at him too. Minutes passed in silence†¦. Then, before Harry's very eyes, the face of the man on the floor began to change. The scars were disappearing, the skin was becoming smooth; the mangled nose became whole and started to shrink. The long mane of grizzled gray hair was withdrawing into the scalp and turning the color of straw. Suddenly, with a loud clunk, the wooden leg fell away as a normal leg regrew in its place; next moment, the magical eyeball had popped out of the man's face as a real eye replaced it; it rolled away across the floor and continued to swivel in every direction. Harry saw a man lying before him, pale-skinned, slightly freckled, with a mop of fair hair. He knew who he was. He had seen him in Dumbledore's Pensieve, had watched him being led away from court by the dementors, trying to convince Mr. Crouch that he was innocent†¦but he was lined around the eyes now and looked much older†¦. There were hurried footsteps outside in the corridor. Snape had returned with Winky at his heels. Professor McGonagall was right behind them. â€Å"Crouch!† Snape said, stopping dead in the doorway. â€Å"Barty Crouch!† â€Å"Good heavens,† said Professor McGonagall, stopping dead and staring down at the man on the floor. Filthy, disheveled, Winky peered around Snape's legs. Her mouth opened wide and she let out a piercing shriek. â€Å"Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?† She flung herself forward onto the young man's chest. â€Å"You is killed him! You is killed him! You is killed Master's son!† â€Å"He is simply Stunned, Winky,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Step aside, please. Severus, you have the potion?† Snape handed Dumbledore a small glass bottle of completely clear liquid: the Veritaserum with which he had threatened Harry in class. Dumbledore got up, bent over the man on the floor, and pulled him into a sitting position against the wall beneath the Foe-Glass, in which the reflections of Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall were still glaring down upon them all. Winky remained on her knees, trembling, her hands over her face. Dumbledore forced the mans mouth open and poured three drops inside it. Then he pointed his wand at the mans chest and said, â€Å"Ennervate.† Crouch's son opened his eyes. His face was slack, his gaze unfocused. Dumbledore knelt before him, so that their faces were level. â€Å"Can you hear me?† Dumbledore asked quietly. The man's eyelids flickered. â€Å"Yes,† he muttered. â€Å"I would like you to tell us,† said Dumbledore softly, â€Å"how you came to be here. How did you escape from Azkaban?† Crouch took a deep, shuddering breath, then began to speak in a flat, expressionless voice. â€Å"My mother saved me. She knew she was dying. She persuaded my father to rescue me as a last favor to her. He loved her as he had never loved me. He agreed. They came to visit me. They gave me a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my mother's hairs. She took a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my hairs. We took on each other's appearance.† Winky was shaking her head, trembling. â€Å"Say no more. Master Barty, say no more, you is getting your father into trouble!† But Crouch took another deep breath and continued in the same flat voice. â€Å"The dementors are blind. They sensed one healthy, one dying person entering Azkaban. They sensed one healthy, one dying person leaving it. My father smuggled me out, disguised as my mother, in case any prisoners were watching through their doors. â€Å"My mother died a short while afterward in Azkaban. She was careful to drink Polyjuice Potion until the end. She was buried under my name and bearing my appearance. Everyone believed her to be me.† The man's eyelids flickered. â€Å"And what did your father do with you, when he had got you home?† said Dumbledore quietly. â€Å"Staged my mother's death. A quiet, private funeral. That grave is empty. The house-elf nursed me back to health. Then I had to be concealed. I had to be controlled. My father had to use a number of spells to subdue me. When I had recovered my strength, I thought only of finding my master†¦of returning to his service.† â€Å"How did your father subdue you?† said Dumbledore. â€Å"The Imperius Curse,† Moody said. â€Å"I was under my fathers control. I was forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night. I was always with the house-elf. She was my keeper and caretaker. She pitied me. She persuaded my father to give me occasional treats. Rewards for my good behavior.† â€Å"Master Barty, Master Barty,† sobbed Winky through her hands. â€Å"You isn't ought to tell them, we is getting in trouble†¦.† â€Å"Did anybody ever discover that you were still alive?† said Dumbledore softly. â€Å"Did anyone know except your father and the house-elf?† â€Å"Yes,† said Crouch, his eyelids flickering again. â€Å"A witch in my father's office. Bertha Jorkins. She came to the house with papers for my father's signature. He was not at home. Winky showed her inside and returned to the kitchen, to me. But Bertha Jorkins heard Winky talking to me. She came to investigate. She heard enough to guess who was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak. My father arrived home. She confronted him. He put a very powerful Memory Charm on her to make her forget what she'd found out. Too powerful. He said it damaged her memory permanently.† â€Å"Why is she coming to nose into my masters private business?† sobbed Winky. â€Å"Why isn't she leaving us be?† â€Å"Tell me about the Quidditch World Cup,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Winky talked my father into it,† said Crouch, still in the same monotonous voice. â€Å"She spent months persuading him. I had not left the house for years. I had loved Quidditch. Let him go, she said. He will be in his Invisibility Cloak. He can watch. Let him smell fresh air for once. She said my mother would have wanted it. She told my father that my mother had died to give me freedom. She had not saved me for a life of imprisonment. He agreed in the end. â€Å"It was carefully planned. My father led me and Winky up to the Top Box early in the day. Winky was to say that she was saving a seat for my father. I was to sit there, invisible. When everyone had left the box, we would emerge. Winky would appear to be alone. Nobody would ever know. â€Å"But Winky didn't know that I was growing stronger. I was starting to fight my father's Imperius Curse. There were times when I was almost myself again. There were brief periods when I seemed outside his control. It happened, there, in the Top Box. It was like waking from a deep sleep. I found myself out in public, in the middle of the match, and I saw, in front of me, a wand sticking out of a boys pocket. I had not been allowed a wand since before Azkaban. I stole it. Winky didn't know. Winky is frightened of heights. She had her face hidden.† â€Å"Master Barty, you bad boy!† whispered Winky, tears trickling between her fingers. â€Å"So you took the wand,† said Dumbledore, â€Å"and what did you do with it?† â€Å"We went back to the tent,† said Crouch. â€Å"Then we heard them. We heard the Death Eaters. The ones who had never been to Azkaban. The ones who had never suffered for my master. They had turned their backs on him. They were not enslaved, as I was. They were free to seek him, but they did not. They were merely making sport of Muggles. The sound of their voices awoke me. My mind was clearer than it had been in years. I was angry. I had the wand. I wanted to attack them for their disloyalty to my master. My father had left the tent; he had gone to free the Muggles. Winky was afraid to see me so angry. She used her own brand of magic to bind me to her. She pulled me from the tent, pulled me into the forest, away from the Death Eaters. I tried to hold her back. I wanted to return to the campsite. I wanted to show those Death Eaters what loyalty to the Dark Lord meant, and to punish them for their lack of it. I used the stolen wand to cast the Dark Mark into the sky. â€Å"Ministry wizards arrived. They shot Stunning Spells everywhere. One of the spells came through the trees where Winky and I stood. The bond connecting us was broken. We were both Stunned. â€Å"When Winky was discovered, my father knew I must be nearby. He searched the bushes where she had been found and felt me lying there. He waited until the other Ministry members had left the forest. He put me back under the Imperius Curse and took me home. He dismissed Winky. She had failed him. She had let me acquire a wand. She had almost let me escape.† Winky let out a wail of despair. â€Å"Now it was just Father and I, alone in the house. And then†¦and then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Crouch's head rolled on his neck, and an insane grin spread across his face. â€Å"My master came for me. â€Å"He arrived at our house late one night in the arms of his servant Wormtail. My master had found out that I was still alive. He had captured Bertha Jorkins in Albania. He had tortured her. She told him a great deal. She told him about the Triwizard Tournament. She told him the old Auror, Moody, was going to teach at Hogwarts. He tortured her until he broke through the Memory Charm my father had placed upon her. She told him I had escaped from Azkaban. She told him my father kept me imprisoned to prevent me from seeking my master. And so my master knew that I was still his faithful servant – perhaps the most faithful of all. My master conceived a plan, based upon the information Bertha had given him. He needed me. He arrived at our house near midnight. My father answered the door.† The smile spread wider over Crouch's face, as though recalling the sweetest memory of his life. Winky's petrified brown eyes were visible through her fingers. She seemed too appalled to speak. â€Å"It was very quick. My father was placed under the Imperius Curse by my master. Now my father was the one imprisoned, controlled. My master forced him to go about his business as usual, to act as though nothing was wrong. And I was released. I awoke. I was myself again, alive as I hadn't been in years. â€Å"And what did Lord Voldemort ask you to do?† said Dumbledore. â€Å"He asked me whether I was ready to risk everything for him. I was ready. It was my dream, my greatest ambition, to serve him, to prove myself to him. He told me he needed to place a faithful servant at Hogwarts. A servant who would guide Harry Potter through the Triwizard Tournament without appearing to do so. A servant who would watch over Harry Potter. Ensure he reached the Triwizard Cup. Turn the cup into a Portkey, which would take the first person to touch it to my master. But first -â€Å" â€Å"You needed Alastor Moody,† said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were blazing, though his voice remained calm. â€Å"Wormtail and I did it. We had prepared the Polyjuice Potion beforehand. We journeyed to his house. Moody put up a struggle. There was a commotion. We managed to subdue him just in time. Forced him into a compartment of his own magical trunk. Took some of his hair and added it to the potion. I drank it; I became Moody's double. I took his leg and his eye. I was ready to face Arthur Weasley when he arrived to sort out the Muggles who had heard a disturbance. I made the dustbins move around the yard. I told Arthur Weasley I had heard intruders in my yard, who had set off the dustbins. Then I packed up Moody's clothes and Dark detectors, put them in the trunk with Moody, and set off for Hogwarts. I kept him alive, under the Imperius Curse. I wanted to be able to question him. To find out about his past, learn his habits, so that I could fool even Dumbledore. I also needed his hair to make the Polyjuice Potion. The other ingredients were easy. I stole boom-slang skin from the dunge ons. When the Potions master found me in his office, I said I was under orders to search it.† â€Å"And what became of Wormtail after you attacked Moody?† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Wormtail returned to care for my master, in my father's house, and to keep watch over my father.† â€Å"But your father escaped,† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Yes. After a while he began to fight the Imperius Curse just as I had done. There were periods when he knew what was happening. My master decided it was no longer safe for my father to leave the house. He forced him to send letters to the Ministry instead. He made him write and say he was ill. But Wormtail neglected his duty. He was not watchful enough. My father escaped. My master guessed that he was heading for Hogwarts. My father was going to tell Dumbledore everything, to confess. He was going to admit that he had smuggled me from Azkaban. â€Å"My master sent me word of my father's escape. He told me to stop him at all costs. So I waited and watched. I used the map I had taken from Harry Potter. The map that had almost ruined everything.† â€Å"Map?† said Dumbledore quickly. â€Å"What map is this?† â€Å"Potter's map of Hogwarts. Potter saw me on it. Potter saw me stealing more ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion from Snape's office one night. He thought I was my father. We have the same first name. I took the map from Potter that night. I told him my father hated Dark wizards. Potter believed my father was after Snape. â€Å"For a week I waited for my father to arrive at Hogwarts. At last, one evening, the map showed my father entering the grounds. I pulled on my Invisibility Cloak and went down to meet him. He was walking around the edge of the forest. Then Potter came, and Krum. I waited. I could not hurt Potter; my master needed him. Potter ran to get Dumbledore. I Stunned Krum. I killed my father.† â€Å"Noooo!† wailed Winky. â€Å"Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you saying?† â€Å"You killed your father,† Dumbledore said, in the same soft voice. â€Å"What did you do with the body?† â€Å"Carried it into the forest. Covered it with the Invisibility Cloak. I had the map with me. I watched Potter run into the castle. He met Snape. Dumbledore joined them. I watched Potter bringing Dumbledore out of the castle. I walked back out of the forest, doubled around behind them, went to meet them. I told Dumbledore Snape had told me where to come. â€Å"Dumbledore told me to go and look for my father. I went back to my father's body. Watched the map. When everyone was gone, I Transfigured my father's body. He became a bone†¦I buried it, while wearing the Invisibility Cloak, in the freshly dug earth in front of Hagrid's cabin.† There was complete silence now, except for Winky's continued sobs. Then Dumbledore said, â€Å"And tonight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I offered to carry the Triwizard Cup into the maze before dinner,† whispered Barty Crouch. â€Å"Turned it into a Portkey. My master's plan worked. He is returned to power and I will be honored by him beyond the dreams of wizards.† The insane smile lit his features once more, and his head drooped onto his shoulder as Winky wailed and sobbed at his side.