Business Strategic Information System Azure Group †Free Samples

The report research deals with the analysis of the organizational structure, operational issues associated with it. The report also reflects on the system acquisition method of the organization. The development and adoption of the accounting software packages are discussed in the assignment (Sanusi, 2015). The market for the Azure Group is been discussed in the report. Azure Group is a chartered accounting firm that has been successful in adapting to the demands of the market along with the introduction of new statistics of business in order to meet the lifecycle of business requirements of its clients. Azure Group has been having the experience of rapid growth in a very short duration of time. The company has been dealing with the innovative and entrepreneurial business reflecting the company's passion for the success of the company (Akhtar & Mittail, 2014). Azure Group is a company that has been offering both commercial and technical accounting services. The company identified the growing requirement for the commercial advice from the highly experienced CFOs. This company was one among the original organizations that initiated the Virtual CFO service that offer to the SME market. The company went forward for the establishment of a professional network for the CFOs through CFO Australia. The Azure Group QLD further went forward to expand the operations into QLD's Gold Coast to support the increasing needs of the clients on the East Coast. The company also has operations in Shanghai, china which has made business in the cross border for its clients. The Azure Group Wealth was also introduced to offer Wealth solutions for the high net worth of the company and the clients in the business (Amrollahi, Ghapanchi & Najaftorkaman, 2014). Organizational structure followed by Azure Group is flat organizational structure. A flat organizational structure is a structure in which the most middle management levels and the functions of the middle management levels have been eliminated. This brings the top management in direct contact with the sales people, who are in the frontline, employees on the shop floor, and customers. In spite of the breadth, the benefit of using the flat organizational structure by Azure Group are many including the faster response time to the preference of the customer and changing conditions (Bernaoui, Issolah & Hassoun, 2015). The managed domains that are provided by Azure Group support only a flat Organizational structure. All the domains in the accounting software package reside in a single flat organizational structure of Azure. The hierarchical organizational structure is not supported by the domain of Azure Group. The domains service of accounting software package by Azure Group support the G roup Policy in the form of GPO which is built in for the computer containers and the users (Boonstra, 2013). The GP cannot be targeted by the organizational structure; the users cannot create custom GPOs or perform WMI filtering. The organizational structure of Azure Group helps in creating logical structure. One can use it for assigning policies of the group and the management of the resources. The flat organizational structure of Azure Group provides many advantages. However, the flat structure of the organization also leads to certain problems and issues in the operations of the company. There always is a probability for the management to lose control over the operations easily. This structure is very much suitable for the business operations in start-ups. When a company of massive scale has flat organizational structure, like Azure group, the whole system of operation can be threatened when the ratio of the employees to managers become out of proportion (Chatterjee, Kar & Kar, 2013). The management will not be able to have easy control when there are fewer people to control the unrequited behaviour and fewer individuals for the backup or support on the decisions made by the management of Azure Group. The working relationship of the individuals working in Azure Group could struggle. The managers may have to deal with managing too many people every day. The manager may als o find it difficult to connect on a personal level with the employees, which is important in maintaining trust and as the foundation of employees’ accountability and responsibility for the work and the company as a whole. This could pose a major threat on the morale and respect issue of the organization on all authority levels. Having a flat organizational structure can give rise to a power struggle in the Azure Group. Under this flat organizational structure, most of the time the employees lack a specific higher authority to report (Chatterjee, Kar & Kar, 2013). This is mostly prominent n the case when the CEO is not around. This leads to power struggles and confusion among the employees in the management. The flat organizational structure of Azure Group can make employee retention very challenging. Well performing employees who are in constant search for an improvement in the profile of the company, other than the raise in their salary, would find it difficult to find satis faction in the job under a flat organizational structure. These employees may end up searching job somewhere else where they believe that their efforts would be appreciated with a raise and promotion (Hernà ¡ndez, Santos & Gallardo, 2015). The flat organizational structure may also hinder the growth of the company. Change is crucial and has a lot of apprehensions. The management of Azure Group might think and decide against innovative opportunities with a renewed effort in the direction to maintain the organizational structure that may result in limiting the growth of the company in long term. In the flat organizational structure, unhealthy competition among the employees can lead to less motivation and add up to the confusion (Jin, et al., 2014). The most likely system acquisition method for Azure Group would be custom developed software. This system acquisition method is suitable for the company as the processing requirements of Azure Group are specific to the organization and the company has its own application software developed specifically.   As the Azure Group has programmers that it has employed along with the analysts and have set up an internal information technology group of its own, the custom developed software is suitable for the company. Azure Group could use the services of a software house or computer bureau for its assistance, which is insignificant for the company as it is a large scale. Azure Group already is having a full time developed team (Jin, et al., 2014). The company has to acquire the resultant software which is the custom developed software as it exactly suits to the requirement of the company, just as a tailor made suit is appropriate for the purchaser. Azure Group can derive the benefits of th e using a custom developed system acquisition software. This can include the resultant program that would exactly meet the processing requirements of the company. Azure Group is a large scale company having a flat organizational structure. Costs are not a matter for the company and thus, custom software for the system acquisition method is most appropriate for Azure Group (Jin, et al., 2014). The flowchart of sales procedure ( as shown in Appendix I) is an integral part of selling the product of Azure Group. The sale is the initiation of an engagement between the vendor and the customer or the extension of the engagement in the completion of the prospective stage. The provider of the goods or services through the salesperson completes sales in the response to an appropriation or to a request or an acquisition (Osman, El Beltagi & Hardaker, 2015). Then the passing of title of the product, the application along with the due settlement of the price, the obligation arising due to the requirement of the seller to pass the ownership is followed. The issues or problems in this system of the company would include threats regarding the security of the data of the company. The threat of hacking and other vulnerability regarding the theft of eth company’s confidential data and other information regarding the employees can be an issue to the system utilised by the company (Piepenburg, Archambault & Joergensen, 2015). The development and adoption of accounting system package are necessary as a complete realization of the advantages of the computerized accounting systems by Azure Group along with the technical support is critical. The Internet is the backbone across all the telecommunications installations due to which adoption of accounting software packages is necessary. The human resource also has to undertake numerous functions in every department of computer centres and accounting, training, and technical skills are considered very important that should be available for the staff. The lack of accounting software package would affect the field of designing, usage, development of information technology and accounting systems (Ren, et al., 2015). Human resource is the primary element that illustrates effectiveness and efficiency of operating the computerized accounting software package. It is important that the accounting software package has implications on the workforce at the human resource level. Azure Group has diverse benefits in using technology-based innovation like computerized accounting system adoption. Adopting and developing computerized accounting software package enhances the efficiency of the company through faster and cheaper product and service as well as operations development (Salleh, et al., 2015). The current market size for the accounting software includes Europe, China, USA, and Japan including other regions. With reference to the companies that have adopted and developed accounting software package, it is observed that the distribution has changed over the last 10 years. The market size also keeps changing from country to country. The current market size for the accounting software packages is about 65% of the market share. However, market share is a subjective measure. Every company can depict the specific market as varying from the other companies (Sanusi, 2015). The tax and audit service have been a dependable revenue source for the accounting software package over past years, as the demand for these services does not depend on the economic conditions. Accounting software package has also expanded the advisory services by incorporation of new technology such as cloud and data analytics services. The leaders in the accounting software package industry in the Australian market are Intuit, Xero, and MYOB. The competition for the supremacy in the accounting software market is prominent in the huge market. Every business requires keeping a hold on its track regarding its accounts which these companies make very easily in a simple way. These companies know the ways to remove the requirement for the book keepers and allow the business to facilitate a decision regarding cash flow and invoicing management on the operations. These companies are jostling for the share in the market. Adoption of accounting software in the Australian market is occurring at a very fast pace (Wali, Sadq & Rasheed, 2016). Many businesses in Australia are adopting accounting software so as to minimize the tedious paperwork that is often accompanied by errors of commission and omission, costly and time wasting. These companies face challenges due to their department not being autonomous units. In order to have a competitive edge in the market, these companies have their accounting departments entrusted with the collection, processing, and maintenance of online accounting. These companies also put in efforts regarding reconciling the accounting reports from other departments and deal with the incompatible formats and duplications. The approach of Information-centric security is been inculcated in order to control the security and data in the cloud in order to gain competitive advantage (Sanusi, 2015). The current gaps or challenges that are faced by the users or customers using accounting software packages are the lack of security, weak reporting service, lack of efficiency, outdated and lack of accuracy, lack of features, high cost, Difficult to customize and not user-friendly. The software users get worried regarding the security of the data as the foreign parties access them. Some solutions regarding accounting software are powerless in assisting the users who desire of getting the business data out (Sanusi, 2015). Users get disappointed with the fact that it is easy to put in data and impossible to get the data out. Some of the accounting software is not user-friendly (Ren, et al., 2015). They also restrict the users from using their keyboard completely. The companies should focus on the updating of the accounting software. The details regarding the software should be accurate, the system needs to be fast and errors must be checked. New features must be added for making the software more user-friendly (Salleh, et al., 2015). The report reflects the prominence of accounting software packages in business organizations in the competitive environment. Accounting software has gone through a prominent history of development since the invention of information technology. The large accounting software companies of Australia compete in the market characterized by continuously developing small and medium sized business. Strategies including information-centric security, authentication measures, and predicate cryptography should be acquired to deal with the threats security that is associated with the accounting software. Akhtar, M. and Mittail, R.K., 2014. Strategic flexibility information system flexibility and enterprise performance management.  Organizational Flexibility and Competitiveness, Flexible Systems Management, pp.41-51. Amrollahi, A., Ghapanchi, A.H. and Najaftorkaman, M., 2014, December. A Generic Framework for Developing Strategic Information System Plans: Insights from Past Three Decades. In  PACIS  (p. 332). Bernaoui, R., Issolah, R. and Hassoun, M., 2015. Strategic issues of a value-added information system for higher education in Algeria.  Perspectives of Innovations, Economics and Business, PIEB,  15(1), pp.57-66. Boonstra, A., 2013. How do top managers support strategic information system projects and why do they sometimes withhold this support?.  International Journal of Project Management,  31(4), pp.498-512. Chatterjee, K., Kar, M.B. and Kar, S., 2013, August. Strategic Decisions Using Intuitionistic Fuzzy Vikor Method for Information System (IS) Outsourcing. In  Computational and Business Intelligence (ISCBI), 2013 International Symposium on  (pp. 123-126). IEEE. Farantos, G.I. and Koutsoukis, N.S., 2016. Strategic Information Systems Planning Of Public Sector In Economic Crisis: An Integrated Framework.  European Scientific Journal, ESJ,  12(19). Hernà ¡ndez, O., Santos, M. and Gallardo, S., 2015. SGE: Information System for Strategic Planning Management Applied to an Electric Utility. In  Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering and Computer Science  (Vol. 1). Jin, P.J., Walker, A., Cebelak, M., Walton, C.M. and Nassar, E., 2014. Strategic environmental sensor station (ESS) location determination method based on weather-related crash data for road weather information system (RWIS). In  93rd TRB Annual Meeting. Kandjani, H., Mohtarami, A., Taghva, M.R. and Andargoli, A.E., 2014. Classification and comparison of strategic information systems planning methodologies: a conceptual framework.  International Journal of Enterprise Information Systems (IJEIS),  10(1), pp.1-10. Melitski, J. and Manoharan, A., 2014. Strategic Information System Plans in Nations Around the World.  International Journal of Public Administration,  37(12), pp.846-855. Osman, E., El Beltagi, I.M. and Hardaker, G., 2015. The Impact of Leadership Orientation on Strategic Information System Planning Processes, with an Application to Libyan Organizations.  Information Technology for Development,  21(4), pp.601-627. Piepenburg, D., Archambault, P. and Joergensen, L.L., 2015. PANABIO-a strategic approach to large-scale data integration analysis and modelling by means of a geo-referenced information system for predicting the response of benthic biota to environmental change in Arctic seas. Ren, G., Huang, Z., Lu, L., Hua, J. and Wang, J., 2015. Method of generating strategic guidance information for driving evacuation flows to approach safety-based system optimal dynamic flows: Case study of a large stadium.  Journal of Systems Science and Complexity,  28(3), pp.606-622. Salleh, S.M., Kassim, E.S., Sari, N.A.M. and Yunus, N.A.M., 2015. Conceptualizing User Bonding on Strategic Information System Development Success.  Advanced Science Letters,  21(6), pp.2024-2027. Sanusi, A., 2015. Strategic Alignment Model between Information System and Technology Strategy, Empowerment and Good Governance on Managerial Performance (Study of Private Universities KOPERTIS Region II in South Sumatera). Wali, A.I., Sadq, Z.M. and Rasheed, J.S., 2016. The Role of Strategic Information System Characteristics on Customer Service Quality (An Empirical Study at Soran and Sardam Private Hospitals in Iraqi Kurdistan Region Erbil City).  International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies (IJHCS)? ISSN 2356-5926,  3(2), pp.1778-1790.

Business to Businees Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business to Businees Marketing - Essay Example Even those firms which aspire to international reach for their products are hampered by poor infrastructure and really unnecessary problems on the way. Additionally there are government regulations which have not reacted to changing technological environments as rapidly as they should. Partly this may be due to political compulsions especially in developing countries which impede quick decisions and action. There are developing countries which could be serious players in the B2B scenario but are not cost competitive enough. It can be stated that the world is in the midst of an all-purpose technological revolution based on electronic business technology, defined here as e commerce, software related trading techniques, and software related supply chain equipment. The macroeconomic benefits of the electronic business technology revolution are already apparent in some economies, especially the United States and United Kingdom. Historical experience has shown that such revolutions have often been accompanied by financial booms and busts, and the electronic business technology revolution has been no exception. But, while spending on electronic business technology goods is likely to remain stable in the immediate future, as past overinvestment unwinds, the longer-term benefits for the global economy are likely to continue, or even accelerate, in the years to come. While technological change is an ongoing process, there are periods during which technological progress is especially rapid, resulting in new products and falling prices of existing products that have widespread uses in the rest of the economy. Such periods are generally identified with electronic business technology revolutions. Earlier examples include textiles production and steam power in the industrial revolution, railroads in the nineteenth century, and electricity in the early twentieth century (the automobile could also be included, but its development was relatively gradual).

Discussion Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

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Arts Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arts Paper - Essay Example The painting of The Last Supper is originally painted on the backside wall of the dinning hall at the Dominician Convent of Stella Maria delle Grazie in Italy. There arise certain questions regarding the lightening, types of furniture used, and the seating arrangements. The historical fact and the Holy Bible clearly says that the supper was given on an evening. But in contradiction Leonardo has used daylight effect at the window which appears at the back end of the painted scene. In those days the type of tables used for dining were not straight on the other hand here Leonardo has painted a straight table where all the members could be seen. Leonardo seemed to have had a very brilliant notion while painting. He has given the daylight effect only to emphasize on the meaning of the painting and to focus on the members who were seated along with Jesus Christ at the centre. If he had used a round type or other rectangle type of table he would have failed to bring into focus the other disciples. If Leonardo had chosen night time effect he would have been unsuccessful in giving a full shape to the scenic background. The light effect is an additional success of the painting. It is very simple to understand, the light effect is the centre of attention for the painting. Otherwise the implication would have been fallen short of success. We could see and identify all the characters who attended the Last Supper with Christ and moreover the type of food served is also brought into focus, wine and bread. The one painting has a strong historical background. It was the last supper and so ha has painted at the end wall of the building, and the striking feature is that it will appear as if Christ and his disciples are sitting in reality in the same hall and since he had chosen the end of the hall it has the look of continuity as if the hall has an extension. The type of paint used by Leonardo was also a different attempt. He attempted â€Å"tempera†, a sort of paint that

History and background of medical tourism

History and background of medical tourism CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The practice of travelling abroad to obtain medical and health care services is called as medical tourism. The benefits of medical tourism are getting widely popular among people because people are getting aware about the benefits of medical tourism like the lower cost of the medical procedures and can enjoy their holiday in a exotic location during the recovery period. This outsourcing for health care is grown as a new trend and many American and European tourists prefer medical tourism for cosmetic and medical procedures. The countries which are lack of advanced medical procedures leads the people living there to fly abroad to get appropriate medical services. The practice of travelling abroad is a trend which developed from the ancient period and there is a long history of people travelling to other countries for health purposes. In Italy and throughout the Roman provinces, the Ancient Romans constructed resorts with thermal health spas, and the Ancient Greeks would travel to [on the Saronic Gulf] to visit the sanctuary of the healing god, Asklepios, who revealed remedies to them in their dreams (Bookman and Bookman 2007: 4-5). From the 15th to 17th centuries, the poor sanitary conditions in Europe prompted an interest by the rich in medicinal spas, mineral springs and the seaside for health purposes. These wealthy individuals would also travel to renowned medical schools for medical assistance (Swarbrooke and Horner 2007: 16, 33). This continued into the 18th and 19th centuries where spa towns, particularly in the south of France, became popular for health cures, the sun, and escaping the cold climatic conditions in the north of Europe (Holden 2006: 21-23). The rapid urbanisation and social change experienced during Industrialisation aggravated the unsanitary and poor living environments in Britain and some sections of Europe, with anti-urban values and a growing concern for health developing as a result (Holden 2006: 30). The formation of the railways allowed increasing and diverse flows of people to more distant seaside and coastal resorts, which provided a distinctive and escapist environment from urban isation, and the opportunity to practice what was viewed as a healthy pastime of sun-seeking (Holden 2006: 30; Swarbrooke and Horner 2007: 16,33) Spa tourism and sun-seeking persisted into the 20th century. Medicinal springs, spas, Beaches and resorts, particularly in warm and dry climates, continued to be considered therapeutic through long exposures to the sun, fresh air and water (Swarbrooke and Horner 2007: 33).Thus it is easy to understand that the health tourism has developed from the ancient age with myths and beliefs and as cure from natural resources to the current stage of various medical and surgical procedures and cosmetic therapies and for alternative therapies like yoga, naturopathy and ayurvedic medicine. Michael Moody (2007) indicates that the medical tourism trend began when residents of one country would go to another country to have cosmetic or dental procedures completed while on vacation or to recover from such procedures in a vacation like destination. Today, countries like India, the East Indies, South America and South East Asia offer treatment facilities at par with international standards at just a fraction of cost. The factors such as high cost of healthcare in developed countries, long waiting list in government medical facilities and the reduction of air fare are the majority of reasons which contributed for the growth of the medical tourism. The hospitals in India, the East Indies, South American countries and South East Asia offer a high quality medical care which is par with international standards in very cheap money compared to developed nations. India is one of worlds favorite tourist destinations and has many hospitals of international standard and English speaking staffs and therefore there are less chances of language barrier for the western patients. India has alternative therapies like Yoga naturopathy siddha and ayurvedic medical practices. One of the recent survey conducted in India on the healthcare indicates that the medical tourism in India will grow to US $ 125 to 250 million in the year 2012.(CII McKinsey study).The low cost and high standard treatment and care are the reasons which accelerates the medical tourism in India. The following example will illustrate about the economical as well as tourist benefits of medical tourism in India. Howard Staab, a self-employed carpenter from North Carolina, flew to India for his medically necessary heart surgery, scheduled a side trip to the TajMahal, and returned home to work in North Carolina. He spent a total of less than $10,000, instead of the $200,000 required from t he local hospital ( Milstein and Smith 2006).This indicates that India has patients for procedures like heart surgery which requires state of art facilities and highly skilled medical team. Other than that it also shows the money difference when compared with developed nations. Kerala like any other states in India also has lot of potential to be a market leader in medical tourism. Kerala often described as Gods own countryis one of the favorite tourist destinations in India. The geography of Kerala is embellished with lush green coconut groves, scenic beaches, tranquil backwaters and enriched culture. There is a pride of place in the field of medicine for this Indian state and medical tourism is the new facet of Kerala. Medical tourism is very popular in some states of India and this study focuses on a city of Kerala state. Kerala is considered one of the most favorite tourist destinations in India because of its beaches, hills, lagoons, backwaters and enriched culture. This state has tremendous potential to boom its medical tourism and the tourism industry is promoting itself with several ayurvedic and health packages. This study focuses on the trends of medical tourism in the city of Trivandrum which is located on the southernmost state of India called Kerala. This city is the current capital of the state of Kerala and it is known for its scenic beauties and beaches.This city also has several international standard hospitals and traditional ayurvedic resorts and clinics. Objective of the Research Study The principle aim of this study was to investigate and critically analyse the recent trends in the medical tourism in the Trivandrum, the southernmost city of India. This study also analyses the behavior of the medical tourist and their expectations in the services provided by the hospital or the clinic and the tourist operators or agencies. This study also focuses to address the a gap that exists in similar study conducted before. The aim was to address the gap between available literature and demand for further research on the subject by adopting a clearly defined and structured research design, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Find the factors that drive Medical Tourism in Trivandrum Analyse the issues which determine success of medical tourism in Trivandrum Identify the problems faced by Medical Tourism in Trivandrum Make suitable suggestions for improvement of Medical Tourism in Trivandrum Rationales The first and foremost reason for choosing the topic of the study is to lay out before the readers the state of the Indian medical tourism sector at a moment in time when it is in great flux. Moreover the author was working in one such hospital which was market leader in medical tourism in the city of Trivandrum. The medical tourism sector is believed to be a great boon of economical growth in Kerala and therefore by doing a study at this particular time may give readers awareness about the situation challenges and scopes. Other than that medical tourism it is an area of interest of the author as he wants to analyse the trends and issues involved in the medical tourism industry in Trivandrum city. The purpose of this research note is to outline some of the challenges and opportunities ahead, as health tourism finds its prominence in the practical and conceptual domains of tourism. Further there are predictions for Trivandrum city to flourish with medical tourism in next five to ten y ears and it is right time to analyse the challenges and scopes ahead. Structure of the study This study explores the trends of medical tourism in Trivandrum city and the issues around it. The need for further research on the topic has been established with carrying out a secondary research followed by primary research and by comparing evaluating the primary and secondary research. According to McDaniels carrying out exploratory research will gave the researcher clarification to understand the magnitude of topic area and thereby permitted a clearer and stronger perception of the environment and the situation which arise within it. (McDaniels, 2001). CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW The medical tourism has an advantage of providing cost effective medical care collaborating with the health care industry and with the travelling industry to the patients who need medical treatment in a location different to their home town. Thus medical tourism occurs with the combination of healthcare services and tourism and travel domain. The facts that led the growth of the medical tourism are the availability cheap and high quality medical care in one geographical location and existence of long queue of patients for medical procedure and high prices of medical care in one geographical region. The outcome of these factors is the growth of medical tourism resulting in people moving to another geographical location for health care. DEFINITION The term medical tourism is a term coined in recent period but the practise seems to exist from ancient period and the trends in medical tourism have changed with the time. The health tourist travel to their favourite destination for different medical and surgical procedures, cosmetic surgeries, alternative medicine, and spas and health resorts. The considerations and risk for different procedures vary accordingly. The medical tourism has gained social, economical and political interest but it has gained scant attention in tourism literature generally. Bookman and Bookman (2007) define medical tourism as travel with the aim of improving ones health, and also an economic activity that entails trade in services and represents the splicing of at least two sectors: medicine and tourism. The health tourism is seen as means of leisure oriented and stress relief as many people opt for sun and spas. Although there is no single definition for health tourism, it could be broadly defined as people traveling from their place of residence for health reasons (Ross 2001). Several demographic, economic, and lifestyle factors are driving such tourism (Handszuh and Waters 1997; Ross, 2001). Bennett et al. (2004: 123) acknowledge a liberal definition of health tourism would be any pleasure-orientated tourism which involves an element of stress relief, meaning it is an enjoyable and relaxing activity Pollock and Williams (2000: 165), Laws (1996 in Henderson 2004: 112) and tries to see the health tourism with the view that it is a separation between the ordinary and the extraordinary; the everyday world of work and home versus the combination of health and tourism in leisure, recreational and educational activities. Then Schofield has a view that health tourism is a means to achieve improvement in physical, mental and social well being. (Schofield 2004: 137). The above all definitions try to define health tourism as a means to escape from every day routine and improve stress free healthful life. Henderson (2004: 113) insists that health tourism as travel where the primary purpose is treatment in pursuit of better health that may involve hedonistic indulgences of spas and alternative therapies, while medical tourism incorporates health screening, hospitalization, and surgical operations. Ross (2001) after analysing various factors and literature tries to define health tourism as any kind of tourism that involves a person or his family member for the purpose of wellbeing and he considers that health tourism mainly focuses on two main domains as pampering and wellness. Pampering are services like massage, herbal wraps and exfoliating scrubs whereas wellness involves with improving physical and mental state and sometime it may involve with the treatment. MEDICAL TOURISM AND ITS TRENDS The concept of medical tourism have undergone many changes in recent times and there is a change in the trends like people from developed countries moving to developing countries for medical procedures for the difference in the cost. The global medical standards and regulations have been implemented in different countries and this in turn raises the number of people seeking cost advantage and best treatment in their preferred destination. The market of medical tourism depends on awareness and application of significant issues such as social diversities, consumer benefits, branding of products, legal frame work infrastructure, target markets, the actual product and communication channels (Dannell Mugumba).Therefore it is understood that the people from developed countries choose their destination after analysing various features and therefore there exist high competition between the countries to promote medical tourism. The one more key component in this medical tourism is the medical concierge services. These are medical travel companies that provide service to the traveller and they act as a link between tourist and the destination (Lagiewski, 2007).They have a vital role in the tourist experience from planning, stay, and post stages of the trip. The medical travel guide meets the tourist at the airport and he is the local agent who works as interpreter, guide and assists the tourist to stay in communication with his loved ones in his home. (Smith and Forgione, 2007). According to Connell (2006) the ability to the countries to ensure the medical tourist that healthcare is of safe quality is a vital factor and this will be the main barrier for a destination to promote itself as most favourite destination In order to combat this concern, international accrediting agencies are in the process of certifying the quality and safety of global healthcare delivery. The tourist decides to engage in medical tourism on the basis of five a factor identified by Lagieweskii.Her study identifies the first and foremost as the alternative healthcare facility to their countrys facility which should be of high standard and at affordable cost. This factor is the main factor and when the tourist is satisfied with first factor the next will be cost of treatment and travel of great importance. The tourist may seek other country because of the e big waiting list in their home country. There may be some reasons like remote destination for tourist for certain cosmetic proced ures. The nature of the country is also an important factor because tourist seeks a country free from risk factors associated with safety, security and actability. ( Lagiewski,2007). The country trying to make itself as most preferred destination for medical tourism it should emphasize on the fact that its overall appeal and the experiences offered to the other competing destinations. (Dwyer and Kim 2003).Dwyer and Kim insists that the destination should have the competitive advantage to become successful in the medical tourism industry. According to Dwyer and Kim the existence of two type of resource group may lead to achieve competitive advantage. They are the endowed resources and created resources. Endowed resources are natural heritage and cultural attributes to a specific destination and created resources are services associated with the tourist such as accommodation, food and beverage establishments, and manmade attraction. There can be created resources such as special events entertainment and shopping which adds extra value to he destination. There can be supporting factors such as general infrastructure; quality of service; accessibility of the destinat ion; hospitality of the host population; and market ties. Growth has been facilitated by the rise of the Internet, and the emergence of new companies, that are not health specialists, but brokers between international patients and hospital networks. It has also grown because of rapidly improving health care systems in some key countries, where new technologies have been adopted. Above all it has followed the deliberate marketing of health care (in association with tourism) as medical care has gradually moved away from the public sector to the private sector, ensuring that a growing majority of people, especially in the richest countries, and particularly in the United States, must pay-often considerably-for health care Finally, the factors like growth in medical tourism is done by the changing life style where people are ready to undergo cosmetic surgery, involving such elective procedures as rhinoplasty, liposuction, breast enhancement or reduction, LASIK eye surgery and so on, or more simply the removal of tattoos, have created new demands. Various forms of dental surgery, especially cosmetic dental surgery, are not covered by insurance in countries like the UK and Australia; hence dental tourism has become particularly common. In Asia these trends are the unlikely child of new global realities: the fallout of terrorism, the Asian economic downturn, internet access to price information, and the globalisation of health services (Levett, 2005) India and medical tourism India is a country of rich culture and heritage and one of the most favorite destinations for tourism. It is one of the existing oldest civilizations in the world for a period of more than 4000 years and it has fusion of traditions, customs and diversity. (myindia).The survey conducted by lonely planet about the worlds favourite tourist destination among 134 countries ranks India as one among the worlds top 5 tourist destination.(lonelyplanet) There are similar surveys and rankings for India as National Geographic describes India as Land of mystery and majesty. The company i explore also ranks India as one of the tp 5 destinations in world. The Forbes traveller states India as one the fast growing travel markets. (ICRImedical tourism) A number of destinations within India developed as havens for rest and recuperation such as hill stations at Darjeeling and the lakes in Kashmir where during the colonial era members of British era would retreat for cool breeze and a change of scenery. Late during the 19th century people began travelling India in search of alternative life style often focusing on yoga or meditation and following the footsteps of celebrities. India is building on these traditions as a wellness destination by a developing expertise in medical tourism (Garcia Altes 2005: conell 2006a). The main marketing segments for medical tourism in India are patients from USA and European and middle east nations, while growing niche is formed by Indian expatriates ,particularly those live in USA and the UK.(Conell 2006), who combine medical treatment with visits to family and friends. Medical tourism as a niche has emerged from the rapid growth of what has become an industry, where people travel often long distances to overseas countries to obtain medical, dental and surgical care while simultaneously being holidaymakers, in a more conventional sense. It has grown dramatically in recent years primarily because of the high costs of treatment in rich world countries, long waiting lists (for what is not always seen institutionally as priority surgery), the relative affordability of international air travel and favorable economic exchange rates, and the ageing of the often affluent post-war baby-boom generation. Growth has been facilitated by the rise of the Internet, and the emergence of new companies, that are not health specialists, but brokers between international patients and hospital networks. It has also grown because of rapidly improving health care systems in some key countries, where new technologies have been adopted. Above all it has followed the delibera te marketing of health care (in association with tourism) as medical care has gradually moved away from the public sector to the private sector, ensuring that a growing majority of people, especially in the richest countries, and particularly in the United States, must pay-often considerably-for health care Medical tourism is an important part of the Indian tourism industry and holds immense growth potential. The medical tourism sector had experienced a phenomenal growth in the flow of medical tourists from10,000 patients in 2000 to stupendous 180,000 by 2005. (Source: RNCOS report on Indian Tourism Industry Forecast (2007-2011) The Indian government takes meticulous steps in promoting medical tourism and it tries to increase the growth of foreign medical tourist by providing medical visas called M visas. These M visas are valid for one year and it is issued for the accompanies and Indian ministry of tourism has stocked its 13 overseas offices with information regarding these visas.( Meleigy) In 2002,2.2 million foreigners visited India :those numbers increased by 20 percent the following year(Mathew 2004).The tourist literature produced by the Indian government portrays India as a country rooted in tradition and also sufficiently modern to offer western style amenities (Bandyoupdhay and Morais 2005) A study by McKinsey and Confederation of Indian Industry says that at its current pace of growth, healthcare tourism alone can rake over 8,000 crore additional revenue by 2012.(cii mckinsey study) There are several states in India and the private hospitals in India target for the medical tourist other than the home patients. The southern state of Kerala which is very rich in culture and heritage and ancient medical practice like Ayurvediac ,Siddha and Yoga leads in attracting the foreign tourist for medical health and leisure tourism. Kerala Kerala is a bizarre anomaly among developing nations, a place that offers real hope for the future of the Third World. Consider: This small state in India, though not much larger than Maryland, has a population as big as Californias and a per capita annual income of less than $300. But its infant mortality rate is low, its literacy rate among the highest on Earth, and its birthrate below Americas and falling faster. Keralas citizens live nearly as long as Americans or Europeans. Though mostly a land of paddy-covered plains, statistically Kerala stands out as the Mount Everest of social development; theres truly no place like it. The National Geographic Traveler, which once made Kerala the cynosure of all eyes in the world travel circuit by describing it as one of the 50 paradises in the world. (National Geographic) Kerala is one of the most visited tourists destination of India. It is globally famous for its enchanting tourists attractions that are off beat than any other tourists places in the world. Every year hundred and thousands of tourists from all over the world come to Kerala to enjoy holidays in splendor. The state is endowed with palm fringed beaches, verdant hill stations, captivating beaches, emerald paddy fields, historical churches and more of all picturesque backwaters. This makes the marketing medical tourism easier in Kerala. Accreditation of health centers The quality of the medical care is the first and foremost factor considered by the medical tourist. According to the medical tourism association the accreditation is the means of way to attain safety and overall positive results to the patients who travel from one country to another for treatment purposes. The medical tourist can look into the accreditation to ensure the safety of the treatment in the hospital. The accreditation program is very essential to help patients, employers and insurance companies who can look into the accreditation status and thereby can find the hospitals with highest quality of care during their entire patient experience. The medical tourism industry grows day by day and therefore there is a necessity to ensure that hospitals, clinic and rehabilitation centers entering medical tourism posses proper infrastructure to meet the medical tourist. There is a need to certify that the center has proper communication facilities, transparency in quality and pricing, informed consent, proper medical care and further follow up facilities. The accreditation is focused on the fact that international patients have special needs and requirements than domestic patients. The accreditation is usually given by bodies which may by government or non government with the panel of expert members to examine and find whether the organization meets the requirements.(medical tourism association) The accreditation to the allopathic medical practice in Trivandrum is provided by the international accreditation bodies such as Joint Commission International (JCI), ISO 9001 2000 etc. Other than the international bodies Trivandrum city has hospitals certified by NABH, a board set up by government of India. (See appendix).These are the major accreditations of medical service in India. The ayurvedic practice is the unique specialty and most popular medical practice in India and they have accreditation done by Body set up by Government of Kerala as Green leaf and Olive leaf and green leaf is the highest degree of accreditation and its followed by olive leaf and these accreditation ensures the quality of ayurvedic treatment in Kerala. (expresshealthcare) Ayurvedic tourism in Kerala Kerala is usually marketed as a health destination for its ayurveda packages. Medical tourism is marketed along with ayurveda and other health packages. Kerala ayurveda tourism has becoming a huge selling point for Kerala tourism industry. State promotes Kerala ayurveda tourism as a part of medical tourism to the world. Today popularity of Kerala ayurvedic treatment has gained such a momentum that tourist from across the world come to Kerala to rejuvenate and for therapeutic treatment. Ayurvedic medical practice is the most ancient medical system originated in India before 10,000 years ago and in India the ayurvedic practice is more popular in kerala where it is practiced in traditional way. As per ayurveda specialists, the rainy season (June August) is the best time for ayurvedic treatments as the atmosphere remains dust free and cool, which helps open the pores of the body to the maximum.(Messerli and Oyama 2004) Ayurveda believes in the treatment of not just the affected part, but the individual as a whole. Kerala ayurvedic treatments and rejuvenation therapies are natural way to refresh and eliminate all toxic imbalances from the body and to regain resistance and good health. Most of the ayurvedictherapies help to strengthening the immune system, preventing and curing diseases without any side effects. There are number of resorts and hospitals throughout state which are integral parts of Kerala ayurveda tourism and offering customized ayurveda holiday packages which help you to rejuvenate the body and soul and to start a fresh life. Kerala ayurveda provides number of treatments ranging from de-stressing, anti-ageing, weight loss, joint pains and general rejuvenation. Elements of medical tourism in Trivandrm Review of similar studies.

Loyalty and Sacrifice in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays

John Steinbeck was born in 1902, in California's Salinas Valley, a region that would eventually serve as the setting for Of Mice and Men, as well as many of his other works. He studied literature and writing at Stanford University. He then moved to New York City and worked as a laborer and journalist for five years, until he completed his first novel in 1929, Cup of Gold. With the publication of Tortilla Flat in 1935, Steinbeck achieved fame and became a popular author. He wrote many novels about the California laboring class. Two of his more famous novels included Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck got the title for Of Mice and Men from a line of Robert Burns, a Scottish poet, â€Å"The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck includes the theme of loyalty and sacrifice between friends. Steinbeck illustrates the loyalty and sacrifice between friends through the friendship of Lennie and George. The issue of loyalty is embodied in the character of George. He is an intelligent man who could make a successful living for himself on his own. He chooses to stay beside his friend Lennie. George can never get a steady job to fulfill his long-term goal of having his own farm. The first job that Lennie and George have together goes well for a while. Eventually Lennie ruins everything that is going good for them. Lennie sees a pretty dress that a girl is wearing. Without thinking about what he is doing, he goes up and grabs the dress to feel the nice fabric. This scares the girl and she tells the boss. Soon the whole town is after Lennie. This is the perfect time for George to start a new life, without Lennie. However, because of his loyalty to Lennie, he chooses to help Lennie escape from the town. Lennie needs George to survive. It is this that propels George to make the sacrifice that he does. After Lennie kills Curley’s wife, George knows that this is the end for Lennie. No matter what, someone will eventually kill Lennie. And if Lennie gets away this time, there will be another time, and eventually the inevitable will happen. He truly loves Lennie, so he shoots Lennie painlessly in the back of the head. Lennie dies with the happy thought of the dream of the farm they want to own some day.

In Milton’s paradise lost Essay

Aristotle’s tragic hero has certain characteristics which can be applied to Oedipus the King and Milton’s Satan. Aristotle states that a tragic hero can be classified as a person that falls from the state of being happy to one of misery because of his own mistake. This can be seen in both Oedipus and Satan, since they are miserable as a result of their own doing. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero must fall through his or her own error, or hamartia. This term is also interpreted as â€Å"tragic flaw†, usually applied to overwhelming pride, or hubris, which causes fatal error. Satan and Oedipus show that they have hubris and this is probably one of the main contributing factors for their fall. Although, the main characteristic of the tragic hero, as stated by Aristotle, is their ability to make the reader or audience to empathize with them, he wants there to be a sense of fear and mistrust because of their devious nature. In Milton’s Paradise Lost, Satan, one of the main characters in the story, exhibits all the qualities of a tragic hero. He has fallen, literally and figuratively, from grace. Once one of God’s more powerful angels in heaven, Satan questions God’s power and forms an alliance to overthrow Him. Satan’s army fights diligently only to have God â€Å"†¦ cast him out from Heaven, With all his host of rebel angels†¦ † (Paradise Lost, Book1, Line 37). Book One of Paradise Lost describes Satan being cast out of Heaven and down to Hell. This is consistent with Aristotle’s criteria for the tragic hero, â€Å"†¦ suffering a change in fortune from happiness to misery because of a mistaken act†¦ † Satan also possesses hubris; pride or overwhelming self-confidence. â€Å"Here we may reign secure, and in my choice; To reign is to worth ambition, though in Hell; Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. † (line 261) Here, Satan has so much pride that he would rather rule in Hell than serve God in Heaven. This shows that Satan possesses hubris, which is, as described by Aristotle, â€Å"†¦ pride or overwhelming self-confidence†. Satan’s character as a tragic hero emerges further in later books. Book Four of Paradise Lost is a good example. It begins with Satan’s only soliloquy of the epic. As he awakes in Hell, he stares up at the sun and begins to speak; â€Å"Oh Sun! to tell thee how I hate thy beams, That bring to my remembrance from what state I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere; Till pride and worse ambition threw me down† (Book IV, line 37-40) As he sees the sun, he remembers how high he was in heaven until his pride and ambition brought him down. This is a very important quote as it satisfies the criteria for Aristotle’s description of a tragic hero. It highlights the character â€Å"suffering a change in fortune†¦ because of a mistaken act†¦ † Also, hubris is once again revealed as Satan states that his pride and ambition threw him down. This example is even more profound because it comes directly from the character. Milton is also successful in portraying this super-human character as one with humanistic qualities. This allows the reader to relate to the character, which satisfies yet another criteria for Aristotle’s tragic hero, â€Å"†¦ we recognize similar possibilities of error in our less and fallible selves. † Satan’s human qualities are magnified in his soliloquy as he even contemplates begging for forgiveness. â€Å"Is there no place left for repentance, none for pardon left? † (Book IV, Line 79-80) As Satan contemplates repentance, he decides against it, as he is afraid of the shame that he might draw from his followers, â€Å"My dread of shame Among the Spirits beneath,Whom I seduced with other promises Boasting I could subdue The Omnipotent†. (Line 83-86) Since he has boasted that he can defeat God, Satan now shows fear and doubt as he realises that he really cannot fulfill his promises. Milton reveals a different side to Satan. He depicts a character that shows remorse and shame, and, someone who fears disgrace. The common person can identify with these human characteristics; this allows the reader to evoke some amount of sympathy for Satan as they now see him in a helpless situation; fighting a losing battle for fear of disgracing his followers. This emphasizes Aristotle’s description of recognising â€Å"†¦ similar possibilities of error in our less and fallible selves. † In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the tragic hero and fits Aristotle’s description almost exactly. Aristotle states that a character should reveal goodness in terms of moral judgment and choices that he makes. Oedipus has compassion for his subjects and seeks the truth to end their suffering, and, continuously strives to be a saviour to the people. When the priests of Thebes approach Oedipus, who is pleading on the behalf of his people who are suffering from famine and death, he agrees. He says that he will do what he can to solve the situation, â€Å"bring everything to light†. Although Oedipus does have some admirable qualities, being the tragic hero, he too possesses hubris. Oedipus’s tragic flaw is that he is stubborn, impulsive, and pretentious. When Oedipus does a self evaluation his talents, beauty, and his own achievements blind him. These traits are similar to Satan who also has hubris, a flaw that leads to his defeat. Another reason for Oedipus’ brutal demise is his lack of judgment and impulsive actions. These attributes are humanistic qualities that the reader can relate to, yet still question. When he leaves Corinth, he meets an entourage on the way to Thebes. There, the ‘leader’ of the horse-drawn carriage orders him ‘out of the way’. Oedipus’ impulsiveness drives him to kill everyone in the entourage; this leads to him being crowned King, where he ultimately suffers. It can be argued that both Oedipus and Satan are tragic heroes according to Aristotle’s definition. However, a question arises; were Oedipus and Satan acting on their own free will or were they destined to do so. According to Christian theology, it is said that God foresees everything that will happen in life. This leads many to speculate that Satan suffers, not because he chooses to, but because he is chosen to. This is another reason why the reader can empathize with Satan because God knows of his betrayal. The same can be said for Oedipus, who has no free will; it is under the control of the Gods. When he is born, Apollo’s oracle predicts that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. This foretelling leads Oedipus’ parents to abandon him on the mountain-side and leave him to die. However, fate intervenes and Oedipus soon finds himself adopted by the King and Queen of Corinth. When he finds out that the King and Queen are not his natural parents, Oedipus leaves Corinth, solves the Sphinx’s riddle, and becomes the successor of King Laius as the King of Thebes. When the gods could ‘no longer brok in silence the affront of Oedipus’s unwitting sins’, they punish the city by sending plague and famine upon the city. When approached by the priests, Oedipus could only promise them his help, which starts the chain of events, eventually leading him to discover his sins and his subsequent downfall. When Oedipus solves the riddle of the Sphinx, he could not have known that he would end up marrying his own mother. When Oedipus meets King Laius, he is unaware as to who killed his father. Eventually, he sets out to find the truth, as the oracle prophesizes. He does the best he could as a ruler, son and husband but is still played out in the end. Therefore, Oedipus is seen as a tragic hero and is comparable to Satan who also has no freewill. The fate or God knew that the actions were going to occur and had the power to stop it. Satan and Oedipus are tragic heroes according to Aristotle. They have characteristics that make them suite their role as a tragic hero. Aristotle said that tragic heroes should suffer a fall of fortune through a mistake of their own. Both Satan and Oedipus suffer this fate. Aristotle also states that a tragic hero will is led by hamartia which is hubris. â€Å"Till pride and worse ambition threw me down† (Milton) this line was spoken by Satan who openly admits that he is proud and ambitious. â€Å"Twit me with that wherein my greatness lies† Milton, John. Paradise Lost Sophocles. Oedipus The King http://www. planetpapers. com/Assets/3330. php.

Promote Equality and Inclusion in Children’s and Young People’s Settings Essay

The importance of diversity in an early years setting is that children need to have their own sense of identity and have a sense of pride in themselves and their cultures. Equality This means to treat everyone fairly and equally. Children should be treated as individuals, equally and fairly. Sometimes treating children equally, you have to treat them differently. All children should be valued for their individuality and offered any support they may need. Everyone should be treated with the care, consideration and respect that they have a right to and given the same opportunities to learn and achieve as others. Inclusion This mean to include everyone and meet the individual’s needs. It is a human right for every individual. Everyone counts and differences should be valued, respected and celebrated. Inclusion involves identifying barriers that prevent people from taking part, being involved and fitting in. Knowledge is needed to understand these barriers which can only then be broken down. It is everyone’s responsibility to remove these barriers. It involves making sure that all support systems are available in order for everyone to participate fully. The importance of having equality and inclusion in a setting is so the child does not have poor self-esteem or lack of respect or confidence. The child should not feel as though they are being stereo-typed which could make the child aggressive towards others and prevent the child from interacting. The child should believe in themselves and behave in accordance with others expectations. Equality Act 2010 is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and in wider society. Participation Every child matters, whether they have a different culture, race, gender or if they have a disability, all children have equality of learning and to participate to allow them to grow and meet their full potential. Discrimination Discrimination is a preconceived attitude towards members of a particular group formed only upon the basis of their membership of that group that leads to less favourable or bad treatment of that person. Discrimination could be direct or indirect. Direct discrimination is when a person is treated differently to other people when they are in the same circumstances and indirect is when discrimination is done un-intently. Potential effects may include: Causing upset Affecting an individual’s self-esteem Causing stress Individuals feeling isolated Affecting individuals’ hopes and expectations Creating tensions Leading to stereotyping Leading to labelling Producing prejudices The types of discrimination are:- Racial discrimination This is a belief that some races are superior then others based on the false idea that skin colour may make people better than others. Institutional racism This describes any kind of system of inequality based on race. It can occur in institutions such as public government bodies, private business corporations and universities. Disability discrimination Disability discrimination is about being denied equality of opportunity with their non-disabled peers because of their disabilities or impairments. Sex Discrimination People of one gender reinforce the stereotype that they are superior to the other gender. Discrimination is generally based on either prejudice or stereotypes. Prejudice means to prejudice people based on assumptions and stereotype refers to forming an instant or fixed picture of a group of people, usually based on false or incomplete information. By being discriminated can cause a lifelong effect on a child. They could feel shy and lack in confidence which can then stop them from fulfilling the full potential.