Term Paper on Beach Hatchery Essay Example

Term Paper on Beach Hatchery Essay We are extremely thankful to Rabbet Sisal for gulden us through the project and providing us with the organization Insights. Last, but not the least, thanks to our family and friends, our team mates at BRACE university for all their support. Without their encouragement, we would not have made it this Executive summary Beach Hatchery LTD is one of the well known organizations is our country. Their training and development methods will be evolved day by day and they are working on it. BAL started their Journey in 1994. And since then they are doing business in our country. It is a public limited company. And they are now looking forward to expand their business and to create new Jobs for unemployed people of our country. We tried to find out the training and development system of BAL and we got those informations. They got them all but the problem is that there is no separate HER department in BAL. Chapter: 1 Introduction This Training and development report is basically based on Beach Hatchery LTD. The training is a very essential thing for each and every organization. And BAL is not different from them. For the better future for the organization the organization needs a very good training system. From the survey we found out that BAL dont have any separate department. So they need to open a separate HER department as soon as possible. BAL is one of the biggest hatcherys in Bangladesh. Most of the demands of shrimp fry are being supplied by them. As a big organization they need to improve their internal problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Term Paper on Beach Hatchery specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Term Paper on Beach Hatchery specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Term Paper on Beach Hatchery specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer BAL got the vision to be the biggest organization of the country, so they should do what is mandatory to achieve that vision. Objective The objectives of the study were to assess the overall accessibility of training and development, as well as the extent to which training and development is managed effectively. The survey also includes what methods are followed in the organization, how the trained and evaluated them etc. Primary Objective The primary objective of my study at The Beach Hatchery Limited to lay down the foundation of training and development. Secondary objective The objective of my study about employees training and development to improve the current process of employees training and development at The Beach Hatchery so that I gain significant practical and Understand the nature and importance of training and development and identify the various inputs that should go into any aerogramme. Delineate the different stages in a training and development programmer and describe each step. Understand the need for and the ways of training for international assignments. Methodology The following methods were used to carry out this study: A review of training and development information contained in policies; guidelines; reports CEO of the organization was interviewed An analysis of collected and SCOPE This research provides me with an opportunity to explore in the field of Human Resources. This research also provides the feedback of people involved in the Training and development process Apart from that it would provide me a great deal of exposure to interact with the high profile managers of the company. Limitation Only one person was interviewed and surveyed for this report. So, there could have been distortion of information. Moreover the data could not be verified because there were no published articles or info about training and development of that organization. Chapter 2: 1 . Background Information: The Beach Hatchery Limited was incorporated with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, Dacha, Bangladesh on 9th August, 1994 as Private Limited Company ender the Companies Act, 1913 and subsequently been converted as a Public Limited Company on 15th November 1995 under the Companies Act, 1994. The Shares of the company are publicly traded of the floors of the Dacha and Chitchatting Stock Exchanges. The Beach Hatchery Limited produces Shrimp Fry to sell in the local market. It has gone into commercial production from 1st January, 1997. The registered office of the company is situated at TM Building (8th floor), 52 New Saskatoon Road, Dacha-1000, Bangladesh and the factory of the company is situated at Misappropriate, Teenage Sea beach, Teenage, Coxs Bazaar, Bangladesh. 2. 1 . Strategic goals of BAL: Chairman and board of directors set up strategic goal each year regarding companys performance like increasing earnings per share from 2. 54 TX. To 3. 5 TX in 2011. To make it possible some supporting strategy is formulated. Each departmental head is given sub goals which helps to accomplish organizational goal. Example- Head of next year. Head of marketing department is given the goal of collecting money from selling of fry within 7 days of selling and so on. 2. 2. Objectives: The top level people of Beach Hatchery Ltd decide the organizational goals. So to attain those goals they use some strategies. Like to attain their goal they divide it in several parts and send them to each department and they also give some guide lines to attain those goals. These works as objectives for those departments. 2. 3. Mission: As the BAL s vision is to expand their business and become the market leader, so they are trying to collect more capital from the capital market and they are also upgrading the quality of their product to grab the higher portion of the market. 2. 4. Vision: They want to expand their business to the certain level so that they can become the market leader and dominate the market. 2. 5. Philosophy: According to the C. E. O of BAL, Balls wants to be a huge employer if this country. Currently they are expanding their business, for that they are hiring more people and they want to create more Jobs for the unemployed people. 1. Organizational Chart of BAL: Organizational Chart of Beach Hatchery LTD is given below: There is no separate department for HER in Beach Hatchery LTD. HER works are done by the directors and C. E. O. But they are going to start an HER department very soon. Chapter: 3 1. Introduction about training Training is the learning experience is that it seeks a relatively permanent change in n individual that will improve his or her ability to perform on the Job. We typically say training can involve the changing of skills, knowledge, attitudes, or social behavior. It may mean changing what employees know, how they work, their attitudes Training refers to the methods used to give new or present employees the skills they need to perform their Jobs -Gary Desert Training is the creation of an environment where employees may acquire or learn specific, Job-related behaviors, knowledge, skills, abilities and attitude -Terry Leap and Cirri 2. Importance of training In our county labor cost is really cheap. Moreover they are inexperienced and have lower level of skill. So, if we can manage to broaden the skills of our countrys labor resources then the economy will be on rise. To broaden their skill proper training is needed. With proper training we will be able to, Optimum Utilization of Human Resources Training helps in optimizing the utilization of human resource that further helps the employee to achieve the organizational goals as well as their individual goals. Development of Human Resources Training helps to provide an opportunity and broad structure for the development of human resources technical ND behavioral skills in an organization. It also helps the employees in attaining personal growth. Development of skills of employees Training helps in increasing the Job knowledge and skills of employees at each level. It helps to expand the horizons of human intellect and an overall personality of the employees. Increase Productivity Training helps in increasing the productivity of the employees that helps the organization further to achieve its long-term goal. Organization Culture Training helps to develop and improve the organizational health culture and effectiveness. It helps in creating the learning culture within the organization. Organization Climate Training helps building the positive perception and feeling about the organization. The employees get these feelings from leaders, subordinates, and peers. Ensure Health and Safety Training helps in improving the health and safety of the organization thus preventing obsolescence. Build Morale Training helps in improving the morale of the work force. Crate Image Training helps in creating a better corporate image. Increase Profitability Training leads to improved profitability and more positive attitudes towards profit orientation. . Various types of training and development methods. There are many methods of training. Few of them are discussed below, Lectures: Lecture is a verbal presentation of information by an instructor to a large audience. The lecture is presumed to possess a considerable depth of knowledge of the subject at hand. This method is widely used in colleges, universities, and seminars. The most important advantage of this method is depth knowledge of instructor. Second this method is less expensive as it trainees a large number of audience at one time. Limitations of the lecture method account for its low popularity. The method violates the principle of learning by practice. It constitutes a lecturing is likely to bore the audience. Programmed Instruction: This is the method where training is offered without intervention of a trainer. Information is provided to the trainee in blocks, either in a book form of through a teaching machine. After reading each block of material, the learner must answer a question about it. A feedback in the form of correct answers is provided after each response. Thus, programmed instruction (P) involves: 1) Presenting questions, facts, or problems to the learner. 2) Allowing the person to respond. ) Providing feedback on the accuracy of his or her answers. 4) If the answers are correct, the learner proceeds to the next block. If not he or she repeat the same. The main advantage of Pl is that it is self-paced-trainees can process through the programmers at their own speed. Strong motivation is provided to the learner to repeat learning. Material is also structured and self-contained, offering much scope of practice. The disadvantages are not to be ignored. The scope for learning is less, compared to the other methods of training. Cost of preparing books, manuals and machinery is considerably high. Case Study: The case method is a non-directed method of study whereby students are provided with practical case reports to analyze. The case report includes a thorough description of a simulated or real-life situation. By analyzing the problems presented in the case report and developing possible solutions, students can be encouraged to think independently as opposed to relying upon the direction of an instructor. Independent case analysis can be supplemented with open discussion with a group. The main benefit of the case method is its use of real-life situations. The multiplicity of problems and possible lotions provide the student with a practical learning experience rather than a collection of abstract knowledge and theories that may be difficult to apply to practical situations. Role Playing: In role playing, students assume a role outside of themselves and play out that role within a group. A facilitator creates a scenario that is to be acted out by the participants under the guidance of the facilitator. While the situation might be contrived, the interpersonal relations are genuine. Furthermore, participants receive immediate feedback from the facilitator and the scenario itself, allowing better understanding of their own behavior. This training method is cost effective and is often applied to marketing and management training. Simulation: A simulator is any kind of equipment or technique that duplicates as nearly as possible the actual conditions encountered on the Job. Simulation then, is an attempt to create a realistic decision making environment for the trainee. Simulations present likely problem situations and decision alternatives to the trainee. For example, activities of an organization may be simulated and the trainee may be asked to make the decision in support to those activities. The results of those decisions are reported back to the trainee with an explanation of what would have happened had they actually been made in the workplace. The trainee learns from this feedback and improves his/her subsequent simulation and workplace decisions. The more widely held simulation exercises are case study, role playing and vestibule training. Computer Based Training: Computer-based training (CAB) involves the use of instruction. Computer-based training programs are designed to structure and present instructional materials and to facilitate the learning process for the student. A main benefit of CAB is that it allows employees to learn at their own pace, during convenient times. Primary uses of CAB include instruction in computer hardware, software, and operational equipment. The last is of particular importance because CAB can provide the student with a simulated experience of operating a particular piece of equipment or machinery while eliminating the risk of damage to costly equipment by a trainee or even a novice user. At the same time, the actual equipments operational use is maximized because it need not be utilized as a training tool. The use of computer-based training enables a small business to reduce raining costs while improving the effectiveness of the training. Costs are reduced through a reduction in travel, training time, amount of operational hardware, equipment damage, and instructors. Effectiveness is improved through standardization and individualizing. In recent years, videodisc and CD-ROOM have been successfully integrated into PC-platforms, increasing the flexibility and possibilities of CAB. Audio-Visual Training: Audiovisual training methods include television, films, and videotapes. Like case studies, role playing, and simulations, they can be used to expose employees to real world situations in a time- and cost- effective manner. The main drawback of audiovisual training methods is that they cannot be customized for a particular audience, and they do not allow participants to ask questions or interact during the presentation of material. Apprenticeship and internships: Apprenticeships are a form of on-the-Job training in which the trainee works with a more experienced employee for a period of time, learning a group of related skills that will eventually qualify the trainee to perform a new Job or function. Apprenticeships are often used in production-oriented positions. Internships are a arm of apprenticeship which combines on-the-Job training under a more experienced employee with classroom learning. Job Rotation: Another type of experience-based training is Job rotation, in which employees move through a series of Jobs in order to gain a broad understanding of the requirements of each. Job rotation may be particularly useful in small businesses, which may feature less role specialization than is typically seen in larger organizations 4. Objectives of training The principal objective of training and development division is to make sure the availability of a skilled and willing workforce to an organization. In addition to that, there are four other objectives: Individual, Organizational, Functional, and Societal. Individual Objectives:- 1) Helping and individual in making better decision and effective problem solving. 2) Through training and development, motivational variables of recognition, achievement, growth, responsibility and advancement are internalized and operationally. 3) Aid in encouraging and achieving self-development and self- confidence. 4) Helping a person handle stress, tension, frustration and conflict. 5) Providing information for improving leadership, knowledge, communication skills and attitudes. Increasing Job satisfaction and recognition. 1) Improving communication between group and individuals. 2) Aid in orientation of new employee and those taking new Job through transfer or promotion. 3) Providing information on equal opportunities and affirmative action. 4) Providing information on other government laws and administration policies. 5) Improving interpersonal s kills. 6) Making organizational policies, rules and regulations viable. 7) Building cohesiveness in group. 8) Providing a good climate for learning, growth and co-ordination. 9) Making the organization a better place to work and live. Functional and Societal Objectives 1) Improves communication between group and individuals. Promotion. 3) Provides information on equal opportunities and affirmative action. 4) Provides information on other government laws and administration policies. 5) Improve interpersonal skills. 6) Makes organizational policies, rules and regulations viable. 7) Builds cohesiveness in group. 2. Performance Standard for overall organization (Succession Planning): There are different performances standards are set up for different departments throughout organization. But for the top level management the standards are different. In BAL they have selected their current C. E. O from their company named Meghan Sea Foods Ltd. As the person was successful as a Managing Director in Meghan Sea Foods Ltd so the board of directors of BAL gave him the extra responsibility of BAL and made him the C. E. O of BAL. 3. Cost of training: In BAL giving training to the employees is a very important thing as they are a production oriented company. For the root level people the cost of training per person is not very high its about TX. 500 to TX. 1000. And for the management people they use provisionary period. In this time the hired people learns their works and hey are paid in a small amount. The reason for low training cost is most of their trainers are internal people. So it helps them to reduce their training cost. But for special cases they use external trainers also. 4. Steps of training and development methods used by BAL: BAL uses several steps in their training and development method. They are described below: Step 1: In first step they identity which of the employees needs training. And for that they arrange some interview session once in three months. As their organization is a production based organization so their employees needs to be patented. And for that they take interviews of their employees and get the idea about them. Steps: After taking the interview they decide which of the employees needs more training and who dont. There is a standard on which the interviewers give marks to the employees. And on the basis of that marks the employees are given training. Steps: After selecting the people for training BAL arranges some training sessions lead by their internal trainers. But in special cases they also get trainers face interview again. After getting the interview of those employees the interviewers sides whether they need further training for that session or not. If an employee fails several times in interview he/she may lose their Job. In the above mentioned steps the Beach Hatchery LTD runs their training their training and development methods. These are not the fixed steps they are improving it when it is needed. 5. Types of training and development methods gives by BAL: Beach Hatchery LTD basically uses four types of training and development methods. They selected these methods according to their organizations needs. The methods used by the BAL are described below: l. Class room training from senior staff: These types of trainings are basically given to root level people and the officers. For root level workers the training held in their Teenage factory and it is given by the senior staffs. But for the officers the training is held in their Dacha office and it is held by the senior staffs of the department. II. Seminars: Seminars are mainly used when a new thing is introduced in the organization. For root level workers they dont get this kind of training. In this case the trainers attain the seminars and get trained and after that they train the root level workers. But in case of officers the organization arranges seminars and they get training directly from there. These seminars are mainly instructed by external trainers. Ill. Informal Learning: In BAL informal learning is also present. If employees things that they need to learn something from their seniors then they can learn it from them. And the organization also allows them to do so. 6. Evaluation of training and development methods: In BAL they have their own way to evaluate their training and development method. Firstly they take department wise interviews to check the levels of the employees. They also have something called performance card. Each department heads give their feedback about their subordinate in the performance card in every three months. After getting those feedback organization decided whether they need to improve their training methods or not. If they need further improvement then they improve that. Or if they think the employee needs more training then they also provide that. Chapter: 4 1. The questionnaire that we have used to collect our information is attached in the next page: 2. Analysis of the questionnaire: After analyzing the questionnaire we found out that the data provided by the C. E. O of BAL is 85% valid. Because as we know that they dont have a separate HER department, so there are some lickings in their training and development programs. The C. E. O gave us the information about training and development of BAL but from his answer we think that he didnt gave 100% valid information to us. But most of the data s given by him was helpful and valid. From the data we can say that inspire of not having a separate HER department; they are doing well with their training and development. Chapter: 5 From our point of view we think that as the BAL is a public limited company and they re also large in size, so they should have a separate HER department. They should also improve their training and development methods. Otherwise it will be very hard for them to survive in the long run. Furthermore, BAL can achieve forward and backward integration than BAL can have synergies effect. BAL can achieve backward integration by procuring trawler which can be used to capture mother shrimp from sea. BAL should set up solar panel to take care of load shading. For forward integration BAL can establish shrimp culture firm to reduce dependency on market. BAL should also have some lobbing with government to ban the use of fry from trial sources as it destroys larva of other fish in the process. It will create huge demand for BAL. BAL can achieve tremendous growth if it can follow the above strategies. 2. Conclusion: As the only listed public limited shrimp hatchery BAL has opportunity to raise its capital from capital market for business expansion. BAL is performing better in the past few years. If BAL can utilize their man power then BAL may generate huge revenue. Appendix: Reference list 1 . Www. Google. Com 2. Http://dictionary. Reference. Com/browse/bob]active 3. Human Resource Management by Gray Desert and Bijou Partake

Bargaining Power of Customers Essay Example

Bargaining Power of Customers Essay Example Bargaining Power of Customers Essay Bargaining Power of Customers Essay Bargaining Powers of Customers Porters’ competitive factors theory is a framework for industry analysis and corporate strategy development. It draws an overview picture that industry rivalry is affected by five main forces, which are bargaining powers of customers, bargaining powers of suppliers, threat of new entrant and threats of substitute products. Relating Porters’ thesis and the topic of managing customers, element named bargaining powers of customers, which can be briefly understood as the ability of customers putting to put firm under pressure, is the most important.To be more details, customers who finally consume products has bargaining power refer to the potential of buyers to bargain down the prices charged by the firms in the industry or to increase the firms cost in the industry by demanding better quality and service of product. Strong customers can extract profits out of an industry by lowering the prices and increasing the costs. (Porter, 2008) However , in the 21st century economic context, customers do not only want low price but they also desire to bargain on other aspects such as delivery, supports and performance.Firgure 1: Porters’ Five Competitive Factors Applying Porters’ model to Microsoft, as a company provide software, Microsoft’s customers always demand convenience package of product with affordable price, provision of products, technical supports, products’ performance also efficiency, especially for the group of customers are business as well as enterprises, which can considered as strong customers having direct influence to the company (may be stock price on the market).As is known, human beings want is unlimited so it is easy to understand that customer can bargain on price and quickly delivery at the same time due to the century of technology also faster and faster pace of life. In addition, some customers totally concentrate on requirements of products’ quality and effectiveness in order to minimise the repeating operating expense. Unsatisfactory customers can boycott Microsoft, public bad feedbacks resulting in the customer loss, being defeated by competitors.Microsoft understand the importance of customers so it has provided many programmes with aim to fulfil customers’ needs and make a good deal with them. Customer and Partner Experience (CPE) is one of the most successful customers supporting program of Microsoft. Every year, this team conduct a survey world wide, namely Global Research survey, so as to update customers’ taste as well as expectation. Aiming at raising customers’ opinions, CPE team drives all account managers combining with sales roles to request customers fill out a form.Basing on these examinations, Microsoft sum up a net satisfaction points and put them as goals to improve in the next year. At last but not least, understanding the need of customers on immediately communicate with company, Microsoft have made many direct connection ways available such as hotline (Australian hotline is 13 20 58), social media (Facebook, Twitter), particular email addresses for each different product and Microsoft Connect. With a wide range of instantly communicate, customers can easily get support from Microsoft and their problems can be quickly solved.

Writing Tips The Elements of a Screenplay

Writing Tips The Elements of a Screenplay Writing Tips: The Elements of a Screenplay A â€Å"screenplay† is typically a script for a movie or television show. And if you see a screenplay on paper, you’ll notice it has a specific â€Å"look† and structure. This is partly due to the formatting, but it is also because all scripts contain certain things. Key elements include: Scene headings Descriptions of the action Character names Dialogue Parentheticals and extensions Transitions and shots We’ll now look at each of these screenplay elements in detail. 1. Scene Headings Each scene in your script should begin with a scene heading written in all caps. Usually, these provide information on whether the scene takes place inside (INT.) or outside (EXT.), the specific location, and what time of day or night it is. This is also known as a â€Å"slug line.† For example: INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT. EXT. CAPITOL BUILDING – SUNSET. The first scene heading above tells us that the scene takes place inside a bedroom at night. The second, meanwhile, is for a scene that takes place outside the Capitol Building at sunset. 2. Action The â€Å"action† in a script is where you describe the setting and what happens in each scene. As such, this will cover most of the text in your script other than the dialogue. However, action descriptions should only mention things that can be seen or heard (not what characters are thinking or feeling). Action lines in a screenplay.(Image: Entheta/wikipedia) A good rule here is to use the present tense and active voice whenever possible. This will ensure the action feels urgent on the page. You should also keep descriptions of action brief (ideally, no more than 3-5 lines per paragraph) so that your screenplay does not become too long. 3. Characters The first time you name someone in the action of your screenplay, you should write their name in all caps to show that you’re introducing a new character. This might be an actual name (e.g., SHIRLEY or MAJID) or a role description (e.g., PRISON GUARD or ANGRY DRIVER). We also use character names to show who is speaking in the dialogue. In this case, the name is usually written in all caps and indented roughly 2† (or 5cm) from the left margin on the page. The dialogue itself is then given on the next line, continuing until the character stops speaking. Finally, you may see some scripts with a list of characters at the beginning. This is especially common in stage plays, but not generally something you would include in a screenplay. 4. Dialogue The dialogue in a script is what the characters will say on screen, but it also includes voiceovers or voices coming from off screen (see the bit on extensions below for how this works). Typically, you should indent each line of dialogue 1† (2.5 cm) from the left margin and end 1.5† (3.75cm) from the right margin. This will ensure it appears in roughly the center of the page. 5. Parenthetical and Extensions Parentheticals and extensions provide extra information about what is happening in a screenplay: A parenthetical tells us how a character says something or what they are doing while they speak. These appear on the line between the character name and the dialogue itself. An extension is a note given in brackets after a character’s name stating how the audience will hear something. The most common are O.S. (offscreen) and V.O. (voiceover). These are usually given immediately after the character’s name when introducing dialogue. You should therefore add these to your screenplay as and when required. 6. Transitions and Shots Finally, we have transitions and shots. These notes provide extra information, much like parentheticals and extensions. However, transition and shot notes are specific to shooting and editing. A typical â€Å"transition† note, for example, might say CUT TO: or FADE TO: to show how two scenes should be edited together in the final version. A â€Å"shot† note, meanwhile, would tell us what kind of shot to use when filming a scene (e.g., CLOSE UP or REVERSE ANGLE). Generally, these are only included in a shooting script (i.e., a script that is already being produced). As such, you can leave these notes out if you are writing a spec script (i.e., a script you will pitch to producers).

The creation of Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Essay - 1

The creation of Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) - Essay Example The commission ought to carry out educational campaigns across the various departments of the firm on the importance of safety practices.1 The members of the safety commission have to research continuously on safety measures and emerging health issues. The committee has to cooperate with a companys customers in order to obtain and act on complaints raised by consumers concerning the firms products. In order to do this, the commission tests the products on a random sample basis, analyze the results, and make inferences and deductions on the appropriateness of the product. Further, the commission develops alternatives and solutions in order to achieve consumer protection. The Consumer Product Safety Commission must develop a mission statement to give the commission a sense of direction. The commission draws and properly labels the groups organizational chart and clearly defines every members duties and responsibilities. The composition of the safety committee should have a representative from each department in the organization2. The board appoints a chairperson who will be responsible for presiding over meetings. The appointment of the secretary and vice-chair is similar to that of the chairperson. The chairperson as the head of the committee will discharge duties such as formulating the agendas of the meetings, to oversee orderly meetings, make follow-ups on recommendations and to link management to the commission3. The vice-chair will assume leadership in instances where the chairperson is absent during meetings. The secretary of the commission takes minutes of every meeting convened and disseminates information to every member appropriately4. The commission shall agree on the frequency of meetings whether quarterly, monthly or weekly as circumstances will deem it fit. The safety commission should draft a policy that will guide it in proper selection and recruitment of members.

ETHICAL DILEMMA IN THE CLINICAL RESEARCH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ETHICAL DILEMMA IN THE CLINICAL RESEARCH - Essay Example The first is on the issue of disclosing all the information to the participants including all the risks of the trial or to just disclose the most important of the information and let the rest of the information be disclosed after the trial as a debrief. The dilemma comes in where the full disclosure of all the information to the participants may lead to some of them not giving informed consent and opting out in which case it will take longer to find others without any guarantee that they will also stay throughout the whole exercise. The lack of disclosure will lead to signing the consent and the trial continuing as scheduled (Gad, 2009). The other ethical dilemma comes in in the issue of publication of the findings of the clinical trial. The clinical trial may be marked with several problems which may render the drug unfriendly to most people. If this information is released to the public through the findings, the drug may either be banned from manufacture and production or harm many people. On the other hand, the lack of issuing of publication will mean that no one will know of the drug and hence the whole process of research and trial will have just been a waste of time and money and hence a loss which many pharmaceutical companies cannot handle (Verdu-Pacual and Ponce, 2001). They therefore have to make the hard choice of risking the lives of people and a future lawsuit by publishing or cutting their losses and going back to the drawing board. Lastly is the issue of patent rights versus the rights of patients. A patent lasts for 4 years at which point it is given to another company or group. Every company wants to maximize these 4 years in order to have covered the expenses of production and made enough profit to sustain them (Lo, 2012). The dilemma comes in where in order to be able to do this within this short time, they have to overcharge the consumers for the drugs which is considered totally unethical and even inhumane and especially if the

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages Essay Example for Free

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages Essay The strength of these companies had been growing strong but had a slight decline in recent years. SWOT for the Industry Strength: Product Expansion – many new products have been developed Distribution Channels – Can use convenience stores, grocery stores Able to deliver with carbonated soft drinks Weakness: Price is high compared to soft drinks Unhealthy ingredients Caffeine is not regulated – like in soft drink industry Opportunity: Consumer demand Supplier Channels – ingredients, cans, labels Product Innovation – provides differentiation. Brand Loyalty – taste, image, energy boosting Brand building skills needed 2 oz. energy shots Threat: Economy Scientific evidence that some products are not healthy Effect people with heart arrhythmias and insomnia Mix with alcohol Relaxed Drink Niche – abuse with prescription cough syrup As we look at this SWOT analysis of the alternative beverage industry we notice that there are some opportunities that they have created and are able to use in the future. Consumers’ choices are changing from the standard soft drink to alternative beverages. The key is to be sustainable by building up these products. The main opportunity to help with sustainability is to build brand loyalty. Try building up the knowledge and uses of your brands will help you gain the skills needed to continue building the brand. Porter’s five-forces model reveals that the overall alternative beverage industry attractiveness is high. Some beverage companies, such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, have mastered the art of brand building in the alternative beverage market and have been rewarded with rapid growth rates. The rising population of health conscious consumers is increasingly leaning towards alternative beverages that are believed to offer greater health benefits. The strongest competitive force, or most important to strategy formulation, is the threat of entry of new competitors. Competitive pressure from rival sellers is high in the alternative beverage industry. The number of brands competing in sports drinks, energy drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverage segments of the alternative beverage industry continue to grow each year. Both large and small vendors are launching new products and fighting for minimal retail shelf space. More and more consumers are moving away from traditional soft drinks to healthier alternative drinks. Demand is expected to grow worldwide as consumer purchasing power increases. Another strong competitive force is buyer bargaining power. Convenience stores and grocery stores have substantial leverage in negotiating pricing and slotting fees with alternative beverage producers due to the large quantity of their purchase. Newer brands are very vulnerable to buyer power because of limited space on store shelves. Top brands like Red Bull are almost always guaranteed space. This competitive force does not affect Coca-Cola or PepsiCo as much due to the variety of beverages the stores want to offer to the customer. As a result of this certain appeal, the two companies’ alternative beverage brands can almost always be found shelf space in grocery/convenience stores. Distributors, like restaurants, have less ability to negotiate for deep pricing discounts because of quantity limitations.

Underground Railroad :: Slavery

The Underground Railroad is famous for the things it has done, but most people don't understand or fully know what it was really about. First of all, it has nothing to do with an underground train or railroad as it may seem. The term "Underground Railroad" actually has different stories for its inception. One of these stories was of Tice Davis, a runaway slave in 1831. While running away from his owner he dove into a creek and was out of the owner's sight. His owner said "he must have gone off on an underground railroad." (http://www.whispersofangels.com/opposing.html) Although highly unbelievable, it can be found quite amusing. The logical explanation, though, is that the word "underground" is a term for secretive, while "railroad" represents the working together of people like train cars to "ship" the slaves. The main reason for the Underground Railroad was the effort to abolish slavery. None of the other efforts were contributing as much, and it was definitely our country's first major anti-slavery movement. America had hit its peak in the sense of slavery. We were thriving off of black laborers and our population continued to grow with contributions from the triangular trade. The triangular trade route was a trade route between the British West Indies, Europe, Africa and America. (http://members.tripod.com/lylesj/trade/tritrade.html) The profit slaves had brought in was tremendous contrasted to the profit of hired work. It became a major bonus to land and plantation owners. The black slaves were also great workers because of their ethnic backgrounds. They had great work ethics, dark skin to work in heat, and were much stronger than the hired men. Slaves longed to be free for more than one reason. Some just would love to be able to go where they want and say what they want without persecution. Who wouldn't want to be able to have this? Other slaves ran from owners out of fear. They wanted to keep their families together and not be sold away from them. There were also slaves that were treated very poorly. In fact, they were treated so poorly that if the didn't run they might not live much longer. Slaves have wanted to escape their slavery as far back as the first colonies had begun. The only truly free people were the whites, and blacks wanted to end that situation for good. The northern states/colonies had a more industrial area and immigrants easily took the jobs that were available.

What Is the International Business Environment?

1What is the international business environment? ?†¢ Globalisation – what is globalisation 0o is the closer integration of the countries and peoples of the world †¦ brought about by the enormous reduction of costs of transportation and communication, and the breaking down of artificial barriers to the flows of goods, services, capital, knowledge, and people across borders. Stiglitz, 2002) 0o Globalisation is being brought about by the enormous reduction of costs of transportation and communication, and the breaking down of artificial barriers to the flows of goods, services, capital, knowledge, and people across borders resulting in the closer integration of the countries and people of the world ? †¢ TNCs – what is TNCs, why TNCs 0o Transnational corporations (TNCs) are incorporated or unincorporated enterprises comprising parent enterprises and their foreign affiliates.A parent enterprise is defined as an enterprise that controls assets of other entities in countries other than its home country, usually by owning a certain equity capital stake. An equity capital stake of 10% or more of the ordinary shares or voting power for an incorporated enterprise, or its equivalent for an unincorporated enterprise, is normally considered as the threshold for the control of assets. In some countries, an equity stake of other than 10% is still used. United Nations Center of Transnational Corporations, 1990) 0o They consider, that there are three important characteristics that distinguish the transnational organization from its multinational, international and global counterparts: 1) It builds and legitimizes multiple diverse internal perspectives. In multinational companies key decisions are as a rule made by a country management group. In global companies managers in worldwide product divisions are typically the most influential.In international companies, functional management groups often dominate. On the contrary, in transnational companies the influence of the three management groups is balanced. (Christopher A. Bartlett, 2003) 0o The impact of TNC activity on the environment is extensive. TNC importance stems from their vast corporate networks and technological resources and the international consequences of their decision-making. More than 50 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions are in the province of TNCs.TNCs invest more than US$225 billion each year outside their home countries, and 95 per cent of these investments come from firms based in industrialized countries. Seventy per cent of world trade involves TNCs, who also hold 90 per cent of all technology and product patents. Every major natural resource extraction and processing industry involves TNCs. The environmental impacts of TNCs extend to the service sector (product advertising) and the financial services sector (investment loans). (Gleckman, 1995)

Definition of Records Management

In the past, ‘records management' was sometimes used to refer only to the management of records which were no longer in everyday use but still needed to be kept – ‘semi-current' or ‘inactive' records, often stored in basements or offsite. More modern usage tends to refer to the entire ‘lifecycle' of records – from the point of creation right through until their eventual disposal.The ISO 15489: 2001 standard defines records management as â€Å"The field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including the processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of and information about business activities and transactions in the form of records†. The ISO defines records as â€Å"information created, received, and maintained as evidence and information by an organization or person, in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of businessâ⠂¬ .The International Council on Archives (ICA) Committee on Electronic Records defines a record as â€Å"a recorded information produced or received in the initiation, conduct or completion of an institutional or individual activity and that comprises content, context and structure sufficient to provide evidence of the activity. † The key word in these definitions is evidence. Put simply, a record can be defined as â€Å"evidence of an event†. Records Management is the storage preservation and retrieval of information in the shortest possible time. MUDD) Records management is very important for the use of storing document this topic was thought in Office Administration. The United States Department of Defence standard DoD 5015. 02-STD defines Records Management as â€Å"The planning, controlling, directing, organizing, training, promoting, and other managerial activities involving the life cycle of information, including creation, maintenance (use, storage, retrieva l), and disposal, regardless of media. â€Å"

The Mistreatment of Slaves

The Mistreatment of Slaves Free Online Research Papers Since grade school, students have been taught in their respective history classes about slavery. They were taught about the various aspects of slavery for example, the lack of formal and informal education, their mistreatment, abuse, both verbal and physical, and the everlasting slaughter of innocent slaves. Though there are occasions where one hears that there was a master that didn’t mistreat and abuse his slaves. Those types of master-slave relationships were extremely rare. According to many text and history books slaves were often mistreated and abused on a daily basis. The question, now is, did the mistreatment and abuse of the slaves, in particular the women slaves, in the autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, written by Harriet Jacobs actually occur to that extent. Were slaves really treated in such a way presented by Ms. Jacobs in her autobiography? Slaves were definitely mistreated and abused by their masters and overseers, but what extent did that mistreatment and abuse actually go, is what needs a deeper look. Harriet Jacobs had to use a pseudonym, Linda Brent to be able to publish her autobiography. Ms. Jacobs will be referred to as Linda for the sake of this paper. The autobiography begins with Linda by stating the, â€Å"I was born a slave; but never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away†. By this statement, one would begin to question, how could a child born into slavery not know that she was a slave? If one is born a slave, people would believe that mistreatment and abuse starts from, very early ages like around one and two years of age. According to Paul E. Scott, in the novel Slavery Remembered, â€Å"It was possible a young slave to grow well past infancy in a naà ¯ve, childish happiness, oblivious to the painful gulf between his blood relations and his master†. (Escott, 29) Thus this statement validates, those of Linda. The master and mistress did not begin to instill in them at a young age that they were their property and they must obey their every command and wish. So for a child born into slavery and didn’t know that she was a slave, as Linda describes, makes one believe that the mistreatment and abuse could not have been all that damaging and harmful. To have a general sense, it seems that slave children were aloud to grow, without the burden of being a slave or even a servant up until the age five or six which, coincides with the timeline given by Linda in her autobiography. After the age of five or six the, they are made to do minor household chores, and by the age of fifteen almost all slaves were at work on their regular tasks. Another mistreatment that fell upon slaves was their â€Å"right†, or lack there of, to education. Slaves were not given any rights especially the right to learn, or be taught. For Linda to be taught, by her mistress of all people, how to â€Å"read and spell† is a far cry of mistreatment. Being taught to read and spell, would that count as mistreatment or the bettering of a slave that had no right to that knowledge. Later on in her autobiography, she claims to have taught herself. So which part of the autobiography does one side with, the part where she praises her mistress for teaching her to read and spell, or the portion where she makes the reader believe that she taught herself how to read and write. This is a large discrepancy, and truly makes a massive difference, in how one would view the rest of Linda’s story. These kinds of discrepancies, makes the reader criticize all that Linda brings to our attention. There are slave narratives that can found, for ex ample in Black Slave Narratives, which one slave remembers how her mistress taught her to read, but that there were other motives behind it, so that she would be able to spy upon the other slaves and write down all the â€Å"wrong doings† by the other slaves. (Bayliss, 65) Why did Linda praise her mistress by acknowledging the fact that she taught her how to read, was it to down play the mistreatment of her by her mistress, or did it actually occur that way, and the statement made later on in the text, was to make herself look better in the eyes of the reader. There is an extremely common and appropriate reason to why some slaves praise their masters, though they are mistreated and abused. The reason was age, when slaves were still young they had â€Å"limited experiences [which] quite naturally produced limited views†. (Escott, 31) They usually spoke very well of master and mistress and food, while denying that they were ever abused. Linda praised her mistress by vocalizing such things like: â€Å"As a child, I loved my mistress†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"†¦I bless her memory†, â€Å"My mistress was so kind to me that I was always glad to do her bidding†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"I would sit by her side for hours†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , and finally arguing that â€Å"Those were happy days-too happy to last†. (Jacobs 371) As seen through Linda’s admiration filled eyes, one would strongly believe that slaves were not treated as bad as they led everyone to believe, but the reader must take into consideration that at this poi nt in time Linda was indeed a child. As it is today, the same as it was in Linda’s time children are not the most reliable source of information, because of the fact that they have such little experience with the matter at hand. By Linda’s testimony as a child, one should not begin to infer anything about the actual mistreatment and abuse of slaves. One of the first mistreatment mentioned by Linda, is when her new mistress Mrs. Flint made her take off her brand new shoes and stockings given to her by her grandmother, and â€Å"sent [her] on a long distance, on an errand†, while in the snow. (Jacobs, 379) This mistreatment could also be called abuse, to an extent. There was no reason for the punishment, or even the errand she was sent on. That abuse was cruel and uncalled for, and at this period in her autobiography is where, the reader can see a change in Linda from naà ¯ve, young slave girl, into a more open minded, mature, experienced slave. This is when, if Linda attacks or praises someone, whether it is her master, mistress, or lover one would more than likely be able to take her word at face value. This abuse given to her by her mistress was short lived because her master took a very unappreciated interest in the young Linda. He protected her from everyone except himself, no one was allowed to touch her, strike her, or even make her work in the fields. She became the master’s pet and she was grateful for his protection, but what he wanted from her, she would not give. Not only was the abuse of slaves’ physical, but also it was also mental, especially amongst the women slaves. Mr. Flint, Linda’s master began to torment her and make her life a living hell. â€Å"My master met me at every turn reminding me that I belonged to him, and swearing by heaven and earth that he would compel me to submit to him†. (Jacobs, 386) Though the master protects her from physical abuse from everyone else, he often verbally abuses her, and on very rare occasions physically abused her himself. Verbal and physical abuse of a female slaves, was pretty much the norm. They w ere forced into having sexual intercourse, from people like their masters, his children, and the overseers. (Garrison, 62) It seems as though the female slaves are more likely than the males to experiences various sorts of abuse and mistreatment. Men had mostly to only deal with the beatings, but men were not only physically abused but also mentally. What would you call having to watch or here of your mother, aunt, sister, cousin, or even niece being raped and conceiving a child for your master? It is called abuse, of the mental kind in respect to the male slaves. Slaves were not allowed to marry and weren’t supposed to have intercourse. For a male slave to see a woman that maybe he wanted to marry and was not allowed to with child, and when the child is born he/she is mulatto. Surely it caused and extreme amount of mental anguish. People tend not to look at things concerning male slaves in that way. The abuse is extensive for both men and women in this case. Linda goes as far as to ask the question â€Å"why does the slave ever love†. (Jacobs, 392) That sort of question immediately leads you to believe that there has been some form of mistreatment or abuse, and that it is carried with her, her entire life. Everyone deserves love and everyone should love. Linda wanted to be sold to a â€Å"free-born† man and marry him, but Dr. Flint would not allow it. Dr. Flint asked Linda if she loved the man and she replied yes and â€Å"he sprang upon [her] like a tiger and gave [her] a stunning blow†. (Jacobs, 394) That is the first time Dr. Flint struck her but it wouldn’t be the last. Almost every woman in this word wants to marry and have kids, just assure, it was probably the same way in Linda’s time. After a while a women’s maternal wants start to kick in and she begins to want to raise a family of her own. To have that not available as an option is crushing and is probably one of the worst form of mist reatment and abuse to Linda and other young ladies and women, in her position. Then to also be verbally abused by your mistress, by attacking your wants, and making it known that she opposes slaves having a right to any family ties of their own and that the were created merely to wait upon the family of the mistress. (Jacobs, 392) Various other slave narratives tell of similar and even worse mistreatment and abuse, so it seems as if these incidents depicted by Jacobs can also be taken at face value. There in no question without an answer in this case. The extent of the mistreatment and abuse, physical, mental and emotional is no longer in question. These acts of cruelty violence, and abuse more than likely happened the way Jacobs depicts them, and is even possible that she didn’t disclose the full extent of the abuse. There is no way that these instances were over exaggerated, they were more likely to be under exaggerated, if anything. Through various sources it is seen that events, such that are vividly recreated in Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, were very possible and similar acts were seen throughout several different slave narratives of slaves from different states. When Linda cried, â€Å"there is no shadow of law to protect her from insult, from violence, or even death† she was honestly speaking the truth and she just happened to be one of the ‘lucky’ ones that was able to make it out alive and tell her story. Bayliss, John. Black Slave Narrative. New York City: The Macmillan Company, 1970. Escott, Paul. Slavery Remembered. Charlotte: The University of North Carolina Press Chapel Hill, 1979. Garrison, Mary. Slaves Who Dared. Shippensburg: White Mane Books, 2002. Press, Arnco. Five Slave Narratives. New York: Arnco Press, 1968. Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Boston, 1861. Research Papers on The Mistreatment of SlavesBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoMind TravelThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseHip-Hop is ArtStandardized TestingPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Quebec and Canada

Show and Tell Transform Your Writing Using Both - Freewrite Store

Show and Tell Transform Your Writing Using Both - Freewrite Store Today’s guest post is by Jackie Dever, associate editor at Aionios Books, a small traditional-model publisher based in Southern California.    From the laminated poster on the wall of your third-grade classroom to the margin notes provided by fellow wordsmiths in your critique group, one slogan keeps cropping up throughout most of our writing lives: â€Å"Show, don’t tell.† The impulse to simplify writerly advice is legitimate. But as with most things in life, it’s best to think carefully before applying negative labels. â€Å"Show† and â€Å"tell† don’t have to clash on the page. Instead of rating one method over the other, it’s time to understand how and when each of these strategies can help you.   Showing Stories aren’t limited to the visual, so literary showing goes beyond painting word pictures. Showing evokes the senses, and the lushest writing conjures allof them. If your reader can see it, hear it, smell it, taste it, or touch it, congratulations! You’re showing. Your character doesn’t only watch the waves churning the shimmery green ocean to a froth- she feels the oozing of sand between her toes and the sting of saltwater in the razor nick on her ankle. She tastes the salty tang of the sea and hears the dull roar of the waves. She sees bruise-like patches of kelp out beyond the breakers. You don’t have to put each scene through a checklist of sensory details. Choose the ones that feel most natural to your perspective characters’ perceptions. A young kid at a petting zoo, for example, would focus on the fluffiness of sheep and silkiness of goats’ ears. A man camping alone on the Appalachian Trail, on the other hand, would pay close attention to the after-dark sounds of the surrounding woods. It’s easy to mistake adjectives like â€Å"beautiful† or â€Å"terrifying† for showing. But every reader imagines these concepts differently. Genuine showing removes the guesswork. It guides readers to one shared scene. Really extreme showing zooms in with microscopic clarity. These enlargements are a lot of fun to read when done right. But careful- they can also mess with the pace of your narrative and make your important themes harder to pick out. When you give everything excessive significance, everything losesimportance. Telling Telling conveys information without textured details. It’s just the facts, ma’am. The reader fills in gaps with imagination. When you’re telling, your character puts her foot in the ocean, but she doesn’t feel, smell, or hear it. Telling helps to keep a story’s pace or provide background knowledge. Telling in its purest form reads like a boiled-down summary. We tend to scoff at it, but like showing, telling is important in any story. When to Show You want your audience to engage with your created world, but in a deliberate way. Use your descriptive powers to control readers’ focus. Ideally, whatever they notice, wherever they pause to admire a passage, you’ve masterminded the pattern with your words. Ask yourself â€Å"why?† with each description. Why do you need four sentences about the cheese sandwich on a restaurant table? Unless that sandwich has a critical function in the plot, no one cares much about the exact sponginess of its bread or the oily texture of its melted American cheese. Communicate a Theme Your selective showing gives readers clues while still letting them infer deeper significance for themselves. It’s the difference between stating that â€Å"the boy desperately wanted to win the race† and describing the physical sensations he experiences as the finish line nears. Foreshadow the Importance of Something Emphasis on items or locations nudges readers to look out for the future relevance these things will have to the plot. In a whodunit, you can’t tell them right off the bat that the baseball the twitchy first baseman keeps socking from one hand to the other is the murder weapon, but you can describe it down to the stich. Or maybe you choose to defer the location of the climactic storm scene in your harrowing adventure tale, but you can subtly prepare readers with rich-detailed beach or boating scenes. Slow the Reader Down to Ratchet Up Tension When you make your reader pause to notice every detail in a selected scene, you render her vulnerable to a sudden shift in tone. You give her a sense of anticipation about events to come, but you distract her with painstaking details- the feel of the porch rail on the abandoned house and the weight of the humid air- at crucial points. You’ve got her flinching at every description of touch, sound, and fluttering shadow. Then, when she’s in this heightened state, you bring the scene’s conclusion crashing down. When to Tell Not every scene merits a show. Telling, however small its share of a story, is still a great skill to master. Provide Background A summary of a character’s history or an explanation of terminology gives context to your words. In order to avoid long, dull passages, offer relevant details on an as-needed basis, directly before the related scene. Move Prose Forward Quickly Connective scenes are important for explaining shifts in location or time, but they’re usually best dispensed with quickly. Travel-itinerary scene? â€Å"Jason boarded a redeye flight to Taiwan† is all the reader needs to know. Save your sensory enticements for after wheels down. Give Context You might need to quickly prepare your readers to confront a certain mood or theme. So you’ll tell them that John was sad because his wife had left three days ago, that John’s marriage had been unhappy for years. Then you’ll show the stacks of pizza boxes, the smell of trash in the sink, and the all-night sound of infomercials that marked his decline. Let the Reader Interpret an Abstract Concept Broad adjectives are appealing in situations where you want readers to imagine a detail for themselves. Maybe you want your character to be generically handsome. You use abstract adjectives like â€Å"intense† â€Å"strong† and â€Å"rugged† to get the point across. Then readers graft their own vision of handsomeness onto your character (rather than make do with your version of the term). Always Know the Details, Whether You Share Them or Not You aren’t going to divulge everything to the reader, but you’ll still need to know all the details yourself. Readers are smart- they can tell when you got bored midway through the chapter and dumped all that info just to get through it. Blending Show and Tell Sophisticated writers understand â€Å"show† and â€Å"tell† as points in a continuum, each of which has value in certain scenes. Using one device doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use the other. Often they even work together in the same paragraph. When you want to infuse more expository passages with some mild showing, work your nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Does your character drive a car or a cherry-red Camaro? Is the man on the bench merely old or is he liver-spotted? Does the villain walk or does he stride? A single word change can help to solidify your imagery.      Mature Writers Use Their Full Skill Set As elementary-age authors, we use the tools we’re given, commandments handed down by our teachers to help us sharpen our composition skills. Since a nine-year-old is more likely to barrel toward a story’s finish than to get waylaid in thickets of flowery prose, â€Å"Thou shalt show, not tell† prevails. But while even the grown-up writer does need an occasional reminder to stop and smell the sensory details, the value of one writing strategy doesn’t negate the value of another. A judicious combination of showing and telling will help you to accomplish every writer’s goal- to keep your readers turning pages.    Wordslingers, what are your thoughts on showing and telling? Let us know in the comments!    Jackie Dever is an editor and writer in Southern California. She has edited blogs, corporate materials, academic texts, novels, and biographies. She is an associate editor at Aionios Books, a small traditional-model publisher based in Southern California. She recently finished proofreading the 2017 San Diego Book Award–winning memoir A Few Minor Adjustments(September 2017) by Cherie Kephart. She blogs about writing and publishing, millennial lifestyle trends, and outdoor sports.

International Refugee Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International Refugee Law - Essay Example Many of these states have been reluctant to offer asylum due to their own political and economic considerations. However, these asylum seekers have often displayed vulnerable qualities in terms of physical, psychological, as well as political support. For which reason, international governing bodies and host states have often ended up granting asylum to these refugees. However, recently, issues on the impact that these refugees have had on host states have been evaluated. Their economic impact has been a major consideration because these refugees have been considered as a significant drain to the resources of host states. The issue of their vulnerability has also been raised. In a decision by the European Court of Human Rights, specifically, in the case of M.S.S v Belgium, the court speaks of the applicant as a member of a ‘vulnerable group’. The case deals with the expulsion of an Afghan asylum-seeker to Greece by Belgium in accordance with the EU Dublin Regulation. The Court issued a standard-setting landmark judgement for the protection of asylum-seekers and it also held that asylum-seekers were a â€Å"particularly underprivileged and vulnerable population group in need of special protection†... He declared that they are not a group ‘historically subject to prejudice with lasting consequences, resulting in their social exclusion†2. This paper aims to critically discuss the judgement delivered in M.S.S v Belgium and Greece. Moreover, it will examine the current position of asylum-seekers who seek ‘international protection’ and the applicability of the legal framework under the 1951 Convention or under the International Human Rights. This paper will also attempt to evaluate the treatment of asylum-seekers in Europe, more specifically, in Greece. It shall also draw some comparisons with the recommended treatment as implemented by the Common European Asylum System. Finally, this paper shall also discuss the concept of vulnerability. This paper is being carried out in order to establish an improved understanding of the refugee laws, including the individuals who may or may not be considered refugees. It is also being carried out in order to assist legal a nalysts in making better judgments on the status of refugees. Background The ‘right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution’ is indeed a key provision in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights3. However, sometimes this right is not fully observed in parts of Europe today. Instead, asylum-seekers are met with hardship and suspicion and too often are treated inhumanely; some are even placed under detention. Asylum-seekers entering Europe have well founded fears of persecution. Most of their fears stem from their ethnicity, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group; all of these qualities are very much different or opposed