The Ever-Evolving Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Ever-Evolving Organization - Essay Example This paper will discuss the reasons that necessitate organizational change.There are numerous causes, which may lead to organizational change. First, change in the political system can attribute to change in an organization. According to empirical research, most of the employees who work in government offices are usually discontinued whenever a change occurs in the political system. These changes in the political system can create a radical change in various departmental affairs. Secondly, structural change can also justify the organizational change. This occurs when administrative processes are introduced in an organization. In this case, old superfluous processes are normally replaced by new ones and the staff members are also required to get instructions regarding the operation of the new systems (MBA Knowledgebase, 2012). Thirdly, process orientation is also considered as one of the main reasons that necessitate organizational change. In this case, a company redefines its manufacturing procedure for logistical and warehousing operations. In fact, the structural shift in the creation of a product has a significant effect on organizational change. Fourthly, mergers and acquisitions can also affect the functioning of an organization. For instance, when two competing corporations merge in terms of performing business operations, the companies become streamlined and centralized. The merging of departments is one of the most recurrent causes of change in an organization (MBA Knowledgebase, 2012). The reasons mentioned above significantly attribute to change in organizations. In addition, multicultural cultures also cause severe dilemmas in organizations (Brett, Behfar & Kern, 2006). In conclusion, some of the other reasons that may necessitate an organization to initiate reform include the need to create better results. Senge asserts that learning institutions continually have to expand in order to sustain better results (Senge, Kleiner, Roberts, Roth, Ross & Smith, 1999). He also explains that the Systems Thinking Theory is critical in any learning institution. According to various researchers, The Dance of Change was documented to help the managerial staff and company executives to corporate with each other in order to change the ultimate force of an organization. This is viewed as the basic reason for conducting change in an organization. Â  

Case-note on R (onthe application of Nicklinson) v Ministry of Justice Essay

Case-note on R (onthe application of Nicklinson) v Ministry of Justice [2014] UKSC 38 - Essay Example such a case, autonomy refers to the capability and right to make a personal choice, and as such, in most circumstances people always act in denial of the legitimacy of choices especially in situations whereby there is a militate against autonomy1. A specific example applicable in such a case is the voluntary entry by an individual into drug addiction, or into slavery. Consequently, when one chooses suicide, he or she chooses not to be in a position to make any more choices. However, it is imperative to note that the choice of suicide is defendable before the courts of law. Nevertheless, the main argument that the choice of suicide in some cases promotes autonomy does not fit to enlist in the favour of the same because suicide still stands out as a course of death. Through this judgement, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom substantially advanced the cause of individuals in the country who are keen on putting an end to their lives in a humane manner. In addition, it also created a precedent for other cases as a leading judgement within incompatibility declarations in the appreciation margin of the United Kingdom. Tony Nicklinson, the key player in this case, wanted to put an end to his life after getting tired of his illness which had paralysed him almost completely after he suffered a catastrophic stroke. However, the bone of contention in this case was that Nicklinson health condition could not permit him to end his life on his own. As such, his physical incapacity demanded that he seeks the help of another person in putting an end to his life, since he could not perform it without receiving help from other people except through self-starvation. Therefore, Nicklinson wished to receive assistance from others in order to commit his proposed suicide. Nevertheless, section 2 of the 1961 Suicide Act stood in the way of other people coming to his help to aid him commit suicide lawfully2. The suicide act says that an individual, â€Å"D† commits a legal offense

Consumer Segment Analysis of Mobile Phone Market

Consumer Segment Analysis of Mobile Phone Market Anthony Nolan Size of current Market According to the Commission for Communications Regulation (COMREG) (Q4, 2015), household broadband penetration rate for both fixed and mobile services was at 83% which is higher than the EU average by 3%. Mobile device minutes in communications stood at a massive 73.8% of the market, leaving on 26.2% for fixed line communications. Mobile minutes showed an increase of 1.4% from the previous quarter. There was an annual increase of 56.6% of mobile users actively using the 4G standard on the same period in 2014. Subscriptions to mobile networks increased by 0.36% on the previous quarter however broadband subscriptions saw a decrease of 4.5% on quarter three. This is probably due to many providers now bundling a broadband allowance in with subscription offers. Finally in the last quarter of 2015, average revenue per user was on a downward trend compared to the same quarter in 2014. Mobile users spent an average of  £24.62 per month in the final quarter compared to  £25.00 per month a year previously. Again, this is believed to be a result of package bundling affecting revenue intake according to ComReg (2015) Structure and Nature of the Current Market The four main mobile phone operators in Ireland are Vodafone, O2 (owned by the 3 network), Meteor and the 3 network stand-alone operator (separate from O2) (ComReg 2015). The five smaller providers available are PostPhone (An Post), Tesco Mobile, Dixons/Carphone Warehouse ID Mobile, LycaMobile Ireland and Blueface Mobile. All four (Vodafone, O2, Meteor and 3 Network) of the main providers purport to supply the following to consumers according to ComReg (2015): Prepay and post-pay services to both personal and business customer segments. Voice, SMS and data services to a stated 99% of the public, meaning they claim to have the whole of Ireland and outlying islands covered with their network signal. Each of the four main networks supply second generation (2G), third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) technology to their users. All five of the smaller mobile providers in Ireland (PostPhone, Tesco Mobile, Dixons/Carphone Warehouse ID Mobile, LycaMobile Ireland and Blueface Mobile) do not have their own infrastructure networks. Instead they utilise the current main network providers and rent a mobile virtual network operation (MVNO) which gives them the ability to offer their own branded retail service to consumers. Tesco Mobile Ireland has entered into an MVNO commercial arrangement with O2 (Hutchison 3 Ireland) to allow its traffic to be carried on the O2 network. Tesco Mobile Ireland is available to personal customers only. (ComReg 2015) An Post PostPhone has entered into an MVNO commercial arrangement with Vodafone to allow its traffic to be carried. Unlike other providers PostPhone does not have a unique prefix and instead effectively resells minutes carried from Vodafone and then differentiates (Re Brands) those minutes at the retail level. PostPhone is available to personal customers only. (ComReg 2015) Like Tesco Mobile Ireland, LycaMobile has an arrangement with O2 Ireland. LycaMobile offers by the minute rates and bundle packages for subscribers. They do not offer traditional pre-pay or bill pay options. (ComReg 2015) Blueface Mobile has entered into an MVNE (Mobile Virtual Network Enabler) with X-Mobility Limited, which is a sub-division of Hutchison 3 Ireland. Blueface sells both prepay and post-pay subscriptions to Business Only consumers. Like PostPhone, Blueface is reselling 3 Network minutes under its own brand. (ComReg 2015) Dixons/Carphone Warehouse ID Mobile is an MVNO of Hutchison 3 Ireland. ID offers a pay-monthly option which comes with a handset (Billpay) over a fixed term and also offers a sim-only thirty day rolling subscription. (Siliconrepublic, 2015) Expected Technological Trends for the next Decade (2016-2025) Looking to the future, there are some expected and some predicted advances that will be made. The list is not endless and some of the most useful advances are listed here: Cloud Storage: Right now cloud storage is available but Chris Nickson of atechnologysociety.co.uk predicts that ALL mobile phone storage in the future will be off-device. Everything from storing photographs and video to uploading video and audio from ones computer will go to the cloud. A potential fall off of people buying peripherals like SD Cards. Smaller hard drives on phones More space within the phone case leading to potentially smaller devices Software (Apps) installed and stored on the cloud Greater phone security through central servers (Cloud) Contacts stored on the cloud Access anywhere in the world Possible cost issues for finance required to upgrade cloud servers and security Cost savings on handset manufacture as a result of less hardware required within the handset. (Nickson, C. 2013) Solar powered handsets: In developing countries, solar power could conceivably actually charge the handset with the use of just a small solar panel. (Nick T, 2015) Augmented Reality (AR) One will be able to open the camera app and point it anywhere in the street to be shown a list of businesses and establishments on-screen overlaid on the display. (Poe, M. 2015) Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) technology. Wafer thin screens that can be folded and which can show different output media on either side. One could show a video to a friend on the back of the phone while inputting data on the front. Due to physical flexibility, this technology could also be worn as a wristwatch and taken off, and unfolded to become a mobile device. (Poe, M. 2015) In-Built Projector Mobile phones that can project images and/or video directly onto a wall or screen (Poe, M. 2015) 3D Screens and Holograms Making an image or video projection appear to be separate from the device actually emitting it. (Poe, M. 2015) 5G and beyond. Using less bandwidth than 4G Using less power than 4G Enabling a broader spectrum of frequency for connection Faster connection speeds to Internet (Gregory, M.A., 2015) Kinetic Thermal Power Using bodily movement and heat to recharge mobile devices (Levars, N. 2016) Discarded Mobile Phone Technology a problem: Developing countries like those in Africa are currently a dumping ground for the Worlds discarded mobile detritus. As we progress in the first world, these dumps will get larger and larger. A solution may be needed in the more distant future (Nickson, C. 2013) Demographic and Psychographic Description of the Younger Sub-Segment of the Consumer Market Currently, smartphone ownership is biased towards the younger age groups but with the increasing penetration in the market, this could very well change in the near future. (Red C, 2012) That survey by RED C was taken in 2012 and what was true then is doubly true today in 2016. Back in 2012 some 32% of Irish people owned a smart phone (Red C, 2012). Today that number has increased to 96% and that is just in one segment, the 15 to 35 year old bracket. (Thinkhouse Mobile, 2015) SO, what do people in the 18 to 25 year old segment use their smartphone for? According to the latest survey from Thinkhouse (2015), the Youth Communications Agency, the following statistics ring true: In 2015, the following uses were made of mobile phones from 18 to 25 year olds: Type of Mobile Phone Subscription: 56% of 18-25 Year Olds opted for Bill Pay subscriptions. 44% of 18-25 Year Olds opted for the Pay As You Go option General Use: 66% used for email 23% used on traditional SMS messaging (*Down from a peak of 66% in late 2011) 59% used for YouTube 30% used for online television from paid subscription sites such as Netflix or Love Film. Social Media Use: 92% of mobile phone users in the 18-25 year old demographic used their phones for Facebook 36% used for Twitter Commercial Use: 4% of people in this segment pay for online purchases on their mobile. The other 83% opted to pay on their computer. 13% did not conduct online purchases. 78% of people compared the price of products online before proceeding to buy the product in-store Content: 63% of this demographic prefer non-gaming apps. They prefer apps that serve a purpose for them. 37% of this demographic prefer to have fun while using apps, either playing games or watching entertainment (All data supplied by Thinkhouse Mobile Youth Survey 2015.pdf, except *, by ComReg, 2015) It is also stated in this review by Thinkhouse media that the primary use of a mobile phone for this segment is to send text messages. However this is contradictory to the research submitted by ComReg (above). ComReg state that SMS sending is down some 43% from 2011. The difference can be explained by the arrival of apps that send messages for free such as Facebook Messenger and Viber, among many others. (Inner-Active, 2011) Market Research Suggestion for the Next Five Years Tel-Eir should look to glean as much information as possible before deciding on phone tariffs, prices, bundles and pay as you go or bill pay options. As this company is starting out the first thing that needs to be known is, primarily what the publics appetite is for a new provider and secondarily what the public want from a new phone network provider. Whether Tel-Eir can deliver upon the publics desires will be a case of understanding the research results. Initial Research Method Having thought about the best types of research and studied many methods, it has been decided to advise Tel-Eir to carry out Personal Interviewing (Kotler et al, 2012) initially in order to get an understanding of what the public: Like about the currently available providers Dont like about the currently available providers Like to do on their handsets Are not bothered with doing on their handsets Think about the hardware and limitations of their handsets Would desire if they had the chance to choose option plans for a provider Think about the costs involved with owning a mobile phone Feel is the main reason for owning a mobile phone Would need to switch to a different network This information is required so that Tel-Eirs marketing staff can use the information on Buyer Decision Making processes to form an educated opinion of what angle to enter the market at. According to Donald S. Tull and Del I. Hawkins in their book, Marketing Research: Measurement and Method (1993), Personal Interviewing, while being expensive is the best way to glean a lot of information quickly. They state that Personal Interviewing: Is Excellent for Flexibility Is Excellent for Quantity of data received Good for control of sample Good for speed of data collection Good for response rate More expensive than other methods of collecting information By sending personal interviewers out into the busy thoroughfares of the five main Cities in Ireland, it is expected that a lot of accurate opinions can be acquired and from that information Tel-Eir will be better placed to formulate a strategy for market entry. Ongoing Research Going forward, it is believed that Tel-Eir should continuously keep an eye on both competitors movements and new offers in the market and also on the changing demographic that are purchasing its product. It is advised that every year, Tel-Eir should partake in: Sales Forecasting, to know what the future holds for people continuing to purchase new handsets and plans Ongoing Segmentation Research, to determine the demographic, psychographic, cultural, and behavioural characteristics of potential buyers. (Wikipedia, 2016) Brand Equity, in order to get a feel for what the public think of our brand Customer Satisfaction, in order to understand our current users feelings about our product Demand Estimation, so that Tel-Eir can plan ahead and possibly tweak the offers and bundles being made to the public Main Product Offering Having already completed some market research on current mobile phone network operators it is felt that Tel-Eir should not use a Mobile Virtual Network Operation (MVNO) in which Tel-Eir piggybacks upon a network that is currently owned by a larger company like Vodafone for example. Purchasing statistics for such network providers is not good and it is felt that only by gaining its own licence can Tel-Eir truly become competitive in the market. (Irish Independent, March 2016) According to research, Tel-Eirs targeting of the youth segment (18-25 Year olds) should include the following attributes: Both Bill Pay and Pay as you Go should be offered High End and Low End handsets should be offered Free Internet minutes should be a major section of any bundles offered Traditional Text Messaging (SMS) is not as important as it once was and should not be paramount to offers. 1. Offering Both Bill Pay and Pay as you Go Bundles This should take the form of long term Bill Pay contracts with an offer of a free handset (slightly outdated) or a cheaper handset (a little more recent) or an expensive handset (latest on the market). It is also advisable that the price of the handset while signing up for a long term bill pay contract should be connected to the monthly contract price. As an example, if one wants a handset from the latest range but with a cheap monthly contract, then one pays more initially for the handset. However, if one wants an expensive phone with an expensive monthly contract, then the phone could be offered free of charge, depending upon the length of contract signed up to. It is advised that for the latter, a two year contract be set as the minimum. In this way the cost of the handset can be recovered over the duration of the contract. It is advised that Tel-Eir offer a month by month rolling contract. This new style of attracting customers has proven popular amongst the low waged and unwaged. Tel-Eir should offer an internet allowance and perhaps a text message (SMS) allowance with this. As SMS is decreasing in popularity, offering unlimited SMS messages will appear to be a good offer but in reality will not be used as much as it may have been previously. Tel-Eir, in order to be competitive should offer Pay As You go top up options in the following amounts:  £5 top ups for the unwaged and those in education  £10 top ups for the unwaged and low waged but slightly better off, such as single parents on social welfare, those in college receiving a grant, and those who are on schemes and low paid jobs who may not be able to afford larger top ups.  £15 top ups for convenience and as a bridge between the low waged and unwaged segment and those in gainful employment  £20 top ups with added data and SMS allowances for those that use this option.  £25 and  £50 top ups for the business customer who is too busy to top up very often and does not like to use bill pay. This is expected to be rare, but having it available will be a new option for the public. All of the above tariffs are guides only. It is of course understood that an unwaged person will on occasion top up by  £50 and that a business user will on occasion top up by  £5 or  £10. The points made are specifically aimed at those segments that will predominantly spend in the stated behaviours. It should be allowed that all top ups and bill pay options can be paid by Credit/Debit Card and that a facility exists for both online payment and direct debit. (All above information gained from ComReg, 2015) 2. Handset Choice The variety of handset offered is paramount in importance for the sale of Tel-Eirs network product. The profit is in the sale of the different tariffs and bundles. However that sale will not happen unless Tel-Eir sells the hardware that the public have come to expect and associate with popular and successful network brands. Therefore, it is advised that Tel-Eir sell all of the latest handsets from all of the most popular manufacturers. It is also advised that Tel-Eir try to get exclusive rights to an upcoming handset from a major supplier. Even short term exclusivity would be beneficial. 3. Free Internet Minutes From research already collated, it is clear that connection to the Internet is of paramount importance to the public. There are so many things that a mobile phone user can do from being connected to the Internet. This is also paramount in lessening the use of the network throughput from SMS messages. Using the Internet will allow people to send instant messages using apps through third party servers, lessening the load on Tel-Eirs hardware. Having a good Internet allowance package available to them, will give the public the freedom to use their phones as they have been used to with the current major brands on the market. Tel-Eir should look to compete very favourably in this area. (The Atlantic, 2014) Lessening Importance of SMS Messages As users turn to third party apps for sending instant messages over the Internet, they are turning away from the traditional paid for SMS messages. It appears as though this trend will continue into the future. As a result of this, Tel-Eir should offer generous SMS bundles with offers secure in the knowledge that these will sell a product to a potential subscriber but once sold, will not be used very much at all. It is all about the offer appearing to be good value for money. Positioning and Promotion Positioning is not what your company physically does to a product-it is what your company does to a target customers mind (marsdd.com, 2015). The above statement is the most important thing to keep in mind when presenting Tel-Eirs new product to the market. The fundamentals of positioning the product effectively in the market must be adhered to. These fundamentals are: A customer decides to buy a product based upon the positioning of that product All customers have an idea of what the market presents, by using a mental map Positioning is not something that exists in the product but in the mind of the customer Once a customers mind is made up about product positioning, it is not easily changed Positionings first task is to present the relevance of a product. If one makes the product easier to purchase, then the product will be easier to sell. (marsdd.com, 2015) With the above tenets in mind therefore, Tel-Eir should pay particular attention to the following: Why does this product solve the consumers problems? What product offering will appeal the most to the consumer? What do consumers want the most from this type of product? What do consumers not want from this type of product? (brainmates.com) From the above presented problems one must come to the conclusion that Communication is the key to positioning and promoting a product. How does a company get from positioning to communication? See Fig 1.1 (next page) Therefore using the image in Fig 1.1 the company must decide upon its best avenue for answering these questions. Fig 1.1 (marsdd.com) Known Variables It has been decided that Tel-Eir will target the 18-25 year old market segment initially. Questions and Answers What will be the compelling reason for Tel-Eirs customers to buy? From market research the compelling reason will be based upon a sound Internet usage (data allowance) strategy. This is will enable the youth market consumers to use our product exactly the way that the evidence points to them wanting to use it. What will be Tel-Eirs initial product placement strategy in order to get the product into the minds of the target segment? Firstly, Tel-Eir will come up with an excellent slogan and product package. The packaging will be of paramount importance. The logo of the brand and the words used are no less important. The statement used in promoting the product should include the primary appeal of the package offering. Taking into account the age group of the target segment, Tel-Eir will promote the product through the following channels: Creation of an interactive website Brochures in existing technology shops and phone shops that sell all network carriers Potential customer email campaigns Social Media advertisement campaign Star Actor television advertisement Billboard advertising for viewing by this segment as they travel in day to day pursuits Attempt to get product used in a broadcast venture such as a soap opera or a feature film Give away a limited amount of the product to various organisations such as Written and Broadcast media for use in competitions and to colleges and schools again as possible competition prizes Attend trade fairs and extol the virtues of the product Attend third level college events and provide brand stretching items such as key fobs and perhaps some academic motivators such as rulers, paper, calculators and the like. Perhaps also give away tee shirts at such events. Also include product literature. What will the products key benefit be as promoted to the customer? A key benefit will be a ground breaking offer on Internet data allowance. Tel-Eir will offer all customers an never before seen amount of data for all users regardless of top up amount or bill pay tariff. Naturally the amount will be incrementally more the more a consumer spends. However even at the lowest spend, consumers should see an unequalled (in the market) amount of data being supplied. A key benefit will be the offering of free text (SMS) bundles. The higher a consumer pays the more free SMS messages they receive up to a maximum of completely free SMS messages. A key benefit will be Tel-Eirs competitive offers of new and recent handsets at either free or very low priced amounts. Tel-Eir will also offer an insurance incentive for handsets sold Tel-Eir will also allow all consumers to top up or pay bills online, at various pay points, by direct debit or over the phone using customer service What competitor will be closest to Tel-Eirs offering in the market? Both Vodafone and Meteor will resemble Tel-Eirs offering however it is believed that Tel-Eir will be able to supply an even better product offering that both of those competitors. What is the key difference between Tel-Eirs offering and the chief competitors? The intended key differences will be: Tel-Eir will offer more data allowance for similar prices Tel-Eir will offer free SMS (varying) amounts at ALL top up or bill pay levels Tel-Eir will offer handsets at lower prices than the competition. Positioning Statement Finally, Tel-Eir will pay particular attention to its selling statement for consumers. The statement will include the most important variables: It will clearly and effectively identify the target segment It will make the product offering effective, convincing, compelling and will be backed up by credible evidence It will reflect the target segments needs and locale It will be explainable in a very few words The positioning statement will take the format of: For (target segment or customer) who (a compelling reason to buy) our product is a (products placement) that provides (key benefit that directly addresses the compelling reason to buy), unlike (primary competitor of the same benefit) our product (key difference). (marsdd.com) Bibliography Book References Principles of Marketing, Kotler And Armstrong (2012), Pearson Prentice Hall, P110. Marketing Research: Measurement and Method, 7th edition, Donald S. Tull and Del I. Hawkins, (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993) Marketing Plans (6th edition), McDonald, Malcolm (2007), Oxford, England: Butterworth-Heinemann Marketing Research: A Decision-Making Approach, Malhotra, Naresha K. (2002), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Publication References Irish Independent Newspaper, 1st July 2014 edition, Business Technology Section, Independent News and Media 2014 Online References http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/PR10032016.pdf http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg1246.pdf. P22 et al https://www.siliconrepublic.com/comms/2015/07/02/id-is-irelands-latest-mobile-operator-and-its-out-soon. P17 18 http://www.atechnologysociety.co.uk/cloud-computing-future.html. (Chris Nickson 2013) http://www.phonearena.com/news/Did-you-know-that-Samsung-launched-the-first-solar-powered-cell-phone_id67493 (Nick T, 2015) http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/future-smartphone-features/. (M.Poe 2015) http://phys.org/news/2015-04-5g-wireless-technology.html. (Mark A. Gregory, 2015) http://www.gizmag.com/energy-harvesting-shoes/41796/. (Nick Levars, 2016) http://inner-active.com/2011/08/10/5-reasons-the-new-facebook-messenger-app-will-kill-sms-and-5-reasons-it-wont/ (Hillel Fuld 2011) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_research http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg1617a.pdf http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/why-texting-is-dying-out/441507/ https://www.brainmates.com.au/how-to/%E2%80%9Chow-to%E2%80%A6-%E2%80%9D-position-a-product https://www.marsdd.com/mars-library/positioning-creating-an-image-of-your-product-inyour-target-customers-mind/

The Quality of the Information in Recruitment Documents :: Business Management Studies

The Quality of the Information in Recruitment Documents I discussed HSBC’s key recruitment documents and came to the conclusion that the recruitment and selection process at the company was of the up most importance. I now plan to look at these documents in greater detail. Ø Job Description The main purpose of a job description at any company is to allow candidates to get a brief view of what the job entails. It also allows candidates to assess whether they think they would be suited in that particular job. Below is an example of a job description at HSBC: Role Title: Transfers and Settlements Administration (Job Number – 1.2.2.5) Location: Client Service Centre Reporting to: Client Administration Manager From looking at the above job description we can see that HSBC include: - What the title of the job will be - Where the job will be located - Who the employee should report to To include the title of the job is obviously an important part of any job description. It allows candidates to know what role they are applying for and if successful, the role they will take on. The location of the job is also important, as candidates need to know where to apply. Also if the candidate is successful they need to know whom they are reporting to and for this reason this information is also included in the job description. The job role title allows candidates to get an insight into the type of duties they will be required to carry out. For the particular job role in the job description above, employees will be expected to carry out the following: - Undertake stock transfers on behalf of HSBC clients with SFA regulations and strict internal and external service legal agreements - Undertake trade settlements and correction on behalf of HSBC clients within SFA regulations and strict internal and external service legal agreement - This requires employees to have effective communication skills in order to correspond with internal and external clients There is a section in the description that outlines the key tasks/outputs that the job will involve. These give the candidate a more detailed view of what is expected from them and allows them to make a more informed decision as to whether they think that the job is for them. This also gives candidates a sight into the background of HSBC and is usually very well detailed and presented. Ø Person Specification The person specification outlines what type of person is needed to carry out the job and specifies any skills or qualifications that they require. Is also details what qualities and competencies are needed.

Knarles & Barkley Essay

There are several things that have gone wrong in the case we were given to examine. Knarles had left his 17-year-old son Barkley to look after the Maryland based facilities maintenance business while Knarles attended a convention in Hawaii. The exact scope of the duties to be performed in Knarles’ absence was not given to the reader. Knarles and Barkley’s company had a roster of satisfied clients who they maintained a working relationship without the benefit of a signed renewal contract. Knarles had a professional relationship with his clients for a number of years, an express contract would not be considered unusual under these circumstances. Part of the services Knarles and Barkley (referred to hereafter as K & B) provided was a paid replacement of outdated and broken equipment that were part of a building heating system as well as the cosmetic maintenance required. In addition to his other duties, Barkley was responsible for renewing an employee’s license, whi ch was a feature of the plumber’s employment contract. His failure to do so resulted in having an unlicensed plumber on staff, which can affect future dealings with clients that require plumbing services for their buildings. Although Barkley was instructed by Knarles to take care of the licensing and gain experience in this area of building maintenance operations, I blame the plumber for not looking after his own interest and putting something as valuable as having a working license be the responsibility of someone else. A sensible employee would have negotiated the renewal fee to be reimbursed upon receiving an updated license. The state of Maryland, K & B’s home state, offers online renewal of application, which does seem complicated or time consuming. 1 Even though the plumber was licensed out of the District of Columbia, the WSSC will reciprocate a plumber’s license from D.C, Maryland and Virginia. During Knarles’ absence, Barkley was approached by Ian Chetum owner of a business in Virginia, to perform the facili ties maintenance on his establishment. K&Bs’ service had clients in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area and therefore Barkley sent Ian a standard agreement to which Ian signed and sent the appropriate fee to begin to receive services. A contract creates an agency that was implied from facts and circumstances. In this case Barkley was operating the business with his father. The problem here that although Barkley was acting as an agent for the maintenance company he was seventeen years old and both â€Å"parties to a contract must be legally capable of  entering into a contract. A minor, a lunatic, or the principal of an agent, not authorized to act in such a capacity is not responsible for debts contracted, therefore none of them could be parties to a contract.†2 No doubt Barkley grew up in the industry and appeared to Chetum to be a reasonable person giving the impression that he was capable of offering and accepting the contract. â€Å"In some cases, if the minor had purposely misrepresented his or her age, the minor may not be permitted to avoid the contract.†3 Our scenario seems to imply that offer and acceptance (although under doubtful terms) was met. The buyer (Chetum) promised to purchase all products (in this case a mixed sale of goods and services) it requires from the seller (K & B) and fulfilled his financial obligation by sending in an initial payment. A short time after the contract was signed; Chetum contacts K & B regarding one of his properties without heat. Barkley who is still in charge of the operations sends over his lapsed license plumber to look into the situation. The plumber immediately finds a House Warmer Boiler that was recalled due to a carbon monoxide venting failure. â€Å"..a product maybe defectively designed if it is found that it fails to perform safely according to ordinary consumer expectations.†4 While House Warmer is guilty of a defect in either manufacture or design, they did discover the defect and followed proper procedure for notifying purchasers and users. We are not told what steps House Warmer followed from there; but it was obvious to a trained plumber that the item was not in operat ing condition. At this point, the issue of who sold the boiler comes into play. The Restatement (Second) of Torts Section 402A indicates that a seller is ultimately responsible for a defective condition. The Restatement (Third) of Torts loosely translates to that when the boiler was sold with the manufacturing defect the strict liability falls on House Warmer. â€Å"An important component of product liability is that there occurred a sale of the defective product. As set forth in the UCC (2-106(i), a sale is defined as the passing of title from the seller to the buyer for a price.† 5 The case study indicates that the boiler was purchased at a salvage yard. The salvage yard â€Å"..who engages in buying or selling used products is generally not susceptible to strict liability because the chain of distribution has been broken.†6 In addition to the boiler being recalled, the plumber notices that the boiler was improperly installed, adding another potential hazard released by the  boiler. â€Å"However, where the product was already in a defective s tate before it reached the hands of the assembler or installer, courts differ as to their imposition of strict liability. Liability may turn on their ability to detect the defect during the assembly or installation.†7 What we have been told about Chetum’s penny-pinching habits, he may have had a non-licensed operator install this boiler to save a few dollars. The plumber immediately notifies Barkley of the situation who in turn notifies Chetum, who does not want to pay for a new working boiler and tells Barkley to have his plumber fix it no matter what. Obviously the contract between Chetum and K & B does not have an exculpatory clause that would relieve K & B from the continuation of negligence (carbon monoxide exposure in an apartment building). Barkley is showing his inexperience in this matter and could have easily sited UCC 2 – Sale of Services, claiming this situation is â€Å"†¦so one sided and detrimental to the interest of one of the parties that it operates to render the contract unenforceable.†8 The interest in this case refers to the excellent service K & B ha ve offered their clients over the years. Barkely, operating on the theory that the customer is always right, tells the plumber to continue to fix the boiler since that’s what the customer wants at this point in time. Barkley and the plumber (acting as his agent) are as guilty (negligent) of exposing those people to carbon monoxide poisoning as Chetum is. Even though Barkley is a minor, and isn’t well versed in every aspect of the maintenance building field, he should have trusted his plumber’s opinion and not ordered the plumber to complete the job. Barkley, acting as an agent to K& B and not standing behind his plumber’s opinion and ordering the plumber to put in a defective item, has put the company in a precarious position. A toxic tort is a tort caused by an individual’s contact with a toxic substance, which due to Chetum’s order and Barkley and his agent, the plumber are all responsible for continuing to expose the tenants to. Our poor plumber, following orders has repaired the boiler so it can continue for the rest of the winter, given to him by an underage boss. Nothing is indicated what the plumber had completed a work order form. A completion of work certificate would have a portion of the plumber’s opinion written down, claiming that the client was notified of the defective recalled boiler and completed the job to client’s wishes against his professional opinion. A completion certificate, â€Å"†¦is often relied on to  counter arguments raised later that, in fact, the job was not finished as promised or that the consumer was not satisfied with the work performed..†9 A signed completion of work certificate, although will not get K & B off the negligence charge, would possibly help a case further down the road, should Chetum claim he never knew about the condition of the boiler. At this point, I need to add my own diversity of citizenship issue to this case. I am not aware of the lease violation that occurred in this Virginia apartment complex, but in New Jersey, all leased apartments must have a carbon monoxide detector in them. The tenant is not allowed to remove the batteries unl ess to replace the batteries, but not allowed to disengage the working alarm, this is to allow the tenants to know that they are being exposed to a serious invisible chemical and seek not only medical attention but I am responsible for remedying the situation. I am not sure what Virginia’s position is on notifying tenants when a leak has been found, but I’m sure that they would consider the three parties (Chetum, K&B, and the plumber) all negligent. Knarles returns from Hawaii and at a business luncheon discussed with colleagues finds out about the Chetum incident that was reported in the local paper. Knarles and his colleagues Knarles makes a slanderous comment about Chetum during the luncheon, which is followed by other colleagues coming up with similar comments. Unfortunately, as this case begins to unravel, a seemingly immature comment may â€Å"†¦tend to harm the reputation of another as to lower him in the estimation of the community, or deter third persons from associating or dealing with him.†10 Knarles’ colleague Joe Stucko made a vapid comment that he could not validate about a HVAC system but shed some light on Chetum’s overall business dealings. After leaving the luncheon Barkley informs Knarles about the contract and the boiler. Knarles contacts Chetum tells him he wants to void the contract and refunds the initial payment minus work done by the plumber. Chetum at this point sues K& B; therefore mutual rescission was not met. Breaking the contract involves several issues in this case. As previously mentioned the contract was negotiated with an underage minor, who we are not sure if he had contractual powers while his father was away, could be one way to legally dissolve the contract. Chetum may claim that he was duped into believing the contract was valid since the external appearance of Barkley led him to believe that Barkley was a legitimate agent for the firm. Second,  the fact that Chetum, K & B, and the plumber are all negligent of carbon monoxide poisoning and that K & B wants to distance themselves from Chetum, might be a reason for breaking the contract, it should be noted that parties to an illegal contract (keeping the flow of carbon monoxide going in the apartment complex) are responsible for their actions and their actions during the contract may have no standing in court. Not having complete knowledge of Virginia’s public policy on carbon monoxide exposure in apartment complexes, a b reach of ethics is a concern. K & B’s actions, with the boiler repair/carbon monoxide poisoning, will no doubt hurt their fine reputation in the region for providing building maintenance that Knarles’ worked years to attain. It is possible that K & B may feel that continuing to service Chetum may require them to perform a future illegal act and they feel uncomfortable about doing future business with them based on the recent events. The last in the series of arguments on valid reasons K & B could present for breaking the contract is that Chetum prevented them from fulfilling their end of the bargain, which is to provide safe and reliable maintenance service. There are several courses of remedy that the courts may decide upon. If the courts decide to honor the contract then they have the option of choosing specific performance, if this is the case it would be based on the unique benefit Chetum receives and K & B need to fulfill the contract until it expires, however, it is doubtful that the courts wa nt to be involved in monitoring the decisions made by K & B and Chetum, given the original situation. A form of reformation, where perhaps it could be negotiated that K & B performs cosmetic maintenance on the properties and not handles the commercial maintenance. It is doubtful based on the personalities and the situation involved that either mediation or arbitration would conclude the problem. Some form of compensatory damages may have to be paid by K & B to have another service maintain the buildings until Chetum finds another service that would fulfill his requirements. Monetary damages based on the position breaking the contract put Chetum in might be considered. Naturally attorney fees will have to be paid until this situation is resolved if this was in the original contract.

Spirit Bound Chapter Twenty-Two

I DIDN'T TAKE THE GUY'S advice and tear off out of there, though I didn't exactly sit on the front step either. I lingered nearby in a cluster of cherry trees, figuring it would only be a matter of time before the assembly ended and people spilled out the doors. After several minutes passed and nothing happened, I flipped into Lissa's mind and discovered things were still in full force. Despite Tatiana declaring twice now that the session was over, people were still standing around and arguing in groups. Tasha was standing in one such group with Lissa and Adrian, making one of the impassioned speeches she was so good at. Tasha might not be as coldly calculating as Tatiana was when it came to political moves, but Tasha did have a keen sense of ripples in the system and recognized opportunities when they came. She was against the age-lowering decree. She was for teaching Moroi to fight. Neither of those was getting her very far, so she jumped on the next best thing: Lissa. â€Å"Why are we arguing among ourselves about how best to kill Strigoi when we can save them?† Tasha put one arm around Lissa and one around Adrian, drawing them both forward. Lissa still wore her serenely confident look, but Adrian looked ready to bolt if given half a chance. â€Å"Vasilisa–who, by the way, is indeed being denied her fair voice here, thanks to an archaic law–has shown that Strigoi can be brought back.† â€Å"That hasn't been proven,† exclaimed one man in the crowd. â€Å"Are you kidding?† asked a woman beside him. â€Å"My sister was with the group that brought him back. She says he's definitely a dhampir. He was even out in the sun!† Tasha nodded in approval at the woman. â€Å"I was there as well. And now we have two spirit users capable of doing this for other Strigoi.† As much as I respected Tasha, I wasn't entirely with her on this. The amount of power–not to mention effort involved in the staking–that Lissa had required with Dimitri had been staggering. It had even temporarily hurt the bond. That didn't mean she couldn't do it again. Nor did it mean she wouldn't want to again. She was just naively compassionate enough to throw herself into the line of fire to help others. But I knew the more power a spirit user wielded, the quicker they'd travel down the road to insanity. And Adrian†¦ well, he was almost a nonissue here. Even if he wanted to go staking Strigoi, he didn't have the kind of healing power it would take to restore one–at least not now. It's wasn't uncommon for Moroi to use their elements in different ways. Some fire users, like Christian, had skilled control of flame itself. Others could only use their magic to, say, warm the air in a room. Likewise, Lissa and Adrian had their strengths with spirit. His greatest healing triumph was mending a fracture, and she still couldn't walk dreams, no matter how much she practiced. So, really, Tasha had one spirit user capable of saving Strigoi, and that one could hardly transform legions of those monsters. Tasha did seem to recognize this a little. â€Å"The Council shouldn't be wasting time with age laws,† she continued. â€Å"We need to sink our resources into finding more spirit users and recruiting them to help save Strigoi.† She fixed her gaze on someone in the crowd. â€Å"Martin, didn't your brother get turned against his will? With enough work, we could bring him back to you. Alive. Just like you knew him. Otherwise, he's just going to get staked when guardians find him–and of course he'll be slaughtering innocents along the way.† Yeah, Tasha was good. She could paint a good image and nearly brought that Martin guy to tears. She didn't really mention people who'd turned Strigoi willingly. Lissa, still standing with her, wasn't sure how she felt about the idea of a Strigoi-saving spirit army, but she did recognize how this was all part of several other plans Tasha had–including one to get Lissa voting rights. Tasha played up Lissa's abilities and character, scoffing at what was clearly an outdated law from an era that never could have foreseen this situation. Tasha further pointed out that a full Council of twelve families would send a message to Strigoi everywhere about Moroi unity. I didn't want to hear any more. I'd let Tasha wield her political magic and talk more to Lissa later. I was still so agitated about what had happened when I'd yelled at the Council that I couldn't stand to see that room anymore. I left her mind and returned to my own, yelping when I saw a face right in front of mine. â€Å"Ambrose!† One of the best-looking dhampirs on the planet–after Dimitri, of course–flashed me a gleaming, movie-star smile. â€Å"You were so still, I thought maybe you were trying to be a dryad.† I blinked. â€Å"A what?† He gestured to the cherry trees. â€Å"Nature spirits. Beautiful women who become one with trees.† â€Å"I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not,† I said. â€Å"But it's good to see you again.† Ambrose was a true oddity in our culture: a male dhampir who had neither taken guardian vows nor run off to hide among humans. Female dhampirs often chose not to join the guardians in order to focus on raising families. That's why we were so rare. But men? They had no excuse, as far as most people were concerned. Rather than skulk off in disgrace, however, Ambrose had chosen to stay and simply work for the Moroi another way. He was essentially a servant–a high-class one who served drinks at elite parties and gave massages to royal women. He also, if rumors were true, served Tatiana in physical ways. That was so creepy, though, I promptly put it out of my mind. â€Å"You too,† he told me. â€Å"But if you aren't communing with nature, what are you doing?† â€Å"It's a long story. I kind of got thrown out of a Council meeting.† He looked impressed. â€Å"Literally thrown out?† â€Å"Dragged, I guess. I'm surprised I haven't seen you around,† I mused. â€Å"Of course, I've kind of been, um, distracted this last week.† â€Å"So I've heard,† he said, giving me a sympathetic look. â€Å"Although, I actually have been away. Just got back last night.† â€Å"Just in time for the fun,† I muttered. The guileless look on his face told me hadn't heard about the decree yet. â€Å"What are you doing now?† he asked. â€Å"This doesn't look like punishment. Did you finish your sentence?† â€Å"Something like that. I'm kind of waiting for someone now. Was just going to hang out in my room.† â€Å"Well, if you're killing time, why don't you come see Aunt Rhonda?† â€Å"Rhonda?† I scowled. â€Å"No offense, but your aunt didn't really impress me with her abilities last time.† â€Å"None taken,† he said cheerfully. â€Å"But she's been wondering about you. And Vasilisa. So, if you're just hanging around†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. He was right that I had nothing better to do right now. I was stuck on options with both Dimitri and the Council's idiotic resolutions. Yet Rhonda–his fortune-telling Moroi aunt–wasn't someone I really wanted to see again. Despite my glib words, the truth was that in retrospect, some of Rhonda's predictions had come true. I just didn't like what they'd been. â€Å"Fine,† I said, trying to look bored. â€Å"Make it fast.† He smiled again, like he could see through my ruse, and led me off to a building I'd been to once before. It housed a luxurious salon and spa frequented by royal Moroi. Lissa and I had had our nails done there, and as Ambrose and I wound our way through it to Rhonda's lair, I felt a strange pang within me. Manicures and pedicures†¦ they seemed like the most trivial things in the world. But on that day, they'd been wonderful. Lissa and I had laughed and grown closer†¦ just before the school was attacked and everything fell apart†¦. Rhonda told fortunes in a back room that was far from the busy spa. Despite the seedy feel of it, she did a pretty brisk business and even had her own receptionist. Or, well, she used to. This time, the desk was empty, and Ambrose led me straight through to Rhonda's room. It looked exactly the same as before, like being inside a heart. Everything was red: the wallpaper, the decorations, and the cushions covering the floor. Rhonda herself sat on the floor, eating a cup of yogurt, which seemed terribly ordinary for someone who allegedly wielded mystical powers. Curly black hair cascaded around her shoulders, making the large gold hoops in her ears gleam. â€Å"Rose Hathaway,† she said happily, setting the yogurt aside. â€Å"What a nice surprise.† â€Å"Shouldn't you have seen me coming?† I asked dryly. Her lips twitched with amusement. â€Å"That's not my power.† â€Å"Sorry to interrupt your dinner,† Ambrose said, gracefully folding his muscled body as he sat down. â€Å"But Rose isn't easy to catch hold of.† â€Å"I imagine not,† she said. â€Å"I'm impressed you got her to come at all. What can I do for you today, Rose?† I shrugged and sank down beside Ambrose. â€Å"I don't know. I'm only here because Ambrose talked me into it.† â€Å"She didn't think your last reading was very good,† he said. â€Å"Hey!† I shot him a chastising look. â€Å"That's not exactly what I said.† Last time, Lissa and Dimitri had been with me. Rhonda's tarot cards had shown Lissa crowned with power and light–no surprise. Rhonda had said Dimitri would lose what he valued most, and he had: his soul. And me? Rhonda had bluntly told me that I'd kill the undead. I'd scoffed at that, knowing I had a lifetime of Strigoi-killing ahead of me. Now I wondered if â€Å"undead† meant the Strigoi part of Dimitri. Even if I hadn't driven the stake, I'd certainly played a major role. â€Å"Maybe another reading would help the other one make more sense?† she offered. My mind was putting together another fraud psychic joke, which was why it was so astonishing when my mouth said, â€Å"That's the problem. The other one did make sense. I'm afraid†¦ I'm afraid of what else the cards will show.† â€Å"The cards don't make the future,† she said gently. â€Å"If something's meant to be, it'll be, regardless of whether you see it here. And even then†¦ well, the future is always changing. If we had no choices, there'd be no point in living.† â€Å"See now,† I said flippantly, â€Å"that's the kind of vague gypsy response I was hoping for.† â€Å"Roma,† she corrected. â€Å"Not gypsy.† Despite my snark, she still seemed to be in a good mood. Easygoing attitudes must have run in their family. â€Å"Do you want the cards or not?† Did I? She was right about one thing–the future would unfold with or without me seeing it in the cards. And even if the cards showed it, I probably wouldn't understand it until afterward. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"Just for fun. I mean, last time was probably a lucky guess.† Rhonda rolled her eyes but said nothing as she began shuffling her tarot deck. She did it with such precision that the cards seemed to move themselves. When she finally stopped, she handed the deck to me to cut. I did, and she put it back together. â€Å"We did three cards before,† she said. â€Å"We've got time to do more if you'd like. Five, perhaps?† â€Å"The more there are, the more likely it is that anything can get explained.† â€Å"If you don't believe in them, then it shouldn't be an issue.† â€Å"Okay, then. Five.† She grew serious as she flipped out the cards, her eyes carefully studying them. Two of the cards had come out upside down. I didn't take that as a good sign. Last time, I'd learned that it made seemingly happy cards†¦ well, not so happy. The first one was one the Two of Cups, showing a man and a woman together in a grassy, flower-filled field while the sun shone above them. Naturally, it was upside down. â€Å"Cups are tied to emotions,† Rhonda explained. â€Å"The Two of Cups shows a union, a perfect love and blossoming of joyous emotions. But since it's inverted–â€Å" â€Å"You know what?† I interrupted. â€Å"I think I'm getting the hang of this. You can skip that one. I have a good idea what it means.† It might as well have been Dimitri and me on that card, the cup empty and full of heartache†¦. I really didn't want to hear Rhonda analyze what was already tearing my heart up. So she went on to the next one: the Queen of Swords, also upside down. â€Å"Cards like this refer to specific people,† Rhonda told me. The Queen of Swords looked very imperious, with auburn hair and silver robes. â€Å"The Queen of Swords is clever. She thrives on knowledge, can outwit her enemies, and is ambitious.† I sighed. â€Å"But upside down†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Upside down,† said Rhonda, â€Å"all of those traits get twisted. She's still smart, still trying to get her way†¦ but she's doing it through insincere ways. There's a lot of hostility and deception here. I'd say you have an enemy.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, eyeing the crown. â€Å"I think I can guess who. I just called her a sanctimonious bitch.† Rhonda didn't comment and moved on to the next one. It was facing the right way, but I kind of wished it wasn't. It had a whole bunch of swords stuck in the ground and a woman tied and blindfolded to one. Eight of Swords. â€Å"Oh, come on,† I exclaimed. â€Å"What is it with me and swords? You gave me one this depressing last time.† It had shown a woman weeping in front of a wall of swords. â€Å"That was the Nine of Swords,† she agreed. â€Å"It could always be worse.† â€Å"I have a hard time believing that.† She picked up the rest of the deck and scanned through it, finally pulling out one card. The Ten of Swords. â€Å"You could have drawn this.† It showed a dead guy lying on the ground with a bunch of swords driven through him. â€Å"Point taken,† I said. Ambrose chuckled beside me. â€Å"What's the nine mean?† â€Å"The nine is being trapped. Unable to get out of a situation. It can also mean slander or accusation. Summoning courage to escape something.† I glanced back at the queen, thinking of the things I'd said in the Council room. Those would definitely count as accusations. And being trapped? Well, there was always the possibility of a lifetime of paperwork†¦ I sighed. â€Å"Okay, what's the next one?† It was the best-looking one in the bunch, the Six of Swords. It had a bunch of people in a boat, rowing off over moonlit water. â€Å"A journey,† she said. â€Å"I was just on a journey. A few of them.† I eyed her suspiciously. â€Å"Man, this isn't, like, some kind of a spiritual journey is it?† Ambrose laughed again. â€Å"Rose, I wish you'd get tarot readings every day.† Rhonda ignored him. â€Å"If it were in cups, maybe. But swords are tangible. Action. A true, out-and-about journey.† Where on earth would I go? Did it mean I was traveling to the Academy like Tatiana had suggested? Or was it possible that, in spite of all my rule breaking and calling her royal highness names, I might actually get an assignment after all? One away from Court? â€Å"You could be looking for something. It may be a physical journey combined with a spiritual journey,† she said, which sounded like a total way to cover her ass. â€Å"This last one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her eyebrows knitted into a frown at the fifth card. â€Å"This is hidden from me.† I peered at it. â€Å"The Page of Cups. Seems pretty obvious. It's a page with, um, cups.† â€Å"Usually I have a clear vision†¦. The cards speak to me in how they connect. This one's not clear.† â€Å"The only thing that's not clear is whether it's a girl or a boy.† The person on the card looked young but had hair and an androgynous face that made the gender impossible to determine. The blue tights and tunic didn't help, though the sunny field in the background seemed promising. â€Å"It can be either,† Rhonda said. â€Å"It's the lowest in rank of the cards that represent people in each suit: King, Queen, Knight, and then Page. Whoever the page is, it's someone trustworthy and creative. Optimistic. It could mean someone who goes on the journey with you–or maybe the reason for your journey.† Whatever optimism or truth I'd had in the cards pretty much disappeared with that. Given that she'd just said about a hundred things it could be, I didn't really consider it authoritative. Usually, she noticed my skepticism, but her attention was still on the card as she frowned. â€Å"But I just can't tell†¦. There's a cloud around it. Why? It doesn't make sense.† Something about her confusion sent a chill down my spine. I always told myself this was fake, but if she'd been making it all up†¦ well, wouldn't she have made something up about the Page of Cups? She wasn't putting on a very convincing act if this last card was making her question herself. The thought that maybe there was some mystical force out there blocking her sobered up my cynical attitude. With a sigh, she looked up at last. â€Å"Sorry that's all I can tell you. Did the rest help?† I scanned the cards. Heartache. An enemy. Accusations. Entrapment. Travel. â€Å"Some of it tells me things I already know. The rest leaves me with more questions.† She smiled knowingly. â€Å"That's how it usually is.† I thanked her for the reading, secretly glad I didn't have to pay for it. Ambrose walked me out, and I tried to shake off the mood Rhonda's fortune had left me in. I had enough problems in my life without letting a bunch of stupid cards bother me. â€Å"You going to be okay?† he asked when we finally emerged. The sun was climbing higher. The Royal Court would be going to bed soon, ending what had been a turbulent day. â€Å"I†¦ I wouldn't have brought you if I'd known how much it would upset you.† â€Å"No, no,† I said. â€Å"It's not the cards. Not exactly. There's a bunch of other things going on†¦ one you should probably know about.† I hadn't wanted to bring up the decree when we'd first run into each other, but as a dhampir, he had a right to hear about what had happened. His face was perfectly still as I spoke, save for his dark brown eyes, which grew wider while the story progressed. â€Å"There's some mistake,† he said at last. â€Å"They wouldn't do that. They wouldn't do that to sixteen-year-olds.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I didn't think so either, but they were apparently serious enough about it to throw me out when I, um, questioned it.† â€Å"I can just imagine your ‘questioning.' All this'll do is make more dhampirs drop out of the guardians†¦ unless, of course, being that young makes them more open for brainwashing.† â€Å"Kind of a sensitive area for you, huh?† I asked. After all, he too was a guardian drop-out. He shook his head. â€Å"Staying in this society was nearly impossible for me. If any of those kids do decide to drop out, they won't have the powerful friends I did. They'll be outcasts. That's all this'll do. Either kill off teens or cut them off from their own people.† I wondered what powerful friends he'd had, but this was hardly the time to learn his life history. â€Å"Well, that royal bitch doesn't seem to care.† The thoughtful, distracted look in his eyes suddenly sharpened. â€Å"Don't call her that,† he warned with a glare. â€Å"This isn't her fault.† Whoa. Cue surprise. I'd almost never seen sexy, charismatic Ambrose be anything but friendly. â€Å"Of course it's her fault! She's the supreme ruler of the Moroi, remember?† His scowl deepened. â€Å"The Council voted too. Not her alone.† â€Å"Yeah, but she voted in support of this decree. She swayed the vote.† â€Å"There must have been a reason. You don't know her like I do. She wouldn't want this kind of thing.† I started to ask if he was out of his mind but paused when I remembered his relationship with the queen. Those romantic rumors made me queasy, but if they were true, I supposed he might have legitimate concern for her. I also decided it was probably best that I didn't know her the way he did. The bite marks on his neck certainly indicated some sort of intimate activity. â€Å"Whatever's going on between you is your business,† I told him calmly, â€Å"but she's used it to trick you into thinking she's someone she isn't. She did it to me too, and I fell for it. It's all a scam.† â€Å"I don't believe it,† he said, still stone-faced. â€Å"As queen, she's put into all sorts of tough situations. There must be more to it–she'll change the decree, I'm certain of it.† â€Å"As queen,† I said, imitating his tone, â€Å"she should have the ability to–â€Å" My words fell off as a voice spoke in my head. Lissa's. Rose, you're going to want to see this. But you have to promise not to cause any trouble. Lissa flashed a location to me, along with a sense of urgency. Ambrose's hard look shifted to one of concern. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"I–yeah. Lissa needs me.† I sighed. â€Å"Look, I don't want us to fight, okay? Obviously we've each got different views of the situation†¦ but I think we both agree on the same key point.† â€Å"That kids shouldn't be sent off to die? Yeah, we can agree on that.† We smiled tentatively at each other, and the anger between us diffused. â€Å"I'll talk to her, Rose. I'll find out the real story and let you know, okay?† â€Å"Okay.† I had a hard time believing anyone could really have a heart-to-heart with Tatiana, but again, there might be more to their relationship than I realized. â€Å"Thanks. It was good seeing you.† â€Å"You too. Now go–go to Lissa.† I needed no further urging. Along with the sense of urgency, Lissa had passed one other message through the bond that sent my feet flying: It's about Dimitri.