antilegalization of Marijuana essays

antilegalization of Marijuana essays Dear Congressman, I am honored to be writing to you on such a significant topic of national concern. Average citizens are annoyed and just plain fatigued with the drugs and crime problems in America. These upright citizens, that contribute to the growth of American society, are being told that legalization is a reasonable alternative to dealing with these problems in their communities. Legalization of any drug is not a positive way to fight crime. In fact, there is no legitimate reason to legalize drugs. The Legalization of marijuana is the starting point of the pro-legalization of drugs movement. The issue of legalizing marijuana is truly a controversial one, and certainly one that requires a plethora of considerations at the top levels of the legislative branch. When considering the possibility of legalizing marijuana as a recreational drug, there are a number of concerns that come to mind. Is marijuana physically harmful to the user? Is marijuana an addictive drug? Does the use of marijuana lead to dependency situations? Does it act as "gateway" to more hazardous drugs? Does the notion of legalizing marijuana send an immoral, wrong message to the youth of America? Mr. Congressman, the answer to all these questions is YES. According to the DEA (1998), the supreme ruler of drug knowledge in America, there are over 10,0...

Online Marketing Challenge

Online Marketing Challenge Executive Summary The analysis of online marketing challenge is aimed at improving the performance of a hotel in the competitive Australian industry. In this case, the Managing director of the hotel needs to understand means of optimizing the internet marketing to improve the performance of the hotel.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Online Marketing Challenge specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The challenge of online marketing necessitates the use of online resources and approaches to increase the number of audience to the hotel’s site. As a result, it would increase the number of sales as well as the company generating revenue through some online activities. Introduction Online marketing refers to the advertising and promotion products and services through the Web or e-mail in order to increase the sales or information about the content. Most organizations conduct online marketing using e-commerce models that a re designed to reach their targeted clients. The common internet approaches adopted include web advertising, email marketing, and social media promotion. Due to competition, organizations attempt to create appealing and captivating sites, which offer the best adverts for their products. This is attributed to the placement of organizations to a common platform in the internet irrespective of the sizes. In addition, the utilization of online marketing enables an organization to market its products to a wider customer base at cheaper rates (Demiray 2011, p.48). Although there are many benefits associated with online marketing, there are critical issues that organizations should consider before exploring the marketing strategy. Internet marketing Primarily, the hotel has to identify its targeted consumers before launching online marketing. Such an understanding is vital based on the products or services that one intends to offer. Various factors such as gender, age, educational level, d isposable income, and occupation of clients influence the nature of marketing to be designed. When such issues have been addressed, it is crucial to identify the appropriate sites and sections where the adverts should be placed. In most cases, the expenditure cost and objectives of the hotel influence the choice.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the common issues to be considered include volume of traffic, quality of existing ads, page ranking of the sites and presence of rivals (Janal 2011, p.96). Consequently, the hotel would be forced to design its adverts appropriately using the appropriate keywords. Once the hotel has identified the best sites and nature of advertising to conduct, it is critical to determine the type of internet marketing to adopt. The common types of internet marketing include Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Search Engine Optimization (SOE), and Search Engine Results Page (SERP). SEM refers to the means of improving the traffic to the web based on the ads of the products. This method aims at addressing the needs of customers as well as provision of information on how to acquire the products. SEO involves the use of appropriate words that optimize the ranking of web pages in search engines. In this case, it improves the chances of internet users visiting the site due to its ranking. SERP entails the appearance of the web pages when a search engine query is inserted. This implies that when the appropriate keywords are used the site will appear in frequently compared to the other pages (Johnson 2010, p.3). These issues will assist the hotel in developing ads that would suit the needs of the people as well as choice of sites that have high traffic. Core areas of online marketing Online marketing demands the understanding of the core issues such as keyword analysis, content marketing, email marketing, search marketing , and affiliate marketing. Keyword analysis is the use of appropriate keywords that internet users utilize in most cases while using search engines. This implies that the hotel should search for popular words in order to attract traffic and convert it to sales. Content marketing involves the organization of appealing information to captivate the attention of audience. The content is vital in providing useful information to the audience, which attracts them to revisit and assess other available services. E-mail marketing is the use of messages to communicate with customers when they provide their emails to the hotel (Labbà © 2011, p.26). In essence, the hotel should maintain emails of its clients in the database for consistent communication with clients on the new updates and products that it offers. Search marketing involves the marketing of products through opportunities that exist in the search engines. Affiliate marketing is the use of other sites to advertise the products in or der to market the services of the hotel.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Online Marketing Challenge specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Following the understanding of the appropriate method to adopt in online marketing, the hotel should decide on the means of increasing the number of audience visiting the site. In this regard, the hotel ought to utilize the AIDA concepts to enhance the information that users can access from the site. AIDA involves the creation of content that attracts attention, interest, desire, and action. For this reason, the audience would be able to undertake some initiatives of conducting sales or acquiring products from the site. On the other hand, the hotel should be able to analyze the traffic capacity of its site and improve on the performance of the site (Levinson Rubin 2010, p.122). Consequently, the site would be able to attract the users as the hotel utilizes other means of advertising s uch as banner ads, pop ups and links from other sites. Online marketing resources The use of online marketing necessitates the hotel to use vital online resources. The main online resources include aMember, Digg, Feedburner, Flickr, Google Adsense, Google Adwords among others. aMember is a plugin that enables sites to integrate PHP for users to undertake online payments through provision of authorization and privacy of the website. In most cases, users have to subscribe with the site to enjoy the services. Digg is a resource that offers the hotel with a chance to provide their news to the community. In essence, it enables the hotel’s sites to post its articles in the internet with the most recent articles appearing at the top of the list. This enables the users to access further information in the hotel’s site through the links offered. Feedburner offers free statistics for the number of visitors in a site as well as a chance to subscribe for free emails and articles. Flickr is a resource that enables the hotel to upload and share photos, which improves the presentation of information to the audience (Sheehan 2010, p.146). Google AdSense is a resource that enables web publishers to advertise and market their products. Google offers the publishers payments for posting ads in the sites. For this reason, the hotel can earn some revenue through publishing ads in its sites. On the other hand, Google AdWords provided advertisers a chance to offer their products through provision of their ads with distinct keywords.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The advertisers usually pay when their ads are clicked, and for this reason, it creates an opportunity for the hotel to increase its profits by offering such services. These vital resources should be incorporated while the means of payment such as PayPal and Moneybookers are integrated in the sites. As a result, the hotel would make money through the services it offers in its site as well as sales made through acquisition of its services or products (Scott 2007, p.104). Conclusion Online marketing is a vital concept that entails multiple variables to exhaust and achieve the desired needs of the hotel. Based on this situation, the hotel should adequately prepare resources to invest in the program to realize the full potential. Moreover, the hotel should understand the nature of risks attributable to the hotel such as privacy and security of the site. Such issues offer consumers power to interact with services offered in the site. Furthermore, it ensures that the consumers are sensiti zed on the activities that are involved in the enhancement of service delivery within the hotel. Recommendations Blogging forms a crucial component of internet marketing since the hotel can present its information or issues in a casual manner. In this regard, the products of the hotel can be covered in depth with respect to the interests of the consumers. Furthermore, the hotel has the ability to assess the response of the consumers since they can present their comments (Sudhaman 2004, p.2). For this reason, interactivity between the hotel and its consumers is enhanced leading to effective way of understanding customers’ behaviors and preference. This issue leads to the presentation of products or services that suit the needs of the clients. Meanwhile, the hotel should adopt internet services such as auto-respondent, call to action and cannibalization. Auto-respondent services enable the hotel to respond instantly to the needs of clients as a cycle of activity of the site. Th e call-to-action is a technique that would allow consumers to take an appropriate action based on the nature of the site, which increases the level of sales (Loda 2011, p.33). At the same time, cannibalization would allow the hotel to utilize the sites of other companies to source for clients or customers. As a result, the number of customers visiting the site would increase leading to the expansion of client base, which improves the profitability of the hotel. The use of social sites for marketing also plays a crucial role in internet marketing. The growth and expansion of technology has enabled many people to interact and share through social sites. Some of the common sites that have contributed to creation of partnership, friendship, and associates include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Hi5 among others (Scott 2007, p.85). In this case, the hotel should exploit these avenues to access customers and create a good rapport with them to enhance sales. In most cases, the social sites al low users to create pages that market their products as well as connection with vital human resource for the growth of the hotel. Essentially, the hotel could adopt the social sites to create awareness of their site amongst the social site users, which improves the traffic to their site due to ability to offer their link in the social sites. When internet users visit the website of the hotel, it is possible to offer them a chance to present their views and remarks. Most of the common types of user-generated content that users can offer include product reviews, comments of the websites and forum entries. The User-Generated Content enables the hotel to increase interaction with the audience as well as market effectively their products. At the same time, the hotel has the ability to review the content of the site to create appealing image of the hotel through use of SEO. The use of User-Generated content can be integrated with blogs, photos and video, which improves the quality of info rmation received by the audience. Some of the main hotels that have exploited the User-Generated Content include TripAdvisor, Goodreads, Allrecipes and Craiglist. Following these crucial services of the site, the hotel can improve the nature of its services or products being offered in the market (Grossnickle Raskin 2010, p.145). References Demiray, U. 2011. Marketing online education programs frameworks for promotion and communication. Information Science Reference, Hershey PA. Grossnickle, J., Raskin, O. 2010. Handbook of online marketing research. McGraw-Hill, New York. Janal, D. S. 2011. Online marketing handbook: how to promote, advertise, and sell your products and services on the Internet. J. Wiley, New York. Johnson, T. 2010. Australian Tourism Minister Lawlor Says New Tourism Queensland Online Marketing Guide to Help Queensland Tourism Operators, Washington, D.C., Malaysia, Washington, D.C. Labbà ©, M. 2011, A natural partnership: Tourism Online Marketing, International Trade Forum, , no. 2, pp. 26-27. Levinson, J. C., Rubin, C. 2010. Guerrilla marketing online: the entrepreneurs guide to earning profits on the Internet. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Loda, M.D. 2011, Comparing Web Sites: An Experiment In Online Tourism Marketing, International Journal of Business and Social Science, vol. 2, no. 22, pp. n/a. Scott, D. M. 2007. The new rules of marketing and PR: how to use news releases, blogs, podcasting, viral marketing, online media to reach buyers directly. John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, N.J.. Sheehan, B. 2010. Online marketing. McGraw Hills, New York. Sudhaman, A. 2004, Tourism Australia lifts online marketing plan, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Hong Kong.

Training Plan ( Training & Devolpment) Assignment

Training Plan ( Training & Devolpment) - Assignment Example Workshop and exercises (Day 2). Workshop served as the summative learning wherein participants were asked at the end of the module to identify gaps in their time management and how to improve them through effective time management. In this exercise, participant’s ability to manage their time effectively using the methods taught was gauged. The exercises will help the administrators of the training to identify training gap. This is beneficial for the training session because it will help ensure that the training objectives will be imbued among the participants. These objectives include a grasp of time management and the ability to manage and control their time and activities properly. Flipchart and power point presentation. For the participants have a visual idea of how to effectively manage their time using the various time management techniques such as time matrix, prioritizing, and goal setting, a power point presentation were used during the lecture and discussion to aid and facilitate understanding about SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Bound) goal setting and other methods. This will aid the formative learning process Participant’s grasp of the training were measured in terms of their ability to construct their own Time Matrix, SMART Plans, Order of Priorities and ability to identify the important from non-important activities. The long-term benefit of the training plan may not be immediately felt by the students and administrators of the training. It is expected however that students must be able to have a greater efficacy and efficiency in their activities that will result to higher productivity and better performance in all aspect of lives due to the lessons learned in time management. Ultimately, it is also envisaged that with the ability to control time and manage activities, students will have a more fruitful and successful lives both in

Operation Ripper, Korean War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operation Ripper, Korean War - Essay Example tion involved the entire divisions of Eighth Army as well as the airborne troops of the 187th Regiment Combat Team and the 2nd and 4th Ranger companies. A number of the historical accounts on Operation Ripper identified it as offensive with an exclusive objective of capturing Seoul. However, there are accounts that Operation Ripper has a deeper goal than merely driving away the enemy from a specific location. Dorr and Thompson (2003) explained that throughout the Korean War, the American soldier did not have the killer mentality that would ensure efficacy in the battlefield: "A study showed that 27 percent balked, deliberately passing up a chance to aim and shoot their MI Garand rifles when an enemy soldier presented a target."2 So, the newly installed General Matthew Ridgway, planned Operation Ripper to remedy this problem and inflict as much casualty as possible. The operation was originally called Operation Killer, describing its ultimate objective. Soldiers were conditioned to kill. They were reminded that the job entailed killing and the destruction of enemy equipment. This is demonstrated in the standard pep talk delivered by sergeants to the UN troops: "Your job is to point that goddamned thing into the other guys face and shoot him deader than a doornail."3 The tactics involved included the coordinated offensives and strictly preserved lateral security that avoided immediate interdiction.4 After the operation, it was reported that the United Nation troops were able to kill 7,000 Chinese soldiers.5 While Operation Ripper did not decimate the enemy completely, it successfully drove them out of Seoul and further up north. In this respect, it was able to attain some degree of success for the United Nations efforts during the Korean War. The success of the operation was able to change the lackluster performance of the troops. There are those who argued that the outcome turned the tides of the war. In the political front, Operation Ripper convinced policymakers

Light and shadow in prayer Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Light and shadow in prayer - Dissertation Example Artists start from developing simple ideas, which in turn improve and become more significant in the world. Association of light and the church is an artistic style that has developed for a long period from 12th and 13th centuries. Since then, the use of light and darkness has developed to a level that is applauded by all church members, priests, believer and artists who engage in development techniques. it is in this view that the paper intents to provide a critical analysis of development of light and darkness in the church, the effect they have brought and the future of the artistic styles in using environment to enhance Godliness in the church. Introduction Architecture is the act of designing and creating buildings. It involves creating a style and a method of how a building is going to be constructed. This paper is going to define what prayer and the understanding what the church is. It will assess the early Christian communities and the origin of church building (Fletcher & Cruickshank, 2004). The paper will examine factors affecting the architectural churches and the origin of architectural church, the reformation and its influence in the church. The paper will look at modernism, a period after reformation and then asses the relationship between Light and shadow. Finally, it will look at the use of light in churches and prayer and light in the architectural churches (Pevsner, 2002). Meaning of Architecture ... The light is of great importance in the interior, also plays an important role in the perception of space. For centuries, religious buildings were created with particular attention to proper lighting the holy place. The natural light should not be forgotten in the architecture, and the words of Le Corbusier "Architecture is a smart, coordinated play of masses in the light," it should be the most important doctrine. Prayer Prayer is defined in so many ways and the various definitions that are given are normally associated with the experiences of those defining them. The first definition that we can talk of is prayer being a communication. Prayer is regarded as a means of communicating with God. Ordinarily, when people are communicating, it takes at least two people to communicate. When people are communicating, there is a message that is being sent to the receiver, the receiver is expected to encode the message and then give a feedback to the sender. When communicating with God, the s ame process is expected to take place. The person communicating with God, sends a message to God where by God is expected to receive the message and give a feedback. The feedback from God is normally regarded as fulfilled expectations of the person who is communicating with Him (Giles, 2004). The diagram below shows a priest and a church member communicating to God together. http://img.tfd.com/wn/30/605C7-prayer.png In connection with communication is the notion that prayer is talking to God. Communication involves talking to someone just like in prayer it is believed that we talk to God and hence a conversation with God. We normally hold a conversation with people who can hear us. In prayer, we therefore recognize the presence of God whom we talk

Growth Of The Medical Tourism Industry Tourism Essay

Growth Of The Medical Tourism Industry Tourism Essay CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW In the previous chapter a brief introduction to the meaning of medical tourism and the medical tourism industry has been given to develop a basic understanding of the subject for this dissertation. This chapter deals with the review of the literature for developing a conceptual and theoretical background for further research and identifying the research areas required. Literature review is an essential part of any research as it not only helps the researcher understand the research areas required, but also develops a conceptual background of the study for the reader. In survey and experimental research, the review of literature serves as a variety of background functions, which helps in the preparation of the collection of the actual data (SINGH, 2007, pp-61). The literature review in this dissertation has been designed in a systematic and a conclusive way for the reader to understand the subject clearly. The literature review has been divided into three main parts which are:- (Part A) Introduction:-This part deals with the literature required for understanding the concept of medical tourism as an industry and the medical tourism industry in India. (Part B) Medical Tourism in India: Strategic Implications and Growth:-This part consists of literature required to study the strategic implications and factors influencing growth of the medical tourism industry in India. This part is related to the second and third objective of this dissertation and also helps in developing a research area required for the fourth and fifth objective. (Part C) Conclusion:-After understanding the concept of the strategic implications and growth of the medical tourism industry the main conceptual framework can now be made and the main research areas can now be identified. The reason for this literature review is not just to review the related literature but to identify the concepts that will be used in the research. The importance of a literature review cannot be matched by an understanding as to how a review of literature can be done but how it can be used in the research (HART, 1998, pp-1).This chapter will help in finding the questions that needs to be answered in the research. PART A Medical Tourism: Background (A.1)Defining Medical Tourism Since ancient times, travellers have left their homeland in search of the best health care possible. Historical records show that early civilizations, such as the Romans (about 4 to 400 BC) were drawn toward the healing properties of bath or spring waters (KHAN, 2010).Although Medical tourism seems to be an entirely new concept which is now being acknowledged as an industry itself it has existed from the 18th century. Some of the earliest forms of tourism were directly aimed at increased health and well being for example, the numerous spas that remain in many parts of Europe and elsewhere, which in some cases represented the effective start of local tourism, when taking the waters became common by the 18th century (CONNEL, 2005).By the 19th century spas were found in the most remote colonies such as the French Pacific Territory of New Caledonia while the emergence of hill stations throughout the tropics further emphasized curative properties of tourism (SMYTH,2005 cited in WOODSIDE,2 007).History proves that medical tourism has existed for a long time. According to John Connell (Cited in WOODMAN,2007) recently travellers have travelled in search of yoga and meditation as the search for cure took on more spiritual and holistic perspectives. Today people not only travel long distances for spas and relaxation but for complicated medical procedures in search for affordable and quality medical care. Globalisation, it is said, lifts nations out of their isolated existence and makes them part of one knowledge society. Today, outsourcing of activities like labora ­tory investigations, medical transcriptions, software de ­velopment, and telemedicine to countries like India, China, Korea, Japan, has become easier with business process outsourcing(QUADEER and REDDY,2010) . The globalization of healthcare services has given rise to a new phenomenon called Medical Tourism. It is also called Healthcare Globalization, Health Vacation, Wellness Tourism, Medical Outsourcing, or Generation Next Health Holidays. The term Medical Tourism can be defined as travel outside ones home country in search of healthcare that is either less expensive or more accessible (KHAN, 2010).Carrera and Bridges (Cited in LUNT and CARERRA, 2010) identify health tourism as the organised travel outside ones local environment for the maintenance, enhancement or restoration of an individuals well-being in mind and body. Definitions and the seeking to know meaning of terms and words can put things right elementarily between people and their words (JACKSON, JACKSON and HARMON, 197, pp-235). Although there are many definitions of the term Medical Tourism the definition must serve the general purpose of understanding the meaning of the term Medical tourism. The term Medical tourism can be divided into two words Medical and Tourism as shown in the figure below (JAGYASI, 2008). MEDICAL TOURISM MEDICAL TOURISM The word Medical means treatment of illness, disorder or injuries. The activities of persons travelling to and stay in a place outside their usual environment for leisure, business and other purposes. + Figure 1: Defining Medical Tourism Source: JAGYASI, P.2008.Defining Medical Tourism ~ another approach. Medical Tourism Magazine .July 15 th According to Dr Prem Jagyasi (JAGYASI, 2008) understanding of the words medical and tourism individually will not be sufficient to define the term Medical Tourism. Considering the definitions of the words, medical tourism can be defined as a set of activities in which a person travels often long distance or across the border, to avail medical services with direct or indirect engagement in leisure, business or other purposes. Today medical tourism has become a huge industry itself.According to a report by Mckinsey and company and the confideration of Indian industry(2005) the medical tourism industry is expected to become a hundered million dollar industry by the year 2012.The figure below represents the projected growth in the earning in revenues of the worldwide medical tourism industry. Figure 2 Some of the internationally know hospitals for medical tourism such as Bumrungrad in Thailand and Apollo in India, report revenue growth of about 20 percent to 25 percent annually (ROTH, 2006). McKinsey Company (2005) estimates that Indian medical tourism will grow to $2.3 billion by 2012.In 2005 approximately 250,000 medical tourists sought care in Singapore, and 500,000 travelled to India for medical care(HUTCHINSON,2005).According to these reports the medical tourism industry is expected to grow at a large scale. A commonality in all these reports concludes that the three main destinations where growth of this industry is expected to be the highest are India, Thailand and Singapore which are countries in Asia. Therefore before the medical tourism industry in India can be seen it is important to identify the key factors influencing growth of the medical tourism industry in Asia and the different destinations gaining popularity in this industry who will eventually are the competito rs. (A.2) Medical Tourism in Asia Table 1: Popular medical tourism destinations around the world. Source:-NATAN, M and SEFER, E.2009.Medical Tourism: A New role of Nursing? .OJIN: The online journal of Issues in Nursing. July 22 .Vol 14 There are many countries that are now competing in the medical tourism industry all around the world. The table given below indicates the major destinations for medical tourism in the world. As it can be seen Asia has a lot of countries that have established themselves as medical tourism destinations. According to an update in a report given by Deloitte (2008) the number of medical tourists visiting Asia will grow at a rate of 20% annually and will create an industry worth US$4 billion by the year 2012.India is estimated to account for half of the medical tourism industry, countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are already promoting their medical tourism industries. Asia The Americas Europe Africa Oceania China Argentina Belgium South Africa Australia India Bolivia Germany Israel Jordan Brazil Columbia Hungary Lithuania Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Cost Rica Jamaica Mexico United States Poland Asian Governments are now supporting medical tourism through organizing awards and promotional events such as Asian Spa and Wellness tourism in 2006 and the establishment of dedication promotional boards (HENDERSON,2004 cited in COCHRANE,2008) The four main countries identified as medical tourism destinations in Asia are Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and India. In 2002 Thailand became home to the Asias first JCI-Accredited hospital which was Bumrungrand in Bangkok and presently has six other hospitals which have been given this accreditation (WOODMAN, 2009). In Thailand according to the Kasikorn Research Centre, about 1.28 million foreigners visited hospitals in 2005 generating revenues of about thirty three million Thai baht (DELOITTE, 2008).Another important destination for medical tourism is India a country that has pioneered the outsourcing industry is now quickly gaining popularity as a medical tourism destination. Before the medical tourism industry in India can be looked at it is important to understand the factors that promote Asia itself as a caterer to the medical tourism industry. As seen below a SWOT analysis on the medical tourism industry is given which analysis the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Asia itself. Organizations use the SWOT analysis as the first step in developing their marketing plan as it is relatively an easy process and helps in describing the major considerations to be taken in designing an appropriate strategy(BRIGGS,2001,p-47). This SWOT analysis plays a significant part of this research as it outlines the significant strategic implications of the Medical tourism in Asia. SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE MEDICAL TOURISM INDUSTRY IN ASIA STRENGTHS à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  More mature medical tourism markets, facilities, and practices. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Government sponsored tax breaks and open environment for foreign private investments in healthcare infrastructure. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚   A relative surplus in the labour pool due to large populations and strong emphasis in education in some countries. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  A history of using complementary and alternative e.g., yoga, Ayurveda, herbs, TCM/TKM. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚   In close proximity to Middle Eastern medical tourists. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Asia also has a booming tourism market with many scenic locations and various types of geography (beaches to mountains) to choose from. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Asians are known for their culture of hospitality and service. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Services and procedures such as: wellness/CAM, eye-care, musculoskeletal care, cardiac care, transplants, haemodialysis, and general/plastic surgery. Source:-VEQUIST, VALDEZ and MORRISON, 2009 WEAKNESSES à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  The length of travel for many European and North American tourists. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Some fears of travelling to Asia because of a reputation of social unrest, corruption and violence. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  The lack of European and North American language (e.g., English, German, French, etc.) ability. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  The culture in Asia is arguably very different from occidental cultures. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Difficulty in seeking legal remedy in the event of malpractice. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Large disparity in the healthcare systems for the poor and rich/medical tourists. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Several Asian countries are trying to serve too wide a swath of the market to maintain a sustainable industry. Source:-VEQUIST, VALDEZ and MORRISON, 2009 As it can be seen above the strengths and weaknesses of the medical tourism industry in Asia have been identified. These factors play an important role in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the medical tourism industry in India as the Indian medical tourism industry is a part of the Asian medical tourism industry. These factors also develop a contrast between the positive and negative features of the medical tourism industry in Asia. As it can be seen above Asia also has a booming tourism market and is known for hospitality and service. The health care facilities in Asia are well developed. Asia also has a history of using complementary and alternative medicines which will support in developing wellness tourism .Although there are many positives of this industry in Asia, it also has some negatives such as a weak legal system in the case of malpractice. People also have the fear of the unknown as there is a change in the social climate. These factors relate to the Indian medi cal tourism industry in many ways but some of them may not apply such as the language barrier as India has a large English speaking population and the legal system which is developing rapidly. After a comparative study of the strengths and weaknesses of the Asian medical tourism industry a comparison of the opportunities and threats is discussed in the SWOT analysis. The next two factors of the SWOT analysis are the opportunities and threats which draw a comparative study on the external capabilities of the Asian medical tourism industry. Source:-VEQUIST, VALDEZ and MORRISON, 2009 OPPORTUNITIES à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Large populations in the region offer many advantages (e.g., more regional medical tourism, lower cost of labour, more healthcare professionals, etc.). à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚   Increasing strength and diversity of Asian economies and many fast-growing areas. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚   Many strong governmental initiatives supporting medical tourism. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Shrinking cost of fuel (i.e. gas prices) which makes airfare lower and encourages medical tourism. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  The wealth in the Middle Eastern could lead to more tourists travelling to the Asian region. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  The Asian expertise in off-shoring of various industries to add to their chances to capitalize on this market. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  The emphasis on education and healthcare in many countries in Asia. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚   Strong private investments will build the infrastructure of the region. THREATS à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚   Disease (particularly pandemics), social unrest, terrorism, overcrowding, dirty environments in some areas of Asia are perceived negatively and hurt marketing efforts. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Competition from Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East for North American, European, and Middle Eastern medical tourists. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Due to the economy, many consumers simply do not have large enough cash reserve to pay for services or airfare. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Limited numbers of insurance carriers that have comprehensive relationships with medical providers in Asia. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚  Fast growth of medical tourism in other regions and countries outside of Asia. Source:-VEQUIST, VALDEZ and MORRISON, 2009 As seen above the opportunities of the Asian medical tourism industry is huge and a major advantage is the increasing strength of the economies which fuels the development of stronger governments and health care infrastructure. Asia also expertises in off-shoring servicing as seen in the case of India which is also considered the off-shoring capital of the world. Although there are many opportunities there are threats to the Asian medical tourism industry as there is an increasing competition from Latin America and certain countries in Europe. Asia is also perceived as a continent of social unrest, terrorism and unhealthy environment which impacts negatively on the marketing strategy. In the above SWOT analysis the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Asian medical tourism industry can be highlighted. These factors explore the internal and external capabilities of Asia itself in this industry which brings out a contrast between the positive and negative features of this industry in Asia. These factors adversely affect the medical tourism industry in India. (A.3) Medical Tourism in India. The Indian governments commitment to providing compre ­hensive healthcare to the citizens, irrespective of their paying capacity, as part of its welfare policies was given up after 30 years of independence when the Sixth Plan opened up medical care to the voluntary and private sectors (QUADEER and REDDY, 2010).The involvement of the private sectors in the health care industry in India helped in the emergence of a corporate health sector in the 1990s.After opening up to the corporate sector in healthcare policies the government emphasised on healthcare to the poor and their involvement in it which was seen in the eighth and ninth year plans given by the government of India in 1992 and 1997 respectively. The acceptance of the new economic policy, of the health sector reforms by 1992 increased cutbacks in public sector investments in health as well as the commoditisation of health services (RAMA and NUNDY, 2008).The cutback in public sector investments led to the breakdown of the publ ic healthcare institutions with more collaboration from the private healthcare sector. When the healthcare services became dominated by the private sector, a new phenomenon of healthcare services becoming a form of market expansion and financial gains rather that welfare could be observed. This gave rise to the medical tourism industry in India. The government policy of merging medical expenditure and tourism was announced by Finance Minister Jaswant Singh in his 2003 annual budget speech when he described India as a global health desti ­nation. He identified the potential of complex health care services that are offered at relatively cheaper rates and yet earned profits. In this report he also mentioned the possibilities in investing in large chains of medical institutions and creating medi-cities. After this report heavy investment in improving medical institutions continued and today India has become of the fastest growing medical tourism destinations. This country is usually viewed as one of the most important global leader in the medical tourism industry, and it advertises itself as offering everything from alternative ayurvedic therapy to coronary bypasses and cosmetic surgery (CONNELL, 2006).Some hospital executives in India use the phrase value medical travel to promote India as a high-quality, low-cost destination for international health care travellers (TURNER, 2007).The medical tourism industry has grown at a large scale with companies like WellPoint Blue Cross Blue Shield to handle their pilot program of offering medical tourism for Americans travelling to India (KHAN,2010).India has made its mark in the medical tourism industry in the world by providing world class medical care at cheap and affordable prices. In a nutshell it has been predicted that the Indian medical tourism industry will rise rapidly and will continue to grow at a fast pace. There are many growth drivers involved in the evolution of this industry in India; some of them include cost factors, government policies and quality health care. After a brief understanding of the emergence of the medical tourism industry in India it is important to understand the factors involved in the growth process. The next part deals with an in-depth review of literature on the growth drivers and strategic implications of the medical tourism industry in India. PART B Medical Tourism in India: Growth and Strategic implications (B.1)Medical tourism in India: Growth Professor Michael Porter from the Harvard University is one of the well know strategic writers and describes the industry lifecycle model as the grandfather of concepts for predicting the industry evolution (LYNCH, 1997).According to this model an industry goes through four major stages which are introduction ,growth, maturity and decline. The figure shown below is the diagrammatic representation of the industry lifecycle with the four steps. Figure 2: Industry Lifecycle Stages Source:-LYNCH, 1997, p 126 This concept helps in describing any industry as it goes through the stages as a result the strategy of the industry changes as the stage changes. It also can help in formulating the correct strategy required at a particular stage in the industry lifecycle in an entrepreneur perspective. This concept is very well relevant to the medical tourism industry as it helps in identifying the stage that the industry is in. Identifying these key aspects at an early stage will lead to formulating the right strategy for the success of a business entering this industry. It is important for companies to understand the use of the industry lifecycle for businesses to compete in the industry effectively and successfully (BAUM and MCGAHAN, 2004). In 2007, an estimated 750,000 Americans travelled abroad for medical care and an estimated growth to a staggering six million was expected by the end of 2010(BALIGA, 2006).According to a study carried out by Deloitte in 2008 there will be a large amount of significant growth in the medical tourism industry. In this study the numbers of medical tourist from the United States of America going to foreign countries for treatments will increase. This report also indicates that the medical tourism industry may reach the maturity by 2016 where the growth will start decreasing. This report basically proves that this industry is growing and can therefore be place in the growth sector of the industry lifecycle. The growth sector of the industry lifecycle represents that the market is expanding and customers have become more informed about the products. In this stage there will be more competitors that will enter the industry market (CARPENTER and SANDERS, 2009).The figure given below is the es timated growth given in the Deloitte report (2008) of the medical tourists going to foreign countries for medical treatment. Figure 3: Annual growth and patient volume growth in major countries in the medical tourism industry Source: Deloitte report (2008) GROWTH INTRODUCTION TIME Figure 4: Predicted Growth of the medical tourism industry in India The figure represents a huge rise in the patient volume growth in major countries over the next few years which indicated the amount of growth and demand in the medical tourism industry. These statistics affect the medical tourism industry in India in terms of growth planning and understanding that growth potential of this industry in India. After witnessing the immense growth of the medical tourism industry in the world, India felt the need for this industry and entered into this market in late 2002. Indias efforts to promote medical tourism took off in late 2002, when the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) produced a report in collaboration with McKinsey Company which outlined the immense growth potential of this sector in India (KURIACHAN and BASANTH, 2008).In this report they made future predictions of this industry in India considering the economic and political factors. There were many strategic points hig hlighted in this report which concluded that the forecasted growth of the medical tourism industry in India will be from US $ 18.7 billion in 2001 to around US $ 45 billion by 2012 which is equivalent to 8.5% of GDP. The figure below represents the predicted growth according to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and McKinsey Company. Year US $Billion [Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document. Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text box.] Source: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and McKinsey Company (cited in KURIACHAN and BASANTH, 2008) As it can be seen above the medical tourism industry in India is expected to grow to a 45 billion dollar industry by the year 2012 which is a 26.3% rise from the year 2001. The worldwide market for medical tourism is estimated in 2004 was estimated to be US $ 40 billion with India market share 1%.In 2012 the world medical tourism industry will be US $ 100 billion with India market share being 3% (KURIACHAN and BASANTH, 2008).These figures represent that the Indian medical tourism industry will grow at a fast pace .At a strategic level it is important to understand the factors which will affect the growth of this industry in India. (B.3Factors influencing growth of medical tourism industry in India The previous section showed the predicted growth of the medical tourism industry in India and the SWOT analysis of Asia that affect this industry in India. To analyze the medical tourism industry in India on a strategic level the competitive advantage of India must be analyzed. In reference to this context of global competition was given by Michael Porter in his book The competitive advantage of nations. He conducted a study of ten nations to develop an analytical framework at a strategic level, which tries to explain why a nation succeeds in particular industries but not in others (PORTER.1990).Porter suggests that the national home base of an organisation plays a very important role in creating an advantage on an international scale (JOHNSON, SCHOLES and WHITTINGTON, 2005).The study on this model can clearly help in distinguishing the factors that may influence the growth of the medical tourism industry in India. The model basically describes the four main attributes that individua lly and as a system constitute the diamond of national advantage .These attributes are:- Factor Conditions:-The nations position in factors of production, such as skilled labour or infrastructure necessary to compete in a given industry. Demand Conditions:-The nature of home market demand for the industrys product or service. Related and Supporting Industries:-The presence or absence in the nation of supplier industries and other related industries that are internationally competitive. Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry:-The conditions in the nation governing how companies are created organized and managed as well as the nature of domestic rivalry. Source:-PORTER, 2008 Chance and the government are two factors that influence these four determinants, but are not determinants themselves (OZ, 2002). FIRM STRATEGY, STRUCTURE AND RIVALRY RELATED AND SUPPORTING INDUSTRIES DEMAND CONDITIONS FACTOR CONDITIONS CHANCE GOVERNMENT Figure 4: Michael Porters Diamond Framework: Competitive Advantage of Nations Source: PORTER (1998, p. 127) (B.4)Strategic implications Figure 4: Strategic implications of the Medical tourism Industry As described by LYNCH (1997) there are many strategic implications for the industry lifecycle .These can be modified in terms of the medical tourism industry as shown in the following figure. These Strategic implications will also help in the clear understanding of the drivers responsible for the growth of this industry. MEDICAL TOURISM INDUSTRY Customer strategy Research and Development strategy Company Strategy Competitor strategy Source:-Modified from LYNCH (1997, p 127) The first strategic implication is customer strategy which is one of most important implications as it tends to understand the customer strategy for selecting the product and the factors which are involved in it. This is also a significant factor that a business in this industry should try and evaluate on a continuous basis to complete efficiently and effectively with the growth of the medical tourism industry in the industry life cycle. By understanding customer strategy a clear view on the factors affecting the growth of the medical tourism industry can be identified. Joseph Woodman (2008) in this book Patient beyond Borders: Everybodys Guide to Affordable, World-class Medical Travel gives a guide to consumers interested in going abroad for medical treatments. In this book a step by step guide is also given and the factors influencing consumers to choose medical tourism have also been identified. According to this book there may be many reasons why medical tourists travel to attain medical care but there are seven main reasons as shown in the figure below. It is important to explore the customer strategy as it tends to understand why medical tourists choose certain particular locations as their medical tourism destination. The figure given below represents the customer strategy and the main factors influencing it. Figure 5: Customer strategy for the Medical Tourism Industry Cost saving Better quality care Customer Strategy Shorter waiting periods Other Treatments Inpatient friendly Excluded treatments Speciality treatments Source:-WOODMAN (2008, pp 51-63) Cost Saving As health care costs in developed countries like the United States of America and United Kingdom escalate individuals, small businesses, and state governments are all attempting to control health-related expenditures. Outsourcing health care to countries where surgical procedures and other forms of treatment are available at substantially lower prices is attracting interest from individuals and businesses (TURNER, 2007). With the continuing health care cost increases in developed countries, it is likely that patients, insurers and employers, particularly in countries where employers share the costs of private health insurance, will continue seeking low cost treatment abroad (FORGIONE and SMITH, 2007). There many ways in which service costs are kept low for example most provider countries, malpractice litigation costs are much lower than in most highly developed countries, which has helped to reduce the cost of medical care(HADI,2009,p.11). Table 1: Major Medical Tourism Destinations: Cost Comparison Medical procedures USA India Thailand Singapore Costa Rica Mexico Korea Heart Bypass $80,000 To $130,000 $6,651 to $9,300 $11,000 $16,500 $24,000 $22,000 $34,150 Heart Valve Replacement $160,000 $9,000 to $9,000 $10,000 $12,500 $15,000 $18,000 $29,500 Angioplasty $57,000 $4,998 to 7,500 $13,000 $11,200 $9,000 $18,000 $19,600 Hip Replacement $43,000 $5,800 to 7,100 $12,000 $9,200 $12,000 $14,000 $11,400 Hysterectomy $20,000

Herder, Gadamer, and 21st Century Humanities Essay -- Philosophy Relig

One of the anticipations of this Congress, namely, that of all the world's philosophical traditions address the 'problems of human life, civilization, and residence on earth,' cannot be accomplished by insisting upon the means and prescriptions of any one tradition. In this paper I address the theme of the Congress by considering the views of Johann Gottfried Herder and Hans-Georg Gadamer on education and history. In spite of attacks on his religious loyalties, Herder supported what may today be called pluralism. Having studied history and having watched history in the making of one of its darkest moments, Gadamer also saw the future of the humanities in the global conversation. To educate humanity, I conclude, philosophy should first attempt to understand the existential conditions of human life. Ideen is a curious and in some ways contradictory work. Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803) respects the humanistic ideals of freedom and social improvement and recognizes the teleological and progressive notions of historical development. But he does not confine himself to European history and sources like most others in his time and even after did. He rejected the then prevailing view that there exist some invariant laws or standards of consciousness and behavior that are applicable to all humans at all periods and in terms of which even the past should be judged. On the contrary, he argued that every historical age and culture has its own character and its own value. In Book 14, chapter 6 of Ideen zur Philosophie der Geschichte der Menschheit (Ideas for the Philosophy of the History of Mankind, 1784-91), he likens societies to organisms as they develop in distinctive manner and in response to the combination of environmental condi... ...Gadamer on Education, Poetry, and History. Albany: SUNY Press, 1992, p. xvii (7) Gadamer. Reason in the Age of Science. Cambridge, MA: M.I.T. Press, 198. p. 92 (8) "Aber fà ¼r die Geisteswissenschaften dà ¼rfte es anders aussehen"—Das Erbe Europas. Frankfurt: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1989, P.35 (9) Das Erbe Europas, p. 52: '. . . einer standardisierten weltzivilisation herauffà ¼hren, in der sich die Geschichte des Planeten gleichsam in Idealstatus einer rationalen Weltverwaltung stillstellt -' (10) See: Claude Sumner. The Source of African Philosophy: The Ethiopian Philosophy of Man. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1986. (11) See: Kwame Gyekye. An Essay on African Philosophical Thought: The Akan Conceptual Scheme. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987 (12) See: Paulin Hountondji. African Philosophy: Myth and Reality. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1983.