Competitive Advantage and Comparative Advantage Essay Example for Free

Competitive Advantage and Comparative Advantage Essay What is the difference between competitive advantage and comparative advantage? Answer: An advantage that a firm has over its competitors, that differentiates the Product or services offered by the firm and allows the firm to reduce it’s Cost or generate Higher Revenue or Margin is known as Competitive Advantage. A competitive advantage is something that a consumer views in a product or service as having higher value than the other competitors of the firm in the industry. It is an expertise that one firm has. There are many types of competitive strategy that a firm adopts so as to give a competitive advantage to the firm. E.g. Cost leadership: A firm produces the lowest cost product in the entire industry. Comparative Advantage: When one firm/country is able to produce Goods or Services at a lower Opportunity Cost over another firm/ country, it is said to have a Comparative Advantage. For E.g. if one country uses more machines and produces 10 units of each Meat and Clothes in one hour. And another country uses fewer machines and produces either 4 Meat or 6 Clothes in an hour, each country can gain from trade because their internal trade-offs between Meat and Clothes are different. The country that uses fewer machines has a Comparative advantage in producing clothes, hence it is more beneficial to produce and trade Clothes with the other country. The country that uses more machines has a comparative advantage in producing Meat, hence it is beneficial for them to produce and trade Meat with the other country.

Issues with Business-to-consumer E-commerce

Issues with Business-to-consumer E-commerce Introduction: The long-term prosperity of business-to-consumer e-commerce depends upon the existence of consumers confidence and the availability of adequate supporting legal framework with effective means of enforcement. Because of the technological development e-commerce industry is growing with enormous speed. Majority of consumers prefer to buy products online and make electronic transactions with companies situated outside their national boundaries. The expansive use of e-commerce and the existence of complex legal framework necessitate that efforts should be made to introduce new means of enforcing Business to Consumer e-contracts and disputes resolution across state borders. This research work will mainly concentrate upon the existing issues in enforcing business to consumer e-contracts across national borders. These include the issue of jurisdiction, the issue of applicable law and the issue of enforcement. Furthermore it will evaluate thoroughly the need for new means of disputes resolution in cross border B2C e-commerce transactions. It will further assess the potentials of B2C e-commerce disputes resolution through internal complaint handling mechanism and direct contact with business. It will also evaluate the Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, such as facilitative ADR, Advisory ADR, Determinative ADR, Combined ADR etc and will recommend how these forms of disputes resolution can be effectively implemented on national level and to be of binding nature. basic principle such as equality, fair treatment, affordability, Awareness about the ADR principles, accessibility to ADR mechanism, finality and rapidness of ADR process, and objectives of ADR. The research work will further analyse the concept of ADR in legal perspective and will suggest that what efforts should be made on international, regional and national level to promote the use and development of ADR, particularly in disputes arising out of cross-border transactions. It will take into consideration various legislative and other legal instruments i.e. European Union Directive on Electronic Commerce, OECD E-commerce Guidelines, European Commission Recommendations 1998, European Commission Recommendations 2001, International Chamber of Commerce best practices, ADR Guidelines 2003, International Consumer groups and International Businesses groups, and EEJ-NET etc and will suggest if necessary amendments are needed. The research work will also focus on the current obstacles in the expansion of ADR mechanism, such as unawareness of businesses and consumers of ADR process and its benefits, Lack of trained and educated specialist in dispute resolution, cultural and linguistic issues Due to cross-border nature of e-commerce, and jurisdictional and procedural issues resulting from the multi-national nature of e-commerce etc. Moreover this research will propose certain recommendations that how the current obstacles may be removed to paved a way for an effective dispute resolution system, compatible with the need of time, such as making of legislation on international, regional and national level to determine the issue of jurisdiction, applicable law and enforcement of judgement, making efforts by the governments to create awareness and educate people about the effective means of enforcing their rights and resolving disputes, the creation of independent bodies and institutions on international, regional and national level to deal with e-contracts enforcement and disputes resolution, the encouragement of both traditional and modern mechanisms of disputes resolution, the availability of internal complaint handling department in every business etc. Aim and objectives: The main aim of this study is to evaluate the existing issues in cross-border Business-to-Consumers ecommerce transactions. Specifically the research focuses on judicial obstacles, such as the issue of jurisdiction, applicable law, and enforcement. This study further suggests that what could be the best alternatives to address these issues and increase consumers confidence in online shopping. Hypothesis: According to my hypothesis the following are the main issues inherent in resolving business-to-consumers cross-borders ecommerce disputes. Issue of jurisdiction: The first and the most important issue in B2C ecommerce dispute is the issue of Jurisdiction. When a consumer in one country purchase a product online in another country and subsequently a dispute arises between the parties and consumer wants to seek judicial remedy, than in such case a question arises that which court is having territorial jurisdiction to entertain the matter. Applicable law: The matter of applicable law in ecommerce is another considerable issue. It is very difficult to determine that under which legal system or under what law the matter should be dealt with. Issue of enforcement: The issue of enforcement also needs to be addressed. In resolving business-to-consumers ecommerce dispute it is unclear that how and where the judgement may be enforced. Literature review: Literature review literally means a review of whatever has already been written by different scholars about the existing research topic, and than to demonstrate that the existing research is deficient and needs some supplementing. In todays advance technology the use of ecommerce is increasing. â€Å"Between 2004 and 2008, in EU the use of shopping through internet increased from 22% to 34%. In the UK in 2008, 57% consumers did online shopping, in Germany, Denmark and Netherlands the figure remained above 50%. In Estonia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Portugal the figure was respectively 10%, while in Romania and Bulgaria it was about 4%†. Although e-commerce is increasing at national level, it is still comparatively unusual for consumers to participate in cross-borders transactions. Consequently the gape between interstate and cross-border e-commerce is expanding. From 2006 to 2008, in EU the figure of online consumers increased from 27% to 33% while cross-border e-commerce remained still at 6% to 7%. On national level â€Å"laws that apply to traditional or off line commerce apply equally in an electronic environment. For instance laws governing business incorporation, registration, taxation, consumer protection, deceptive advertising, product safety and standards, criminal code, inter-provincial trade treaties, intellectual property and liability apply on the internet†. But when the matter goes beyond the territorial boundaries and involves another state than the situation changes completely and gives rise to uncertainty and ambiguity. In an ordinary civil matter the territorial jurisdiction of civil court may be determined on three factors i.e. where the parties reside, where the cause of action arises or where the property is situated. But when any dispute arises out of any electronic transaction that takes place across national borders, the first question arises that which court is having jurisdiction to entertain the matter. So it is very difficult to decide the jurisdiction and competency of the court. For instance, it is if an issue arises out of cross-border e-commerce transaction and the consumer wants to seek judicial remedy than in that case whether the court of consumers country will entertain the matter or it will come under the territorial jurisdiction of the court where the business is situated. According to Scott Cooper, â€Å"in resolving cross-border complaints it is very difficult to determine the matter of jurisdiction. Consumers are confident to resort to the courts of the countries where the businesses are based and in return the businesses will not be keen regarding trans-border transactions that could subject them to the reach of every country where there online customers resides†. Scott Cooper further states that â€Å"different levels have been established by different governments to protect and enforce consumer rights, but there are no international documents or agreements to determine the fact that which country is having jurisdiction to deal with cross-border B2C dispute†. Furthermore it is also very difficult to determine that under which legal system or under what law the matter should be resolved. There is no apparent legislation to conclude that whether the law of consumers state will apply or the matter should be governed by the law of the state where the business is based or it should be dealt with by an international legal system on uniform basis irrespective of geographic location. Similarly it is also unclear that how and where the judgement regarding the subject matter may be enforced. According to Chin Eang Ong â€Å"in a traditional marketplace, consumers knows means of enforcing their rights, but in electronic marketplace in an online transaction, delegating liability and providing access for redress might be a problem for consumers. A transaction is curable when it takes place within a single jurisdiction i.e. access to local court, but e-commerce is borderless and recourse to courts in any cross-border electronic transaction is complicated by difficulty jurisdiction over such dispute and the applicable law†. According to Mohamed S. Wahab because of technological advancement transactions are taking place in an online environment across national borders, where disputes are inevitable. Some of these disputes are unique to the e-commerce environment. Therefore it needs an effective mechanism of dispute resolution. Keeping in view the existing obstacles in resolving business-to-consumer cross-border e-commerce disputes resolution it is inevitable to consider substitute means to protect the rights of the parties and encourage them to participate in cross-border e-commerce. Some international and regional organizations have proposed that cross-border e-commerce disputes should be resolved through internal complaint system. For instance â€Å"the OECD ecommerce guidelines†, â€Å"the UN guidelines†, and â€Å"the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Voluntary Online Consumer Protection guidelines† recommend the establishment of fair, effective and transparent internal mechanisms for businesses and consumers representatives in order to address consumer complaints and resolve their queries in fair and timely manner without imposing undue burden or cost upon consumers. When dispute between the parties can not be resolved through internal complaint handling mechanism than the parties should be given access to Alternative Dispute Resolution, as it can offer timely, efficient and cost-effective instrument to resolve cross-border disputes. Alternative Disputes Resolution is a mechanism other than judicial determination, whereby disputes are resolved through the medium of impartial third party by adopting different ways and means. When ADR takes place through internet than it is called Online Disputes Resolution. There is an extensive choice of ADR mechanisms. The most commonly used mechanisms are â€Å"arbitration†, â€Å"mediation† and â€Å"negotiation†. National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council (NADRAC) uses the term ADR in a broader sense. According to NADRAC submission â€Å"ADR mechanisms is consist of facilitative ADR, advisory ADR, determinative ADR, and some time the combination of these mechanisms†. According to UN report, the main challenge in e-commerce industry is how to resolve cross-border e-commerce disputes. Traditional methods of resolving disputes may not provide an efficient and effective remedy; therefore there is a need for considering alternative means that would provide speedy and cost efficient redress to the parties. Dr. Moira Patterson has adopted the same view. She states that there are two issues involved in e-commerce i.e. which law should govern cross-border transaction and that such transactions should either be subjected to national laws or should be dealt with by international instruments. In such circumstances Alternative Disputes Resolution offers a cost-effective and speedy solution through the medium of third party. According to Lilian Edwards and Caroline Wilson, â€Å"Online Dispute resolution introduces very powerful and efficient tools for dispute resolution and increases access to redress mechanisms. ODR is an efficient, fast, and cheap way of dispute resolution, Court costs are beyond the means of most consumers and takes twenty to thirty months, while ODR process may take few hours or days†. To look at the concept of Alternative Disputes Resolution in legal perspective, efforts have been made on international, regional and national level to encourage the use and development of Alternative Dispute Resolution, particularly in disputes arising out of cross-border transactions. But they do not have any binding effects. It is a discretionary option for the states to apply and adopt them in their national laws. For instance, Art 17 of the EU Directive on Electronic Commerce deals with out-of-court dispute settlement. â€Å"The Article imposes responsibility upon member states to support those bodies that are responsible for out-of-court disputes settlement of consumer to operate in a way which provides sufficient practical guarantees for the concerned parties. And that the member states shall ensure that their legislation does not obstruct the use of out-of-court methods, accessible under the state law, for dispute settlement†. According to OECD E-commerce Guidelines, â€Å"consumers should be given access to fair and timely ADR and remedy without undue cost or burden. And that Businesses, consumer representatives and governments should work jointly to continue to use and develop just, efficient, and transparent self-regulatory and other strategies and measures, including ADR mechanisms, to address consumer complaints and resolve their disputes arising out of Business-to-consumer electronic commerce in cross-border transactions†. Similarly the European Commission issued recommendations in 1998 which prescribes principles of independence, transparency, adversarial proceedings, effectiveness, legality, liberty, and representation for out-of-court consumers disputes settlement. Furthermore â€Å"Recommendations issued by European Commission in 2001 governs out-of-court procedures which lead to a settlement between the parties by common consent. It prescribes four principles i.e. impartiality, transparency, effectiveness, and fairness of procedure in-order to encourage consumers confidence in e-commerce and to ensure easy access to practical, effective, and inexpensive means of redress†. Moreover the International Chamber of Commerce has issued best practices for ODR. It provides guidance for online businesses and for ODR providers. It encourages businesses to resolve consumer disputes through the medium of Online Disputes Resolution mechanism when the matter can not be resolved internally. ADR Guidelines 2003 agreed between Consumers International and the Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce. â€Å"These guidelines prescribe recommendations for ADR providers on impartiality and qualification of personnel, accessibility and convenience, speed, cost, transparency, representation, applicable rules and consumer awareness. It also recommends to governments to address international rules on jurisdiction and applicable law and to adopt different measures to promote increased use and development of ADR†. Methodology: In research methodology I will pursue triangulation method by adopting both quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (interviews) research methodologies. The main reason behind using various methods of research is that â€Å"it facilitates the validation of data through cross verification from more than two sources. In particular it refers to the application and combination of several research methodologies in the study of the same phenomenon†. Sampling: In selecting my respondents I will use both probability sampling method and non-probability sampling method. In probability sampling method I will choose my respondents from a list of potential people that I will use for primary data collection. Such list will be obtained from an existing database of a research organization such as IPSOS MORI. In non-probability sampling method I will question or interview any one who is available. This method is very quick and cost efficient. Method of data collection: For collecting primary data I will use two methods, which are questionnaire and interviews. I will also consult a research organization such as IPSOS MORI, for collecting data for my research work. Questionnaire: For collecting data through questionnaires first of all I will select my target group to be examined through questionnaire. For this purpose I will adopt probability and non-probability sampling methods as mentioned above in sampling section. For questionnaire distribution I will use three methods i.e. sending emails, using postal services and onsite distribution by going to particular places i.e. supermarkets, travel centres to distribute the questions among randomly selected individuals. I will also get in touch with various businesses that are involved in cross borders E-commerce and will analyse their procedure for resolving B2C E-commerce disputes through the medium of questionnaire and conducting interviews. In current research work I have conducted a pilot research to make sure that the questions that will be asked in my actual dissertation are answerable and that the methods that will be used are workable in practical sense. I have distributed 50 questionnaires among the students in Bradford College. The response of the participants was very high and positive. The questions used in questionnaires were quite simple, which I will improve further by making amendments and improvements in my dissertation stage. A sample of questionnaire is attached at the end of this research proposal in appendix 1. Interviews: Interview is the most popular technique of qualitative research. It is very useful because of its flexibility, both in terms of content and time and can be tailored to suit the research questions, respondents, and the researchers own life style much more effectively. The use of interview can help the researcher to gather valid and reliable data that are relevant to the research question and objectives. For collecting data I will use face-to-face interviews, as it is a useful method of data collection and is used by most of the researchers because body language and emotions of the participant can also be studied which is a fundamental factor for a qualitative researcher. I will also use phone interviews and e-mail interviews. Interview will be semi structured and unstructured, and the questions may either be already prepared on a peace of paper or they may be generated during the interview process. There will be in-depth interviews with the participants in order to collect as much information as possible regarding the research topic. If the participants are having any difficulty in understanding the questions I will clarify and explain the question. I can also use opinion poll method to find out public opinion, by making a random selection from the general public. In my current research proposal I have interviewed 15 people in order to check the response and effectiveness of conducting interviews. The response I got from the participants was high but the result obtained from interviews was different from questionnaire although the interview questions were almost similar to the questionnaires. In order to get similar results I will make changes in interview questions to improve the quality and response rate and to make it more attractive for the respondents. A summary of interviews is attached at the end of this proposal in appendix 2. Secondary Data: I will also use secondary data in my research work. In order to conduct my research work effectively I will use different library services to access books, scholarly articles, journals and magazines relating to the research topic. For collecting relevant data I will use internet to access online libraries, electronic books and other online materials. I will also make efforts to study case law in the field of E-commerce to find out that how the courts deal with the matters and to look at the courts procedure about resolving e-commerce disputes and will compare them with out of court settlement methods. Data analysis: Data analysis is a continuous procedure during the whole research. The analysis starts from the point where the researcher and the participants are in close relation for the first time during a research process. For data analysis previous knowledge and experience of the researcher is of vital importance in order to get effective results. Data analysis is an important part of the research, where the researcher prepares the data for analysis. Once a data is analysed it is interpreted and than converted into a final report. The traditional methods of data analysis are now replaced by computer software available in the market. As I have selected questionnaire and interview as my primary data collection process, therefore the questionnaire and interview questions will be prepared in such manners that the acquired result obtained from them is valid and reliable, so that the same results can be gained when the research is repeated subsequently. Triangulation method is used in this research methodology because the data collected can be compared from different angles to get the accurate results for the research. Conclusion: After a detailed study of e-commerce and the existence of certain problems i.e. problem of jurisdiction, applicable law and enforcement of judgement, it is therefore apparent and inevitable for building up consumers confidence and e-commerce development that new means of enforcing B2C e-contracts should be adopted. As obvious from the literature review there are no uniform legal principles and legislation on international, regional and national level regulating disputes arising out of e-commerce transaction that takes place across state-borders. There are no binding principles to compel the parties to perform their part of obligation. Similarly literature review further indicates that efforts have been made by different governments and organizations to escalate the problem of enforcing B2C e-contracts and to resolve disputes that arising out of cross-border transaction, but they are only guidelines and voluntary principles of non-binding nature. Although new means of enforcing B2C e-contracts and disputes resolution across state borders are in practice i.e. ADR/ODR, but there are a number of obstacles in developing these mechanisms, such as non-awareness of consumers about ADR, non-availability of independent ADR practitioners, linguistic and cultural differences, distance between the parties. All these barriers need proper and positive response from governments, different organizations and private sector. New ways and means need to be introduce in order to increase consumers confidence in cross-border e-commerce because traditional means of dispute resolution such as court proceedings and other administrative actions are very expensive and time consuming, particularly in small value claims. Therefore it can be concluded that to resolve cross-borders e-commerce disputes it is inevitable to adopt, strengthen and support new means of disputes resolution on international, regional and national level to provide an effective, timely and cost-effective system to build up consumers confidence and develop e-commerce. References Lee, N., Lings, I. (2008) Doing Business Research, A Guide to Theory and Practice. SAGE Publications, 2008, p80 Commission Of The European Communities, Report on cross-border e-commerce in the EU, Commission Staff Working Document, Brussels, 5.3.2009, SEC(2009) 283 final, p5 Commission Of The European Communities, Report on cross-border e-commerce in the EU, Commission Staff Working Document, Brussels, 5.3.2009, SEC(2009) 283 final, p6 Key e-commerce Regulatory Issues, An EBC Guide to Taxation, Security and Privacy, E-export and Legal Issues Commission Of The European Communities, Report on cross-border e-commerce in the EU, Commission Staff Working Document, Brussels, 5.3.2009, SEC(2009) 283 final, p5 Commission Of The European Communities, Report on cross-border e-commerce in the EU, Commission Staff Working Document, Brussels, 5.3.2009, SEC(2009) 283 final, p5 Ong, C.E. (2003) B2C E-commerce Trust in Redress Mechanism (Cross Border Issue) Monash University, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia A new Dawn for dispute resolution, the Global Information Society and online dispute resolution, 9/21/2006, Muhammad S. Wahab OECD Guidelines for Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce (1999) United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection, United Nations New York, 2003 Asian-pacific, Advancing Free Trade for Asia-pacific Prosperity, Economic Cooperation, Electronic Commerce Steering Group The term Arbitration refers to a process or a legal technique whereby a dispute is resolved outside the court through the medium of arbitrators. This mechanism is very useful in resolving disputes arising out of international commercial transaction. Mediation is a process whereby an impartial third party facilitates communication between consumer and business. Mediator tries to enable the parties to reach a settlement. Negotiation is an interaction of influences. It includes the process of resolving disputes, agreeing upon courses of action, bargaining for collective or individual advantage, or crafting outcomes to satisfy various interests. Submission on ADR in e-commerce, by National Alternative Disputes Resolution Advisory Council, p2 E-commerce and Development Report, 2003, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Internet edition prepared by the UNCTAD secretariat, United Nations, New York and Geneva, 2003, UNCTAD/SIDTE/ECB/2003/1 Dr. Patterson, M. (2001) An Australian Free Trade Agreement- Opportunities Challenges, Hyatt Hotel, Canberra, Session 4b, Infoeconomy issue, E-commerce Law, Law School Monash University Edward, L., Wilson, C. (2006) Redress Alternative Dispute Resolution in Cross-Border E-commerce Transactions, Briefing Note, IP/A/IMCO/IC/2006-206, p3 Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of June 2000, on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the internal market (Directive on electronic commerce), Article 17 OECD Guidelines for consumer protection in the context of electronic commerce, p 18 98/257/EC: Commission Recommendation of 30 March 1998 on the principles applicable to the bodies responsible for out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes, official journal of European Communities Commission Recommendations of 4 April 2001 on the principles for out-of-court bodies involving in the consensual resolution of consumer disputes, Official Journal of European Communities ICC best practices for Online Disputes Resolution for B2C and C2C transactions, Department of policy and business practices, commission on e-Business, IT and Telecom Alternative Dispute Resolution Guidelines, May, 2003, Agreement reached between Consumers International and the Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce Bogdan, R.C. Biklen, S.K. (2006) Qualitative Research in Education: An introduction to theory and methods, Allyn Bacon Lee, N., Lings I. (2008) Doing Business Research, A Guide to Theory and Practice, SAGE Publications, p 217 aunders, M et al. (2007) Research Methods for Business Students, Prentice Hall, 4th Edition, p310

Kanomycin Resistance Gene in Its Multiple Cloning Site

Kanomycin Resistance Gene in Its Multiple Cloning Site Abstract   The objective of the experiment was to engineer a pUC18 plasmid so that it contained a kanomycin resistance gene in its multiple cloning site and to transform it into cells. The kanomycin resistance gene was obtained from a pKAN plasmid. The desired plasmid was constructed by digesting pUC18 and pKAN with the same restriction enzymes, (BamHI and HindIII) and religating the products to give the engineered pUC18. The created plasmid was then transformed into E.coli strains DH5ÃŽ ±. The strains that contained the engineered plasmid were selected using two methods of selection. According to the indirect method of selection the percentage of competent cells transformed with the plasmids was 0.063% which is a low number. According to the direct method of selection on the other hand no cells were transformed. In conclusion even though some colonies with the engineered plasmids were obtained the percentage of cells transformed was very low. Also, the indirect method of selection gives better results for selection of desired strains. Introduction Bacteria can carry antibiotic resistance genes either in their chromosomes or extrachromosomally in phage or a plasmid (Hausner and de Jong 2010). B-galactosidase is an enzyme involved into the cleavage of lactose into glucose and galactose and is encoded by the lac Z gene of the lac operon. (Glick et al 2010) The lac operon is prevented from being transcribed through repression of the lac promoter. Activation of this promoter can be done by the addition of lactose or isopropyl-ÃŽ ²-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) to the medium. Lactose and IPTG simply prevent binding of the lac repressor (the product of the Lac I gene) to the promoter. (Glick et al 2010) In the following experiment plasmids pUC18 and pKAN are used to provide the genes to be transformed into bacteria. pUC18 is 2686 base pairs (bp) long and contains a bacterial origin of replication, an ampicillin resistance gene, a lacI gene, a segment of the lac Z gene encoding part of B-galactosidase (which breaks down X-gal) and a multiple cloning sequence (MCS) that is within the lac Z gene. (Glick et al 2010) The lac Z gene encoded by the plasmid is part of the B-galactosidase protein which complements a gene carried by the Escheria. coli chromosomally thus forming a functional B-galactosidase. (Glick et al 2010) If a DNA segment is cloned in the MCS then the lacZ gene will be interrupted and will not give rise to a functional protein. If that occurs then the Bacteria transformed with the plasmid will not break down5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-ÃŽ ²-D-ÃŽ ²-galactosidase ( X-gal) present in the plates. When X-gal is broken down by ÃŽ ²-galactosidase it turns blue whereas when it is n ot broken down it stays white. This color differentiation is a way to tell if there has been any DNA incorporated in the MCS of pUC18. Finally in order for the ÃŽ ²-galactosidase in pUC18 to be transcribed, IPTG has to be present in the medium so that the lac operon can be induced. (Glick et al 2010) pKAN plasmids can serve as sources for the kanomycin resistance gene. In the following experiment the kanaomycin resistance gene will be inserted in the MCS of pUC18. pKAN contains an origin of replication, a kanomycin resistance gene and multiple restriction sites. (Hausner and de Jong 2010) More importantly it contains only one BamHI and HindIII recognition sites in the whole plasmid which flank the kanomycin resistance gene. (Hausner and de Jong) This allows researchers to cut out the antibiotic resistance gene by simply using BamHI and HindIII producing only two fragments of DNA: the gene and the rest of the plasmid. Once experimenters have inserted the pKAN gene into the MCS of pUC18 and transformed the E.coli strains they need a way to select for the desired plasmid. There are two methods to select for the desired those colonies: the direct method and the indirect method. The direct selection method involves spread plating transformed strains into plates containing both the antibiotic ampicillin and kanomycin. (Hausner and de Jong 2010) Since the pUC18 plasmid confers amplicillin resistance (Glick et al 2010) and the kan gene confers kanomycin resistance (Hausner and de Jong 2010) then only the cells that contain Puc18 with the kanomycin resistance gene should be able to grow in these plates. The indirect method on the other hand is a two step selection process. In the first step the transformed strains are plated onto LB plates containing ampicillin and X-gal. (Hausner and de Jong 2010) Only the cells that have up-taken pUC18 will grow since they will be resistant to ampicillin. Furthermore ce lls that contain pUC18 with inserted DNA in the MCS will produce white colonies since they cant produce a functional ÃŽ ²-galactosidase. Cells that give rise to blue colonies will have up-taken pUC18 without any DNA inserted in their MCS since they are able to break down X-Gal. (Glick et al 2010) To select the cells with pUC18 containing the kanomycin resistance gene the white colonies are plated in plates containing kanomycin. Only the cells that have the kanomycin resistance gene in their pUC18 will grow. (Hausner and de Jong 2010) The objectives of the following experiment include the construction of a pUC18 plasmid containing the kanomycin resistance gene in the MCS, the transformation of that plasmid into the E.coli DH5ÃŽ ± cells and the selection of the cells containing the engineered plasmid. If both pUC18 and pKAN plasmids are digested with BamHI and HindIII and the digests are ligated then a plasmid which contains both kanomycin and ampicillin resistance genes should be produced; consequently cells transformed with the engineered plasmid should be resistant to both antibiotics. Materials and Methods Plasmid extraction and plasmid engineering pUC18 and pKAN plasmids were extracted from the DH5ÃŽ ± and MM294 E.coli strains respectively using a DNA isolation kit as described by (Hausner and de Jong 2010). Confirmation for proper extraction was done through agarose gel electrophoresis by running the extracted DNA in a 0.7% gel at 100V for 1 hour. The gene containing kanomycin resistance from pKAN was cloned into pUC18. The restriction digests to do the cloning were prepared as described in Table 2 in (Hausner and de Jong 2010). After plasmid digestion the kanomycin resistance gene was inserted into the multiple cloning sequence of pUC18 in a ligation reaction using the enzyme ligase and the reaction was allowed to go to completion for 24 hours at room temperature. The ligation reactions were set up according to table 3 in (Hausner and de Jong 2010) E.coli transformation and strain selection E.coli strain DH5ÃŽ ± was sub-cultured for 1 hour at 37 °C. The cells were then made competent by washing them in 10mM CaCl. Next cells were transformed with three different combinations of plasmids. The set of cells in tube 1 was transformed with uncut pUC18 DNA. The set of cells in tube 2 was transformed with cut pUC18. Cells in tube 3 were transformed with pUC18 containing the cloned pKAN resistance and finally cells in tube 4 were transformed with just water as a negative control. The transformation procedure has been described in (Hausner and de Jong 2010). Transformed cells from all tubes were spread plated onto LB+carb+X-gal plates for indirect selection. Furthermore cells from tube 3 were plated onto LB+carb+ kan plates for direct selection of cells containing pUC18 with the insert from pKAN. To determine the density of competent cells cells dilutions of , and were prepared. The two highest dilutions were plated onto LB plates. All the plates were incubated at 37 °C and they were allowed to grow for ~24 hours. After the colonies had grown on plates plate they were counted and their numbers were recorded. White and blue colonies from the LB+carb+X-gal plates were then streaked onto LB + kan plates to obtain the colonies that had the kanomycin resistance gene incorporated in the MCS. For more information on the procedure refer to Experiments in Biotechnology Laboratory Manual (Hausner and de Jong 2010) Results Extraction of plasmids from E.coli strains Figure 1 contains the image of the 0.7% agarose gel in which the isolated plasmids Puc18 and pKAN were run to check for product. As it can be seen in lane 1 a lot of Puc18 was extracted from the DH5ÃŽ ± strain. Less plasmid DNA was collected for pKAN from the MM294 strain since the band in lane 2 is of much weaker intensity. There is more than one band in lane two. The additional bands represent additional plasmids isolated from the bacteria. Calculation of Competent cell density Table 1 shows the dilutions performed on the competent cells in order to calculate their cell density. It also shows the number of colonies on the plates that were spread plated with dilution 2 and dilution 3. The results for the dilution were not used for cell density calculation since less than 30 colonies grew on the plate. Dilution was used to calculate the cell density because the number of colonies was between 30 and 300. Indirect method of selection Cells plated from tubes 2 and 3 were used to calculate the % of transformed cells. Every colony represents a single transformed cell since it can be assumed the every colony has arisen from a single cell. Furthermore for tube 3 since five plates were spread plated the percentage of the transformed cells was obtained by using the average amount of colonies for all five plates. Calculation the percentage of transformed cells in tube 2: %of transformed cells= x 100 =0.0045% of cells transformed Calculation of transformed cells in tube 3 Average for blue colonies: = 58.6 ≈ 59 blue colonies Average for white colonies = 11.4 ≈ 11colonies Total number of colonies = 59 blue colonies + 11 blue colonies = 70 colonies in total Both blue and white colonies from tube 3 represent transformed cells since they both up-took plasmid DNA whether it was just pUC18 or pUC18+kanomycin resistance gene. Therefore since every colony came from a single cell there were 70 cells in total that were transformed from 100 µl of media spread plated in each plate. % of transformed cells in tube 3: %of transformed cells= x 100 =0.063% of cells transformed Direct selection of clones containing the kanomycin gene: No colonies grew on LB + carb + kan plates. That means that there were no cells that were transformed with the engineered plasmid. Furthermore an accurate number for % of transformed cell could not have been calculated even if cells had grown in these plates. That is because this selection method takes into account only the cells that were trasformend with pUC18 which contained the kanomycin resistance gene and not the cells that were transformed with only pUC18. Discussion Isolation of plasmids from cells The optimal results for the gel would have been to see one strong band at ~2.7 kb representing pUC18 and one strong band at 4.2 kb which represents pKAN. For the pKAN lane there is more than one band seen. Those bands represent different sized plasmids that were also isolated from the cell. Since there was no DNA ladder on the gel it cannot be concluded what plasmid the lanes represent but the only thing that can be concluded is that there was plasmid DNA isolated from both the DH5ÃŽ ± and the MM294 strains which most likely was pUC18 and pKAN. In order to conclude whether pUC18 and pKAN plasmids were isolated from the bacteria the students should be provided next time with a DNA ladder in order to determine the sizes of the lanes. Indirect selection method The cells from tube 1 were transformed with un-digested pUC18. The cells from this tube represented a positive control for transformation. The colonies in the plates were all blue and they were too many to count. The reason for the high number of colonies was that these cells were transformed with undigested plasmids which are all stable and all allow bacteria to carry information extrachromosomally, making the transformation percentage of competent cells very high. All the cells from tube 1 produce blue colonies. That is because they all had a functional B-galactisidase since no genes were cloned into the multiple cloning site located within the lacZ gene. The cells from tube 2 were transformed with digested pUC18 plasmid. The cells from this tube represented a negative control for kanomycin resistance gene cloning. Tube 2 gave rise to very few colonies in comparison to tube 1 because the cells in tube 2 were transformed with unstable DNA. pUC18 had been previously digested with HinDIII and BamHI and a lot of plasmid did not re-ligate and for that reason the DNA was unstable. Since the DNA was unstable it was not able to maintain the ampicillin resistance gene in bacteria and consequently the strains were not able to grow in carbonicillin plates. As a result the number of percent transformed cells was as low as 0.0045%. The cells from tube 4 were transformed with sterile water i.e no DNA. These cells represented the negative control for transformation. Because no DNA was inserted in them none of the cells contained the ampicillin resistance gene and as expected none grew in the plates containing carbomicillin. The cells from tube 3 were transformed using pUC18 that contained insertion on the MCS as well as pUC18 that didnt. All five plates that were spread plated with E.coli from tube 3 contained blue colonies as well as white ones. The reason for the color difference is that the blue colonies contained a functional ÃŽ ²-galactosidase whereas the white ones didnt. The functional ÃŽ ²-galactosidase in the blue colonies was due to the fact that no DNA was inserted in the MCS to interrupt the lacZ gene. The white colonies on the other hand did not contain a functional ÃŽ ²-galactosidase since they had a DNA insertion in their multiple cloning site, which interrupted the lacZ gene. Consequently they could not break down X-gal. However just because they had a DNA insertion in their MCS it did not mean that they contained the kanomycin resistance gene. They might have contained the rest of the pKAN plasmid. As a result the white colonies needed to be streaked into plates that selected for kanomy cin resistance. If the cells then grew on LB + Kan plates and they also originated from white colonies on LB + Carb + X-gal plates then they contained a Puc19 plasmid with a kanomycin resistance gene inserted in the MCS. The percentage of transformed cells was also not very high: 0.063%. A way to improve this would be to maybe increase the molarity of the CaCl solution to make the cells more competent. Direct selection method According to the direct method of selection there were no cells that were transformed. This is contradictory to the results obtained from the indirect method of selection. This error could have been produced because of either improper spread plating of plates or because of improper transformation procedure. Also the conditions in the LB + carb + kan plates could have been too harsh (two antibiotics) for the bacteria to pick up growth even if they were resistant to both antibiotics. In following experiments it is better to use the indirect selection method since it seems more successful in selecting desired strains. Comparison of direct VS indirect selection methods The direct and indirect selection methods have both advantages as well as disadvantages. The main disadvantage of indirect selection is that it takes longer since it contains two steps and each step takes at least a day for completion. The main advantage is that if done correctly, the indirect selection methods gives very accurate selection for the desired cells. The reason for that is that first it selects for colonies that just have an insertion in the MCS and this tells the researcher that some type of cloning has occurred in plasmids. The second step then selects for the colonies that contain pUC18 with the kanomycin resistance gene inserted in the MCS. Thus the criterion of indirect selection is that cells have both pUC18 with an inserted DNA in MCS and also have kanomycin resistance. The colonies that grow in the second step fulfill both the criteria. The main advantage of the direct method is that it takes a shorter time to complete and it also uses up less equipment which can also save researchers some money. The main disadvantage with this selection is that it has a higher chance of giving false positives. Direct selection does not select for strains that have DNA inserted in the MCS of Puc18 but only selects for strains that have ampicillin and kanomycin resistance. Therefore the strains that grow in LB + carb + kan plates might have both pUC18 and pKAN plasmids but not the kanomycin resistance gene inserted in the pUC18 MCS. Those strains would still be able to grow since they still have both ampicillin and kanomycin resistance. However the genes would on different plasmids and not on the engineered one. Therefore even though the indirect selection method is longer it is more accurate in selecting the desired strains for this experiment. In conclusion, according to the indirect selection the desired plasmid was engineered by digesting both pUC18 and pKAN with HindIII and BamHI. Also when selecting for cells transformed with pUC18 it is better to employ the indirect method of selection because it gives more accurate results. Question 1: Although both lanes contain plasmid DNA, why doesnt the DNA appear to be in the same location in both lanes? The DNA does not appear in the same location in both lanes because pUC18 and pKAN are of different sizes. pUC18 is 2686 base pais long whereas pKAN is 4194 base pairs long. (Hausner and de Jong 2010) Because pUC18 is of smaller size it will travel farther from the wells than pKAN. Question 2: How would you verify that the transformed cells actually contain the carb/kan plasmid that was used for transformation? One accurate way would be to isolate the plasmid DNA from the transformad cells and run it on an agarose gel. If the kanomycin resistance gene was inserted into pUC18 then on the gel one will be able to see a band of the size 4548 base pairs which is different from both the pUC18 and the pKAN plasmids. The size of the created plasmid was calculated the following way by obtaining the information from (Hausner and de Jong 2010): To find the size of kanomycin resistance gene inserted in pUC18, the number of base pairs from the origin or replication of HindIII was subtracted to the number of base pairs from the origin of replication of BamHI. This was done because pKAN was digested with HindIII and BamHI to obtain the kanomycin resistance gene: 2095 233 = 1862 base pairs The size of the insert was then added to the size of Puc18: 2686 + 1862 = 4548 base pairs

gorge washington :: essays research papers

Washington spent his years as a planter trying to gain economic independence from the London merchants who bought his crops. Like many colonists, he grew frustrated at what he and many other colonists saw as unfair laws. In the 1760s, the colonists repeatedly clashed with the British Parliament over questions of taxation and trade. The British government had racked up a massive debt during the French and Indian War. Since American colonists had benefited from the British victory in this war, Parliament believed it only fair that Americans help pay for the effort. But Americans have never liked paying taxes and have never shied from using the language of rights to justify not paying. Parliament, for its part, never took American grievances very seriously. In the space of one decade, the 1760s, these grievances grew from grumbles about taxes to a strong desire for independence. A series of Parliamentary laws goaded the colonists to increasing levels of anger: the 1765 Stamp Act led to boycotts and protests; the Townshend Acts of 1767 resulted in a movement to stop importing British goods. Washington was a leader in this movement. In retaliation, British troops occupied Boston. An unfortunate skirmish between colonists and British troops, portrayed by Samuel Adams and other rebels as the Boston Massacre, brought further opposition to heavy-handed British policies. Continuing disobedience in Boston led Parliament to pass the Coercive Acts, which completely closed Boston harbor in an attempt to cut off the Boston rebels from the rest of the colonies. On April 19, 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord broke out when British troops tried to seize a rebel stockpile of weapons. This began the Revolutionary War. Washington watched these developments with fear. He would lose a lot if a rebellion took place. In 1758 the idea of rebelling against Britain was unthinkable to him, as it was to most colonists. Yet he was also angry at Britain for having been denied a commission in the British Army and humiliated by the army's lack of respect for the Virginia militia. Like many colonists, he was hurt financially by the effects of the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts. He believed, like many of his contemporaries, that he and his fellow Americans were being taxed without representation. Washington vigorously joined the non-importation movement and presided over a meeting in 1774 at the Fairfax County Court House. The delegates affirmed Americans' right to govern themselves and threatened to rebel if Britain would not respect this right. gorge washington :: essays research papers Washington spent his years as a planter trying to gain economic independence from the London merchants who bought his crops. Like many colonists, he grew frustrated at what he and many other colonists saw as unfair laws. In the 1760s, the colonists repeatedly clashed with the British Parliament over questions of taxation and trade. The British government had racked up a massive debt during the French and Indian War. Since American colonists had benefited from the British victory in this war, Parliament believed it only fair that Americans help pay for the effort. But Americans have never liked paying taxes and have never shied from using the language of rights to justify not paying. Parliament, for its part, never took American grievances very seriously. In the space of one decade, the 1760s, these grievances grew from grumbles about taxes to a strong desire for independence. A series of Parliamentary laws goaded the colonists to increasing levels of anger: the 1765 Stamp Act led to boycotts and protests; the Townshend Acts of 1767 resulted in a movement to stop importing British goods. Washington was a leader in this movement. In retaliation, British troops occupied Boston. An unfortunate skirmish between colonists and British troops, portrayed by Samuel Adams and other rebels as the Boston Massacre, brought further opposition to heavy-handed British policies. Continuing disobedience in Boston led Parliament to pass the Coercive Acts, which completely closed Boston harbor in an attempt to cut off the Boston rebels from the rest of the colonies. On April 19, 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord broke out when British troops tried to seize a rebel stockpile of weapons. This began the Revolutionary War. Washington watched these developments with fear. He would lose a lot if a rebellion took place. In 1758 the idea of rebelling against Britain was unthinkable to him, as it was to most colonists. Yet he was also angry at Britain for having been denied a commission in the British Army and humiliated by the army's lack of respect for the Virginia militia. Like many colonists, he was hurt financially by the effects of the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts. He believed, like many of his contemporaries, that he and his fellow Americans were being taxed without representation. Washington vigorously joined the non-importation movement and presided over a meeting in 1774 at the Fairfax County Court House. The delegates affirmed Americans' right to govern themselves and threatened to rebel if Britain would not respect this right.

Atmosphere in Shelleys Frankenstein :: essays research papers

Throughout the novel, Shelley uses a very gothic and gloomy atmosphere partly because she is reflecting her personal life into the novel and also to emphasis on the horror that come when men try to play God. â€Å"As I still pursued my journey to the northward, the snows thickened and the cold increased in a degree almost too severe to support.† (203, Shelley) In the quote, Victor tracks down the monster in the Arctic, Shelley uses such desolate locations to show the isolation of both Victor and the monster. Other desolate places such as the places described by Victor, (locations throughout Europe) were also used. Shelley uses the gothic genre to show the dark side of human nature. Victor became so carried away with his with his experiments that he did not consider that it would be evil to try to play God. â€Å"I had deprived myself of rest and health† (51, Shelley). It can be seen here that Victor what very involved In his studies of the reanimation of life, he does not think of the moral issues that might arise from his experiments. It is Victor that controls the technology and knowledge of life, but he insists on creating the monster. Shelley uses public prejudice showing the evil that society creates through the ever changing personality of the monster. â€Å"Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me?† (132, Shelley) The reaction of the De Lancy family towards the monster shows the horridness of the monster’s appearance, even though the monster was once described as â€Å"good spirits†, the De Lancys now detest him. In gothic novels, ideas about the supernatural and the mysterious are often mentioned, â€Å"the characters seen to bridge the mortal world and supernatural world.† (74, Coghill), Victor seems to have a mental bond with his creation, the monster seems to know the whereabouts of Victor wherever he goes. Shelley uses allusions from Rime of the Ancient Mariner to show man’s journey for knowledge through Walton’s expedition. This also links to Victor as he is somewhat similar to the Ancient Mariner, they both seek knowledge though the results of their acquired knowledge is different. The Mariner seeks spiritual knowledge while Victor searches for the secrets of life, Victor is cursed by his acquired knowledge unlike the Mariner who was freed by it. Through the Marina’s curse of killing the albatross, he learns to love all that God creates, Victor does not love what he has created causing the monster to want to kill his creator.

Blinds to Go Company Essay

Executive Summary: The case, based on the company Blinds to Go, emphasizes the importance of staffing in stores as they expand to meet their growth objectives. Being a manufacturer and retailer, with a unique sales model – 100% commission based and focus on customer service gave the company an advantage over its competitors. According to the senior management Quality of staff was paramount and hence their original compensation system motivated best performance and fostered a high energy, sales hungry culture at BTG. To attract more recruits for its expansion phase, the management changed the compensation system from full commission to salary on the recommendation of a newly hired vice president. Sales declined and the overall staff turnover increased. Seeing this the company brought back the old culture and experienced a sales turnaround. This shift also caused another huge turnover in stores. A large percentage of voluntary turnover occurred in the first four months. The higher turnover after eight months was partly due to termination because of sales performance. The biggest challenge the company now faced was understaffing. The need for additional staff was further aggravated due to its continued push for growth and the tight US and Canadian labour markets. Another concern to be addressed was that the company had planned for 80 per cent of its expansion in US where the employees preferred the fixed pay than the company’s commission based pay structure. During this period BTG had tried several recruiting methods with varying degrees of success. With an IPO in the pipeline and plans to add on average 50 stores per year for the next five years, it was critical for the company to come up with a staffing strategy with focus on Quality of the staff and low employee turnover. The Company: Blinds To Go (BTG) was a retail fabricator of window dressings. It was started by David Shiller in 1954 in the Cote-des-Neiges district in Montreal, Canada. From the mid 1970s, BTG focussed on the sale of blinds. It was able to create a production system that reduced the delivery time frame of custom blinds from six to eight weeks to 48 hours. The reduced delivery time led to overwhelming customer response and the business flourished. The firm, realising their unique advantage of being a manufacturer and retailer simultaneously, began expansion by opening stores throughout Canada and US. By June 2000, BTG operated 120 corporate owned stores in North America. BTG expected to add 50 stores per year for the next 5 years, 80 percent of which targeted to US expansion stores. BTG’s business philosophy was that quality of staff was cardinal than the store location, customer demographics or advertising. The firm established this by experimenting with a store that was locationally disadvantaged and had declining sales. BTG was able to triple the sales of the said store in one month by deploying their ‘A’ management team and trained staff there. The four staff roles in BTG stores were 1. Sales associate 2. Selling Supervisor 3. Assistant Store manager & 4. Store Manager. Sales associates were the junior most employees and their job was to follow a set plan to help walk in customers to make a purchase. Consistent sales performers among them were promoted to selling supervisors, who were assistant store managers in training, or assistant store managers. Assistant store Blinds to Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion Case Analysis SECTION E: Group #5 managers were in charge of the stores in the absence of store managers. The store manager was responsible for overall store operations. The BTG selling process involved a high level of customer interaction, which set a very high level of service expectation. Their emphasis on customer satisfaction and sale closure led to higher volume of orders relative to their retail competition Original Compensation of Retail Staff: The compensation structure at Blinds To Go incentives performance based on number of sales deal closed. The commission based structure fosters the high energy, sales hungry culture at BTG. This structure was believed to be a motivating factor to boost performance. High performers at BTG actually made more money than comparable retail outlet salesman. For Sales Associate the salary structure was a mix of fixed pay and variable pay with $3 – $5 comprising of fixed and 3% of sales as variable component. For Managers/Assistants the salary structure was $10,000 – $15,000/yr as fixed pay with 1.5% to 3% of overall sales as variable pay. Changes in Compensation Structure – 1996: As per the recommendations from a newly hired Vice President of store operations the compensation structure for the store staff was changed from being fully commission based to salaried. Under the new structure, the sales associated were paid Cdn $8 per hour as a fixed component. For the store managers a higher base salary component as compared to the commissions was set. The main focus of the move was to make the compensation more attractive to the prospective hires. Another change being brought was to limit the involvement of store managers in the sale process. All these changes had an adverse effect on the sales figures which showed a decrease of 10 to 30% from 1996 to 1997. The staff turnover increased to 40% from the earlier 15%. Even thought the new pay structure helped in recruiting more hires, it led to the hiring of lower calibre people. The existing good performers did not appreciate the changes, thus affecting their morale and hence their commitment to sales. To counter this adverse effect, the management introduced a variation of the commission based compensation plan in May 1998. The effect of the change could be seen in the 10 to 30% increase in store sales from the previous year. Still the BTG stores experienced a high employee turnover that year. It was probably because of the employees accustomed to fixed pay were leaving the organisation, being dissatisfied from the commission based structure. Analysis of the employee turnover reflected that the highest no of employees left the firm in the first 4 months from their hiring. Most of the new expansion plans were in US. But the people of US were uncomfortable with the 100% commission based pay structure. Thus there was a requirement in the change to the structure to adapt to the US market. Blinds to Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion Case Analysis SECTION E: Group #5 Channels of Recruitment To be able to attract and recruit people who had certain sales driven qualities, several channels of recruitment were harnessed to fill in the job positions. Since BTG was already understaffed and with massive growth plans (50 stores per year ) lined up, we need to analyse the various pros and cons of the channels of recruitment. Employee Referral: Current staffs refer friends and family to BTG which helped company attract candidates already briefed on the company’s ideology. This channel was very effective which is evident by its highest ratio of leads to hire. The success of the ER scheme was partially due to the fact that referrals generally continued employment excited by the opportunity that the friend or family member who is a BTG employee recounted. Though maximum hiring was effected through this channel yet this alone did not currently satisfy BTG’s hiring needs. Internet Sourcing: This is one of the non-store recruitment channels which BTG used in two ways. First, BTG solicited resumes at its blindstogo.com site. Second, DSM’s and recruiters actively searched online jobs sites like Monster.com to contact potential candidates. Currently 12 out of 143 recruits were through this channel. DSM Compensation Readjustment: DSM’s were mainly responsible for store source of recruitment mainly walk-ins and employee referrals. They had to hire 10 new sales associate every month. Their importance in recruitment process is highlighted by the fact that their salary was based on number of new staff selected rather than on sales targets. Currently 16 out of 143 sales associate were recruited through this channel in past two months. BTG Retail Recruiters: They were professional recruiters who were paid @20000/year with a bonus of $150 -$500 for each successful hire. They generate leads through cold calls, networking referrals, colleges, job fairs, Internet and employment centres. Though they had performed sub- optimally in terms of number of number of new recruits, their training had increased to enable to get in at least 4 new recruits per week. Newspaper Advertising: Newspaper channel generated the maximum number of leads but the senior management believed that this medium did not generate the quality of candidates that BTG needed. This channel attracted more of the people who did not meet the desired skills standard and core values expected by BTG in potential candidates. To be able to meet our desired staff requirements, we believe this channel needs to be harnessed to its full potential and complemented by necessary training to new recruits to enable them to meet company’s performance standards. Store Generated Leads: BTG believed in direct store walk-in mode of recruitment as well. It had put â€Å"help wanted† signs on its windows to attract potential candidates to meet its recruitment needs. But this policy was successful only in densely populated areas with high footfall. HR Strategy: Udofia, Vice Chairman BTG, is looking for a strategy that solves all the major issues currently faced by the company, which would include unstaffed stores, staffing for future expansion and high employee turnover. Following are the steps that could be taken by him to achieve its growth objectives: ï‚ · A Robust Training Module: As mentioned, the quality of staff is extremely important in the retailing business. The crunch in the labor market doesn’t give the company a flexibility to choose Blinds to Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion employees on a strict criterion. A training module would help BTG to relax the criterion and increase the number of selected employees by recruiting people who are trainable. In order to keep a check on the quality of the employees, the company can recruit the employees at a trainee level with a fixed pay. The training would be mostly on the Job led by experienced Store Managers. A review system would help these selected candidates to get promoted as Sales Associate. The initial pay as a trainee would be low. But the incentive to get promoted as Sales Associate would drive them to work and learn quickly. Currently we can see that there are large numbers of people who are attracted by the Newspaper Channel and Internet. But the problem is with this medium is that it didn’t generate quality employee. By a robust training module the company would be able to hire trainable people and give them opportunities on the basis of their performance. The Promotion Structure: A scheduled review and internal promotion structure could be followed which attracts the current employees and increases the retention rate. The review can be conducted on at 2 levels, Sales Performance and Soft skills. A feedback mechanism would help the employees to work on the areas they lag. The review can be scheduled every 8 months and every employee can be given an opportunity to get promoted. The internal promotion structure could be leveraged as a tool to advertise. This would attract people who currently don’t want to join at Sales Associate Level. The promotion structure would also help in filling up the vacancies of Supervisors and Managers. Pay Structure: The pay structure for Sales Associate could be revised in a manner as explained below: According to the current pay structure, a Sales Associate is paid $6-$8 per hour or 6% of sales, whichever higher. Clearly it can be seen that the Marginal and the Poor performers are the once who are enjoying the fixed compensation system. In order to motivate them, fixed + variable compensation could be followed for these below par performers. This structure would demotivate the top performers as there will be a reduction in their salaries. So it would not be the best idea to implement this structure for top performers. A benchmark of $10000/sale/week could be set. This would not only motivate them to perform but the company also would overcome the problem of social loafing. The structure is explained below: Marginal-Poor Performers ($10000-/sales/ week) $3 per hour + 3 % of sales Leadership Program: The highly experiences set of Store Managers could be given an option to join the leadership program. Under this program the Senior Employees would take up the responsibility of the training module and help the company attain the level of quality it requires in its workforce. Their compensation could be based on the rate of conversion of trainees to Sales Associate instead of Sales. Increased Stock Options to senior and experienced Store Managers would give them a feel of ownership in the firm which is what an employee needs after serving an organisation for years.

Chapter 24 Rita Skeeter’s Scoop

Everybody got up late on Boxing Day. The Gryffindor common room was much quieter than it had been lately, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. Hermione's hair was bushy again; she confessed to Harry that she had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it for the ball, â€Å"but it's way too much bother to do every day,† she said matter-of-factly, scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears. Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument. They were being quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal. Ron and Harry wasted no time in telling Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid, but Hermione didn't seem to find the news that Hagrid was a half-giant nearly as shocking as Ron did. â€Å"Well, I thought he must be,† she said, shrugging. â€Å"I knew he couldn't be pure giant because they're about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can't all be horrible†¦.It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves†¦.It's just bigotry, isn't it?† Ron looked as though he would have liked to reply scathingly, but perhaps he didn't want another row, because he contented himself with shaking his head disbelievingly while Hermione wasn't looking. It was time now to think of the homework they had neglected during the first week of the holidays. Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over – everybody except Harry, that is, who was starting (once again) to feel slightly nervous. The trouble was that February the twenty-fourth looked a lot closer from this side of Christmas, and he still hadn't done anything about working out the clue inside the golden egg. He therefore started taking the egg out of his trunk every time he went up to the dormitory, opening it, and listening intently, hoping that this time it would make some sense. He strained to think what the sound reminded him of, apart from thirty musical saws, but he had never heard anything else like it. He closed the egg, shook it vigorously, and opened it again to see if the sound had changed, but it hadn't. He tried asking the egg questions, shouting over all the wailing, but nothing happened. He even threw the egg across the room – though he hadn't really expected that to help. Harry had not forgotten the hint that Cedric had given him, but his less-than-friendly feelings toward Cedric just now meant that he was keen not to take his help if he could avoid it. In any case, it seemed to him that if Cedric had really wanted to give Harry a hand, he would have been a lot more explicit. He, Harry, had told Cedric exactly what was coming in the first task – and Cedric's idea of a fair exchange had been to tell Harry to take a bath. Well, he didn't need that sort of rubbishy help – not from someone who kept walking down corridors hand in hand with Cho, anyway. And so the first day of the new term arrived, and Harry set off to lessons, weighed down with books, parchment, and quills as usual, but also with the lurking worry of the egg heavy in his stomach, as though he were carrying that around with him too. Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that they couldn't see out of them in Herbology. Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather, though as Ron said, the skrewts would probably warm them up nicely, either by chasing them, or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire. When they arrived at Hagrid ‘s cabin, however, they found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door. â€Å"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago,† she barked at them as they struggled toward her through the snow. â€Å"Who're you?† said Ron, staring at her. â€Å"Where's Hagrid?† â€Å"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank,† she said briskly. â€Å"I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher.† â€Å"Where's Hagrid?† Harry repeated loudly. â€Å"He is indisposed,† said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly. Soft and unpleasant laughter reached Harry's ears. He turned; Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank. â€Å"This way, please,† said Professor Grubbly-Plank, and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed her, looking back over their shoulders at Hagrid's cabin. All the curtains were closed. Was Hagrid in there, alone and ill? â€Å"What's wrong with Hagrid?† Harry said, hurrying to catch up with Professor Grubbly-Plank. â€Å"Never you mind,† she said as though she thought he was being nosy. â€Å"I do mind, though,† said Harry hotly. â€Å"What's up with him?† Professor Grubbly-Plank acted as though she couldn't hear him. She led them past the paddock where the huge Beauxbatons horses were standing, huddled against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered. Many of the girls â€Å"ooooohed!† at the sight of the unicorn. â€Å"Oh it's so beautiful!† whispered Lavender Brown. â€Å"How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!† The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head. â€Å"Boys keep back!† barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. â€Å"They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it†¦.† She and the girls walked slowly forward toward the unicorn, leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence, watching. The moment Professor Grubbly-Plank was out of earshot. Harry turned to Ron. â€Å"What d'you reckons wrong with him? You don't think a skrewt -?† â€Å"Oh he hasn't been attacked, Potter, if that's what you're thinking,† said Malfoy softly. â€Å"No, he's just too ashamed to show his big, ugly face.† â€Å"What d'you mean?† said Harry sharply. Malfoy put his hand inside the pocket of his robes and pulled out a folded page of newsprint. â€Å"There you go,† he said. â€Å"Hate to break it to you. Potter†¦.† He smirked as Harry snatched the page, unfolded it, and read it, with Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville looking over his shoulder. It was an article topped with a picture of Hagrid looking extremely shifty. DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor â€Å"Mad-Eye† Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures. Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teache r, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates. An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being â€Å"very frightening.† ‘I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm,† says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. â€Å"We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything.† Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed â€Å"Blast-Ended Skrewts,† highly dangerous crosses between manti-cores and fire-crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department fo r the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions. â€Å"I was just having some fun,† he says, before hastily changing the subject. As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not – as he has always pretended – a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror. While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Frid-wulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal nature. In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who's fall from power – thereby driving Hagrid's own mother, like the rest of You-Know-Who's supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend – but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants. Harry finished reading and looked up at Ron, whose mouth was hanging open. â€Å"How did she find out?† he whispered. But that wasn't what was bothering Harry. â€Å"What d'you mean, ‘we all hate Hagrid'?† Harry spat at Malfoy. â€Å"What's this rubbish about him† – he pointed at Crabbe – â€Å"getting a bad bite off a flobberworm? They haven't even got teeth!† Crabbe was sniggering, apparently very pleased with himself. â€Å"Well, I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career,† said Malfoy, his eyes glinting. â€Å"Half-giant†¦and there was me thinking he'd just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young†¦.None of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all†¦.They'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha, ha†¦.† â€Å"You -â€Å" â€Å"Are you paying attention over there?† Professor Grubbly-Planks voice carried over to the boys; the girls were all clustered around the unicorn now, stroking it. Harry was so angry that the Daily Prophet article shook in his hands as he turned to stare unseeingly at the unicorn, whose many magical properties Professor Grubbly-Plank was now enumerating in a loud voice, so that the boys could hear too. â€Å"I hope she stays, that woman!† said Parvati Patil when the lesson had ended and they were all heading back to the castle for lunch. â€Å"That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like†¦proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters†¦.† â€Å"What about Hagrid?† Harry said angrily as they went up the steps. â€Å"What about him?† said Parvati in a hard voice. â€Å"He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?† Parvati had been very cool toward Harry since the ball. He supposed that he ought to have paid her a bit more attention, but she seemed to have had a good time all the same. She was certainly telling anybody who would listen that she had made arrangements to meet the boy from Beauxbatons in Hogsmeade on the next weekend trip. â€Å"That was a really good lesson,† said Hermione as they entered the Great Hall. â€Å"I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni -â€Å" â€Å"Look at this!† Harry snarled, and he shoved the Daily Prophet article under Hermione's nose. Hermione's mouth fell open as she read. Her reaction was exactly the same as Ron's. â€Å"How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid told her?† â€Å"No,† said Harry, leading the way over to the Gryffindor table and throwing himself into a chair, furious. â€Å"He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back.† â€Å"Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball,† said Hermione quietly. â€Å"We'd have seen her in the garden!† said Ron. â€Å"Anyway, she's not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her†¦.† â€Å"Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak,† said Harry, ladling chicken casserole onto his plate and splashing it everywhere in his anger. â€Å"Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it, hide in bushes listening to people.† â€Å"Like you and Ron did, you mean,† said Hermione. â€Å"We weren't trying to hear him!† said Ron indignantly. â€Å"We didn't have any choice! The stupid prat, talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!† â€Å"We've got to go and see him,† said Harry. â€Å"This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back†¦you do want him back?† he shot at Hermione. â€Å"I – well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once – but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!† Hermione added hastily, quailing under Harry's furious stare. So that evening after dinner, the three of them left the castle once more and went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid's cabin. They knocked, and Fang's booming barks answered. â€Å"Hagrid, it's us!† Harry shouted, pounding on the door. â€Å"Open up!† Hagrid didn't answer. They could hear Fang scratching at the door, whining, but it didn't open. They hammered on it for ten more minutes; Ron even went and banged on one of the windows, but there was no response. â€Å"What's he avoiding us for?† Hermione said when they had finally given up and were walking back to the school. â€Å"He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?† But it seemed that Hagrid did care. They didn't see a sign of him all week. He didn't appear at the staff table at mealtimes, they didn't see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds, and Professor Grubbly-Plank continued to take the Care of Magical Creatures classes. Malfoy was gloating at every possible opportunity. â€Å"Missing your half-breed pal?† he kept whispering to Harry whenever there was a teacher around, so that he was safe from Harry's retaliation. â€Å"Missing the elephant-man?† There was a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January. Hermione was very surprised that Harry was going to go. â€Å"I just thought you'd want to take advantage of the common room being quiet,† she said. â€Å"Really get to work on that egg.† â€Å"Oh I – I reckon I've got a pretty good idea what it's about now,† Harry lied. â€Å"Have you really?† said Hermione, looking impressed. â€Å"Well done!† Harry's insides gave a guilty squirm, but he ignored them. He still had five weeks to work out that egg clue, after all, and that was ages†¦whereas if he went into Hogsmeade, he might run into Hagrid, and get a chance to persuade him to come back. He, Ron, and Hermione left the castle together on Saturday and set off through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates. As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, they saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. He was very skinny indeed, but apparently a lot tougher than he looked, because he climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms, and dived, right into the lake. â€Å"He's mad!† said Harry, staring at Krum's dark head as it bobbed out into the middle of the lake. â€Å"It must be freezing, it's January!† â€Å"It's a lot colder where he comes from,† said Hermione. â€Å"I suppose it feels quite warm to him.† â€Å"Yeah, but there's still the giant squid,† said Ron. He didn't sound anxious – if anything, he sounded hopeful. Hermione noticed his tone of voice and frowned. â€Å"He's really nice, you know,† she said. â€Å"He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me.† Ron said nothing. He hadn't mentioned Viktor Krum since the ball, but Harry had found a miniature arm under his bed on Boxing Day, which had looked very much as though it had been snapped off a small model figure wearing Bulgarian Quidditch robes. Harry kept his eyes skinned for a sign of Hagrid all the way down the slushy High Street, and suggested a visit to the Three Broomsticks once he had ascertained that Hagrid was not in any of the shops. The pub was as crowded as ever, but one quick look around at all the tables told Harry that Hagrid wasn't there. Heart sinking, he went up to the bar with Ron and Hermione, ordered three butterbeers from Madam Rosmerta, and thought gloomily that he might just as well have stayed behind and listened to the egg wailing after all. â€Å"Doesn't he ever go into the office?† Hermione whispered suddenly. â€Å"Look!† She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and Harry saw Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing. It was indeed odd. Harry thought, that Bagman was here at the Three Broomsticks on a weekend when there was no Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done. He watched Bagman in the mirror. He was looking strained again, quite as strained as he had that night in the forest before the Dark Mark had appeared. But just then Bagman glanced over at the bar, saw Harry, and stood up. â€Å"In a moment, in a moment!† Harry heard him say brusquely to the goblins, and Bagman hurried through the pub toward Harry, his boyish grin back in place. â€Å"Harry!† he said. â€Å"How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?† â€Å"Fine, thanks,† said Harry. â€Å"Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?† said Bagman eagerly. â€Å"You couldn't give us a moment, you two, could you?† â€Å"Er – okay,† said Ron, and he and Hermione went off to find a table. Bagman led Harry along the bar to the end furthest from Madam Rosmerta. â€Å"Well, I just thought I'd congratulate you again on your splendid performance against that Horntail, Harry,† said Bagman. â€Å"Really superb.† â€Å"Thanks,† said Harry, but he knew this couldn't be all that Bagman wanted to say, because he could have congratulated Harry in front of Ron and Hermione. Bagman didn't seem in any particular rush to spill the beans, though. Harry saw him glance into the mirror over the bar at the goblins, who were all watching him and Harry in silence through their dark, slanting eyes. â€Å"Absolute nightmare,† said Bagman to Harry in an undertone, noticing Harry watching the goblins too. â€Å"Their English isn't too good†¦it's like being back with all the Bulgarians at the Quidditch World Cup†¦but at least they used sign language another human could recognize. This lot keep gabbling in Gobblede-gook†¦and I only know one word of Gobbledegook. Bladvak. It means ‘pickax.' I don't like to use it in case they think I'm threatening them.† He gave a short, booming laugh. â€Å"What do they want?† Harry said, noticing how the goblins were still watching Bagman very closely. â€Å"Er – well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Bagman, looking suddenly nervous. â€Å"They†¦er†¦they're looking for Barty Crouch.† â€Å"Why are they looking for him here?† said Harry. â€Å"He's at the Ministry in London, isn't he?† â€Å"Er†¦as a matter of fact, I've no idea where he is,† said Bagman. â€Å"He's sort of†¦stopped coming to work. Been absent for a couple of weeks now. Young Percy, his assistant, says he's ill. Apparently he's just been sending instructions in by owl. But would you mind not mentioning that to anyone. Harry? Because Rita Skeeter's still poking around everywhere she can, and I'm willing to bet she'd work up Bartys illness into something sinister. Probably say he's gone missing like Bertha Jorkins.† â€Å"Have you heard anything about Bertha Jorkins?† Harry asked. â€Å"No,† said Bagman, looking strained again. â€Å"I've got people looking, of course†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (About time, thought Harry) â€Å"and it's all very strange. She definitely arrived in Albania, because she met her second cousin there. And then she left the cousin's house to go south and see an aunt†¦and she seems to have vanished without trace en route. Blowed if I can see where she's got to†¦she doesn't seem the type to elope, for instance†¦but still†¦.What are we doing, talking about goblins and Bertha Jorkins? I really wanted to ask you† – he lowered his voice – â€Å"how are you getting on with your golden egg?† â€Å"Er†¦not bad,† Harry said untruthfully. Bagman seemed to know he wasn't being honest. â€Å"Listen, Harry,† he said (still in a very low voice), â€Å"I feel very bad about all this†¦you were thrown into this tournament, you didn't volunteer for it†¦and if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (his voice was so quiet now, Harry had to lean closer to listen) â€Å"if I can help at all†¦a prod in the right direction†¦I've taken a liking to you†¦the way you got past that dragon!†¦well, just say the word.† Harry stared up into Bagman's round, rosy face and his wide, baby-blue eyes. â€Å"We're supposed to work out the clues alone, aren't we?† he said, careful to keep his voice casual and not sound as though he was accusing the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports of breaking the rules. â€Å"Well†¦well, yes,† said Bagman impatiently, â€Å"but – come on. Harry – we all want a Hogwarts victory, don't we?† â€Å"Have you offered Cedric help?† Harry said. The smallest of frowns creased Bagman's smooth face. â€Å"No, I haven't,† he said. â€Å"I – well, like I say, I've taken a liking to you. Just thought I'd offer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, thanks,† said Harry, â€Å"but I think I'm nearly there with the egg†¦couple more days should crack it.† He wasn't entirely sure why he was refusing Bagman's help, except that Bagman was almost a stranger to him, and accepting his assistance would feel somehow much more like cheating than asking advice from Ron, Hermione, or Sirius. Bagman looked almost affronted, but couldn't say much more as Fred and George turned up at that point. â€Å"Hello, Mr. Bagman,† said Fred brightly. â€Å"Can we buy you a drink?† â€Å"Er†¦no,† said Bagman, with a last disappointed glance at Harry, â€Å"no, thank you, boys†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Fred and George looked quite as disappointed as Bagman, who was surveying Harry as though he had let him down badly. â€Å"Well, I must dash,† he said. â€Å"Nice seeing you all. Good luck, Harry.† He hurried out of the pub. The goblins all slid off their chairs and exited after him. Harry went to rejoin Ron and Hermione. â€Å"What did he want?† Ron said, the moment Harry had sat down. â€Å"He offered to help me with the golden egg,† said Harry. â€Å"He shouldn't be doing that!† said Hermione, looking very shocked. â€Å"He's one of the judges! And anyway, you've already worked it out – haven't you?† â€Å"Er†¦nearly,† said Harry. â€Å"Well, I don't think Dumbledore would like it if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade you to cheat!† said Hermione, still looking deeply disapproving. â€Å"I hope he's trying to help Cedric as much!† â€Å"He's not, I asked,† said Harry. â€Å"Who cares if Diggory's getting help?† said Ron. Harry privately agreed. â€Å"Those goblins didn't look very friendly,† said Hermione, sipping her butterbeer. â€Å"What were they doing here?† â€Å"Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman,† said Harry. â€Å"He's still ill. Hasn't been into work.† â€Å"Maybe Percy's poisoning him,† said Ron. â€Å"Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he'll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.† Hermione gave Ron a don't-joke-about-things-like-that look, and said, â€Å"Funny, goblins looking for Mr. Crouch†¦.They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.† â€Å"Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though,† said Harry. â€Å"Maybe they need an interpreter.† â€Å"Worrying about poor ‘ickle goblins, now, are you?† Ron asked Hermione. â€Å"Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?† â€Å"Ha, ha, ha,† said Hermione sarcastically. â€Å"Goblins don't need protection. Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?† â€Å"No,† said Harry and Ron together. â€Å"Well, the're quite capable of dealing with wizards,† said Hermione, taking another sip of butterbeer. â€Å"They're very clever. They're not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves.† â€Å"Uh-oh,† said Ron, staring at the door. Rita Skeeter had just entered. She was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails were painted shocking pink, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer. She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby. Harry, Ron, and Hermione glaring at her as she approached. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something. â€Å"†¦didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights†¦what nonsense†¦he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? ‘Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman†¦' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo – we just need to find a story to fit it -â€Å" â€Å"Trying to ruin someone else's life?† said Harry loudly. A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jeweled spectacles as she saw who had spoken. â€Å"Harry!† she said, beaming. â€Å"How lovely! Why don't you come and join-?† â€Å"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick,† said Harry furiously. â€Å"What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?† Rita Skeeter raised her heavily penciled eyebrows. â€Å"Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my-â€Å" â€Å"Who cares if he's half-giant?† Harry shouted. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with him!† The whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the flagon she was filling with mead was overflowing. Rita Skeeter's smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill, and said, â€Å"How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know. Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?† Hermione stood up very abruptly, her butterbeer clutched in her hand as though it were a grenade. â€Å"You horrible woman,† she said, through gritted teeth, â€Å"you don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, wont they? Even Ludo Bagman -â€Å" â€Å"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand,† said Rita Skeeter coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Hermione. â€Å"I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl†¦not that it needs it -† she added, eyeing Hermione's bushy hair. â€Å"Let's go,† said Hermione, â€Å"c'mon. Harry – Ron†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They left; many people were staring at them as they went. Harry glanced back as they reached the door. Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill was out; it was zooming backward and forward over a piece of parchment on the table. â€Å"She'll be after you next, Hermione,† said Ron in a low and worried voice as they walked quickly back up the street. â€Å"Let her try!† said Hermione defiantly; she was shaking with rage. â€Å"I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Harry, then Hagrid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter,† said Ron nervously. â€Å"I'm serious, Hermione, she'll dig up something on you -â€Å" â€Å"My parents don't read the Daily Prophet. She can't scare me into hiding!† said Hermione, now striding along so fast that it was all Harry and Ron could do to keep up with her. The last time Harry had seen Hermione in a rage like this, she had hit Draco Malfoy around the face. â€Å"And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come on!† Breaking into a run, she led them all the way back up the road, through the gates flanked by winged boars, and up through the grounds to Hagrid's cabin. The curtains were still drawn, and they could hear Fang barking as they approached. â€Å"Hagrid!† Hermione shouted, pounding on his front door. â€Å"Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being -â€Å" The door opened. Hermione said, â€Å"About it-!† and then stopped, very suddenly, because she had found herself face-to-face, not with Hagrid, but with Albus Dumbledore. â€Å"Good afternoon,† he said pleasantly, smiling down at them. â€Å"We er we wanted to see Hagrid,† said Hermione in a rather small voice. â€Å"Yes, I surmised as much,† said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. â€Å"Why don't you come in?† â€Å"Oh†¦um†¦okay,† said Hermione. She, Ron, and Harry went into the cabin; Fang launched himself upon Harry the moment he entered, barking madly and trying to lick his ears. Harry fended off Fang and looked around. Hagrid was sitting at his table, where there were two large mugs of tea. He looked a real mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair was concerned; far from trying to make it behave, it now looked like a wig of tangled wire. â€Å"Hi, Hagrid,† said Harry. Hagrid looked up. â€Å"‘Lo,† he said in a very hoarse voice. â€Å"More tea, I think,† said Dumbledore, closing the door behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione, drawing out his wand, and twiddling it; a revolving tea tray appeared in midair along with a plate of cakes. Dumbledore magicked the tray onto the table, and everybody sat down. There was a slight pause, and then Dumbledore said, â€Å"Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?† Hermione went slightly pink, but Dumbledore smiled at her and continued, â€Å"Hermione, Harry, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door.† â€Å"Of course we still want to know you!† Harry said, staring at Hagrid. â€Å"You don't think anything that Skeeter cow – sorry, Professor,† he added quickly, looking at Dumbledore. â€Å"I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said. Harry,† said Dumbledore, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling. â€Å"Er-right,† said Harry sheepishly. â€Å"I just meant-Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that-woman-wrote about you?† Two fat tears leaked out of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard. â€Å"Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid,† said Dumbledore, still looking carefully up at the ceiling. â€Å"I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it -â€Å" â€Å"Not all of 'em,† said Hagrid hoarsely. â€Å"Not all of 'em wan me ter stay.† â€Å"Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time,† said Dumbledore, now peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles. â€Å"Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?† â€Å"Yeh – yeh're not half-giant!† said Hagrid croakily. â€Å"Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!† Harry said furiously. â€Å"Look at the Dursleys!† â€Å"An excellent point,† said Professor Dumbledore. â€Å"My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery†¦.† â€Å"Come back and teach, Hagrid,† said Hermione quietly, â€Å"please come back, we really miss you.† Hagrid gulped. More tears leaked out down his cheeks and into his tangled beard. Dumbledore stood up. â€Å"I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday,† he said. â€Å"You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all.† Dumbledore left the cabin, pausing only to scratch Fangs ears. When the door had shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into his dustbin-lid-sized hands. Hermione kept patting his arm, and at last, Hagrid looked up, his eyes very red indeed, and said, â€Å"Great man, Dumbledore†¦great man†¦.† â€Å"Yeah, he is,† said Ron. â€Å"Can I have one of these cakes, Hagrid?† â€Å"Help yerself,† said Hagrid, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. â€Å"Ar, he's righ', o' course – yeh're all righ'†¦I bin stupid†¦my ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin'†¦.† More tears leaked out, but he wiped them away more forcefully, and said, â€Å"Never shown you a picture of my old dad, have I? Here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hagrid got up, went over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a picture of a short wizard with Hagrid's crinkled black eyes, beaming as he sat on top of Hagrid's shoulder. Hagrid was a good seven or eight feet tall, judging by the apple tree beside him, but his face was beardless, young, round, and smooth – he looked hardly older than eleven. â€Å"Tha was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts,† Hagrid croaked. â€Å"Dad was dead chuffed†¦thought I migh' not be a wizard, see, ‘cos me mum†¦well, anyway. ‘Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really†¦but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year†¦.† â€Å"Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went. Got me the gamekeeper job†¦trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances†¦tha's what sets him apar' from other heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren'†¦well†¦all tha' respectable. But some don understand that. There's some who'd always hold it against yeh†¦there's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up an' say – I am what I am, an' I'm not ashamed. ‘Never be ashamed,' my ol' dad used ter say, ‘there's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth botherin' with.' An' he was right. I've bin an idiot. I'm not botherin' with her no more, I promise yeh that. Big bones†¦I'll give her big bones.† Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another nervously; Harry would rather have taken fifty Blast-Ended Skrewts for a walk than admit to Hagrid that he had overheard him talking to Madame Maxime, but Hagrid was still talking, apparently unaware that he had said anything odd. â€Å"Yeh know wha, Harry?† he said, looking up from the photograph of his father, his eyes very bright, â€Å"when I firs' met you, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum an' Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it†¦an' now look at yeh, Harry! School champion!† He looked at Harry for a moment and then said, very seriously, â€Å"Yeh know what I'd love. Harry? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would. It'd show 'em all†¦yeh don' have ter be pureblood ter do it. Yeh don have ter be ashamed of what yeh are. It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. How you doin' with that egg, Harry?† â€Å"Great,† said Harry. â€Å"Really great.† Hagrid's miserable face broke into a wide, watery smile. â€Å"Tha's my boy†¦you show 'em, Harry, you show 'em. Beat 'em all.† Lying to Hagrid wasn't quite like lying to anyone else. Harry went back to the castle later that afternoon with Ron and Hermione, unable to banish the image of the happy expression on Hagrid's whiskery face as he had imagined Harry winning the tournament. The incomprehensible egg weighed more heavily than ever on Harry's conscience that evening, and by the time he had got into bed, he had made up his mind – it was time to shelve his pride and see if Cedric's hint was worth anything.