Emotional Labour Essay Example for Free

Emotional Labour Essay This report investigates the shop manners and training offered to the floor sales staff at Next compared to that of those who work in the stock room. I would like to know how each environment affects the workers emotions. I think its an important question to ask because the people that work on the shop floor are constantly in contact with customers. It could be said that those that work in the stock room are not part of the stage setting and are more like the stage crew who work behind the scenes. I think it is important then to first address what emotion is. Emotion theory is centred on the relationship of the person and its environment (Lazarus, 1991 p40). This has implications on the question that I am posing as the stockroom workers interact in a different environment to their colleagues on the shop floor. There are two fundamental viewpoints to emotion the organismic and interactionalist viewpoint. The organismic model developing from the work of Charles Darwin, William James and early Sigmund Freud, Defines emotion mainly as a biological process. For Freud emotion affect is libidinal discharge, for Darwin its instinct and for James its the perception of a psychological process (Hochschild, 1983 p205) This leads organismic theorists to believe that there is a basic similarity of emotion across categories of people (Hochschild, 1983). The organismic model brings us to an elicitation-expression model (Hochschild, 1983) Interactionists believe emotion always involves a biological component but adds more points to social factors, which are present before, after and during the experience of emotion. For example why does a customer become violent when refused a refund, what in their cultural environment constitutes their response? If we conceptualise emotion as instinctive we will ignore questions about social entry. (Hochschild, 1983) Emotions are experienced by individuals and through intention or inadvertent communication may be deduced by others who are observing. (Lazarus, 1991 p40) Emotions can be a valuable source of information in determining how people are getting along. However, surface acting can disguise true emotion so you must be wary when reading emotions. Society and biological inheritance creates a pattern of behaviour that shape emotion and expressions of the individual (Lazarus, 1991 p40). I believe this statement relates to the way that shop assistants and customers are expected to behave. As you will see the training offered to the sales staff shows members of the work force how to act in a socially excepted way which is common practice in all chain stores. In a shopping environment how other people feel is a huge factor as to whether they buy something or not. Sales staff to some extent can influence this. I believe that for a customer to feel at home in a shop the sales staff need to be friendly and approachable whereby you feel even if you havent bought any thing this time you are welcome back again. I think that this is the key to the success of stores like Next and Marks and Spencers where staffs have the correct shop manners to keep the customers coming back. From interviews undertaken with staff at Next I have uncovered strict guidelines in training which each new member of staff has to go through. (I will discuss this and whether I think it is appropriate later.) Drawing on my own experience, I have worked in what you would call a downmarket clothes store and no training of shop manners was offered to me. It was my first proper job so I did feel as if I was being thrown in at the deep end. However, the shop was very small and my C.V. demonstrated that I had good people skills as I had worked on a market stall at the weekends and holidays. I assume that management didnt feel the need to train me in what they thought should be the obvious way to behave towards customers. After speaking to senior sales staff at next and sponsors, these are longer standing members of staff who train new staff using the guidelines (see Appendix), I have gathered that management wish the customer to feel that they are the most important thing and that their shopping experience is being made easier by the staff. Next seem to have thought out its training program very clearly and assigns specific amounts of time to each activity. This helps to give the impression that training is viewed as an important part of the job. I think that Next places emphasis on its training as it is a chain store and it often directs customers to local stores if the stock isnt available at the branch at which they are visiting, this calls for a sense of conformity between stores. I evaluated the training sessions which, are appropriate to the questions I am asking, by interviewing staff on how appropriate each session is, how achievable are the actions set out and how they affect emotions. The overall reaction that I had from staff was that they felt the training to be very obvious and many sponsors admitted to skipping through the training as quickly as possible because of this fact. Sponsors felt that by training staff with this obvious manner of behaviour was assuming that the trainee was, when prompted by myself, emotionally incapable of selecting the correct emotions for the customer situation. Training session 1 (Appendix Shop Manners). The trainee is told to be aware and not to get tied down in tasks when I asked staff about the reality of this they said they found it very annoying to be approached by customers when doing a job and often resented customers for bothering them. However, this is where surface acting comes into play the employee hides what they feel and pretends what they dont (Hochschild, 1983). The action is in the body language, for example the put on smile and sweet voice as it is for the people observed by Erving Goffman (cited in Hochschild, 1983 p35). The employee has to think back to their training to pick the right body language. A typical scenario: Now interrupted from a task possibly holding a huge pile of stock in their hand the employees are given a strict formula to follow, eye contact, a smile, appropriate greeting and to be friendly and sincere. This is a hard task when obviously it is inappropriate for the customer to target them and often there is another member of staff nearby doing nothing. However, the surface acting must continue as the corporate motto of The customer always comes first is relayed in your mind, plus I dont want to lose my job if they complain to head office. Company control also works along who fears whom. As with flight attendants the fear hierarchy works indirectly through customers complaining, to head office (Hochschild, 1983). This type of scenario links with the question posed by Hochschild (1983 p89) that when feelings are set by management and where workers have weaker rights to courtesy then consumers do, when deep and surface acting are forms of labour to be sold what happens to the way a person relates to her feelings or to her face? Employees said that when they were the customers they were more aware of the shop assistants emotions and tried to be more courteous. However, they may just feel as though they do this because they wish that people would do this for them. I do believe that this statement does have some truth but surely when the stage setting is different, when they are the customer and not the server they assume the actions of the customer. As on the stage as in life the person is the locus of the acting process. But when an institution is involved various acting elements are taken away from the individual and replaced by institutional mechanisms. In this case the fact that the customer comes first. The locus of acting, of emotional management, moves to the level of the institution. (Hochschild 1983 p49) The people are arranged according to institutional custom and the workers surface act in institutionally approved ways. Training Session 2 (Appendix In-Store Security) This training session makes shop assistants conscious of the need to be aware and the need for acknowledgement of the customers. You can use your training of greeting the customer in a functional way, to help reduce the comfort of shoplifters who are always aware of who is watching them. Senior staff said that it gets easier to spot thieves with practice; you get to learn their tricks of diverting your attention. Even though you have to be suspicious of certain customers you must always remember your training and be polite even if you feel that they are up to no good. Training Session 3 (Appendix Stockroom) As you can see none of the training here is connected to personal conduct, it doesnt attempt to tell you how to act where as the shop floor assistants are told to be friendly, sincere, polite, confident and have a smile. They are even told that conversations must be work related. When questioned on the reality of this last statement floor staff said they do have non-work related conversations but they are of a toned down nature to the way they would speak in private. When I asked the stockroom workers about their conversations they said that if they were in a situation to have a conversation it would be more animated then if having it on the shop floor as they are not in public. Training Session 12 (Appendix Till Service) Customer interaction is crucial at the till point. Again the trainee is told how to act, to be sincere and polite. I asked staff how easy it was to do this. A typical scenario: Its a very busy Saturday and all the tills are in operation when greeted by the customer with comments such as I have been waiting ever such a long time, you know and the like, it is difficult to be sincere and polite as there is nothing the staff can do to make the queue go any quicker. The staff member surface acts with her painted on smile and polite apologies. In the training suggestions of possible conversation are complimenting customers on their choice of purchase. Till operators said they tended to deep act in this case, only saying it if they meant it. Deep acting is a natural result of working on feeling expression is spontaneous (Hochschild 1983). As the Russian director Constantin Stanivlaski puts it a real feeling that has been self-induced (cited in Hochschild 1983 p35). The refund and exchange policy is an important part of training because it is the most likely time for customer conflict. The staff member is instructed to treat the customer in the same way as they would if they were making a purchase, this is easy if the customer has a receipt or is a well-known customer. But if the customer doesnt have a receipt it makes it harder in some cases because you have the suspicion that the customer may have stolen the garment. In this situation the staff member is advised that the best thing to do is get a manager. As formal rules that prop up an institution set limits to the emotional possibilities that staff have to feel (Hochschild 1983). The point that demonstrates this is the manager gets paid more then a shop assistant because their pay package covers them for the emotional insults, which they may receive from refusing to give a customer a refund. I asked the managers how they dealt with abusive behaviour from customers. Managers gain the experience for dealing with inconvenient customers and they assured me that it gets easier as time goes on. You have to detach what you are feeling from the situation and not let your own anger, or in some extreme cases fear get in the way. (Appendix Initial Training Requirement Chart) This gives a summary of all the training offered to the different roles at Next. As you can see all staff members that are present on the shop floor, for any point of their shift, the number one training session is shop manners. This is not part of the stockroom workers training. (Appendix Sponsors Guidelines- 6.Performance Assessment Standards) This table demonstrates that all staff working on floor cover, fitting room, till service or replenishment are those that could possibly come into contact with customers. It demonstrates that shop floor staff members are assessed on their ability to smile and make eye contact with the customer and to be aware of shoppers. Stockroom staff members, on the other hand, are assessed solely on their physical, rather then any emotional objectives. Are our feelings really our own? From the research obtained in this report it is clear to see that the staff working on the shop floor are shown how to act where as in the stock room its much more natural emotion. Institutional practice shapes the way in which shop floor workers are expected to behave. What makes some individuals prefer to work in the stock room compared to the shop floor? I asked the stockroom workers why they liked to work in the stockroom. I received comments such as. You can be more yourself as you dont have to work in uniform. I think that management enforce a strict smart dress policy on shop floor workers to help them get into the role, which they have to play; it is part of the act. In the stockroom you dont have to interact with customers. Some of the stockroom staff said the horror stories they have heard about customers puts them off working on the shop floor. As customers seem to be oblivious to the feelings of shop floor workers and assume that they are there just to serve them. The stockroom has quite a different atmosphere to the shop floor it is more relaxed, you often get shop floor sales staff coming in for a break from the hustle and bustle of the shop floor. The stockroom workers said that on many occasions sales staff come in and tell them about incidents with customers that have just happened. This helps the member of staff to calm down, as the stockroom member often is able to bring them to reality and point out that it is only a customer and not to get wound up. In the surroundings of the back office the sales floor worker is able to put the situation in context of life and go back to the act moments later. Does personality have something to do with whether you like working in the stockroom or the shop floor? From observation and asking the floor staff it seems to me that the quieter people work in the stock room. When I questioned staff members on why they enjoyed working in the stock room I deduced they dont feel the need to be on the stage acting, to them it is false they would rather be left to their own devices. I asked the floor staff whether they minded working in the stockroom as sometimes staff shortages calls for this. They said they didnt mind but preferred the interaction and liveliness of the shop floor this corresponds with previous research, which shows emotional labourers like contact with the customer. Even though customers can be very unpleasant. (MG2076 starter pack: The Survey). Sales floor staff said they wished they could work in the stockroom on days when they were feeling under the weather as the need to act in the corporate superficial way was much harder because their true emotions were harder to suppress. On days when everything is going well staff said it was a pleasure to help customers that are appreciative of their service but a customer who feels it is their right to be served can bring an end to that. This suggests that workers feelings are not their own and shop assistants surface act from day to day. I would like to investigate status and gender differences to see whether men or women are better equipped at working in either environment. Is emotion work as important for men as it is for women? (Hochschild, 1983 p 162) Hochschild believes it is not. Due to firstly lacking other resources women make a resource out of feeling. Secondly, each gender is called on to do different kinds of work, which Hochschild believes to be down to different childhood training of the heart that is given to girls and boys (Hochschild, 1983 p163). I think this gender separation at work is becoming less apparent as equal rights laws are being enforced and changing attitudes of society. At Next there is equality in the work place with men and women being treated equally with both being given the same responsibility. Thirdly, the general subordination of women leaves them more open to abuse. For example, a customer was being very rude to the floor manager on childrensware due to the fact that she refused to give the man a refund, because the garment had obviously been worn. The customer became very rude and abusive, which he thought would give him some hold over the woman. The female manager was about to give in to the customer when the shop manager, a man, noticed the disturbance and came over to assist his colleague. He refused to give the man a refund. I believe that as a man the shop manager saw the customer as a mere man and stood by the initial reaction of the female manager. The customer more intimidated by the act of the shop manager gave in very quickly and left the shop threatening I will let head office know about this. The manager was not browbeaten by this comment, as he knew the customer didnt have a leg to stand on. This situation also lends itself to the fact that a different proportion of the managed heart is enlisted for commercial use. (Hochschild, 1983 p163-164) Women make defensive use of their beauty, charm and relational skills, which due to commercial exploitation can lead them to become estranged from these capacities. For male workers it is more their ability to wield anger and make threats that is used by the company and so this the capacity which they are likely to feel estranged from. (Hochschild 1983) Conclusion Each environment has an impact on the workers emotions. The sales floor is where surface acting takes place throughout most of the working day. The stockroom is a place where deep acting is given more of a chance to occur due to the fact that the company dont suppose emotions upon its workers here. I think the training offered by Next is appropriate as it is what is institutionally expected by society. It is achievable by staff to act this way, as this is what they are getting paid to do. I think it does affect workers emotions being trained how to act because it must be hard to switch off at the end of the day. Eventually it must become instinctive to act in a socially expected way and it must become harder for staff members to express their true emotions when not at work. Bibliography * Hochschild, A. R. (1983) The Managed Heart; the commercialisation of human feeling California: University of California Press. * Lazarus, R. S. (1994) Emotion and Adaptation New York: Oxford University Press * MG2076s Starter Pack MG 2076 Louise Goldstein

Rules Of E Business In Dominos Pizza Commerce Essay

Rules Of E Business In Dominos Pizza Commerce Essay Based on the first rule of e-business which is Technology is no longer an afterthought in forming business strategy, but the actual cause and driver, the Domino was one of the first companies to apply their product with technology. The plan was when customers felt starving while they watched the television, they could order a Pepperoni Passion using their remote control, without having to move from the sofa. At the meantime, Domino only had seven week to get the technology up and provide the service to customer, this is a very big challenge to Domino. To reach the goal, Domino Company also invests in interactive to attitude to technology. With the interactive TV system in place, Dominos started to think about what it was going to do next. They realized that the infrastructure we had built could take a lot more than just interactive TV orders. Therefore, within three-and-a-half weeks, the firm had developed the online system. The decision made to enable customers to order over the int ernet has paid handsomely and interactive TV or broadband will be the more successful platform at future. (Anh Nguyen  , 2012) Based on research, Cutting-edge IT and Pizza may seem an unlikely alliance, but Dominos says that technology is the key to keeping customers and shareholders happy. In earlier 2011, Dominos Pizza have launched their Australian iphone app and allowing customer to simply use their phone to order Dominos product. In 2012, Dominos Pizza is the recognized world leader in Pizza delivery operating a network of company-owned and franchise-owned stores in the USA and international markets. The vision of Dominos Pizzas is a company of exceptional people on a mission to be the best Pizza delivery company in the world. (Market Watch,2012) Rule 2 Based on the second rule of e-business and stated by Mich (1991) Dominos Pizza reduce the size of its field management network by eliminating a layer of manage and consolidating regional offices to make its field forces more responsive to its individual markets. Domino streamlined eliminates three field offices in USA, which had been subordinate to a network of regional offices. The regional offices have been reduced from eleven to nine. (Business Applications, 2012) The management information system (MIS) has applied to helping Domino become and stay efficient and effective. Managers of Dominos Pizza use this computer-based system to organize, analyze, and execute plans to help Domino flow and accomplish its goals. Dominos Pizza uses this management information system to influence, and control information of employees, cost, profit, technology, procedures and documents. (Anna-Louise, 2011) Rule 3 Based on the third rule of e-business which is Inability to overthrow the dominant, outdated business design often leads to business failure, Dominos Pizza is a company with innovation and creative as well. Dominos Pizza has launched an innovative new Real Time monitoring system in UK and Ireland where are fastest growing Pizza delivery company, to measure service performance in order to get Pizza out-the-door in the minimum amount of time. This industry leading initiative is set to boost customer service levels at Dominos worldwide. ( Nations Restaurant News, 1991) Results by using Real Time Monitoring System: 33% increase in performance across the board following the launch Customer service was the best on record System sales being up 13.1% from the same six-week Motivation and competition increased in-store and across the whole Dominos system. Rule 4 Based on the fourth rule of e-business which is E-commerce is enabling companies to listen to their customers and become either the cheapest, the most familiar, or the best, For a company, one advantage of  social media involvement  is the chance to generate instant customer feedback.   (shyspeak.net, 2009) The new strategy Domino is a great example of a company using social media to  listen to and react  to its customers in order to solve a problem. When Dominos decided to completely change its Pizza recipe, they spend two years of research involving customer taste tests of 50 blends of seasonings, 15 sauces and dozens of cheeses and also created a website www.Pizzaturnaround.com, which features a new  video documentary on YouTube  that uses real Dominos employees to introduce the story of how Dominos listened to its critics and is changing its Pizza recipe for the better.  (Pamela Seiple, 2009) Rule 5 Based on the fifth rule of e-business which is Dont use technology just to create the product; use it to innovate, entertain, and enhance the entire experience surrounding the product, from selection and ordering to receiving and service, Dominos Pizza creation and development the mobile application to do promotion online and allow customer using their phone to order the meal. In earlier 2011, Dominos Pizza have launched their Australian iphone app and allowing customer to simply use their phone to order Dominos product. In 2012, Dominos Pizza is the recognized world leader in Pizza delivery operating a network of company-owned and franchise-owned stores in the USA and international markets. The vision of Dominos Pizza is a company of exceptional people on a mission to be the best Pizza delivery company in the world. (shyspeak.net, 2009) (Which Franchise Ireland, 2009) Rule 6 Based on the sixth rule of e-business which is The business design of the future increasingly uses reconfigurable e-business community models to best meet customers needs, Dominos Pizza build their own extranet to link business and suppliers and using online feedback to contact customers. Dominos Pizza Inc using extranet connects all of their suppliers to have maintained active relationships with suppliers. Besides that, to increasing corporate and saving money, Dominos Pizza has moved its online payment, back-office, E-commerce and corporate e-mail system to the cloud. Therefore, Dominos allow their IT teams focus less one maintenance activities and more in reconfigurable and innovation. (shyspeak.net, 2009) Rule 7 Based on the next rule of e-business which is The goal of new business designs is for companies to create flexible outsourcing alliances that not only off-load costs but also make customers ecstatic, outsourcing partnership is very important to Dominos Pizza especially in IT area. The first IT outsourcing in Dominos Pizza is focuses on continued innovation meet the demands of impressive online growth and also meet the customer requirement. Kcom is the IT outsourcing partner of Dominos Pizza at now and it provide managed Wide Area Network (WAN) to Dominos Pizza Group to help them to build the connectivity between each of their 672 stores around UK and Ireland. The WAN provide by Kcom company which is unmanaged 20CN based network to a fully managed 21CN infrastructure and also it will future proof the Dominos store network and allow them to introduce more complex applications. (Kcom, 2011) Rule 10 Based on the lest rule of e-business which is The tough task for management is to align business strategies, processes, and applications fast, right, and all at once, strong leadership is imperative, the Dominos Pizza has been found by Patrick Doyle. Doyle and his leader team had always view their specialty as convenience to the customer. Any complaints about the food by customers will be offset many times over by the customers who kept coming back for the efficient service. Ultimate, this philosophy made Dominos the worldwide gold standard in pizza delivery, with yearly sales in the billions. At first, Dominos Pizza launched a new advertisement campaign called You Got 30 which means the customers will get their pizza inside 30 minutes. To make the product have better taste and faster delivery, Doyle and his team had to go directly to the source. Doyle and his leader team stayed quiet, listened and took their verbal lumps as consumers launched repeated salvos, comparing the crust to cardboard from 2008 to 2009. Besides that, Dominos retrain 4,900 franchises on how to make a pizza. The manager has to ensure that the old ingredients ran out and new ingredients were stocked as close as possible to the changeover period. Doyle and his leader team made a lot of meaningful change and innovation to this company, because if a manager who vacillates to shoulder responsibility for technological change by understanding how the technology supports business goals will delay progress and harmfully impact future operations.  (Erik Cassano, 2011) Moore. C (2006) How Dominos is Cleaning up in the E-Commerce Market [Online] Available at: http://pizzasandstuff.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-dominos-is-cleaning-up-in-e.html [Accessed 10 Dec 2012] Which Franchise Ireland (2009) Innovation at Dominos Pizza franchise [Online] Available at: http://www.whichfranchise.ie/index.cfm?action=articlesarticleId=47 [Accessed 10 Dec 2012]   Seiple.P. (2009) How Dominos is Using Customer Feedback and Social Media Outreach to Reinvent Its Brand franchise [Online] Available at: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5426/How-Dominos-is-Using-Customer-Feedback-and-Social-Media-Outreach-to-Reinvent-Its-Brand.aspx [Accessed 10 Dec 2012] PRN Newswire (2012) Dominos Pizza ® Expands Mobile Ordering Lineup With New Spanish-Language App [Online] Available at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dominos-Pizza-expands-mobile-ordering-lineup-with-new-spanish-language-app-2012-11-08 [Accessed 10 Dec 2012] Jackson. A-L (2011) Dominos Brutally Honest Ads Offset Slow Consumer Spending [Online] Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-17/domino-s-brutally-honest-ads-offset-slow-consumer-spending.html [Accessed 10 Dec 2012] Shyspeak.NET (2009) 10 Rules of  e-Business [Online] Available at: http://shyspeak.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/10-rules-of-e-business/ [Accessed 10 Dec 2012] Cassano. E. (2011) How Patrick Doyle faced the reality of not being the best and took steps to put Dominos back on top [Online] Available at: http://www.sbnonline.com/2011/09/how-patrick-doyle-faced-the-reality-of-not-being-the-best-%E2%80%93-and-took-steps-to-put-domino%E2%80%99s-back-on-top/ [Accessed 10 Dec 2012] KCOM (2011) Kcom secures the first slice of Dominos IT outsourcing strategy. [Online] Available at: http://www.kcom.com/news/kcom-secures-the-first-slice-of-dominos-it-outsourcing-strategy/ [Accessed 10 Dec 2012] Nations Restaurant News(1991) Dominos streamlines field office structure [Online] Available at: http://business.highbeam.com/409700/article-1G1-10747440/domino-streamlines-field-office-structure [Accessed 10 Dec 2012] Business Applications(2012) Applications in Business and Management Enterprise e-Business Systems [Online] Available at: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0070909636/125778/OBrienCh6.pdf [Accessed 10 Dec 2012]

Strategic analysis of WalMart

Strategic analysis of WalMart The secret of successful retailing is to give your customers what they want. And really, if you think about it from your point of view as a customer, you want everything: a wide assortment of good-quality merchandise; the lowest possible prices; guaranteed satisfaction with what you buy; friendly, knowledgeable service; convenient hours; free parking; a pleasant shopping experience. Sam Walton (1918-1992) (WAL-MART FOUNDER) Wall mart bought a revolution in the field of retail industry with its tag line low Price Always. This is achieved through large scale of operation and bulk buying. Though it has a wafer thin profit margin, it is able to retain its cost leadership in market. Company History: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is not only the largest retailer in the world, it now also ranks as the largest corporation in the world. The retail giant dwarfs its nearest competition, generating three times the revenues of the worlds number two retailer, Frances Carrefour SA. Domestically, Wal-Mart has more than 1.2 million workers, making it the nations largest nongovernmental employer. U.S. operations include 1,478 Wal-Mart discount stores (located in all 50 states); 1,471 Wal-Mart Supercenters, which are combined discount outlets and grocery stores (and which make Wal-Mart the countrys top food retailer); 538 Sams Clubs, the number two U.S. warehouse membership club chain (trailing Costco Wholesale Corporation); and 64 Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets, smaller food and drug outlets also offering a selection of general merchandise. International operations, which commenced in 1991, include Wal-Mart discount stores in Canada and Puerto Rico; Wal-Mart Supercenters in Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the United Kingdom; and Sams Clubs in Brazil, China, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets are grocery stores that average about 42,000 square feet (3,901.9 m ²). They offer a variety of products, which include full lines of groceries, pharmaceuticals, health and beauty aids, photo developing services, and a limited selection of general merchandise. The first Neighborhood Market opened in 1998 in Bentonville, Arkansas. As of November 30, 2007, there were 128 Neighborhood Markets in the United States. Sams Club Sams Club is a chain of warehouse clubs which sell groceries and general merchandise, often in large quantities. Sams Club stores are membership stores and most customers buy annual memberships. However, non-members can make purchases either by buying a one-day membership or paying a surcharge based on the price of the purchase. Some locations also sell gasoline. The first Sams Club opened in 1983 in Midwest City, Oklahoma under the name Sams Wholesale Club. Sams has found a niche market in recent years as a supplier to small businesses. All Sams Club stores are open early hours exclusively for business members and its slogan, as such, is Were In Business for Small Business. WAL-MART GOING GLOBAL Wal-Mart and International Expansion Wal-Mart was entered into international markets by a conviction that it could achieve competitive advantage abroad by applying its combination of technology, logistics and human resources with its tremendous buying power with multinational consumer goods suppliers. Wal-Marts strategy has been to acquire companies and convert them into the Wal-Mart way stores. European retailers like Carrefour and Ahold, have more than 20 years of international experience than Wal-Mart. Multinational retailers entry is usually by mergers acquisitions, which is what Wal-Mart did in its initial entry into Mexico, with a joint venture with CIFRA, the most powerful retailer in Mexico. Models For Strategic Analysis ENVIORNMENTAL SCANNING OF WAL-MART External Environment Socio-cultural Throughout the world there is a large shift in our demographics. There currently is a larger aging population than ever before, and at the same time the birthrate in developed countries is decreasing, as it is increasing in underdeveloped countries. Due to advances in medicine individuals are living longer and longer, as it seems we can beat any disease. Health is becoming more and important to individuals as they exercise and eat better; everyone wants to stay healthy longer. At the same time in the United States in particular the population is getting fatter and fatter, preschool age children are being labeled as obese. Shopping has turned into a favorite pastime for the whole family, and when buying big-ticket items, everyone has a say. Increasingly there are more single-parent households, which does not leave much disposable income. Most two-parent households have both parents working and earning more, living in bigger houses, taking more vacations, and owning more cars. On the o ther hand we are currently experiencing a great deal of the American public has been downsized, and may be unemployed, starting a new career, or back in school. Technological Due to the current recession the government has been looking for any way possible to save money, and unfortunately research and development, non-military that is, was one of the first things to go. However many of the suppliers to retail are forced to continue their RD programs as competition is stiff and their product line needs to continually be updated. Technology is growing at an incredibly rapid pace that no one can keep up with it. There have been amazing growths in the areas of health, consumer goods, and food due to technology. As consumers are used to the ever-growing technology they are not as wary of it as in the past, but do not buy the newest thing, as quickly because the item it replaces is less than a year old. Production is becoming more and more automated which is pushing individuals out of jobs. The Internet is widely available in the United States, but that is not the case in the rest of the world. Even in parts of Europe many houses do not have computers much less access to the Internet. Telecommunications structures continue to be improved upon or even built. Politico-Legal USA has democratic form of government. In fact it is the one of the worlds oldest democracy of more than 200 years where everyone has a saying in the government. Pressure groups play a vital role in US democracy, a retail chain giant like Wal-Mart have their representatives in congress and senate. Hence , they keep a keen eye on all the policies and laws so that it is conducive with the Wal-marts future plans In case of any blockage lobbying is used by them. Economic US has capitalist system of economy, the mode of production is controlled by private enterprises. The economic conditions are favorable for operation of private firms. In fact big retail chains like Wal-mart has revolutionized the US economy Always Low Prices- ALWAYS .With trends of globalization Wal-mart is able to spread its wings in Asia-Pacific region where the economy is liberalized . Globalization, Liberalization and Privatisation gives economic policy that are is consonance with growth and expansion strategies of Wal-mart. Internal Environment Being the largest non-government employer and corporation in the world, Wal-Mart is bound to have an interesting internal structure put in place. So what exactly is the method to all the madness? Lets look inside Wal-Marts Internal Environment. Corporate Structure Wal-Mart is a public corporation, however the majority of the stock is still held by Walton family members. Therefore, there is lots of family involvement at the top level. The headquarters are in Bentonville, Arkansas, along with the control and decision making ability of the organization. There is a very hierarchical structure in place which only fuels the good old boys club for top management. The other unique element in Wal-Marts corporate structure is a strong culture that is fueled by the Wal-Mart way of doing things, which as far as they are concerned is the only way. WAL-MART ANALYSIS INTERNAL ANALYSIS ANALYZING RESOURCES Financial Resources Wal-Mart is the worlds largest and most profitable retailer. Wal-Marts pre tax return on sales was 8% during 1989 which was double the industry standard and it continues to be the front runner till today. Wal-Mart commands market value 10 times more than its book value. Wal mart stores FISCAL YEAR SEGMENT NET SALES SEGMENT OPEARTION INCOME 2007 7.8% $17029 2006 9.4% $15324 2005 10.1% $14163 Sams Club FISCAL YEAR SEGMENT NET SALES SEGMENT OPEARTION INCOME 2007 4.5% $1512 2006 7.29% $1385 2005 7.59% $1280 International FISCAL YEAR SEGMENT NET SALES SEGMENT OPEARTION INCOME 2007 30.2% $4259 2006 12.7% $3509 2005 19.3% $3197 Human Resources Wal-Mart promotes internal staff development and over 60% of its store managers are promoted internally then direct recruits. Wal-Mart believes in recruiting people with a flair for customer service and trains them accordingly to its strong company values. Employees are treated as owners as more than 70% of employees have shares of the company and incentives are paid in stock options too. Physical Resources Wal-Mart developed its computerized inventory system way back in 1970 that decreased check-out and reordering times and built highly automated distribution centres, reducing shipping cost and time. Wal-Mart has continued to be an innovator and has this has led it to create and sustain its competitive advantage by being the first and to be continuous to replace systems and processes replicated by competitors. Intellectual or Intangible Resources Wal-Marts core resources are its customers which total over 40 million per year. Wal-Mart has over 1.3 million associates (employees) at its stores, worldwide. The author feels this itself is unique which helps Wal-Mart get 1.3 million unique, hardcore loyal customers. Wal-Mart uses its technological capabilities to sustain its cost leadership in distribution and superior inventory systems. Culture Analysis Wal-Marts culture is as unique and distinctive as possible considering the mammoth that it has grown into today. Usually firms even of a small and medium company find it hard to maintain and build good customer service but Wal-Mart has always had it as its foundation and till today preaches and practices exemplary customer service. Wal-Marts Corporate Citizenship actively helps development of the community with programs spread across education, health, and environment. Wal-Marts Code Adam, a tribute to a lost child in a retail store helps prevent children getting lost in stores today which make it a safer place for families to shop. Wal-Marts Ten Foot Rule and Sundown Rule all promote the employees to treat the customer right, first time, always. Employees are treated as Associates inspiring their status. The everyday morning cheers act as a ritual and cheer and energize the associates making them part of the organization. Associates acting as greeters at the entrance of every store worldwide is unique and makes the customer more welcome and special. P.E.S.T. ANALYSIS FOR WAL-MART P.E.S.T. Analysis Political Influences à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ European Customs and Regulations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ FDI Restrictions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ UKs Zoning Regulations Economic Influence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ War in Iraq à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global Terrorism à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exchange Rates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Low levels of productivity in Asian Countries à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Wall Street Improvements Social Influence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Marketing strategies ineffective à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Absence of Bulk Buying à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Language and Cultural Barriers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Anti-Globalisation Movements Technological Influence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Advances in Technology and Satellite systems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lack of basic infrastructure Political Influences The political influences in this industry is probably the most burning concern with organizations going global and many countries restricting the growth of companies by many countries. European Customs and Regulations heavily hamper expansion plans. FDI in many countries are still heavily regulated and global companies are yet to set foot into emerging markets like India. Economic Influences War on Iraq has had a negative impact on consumer spending and outlook. Disproportionate levels of income and consumer spending in developing countries like India and China will impact growth of global companies. Exchange rates affect global sourcing and pricing policies on a day to day basis. Recent developments with Wall Street have helped foster a better relation and helped in Wal-Marts listing and ratings. Social Influences Developing countries are not used to push type marketing and aggressive selling. Bulk buying patterns predominantly present in USA, is non-existent in Asian countries. Language and cultural factors is a barrier to globalisation. Anti-Globalisation movements in the recent past has affected growth of global companies, especially companies originated USA. Technological Influences Development in technology and satellite systems has given a boost to Wal-Mart. Basic infrastructure still lacks for effective warehousing and distribution, the lifeline of a retail chain. PORTERS 5 FORCES ANALYSIS FOR WAL-MART Porters Analysis SUBSTITUTES CUSTOMERS SUPPLIERS MARKET NEW ENTRANTS Horizontal Forces Mature markets Vertical Forces Growth Markets Vertical and Horizontal Competitive and changing markets WAL-MART SUPPLIERS POWER Wal-Mart enjoyed a 50 percent market share position in the discount retail industry. Procter Gamble, Clorox, and Johnson Johnson were among its nearly 3,000 suppliers. Though Wal-Mart may have been the top customer for consumer product manufacturers, it deliberately ensured it did not become too dependent on any one supplier; no single vendor constituted more than 4 percent of its overall purchase volume. Further, Wal-Mart had persuaded its suppliers to have electronic hook-ups with its stores. About 85 percent of all the merchandise sold by Wal-Mart was shipped through its distribution system to its stores. (Competitors supplied to their retail outlets on average less than 50 percent of the merchandise through their own distribution centers.) Wal-Mart used a saturation strategy for store expansion. The standard was to be able to drive from a distribution center to a store within a day. A distribution center was strategically placed so that it could eventually serve 150-200 Wal-Mart stores within a day. Stores were built as far away as possible but still within a days drive of the distribution center; the area then was filled back (or saturated back) to the distribution center. Each distribution center operated 24 hours a day using laser-guided conveyer belts and cross-docking techniques that received goods on one side while simultaneously filling orders on the other. The company owned a fleet of more than 3,000 trucks and 12,000 trailers. (Most competitors outsourced trucking.) Wal-Mart had implemented a satellite network system that allowed information to be shared between the companys wide network of stores, distribution centers, and suppliers. The system consolidated orders for goods, enabling the company to buy full truckload quantities without incurring the inventory costs. The bargaining power of suppliers and buyers is low with Wal-Mart having established a near monopoly in its home market and increasing its market-share in its overseas operations. Wal- Mart is already Canadas and Mexicos top retail chain and in UK is at the third position. Threat of entry remains low in the home market and globally. The entry scene is limited to existing retail chains as the cost of setup is substantial. Regulatory restrictions are also a concern here. Threat of substitute products is low to medium with consumers having a choice from different stores to buy the same product at highly competitive prices. A sixth force, called the complementors enable the firm whose products or services work in conjunction with enabling a synergistic effect .Wal-Mart sees more customers than the banks do these days. Recent antitrust lawsuits over Visa and MasterCard by retailers, headed by Wal-Mart, alleging the use of expensive debit cards and the costs borne by the retailers may upset the market .The intensity of competitive rivalry can be classified low to medium The power obtained by the low bargaining power of suppliers and buyers is offset by the threat of substitutes and threat of entry. Overall a substantial amount of power still lies with Wal-Mart considering the scale of operations and maturity in its industry. WAL-MART S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS Strengths Wal-Mart is the largest corporation in the world giving it enormous status and recognition in the industry and new markets. Wal-Mart is great at building and maintaining relationships with suppliers. Wal-Mart is a continuous learning organization with integrated systems and frequent meetings with store and aisle managers and systems that receive 8.4 million updates every minute on transactions from its stores. More than 70 million customers roam Wal- Mart aisles each week (Fortune, 2003). Wal-Marts distribution centre and logistics capabilities are a key strength adding value to its entire system. Wal-Marts cross-docking and effective inventory managements gives its a 3% cost advantage which helps sustain its Every Day Low Price strategy . Weaknesses Wal-Mart shows little adaptability to its formats in overseas expansions. Wal-Mart is still to develop its expertise in international marketing. Shows weakness in its expansion by not fulfilling expansion plan of opening 50 new stores in Germany during 2001. Opportunities Growing middle class of consumers in emerging markets like China and India, gives Wal- Mart a tremendous opportunity for global expansion. There is growing consolidation in the market with the weak economy which is also leaving many competitors up for sale at below book value. Growth of e-commerce enables a new business channel and Wal-Mart has aggressively trying to capture and create its presence in this medium too. Threats Recent years have witnessed anti-globalisation movements affecting global companies and American companies in general and Wal-Mart can face stiff resistance from consumers in new markets. Recent wars and outbreaks have affected sales globally. Increased competition in mature markets like Germany and U.K. with established retail chains dominating despite Wal-Marts entry. Growing trade blocks and zoning regulations hamper Wal-Marts expansion plans. Summary The beauty of Wal-Marts Value Chain is the scale of operations and the control it exercises over each activity. Wal-Mart takes care of all the activities internally except partially outsourcing its logistics requirements. Its systems integration from inventory, to stores, to headquarters to suppliers is the lifeline of its success. Transportation undertaken by its own fleet of trucks is an added advantage. The core activity remains in its bulk buying and inventory management which supports Wal-Marts competitive advantage of pricing and every element shows traces of cost leadership. Total integration is key here. Wal-Mart located its discount stores around regional warehouses allowing a streamlined and low cost physical distribution . CONCLUSION Wal-Mart considering its scale and scope of operations has given a dynamic perspective in analysis of the many frameworks analyzed with. Strategists like Govindrajan and Gupta, who specialize in globalisation, endorse and acknowledge Wal-Mart as a global organization and highly lauding Ironically, Rugman, argues, Wal-Mart as a regional player with regional strategy considering that Wal-Mart has only 9.6% of its stores outside its home region and only 16.3% of revenue is generated from stores outside its home country. Again considering classification such as the NAFTA and the TRIAD, large economies (Countries) are clubbed together and treated as one which the author disagrees to justify as one. Arguments such as only a certain percentage of business is generated outside the TRIAD making a business less global are arguments the author disagrees with. With the EU becoming as one then soon, the world will become large chunks of amalgamations. The simple definition or presence in different markets should be taken into consideration of being global. Many strategists do not give concessions for the time the business has started to expand globally. Wal-Mart for instance has grown to such a strong position over 40 years, this would take considerable time to replicate and adapt in international markets. Analysis using Yips Globalisation / Localisation Drivers shows the industry and Wal-Mart in general moving towards globalisation but yet maintaining key aspects to localisation. This could be the way ahead. The Transnational Model illustrates the same key aspect. Marketing strategy and product variation though it can be global, it needs to be tuned to the local market catered considering the emergence of localisation preference in consumers. The market has gone too global, that consumers place an emphasis of localisation. Acknowledgements are made that the industry is maturing far greater than Internationalisation but its yet to be seen as a global player. But its a matter of time before it expands it to new markets and creates a foothold. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR WAL-MART Analysis of the generic strategy and the supporting value chain, gives us a good insight into sources of Wal-Marts competitive advantage. When two or more firms compete within the same market, one firm possesses competitive advantage over its rivals when it earns a persistently higher rate of profit . Wal-Marts capability to outperform its rivals is achieved with its ability to outperform its competitors quickly and effectively. Supporting this is its, highly integrated systems, technological advances, highly efficient inventory management skills, few markdowns and few stock-outs. This is supported also by its corporate culture encouraging and rewarding initiative and innovation. Low cost leadership helps the firm above average returns in the industry despite strong competitive forces . Traces of cost leadership are noticeable in the value chain. Wal-Mart saves costs by holding stocks for less than 48 hours in its inventory. Wal- Mart is known to negotiate with suppliers for the lowest cost of the product without any frills and marketing expenses which adds to the cost later. Wal-Marts purchase by the truckload saves costs again by bulk purchasing. Wal-Marts inventory handling and logistics distribution with its own fleet of 2000 plus trucks help attain a cost effective distribution channel than relying on unreliable suppliers networks which costs in delays. But is Wal-Marts strategy based solely on cost or does it have any other attributes based on its characteristics. Wal-Mart appears to have a differentiation strategy. The differentiation strategy is one of differentiating the product or service offering of the firm, creating something that is perceived industry-wide as being unique. It can be design or brand image, technology, features, customer service, dealer network or other dimensions High degree of customer service with store greeters and no questions asked policies reaffirms Wal-Marts differentiation from its competitors. Every Day Low Price strategy helped reinforce Wal-Mart was the lowest price. The third generic strategy advocated by Porter is the focus strategy. The focus strategy is focusing on a particular buyer group, segment of the product line or geographic market as with differentiation, focus may take many forms .Wal-Mart right from its foundation located its stores to out of town areas with small populations. This was a segment ignore by its competitors giving Wal-Mart an edge over competition by locating itself in a low competitive environment before it creates competition. Wal-Marts focus on the segment of people targeted as well as its location of stores, does give it an attribute of the focus strategy. Effective implementation of any of these generic strategies usually requires total commitment and supporting organizational arrangements that are diluted if there is more than one primary target .Arguably Porter termed organizations attempting cost leadership and differentiation together as stuck-in-the-middle and it does not lead to competitive advantage and its sustainability. Academic criticism is not new and Porter has received his share of it. Most strategists feel low cost leadership alone, does not lead to competitive advantage unless there is an element of differentiation. A strategy combining elements of low cost, price and leadership is known as hybrid strategy .Mintzberg advocated the hybrid strategy for it combines both elements of low cost leadership with differentiation. However, the fact can not be denied that Wal-Mart has a focus strategy as well as a differentiation strategy. Overall the company thrives on cost leadership. The global validity of these are tested with Wal-Marts core strategy in every market it operates, it maintains cost leadership in all activities as well as it maintains its differentiation by having exemplary service. The adoption of the focus strategy globally can be critiqued as Wal-Mart is unable to expand into most markets like UK and Europe with tight zoning regulations and its entry into these markets have been through mergers and acquisitions. But the focus of the segment of customers targeted remains undiluted though the focus of location geographically is understood to be compromised considering the market conditions. SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Wal-Marts sustainable competitive advantage can be attributed to its cost advantage supported by its inventory management skills and processes and expertise in supply chain management (which can not be replicated considering the scale of operations) and its culture which promotes aggressive customer service and satisfaction through satisfied and happy associates.The ability to build and maintain relationships with its customers, suppliers, and its associates and its speed in innovation and initiative ness is also a source of sustainable competitive advantage. CORE COMPETENCIES FOR WAL-MART Prahalad and Hamel (1990) define core competencies as the collective learning of the organization, especially how to co-ordinate diverse production skills and integrate multiple streams of technologies. The cumulative learning acquired with experience in an industry enhances a firms competence. Wal-Marts core competence can be said to be its knowledge achieved by its inventory management skills with its supply chain management facilitated by its innovations like the cross-docking techniques and its innovation in information technology and in relationship strategy maintained with its customers, suppliers, and associates and its cost strategy achieved with its scale of operations. This passes the three tests whereby its providing added value to customers and is difficult for competitors to imitate considering the scale of operations to achieve such economies and provides access to wider markets. Wal-Marts achieves competencies from: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cross docking à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supply chain management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Communication strategy with suppliers and associates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Relationship strategy with suppliers and associates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People strategy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cost strategy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Location and market strategy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ability and inspiration from Sam Walton à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customer service strategy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Knowledge management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Innovation in I.T. and warehousing and inventory management Although an exhaustive list, Wal-Mart does achieve and maintain the above in proportions unseen in its industry. Although they are imitateable, competitors have been unable to replicate the entire series and sustain it. Profit verses non-profit objectives: We can see one difference in both the objectives i.e. in profitable objectives we have to emphasise revenue, profit growth and our product must be able to fulfil our customer demands. But non-profit objectives are just to complete the need of our organisation i.e. general community, health and welfare.

Killer Bees: The American Invasion Essay -- Exploratory Essays Researc

Killer Bees: The American Invasion 1.0 Introduction: Invasive species have a variety of impacts, many of which are unpredictable. The Africanized honey bee (also known as the â€Å"killer bee† in the media community or apis mellifera scutellata among scientists) provides an excellent case study of how even an intentionally introduced invasive species can become uncontrollable and problematic. 2.0 Brief History: Honey bees are a non-native species in both North and South America. European honey bees (EHB) were first introduced as a relatively mild species. The EHB, however, is not well suited for tropical climates. After comparing the honey yields of EHB in the Americas to the yields of honey bees in Africa, Brazilian geneticist Warwick Kerr transported queens from Africa to Brazil in 1956 for colonization (via artificial insemination) with the preexisting EHB species. Kerr was aware that the African species was considerably aggressive, but thought that hybridization with the European species would create a less defensive yet more productive subspecies (or race). The results were favorable; Kerr described the Africanized honey bee (AHB) colonies as, â€Å"the most prolific, productive and industrious bees that we have seen up to now† (Spivac 3). In 1957 the experiment went awry when 26 AHB colonies escaped and swarmed into the forests of Sao Paulo. Since that time, AHB have sp read 300 to 500 kilometers (100-200 miles) each year through the Americas, entering Mexico in 1986 and the United States in 1990. 3.0 Biology and Habits: AHB differ from their EHB counterparts in both physical and sociological aspects: â€Å"Africanized bees resemble their African parents more than their European parents in mitochondrial DNA, mor... ..., DC: Island Press. Lyon, W. F., & Tew, J. E. (2003, April 2). Ohio State University extension fact sheet: Entomology. Ohio State University [Online]. Available: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2124.html [2003, April 2]. Kim, K. T., & Oguro, J. (1999, April). Update on the status of Africanized honey bees in the Western States. The Western Journal of Medicine, 170 (4), 220. Robinson, G. E. (1998, Sept-Oct). From society to genes with the honey bee. American Scientist, 86, 456-457. Spivac, M., Fletcher, D. J. C., & Breed, M. D. (Eds.). (1991). The â€Å"African† honey bee. Boulder: Westview Press. Watanabe, M. E. (1994, August). Pollination worries rise as honey bees decline. Science, 265, 1170-1171. Winston, M. L. (1992). Killer bees: The Africanized honey bee in the Americas. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Personal Growth in College Essay examples -- essays research papers

So far, the college experience has made me a changed person. College changed me into a better person on many occasions. I have learned to be more responsible, when it comes down to getting work done. In college you must be responsible. I have also changed my attitude. Moving from high school to college is a big step; if you don’t change your ways for the better then you might not be successful in college. When you reach college then is the time that you become an adult. First off, the college life has changed me for the better. I am much more responsible in many different ways. I had to change my study habits, or should I say I have to get study habits. I high school I never studied, because everything came so easy to me and I could just do the work and end up with passing grades. When I reached college I tried to do the same thing and it didn’t work. I had to start studying on a daily basis and it was hard to go from not doing any work to studying every night and on the weekends, I wasn’t use to that, but I had to make it a habit or I was not going to make it. Going to school everyday was not a problem because my parents made me go everyday, my major change was my study habits. Secondly, the main thing is to be responsible and make the right decisions. In college you have to make decisions and it is hard. Peer pressure come in hard when you get to college, for example you could have a test that you need to study for and there is a party that you want to go to, and all of ...

Chapter 22 Owl Post Again

â€Å"Harry!† Hermione was tugging at his sleeve, staring at her watch. â€Å"We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us — before Dumbledore locks the door –â€Å" â€Å"Okay,† said Harry, wrenching his gaze from the sky, â€Å"let's go†¦.† They slipped through the doorway behind them and down a tightly spiraling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. They flattened themselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Fudge and Snape. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase. â€Å"†¦ only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties,† Snape was saying. â€Å"The Kiss will be performed immediately?† â€Å"As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last†¦. I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape†¦ and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him†¦.† Harry clenched his teeth. He caught a glimpse of Snape's smirk as he and Fudge passed Harry and Hermione's hiding place. Their footsteps died away. Harry and Hermione waited a few moments to make sure they'd really gone, then started to run in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor — then they heard a cackling ahead. â€Å"Peeves!† Harry muttered, grabbing Hermione's wrist. â€Å"In here!† They tore into a deserted classroom to their left just in time. Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in boisterous good spirits, laughing his head off. â€Å"Oh, he's horrible,† whispered Hermione, her ear to the door. â€Å"I bet he's all excited because the Dementors are going to finish off Sirius†¦.† She checked her watch. â€Å"Three minutes, Harry!† They waited until Peeves's gloating voice had faded into the distance, then slid back out of the room and broke into a run again. â€Å"Hermione — what'll happen — if we don't get back inside before Dumbledore locks the door?† Harry panted. â€Å"I don't want to think about it!† Hermione moaned, checking her watch again. â€Å"One minute!† They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. â€Å"Okay — I can hear Dumbledore,† said Hermione tensely. â€Å"Come on, Harry!† They crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared. â€Å"I am going to lock you in,† they heard him saying. â€Å"it is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck.† Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door, and took out his wand to magically lock it. Panicking, Harry and Hermione ran forward. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under the long silver mustache. â€Å"Well?† he said quietly. â€Å"We did it!† said Harry breathlessly. â€Å"Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak†¦.† Dumbledore beamed at them. â€Å"Well done. I think –† He listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. â€Å"Yes, I think you've gone too — get inside — I'll lock you in –â€Å" Harry and Hermione slipped back inside the dormitory. It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. As the lock clicked behind them, Harry and Hermione crept back to their own beds, Hermione tucking the Time-Turner back under her robes. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office. â€Å"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?† She was in a very bad mood. Harry and Hermione thought it best to accept their chocolate quietly. Madam Pomfrey stood over them, making sure they ate it. But Harry could hardly swallow. He and Hermione were waiting, listening, their nerves jangling†¦. And then, as they both took a fourth piece of chocolate from Madam Pomfrey, they heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them†¦. â€Å"What was that?† said Madam Pomfrey in alarm. Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door. â€Å"Really — they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?† Harry was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing nearer — â€Å"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out –â€Å" â€Å"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!† Snape roared, now very close at hand. â€Å"YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS — HAS — SOMETHING — TO — DO — WITH — POTTER!† â€Å"Severus — be reasonable — Harry has been locked up –â€Å" BAM. The door of the hospital wing burst open. Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself. â€Å"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!† he bellowed. â€Å"WHAT DID YOU DO?† â€Å"Professor Snape!† shrieked Madam Pomfrey. â€Å"Control yourself!† â€Å"See here, Snape, be reasonable,† said Fudge. â€Å"This door's been locked, we just saw –â€Å" â€Å"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!† Snape howled, pointing at Harry and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth. â€Å"Calm down, man!† Fudge barked. â€Å"You're talking nonsense!† â€Å"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!† shrieked Snape. â€Å"HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT –â€Å" â€Å"That will do, Severus,† said Dumbledore quietly. â€Å"Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?† â€Å"Of course not!† said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. â€Å"I would have heard them!† â€Å"Well, there you have it, Severus,† said Dumbledore calmly. â€Å"Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further.† Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward. â€Å"Fellow seems quite unbalanced,† said Fudge, staring after him. â€Å"I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore.† â€Å"Oh, he's not unbalanced,† said Dumbledore quietly. â€Å"He's just suffered a severe disappointment.† â€Å"He's not the only one!† puffed Fudge. â€Å"The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that Hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well†¦ I'd better go and notify the Ministry†¦..† â€Å"And the Dementors?† said Dumbledore. â€Å"They'll be removed from the school, I trust?† â€Å"Oh yes, they'll have to go,† said Fudge, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. â€Å"Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy†¦ Completely out of control†¦ no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight †¦ Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance†¦.† â€Å"Hagrid would like that,† said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry and Hermione. As he and Fudge left the dormitory, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office. There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Ron had woken up. They could see him sitting up, rubbing his head, looking around. â€Å"What — what happened?† he groaned. â€Å"Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?† Harry and Hermione looked at each other. â€Å"You explain,† said Harry, helping himself to some more chocolate. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering, heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. Neither Ron nor Hermione felt like going, however, so they and Harry wandered onto the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water, Harry lost the thread of the conversation as he looked across to the opposite bank. The stag had galloped toward him from there just last night†¦. A shadow fell across them and they looked up to see a very bleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at them. â€Å"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night,† he said. â€Å"I mean, Black escapin' again, an, everythin' — but guess what?† â€Å"What?† they said, pretending to look curious. â€Å"Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!† â€Å"That's wonderful!† said Hermione, giving Ron a reproving look because he looked as though he was close to laughing. â€Å"Yeah†¦ can't've tied him up properly,† said Hagrid, gazing happily out over the grounds. â€Å"I was worried this mornin', mind†¦ thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night†¦.† â€Å"What?† said Harry quickly. â€Å"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?† said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. â€Å"Er — Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'†¦. Thought everyone'd know by now†¦ Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night†¦. He's packin' now, o' course.† â€Å"He's packing?† said Harry, alarmed. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Leavin', isn' he?† said Hagrid, looking surprised that Harry had to ask. â€Å"Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin again.† Harry scrambled to his feet. â€Å"I'm going to see him,† he said to Ron and Hermione. â€Å"But if he's resigned –â€Å" â€Å"?C doesn't sound like there's anything we can do –â€Å" â€Å"I don't care. I still want to see him. I'll meet you back here.† Lupin's office door was open. He had already packed most of his things. The Grindylow's empty tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending over something on his desk and looked up only when Harry knocked on the door. â€Å"I saw you coming,† said Lupin, smiling. He pointed to the parchment he had been poring over. It was the Marauder's Map. â€Å"I just saw Hagrid,† said Harry. â€Å"And he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?† â€Å"I'm afraid it is,† said Lupin. He started opening his desk drawers and taking out the contents. â€Å"Why?† said Harry. â€Å"The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?† Lupin crossed to the door and closed it behind Harry. â€Å"No. Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives.† He sighed. â€Å"That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard. So he — er — accidentally let slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast.† â€Å"You're not leaving just because of that!† said Harry. Lupin smiled wryly. â€Å"This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents†¦. They will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Harry. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you†¦. That must never happen again.† â€Å"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!† said Harry. â€Å"Don't go!† Lupin shook his head and didn't speak. He carried on emptying his drawers. Then, while Harry was trying to think of a good argument to make him stay, Lupin said, â€Å"From what the headmaster told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night, Harry. If I'm proud of anything I've done this year, it's how much you've learned†¦. Tell me about your Patronus.† â€Å"How d'you know about that?† said Harry, distracted. â€Å"What else could have driven the Dementors back?† Harry told Lupin what had happened. When he'd finished, Lupin was smiling again. â€Å"Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed,† he said. â€Å"You guessed right†¦ that's why we called him Prongs.† Lupin threw his last few books into his case, closed the desk drawers, and turned to look at Harry. â€Å"Here — I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night,† he said, handing Harry back the Invisibility Cloak. â€Å"And†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated, then held out the Marauder's Map too. â€Å"I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving you back this as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay you, Ron, and Hermione will find uses for it.† Harry took the map and grinned. â€Å"You told me Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs would've wanted to lure me out of school†¦ you said they'd have thought it was funny.† â€Å"And so we would have,† said Lupin, now reaching down to close his case. â€Å"I have no hesitation in saying that James would have been highly disappointed if his son had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle.† There was a knock on the door. Harry hastily stuffed the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak into his pocket. It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprised to see Harry there. â€Å"Your carriage is at the gates, Remus,† he said. â€Å"Thank You, Headmaster.† Lupin picked up his old suitcase and the empty Grindylow tank. â€Å"Well — good-bye, Harry,† he said, smiling. â€Å"It has been a real pleasure teaching you. I feel sure we'll meet again sometime. Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage†¦.† Harry had the impression that Lupin wanted to leave as quickly as possible. â€Å"Good-bye, then, Remus,† said Dumbledore soberly. Lupin shifted the Grindylow tank slightly so that he and Dumbledore could shake hands. Then, with a final nod to Harry and a swift smile, Lupin left the office. Harry sat down in his vacated chair, staring glumly at the floor. He heard the door close and looked up. Dumbledore was still there. â€Å"Why so miserable, Harry?† he said quietly. â€Å"You should be very proud of yourself after last night.† â€Å"It didn't make any difference,† said Harry bitterly. â€Å"Pettigrew got away.† â€Å"Didn't make any difference?† said Dumbledore quietly, â€Å"It made all the difference in the world, Harry. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate.† Terrible. Something stirred in Harry's memory. Greater and more terrible than ever before†¦ Professor Trelawney's prediction! â€Å"Professor Dumbledore — yesterday, when I was having my Divination exam, Professor Trelawney went very — very strange.† â€Å"Indeed?† said Dumbledore. â€Å"Er — stranger than usual, you mean?† â€Å"Yes†¦ her voice went all deep and her eyes rolled and she said †¦ she said Voldemort's servant was going to set out to return to him before midnight†¦. She said the servant would help him come back to power.† Harry stared up at Dumbledore. â€Å"And then she sort of became normal again, and she couldn't remember anything she'd said. Was it — was she making a real prediction?† Dumbledore looked mildly impressed. â€Å"Do you know, Harry, I think she might have been.† he said thoughtfully. â€Å"Who'd have thought it? That brings her total of real predictions up to two. I should offer her a pay raise†¦.† â€Å"But –† Harry looked at him, aghast. How could Dumbledore take this so calmly? â€Å"But — I stopped Sirius and Professor Lupin from killing Pettigrew! That makes it my fault if Voldemort comes back!† â€Å"It does not,† said Dumbledore quietly. â€Å"Hasn't your experience with the Time-Turner taught you anything, Harry? The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed†¦. Professor Trelawney, bless her, is living proof of that†¦. You did a very noble thing, in saving Pettigrew's life.† â€Å"But if he helps Voldemort back to power†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Pettigrew owes his life to you. You have sent Voldemort a deputy who is in your debt†¦. When one wizard saves another wizard's life, it creates a certain bond between them†¦ and I'm much mistaken if Voldemort wants his servant in the debt of Harry Potter.† â€Å"I don't want a connection with Pettigrew!† said Harry. â€Å"He betrayed my parents!† â€Å"This is magic at its deepest, its most impenetrable, Harry. But trust me†¦ the time may come when you will be very glad you saved Pettigrew's life.† Harry couldn't imagine when that would be. Dumbledore looked as though he knew what Harry was thinking. â€Å"I knew your father very well, both at Hogwarts and later, Harry,† he said gently. â€Å"He would have saved Pettigrew too, I am sure of it.† Harry looked up at him. Dumbledore wouldn't laugh — he could tell Dumbledore†¦ â€Å"I thought it was my dad who'd conjured my Patronus. I mean, when I saw myself across the lake †¦ I thought I was seeing him.† â€Å"An easy mistake to make,† said Dumbledore softly. â€Å"I expect you'll tire of hearing it, but you do look extraordinarily like James. Except for the eyes†¦ you have your mother's eyes.† Harry shook his head. â€Å"It was stupid, thinking it was him,† he muttered. â€Å"I mean, I knew he was dead.† â€Å"You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him. How else could you produce that particular Patronus? Prongs rode again last night.† It took a moment for Harry to realize what Dumblefore had said. â€Å"Last night Sirius told me all about how they became Animagi,† said Dumbledore, smiling. â€Å"An extraordinary achievement — not least, keeping it quiet from me. And then I remembered the most unusual form your Patronus took, when it charged Mr. Malfoy down at your Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. You know, Harry, in a way, you did see your father last night†¦. You found him inside yourself.† And Dumbledore left the office, leaving Harry to his very confused thoughts. Nobody at Hogwarts now knew the truth of what had happened the night that Sirius, Buckbeak, and Pettigrew had vanished except Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Professor Dumbledore. As the end of term approached, Harry heard many different theories about what had really happened, but none of them came close to the truth. Malfoy was furious about Buckbeak. He was convinced that Hagrid had found a way of smuggling the Hippogriff to safety, and seemed outraged that he and his father had been outwitted by a gamekeeper. Percy Weasley, meanwhile, had much to say on the subject of Sirius's escape. â€Å"If I manage to get into the Ministry, I'll have a lot of proposals to make about Magical Law Enforcement!† he told the only person who would listen — his girlfriend, Penelope. Though the weather was perfect, though the atmosphere was so cheerful, though he knew they had achieved the near impossible in helping Sirius to freedom, Harry had never approached the end of a school year in worse spirits. He certainly wasn't the only one who was sorry to see Professor Lupin go. The whole of Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was miserable about his resignation. â€Å"Wonder what they'll give us next year?† said Seamus Finnigan gloomily. â€Å"Maybe a vampire,† suggested Dean Thomas hopefully. It wasn't only Professor Lupin's departure that was weighing on Harry's mind. He couldn't help thinking a lot about Professor Trelawney's prediction. He kept wondering where Pettigrew was now, whether he had sought sanctuary with Voldemort yet. But the thing that was lowering Harry's spirits most of all was the prospect of returning to the Dursleys. For maybe half an hour, a glorious half hour, he had believed he would be living with Sirius from now on†¦his parents' best friend†¦It would have been the next best thing to having his own father back. And while no news of Sirius was definitely good news, because it meant he had successfully gone into hiding, Harry couldn't help feeling miserable when he thought of the home he might have had, and the fact that it was now impossible. The exam results came out on the last day of term. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had passed every subject. Harry was amazed that he had got through Potions. He had a shrewd suspicion that Dumbledore might have stepped in to stop Snape failing him on purpose. Snape's behavior toward Harry over the past week had been quite alarming. Harry wouldn't have thought it possible that Snape's dislike for him could increase, but it certainly had. A muscle twitched unpleasantly at the corner of Snape's thin mouth every time he looked at Harry, and he was constantly flexing his fingers, as though itching to place them around Harry's throat. Percy had got his top-grade N.E.W.T.s; Fred and George had scraped a handful of O.W.L.s each. Gryffindor House, meanwhile, largely thanks to their spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup, had won the House championship for the third year running. This meant that the end of term feast took place amid decorations of scarlet and gold, and that the Gryffindor table was the noisiest of the lot, as everybody celebrated. Even Harry managed to forget about the journey back to the Dursleys the next day as he ate, drank, talked, and laughed with the rest. As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning, Hermione gave Harry and Ron some surprising news. â€Å"I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies.† â€Å"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!† said Ron. â€Å"I know,† sighed Hermione, â€Å"but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again.† â€Å"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about it,† said Ron grumpily. â€Å"We're supposed to be your friends.† â€Å"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone,† said Hermione severely. She looked around at Harry, who was watching Hogwarts disappear from view behind a mountain. Two whole months before he'd see it again†¦. â€Å"Oh, cheer up, Harry!† said Hermione sadly. â€Å"I'm okay,† said Harry quickly. â€Å"Just thinking about the holidays.† â€Å"Yeah, I've been thinking about them too,† said Ron. â€Å"Harry, you've got to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now –â€Å" â€Å"A telephone, Ron,† said Hermione. â€Å"Honestly, you should take Muggle Studies next year†¦.† Ron ignored her. â€Å"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work.† This proposal had the effect of cheering Harry up a great deal. â€Å"Yeah†¦ I bet the Dursleys'd be pleased to let me come†¦ especially after what I did to Aunt Marge†¦.† Feeling considerably more cheerful, Harry joined Ron and Hermione in several games of Exploding Snap, and when the witch with the tea cart arrived, he bought himself a very large lunch, though nothing with chocolate in it. But it was late in the afternoon before the thing that made him truly happy turned up†¦. â€Å"Harry,† said Hermione suddenly, peering over his shoulder. â€Å"What's that thing outside your window?† Harry turned to look outside. Something very small and gray was bobbing in and out of sight beyond the glass. He stood up for a better look and saw that it was a tiny owl, carrying a letter that was much too big for it. The owl was so small, in fact, that it kept tumbling over in the air, buffeted this way and that in the train's slipstream. Harry quickly pulled down the window, stretched out his arm, and caught it. It felt like a very fluffy Snitch. He brought it carefully inside. The owl dropped its letter onto Harry's seat and began zooming around their compartment, apparently very pleased with itself for accomplishing its task. Hedwig clicked her beak with a sort of dignified disapproval. Crookshanks sat up in his seat, following the owl with his great yellow eyes. Ron, noticing this, snatched the owl safely out of harm's way. Harry picked up the letter. It was addressed to him. He ripped open the letter, and shouted, â€Å"It's from Sirius!† â€Å"What?† said Ron and Hermione excitedly. â€Å"Read it aloud!† Dear Harry, I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don't know whether they're used to owl post. Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this owl falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about his reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job. I believe the Dementors are still searching for me, but they haven't a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle will be lifted. There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt — â€Å"Ha!† said Hermione triumphantly. â€Å"See! I told you it was from him!† â€Å"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?† said Ron. â€Å"Ouch!† The tiny owl now hooting happily in his hand, had nibbled one of his fingers in what it seemed to think was an affectionate way. ?C Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them to take the gold from my own Gringotts vault. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your godfather. I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you that night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you. I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable. If ever you need me, send word. Your owl will find me. I'll write again soon. Sirius Harry looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of parchment in there. He read it through quickly and felt suddenly as warm and contented as though he'd swallowed a bottle of hot butterbeer in one gulp. I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, hereby give him permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends. â€Å"That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!† said Harry happily. He looked back at Sirius's letter. â€Å"Hang on, there's a PS†¦.† I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat. Ron's eyes widened. The minute owl was still hooting excitedly. â€Å"Keep him?† he said uncertainly. He looked closely at the owl for a moment; then, to Harry's and Hermione's great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff. â€Å"What do you reckon?† Ron asked the cat. â€Å"Definitely an owl?† Crookshanks purred. â€Å"That's good enough for me,† said Ron happily. â€Å"He's mine.† Harry read and reread the letter from Sirius all the way back into King's Cross station. It was still clutched tightly in his hand as he, Ron, and Hermione stepped back through the barrier of platform nine and three-quarters. Harry spotted Uncle Vernon at once. He was standing a good distance from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, eyeing them suspiciously, and when Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry in greeting, his worst suspicions about them seemed confirmed. â€Å"I'll call about the World Cup!† Ron yelled after Harry as Harry bid him and Hermione good-bye, then wheeled the trolley bearing his trunk and Hedwig's cage toward Uncle Vernon, who greeted him in his usual fashion. â€Å"What's that?† he snarled, staring at the envelope Harry was still clutching in his hand. â€Å"If it's another form for me to sign, you've got another –â€Å" â€Å"It's not,† said Harry cheerfully. â€Å"It's a letter from my godfather.† â€Å"Godfather?† sputtered Uncle Vernon. â€Å"You haven't got a godfather!† â€Å"Yes, I have,† said Harry brightly. â€Å"He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though †¦ keep up with my news †¦ check if I'm happy †¦Ã¢â‚¬  And, grinning broadly at the look of horror on Uncle Vernon's face, Harry set off toward the station exit, Hedwig rattling along in front of him, for what looked like a much better summer than the last.

Ir Study Guide

IR364 Study Guide for Mid-term Exam You will answer three questions on the exam worth 10 points each 1) Populism was a prevalent response to the Great Depression in Latin America. Define this term, and discuss the political and economic strategies of either the Vargas government in Brazil or the Cardenas government in Mexico. 2) By the end of World War II income inequality had already become deeply ingrained in Latin America. What are the main causes of income inequality in the region, and why has it been so difficult to eradicate highly polarized patterns in the distribution of wealth? ) Was import-substitution-industrialization an unmitigated failure in Latin America? Define this development strategy and offer a balanced critique of it. 4) Compare and contrast the economic impact of the three big shocks that hit Latin America between 1900-1950. 5) What are the main factors of endowment and key features of these factors that are considered to contribute most favorably to economic de velopment? 6) What were the main features of Peronism in post-World War II Argentina? Despite Peron’s downfall in the coup of 1955, the Peronist movement is still alive and well in Argentina.How would you explain the lasting hold of Peronism on the Argentine public? 7) The period 1900-1914 has frequently been referred to as the â€Å"good times† for Latin America because the region was thriving on primary exports to Britain, Europe and the U. S. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a development model based primarily on raw material production for export? You will answer 5 ID questions, for 1 point each: Capital Scarcity Commodity Lottery Economic Populism Enclave Development Exchange Rate Export pessimism Import substitution industrialization Structuralism Eva Peron