Filing a Follow to Join Application (Form I-824)

Filing a Follow to Join Application (Form I-824) The United States allows the spouses and children of U.S. green card holders also to get green cards and permanent residency in the United States, using a document known as Form I-824. It is more popularly known as the â€Å"Follow to Join† process, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says it is a more expedited way of coming to the country than processes that were in place years ago. Follow to Join allows families who may not be able to travel together to reunite in the United States. Since the early days of the republic, Americans have demonstrated a willingness to keep immigrant families together, as much as possible. Technically, Form I-824 is called an Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition. Form I-824 can be a powerful tool for promoting family reunification. Some important things to keep in mind: It is extremely important that you submit all required initial evidence with all the supporting documentation with your application at the time of filing. USCIS has strict requirements about what evidence you will need to provide.Follow to Join is only valid if the principal applicant has established permanent residency in the United States through employment, family-preference, the Green Card lottery or through a K or V visa.Follow to Join does not require a separate immigrant petition and does not require the applicant to wait for a visa to become available.You dont need to file Form I-130 to take advantage of the Follow to Join process.The principal applicant must not be a U.S. citizen. Thats a different process. If the principal applicant has become a naturalized citizen, then he or she can file a separate visa petition to bring family members here.The Follow to Join process is only available to children who are under the age of 21 and unmarried. Children over the age of 21 or ma rried children can immigrate to the United States if a parent becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen. There are provisions in U.S. immigration law for allowing stepchildren and adopted children to participate in Follow to Join. People who have gotten permanent residency through the Immediate Relative R category are not eligible for Follow to Join but can petition for visas for their spouses or children by filing Form I-130. Some Documents You Are Likely To Need Some examples of the evidence (documentation) that is typically required include certified copies of the childrens birth certificates, a copy of the marriage certificate and passport information. All documents have to be verifiable. Once the petition is approved by USCIS, the petitioners children or spouse must appear at a U.S. consulate for an interview. The filing fee for the Follow to Join application is $405. The check or money order must be drawn on a bank or financial institution located in the United States. According to USCIS, â€Å"Once Form I-824 has been accepted, it will be checked for completeness, including submission of the required initial evidence. If you do not completely fill out the form or file it without required initial evidence, you will not establish a basis for eligibility, and we may deny your Form I-824.† Further, USCIS says: â€Å"If you are in the United States and have not yet filed to adjust your status to permanent resident, you can file Form I-824 for your child overseas with your Form I-485. When concurrently filing Form I-824, it does not require any supporting documentation.† As you can see, this can get complicated. You may want to consult with a qualified immigration attorney to make sure your petition is approved without excessive delays. Government immigration officials warn immigrants to be careful of scammers and disreputable service providers. Beware of promises that seem too good to be true – because they almost always are. Applicants can check the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website for current contact information and hours.

Adlai Stevenson, Statesman and Presidential Candidate

Adlai Stevenson, Statesman and Presidential Candidate Adlai Stevenson II (February 5, 1900 – July 14, 1965) was an American politician known for his sharp wit, eloquence, and popularity among intellectuals and the so-called egghead vote in the United States. A Democrat born into a long family bloodline of politicians and civil servants, Stevenson worked as a journalist and served as governor of Illinois before running for president twice and losing both times. He rose in stature as a diplomat and statesman after his failed bids for the White House in the 1950s. Fast Facts: Adlai Stevenson Full Name: Adlai Ewing Stevenson IIKnown For: U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and two-time Democratic presidential candidateBorn: Feb. 5, 1900 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaParents: Lewis Green and Helen Davis StevensonDied: July 14, 1965 in London, EnglandEducation: B.A., Princeton University and J.D., Northwestern UniversityKey Accomplishments: Participated in negotiations during the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Vietnam War. Signed a 1963 treaty in Moscow banning nuclear weapons testing.Spouse: Ellen Borden (m. 1928-1949)Children: Adlai Ewing III, Borden, and John Fell Early Years Adlai Ewing Stevenson II was born on February 5, 1900 in Los Angeles, California, to Lewis Green and Helen Davis Stevenson. His family was well connected. His father, a friend of publisher William Randolph Hearst, was an executive who managed Hearsts California newspapers and oversaw the companys copper mines in Arizona. Stevenson later told a journalist who wanted to write about book about him, My life has been hopelessly undramatic. I wasnt born in a log cabin. I didnt work my way through school nor did I rise from rags to riches, and theres no use trying to pretend I did. Im not a Wilkie and I dont claim to be a simple, barefoot La Salle Street lawyer. Stevenson got his first real taste of politics at age 12, when he met New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson. Wilson asked about the young mans interest in public affairs, and Stevenson left the meeting determined to attend Wilsons alma mater, Princeton University. Stevensons family moved from California to Bloomington, Illinois, where young Adlai spent most of his childhood years. He attended University High School in Normal for three years before his parents withdrew him and placed him in Choate Preparatory School in Connecticut. After two years at Choate, Stevenson headed to Princeton, where he studied history and literature and served as managing editor of the The Daily Princetonian newspaper. He graduated in 1922 and then began working toward his law degree- first at another Ivy League school, Harvard University, where he spent two years, then Northwestern University, from which he obtained his law degree, in 1926. In between Harvard and Northwestern, Stevenson worked as a reporter and editor at the family newspaper, The Pentagraph, in Bloomington. Stevenson went to work practicing law but would eventually ignore the advice of his father- Never go into politics, Lewis Stevenson told his son- and ran for governor of the state. Political Career Stevenson served as governor of Illinois from 1948 to 1952. However, the roots of his political career can be traced to more than a decade earlier, when he worked with President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the details of the New Deal. Eventually, he was recruited to take on the corrupt administration of Republican Illinois Gov. Dwight H. Green, which was known as the Green Machine. Stevensons resounding victory on a campaign platform of good government propelled him into the national spotlight and eventually paved the way for his nomination at the 1952 Democratic National Convention. The 1952 presidential campaign was largely about the threat of communism and government waste in the U.S. It placed Stevenson against a popular Republican, General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower won handily, taking nearly 34 million popular votes to Stevensons 27 million. The Electoral College results were crushing; Eisenhower won 442 to Stevensons 89. The result four years later was the same, even though the incumbent Eisenhower had just survived a heart attack. Stevenson Turns Down Russian Help in 1960 Election In early 1960, Stevenson stated that while he would run if drafted, he would not seek a third Democratic presidential nomination. However, then-Senator John F. Kennedy was very actively seeking the nomination. While Stevenson’s 1956 campaign promise to oppose U.S. nuclear weapons development and military growth had not resonated with American voters, it did convince the Soviet government that he was â€Å"someone they could work with.† According to Stevenson’s personal biographer and historian John Bartlow Martin, Soviet ambassador to the U.S. Mikhail A. Menshikov met with Stevenson at the Russian embassy on January 16, 1960 on the premise of thanking him for helping arrange Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev’s visit to the U.S. But at some point during caviar and vodka, Menshikov read Stevenson a note from Khrushchev himself encouraging him to oppose Kennedy and make another presidential run. â€Å"We are concerned with the future, and that America has the right President,† Khrushchev’s note read, in part: â€Å"All countries are concerned with the American election. It is impossible for us not to be concerned about our future and the American Presidency which is so important to everybody everywhere.† In the note, Khrushchev went on to ask Stevenson for suggestions on how the Soviet press could â€Å"assist Mr. Stevenson’s personal success.† Specifically, Khrushchev suggested that the Soviet press might help endear American voters to Stevenson by criticizing his â€Å"many harsh and critical† statements about the Soviet Union and Communism. â€Å"Mr. Stevenson will know best what would help him,† Khrushchev’s note concluded. In later recounting the meeting for his biography, Stevenson told author John Bartlow Martin, that after thanking the Soviet ambassador for delivering the offer and Premier Khrushchev for his â€Å"expression of confidence,† Stevenson then told Menshikov of his â€Å"grave misgivings about the propriety or wisdom of any interference, direct or indirect, in the American election, and I mentioned to him the precedent of the British Ambassador and Grover Cleveland.† Which caused Menshikov to accuse President Eisenhower of interfering in recent British and German elections. Always the diplomat, Stevenson politely declined the Soviet leader’s offer of assistance and repeated his refusal to seek the nomination. Kennedy would go on the win both the Democratic nomination and the 1960 presidential election over Republican Richard Nixon. Ambassador to the United Nations President John F. Kennedy appointed Stevenson, who had a deep knowledge of foreign affairs and popularity among Democrats, as the ambassador to the United Nations in 1961. President Lyndon B. Johnson reconfirmed him for the position later. Stevenson served as ambassador to the U.N. during a tumultuous time, through debates over the Bay of Pigs and Cuban missile crises and the Vietnam War. It was a role for which Stevenson ultimately became famous, known for his moderation, compassion, civility, and grace. He served in the post until his death four and a half years later. Marriage and Personal Life Stevenson married Ellen Borden in 1928. The couple had three sons: Adlai Ewing III, Borden, and John Fell. They divorced in 1949 because, among other reasons, Stevensons wife was said to have loathed politics. Famous Quotes Perhaps no other quote sums up Stevensons worldview better than his call for peace and unity before the United Nations in Geneva in 1965: We travel together, passengers on a little space ship, dependent on its vulnerable reserves of air and soil; all committed for our safety to its security and peace; preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work, and I will say, the love we give our fragile craft. We cannot maintain it half fortunate, half miserable, half confident, half despairing, half slave to the ancient enemies of man half free in a liberation of resources undreamed of until this day. No craft, no crew can travel with such vast contradictions. On their resolution depends the survival of us all. Death and Legacy Just five days after making that speech in Geneva, on July 14, 1965, Stevenson died of a heart attack while visiting London, England. The New York Times announced his death this way: To the public dialogue of his time he brought intelligence, civility and grace. We who have been his contemporaries have been companions of greatness. Stevenson is, of course, frequently remembered for his two failed bids for president. But he also left a legacy as an effective and polished statesman who won respect from his international peers and made a point of meeting personally with representatives of each of the 116 governors in the organization. Sources Adlai Ewing Stevenson: An Urbane, Witty, Articulate Politician and Diplomat. The New York Times, July 15, 1965.Adlai Stevenson II Biography, The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project at The George Washington University.Adlai Today, McLean County Museum of History, Bloomington, Illinois.Adlai Stevenson II, Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development at the Illinois State University.Martin, John Bartlow (1977). .An Immodest Proposal: Nikita To Adlai American Heritage Vol. 28, Issue 5.

ISLM model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ISLM model - Essay Example money demand equals to money supply. In the IS-LM model, money demand is assumed to be given exogenously at any point of time. It is the Central Bank, which determines money supply in any economy at any given point of time. The intersection of the two curves is known to be as the point of general equilibrium at which both the money market and the goods market are in equilibrium. In the above figure, the positively sloped curve is the LM curve, while the negatively sloped curve is the IS curve. E* is the intersection point of the two curves and represents general equilibrium. r* and y* is the general equilibrium values of r and y at which goods and money markets are simultaneously in equilibrium. Whether an economic model is reliable in terms of the values of different variables that it predicts and/or whether an economic model is capable enough of capturing what is actually happening in the real world depends on the reasonability of the assumptions it is based on. To examine how well IS-LM model captures what actually happens in the economy, one needs to check whether the two basic assumptions of the IS-LM model are reasonable. The major problem with the IS-LM model is that its two basic assumptions mentioned above have certain limitations and for this reason in spite of being a fundamental macroeconomic model, economists not very frequently use it for estimating the parameters involved in this model as well as the future values of output. (Clarida and Gertler, 1999 First, consider the problem with the assumption of price rigidity. IS-LM model always makes a prediction that equilibrium can be obtained at any level a it considers a passive kind of supply. According to this model, producers produce whatever is demanded by the buyers. In IS-Lm framework, if in an economy demand changes, then the economy will make all the adjustments to that change in demand in

David Thoreau and the Doctrine of Disobedience Essay

David Thoreau and the Doctrine of Disobedience - Essay Example The paper tells that the questions that emerged from Thoreau’s famous night in jail resulted in an essay originally entitled â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government,† which probably more accurately describes his position and the course of action he adopted in response to what he considered the depredations of the U.S. government. Thoreau expressly refused to pay taxes to the state of Massachusetts as a form of resistance to the federal government’s tacit support of slavery and its expansionist war against Mexico. However, it is generally forgotten that Thoreau specifically consented to the right of Massachusetts to assess and collect taxes, provided that those monies were to be used for just and moral ends. In his article â€Å"Thoreau: A Civil Disobedient?,† W.A. Herr contends that the term â€Å"civil disobedience† has been used to describe a broad range of socio-political activities, ranging from revolutions to hunger strikes, an expansive perspecti ve on what was for Thoreau a simple matter of refusing to comply with immoral government policies. As the concept exists today, civil disobedience evokes images of widespread, organized initiatives aimed at forcing profound political change. Herr notes that there is no available evidence that Thoreau ever actually used the term â€Å"civil disobedience†, at least not in his writings. In his famous essay, Thoreau ponders a matter of individual conscience; he is not a â€Å"call to arms,† nor is it a manifesto, as some have claimed. ... Published in 1849, â€Å"Civil Disobedience† is Thoreau’s reaction to an America that he believed had failed to live up to the constitutional promise of equality and justice. The burden of labor in the South was shouldered by enslaved human beings; in the North, wealthy industrialists and factory owners held exploited workers in a state of thralldom that approximated slavery. America was brutally enforcing the doctrine of ma nifest destiny in the West while using its military power to wrest vast territories from Mexico. Thoreau wrote that this ran counter to the true business of government, which is to uphold civil rights, to protect the populace and provide opportunities for people to live the good life. Citizens of conscience should counter the policies of governments, which do more harm than good. His key point is that the individual is every bit as justified to act as a government, that the only true obligation of the citizen is to follow the dictates of his conscience. Thoreau could not countenance obeying a government that supported the institution of slavery. As such, the government could have â€Å"no pure right over my person and property but what I concede to it†. The evolution of government to a more enlightened version, such as democracy, is profoundly a matter of preserving individual rights, he argues. As such, the citizen is compelled to exercise one’s rights by refusing to support the betrayal of the natural contract between the individual and government. Much of what one reads in â€Å"Civil Disobedience† sounds quite familiar, particularly to a native American.

Choosing Appropriate Quantitative Research Design

Choosing Appropriate Quantitative Research Design Quantitative research is designed to provide quantitative (numerical) data that answers questions related to trends, attitudes, opinions, or the impact of treatment on a population. Before quantitative research begins, it is necessary to identify the purpose of the study, the population to be studied, the variables involved in the study, and the type of data that would be most useful as an end product. After identifying these components, researchers can next hone in on the design of the research, the design of the research collection tool, sampling procedures, the survey or measurement instrument, data collection methods, and data analyses methods (data organization, data interpretation, scaling, etc.) and issues (validity, reliability, threats to validity, etc.).The research is based on theory or hypotheses and is usually tests for the impact of an intervention on a population. The impact of an intervention or treatment may be measured using traditional experimental methods and proc esses or by survey methods. Survey methods include personal interviews, telephone interviews, mailed questionnaires, group administered questionnaires, or dropped-off household surveys (Trochim, 2006). Though the process is presented in simple terms in this paper, the actual design process is a very complex set of decisions related to the methodologies and procedures of quantitative research. This paper seeks to outline the strengths and limitations of the most widely used research design models to determine the appropriate research design for quantitatively researching the use of technology web 2.0 innovations to determine its effect on learning and test performance in the elementary classroom. The quantitative study of the social science is especially challenging because of the fact that the independent variables cannot be manipulated and that the research must often be performed in real time in a natural setting. The research is characterized by the manipulation of a variable but extreme care must be taken not to harm the study participants in any way throughout the study. Research is usually centered around the determination of a property-disposition relationship (attitude-focused) or a stimulus-response relationship (behaviorally-focused). Quantitative researchers must determine which type of relationship is best suited for their specific study. The following are critical factors in making this critical determination: Time Interval: the period of time between introduction of the independent variable and the response to the variable Degree of specificity: isolation of the independent variable to determine its effect Nature of comparison groups: comparison of before/after groups or experimental/control groups for statistical analysis Time sequence of events: determining the timeline for the relationship between cause and effect These elements of quantitative research drive the decisions regarding research methodologies and procedures related to choosing an appropriate research design. The following is a brief overview of the research designs used in social sciences. Quantitative Research Design Comparison Experimental Design Experimental design is usually associated with the life and physical sciences where independent variables are easily manipulated. Experimental design compares the results of an experimental group (that receives exposure to an independent variable) with a control group (that does not receive exposure to an independent variable). This design often uses a pretest and posttest measurement to analyze the differences between groups. The advantages of this type of research design for studying social science include the ability of the researchers to introduce and control extrinsic and intrinsic (independent) variables as well as the easy identification of causal inferences that strengthen the validity of the research. Disadvantages of experimental design for social science includes the inability to replicate the experiment in a real-life social setting resulting in weak external validity and the reliance on volunteers or self-selected participants who may not represent the actual population. As a result, generalizability is decreased due to the small sample of participants selected for the study. Cross-Sectional and Quasi-Experimental Designs Cross-sectional design is recognized by its utilization of surveys to determine study participants backgrounds, past experiences, and attitude to determine the relationship between research variables. This type of research is not conducive to experimental design because of the difficulties in manipulating the independent variable during the study. Cross-sectional design relies on statistical analysis to approximate the relationship between variables and may not produce accurate causal inferences. Internal validity is weak as a result. Quasi-experimental design is identified by random selection of study participants without the requirement of random selection of participants to a comparison group, study of more than one population sample, and studies conducted over time. It is difficult to disaggregate the data produced by this type of study since the population sample will consist of a mixture of subjects with various traits and characteristics. Causal inferences are difficult to determine with this design. Performing the study over time and the analysis of data by (similar) categoric or contrasted (different) groups are strategies used to increase the validity of this design for social science research. Planned variation design, panels, time-series designs, and control-series designs are alternative quasi-experimental social science research designs that attempt to increase internal and external validity by controlling stimuli introduction, research methods, cause-and-effect identification, and causal inference determination respectively. Combined designs employ two or more of the designs mentioned above in effort to assess the causal effects of variables using a multi-method, multi-design approach to studying social science. The advantages offered by these designs include increased internal and external validity as a result of the ability to perform research in real-life, natural settings with a representative population. Since there is no assignment of participants to treatment or comparison groups, researchers are able to perform studies that could be considered unethical or impossible using traditional experimental designs. The disadvantages associated with these designs include difficulty determining causal inferences (due to a wide variety of differences inherent in the study population) and the inability of researchers to manipulate the independent variable. Pre-Experimental Design Pre-experimental design is appropriate when no other design is able to study a population due to limitations in time, population, or a specified event. If there is a single event that occurs at a specified time for a specified group of people, there is only one opportunity to study the impact of a treatment. For this reason, pre-experimental design is considered to be the weakest type of research design with a high risk of causal inference error. There is usually not an assignment of subjects to an experimental or control group and this design usually does not include a comparison group. A one-shot case study is often used with this type of design and does not offer high validity due to the limited ability to generalize study results to a wider population. An advantage of this design includes allowing researchers the ability to scientifically show that more research is needed to explore a particular hypothesis. Weak internal and external validity and the inability to make causal infe rences are considered to be disadvantages for this research design. Determining Which Design is Most Appropriate My research problem studies the relationship between the use of web 2.0 innovative technologies (such as Skype, Second Life, etc.) and depth of research, test performance, and self- motivated learning for grade 3 through 8 students. Important factors that are necessary to consider are the identification of the independent variable, identification of dependent variables, availability of a control or contrast group, ethical implications of this study, and availability of the study (treatment) population. The independent variable in the study is the use of web 2.0 technologies for research. Dependent variables are research depth, test performance, and student self-motivation to learn. The grade 3 through 8 students for the control group and experimental group are available at my current place of employment. Since the treatment involves using technology to learn, there is no presumed risk or ethical issue since using technology is an ordinary part of the students day of learning. The tre atment of using technology for communication over the Internet is a manipulation of the use of technology in the classroom. Special care will be taken to ensure that students adhere to Internet safety rules during communication sessions. Experimental design is the most appropriate research design for this study for the following reasons: Availability and randomization of control and experimental groups Variables can be easily manipulated Pre-test and post-test measurements are possible Causal inferences will be easily identified Johnson and Christensen (2007) state that quantitative research is appropriate for describing what is seen and generating new hypotheses and theories. Since the measurements of the dependent variables reflect behavioral rather than cognitive outcomes, the tools used to measure the study outcomes will not include surveys but rather observational logs. This further supports the use of the experimental design for this study. Other Considerations Other research designs are not considered appropriate and are detailed for the following reasons. Cross-sectional design is not appropriate for this study because surveys are not necessary to determine the participants backgrounds, past experiences, or attitudes. Also, since the independent variable can be manipulated, statistical analysis will not be necessary to approximate causal inferences. Quasi-experimental design should not be employed since the assignment of participants to a control or comparison group is possible and there is no need for an extended period of time for this study. Also, there is no need to systematically introduce stimuli, use panels, or take measurements over a number of time periods. Data is not expected to change for individuals due to history, maturation, or test-retest effects. Furthermore, there are no ethical considerations present in the experimental design for the study. Lastly, the pre-experimental design is not appropriate for this study since thi s is not an event-based or time-sensitive study.

Medical Tourism: Study Case of Ijn

Medical Tourism Sustainability through the Export Market Orientation Behaviours: The Case Study of Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) Ili-Salsabila Abd-Razak1 and Asmat Nizam Abdul Talib Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, MALAYSIA The inclusion of tourism sector as one of the 12 recognized national key economic areas (NKEA) for the 10th Malaysia Plan represent the sector’s prospect in not only driving the nation’s economy, but also transforming the country into a high-income economy by 2020. With approximately 10 years left, many concerned groups are keen to know how this will be achieved.This paper aims at exposing the prospects of medical tourism as an essential subsector of tourism which would offer a number of proven benefits, and hence contribute to accomplishing the government aspiration of transforming the nation’s economy via the said sector. In discussing the subject, the case study method is employed involving Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) as an emerging medi cal tourism provider in the country. Findings of the case study are presented herein. Key words: medical tourism, economy, Institut Jantung NegaraIntroduction The promising prospect of tourism as an economic stimulator has enabled it to be included in the list of 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEA), which has been specifically drafted to transform the Malaysian economy into high-income economy by year 2020. While there are tremendous numbers of tourism categories, ranging from environment, cultural, sports, and entertainment, to name a few, this paper intend to highlight on the prospects of medical tourism as a significant tourism-related economic contributor in this country. Connell (2006) defined medical tourism as health-related tourism involving specific medical intervention. Among the most popular medical tourism products are orthopaedic and cardiac surgery, which are very popular among Asian medical tourism providers, as well as executive health evaluations, cosmetic surgery , joint replacement, and similar complex medical, surgical and dental procedures (Horowitz and Rosensweig, 2007).Therefore this is a distinguished industry than that of the wider health tourism industry which involves tourists travelling to search for spas, yoga and meditation, or any other forms of health tourism (Connell, 2006; Garcia Altes, 2005). 1 Email: ili. [email  protected] com 169 In a relatively detailed account of medical tourism development which began in 1800s, Schroth and Khawaja (2007) proposed that the current phenomenon is different due to the unique combination of global demand and supply within the international medical market.As observed in the region, this proposition is regarded as well-founded. The present development of medical tourism in the international market is very unique, manifested by the escalating statistics of players, patients and revenues generated around the globe of late. How Malaysia is positioned within this backdrop, and how it would affe ct the development of this fast emerging economy, are among the focus of discussion of this paper. The Statistical Development of Medical Tourism Medical tourism has been a very significant industry over the years.By judging from its health travel umbrella, the sector is expected to generate some handsome revenue of RM240 billion (roughly USD73 billion) in 2010, with ASEAN contributing RM9. 6 billion (roughly USD3 billion) (PEMANDU, 2010). Specifically focusing on medical tourism industry, the anticipated revenue to be generated in Asia is RM14. 2 billion by 2012 (roughly USD4. 3 billion), with Malaysia is expected to bring in RM2. 1 billion (roughly USD64 million) from that amount (Ang, 2009).As a comparison, India, another top Asian medical tourism destination, expects to gain USD2 billion by the same year (Connell, 2006; Horowitz and Rosensweig, 2007). These statistics surely are translated by a growing number of medical tourists around the globe. The movement of medical tourists is another significant indicator of this trend. At the global stage, approximately 350 000 medical tourists moved from developed nations to less developed countries for treatment in 2003, while a year later 1. 18 million patients travelled to India alone and another 1. million to Thailand for the same reason (Horowitz and Rosensweig, 2007). Glancing at the local development, the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM) has been projecting for a stable 30% growth of takings from foreign patients until 2010. This is apparent from the steady increase of foreign patients to Malaysia which recorded a total of 39 114 patients in 1998 and 374 063 patients ten years later (APHM; Liow, 2009). In terms of revenue, RM14. 1 million was documented in 1998 before jumped to RM299. million in 2008 (APHM; Liow, 2009), and is expected to contribute to another RM540 million in 2010 (Leonard, 2009). The revenue per patient has almost tripled from RM360 in 1998 to RM800 in 2008 (Choy, 2010). In the latest development, medical tourism is expected to generate RM4294. 4 million of Gross National Income, together with 5295 jobs in 2020 (PEMANDU, 2010). This occurrence has readily attracted a number of giant MNCs with diversified structure such as General Electric (GE) to invest further in the industry (Panjanadan, 2010). The Revolution of Medical TourismThe presented statistics did not appear by chance. The numbers occurred out of plausible factors. The development of medical tourism industry is indeed different (Horowitz and Rosensweig, 2007). As mentioned earlier, Schroth and Khawaja attributed the uniqueness of the industry’s current development to the forces of market’s demand and supply, which is in resonance with Horowitz and Rosensweig (2007) who ascribed it to the movement of patients from industrialized nations to less developed countries. Connell (2006) argued that medical tourism is a niche which 170 xperienced rapid growth and has become an indust ry. The said paper also enlisted several factors promoting the development of medical tourism, such as the low costs factor, the long waiting list, the relatively affordable international air travel and favourable exchange rate, plus the aging of the baby boomers generation. These factors are also often cited in a number of studies regarding medical tourism such as Hansen (2008), Herrich (2007), Horowitz and Rosensweig (2007), Garcia Altes (2005), Marlowe and Sullivan (2007), and Schroth and Khawaja (2007), to name a few.Apart from these popular factors, other notable factors motivating the development of the industry spotted in the literature extent are the use of internet and mobility of technology, the unavailability of certain procedures in the local market, and the reduced trade barriers encouraging the mobility of workforce. Hansen (2008) argued that the revolution in medical tourism today is consumer-driven. This is in line with Horowitz and Rosensweig (2007) who argued that the industry is market driven with complex involvement of multitude medical, economic, social and political factors.While the progress of the industry seems to be very promising, the general overview of Malaysia’s involvement at the international level is not very charming. Even though medical tourism experienced an astounding per annum growth of 22% from 2004 to 2009, the global share is still considered as small with RM350 million in 2010 (PEMANDU, 2010). Furthermore, PEMANDU also reported that while the global healthcare travel is a multi-million dollar industry, Malaysia is yet to get a sizeable share.The said industry is expected to generate USD75 billion of revenue in 2010 at the global level, while Malaysia is expected to make about USD0. 1 billion. The statistics provide a brief sight on the development in the country weighted against the global development. Malaysia should therefore be proactive enough to catch up with the global progress to stay competitive in the i ndustry. To enable this, the players and responsible parties must quickly recognize potential constraints that can hamper the development and address the issues well.The Required Expertise and the Potential Economic Opportunities Based on previous arguments, medical tourism offers bountiful opportunities and chances. In order to remain competitive at the global stage, marketing strategies should be revised against the present circumstances. Marketing the medical expertise and offerings should be distinctively conducted. The primary concern of assessing an excellent marketing strategy is the effectiveness of the strategies implemented.StuartKregor (2005) argued that defining marketing excellence for medical-related industry is different with that of the commercial-based industry. As customer is the centre of marketing excellent in the industry, the paper suggested that the effectiveness of marketing strategies should then be done by measuring the customer’s satisfaction over t he service provided. Therefore, all other marketing excellence measured by considering the profit, return on investment or sales as in any other commercial industries should be changed to be more customer-oriented rather than organizationaloriented. Building he strategies can be done by â€Å"developing, communicating and delivering the right emotional benefits to the targeted customers† (Stuart-Kregor, 2005, pp. 117). The right emotional benefit here is viewed as brand by Stuart-Kregor (2005). This paper is in agreement with the argument, which is to develop the marketing strategies by focusing on the emotional benefits (brands), and assess the effectiveness of the strategies by measuring the satisfactions of the customer. Further discussion on this is available in the next section. 171 The science of excellent marketing strategies would be wasted without a good delivery system.The state of local expertise, technologies and facilities must be attended to in order to assess t he quality of the service offered against the global level. This is where the industry should strive to be as similar as other excellent providers. The commodification of medical tourism (Chee, 2007) is an evident of this occurrence. Dunn (2007) argued that patients are making choices on medical tourism destinations based on how similar is the service delivered, especially concerning patients from industrialized nations, and the service is expected to come with much lower price.Consequently, it is observed that patients are not looking for low cost products at the expense of the quality in the industry. Successful players realize this and capitalize on the factors well. This explains the rapid movement of workforce and technologies across the four corners of the world. India as an example has been successful in luring its medical doctors who have been trained and worked abroad to return with their internationally recognized expertise and work in the country.Thailand and United Arab Emirates have been successful in rearranging for international collaboration in the industry (Schroth and Khawaja, 2007). Through these strategies, the countries have been able to keep their expertise, technologies and facilities up with the global standard. Proposed Strategies of Reviving and Sustaining Medical Tourism: The Case of IJN With the national governments’ involvement recently (Chee, 2007; Noor Hazilah, Roslan Johari and Kadar, 2010; PEMANDU, 2010), the industry has been attracting the interest of many concerned parties.Since the medical tourism is fast becoming a commodity (Chee, 2007), its marketing strategies should be focusing more on brands and less on products to be distinctive than other providers. As in Malaysia, the country is capable of offering similar products with the rest of other players in the world. While Malaysia has been focusing on cost all this while, it is suggested then for the country to deliver a unique brand which is capable of attracting the interest of potential medical tourists, without desecrating the cost advantage.In order to do so, it is particularly important for the players to implement the export market orientation behaviours within their organization, which are generating, disseminating and responding to the export market intelligence (Cadogan, Diamantopoulos and de Mortanges, 1999). Consequently, Malaysia is expected to be able to woo medical tourism patients even more. Hazilah et al. (2010) reported that a medical tourist spends double than a regular tourist while they are in the country. This high buying power therefore is capable of generating more economic opportunities.The medical tourist needs are also offering a lot of opportunities for Malaysian. Apart from medical attention, they need to have accommodation for their accompanying family members. New jobs have been underway to better serve the medical tourists, such as the healthcare broker. A healthcare broker assists the patient to choose a medic al institute and arrange for the patient’s needs while in here, including visa, accommodation and holiday arrangement. Thanks to the internet, these can be arranged prior to the patient’s arrival in the country.To describe more of these strategies and opportunities, this paper choose to present the IJN as a case study merit the discussion. The National Heart Institute or Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) has been established in 1992. The privatization of the institute was done on many premises, especially concerning the potential it has to expand its expertise and to liberalize the 172 financial capabilities of the institute. IJN did not take long to materialize that. A year after its privatization the institute has been able to be financially liberalized and hence reduce the government intervention in its administration.By now, IJN has accomplished a great number of medical milestones recognized not only in the country and the region, but also internationally. To further advance ahead in medical industry, IJN is joining its local peer private institutions to take part in the global medical tourism industry. The previous mentioned factors of global medical tourism industry’s progressive development served as the basis for IJN to be a part of the industry. Besides, like Singapore, the medical tourism industry in Malaysia is receiving a lot of government’s assistants.Being a nationally structured industry, medical tourism therefore is regarded as a potential industry in which would be able to position IJN better. The Malaysian government has been playing an active role in developing the industry in Malaysia since 1998. The main driver of this is to revive the private medical industry after the 1997 Asian economic downturn which has affected the industry very badly. The success story of Thailand which managed to get the industry out of the crisis by focusing on delivering the service to foreign patients has prompt the government to encoura ge private players to do the same.Consequently, while Thailand has been restructuring the industry without much government involvement, Malaysia and Singapore has been leveraging the industry well with cooperation between the public and the private sectors. IJN has been viewing this very positively and has since become a significant player in the region. While being rapidly developing the industry, the players recognized several major constraints which are able to slow down the progress. Coordination is a key constraint. To increase coordination, the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM) was formed to increase coordination between the private players.The steadily increasing number of foreign patients and revenues generated since 1998 as shown in Table 1 is an evident of the successful strategies implemented. However the industry, weighted against the global development, was still considered as insignificant. Resulting from the government’s enthusiasm towards med ical tourism as a prospective economic driver industry, and the intensity and potentials portrayed by private sectors, the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) was established in July 2009.The main purpose of the council is to coordinate promotional activities of medical and healthcare tourism industry in the country. As a part of the economic transformation program, the industry is expected to shift their attention to generate higher patients’ volume, expand the target market beyond Indonesia which is currently the main market of the industry, create alliance across border, and enhance customer experience in the first phase of the strategy. In the following phase, more attention is given on mproving the infrastructure and specialists capacity to attract the more profitable in-patient segment (PEMANDU, 2010). 173 Table 1. The Volume of Foreign Patients and Revenue Generated by Medical Tourism Industry in Malaysia Year 1998 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Medical Tourists/Foreign Patients 39,114 75,210 84,585 102,946 174,189 232,161 296,687 341,288 374,063 Revenue (RM million) 14. 1 n/a 35. 9 58. 9 105. 0 150. 9 203. 66 253. 84 299. 1 Another strategy to improve the medical tourism performance is through focusing on specific players.There are approximately 223 private hospitals operating in the country in 2008 (Frost & Sullivan, 2009). Of this number, the government has decided to focus on 35 private hospitals to capitalize on the industry with several characteristics outlined. The characteristics include being a member of APHM, has obtained the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH), ISO or other international accreditations, offers major specialties and/or some sub-specialties, provides for a minimum 50 beds, and has its own websites.IJN has been one of the selected 35. The commitment demonstrated by IJN towards the industry is paramount. In order to be internationally recognized, the institute has been striving hard to be in the s ame par with the other international organizations. IJN has been accredited by JCI in 2009, which is a recognition of the strong culture of safety and quality within the organization. The internationally recognized accreditation is expected to improve IJN’s international positioning in the future.IJN realizes that in order to make the most of the industry, it needs to build a customer-oriented system. Beginning in 2006, the institute has been conducting the Customer Focused Program. The program was aimed at transforming IJN into a global centre of excellence by ensuring customers’ satisfaction. In 2008, the institute launched what was designed as the second phase of the program, called Customer Focused Culture. While the CFP was initiated to increase awareness of ensuring customers’ satisfaction, the CFC aimed at internalizing the institute’s shared values across the rganization. IJN also comprehend its capacity constraint which is becoming the largest hi ndrance from going big in the global medical tourism industry. Apart from improving on its culture system, the institute has been adamant in enhancing its infrastructure capabilities. A major extension work has been carried out at IJN to expand its capacities from 270 beds to 432, eight wards to 13, 23 outpatient clinic rooms to 59, and an international patient centre, to improve its service for customers.This is in line with numerous governments’ incentives offered to the private hospitals embarking on medical tourism industry to expand their infrastructure capacities. In August 2009, IJN has its new wing officiated by the Malaysian Prime Minister, who acknowledged that the institute has undergone RM230 million expansion program since 2005. In the same ceremony, the Prime Minister has also announced the proposal for IJN to become a research and development institute, measuring itself against the international best heart institute such as the Cleveland Clinic Heart Centre in the US.These are all evidences of how IJN has been greatly employing the export market orientation behaviors within its organization. In commenting the current development of the industry, IJN has expressed its concern for the country to be more progressive towards promoting medical tourism. 174 The IJN Holdings Group Managing Director, Datuk Mohd. Radzif Mohd. Yunus mentioned that the failure for Malaysia to capitalize on its capabilities in the industry would result to the loss of human capital as they will migrate to other countries with better offers.This is also reiterated by Datuk Syed Hussien Al-Habshee, the Secretary General of National Chambers of Commerce and Industry Malaysia (NCCIM) who said that the country need to step up its marketing efforts of medical tourism if it wants to catch up with Thailand and Singapore. PEMANDU (2010) has confirmed the assertion by reporting on the stronger growth of the industry by neighboring Thailand and Singapore. The set up of MHTC and several other initiatives are therefore deemed as timely to help Malaysia to rise in the industry at the global stage.Conclusion and Recommendation As exemplified in the discussion, medical tourism offers a lot of economic opportunities and hence is indeed a potential contributor to economic growth. However, Malaysia, while has been enjoying the growth of the industry vehemently over the pass few years, has not been capitalizing the industry well compared to the other global players. Therefore, the Malaysian players need to revise their marketing strategies and delivery system, as represented by IJN.The cooperative efforts between the public (government) and the private sectors too must be further carried on, especially for the sake of protecting the interests of the local society and the survival of the medical tourism players. It is strongly suggested for medical tourism players in the country to leverage on their expertise by focusing the marketing strategies on brands rather tha n on products, as well as enhancing on their infrastructure and culture systems to be more export market-oriented. In doing so, however, the players must not disregard the country’s current edge, which is the competitive cost.In terms of theoretical development, this paper is believed to be able to expose the medical tourism niche and its economic opportunities, as well as the marketing strategies fitting the industry. Quite a number of studies involving Malaysian medical tourism industry have been conducted. Nonetheless, this paper presents the scenario from the view of a single case study. It is highly suggested for similar studies to be conducted with the presence of empirical data to see the quantifiable aspects of the industry in the future.With such studies, it is expected that further theoretical contributions can be made, and hence the progress of the industry can then be expedited even more. Reference Ang, Elaine. Malaysian Medical Tourism Growing. The Star, February 14, 2009. Cadogan, J. W. , Diamantopoulos, A. , & de Mortanges, C. P. (1999). A measure of export market orientation: Scale development and cross-cultural validation. Journal of International Business Studies, 30(4), 689-707. Chee, H. L. (2007, January). Medical tourism in Malaysia: International movement of healthcare consumers and the commodification of healthcare. ARI Working Paper, No. 3. Retrieved from www. ari. nus. edu. sg/pub/wps. htm Choy, L. B. (2010, April 13). Medical tourism good for Malaysia’s health. News Straits Times. Retrieved from http://findarticles. com/p/news-articles/newstraits-times/mi_8016/is_20100413/ medical-tourism-malaysias health/ai_n53130944/ 175 Connell, J. (2006). Medical Tourism: Sea, sun, sand and †¦ surgery. Tourism Management, 27. 1093-1100. Dunn, P. 2007. Medical Tourism Takes Flight. Hospitals and Health Networks, 81(11): 40-44. Frost & Sullivan (2009, October 28). Frost & Sullivan: Growing healthcare tourism in Malaysia. Retrieved from http://www. alaysiahealthcare. com/ Garcia-Altes, A. (2005). The development of health tourism services. Annals of Tourism Research, 32 (1): 262-266. Hansen, F. (2008). A revolution in healthcare. Review-Institute of Public Affairs, 59(4), 43-45. Health and medical tourism will boost growth: Datuk Liow Tiong Lai. The Star, November 08, 2008. Retrieved from http://www. wellnessvisit. com/liowhealth-and-medical-tourism-will-boost-growth. php Herrick, D. M. (2007, November). Medical tourism: Global competition in health care. NCPA Policy Report, No. 304. Retrieved from www. ncpa. org/pub/st/st304 Horowitz, M. D. Rosensweig, J. A. , & Jones, C. A. (2007). Medical tourism: Globalization of healthcare marketplace. Medscape General Medicine, 9(4), 33. Leonard, T. (2009, October 28). Medical tourists to bring in RM540mil by 2020. Retrieved from http://www. malaysiahealthcare. com/ Marlowe, J. , & Sullivan, P. (2007). Medical tourism: The ultimate outsourcing. HR. Human Resource Planni ng, 30(2), 8-10. Noor Hazilah Abd Manaf, Roslan Johari Dato’ Mohd Ghazali, & Kadar Marikar. (2010). â€Å"Positioning Malaysia in Medical Tourism†. Paper presented at the International Conference on Marketing (ICMAR), June 2010, in Kuala Lumpur.Panjanadan, S. (2009, August 9). GE looking into enhancing presence in tourism Retrieved from healthcare. http://bernama. com/bernama/v5/newsbusiness. php? id=519842 PEMANDU (2010, September 21). Healthcare-EPP Panels. Retrieved from http://www. pemandu. gov. my/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&i d=619&Itemid=139&lang=en Schroth, L. , & Khawaja, R. (2007). Globalization of healthcare. Frontiers of Health Services Management, 24(2), 19-30. Speech by YB Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Minister of Health Malaysia, at the APHM International Healthcare Conference and Exhibition at KLCC,

What You Dont Know About Diagnostic Essay Samples

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