Human Resource Development Plan for Glaxo SmithKline Company Case Study

Human Resource Development Plan for Glaxo SmithKline Company - Case Study Example â€Å"Along with the changes in manufacturing processes and priorities came the realization that the necessary flexibility could be best achieved through skilled workers with knowledge of the technical aspects of production, as well as the abilities to attain maximum effectiveness within the company† (Byrne, 1999, pg1) According to Rouda and Kusy, the definition of HRD is "organized learning activities arranged within an organization in order to improve performance and/or personal growth for the purpose of improving the job, the individual, and/or the organization" (1995, 1). As the trend in the industry is again slowly shifting from the ‘industrial age’ to the ‘information age’ it has become ever more important to capture all the benefits that a sound Human resource Development plan brings. Amongst other things, it helps you create a satisfied, loyal and committed workforce that is intrinsically motivated to give their best performance. It also helps you in countering the complexities of human nature and helps your employees navigate life situations with would otherwise impact your organization's goal-seeking endeavors. HRD is also an organization's best chance to acquire, evaluate and retain its best performers. Through careful monitoring of the organization culture and the employees who have the ability to enhance it or improve from it can separate and focus on the ‘best’ employees. By nurturing their skills, an organization will benefit from their combined knowledge, experience and ideas as well as maintain a core workforce which can help in training and recruiting similarly talented people. This concept has become even more crucial with the latest trends in the worker lifecycle; no longer are there ‘jobs for life’- people require more than just job safety and monetary benefits from their employers, they need a sense of involvement, accomplishment, job flexibility, additional perks and to feel  committed to an organization's goals.  

Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Article Critique - Essay Example To comply with the requirements of writing a critique, one selected the topic which covers the rationale for federalism (why federalism?) and provide insights regarding personal reaction and opinion on the points that were discussed to determine if these points were appropriately supported. Why Federalism? The authors effectively presented a discussion on the topic (why federalism?) by first establishing the rationale for unification. Other terms that were successfully defined included: nation, confederal system, unitary system, self-government, and federalism (Greer, Schiller and Segal 75-77). The expertise and authoritativeness of the authors on the subject have been established in their capacities as professors of political science. As such, provisions of meanings of terms were validly presented through the knowledge they have gained from previous academic pursuits and in their respective professions as educators. In another perspective, the authors used a fairly comprehensible an d straightforward language that aids the students, who are the primary audience, in gaining awareness and knowledge on the subject of discussion. Through the provision of clear examples where students could effectively identify and relate to, the authors thereby are effective in language use and structural presentation. Difficult terms or vocabularies that need to be expounded were effectively provided meanings in straightforward and easily understood manners. Also, by citing other authoritative discourses authored by experts on the subject, Greer, Schiller and Segal (2012) established support and increased credibility on the topics being discussed. For instance, in defining the term ‘federalism’ which is crucial in this section, Greer, Schiller and Segal (2012) made reference to a policital scientist, William Riker, whose definition was explicitly disclosed therein. Likewise, through presenting a visual comparative illustration of conferedal, unitary and federal system s, as Figure 3.1 (Greer, Schiller and Segal 76), students were illumined on the similarities or disparities of one system of government from the other. Visual representations and illustrations are effective means to enhance understanding on topics that could be challenging to comprehend through purely written literary discourse. In subjects such as political science and history where students expect a lot of reading and discussion, as well as references to historical backdrop, using visual aids and illustrations become a welcome and helpul respite. The sources of other secondary references that provided support to the authors’ contentions were cited in two ways: through immediate citation with references under figures or visual illustrations; and through an author index where supercripts where initially added in citations through the text. In expounding on the subject of why federalism, for instance, the authors made reference to only one citation, from the work of William Ri ker in his definition of the term ‘federalism’ (Greer, Schiller and Segal 76). Despite the lack of other citations, the authors used other means of support through the provision of historical narration, examples, and statistics, as deemed applicable: for instance, citing the experiences of participants in the 1787 Constitutional Convention, specifically located in

The Dual Career Family And Malaysia Sociology Essay

The Dual Career Family And Malaysia Sociology Essay Family is considering as one of the important units in the social systems which formed a society. As a sub-system of society, the roles and functions of family are similar with other systems in society such as religion, economic, political, and social and education. All these systems are applied to each societies or countries in order to have a well-being life among people. In Malaysia, the established of Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development on 27 March 2004 has shown that Malaysian government has put an attention to the family matters seriously. Malaysia government believes, this country is built based on the harmonious of family institution and the strength of multi-racial society. Thus, if both of these could be achieved, Malaysian society will live in a well-being. Under this ministry, there is one agency called National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) which have been accountable to discuss all the related matters of family in Malaysia (http://www.kpwkm.gov.my). National Family Plan which proposed under Ninth Malaysia Plan Policy (1991-2010) have been submitted to Cabinet for approval as an action plan to strengthen family institution and to make sure this institution remain strong and prosperous family. One of the aim of National Family Plan is to make a clearly statement to Malaysian society about the importance of formation the family institution. From my opinion, this aim has to be imply because of the idea of the traditional family has been changed when Malaysia enters the twenty-first century and itself has become a modern country nowadays. The modernization process has affected the family structure, functions, roles, relationships and others among the family members. The trend perspective of Malaysian society now on family has changed due to the lifestyles which focuses on aspects of higher education, pursue a career, freedom, divorce, and delaying married or decided not to marry especially for women. Therefore, many issues can be arises when women gained tremendous achievement in their life especially in education and labour force. The issues might give an impact on future whether in positive or negative aspects. For instance, higher educational attainment has increased womens income generating capacity and was linked to reductions in maternal and child mortality. Moreover, educated girls were more likely to delay marriage and childbearing instead in order to improve their financial or education towards higher level. For women who married, their participation in the labour force made themselves burden with work, childcare and household duties. Thus, this trend of lifestyles has caused the emergence of dual-career family in Malaysia. Now, the dual-career family who both spouses are maintaining separate careers and contributing to the financial success of the household has become common place. Thus, dual career families are a reality for society today. Due to that, my interest is doing a research regarding to women issues in Malaysia focusing on family institution in Malays society particularly on dual-career family. I believe that there will have an issue on dual-career family especially towards social function of family in human capital in Malaysia as a developing country when both spouses have education and participate in labour force. In line with vision and mission of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, I assume they do not just want to attain gender equality but also to develop harmonious and to strengthen family institution towards mainstream national development and at the same time increased communal and social harmony. In view of this, I realize that if I do a research in family institution, perhaps it will be a valuable topic in contributing towards understanding about women and family as well. The Malays in Malaysia Malaysian population has been divided into Malaysia citizen and Non-Malaysian citizens. They were estimated at 28,457.6 million and contributed to density of Malaysian population in 2009. Of that, 2,069.2 million are Non-Malaysian citizens and 26, 38.4 million are known as Malaysian citizens. Bumiputera  [1]  are made up at 17,640.8 people who encompass Malays as predominantly with 14,494.9 million and other bumiputera are 3,145.9 million. Other groups include the Chinese 6, 45.5 million, Indians 1,946.8 million and others 342.3 million. Furthermore, the population estimates by sex also dominated by Bumiputera at 8,902.1 million in 2009. Malays were the highest population in both sexes with 7, 316.0 million for male and female at 7,178.9 million, followed by Chinese at 3,292.5 million for male and 3,165.9 million for female. In contrast, the number of female was higher than male for Indians and others. Meanwhile, the figure for Non-Malaysian citizens was also male outnumbered wit h 1,145.8 million and for female at 923.4 million (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2009). By legal definition, Article 160 Clause 2 provides that Malays means a person professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, conforms to Malay custom and was before Independent Day born in the Federation or in Singapore or born of parents one of whom was born in the Federation or in Singapore, or is on that day domiciled in the Federation or in Singapore; or is the issue of such a person. (Constitution of Malaysia (n.d.).pp: 131) Based on this article, definition of Malays referred to three fundamental characteristics namely Malay language usage, Islamic religion and customary practice which also known as adat  [2]  (custom). Therefore, Malay is an individual from any Malay race such as Javanese, Minangkabau, Bugis or Atjehnese (Ong, 1990) and all Malays are understood as Muslims. According to Kling (1995), adat (custom) in Malay society have been influenced in cultural elements by a few great civilizations such as from India, China, Arabia and Western. These cultural elements were inedible, therefore, had been adapted and integrated with Malay cultural. However, the integration between local condition and historical interactions of adat (custom) especially with Islam has shaped the way of Malays life in all aspects. Although the process of Islamization had occurred among Malay society, the cultural elements were still remained and these were called as adat. This adat has been categorized as non-Islamic because it was not come from Islamic religion. Adat was reinterpreted to mean the distinctive and traditional cultural configuration of society as differentiated from purely Islamic elements( Kling. 1995 : 46). Therefore, Islamic religion and adat were accepted as basic of beliefs, ideologies and practices in Malay society. Both Islam and adat have become an important principles to organize Malays in undergo all aspects of their daily life as an individual and a society. The reflection of Islamic religion and adat can be seen when it has been practiced by Malays such as in politic, economic and social. The Concept of Family and Dual-Career Family The term of family have been proposed in many definitions which are in line with flux and variation on the ideas of what is a family. For instance, groups of people that live together such as adoptive families, cohabiting couples, single-families, step-families, homosexual families, homosexual couples or groups of people who live together in one house without biological kinship connection has been depicted as a family nowadays. Most importantly, the images of families have obviously changed from traditional to modern understanding when many types and structures of the families appeared (Bogenshneider Corbett, 2004). The foregoing statement, from my point of view is in line with Jackson (2008). She claims that the variety of definition of family and the changes of family life in early twenty-first century have drew a huge attention among scholars to discuss these topics. Indeed, she also stated that many reasons have been evoked to address the word family and most of the reasons were more likely saying the word family is unstable, diversity and fluidity. All these consequences were pertinent with society who has already accepted the inclined of divorce rates, the decreased of marriage rates, or homosexual relationships as an alternative lifestyles. These were a new form of family which have been agreed in general and in relation with the changes of women and men roles. The term of family is not easy to be defined because of different definitions exist by societies within countries. Therefore, to understand the definitions of family given by any individual or society, they prevalent posted their definition connected with their own cultural, tradition, religion and social surroundings (Flandrin, 1979; Trost, 1990). For example, sociologist used the cultural atmosphere to define the images of families from their perspective before elucidate them precisely using sociological theories (Gubrium Holstein, 1990; Cheal, 2002). Therefore, the emergence of these groups made the definition of family and its concept become heated debate and wide discussion among scholars. However, none of the term of family has been agreed as complete agreement, despite, lots of approaches and arguments need to be considered in defining so that the term of family not merely confine for a single explanation (Worsley, 1977; Elliot, 1986; Cheal, 2002). Thus, understanding the def initions of family in its political context is seemingly vital according to the ideological concept. According to U.S Bureau of the Census (2000a), definition of family is referred to a group of people that consist more than two persons who lived together in a house and be bounded one another by blood, marriage or adoption. Elliot (1986) notes that family has formed based on a marriage between man and woman and they have consolidated with their children as unity in a house. They are being responsible to each other in giving love, support and care likewise has a sameness identity. A family also can be defined as people who remain living together in a group. They have close relationships and will form generations based on kinship (Cheal, 1988). Another definition of family ascribe that family can be formed when the household constitute couples who are live together without married and those who are single-parents and having children (Gullota et al. 1986). Furthermore, Coleman Cressy (1999) defined family as a group of people by marriage, ancestry or adoption who live together in a common household. Defining a word of family also referred to structures of families either a nuclear family or an extended family. A definition given by Cheal (2002) describes the nuclear family consists a man and woman who got married legally and live together with their children in a house. He therefore claims that this family structure can be called as a basic unit of household production, such as food preparation. There are also definitions that differentiate the word the family and the household. From my point of view, these two words have been foreseen had a similar explanation in spite of both of these words have been given different meaning by writers. The connotation of these words always related with a meaning of a group of people that live together in a same place. Due to this, Ball (1974) defines the household as groups of people that have been tied to live together in a place and them also known as a spatial group. However, families are referred to people who lived together in a place as groups. They are connected to each other by blood and marriage and these groups called a kin group. In Malay language, term family is called keluarga. From my point of view, definition of family in Malay language is different from western perspectives. Understanding the word keluarga has to be related with the meaning from context of Islam and adat (custom). Therefore, keluarga consists groups of husband and wife, grandfather and grandmother, siblings and their children, auntie and uncle and their children who then knowing as close relatives and distant relatives. They are bond with variety of responsibilities, social functioning, unity of law and others. Those are included in these groups constitute with a division of the inheritance of Muslims called Faraid Law System (Ruzita, 2000). Due to this definition, Mahmud (1997) states that keluarga is referring to extended family where this family is a unit social and individual who involved in this unit have a relationship known as kinship. Elsaie (2004) points out that family is a group of human social and they are ties together as members by blood and marriage. Their relationships are pertinent not merely mutual expectation but also mutual commitments. These include rights, obligation, identity and provision, love, caring, respect the eldest, security and others. All these are proposed by religion, enforced by law and observed by the group members. In addition, many of Quran verses stated that marriage is encounter with moral security, social commitment and religion obligations. For instance, one verse from Quran stated: And among his signs is this: He created for you spouses from yourselves that you might find rest in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy. (30-21) Therefore, in my opinion, there were many definitions and descriptions of the term of family given by scholars. It is noteworthy to make clear that the term of family have been defined differently between the western and the Malays perspective. This is more likely because of the differences in cultural and political context likewise the historical background. For Malays, the family are formed between man and women who legally married and they accepted single-parents family. They rejected the definition of family which is referring to cohabitation families and homosexual families. However, for west people, the definition of family is referring to all types of family either by married couples, cohabitation couples or homosexual couples. Despite of the definitions of families are often changed and became a fluidity context in sociology discussions, Silva and Smart (1999) claim that the basic functions of family are inevitably and still remained like in traditional perspectives. For instance, family members were applying the basic functions of family such as becoming supporter to one another physically, emotional and spiritual. Therefore, compared to the past, some of sociologist, policy analyst and service professions staffs were more stress on family functions rather than family structures while discussing about family is what people in family supposedly do as familys members (Bala, 1994). In Malay society, there are ties between adat (custom) and Islamic law that in relation to family functions. According to adat (custom), women were given the responsibilities of domestic chores such as child-birth, child-rearing and cooking, or maintaining relationships within kinship and neighbours. Despite these roles of women in Malay society were defined by adat (custom), the definition of the roles were still connected with men under Islamic construction (Laderman, 1983). Therefore, under Islamic law, for men, their identity were referring to their ability such as preparing sons to become independent head of household in future, controlling the sexuality of wives and daughters and providing economic sources for household (Ong, 1990). Nevertheless, structures of family, functional of family and family relationship in almost each country throughout the world had changed due to modernization since 1960s. Modernization has caused tremendous changes in economic system particularly on the growth of economy which then wittingly and unwittingly has also affecting other systems in society and country. Most importantly and surprisingly, these enormous effects can be seen when the number of women entering paid labour force has increased due to lots of opportunities has been given to women in education. The existence of these situations has changed the male and female relationships and the perceptions of the family. For instance, conjugal roles had changed distinctly; therefore, dual-career families emerged. This has given a new image of family in modern atmosphere nowadays. Ropoport Ropoport (1971) were among the first researchers who have interested to study of dual-career family. Their study showed that the respondents of dual-career family have achieved success at various levels as dual-careerist in their employment. This research also has opened a new discussion subsequently among researchers who previously more interested to concentrate on doing research about single-earner household. Dual-career family have been defined by Ropoport Ropoport (1971) as a family who comprises both husband and wife as heads of household. Both of the spouses will sustain as a family and live together besides pursue their career simultaneously. They also explain that understanding the term of career is vital in order to differ between dual-career family with dual-earner family and dual-worker family. Therefore, social sciences has designated precisely the term of career as any jobs which need high commitments or any qualification. A developmental character will be undergone continuously in dual-career family to achieve their career attainment. This career enhancement was needed by them either to get the highest hierarchy in jobs promotion or in order to become expert in their field. Compared to dual-career family, those couples from dual-worker family and dual-earner family especially women will be involved in working environment merely for economic reasons and not for personal achievements or commitments. They involved in lots of works that bringing profit for them. In addition, comparing this situation with dual-career family, women who came from dual-earner family or dual-worker family are still facing with burdens and stress or negative impacts as a mother and a wife (Ibid). In Malaysia, there is no definition of dual-career family in Malay language. What I had found was all researchers in Malaysia were using the meanings that given by western scholars referring to dual-career family. In some research, I sometimes realize that they also referred dual-career family and dual-earner family or dual-worker family like having a similar meaning (this can be proved in sub topic: previous research of dual career family). However, due to this, to understanding the concept of family and dual-career family are needed so that I can limit my research subject. My research subject is focusing on Malay dual-career family either they are nuclear family or extended family. They also need to fulfil the meaning of family from Islam and adat (custom) definitions. Previous Research of Dual-Career Family The phrase of sphere of generativity by Daniel Weingarten (1984) explained that family and work entail two impacts which considered as complimentary, contradictory, or a combination of both. From my point of view, modernization has introduced new images of family whereby related with reasons, effects or ideas about dual-career family which can be found in several of research. As such, dual-career family emerged when women and men entering the paid labour force and this happened within countries and families. Thus, discussion on family and work has been increased especially when women participated in labour division. A number of studies have been done on family and work where the focus of the studies were more on the implications of women participation in the paid labour force and how it linked and affected their roles in families compared to men. Almost majority of research done on work and family have identified the conflict between the responsibilities of family role and work role (Greenhaus Beutell, 1985). For instance, previous studies state that there were probability of conflict between work and leisure (Staines OConnor, 1980) and between work and self (Holahan Gilberst, 1979a, 1979b). Nock (1987) notes that womens struggle in the last few decades has influenced the idea of women rejecting being a mother or giving priority to the family. Their focuses have immensely changed towards life attainment such as in education, work and become independent person. Therefore, when women entering labor force, both husbands and wives are going to work and have their own career. Consequently, the numbers of dual-career families have enhanced dramatically when women preparing themselves adequately in order to engage with their careers and, this would allow them to be in the world of labour force (Inglehart, 1979). Goldscheider Waite (1991) assert that traditional roles between husbands and wives have changed nowadays. Traditionally, assumption that men as a breadwinner and women as a homemaker are being accepted by all societies. Nonetheless, the assumption has eroded when women also play vital roles in contributing to economy of family. These changes perpetuated division of roles in family system and it has also given an enormous impact on the conjugal roles. Benokraitis (1996) discovers a few impacts exist in the family of dual-worker couples. For example, this type of family has affected the quality of marriage, responsibilities among family members, and children well-being. A study done by Cherlin (1992) indicates that living separated with spouse and divorces are more likely to be happened when women involving in the wage labour force particularly if a wife has a higher salary than a husband. Women also found themselves more independent and less relies on husbands in their life. Not surprisingly, working women often took either unpaid work or work as part-time compared to men if the family have infants because of understanding that women were wives and mothers at home. Due to this, they will still be the person who responsible to their children notwithstanding they are involved in labour force. Men were rarely to do likewise as Lewis (2001) states that this happened because of career setbacks or VanEvery (1995) claims because of a commitment to anti sexist living arrangements. It is generally accepted that modernisation had increased cost of living to the households particularly in big cities and towns. Due to this, families must have a great income to fulfil familys needs. Thus, it seem to be seen that the number of working wives have increased in order to help their husband. Study by (Lewis, 1995b) illustrates that by entering the paid work labour showed that womens contribution to the household was 55 percent in Filipina. The reason they go for work and earn more money is to make sure that their children will have sufficient life. Facing a role conflict by women in dual-career families were often occurs especially when they have to make decisions whether to be a wife or a mother or an employee who pursuing her career. With these multi-tasking responsibilities and overloaded roles, women almost had a great stress. In contrast, men in dual-career families were less burden and stress compared to women. With these multi-tasking responsibilities and over loaded roles, women almost had a great stress. In contrast, men in dual-career families were less burden and stress compared to women. Nevertheless, the conflict that they faced is the lack of nurturing which means they did not get intimate relationships from their wives (Carter Carter, 1995). Study done by Galinsky etal (1993) show that 83% of working mothers and 72% of working fathers were experiencing conflict between handling their job and family issues. Another study reported that new division of labour between men and women emerged and had eroded the traditional division when both working spouses manage their work and family. Husbands or fathers were more likely involved in the family while wives or mothers were struggled with their job demands and limited roles (Michelson, 1983; Pleck,, 1979). Habsah Roziah (2003) stated that their study on Malay working women in Shah Alam has shown clearly how these Malay women were still trying to fulfil their responsibilities at work place and home. Only few of them said that they can managed both roles simultaneously while others found that they will just can successful either at work place or at home if they gave less attention on one of them. They also faced tremendous challenges for the child-rearing in urban area particularly when both of them are working. Finding of this research also found father or husband were seemed to help their wife such as playing with children, doing groceries shopping, sending and fetching children from school rather than involved in domestic chores like washing or cooking. According to the research done by Fatimah (1994), it would be true to say that form middle middle-class Malay households view, conducting and managing the household are still under women responsibilities though they are working. Hochschild (1989) points out men do not share the raising on their children and the caring of the children and the caring of their homes. A part of that, commuter marriage also can be said as one of marriage that emerged because of dual-career family. Both spouses have to live separately from each other for long times because of the career commitments at elsewhere. The reasons of these commitments and living apart notwithstanding still referred them as family (Gertsel Gross, 1984; Newman Grauerholz, 2002, Lesthaeghe, 1995). Therefore, from the previous research done by researchers showed that there were problems, reasons and ideas arose when they discussed about dual-career family. Many of these research saying that the emergence of dual-career families have affected the family institution itself in various aspects. Mostly, the researches more focused on how women deal with challenges and difficulties when they have two roles which are under their responsibilities. Due to this, dual-career family is a topic that drew my attention to do a further study on it by looking at Malay dual-career family. With a new model of framework, I believe that this topic will expand and enhance existing literature frame with suggestion in dual-career family.

Explosion of Interest Essay -- Online Communities Web Cyberspace Essay

Explosion of Interest A community can be defined in many ways. The most basic definition is a group of people sharing common interests, thoughts, beliefs, or values. Today's fastest growing and most diverse communities are those experienced through the Internet. In the article "Everyone's a Critic," Richard Lacayo describes the many communities where people can express their feelings on books, movies, music, and restaurants. His representation of online communities can be shared with that of Amy Bruckman's in her article 'Finding One's Own in Cyberspace." Both articles represent online communities as one of today's fastest and easiest ways of sharing your thoughts with the rest of the world. With shared views about the Net, both Lacayo and Bruckman recognize online communities as a place where everyone's opinion, regardless of what it is, can be appreciated and accepted. As today's most common medium for sharing opinions grows at an immeasurable speed, the effects the Net has made in our society are equal ly as infinite. One outcome has been the growing number of do-it-yourself communities seen throughout the Internet. These communities allow all different kinds of people to share their opinions on almost anything and everything. As a result, "everywhere in cyberspace there are Web pages where do-it-yourself critics hold forth about movies, books, music, and restaurants" (Lacayo 58). The Internet has created a new arena where everyone has an opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions with people all over the world. This not only made shopping more convenient for the average consumer to research the fate of their money before a purchase, but communities like these have created a place where people's interests can be shar... ...ing their opinions. The incredible ability of the Internet is one unlike any other. Its capability to connect people so far apart with so many differences and unite them in one common place is most remarkable. Certainly, the Net will continue to grow into something far beyond our imaginations as it has been for years. From a new, skeptical way to communicate to what has united so many all over the world, the Internet has truly become and explosion of interest. Works Cited: Bruckman, Amy. "Finding One's Own in Cyberspace." Composing Cyberspace: Identity, Community, and Knowledge in the Electronic Age. Ed. Richard Holeton. USA: McGraw-Hill, 1998.171-178. Cashel, Jim. "10 Encouraging Signs for Online Communities." 0nline Community Report. 2000. 6 Oct. 2001 http://www.onlinecommunityreport.com Lacayo, Richard. "Everyone's a Critic." Time Aug. 2001: 58-60

Brand’s Market Analysis Essay

However, other brands are engaging in more aggressive advertising and increasing brand awareness, bridging the gap of perceived difference between BRAND’S and their products, and offering buyers more choices, hence buyers have medium power. Supplier bargaining power BRAND’S ingredients are mainly chicken essence and a small proportion of caramel. Although these ingredients are relatively easy to procure, there is high regulation from authorities restricting the number of suppliers, because of the recent 2004 avian flu which prompted authorities to step in to tighten regulations on the quality of avian products2. Due to loyalty to ingredient supplier since 2004, and the fact that few suppliers are qualified and approved by authorities, BRAND’S is assured of the quality of its ingredients, but suppliers enjoy high bargaining power because of its quality assurance. Threat of new entrants There are high fixed costs due to production method and machinery, and seasonal demands during critical periods such as examinations, as well as market saturation and high existing brand equity with other industry competitors. This creates a high barrier of entry due to high start-up capital and high economies of scale. BRAND’S recent entry to the health supplement market, has heightened the threat of new entrants (e. g. InnerShine series3), as these products do not enjoy similar consumer loyalty and new entrants can imitate them. Despite extensive brand building, threat of entrants is overall medium. Threat of substitutes Substitutes of BRAND’S include mainstream health supplements, which may appeal to consumers who do not like the bitter taste of BRAND’S traditional products. In response, BRAND’S has diversified their product line to include tablets. Moreover, BRAND’S has always been active in research and recently discovered the link between consumer benefits to an active compound4 in its products. This is in contrast to its substitutes, especially western health supplements, who have prided themselves on a long history of research and the ability to back its products with scientific foundations. Despite this, threat of substitutes is medium as BRAND’S health supplements are relatively new. Industry competition In actuality, BRAND’S products have little difference with its competitors and there are fairly similar marketing target segments because BRAND’S competitors are able imitate its marketing strategy5. Growth in demand of such products as a result of increasing competitive environments has allowed competitors to capitalize on the high demand from a spectrum of consumers. As a result, BRAND’S direct competitors price their products lower than BRAND’S and appeal to price-sensitive consumers, thus leading to a relatively strong rivalry. BRAND’s recent foray into the mainstream health supplements market also exposed itself to great competition because of existing industry players, giving it an uphill task to gain market share. As a result, industry competition is relatively intense. In conclusion, strong brand equity empowers BRAND’S and reduces threats from buyers and new entrants. Overall competitive environment was medium high due to pressures from substitutes, suppliers and competitors which led CPL to adopt the strategies below. 2. Competitive Strategies adopted in 2009 and 2010 CPL primarily uses focus differentiation strategy, coupled with some elements of cost leadership strategy, during the period 2009 to 2010, which enabled it to survive the challenging environment and gear itself towards sustainable growth in the long run. Fierce industry competition during the period has led to CPL being active in its brand building strategy through various channels. Some of these include engaging brand amba ssadors, outreach on television media and organizing study camps. This brand management strategy has resulted in perceived uniqueness of their product, even though there are competitors with similar physical products. In a bid to convince consumers of its uniqueness, it has invested in research facilities to provide scientific backing to its products. The successful patent of its discovery will lend further credence to its advertising and products which will make it harder for its rivals to imitate its marketing strategy. Focus strategy is evident through marketing strategies targeted at students. Collaboration with schools and the organization of student events (e. . Sudoku competitions, summer camps) have enabled CPL to improve its outreach to students. This is in response to the increasingly competitive education systems in Singapore and China, where students will be inclined to take supplements that are deemed beneficial to the well-being of the mind. The global recession of 2009 and declining sales forced CPL to rethink a low cost strategy, in response to more price-sensitivity among consumers, and rising price of ingredients. This is illustrated in its continual capacity expansion, allowing it to enjoy future economies of scale. The increase in volume of production will allow it to spread its fixed costs over a larger quantity, reducing its average unit cost of production. Furthermore, investments in specialized technology6 for the manufacturing process will likely result in higher efficiency and lower average cost in the long run. Price negotiations to mitigate upward pressure7 in ingredient prices also help to keep unit costs low. In the event of future recessions, CPL will be able to respond and translate lower prices to consumers through promotions and offers. To conclude, even though BRANDS is not a price leader in the industry, its long term low cost strategy in bringing down its production cost, along with increased investments in brand building to promote product uniqueness, will allow it to reap increased profits in good times. Where times are bad, CPL can afford to lower selling prices and still make healthy profits. 2. 3 Top Three Business Risks and Counter-measures Risk 1: Declining market shares and strong competition Strong competition from existing competitors present a threat to BRAND’S standing in the market. BRAND’S has lost market shares in beauty oral aid products8 and Innershine products in countries such as Malaysia while competition in other countries remains intense. In response to the competition, CPL engaged in active advertising to improve brand image and increase outreach. Campaigns directed to improve sales of specific products are also held resulting in significant effect in capturing customer’s attention to BRAND’S products. Innovative ways to increase sales such as ‘cubic shop’ retailing, blogs and increasing of sales channels to cosmetic shops9 has helped to gain a competitive advantage and modernize their image. CPL has also carried out extensive research for BRAND’S to scientifically assure the benefits and safety consumption of their product which no other company had done so for this category of products hence winning over customer’s approval and loyalty. Risk 2: Decreasing sales due to the global economic recession The global economic recession has made a declining effect on the sales number for BRAND’S product. However CPL had manage to minimize the effects of the recession by investing heavily on research ;amp; development and capacity building allowing them to stay resilient in the face of the recession. Up to date technology to transform operations to be fully automated has allowed CPL to decrease cost of production and increase product output hence maximizing profits during the recession. The investment in increasing capacity includes construction of factories costing a total of 2. 45 billion baht10 and opening of Indonesia offices. This move coupled with aggressive marketing sales strategy aims to increase their presence in the market and improve sales in the short run while the construction of the factory aims to allow CPL to increase their competitiveness and secure a larger market share in the long run. Risk 3: Decrease consumer confidence in BRANDS products News reports of a recall of essence of chicken products in the United States spark1ed some controversy amongst consumers11. In addition, just as the business in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was beginning their operations, food safety concerns caused by the melamine food scare12 significantly affected consumer sentiment. Above this, news of the import ban on BRANDS’ products spread worldwide, affecting the business segment. Fortunately, BRANDS subsequently stepped out to explain that the cause of the import ban was a result of compliance issues13. CPL also affirmed its commitment to quality assurance through various press releases to ease consumer sentiments14. 2. 4 Overview of Value Chain Activities We have identified the value chain activities that enable CPL to stay ahead of competitors, in particular, support activities such as research and development and human resource management provide BRANDS the extra edge in the industry and primary activities such as operations, advertising, brand building and service distinguish BRANDS from their rivals. CPL has affirmed its commitment to Research and Development by launching the BRANDS Health Science Centre and they have discovered the active compound in their health product which is believed to enhance mental performance. Work is still done to further understand how to maximize the uses of the compound for consumer benefits15. As a result, BRANDS product credibility in the industry will be improved with the backing of this scientific discovery. This discovery of this compound ‘Probeptigen’ will help to distinguish BRANDS from its rivals and increase customer loyalty. Finding ways of harnessing the active compound in different ways should be the next step that CPL works towards to, and will aid its differentiation strategy if new and innovative products can be released with its findings. Human resource management is identified as key to the organization16. This is important to the development of the next generation of leadership and talent retention and particularly relevant as a strong management team will be vital to steer the waves of future recessions. A highly efficient management team will create value for shareholders and maintain the pristine image of BRANDS products to consumers. Efforts are made to engage employees, develop leadership skills and align the right behaviors and values across the organization17. Further improvements can be made by providing quality training to service staffs with higher emphasis on after sales services. For operations, CPL has been actively expanding its manufacturing facilities, allowing them to better match its production capabilities with the growing demands. Increased output volume helps in its long-term low cost strategy by reducing average unit production costs. Enhanced manufacturing capabilities enable BRANDS to diversify and offer new products with special features. This allows CPL to serve various consumer needs and provide more product choices, which aid its differentiation strategy. Improvements to the manufacturing process are made through installation of latest technology to increase efficiency and reduce waste. CPL can improve its existing operations by developing new distribution channels to cope with higher output capabilities. This helps prevent bottlenecks in its supply chain. Advertising and brand building activities help to transform consumer mindsets, as well as contemporize product image. Conventionally viewed as traditional health products for medicinal purposes18, new branding strategies repositions BRAND’S with brain-enhancing functions. With these activities, BRANDS can increase the efficacy of its focus differentiation strategy. Increased industry competition led CPL to enhance the uniqueness of its products from its close competitors. Appealing to students and young adults via brand imaging strengthens its focus strategy. Improvements are made with research and patents to provide scientific foundations to its products. Further improvements can be by capitalizing on these scientific insights to explicitly educate consumers on the specific benefits of each product to achieve full effects of its brand building strategy. Service in the organization adds value to consumers through its customer relationship management (CRM) policies. In a saturated industry, close similarities with rivals can be mitigated with unique after sales services and quality consumer experiences. This helps BRANDS to connect with its consumers on a more personal level, and allow it to leverage on customer insights to better anticipate demands19. This is particularly important for BRANDS’s focus differentiation strategy as it reduces the time BRANDS takes to rectify product errors or push out new products by reconciling its supply side capabilities with the demand side factors such as change in consumer preferences. CRM initiatives are constantly being reviewed and improved in the organization by benchmarking its quality against service industry averages19. In addition, human resource management is important as such after sales services require quality labor inputs, which require constant retraining of employee. . 1 List of Financial Ratios Liquidity ;amp; Efficiency| 2008| 2009| 2010| Current Ratio| 1. 56| 1. 70| 1. 69| Quick Ratio| 1. 21| 1. 23| 1. 27| Cash Ratio| 0. 65| 0. 59| 0. 73| Assets Turnover| 1. 19| 1. 20| 1. 35| Fixed Assets Turnover| 5. 87| 4. 40| 4. 37| Inventory Turnover| 4. 59| 4. 07| 4. 60| Days to Sell| 79. 52| 89. 68| 79. 35| Receivables Turnover| 7. 81| 7. 37| 8. 35| Days to Collect| 46. 73| 49. 53| 43. 70| Profitability| 2008| 2009| 2010| Gross Profit Margin| 50. 24%| 49. 72%| 47. 93%| Net Profit Margin| 11. 35%| 11. 73%| 12. 09%| Return on Assets| 13. 8%| 14. 09%| 16. 29%| Return on Fixed Assets| 66. 63%| 51. 63%| 52. 81%| Return on Equity| 23. 66%| 24. 49%| 28. 06%| Earnings Per Share| 25. 72 cents| 26. 29 cents| 32. 68 cents| Solvency| 2008| 2009| 2010| Debt Ratio| 42. 64%| 42. 35%| 41. 56% | Times Interest Earned (TIE) Ratio| 19. 71| 30. 77| 49. 32| Selected business segments turnovers (in millions)| 2008| 2009| 2010| BRAND’S Liquids| 403. 7| 431. 0| 503. 7| Eu Yan Sang (EYS) Chicken Essence21| 6. 1| 6. 1| 8. 6| Woh Hup Sauces| 159. 3| 138. 3| 171. 0| 3. 2 Comments and Explanations of Financial Ratios Debt ratios fell between 2009 and 2010, despite similar amount of borrowings reported on the balance sheet. Total assets grew as a result of capacity expansion, investment gains and increased cash holdings. In particular TIE ratios fell because borrowing rates were lowered22 in a bid to stimulate the economy. The recovery of the economy posted a hike in turnover and profits, which led to a surge in TIE ratio. As part of the Group’s commitment to maximize shareholder wealth, ROE and EPS values rose. The decreasing debt ratios showed the Group’s emphasis on funding through internal growth and reduced reliance on external financing. This also indicates the Group’s attitude towards shareholder value creation, in which a long term approach is employed, without leveraging on higher debts to fund short-term growth which could run the risk of financial bankruptcy. Gross Profit Margin fell from 2009 to 2010. The Group experienced upward pressures in prices of commodities, such as raw bird’s nest, coffee and sugar during the period23. Despite the higher dollar amount of turnover in 2010, the price pressures impacted costs of sales which outstripped the growth in turnover. This led to lower Gross Profit Margin in 2010. However, Net Profit Margin rose slightly by 0. 36%. Though there were higher expenses incurred from increased investments in branding, research and development, growth in turnover managed to keep pace with this rise. The main reason for the slight increase in Net Profit Margin in 2010 was due to foreign exchange losses24 experienced in 2009, which arose as a result of the Group’s foreign currency purchases and acquisition of foreign businesses such as Toby’s Estate. Against the backdrop of the global recession, this translated to substantial foreign exchange losses, impacting Net Profit Margin in 2009. The Group’s liquidity position was very weak in 2009. Despite the similarity in current ratios between 2009 and 2010, the Group held substantially lesser cash during 2009, evident from its cash ratio. Both the inventory and receivables turnover ratio indicated that a large proportion of current assets were tied up in receivables and illiquid inventories. This was probably a result of lower consumer sentiment due to the effects of the financial crisis. Certain business segments, such as sauces and beverages25, suffered lower turnover. This caused inventory to pile up, and is illustrated in the huge spike in inventories in 2009. To encourage customer purchases, the Group probably extended credit to customers which resulted in higher proportion of credit sales experienced. Dividend pay-outs averaged 25 cents a share26 despite slowing growth. Moreover, investments in manufacturing, research and brand building continued amidst the downturn. As a result, the Group’s cash outflows outpaced inflows, which jeopardized its liquidity position of 2009. In 2010, liquidity position improved, as capacity expansion and brand building in the preceding years allowed it to capitalize on the recovering economy. Its CRM policy also allowed it to leverage on consumer feedback and enabled it to handle the surge in demand timely. Turnover for 2010 spiked as a result, which led to better operating cash inflows. The Group made heavy investments in fixed assets in 2009 and 2010, such as the launch manufacturing plants in Malaysia and Thailand, and building of offices in Indonesia. The fairly similar fixed asset ratios indicated that sales and profits were able to keep pace with these extensive investments, an indication of effective utilization of manufacturing resources. Despite this, there is definitely room for improvement, as higher investments should warrant a multiplier effect on sales in the long run, and lead to better fixed asset ratios in future. Comparisons of the turnover in business segments show that despite stagnation in EYS chicken essence in 2009, strong brand equity in BRAND’S products allowed appreciable growth in BRAND’S liquids. However, this figure is not wholly representative as within the category of BRAND’S liquids, relatively newer liquids such as BRAND’S InnerShine do face stiff competition into its market share. Growth in BRAND’S liquid is mainly attributed to the flagship product of chicken essence, highlighting the strong branding that BRAND’S traditional products enjoy. Moreover, chicken essence is neither the flagship product of EYS, which explains the relatively lower turnover figures. In the sauces industry, the general decrease in turnover in 2009 was probably due to decrease in number of people dining out and the perception that sauces were non-essentials during the 2009 recession27. Despite the turnaround growth in 2010, Woh Hup Sauces still faces stiff competition from close rivals28. In conclusion, we believe that CPL is well positioned to make further inroads into its different business segments with the recovery of the economy. With its competitive strategies, and coupled with a prudent management team, we believe CPL will be able to thrive in the competitive environment and improve its financial position in the future.

New Labour claims to be ‘tackling domestic violence on every front’ (Home Office 2000)

In 1999, the Government published ‘Living Without Fear: An Integrated Approach to reducing domestic violence', outlining their commitment to reducing the incidence of violence against women and the strategy for accomplishing this. Safe housing is a basic human need. As many women are dependent upon a man for this necessity, the choice between unsafe housing or homelessness is often unrealisable. The majority of safe accommodation for women escaping violent relationships is provided by the voluntary sector with little support from the state. Safe housing is a crucial element for women leaving violent partners. ‘The need for both temporary and permanent secure accommodation for women and children who have left home because of violence must be paramount' (Harwin and Brown 2000 p219) In this essay, I plan to review the history of safe housing provision for women in the UK and look at the influence of the Women's Aid movement, the role of local authorities and the influence of the Conservative governments. Then I will assess the welfare needs of vulnerable women and children – what housing support do women escaping violent relationships need? Do different ethnic groups have different needs? Following that, Labour's focus upon domestic violence will be analysed and I will assess whether this emphasis has produced any real changes for women in terms of housing and homelessness. In term of housing, Dobash and Dobash (2000) developed four conditions under which an abused woman is able to be safe: 1. Her male partner ceases his violence and lives peacefully; 2. The woman escapes to refuge where she can live free of violence, albeit only temporarily; 3. The man is successfully evicted from the matrimonial home, remains away and does not harass her, or; 4. The woman is safely rehoused in another home and is not pursued or harassed in her new location. (Dobash and Dobash 2000 p200) The Government's pledge represents significant statutory commitment to this issue for the first time – do Labour's promises reflect real change? Firstly, to look at the history of safe housing provision for women in the UK. Traditionally, it has been thought that the state ought not to interfere in family life; domestic violence therefore raises questions about the position of the state in the private sphere of the family (Wasoff and Day 2000). Even relatively recently, the prevalence of this attitude can be identified. During the thirteen years of Conservative government during the 1980s and 90s, an emphasis was placed upon the important role played by the nuclear family unit and policy encouraged ‘traditional family values' and stigmatised groups such as single parents. Policy objectives of the time were directed at ‘tackling the problem' which tended to express a ‘problem family' orientation towards reducing recurrences of abuse of violence. Consequently, this approach underplayed policies aimed towards prevention or the enforcement of victim's rights. The feminist refuge movement was established in the 1970s, previous to this there was no provision and women leaving a violent partner had to rely on the informal sector for support from family or friends. Domestic violence was not regarded as a sufficient reason for homelessness and any input from statutory agencies such as the police or social service departments was geared towards reconciliation (Morley 2000). The women's refuge movement began with a few houses offering sanctuary to women organised on ‘self-help' principles. Somerville (2000) notes the influence of the movement upon public perceptions of domestic violence that led to major changes in public policy. Consequently, there has been a huge amount of legislative change. This began with the Domestic Violence Act (1976) which allowed a woman to obtain a court order to excluded her violent partner from the home and the Housing (Homelessness) Act (1977) made it a duty for local authorities to house women made homeless as a result of domestic violence. However, whilst this was an enormous step forward, in reality women had a difficult time ‘proving' violence. Due to the nature of domestic violence, there are rarely witnesses. The wording of the1977 Act was ambivalent and open to misinterpretation, less than half of refuge groups felt that it had improved women's housing prospects (Morley 2000 p233), this was largely due to inconsistencies in legislative interpretation. Surveys such as Jayne Mooney's study into domestic violence in North London (1994) revealed high levels of domestic violence, this put pressure on the government to make more legislative changes. Changes in policing emphasised the importance of protecting the victim and taking strong positive action against the perpetrator. Similarly, social service departments made an ‘about face', recognising the importance of empowering mothers, rather than threatening them with the removal of their children. However, whilst the 1990s have been regarded as a period of significant development in terms of public awareness of domestic violence (Hague 1999), The Housing Act (1996) has been seen by some as a step backwards. This legislation removed the right of those defined as ‘statutorily homeless' to be housed permanently. Local authorities can only offer permanent accommodation to those registered on the council housing list; those escaping domestic violence are now merely entitled to temporary accommodation. The legislation gave local authorities the power to refuse housing to any person believed to have suitable accommodation elsewhere, this especially affects women from ethnic minority groups who could be assessed as having access to housing in another country (Harwin and Brown 2000). Obviously, this had consequences for many made homeless as a result of violence. Section 180 of the 1996 Act made local authority funding for refuges a duty. As a result, an average 37% of refuge income is received from this source but has brought with it its own disadvantages. Women's Aid (2000a) note that some local authorities fail to comply or set conditions which ‘undermine strategies for ensuring the safety of abused women and children' as well as putting pressure upon refuges to only take local women. That aside, as mentioned earlier, the trend towards appropriate intervention and support for those escaping violent relationships has been upwards. A 1992 Home Office Enquiry resulted in a co-ordinated national response and emphasised multi-agency co-operation. There are now over 300 refuges throughout the country offering a wide range of services with specialist provision for women and children from differing ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Before I move on to examining the role New Labour have played in terms of safe housing provision it is important to look at exactly what it is that is needed by women and children escaping violence from men. The Conservative government's introduction of the ‘right to buy' programme has resulted in depleted council housing stock and social renting has developed into a residual sector (Conway 2000). Local authority housing has increasingly catered for a smaller range of people marginalized from mainstream society. Combined with the fact that households headed by women are at a disadvantage as a whole in the UK this results in further social inequality for those escaping domestic violence. Women need good quality housing in a safe environment with a responsive housing management. Access to suitable housing would include: ? A sensitive response to all applicants ? Day-to-day management support ? Specialist support staff ? Liaison with other services and agencies ? Benefits advice/debt counselling (Adapted from Conway 2000 p102) McGee (2000 p91) identified three main areas of support wanted by women escaping domestic violence: 1. Easily accessible information regarding sources of support. 2. Counselling. 3. Help for mothers in supporting the children to deal with their experiences. This final point is a particularly important one. Refuge financing does not take into account the numbers of children using refuges. There is no recognition of the existence of children, and the cost of providing for children, when there may be up to 18 children in a six-bedroom project (Women's Aid 2000a). Additionally to this, children are often extremely disturbed by the violence they have witnessed and the disruption in their lives, yet a quarter of all refuges have no funding for a specialist children's worker. Women from minority groups can face increased difficulty when escaping a violent partner. Racism especially plays a large part in dissuading black women from taking action to address violence from a partner. The reputation of the police is a significant factor in this. Mama (2000) notes that the police appear more ready to investigate cases of illegal immigration than to respond to cases of domestic violence. Despite attempts to challenge racism within the police force, officers on the ground have still been found to perpetrate the abuse via racism. The belief that violence against women is part of the black culture is one that appears especially resistant (Mama 2000). In terms of housing it is imperative for black women to be housed in an area which not only places her in an area away from the perpetrator but also ensures her safety from racism. Women, especially those with children, are more likely than men to be dependant upon social housing; for women from ethnic minority backgrounds this is even more so. The most crucial need of women, overwhelmingly in evidence, is that of safe permanent housing. The refuge movement has improved service provision for women considerably, but is limited by their ability to solely provide temporary housing for women and children. Only by statutory provision can this need be met. This would necessitate significant statutory change. Women who continue to live with a violent partner often give their fear of being homeless as their reason for remaining (Mama 2000), a valid one as evidence suggests. If New Labour is ‘committed to tackling domestic violence on every front'; this is the key area they need to be addressing. So, to evaluate the progress being made. Since coming to power, Labour have been keen to adopt a more progressive stance towards domestic violence than the Conservative rhetoric for supporting traditional families that arguably promoted male control over women. Publications such as ‘Living Without Fear' (1999) and the ‘Break the Chain' (1999) campaign were some of the platforms used by the Government to address this issue and encourage people to access help and support. Early evaluations of Labour's policy response to domestic violence have been cautious in supporting the Government's proposals. Hague (1999) acknowledges that both before and after election, Labour have been clear in their commitment to improving services for victims of domestic violence. However, she notes that there have been contradictions and lack of consistency in policy. Both Hague (1999) and Harwin and Barron (2000) draw attention to the fact that there are discrepancies between local authorities in terms of practice guidelines. There is no national policy to govern their practice and whilst many local authorities have recognised the serious nature of domestic violence, some less liberal authorities adopt a harsh view of the law, leaving many women and children in insecure and vulnerable positions in terms of housing. There is no single government office directly responsible for policy in this area; it falls between the Home Office, the Department of Environment and the Department of Health. A clear example of this is the research discussed later in this essay. This reiterates the findings published by the Government in ‘Tackling Domestic Violence' (1998) which considered how local authorities dealt with domestic violence and partnerships with other agencies. Based on evidence from local authorities it discovered evidence of inadequate funding and incomprehensive coverage (Wasoff and Dey 2000). In the publication ‘Government Policy Around Domestic Violence', little attention is paid to housing and accommodation despite the actuality it is recognised as a key issue. The key point states the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions has worked with other Government agencies to commission research into accommodation and support services available to those suffering domestic violence. Harwin and Barron (2000) assessed the research in terms of accommodation provision; their key findings, published by the Home Office, include: ? Leaving the family home is a last resort and some would have stayed if security was improved ? Good practice by local authorities needs to be examined and assessed ? Problems with service provision still exists ? Official figures on homelessness due to violence are inaccurate and underestimate the extent of the problem ? In term of temporary accommodation, much is not appropriate for women with children and the length of stay in temporary accommodation is unacceptable The paper concludes that monitoring of domestic violence need to be improved in terms of how many applicants for housing as a result of violence are rejected and support services need to be improved, particularly resettlement services. A key area only to be addressed this year has been that of the Housing Act 1996 in relation to homelessness. Hague stated ‘If it [the Housing Act 1996] remains on the statute book under Labour, [it] is a license for less liberally-minded authorities to adopt harsh measures.' (Hague 1999 p144) With the Homelessness Act 2002, Labour has brought major changes to the statutory program of help for women who are homeless as a result of domestic violence (Delahay 2002). Whilst it makes no new environment for homelessness or housing allocation, the Act does contain some tangible revisions to the terms of the Housing Act 1996. Introduced is a new category of priority need for housing for ‘a person who is vulnerable as a result of ceasing to occupy accommodation by reason of violence from another person or threats of violence from another person which are likely to be carried out' Homelessness Act 2002 s10 Additionally, the proposed Code of Good Practice emphasises the safety of the applicant and maintaining confidentiality. The need to ‘prove' violence has been repealed and it has been accepted that the impact of violence or threatened violence can be cumulative. The impact of this legislative change is impossible to evaluate at present but it does represent a significant shift towards supportive measures for those experiencing violence. The Government has placed a great deal of focus upon developing a co-ordinated response towards domestic violence in terms of multi-agency partnerships. ‘Our overall goals are†¦to see effective multi-ageny partnerships operating throughout England and Wales' Living Without Fear (1999) Local authorities have been particularly responsive to these initiatives (Hague 1999) Examining the wider picture, increasing women's eligibility for housing will not have a real impact if this is not backed up by addressing the problem of residualisation. Labour is doing little to address this (Morley 2000) and could even be seen as exacerbating the issue by announcing in Autumn 2002 their intention to grant housing association tenants the right to buy which will further deplete social housing stock. In conclusion, there have been huge improvements in terms of support for women experience violence in the home, much of this directly attributable to the work of Women's Aid and other feminist groups. The Government's commitment to addressing this issue can only be positive but the overall picture remains one of ambivalence and lack of consistency in policy implementation. Continued lack of funding appears to remain the key issue in terms of housing and is holding back comprehensive intervention. Domestic violence is about control over women, a sentiment that thrives within the larger system of patriarchy within our society Our social order is antagonistic to the female gender. If domestic violence is about control, then our society enables men's control over women. As a whole, Labour's policy has a tendency towards liberalism (with a small ‘l'!), thereby neglecting policies that might encourage equality. It is important to acknowledge the increased prominence of domestic violence, however, fundamentally the Government falls short on its claim to be ‘tackling domestic violence on every front'. When a woman makes the important step of leaving an abusive relationship she faces a society that opposes her at every turn – lower pay, little accessible childcare, and significantly inadequate housing – no wonder the relationship begins to look attractive again.

Basic Japanese Language Vocabulary with Audio Files

Basic Japanese Language Vocabulary with Audio Files When you are learning Japanese, it is essential to hear the words spoken. These audio words and phrases are grouped by topic and you can use them to learn to speak Japanese. Hiragana Pronunciation with Audio Files The following tables contains the 46 basic sounds found in Japanese. Click the link to listen the pronunciation of each hiragana character. (a) (i) (u) (e) (o) (ka) (ki) (ku) (ke) (ko) (sa) (shi) (su) (se) (so) (ta) (chi) (tsu) (te) (to) (na) (ni) (nu) (ne) (no) (ha) (hi) (fu) (he) (ho) (ma) (mi) (mu) (me) (mo) (ya) (yu) (yo) (ra) (ri) (ru) (re) (ro) (wa) (o) (n) Katakana Pronunciation with Audio Files   Here are the 46 basic Japanese sounds. Click the link to listen the pronunciation. (a) (i) (u) (e) (o) (ka) (ki) (ku) (ke) (ko) (sa) (shi) (su) (se) (so) (ta) (chi) (tsu) (te) (to) (na) (ni) (nu) (ne) (no) (ha) (hi) (fu) (he) (ho) (ma) (mi) (mu) (me) (mo) (ya) (yu) (yo) (ra) (ri) (ru) (re) (ro) (wa) (o) (n) Verbs Learning verbs when learning a new language is obviously very important. In the table below I have created a list of some of the most important verbs that someone new to Japanese should know.   If you are not familiar with Japanese verbs at all, follow this link to learn about verb groups and conjugations.  If you would like to hear the pronunciation of each verb, click the link and small audio file will play for you. Group 1 Verbs Dictionary Form(Basic Form) English Formal Form The ~ te Form aruku to walk arukimasu aruite asobu to play asobimasu asonde au to meet aimasu atte hairu to enter hairimasu haitte hajimaru to begin hajimarimasu hajimatte iku to go ikimasu itte kaeru to return kaerimasu kaette kakaru to take kakarimasu kakatte kaku to write kakimasu kaite kau to buy kaimasu katte kiku to listen kikimasu kiite matsu to wait machimasu matte motsu to have mochimasu motte narau to learn naraimasu naratte nomu to drink nomimasu nonde okuru to send okurimasu okutte omou to think omoimasu omotte oyogu to swim oyogimasu oyoide shiru to know shirimasu shitte suwaru to sit suwarimasu suwatte tatsu to stand tachimasu tatte tomaru to stop tomarimasu tomatte tsuku to arrive tsukimasu tsuite uru to sell urimasu utte utau to sing utaimasu utatte wakaru to understand wakarimasu wakatte warau to laugh waraimasu waratte yomu to read yomimasu yonde Group 2 Verbs kangaeru to think kangaemasu kangaete miru to see mimasu mite neru to sleep nemasu nete oshieru to teach oshiemasu oshiete taberu to eat tabemasu tabete Group 3 Verbs kuru to come kimasu kite suru to do shimasu shite At the Restaurant Click the link to hear the pronunciation.   ueitoresu waitress Irasshaimase. Welcome to our store. (Used as a greeting to customers in stores.) nanmei sama how many people (It is very polite way of saying how many people. Nannin is less formal.) futari two people kochira this way Sumimasen. Excuse me. menyuu menu Onegaishimasu. Please do me a favor. (A convenient phrase used when making a request.) Shou shou omachi kudasai. Please wait a moment. (formal expression) Douzo. Here you are. Doumo. Thanks. go-chuumon order boku I (informal, it is used by men only) sushi no moriawase assorted sushi hitotsu one (Native Japanese number) o-nomimono beverage Ikaga desu ka. Would you like ~? biiru beer morau to receive Kashikomarimashita. Certainly. (Literally means, I understand.) nanika anything Iie, kekkou desu. No, thank you. Rooms and Furnishings Click the link to hear the pronunciation.   heya room ima living room daidokoro kitchen shinshitsu bedroom toire bathroom genkan entrance niwa garden kabe wall tenjou ceiling yaneura attic yuka floor mado window Furniture kagu furniture tsukue desk hondana book shelf isu chair tansu chest of drawers beddo bed todana cupboard Appliances reizouko refrigerator reitouko freezer sentakuki washer kansouki dryer oobun oven denshi renji microwave suihanki rice cooker soujiki vacuum cleaner terebi TV More Audio Phrases and Words by Topic Animals: From bird to zebra, heres the menagerie. Body: These words are especially useful if you need medical help. Calendar: Months, days of the week, and seasons. Colors: All colors are treated as nouns. Listen to the rainbow. Dates: These follow a basic rule of the number plus nichi. Family: Learn how to talk about your family and somebody elses family. Foods: Basics for food, meals, and phrases related to eating. Greetings: The basic phrases you will need. Introducing People: Learn how to introduce people and hear the vocabulary and expressions. Location: Dont wander about lost. You need these phrases to get directions. Numbers: How to count in Japanese. On the Phone: How to speak a phone number, plus phrases you will need for a phone call in Japanese. Tea: How to order tea and how to  pronounce  different types of tea. Time: How to express the time of day and ask and answer questions about time. Travel: Words and expressions youll need when youre on the move. Useful Expressions: Simple yes, no, thanks, and other basics. Weather: How to talk about what its doing outside. Adjectives: from near to far, clean to dirty, youll want to know these modifiers. Adverbs: From always to never, together to separately.

Eric Clapton essays

Eric Clapton essays Eric Patrick Clapton was born in the small English town of Ripley, Surrey on March 30, 1945. He was the son of Patricia Molly Clapton and Edward Fryer. After Fryer returned from service, Patricia left Eric in the custody of his grandparents, Rose and Jack Clapp. Eric was raised believing that his grandparents were his parents and his mother was his sister. However, the truth was later revealed to Eric by his grandmother. As an adolescent, Clapton fell into Rock n Roll when he watched Jerry Lee Lewis perform on television. Erics love of blues and American R Clapton didnt get his big break until he joined the Yardbirds in 1963. Also in the band were Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. This is where he got his nickname Slowhand because he would bend his strings so violently that he would break them. The crowd would then do a slowhand clap while he restrung. After a couple of years in the band, he left. And in 1965, he joined John Mayalls Bluesbreakers. Again, not staying long, he left to form Cream with bass player Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. Cream achieved great success with such classics as White Room and Sunshine of Your Love. After Cream broke up, Clapton joined the bands Blind Faith and John Lennons Plastic Ono Band. After these journeys were said and done, Eric decided to form his own band, Derek and the Dominos. About the same time he formed Derek and the Dominos, Clapton began to fall in love with Pattie Harrison, the wife of his close friend George Harrison. It was Pattie who inspired Eric to write the classic song, Layla. In 1977, Eric released his Slowhand album. It was also ...

An Overview of the Pathogens Biology in the Immune System

An Overview of the Pathogen's Biology in the Immune System The Immune system is the body’s overall defense system against harm causing invaders, that come from the outside world, that are able to inter the body one way or another. The immune system is not an organ or two that do all the work, but rather a network of parts all throughout the body that works with other bodily systems to fight off viruses, diseases, infections, and anything that the immune system knows does not belong in the body. A pathogen is any organism or virus that can cause a disease after entering the body. The first line of defense against pathogens are external barriers such as the skin. The nose has nostril hairs act like a filter for elements entering the body through the nose. The nose can also fill with mucus that can exit the body to get rid of any pathogens that might enter the nostrils. The eyes have eye lashes that can wave away pathogen’s when a person blinks. The average person blinks about 16 times a minute. That is typically enough to keep out pathogens floating in the nearby air. According to Campbell Essential Biology with Physiology 4th Edition (2012): External barriers also include chemical defenses in the form of antimicrobial secretions. Sweat, saliva, and tears contain enzymes that disrupt bacterial cell walls. Glands produce oils and acids that make the skin inhospitable to many microbes. Concentrated stomach acid kills most of the bacteria we swallow before they can enter the bloodstream. (p. 518) External barriers make up the first line of defense. When a pathogen does make it passed the barriers, it is now up to the internal immune system to fight it off. This is the second line of defense. Phagocytic cells are white blood cells that are able to consume foreign cells or pathogens, thus killing them. Another type of white blood cell that can kill off pathogens or infected cells are NK cells, or natural killer cells. These NK cells will discharge chemicals that kill infected cells. The body has another natural defense, which are defensive proteins. When a virus is successful in infecting a cell, the cell may release interferon molecules. These interferon molecules bind themselves to nearby healthy cells. The binding of interferon molecules to healthy cells prompts the healthy cell to produce antiviral proteins. Other natural defensive proteins that our immune system creates are complement proteins, which attack pathogens directly. (Simon, 2012, p. 519) The lymphatic system is a system of vessels and many lymph nodes that are crammed within white blood cells. Other lymphatic system organs include the tonsils, thymus, and the spleen. â€Å"The two main functions of the lymphatic system are to return tissue fluid to the circulatory system and to fight infection.† (Simon, 2012, p. 520) The lymphatic system works in conjunction with the circulatory system. For example, when someone gets a paper cut from a dollar bill, the dollar bill introduces bacteria into and under the skin. The first line of defense has already been penetrated. The lymphatic system will pick up on chemical signals that the skin has been torn, then send white blood cells via the arteries of the circulatory system to the paper cut site. The white blood cells will engulf the bacteria and cell debris, allowing the tissue to heal. If all the above fail to keep the body healthy, there is also a third line of defense, called adaptive defenses. â€Å"Adaptive defenses depend on white blood cells called lymphocytes that recognize and respond to specific invading pathogens.† (Simon, 2012, p. 521) These lymphocytes blood cells are triggered only after exposure to specific pathogens. The innate defenses are constantly prepared to combat a variation of infections, but lymphocytes must be primed by exposure to a foreign molecule. Any molecule that elicits a response from a lymphocyte is called an antigen. (Simon, 2012, p. 521). There are two types of lymphocytes cells, the first one is called the B-cell, and the second one is called the T-cell. One very interesting thing about this cells is how they develop. Both B-cells and T-cells form within bone marrow. The B-cells grow to maturity in the bone marrow, but the T-cells start in the bone marrow and are transported via blood to the thymus to finish growing to maturity. Paul A. Linnemeyer wrote: Macrophages are important in the regulation of immune responses. They are often referred to as scavengers or antigen-presenting cells (APC) because they pick up and ingest foreign materials and present these antigens to other cells of the immune system such as T cells and B cells. This is one of the important first steps in the initiation of an immune response. Stimulated macrophages exhibit increased levels of phagocytosis and are also secretory. (p. 1) It is very important the that the immune system functions well for the health of all human internal systems. If a pathogen that infected the digestive system entered the body and the immune system was not able to fight it off, it could cause damage to the digestive system to the point where the body could not digest food and therefore not get the nutrients needed to keep the body alive. If a pathogen that infected the respiratory system got into the body and the immune system could not fight off, it could affect the body’s ability to oxygenate its cells and cause the death of the person even though the pathogen itself may not be able to cause death. Likewise with the circulatory system. This clearly shows that a healthy immune system is a critical system to have, to keep internal systems healthy, which in turn keep the person healthy. As a result of having a low immune function, your body would have a harder time fighting off virus such as the cold and flu viruses, causing the symptoms to last longer. Infections can cause damage to the immune system, which further inhabits resistance to pathogens. HIV is a virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) There are treatments for AIDS, but no cures. People living with AIDS tend to have to change their life style. When someone first finds out that they are HIV positive there can be a wide range of feelings including of anger, sadness, depression fear, anxiety. This can cause much stress or the carrier of the HIV virus and their families. In some cases having or treating AIDS can affect the brain. This can cause clumsiness, sudden shifts in behavior, difficulty paying attention, and forgetfulness, among other problems. (University of California, August 03, 2011) In conclusion, The immune system is one of the most important systems in the human body. The immune system can interact with other bodily systems in a variety of ways. The immune system has three primary lines of defense, the exterior barriers, the internal innate defenses, and the internal adaptive defenses. Without an immune system, humans would die very easily due to many things. But with an immune system, humans can hope to survive and thrive despite the many things that can infect them.

Choose a topic that you can argue about with passion Essay

Choose a topic that you can argue about with passion - Essay Example Facial expressions play a very important role in communication. If a person feels that the other person is not feeling good to hear certain things from him by reading the other person’s facial expressions, the first person feels like changing his point in an attempt to please the second person whereas in the communication through computers, the first person is able to convey his true thoughts as there are no disturbing facial expressions to be noticed along the way. The person is able to speak his mind out because the feeling that he is actually talking to a human being is a bit suppressed as compared to the face-to-face communication. Overall, use of computers for communication enhances an individual’s tendency to speak to others. It is a psychological phenomenon in which the person discovers his hidden oratory power and interpersonal skills with the passage of time while practicing in front of the screen. Friends made online in the virtual world are often life-long friends in the real

Failure of the UN in Preventing Rwandas Genocide Dissertation

Failure of the UN in Preventing Rwandas Genocide - Dissertation Example The international community and the United Nations failed to prevent the atrocity when they could have intervened. A genocide is not an accident that can happen all over sudden or without warning. It requires organization and constitutes a deliberate strategy, especially one that has been carried out by the government or state-controlled apparatus. Information on the way genocide occurs and ability the to recognize signs that could result in genocide is necessary to avoid such horror incidents. For the case of Rwanda, the signs of an impending genocide were evident, yet those who could have prevented it neglected all warnings. The international community’s reluctance to act can be attributed to numerous interconnected multifaceted issues, such as the misguided views of Africans, peacekeeping fatigue and the bureaucratic nature of the United Nations. The United States was not ready to intervene because the events of Somalia were still raw, and they didn't we didn't lose soldiers like it in Somalia (Uvin 2001). The United Nations was also not willing to engage in another peacekeeping mission in Africa, after the protracted one in Somalia. The second reason for inaction was due to national interests, and United Sthe rates did not intervene because they did not have any national interest at stake in Rwanda. For France, they should have prevented the genocide but rather, they facilitated it further by providing ammunition and weapons. The media also failed to report on the genocide hence there was no pressure.

Financial Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Financial Management Principles - Essay Example There a different capital budgeting valuation method that can be used to calculate how profitable a project will be. Four of these methods are payback period, net present value, internal rate of return and modified internal rate of return. The five basic steps on a capital budgeting model are: The Chief Financial Officer of Strident Marks wants to determine the viability of a project he wants to pursue. He applied the four capital budgeting valuation methods to establish financial metrics to arrive a decision. Exhibit A shows the mathematical calculations he performed to arrive at the results. The data he had from the project was an initial investment of $10,000. The project would generate $7500 each year for three consecutive years. The project’s discount rate was 10%. The revenue projections made the assumption that revenue inflows would be generated at the beginning of the year. The payback period analysis concluded that the return of original investment can be achieved in 1.33 years. The payback method is a simplistic method which only calculates the amount of years it takes to recover the original value of cash or assets invested in the project. If two or more projects are compared the project with the lowest time to recover the initial investment would be chosen. A major drawback of this method is that it does not take into consideration time value of money. The net present value (NPV) method application resulted in a value of $8651. This value is a good sign since the general rule to follow is that only projects whose NPV results in a positive total can be accepted. When comparing various projects a manager chooses the one with the highest NPV total. A firm that undertakes a project with a positive NPV improves the position of the stockholders because the project will increase the value of the company (Besley & Brigham). The internal rate

Boutique Hotels Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Boutique Hotels - Literature review Example This has also led to growth of hotels in almost every tourist destination around the world. The recent financial meltdown took a sever toll on the profitability and revenue margins of the hotel industry particularly in UK which whose economy took a major beating after the economic recession. However a recent report published by Price water house Coopers presents a comeback for the hotel industry in UK. The report states a growth rate projection of 7.8 percent in 2011 for London however the other provinces would have a lower growth rate which is pegged at approximately 3.1 percent in 2011. The report also forecasts a moderate growth with regards to room rates in the provinces (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2010, p.2). The present study would contrite its focus on the boutique hotels in Brighton, UK. The study would try to analyse the marketing perspective of the boutique hotels which would include an analysis of the segmentation and positioning strategies adopted by these hotels. In this co ntext a primary and a secondary study would be carried out. The primary study would comprise of a questionnaire survey which would be conducted in two parts. The first section would cover the managerial aspects of these hotels while the second survey would be aimed at finding out the positioning of the boutique hotels in the minds of the consumers. The secondary study would encompass an analysis of the existing literature on the topic of study. This would include an analysis of the various marketing concepts which would be linked with the practical aspects of the industry. Finally a set of plausible recommendations would be framed on the basis of the analysis of primary and secondary data which could be used by the concerned organizations to create greater value for the organization in the long run. Research Objectives (can put my aim and objective) The main objectives of the research study would be to analyze the different aspects of marketing associated with the boutique hotels. T his would include an analysis of the segmentation, targeting positioning as well as the elements of the marketing mix. The study would also include a discussion on the perception of the managers as well as the general consumers with regards to the concept of boutique hotels. These would be carried out by using a combination of primary and secondary research. The primary research would be based a questionnaire survey and the secondary data in the form of an analysis of the existing literature would be used to analyse and prepare a set of plausible recommendations and conclusions so as to sustain the business of boutique hotels in the long run. Literature Review Market Overview of Boutique Hotels Boutique hotels have evolved as one of the major participants of the tourism

Tragedy of the Commons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Tragedy of the Commons - Essay Example Better and cheaper solutions must be developed and governmental support should be at all levels to deal with this problem. 2) The extraction of fossil fuels such as drilling of oil or mining is not considered a tragedy of commons because the resource that is being extracted is not being stored; in fact, individuals are using it as per their needs. The term tragedy of commons was initially driven to describe the over usage of the available resource. In today’s world, the usage of oil consumption for example, has exceeded to great extent. Therefore, to fill this need extraction of such resources is necessary. Nevertheless, the general view of the economists is that fossil fuels are a tragedy of commons because due to its usage the natural resources become extinct. However, the stress is upon usage and not upon over usage. Therefore, it can be said that it is not a tragedy of commons; rather it is a need that is larger than the availability of the resource (Sustainable

Problems and recommendations for Merit Pay system at Konica Minolta Essay

Problems and recommendations for Merit Pay system at Konica Minolta Business Solutions - Essay Example The project provides examples of the compensation structures in other organisations providing the respective pros and cons of the same. Finally, it recommends a suitable compensation structure for Konica Minolta Business Solutions along with its probable impact on the organisation. Compensation structure in Wal-Mart The organisation chosen for the purpose of this research is Wal-Mart. The reason for choosing this company is that it would be a perfect example to show how a poor compensation structure could lead to serious damage for the organisations. It would also be possible to show how restructuring of the pay structure would benefit the employees and the organisation. The organisation is one of the retail giants in the world. However, the compensation structure is seen to be unfavorable for the employees. Research revealed that â€Å"Walmart CEO's hourly wage equals one year salary of new employees† (Brainz, 2010). It demonstrates a great extent of disparity among employees in the organization. It was seen that the CEO of the company earns an amount of $35 every year, which is an hourly earnings of $16,826.92. On the other hand, the newly employed worker earns only $8.75 in an hour. His gross income in a year amounts to $13,650 only. The figure is quite low for a newly recruited employee in comparison to the revenue that the company generates. It also reflects the lack of concern of the employer towards its employees. This is the cause of the high rate of attrition in the organisation. According to the reports published by the company, it was estimated that there were 74,300 workers occupying positions in Florida Wal-Mart in a quarter. The number of workers leaving the organisation in the next quarter amounted to 15,500. 2900 more number of workers was recruited. This represented that the quarterly rate of turnover was as high as 17.3%. It was estimated that if this figure remained unchanged then out of every six recruitment, one would leave the organ isation in every three months (WARN, 2005). Compensation in other organisations- Review of success and failure Proctor and Gamble was one company which was considered to be one of the most favorable companies to work for. The company demonstrates very low rate of attrition because of its favorable pay structure. The voluntary turnover rate in the company is only 2% per year. The popularity of the organisation gets depicted from the fact that it receives more than 125,432 US applicants every year (CNN Money, 2011). The company’s present human resource development structure is highly attractive which makes it one of the most employers of recent times. The average annual pay for the most common salaried job in the organisation is $87,000, while the average hourly payment for the most common hourly paid job is $48,673. For example, a person holding the managerial position in the production department gets an average annual salary of $87,000. On the other hand, a technician whose wage is calculated on an hourly basis gets an average annual payment of $48,673 (CNN Money, 2011). The figures demonstrate that the employees are adequately compensated which can be accounted for

Tragedy of the Commons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Tragedy of the Commons - Essay Example Better and cheaper solutions must be developed and governmental support should be at all levels to deal with this problem. 2) The extraction of fossil fuels such as drilling of oil or mining is not considered a tragedy of commons because the resource that is being extracted is not being stored; in fact, individuals are using it as per their needs. The term tragedy of commons was initially driven to describe the over usage of the available resource. In today’s world, the usage of oil consumption for example, has exceeded to great extent. Therefore, to fill this need extraction of such resources is necessary. Nevertheless, the general view of the economists is that fossil fuels are a tragedy of commons because due to its usage the natural resources become extinct. However, the stress is upon usage and not upon over usage. Therefore, it can be said that it is not a tragedy of commons; rather it is a need that is larger than the availability of the resource (Sustainable

The House of Commons Essay Example for Free

The House of Commons Essay In the House of Commons on May 27, 1919, Sir Robert stated that the government has taken no sides in that dispute. But he also observed that the government occupied a position different from that of the private employer. He asserted that if the needs of the people as a whole are to be regarded we cannot have in this country a complete dislocation of public services founded upon such reasons as have been put forward by the postal employees of Winnipeg, and he announced with some satisfaction at the close of his speech that seventy of the postal employees have returned to work and no difficulty has been experienced in filling the places of those who have not returned. He made no mention of the cost of living as a cause of the strike but did recognize the necessity of arriving at a definition of collective bargaining acceptable both to capital and labour. The attitude of the central government on this subject is of great importance, as it meant that Ottawa gave wholehearted support to the employers and governments at Winnipeg. On June 6, although there had been no serious violence, Mayor Gray banned all parades and forbade the congregation of crowds. On the same day the Dominion Parliament passed, with a remarkable economy of time, an amendment to the Immigration Act, which extended to British-born subjects the Acts provisions concerning deportation by executive order. This amendment, which was the cause of considerable resentment in organized labour groups across the country, passed all three readings in both Houses and received the royal assent in less than an hour. Its significance lay in the fact that it implied that the leadership of the strike was not in the hands of European-born aliens-an implication now definitely proven correct. This was the stage reached in the development of the strike when Woodsworth arrived in Winnipeg on June 8. As he approached the city across the prairies, stopping frequently to fulfil his speaking engagements, he kept himself as well informed about the strike as was possible from outside. He was anxious to use whatever influence he might possess in the city to further a conciliation move, but discovered that there was, by that time, practically no chance of success, chiefly because of the insistence upon cessation of the strike before further negotiations, and the blunt refusal to admit the right of a general strike on principle. Almost immediately upon his arrival, Woodsworth wrote a letter which was published in the Western Labor News, stating his own position and attempting to define the situation. In this statement he returned with great emphasis to one of his earliest established concepts, the sin of indifference. Learning in more detail the preceding developments of the strike, Woodsworth concluded that the general public, or at least that part represented by the Citizens Committee and the three governments, was not prepared to concede any of the strikers claims. Thus there appeared to be no alternative save for the workers to refrain from work to the limit of their resources, and to educate as many of the people on the sidelines as possible. The governments, he considered, were pursuing a course perfectly incompatible with the traditions of British liberty and, to add to his reasons for supporting the strikers, he was fully in sympathy with the goal of industrial collective bargaining. He immediately threw himself into the fray, appearing with strike leaders and outside sympathizers, to address mass meetings in Victoria Park, and helping to raise funds for strikers families. As he observed at close quarters the evolution of the strike he became increasingly convinced that the real plot was not the revolution allegedly sponsored by the One Big Union advocates, but the concerted actions of the Citizens Committee and the three governments to suppress the whole idea of industrial unionism and the sympathetic strike. Woodsworth continued to support the strike vigorously, speaking both at the Labour Church meetings and those of the soldiers parliament. He had completely identified himself with the movement a week after his arrival. Probably Woodsworth sensed the turn that events were about to take and yet was prepared to maintain his stand, since the conduct of the strike itself was distinctly non-violent. Although startled, he was not bewildered by the sudden descent of the full force of government power upon the strike leaders. In the early hours of June 17, the Royal North-West Mounted Police raided various homes in Winnipeg and made ten arrests. The men thus apprehended were hustled away in motor cars to Stony Mountain Penitentiary, and the books, records, and seditious documents discovered in their homes or at the Labor Temple were stored away for use at the trials. Four of the men arrested were foreigners who were later dealt with summarily by the Immigration Board, and who apparently had no intimate connection with the strike leadership. The arrests constituted a very heavy blow at the strike, robbing it of its most vigorous leadership and depriving it of the directors of its chief source of news and exhortation. As soon as Woodsworth heard of the arrests he conferred with his close friend Fred J. Dixon and the two men decided to undo at least part of the threatened disaster by carrying on the labour newspaper themselves.