Outsourcing Seats to Turkey

Outsourcing Seats to Turkey Introduction The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of outsourcing on VDL Group’s supply chain strategy and processes. In addition, a plan to outsource CAD conversion services to Outsource2india will be presented.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Outsourcing Seats to Turkey specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Outsourcing refers to the process of â€Å"contracting with a third-party service provider for the management and completion of a certain amount of work, for a specified length of time, cost, and level of services† (Oshri, Kotlarsky Willcocks 2009, p. 4). The main objective of outsourcing is to enable companies to improve their competitiveness through cost reduction, economies of scale, and flexibility in production (Varadarajan 2008, pp. 1165-1172). VDL is a manufacturing company that was founded in the Netherlands in 1953. The company is organized into four divisions namely, subc ontracting, car assembly, bus/ coach, and finished products (VDL 2014). The subcontracting division specializes in mechatronic systems, manufacturing plastics, and surface treatment. The car assembly division produces cars on behalf of other companies. The bus and coach division produces coaches and buses. The finished product division produces several products, which include car suspension systems, heating systems, and production automation systems (VDL 2014). Overall, the group consists of 81 operating companies that specialize in the production of specific products. The group has operations in 18 countries where it employs over 9,100 employees. In 2012, the company realized 1,756 million Euros in revenues (VDL 2014). Impact of Outsourcing VDL has outsourced production of the seats for its cars and buses to a Turkish company referred to as Brusa Seating. Brusa Seating specializes in the design, development, and production of seats, which it sells to original manufacturers of comme rcial vehicles (Brusa 2014). Outsourcing has had the following impacts on VDL. First, outsourcing has enabled the company to adjust the scale and scope of its production capability at a low cost. Given the high competition in the automobile industry, manufacturing companies have had to adopt lean production technologies in order to reduce operating costs. One of the strategies being used by VDL is to produce cars and buses on demand. This means that the company has to adjust its production capacity frequently in order to satisfy existing demand without holding unnecessary inventory or stock of completed buses/ cars. When the demand for buses is high, the company simply increases its order for new seats. This leads to cost savings since the company does not have to invest in new production systems or inventory to produce more seats (Williamson 2008, pp. 5-14). Conversely, when demand for buses is declining, the company orders for fewer seats. As a result, it avoids operating at exces s capacity, thereby eliminating the costs associated with warehousing and laying off staff during low demand seasons.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Second, outsourcing enables VDL to concentrate on its core activities, which include assembling cars and manufacturing buses. Undoubtedly, companies cannot pursue excellence in all activities in their value chain due to resource limitations (Liu Nagurney 2011, pp. 539-549). Thus, companies focus on their core competence in order to achieve a competitive advantage. In this context, core refers to the activities that are performed internally, contribute directly to the bottom line, and determine the future of the company. VDL’s core competence is in assembling cars and buses on behalf of third parties. Thus, it outsources the manufacture of car parts such as seats to third party producers where the manufact ure of car parts is a core competence. Outsourcing enables companies to focus on activities that add value to their customers (Tayauova 2012, pp. 188-195). At VDL, the value adding activities include product development, research, and provision of technical support to customers. By focusing on these activities, the company has been able to improve the quality of its products, thereby increasing sales, customer satisfaction, and market share. Finally, outsourcing enables VDL to achieve cost advantages through economies of scale. Economies of scale refer to a cost advantage that a company achieves through increased production of a given product (Belcourt 2006, pp. 269-279). Specifically, the fixed cost per unit reduces as the number of units produced rises. Outsourcing enables VDL to achieve economies of scale in several ways. To begin with, it enables the company to increase its production capacity without incurring the fixed costs associated with hiring new employees and holding lar ge inventories. Outsourcing also enables the company to improve its efficiency by purchasing seats at a favorable price. In particular, Brusa Seating has to supply the seats to VDL at a competitive price in order to maintain the outsourcing contract. Economies of scale enable VDL to reduce the average cost of producing its buses and cars, thereby improving its profit margins. Moreover, low production costs enable VDL to price its products competitively, thereby overcoming competition in the market. Risks and Benefits Benefits First, VDL benefits from access to the capabilities and the expertise of Brusa Seating. The automotive industry is capital intensive and thrives on the application of advanced technologies to achieve product and process innovation. This requires investments in modern production systems and the best talent (Gabriela Clark 2006, pp. 250-253).Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Outsourcing Seats to Turkey specifically for you for onl y $16.05 $11/page Learn More The automotive industry in the Netherland is underdeveloped due to its high concentration. As a result, access to talent and advanced production technologies is limited. By contrast, Turkey’s automotive industry consists of numerous large producers who have decades of experience. Thus, outsourcing enables VDL to access advanced technologies and expertise through Brusa Seating (Weidenbaum 2005, pp. 311-315). Second, the company benefits from low labor costs by outsourcing to Brusa Seating. Turkey is â€Å"an emergent market in the new millennium expected to attract the interest of global companies in their attempt to obtain competitive advantages† (Aktas et al. 2011, pp. 833-852). One of the main advantages of Turkey is low labor cost. In 2013, the average hourly labor cost in the Netherlands was $34.75, whereas in Turkey the cost was $5 (World Bank 2014). Low labor costs enable Brusa Seating to produce seats for VDL at a low cost. As a result, VDL’s overall cost of producing buses and cars will reduce in the long-run (Quelin Duhamel 2003, pp. 647-661). Third, VDL has achieved a competitive advantage in the market through outsourcing. The company has achieved a differentiation advantage by contracting Brusa Seating to manufacture its seats. As a specialized seat producer, Brusa Seating focuses on conducting research and development to produce seats that meet the specific needs of its customers. Through product innovation, Brusa Seating has been able to supply VDL with seats that offer more comfort and flexibility than those provided by other companies. Differentiation will enable VDL’s buses to penetrate the market easily. Risks First, outsourcing to a Turkish company exposes VDL to the risk of language barriers. The official language in Turkey is Turkish. Over 90% of Turkey’s population speaks Turkish. By contrast, Dutch is the official language in the Netherlands and it is used b y over 90% of the population. Only 0.06% of the Netherland’s population can speak Turkish and Arabic. This means that communication is likely to be a problem since the employees of VDL and Brusa Seating are not likely to speak the same language. Undoubtedly, language barriers cause serious challenges such as misunderstandings among business partners. This can lead to costly mistakes such as poor product development and ineffective coordination of supply chain activities (Foogooa 2008, pp. 858-864).Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Second, VDL and Brusa Seating have different levels of skills, expertise, and technical infrastructure. These differences limit the ability of the two companies to collaborate through joint research and development activities. As a strategic partner, VDL has to involve Brusa Seating in its product development initiatives to meet its product quality objectives. However, collaboration during product development will be very difficult if the employees from the two companies have different levels of expertise and skills (Trott 2006, pp. 672-681). For instance, VDL’s employees may not understand the procedures that their counterparts at Brusa Seating use to manufacture seats. Lack of special skills in key areas such as management of people, contracts, and processes will limit VDL’s ability to maintain control over the quality of the seats produced by Brusa Seating (Rottman Lacity 2006, pp. 56-63). Finally, cultural differences between the two companies and their countries of origin can limit their ability work as partners. Culture is an important aspect of every business since it determines the way people think, make decisions, communicate, coordinate, and resolve conflicts. The Netherlands and Turkey have very different cultures. Turkey has a high-context culture in which individuals value reputation, politeness, and tradition rather than clarity. The Netherlands, on the other hand, has a low-context culture where people value individualism and achievement. Given these differences, employees from the two companies are likely to have different expectations about the outsourcing partnership (Barthelemy Geyer 2001, pp. 195-202). The resulting communication gaps or misunderstandings can lead to conflicts that will eventually lead to failure. Outsourcing CAD Conversion Services to Outsource2india Developing and executing an effective outsourcing plan involves following five key steps, which are summarized in figure 1. Based on this framework, VDL should consider the following plan to outsource CAD conversion services to Outsource2india Ltd. Figure 1: Framework for Outsourcing Needs Assessment CAD conversion is the process of transforming hardcopy designs into a computer aided design format to facilitate improved storage, accuracy, and easy modification. As a manufacturer, VDL requires effective CAD conversion services to improve the quality of its services. CAD conversion is a vital process that requires advanced expertise, resources, and a dedicated team of professionals. Thus, VDL will require a significant amount of financial capital and expertise to run its own CAD conversion department. This is likely to shift the focus of the company away from its core activity of assembling cars and buses (Mclvor 2008, pp. 24-34). Since CAD conversion is not a core activity, VDL can outsource tasks such as CAD digitization, conversion to MicroStation, conversion of JPG to DWG, and conversion to AutoCAD to Outsource2india (Mclvor 2008, pp. 24-34). By outsourcing these tasks to an experienced third-party, VDL will benefit from time efficiency, quality work, and better utilization of its resources (Kobelsky Robinson 2010, 105-119). In addition, the company will save the costs associated with hiring and training CAD conversion staff and the cost of operating a CAD department. Proposal and Contracting Outsource2india has core competence in providing CAD conversion services to global firms. The company has a flexible capacity to handle any scope of CAD conversion work (Outsource2india 2014). Its capability is characterized by access to high-end technologies and infrastructure, as well as, the use of the latest software. Additionally, the company has in-built redundancy, which will facilitate quick capacity adjustments in response to an increase in demand (Outsource2india 2014). Outsource2india will provide high quality CAD conversion services due to its ability to access a highly skilled workforce. As a specialist in CAD conversion services, Outsource2india has invested in employees with technical skills and expertise in various aspects of computer aided design. As a result, it will provide custom CAD conversion solutions to suit each project’s requirements. Outsource2india provides time zone benefits since the company operates 24 hours, seven days a week. Thus, VDL will benefit from quick turnaround time (Samsudin, Hasim Fuzi 2013, pp. 1-8). Moreover, VDL will save up to 50% of its operating costs due to the low labor costs in India (Outsource2india 2014). Thus, the proposal to contract Outsource2india will enable VDL to enjoy both differentiation and cost advantages (Jensen 2011, pp. 311-326). Communication and Change Management At this stage, Outsource2india will collaborate with VDL to articulate the issues associated with outsourcing CAD conversion services. The communication vehicles that will be used include VDL Group’s newsletters and meetings. The communication activities wil l be used to identify the affected stakeholders and the basis of relationship between Outsource2india and VDL (Tate Ellram 2009, pp. 256-268). In addition, the benefits of outsourcing will be explained to the affected stakeholders to motivate them to support the anticipated changes in organizational design that will occur due to outsourcing CAD conversion services (Oshri, Kotlarsky Willcocks 2009, pp. 94-112). Transition Management This stage will involve establishing the transition governance system to align the objectives and strategies of VDL to Outsource2india’s delivery system (Mani, Barua Whinston 2006, pp. 15-28). The change control process will be implemented to address emerging risks (Oshri, Kotlarsky Willcocks 2009, pp. 94-112). In addition, the timeline for completing the work and the expected deliverables will be clarified at the transition stage. Training programs will be implemented to facilitate knowledge transfer from Outsource2india to VDL. Moreover, rela tionship management initiatives will focus on promoting effective coordination of supply chain activities between Outsource2india and VDL (Oshri, Kotlarsky Willcocks 2009, pp. 94-112). Service Stabilization The transition team will be in charge of the service stabilization stage to ensure that the expected deliverables are achieved. Outsource2india will focus on delivering the CAD conversion services as required by VDL. The relationship governance structure will be used to resolve any issues that might arise during the provision of the outsourced services (Dolgui Proth 2013, pp. 6769-6777). Recommendations According to the agency theory, outsourcing contracts are likely to face significant challenges if the vendor and the client have different goals. Outsourcing is likely to fail if the client is not able to measure the vendor’s output (Ryan Delgado-Sanchez 2009, pp. 52-71). Moreover, opportunistic vendors will always take advantage of the loopholes in the outsourcing cont ract to fulfill their goals at the expense of their clients. In order to avoid these challenges, VDL should use an outcome-based contract where the vendors are paid according to their achievements. This will shift the risks associated with the contract to the vendor, thereby encouraging high productivity (Logan 2000, pp. 27-30). VDL should control vendors’ opportunistic behaviors by increasing its involvement in the production of the outsourced services. Additionally, it should hire a qualified independent consultant to audit the vendors to enhance achievement of the desired quality standards. Second, VDL should visit Brusa Seating’s premises in Turkey to inspect the adequacy of its production capacity and to identify the challenges that the company is likely to face in producing seats. This will enable VDL to identify the risks that are likely to reduce the effectiveness of its outsourcing contract with Brusa Seating in order to take timely actions (Kroes Ghosh 2009, pp. 124-143). Finally, VDL should invest in IT and communication techniques to improve its supply chain system. This involves integrating its supply chain system with those of its outsourcing partners to facilitate effective exchange of information and coordination of activities. Integration can be achieved through technologies such as cloud computing and business-to-business e-commerce platforms. Furthermore, VDL should train its employees on various languages to overcome communication challenges. This will facilitate effective communication between the company and its outsourcing partners who are based in various countries. References Aktas, E, Agaran, B, Ulengin, F Onsel, S 2011, The Use of Outsourcing Logistics: The Case of Turkey, Transportation Research Part C, vol. 19 no. 1, pp. 833-852. Barthelemy, J Geyer, D 2001, IT Outsourcing: Evidence from France and Germany, European Management, vol. 19 no. 2, pp. 195-202. Belcourt, M 2006, Outsourcing: The Benefits and the Risks, H uman Resources Management Review, vol. 16 no. 1, pp. 269-279. Brusa 2014, About Brusa, brusaseating.eu/. Dolgui, A Proth, J 2013, Outsourcing: Definitions and Analysis, International Journal of Product Research, vol. 51 no. 23, pp. 6769-6777. Foogooa, R 2008, IS Outsourcing: A Strategic Perspective, Business Process Management Journal, vol. 14 no. 6, pp. 858-864. Gabriela, K Clark, D 2006, Outsourcing to China: Risks and Benefits, Computer Law and Security Report, vol. 22 no. 2, pp. 250-253. Jensen, P 2012, A Passage to India: A Dual Case Study of Activities, Processes and Resources in Offshore Outsourcing of Advanced Services, Journal of World Business, vol. 47 no. 1, pp. 311-326. Kobelsky, K Robinson, M 2009, The Impact of Outsourcing on Information Technology Spending, International Journal of Accounting Information systems, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 105-119. Kroes, J Ghosh, S 2009, Outsourcing Congruence with Competitive Priorities: Impact on Supply Chain and Firm Performance, Jou rnal of Operations Management, 28 no. 1, pp. 124-143. Liu, Z Nagurney, A 2011, Supply Chain Outsourcing Under Exchange Rate Risk and Competition, Omega, vol. 39 no. 1, pp. 539-549. Logan, M 2000, Using Agency Theory to Design Successful Outsourcing relationships, International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 11 no. 2, pp. 21-31. Mani, D, Barua, A Whinston, A 2006, Successful Governing Business Process Outsourcing Relationships, MIS Quarterly Executive, vol. 5 no. 1, pp. 15-29. Mclvor, R 2008, What is the Right Outsourcing Strategy for Your Process? European Management Journal, vol. 26 no. 2, pp. 24-34. Oshri, I, Kotlarsky, J Willcocks, L 2009, The Handbook of Global Outsourcing and Offshoring, Palgrave Macmillan, Landon. Outsource2india 2014, Why Outsource2india, https://www.outsource2india.com/. Quelin, B Duamel, F 2003, Bringing Together Strategic Outsourcing and Corporate Strategy: Outsourcing Motives and Risks, European Management Journal, vol. 21 no. 5, pp. 647-661. R ottman, J Lacity, M 2006, Proven Practices for Effective Offshoring IT Work, MIT Sloan Management Review, vol. 47 no. 3, pp. 56-63. Ryan, B Delgado-Sanchez, A 2009, Outsourcing relationships: A Case of Accounting Surveillance, Journal of Accounting and Organizational Change, vol. 6 no. 1, pp. 52-71. Samsudin, N, Hasim, R Fuzi, S 2013, Electronic Government Outsourcing Issues in Malaysia, Journal of Outsourcing and Organizational Information on Management, vol. 20 no. 3, pp. 1-8. Trott, A 2006, Innovation Risks of Strategic Outsourcing, Technovation, vol. 26 no. 1, pp. 672-681. Tate, W Ellram, L 2009, Offshore Outsourcing: A Managerial Framework, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, vol. 23 no. 4, pp. 256-268. Tayauova, G 2012, Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing: Analysis of Outsourcing Practices of Kazakhstan Banks, Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 41 no. 1, pp. 188-195. Varadarajan, R 2008, Outsourcing: Think More Expansively, Journal of Business Research, vol. 62 no. 2, pp. 1165-1172. VDL 2014, Profile, https://www.vdlgroep.com/nl. Weidenbaum, M 2005, Outsourcing: Pros and Cons, Business Horizon, vol. 48 no. 1, pp. 311-315. Williamson, O 2008, Outsourcing: Transaction Cost Economics and Supply Chain Management, Journal of Supply Chain Management, vol. 44 no. 2, pp. 5-14. World Bank 2014, Data Bank, worldbank.org/.

Definition and Examples of Word Borrowing

Definition and Examples of Word Borrowing In linguistics, borrowing  (also known as lexical borrowing) is the process by which a word from one language  is adapted for use in another. The word that is borrowed is called a borrowing, a borrowed word, or a  loanword.   The English language has been described by David Crystal as an insatiable borrower. More than 120 other languages have served as sources for the contemporary vocabulary of English. Present-day English is also a major donor languagethe leading source of borrowings for many other languages. Etymology From Old English, becoming Examples and Observations English . . . has freely appropriated the major parts of its vocabulary from Greek, Latin, French, and dozens of other languages. Even though The officials automobile functioned erratically consists entirely of borrowed words, with the single exception of the, it is uniquely an English sentence.The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We dont just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.Exploration and BorrowingThe vocabulary of English based on exploration and trade [was] often brought to England in spoken form or in popular printed books and pamphlets. An early example is assassin (eater of hashish), which appears in English about 1531 as a loanword from Arabic, probably borrowed during the Crusades. Many of the other words borrowed from eastern countries during the Middle Ages were the names of product s (Arabic lemon, Persian musk, Semitic cinnamon, Chinese silk) and place names (like damask, from Damascus). These were the most direct examples of the axiom that a new referent requires a new word. Enthusiastic BorrowersEnglish speakers have long been globally among the most enthusiastic borrowers of other peoples words and many, many thousands of English words have  been acquired in just this way.  We get kayak from  an Eskimo language, whisky from Scottish Gaelic, ukulele from Hawaiian, yoghurt from Turkish, mayonnaise from French, algebra from Arabic, sherry from Spanish, ski  from Norwegian, waltz from German, and kangaroo from the Guugu-Yimidhirr language of Australia. Indeed, if you leaf through the pages of an English dictionary that provide the sources of words, you will discover that well over half the words in it are taken from other languages in one way or another (although not always by the sort of straightforward borrowing we are considering here).Reasons for Language BorrowingOne language may possess words for which there are no equivalents in the other language. There may be words for objects, social, political, and cultural institutions and events or abs tract concepts which are not found in the culture of the other language. We can take some examples from the English language throughout the ages. English has borrowed words for types of houses (e.g. castle, mansion, teepee, wigwam, igloo, bungalow). It has borrowed words for cultural institutions (e.g. opera, ballet). It has borrowed words for political concepts (e.g. perestroika, glasnost, apartheid). It often happens that one culture borrows from the language of another culture words or phrases to express technological, social or cultural innovations. Contemporary BorrowingToday only about five percent of our new words are taken from other languages. They are especially prevalent in the names of foods: focaccia, salsa, vindaloo, ramen.Borrowings From EnglishEnglish borrowings are entering languages everywhere, and in more domains than just science and technology. Not surprisingly, the reported reaction of a Paris disk jockey to the French Academys latest pronouncements against English borrowings was to use an English borrowing to call the pronouncement pas trà ¨s cool (not very cool). Pronunciation BOR-owe-ing Sources Peter Farb,  Word Play: What Happens When People Talk. Knopf, 1974James Nicoll,  Linguist, February 2002W.F. Bolton,  A Living Language: The History and Structure of English. Random House, 1982Trasks Historical Linguistics, 3rd ed., ed. by  Robert McColl Millar. Routledge, 2015Allan Metcalf,  Predicting New Words. Houghton Mifflin, 2002Carol Myers-Scotton,  Multiple Voices: An Introduction to Bilingualism. Blackwell, 2006Colin Baker and Sylvia Prys Jones,  Encyclopedia of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education. Multilingual Matters, 1998

Personalized Medicine and Biomarkers (Biomedical Informatics) Research Paper

Personalized Medicine and Biomarkers (Biomedical Informatics) - Research Paper Example Biomedical informatics and health informatics is an interdisciplinary field which integrates different fields such as computer science, biology, medicine and health care. It fosters an effective analysis and management of data for its application in health care. Bernstam et al , [1] defines biomedical informatics as a science of information where data is presented together with meaning in finding solutions to biomedical related problems. This makes the field distinct from related fields such as biomedicine, bioinformatics and computer science. Computers provide the interface between the data which they process and humans interpret the meaning of the data, a task the computers are incapable of carrying out appropriately. This field has gained relevance because of the rise in use of electronic health records and the plethora of data emanating from genomics research, [2]. Because of the growth of the data available to professionals in the healthcare, there has been a change in the patte rn of medical decision making towards the requirement of informatics and information technology platform to assist medics in their decision making. Personalized medicine is a form of medicine that makes use of personal information derived from person’s genes, proteins and environment to assist in disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, [3]. A biomarker is a variable which can be a gene, protein, or chemical which is altered in disease condition. Biomarkers are classified as prognostic, predictive or therapeutic biomarkers. Prognostic biomarkers try to assess the likely cause of a disease whereas predictive ones assess the probability of whether a patient will benefit from a particular therapy. In the recent times, personalized medicine has been ameliorated by a more improved molecular understanding of disease thereby introducing effective

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assignment - Essay Example I helped other members in providing broader view of their possible decisions which may affect the performance of the whole team. I provided them assistance and help wherever possible. The most important part that I played was to motivate them, uphold their interest in the tasks assigned and cheer them up when they felt discouraged. I motivated them to work s a team and focus on team’s good more than individualistic choices. In addition, I encouraged freedom for all members to talk and suggest ideas. The team, then, looked seriously and decided If any suggestion is suitable or not. Also, I respected and listened to the leader of the team and took her advises. The weak attribute in my personality that hindered the team’s performance was encouraging the team to take decisions immediately. It had a negative impact on the team’s goals as this way we ignored the individualistic goals of certain members of the team. They got rescued and we had to spend many medicines on that particular member to be alive. Question 2: Think about your team’s performance on the Mount Everest Simulation. I want you to think critically about how your team interacted. Part 1: What did your team do well? What were the â€Å"root causes† of such synergy? Part 2: What did your team not do well? What were the â€Å"root causes† of such performance losses? I believe that my team had the strength of working as a ‘team’ rather than distinct individuals. They worked really hard to help every individual of the team by making decisions which benefit most of the team members and help in reaching the team’s combined targets. The team did well as the average points that team and individual team members got are 60%. This clearly shows that, however, there were some discrepancies the team worked hard in mutuality. The root causes of such synergy include team work, combined decision making, motivation from the leader, care for each other and pa ssion to achieve success. Each team member was aware of their responsibilities regarding the team goal. Every individual helped other in order to maintain a sustained development towards the achievement of goals. The team lacked careful thinking and critically analyzing the outcomes of any particular decision. The root cause of this performance loss was that we were more motivated towards goal achievement and hence, we lacked critical analyses of our decisions. We suggested and made decision quickly without viewing a broader picture of those decisions. The passion to reach the top and get score led to inappropriate decision making which affected our score. An example of such decision making is when we moved directly from the base to the camp 1. Then I ignored one of my goals, which was to stay one night in camp 1 and we moved to camp 2 due to the benefit of all team and I suggested that. In camp 2 I suggested to stay one night, rest and get point for me and other persons as well. Be cause of that I got full points of avoiding rescue, and staying one night in camp 2. Although it was beneficial for some members who gained good score but others suffered because of this strategy and lose significant points. Question 3: What can your team do going forward to make sure that you correct the things you collectively didn’t do well – Be specific here. The team can incorporate effective decision making by critically analyzing the ideas and suggestions before adopting them. The team may plan things well before moving

Nursing Medicine Essay Example for Free

Nursing Medicine Essay Medical physicians and nurses have well-built passions about their range of contributions to the health of people. They are concerned with how expert ideas and welfares are to be weighed against the necessity to maneuver a system that works for the greater good of the public. Nurses and physicians work hand in hand for the cure and betterment of their patients; but what makes them different from each other? Some say it’s better to be a doctor for one has the capability to save lives; others say it’s more fulfilling to be a nurse because you not only help offer cure for the sick, you also give them genuine care. Moreover, applying and promoting caring values in the nurses’ practice is not only necessary to their own health as nurses, but its implication is also deeply tributary to finding meaning in their work. Upholding caring values in the nurses’ every day practice helps go above the nurse from a state where nursing is thought as just a job to that of a rewarding profession. While many people see medicine as a better profession than nursing, they don’t realize that nurses also encompass the competence and deep levels of character. The changes in the delivery systems of health care around the world have intensified nurses’ workloads and responsibilities. Nurses must know how to deal with patients’ increased acuteness and intricacy with regards to their health care condition. Regardless of such hardships, nurses are able to find ways to conserve their caring practice. Giving care to different individuals several hours a day is no easy job. This paper will enlighten people to what the nursing profession really is by discussing the theory of human caring. Jean Watson’s caring theory can be seen as essential to this aim. While the sole focus of medicine is to diagnose a patient and cure his/her disorder or disease, nursing entails giving care to the patient. Without care, the cure for the disease would be possible, but the illness would still linger because health would still not be attained without caring. The core of nursing is caring, while that of medicine is cure. This paper doesn’t imply that medicine does not include caring for patients. It’s just that nursing implies caring in a deeper, more attached way. The nursing profession involves working long hours with the sick, developing rapport in every possible way, and acknowledging every patient whatever their attitude or race may be. Nursing and caring have always been thought of as acting in unison. Most people choose nursing as a line of work because of their longing to care for other persons. Watson’s caring theory not only allows the nurse to live out the art of caring, it also seeks to offer compassion to ease families’ and patients’ suffering, and to support their dignity and healing. According to Watson (2001), the chief elements of her assumption are: the carative factors, the transpersonal caring relationship, and the caring moment or caring occasion. These fundamentals are described later in the paper, and will be exemplified and viewed in light of the nursing and medical profession. The caring theory or model can also be measured as an ethical/moral and philosophical foundation for professional nursing and a division of the vital focus for nursing at the corrective level. A replica of caring includes a call for both science and art; it provides a structure that intersects and embraces with science, humanities, art, spirituality, and a new magnitude of body, mind, and spirit. Nursing and medicine is developing openly as a core to human phenomenon of the nursing practice. Carative factors are viewed as a guide for the nursing core. Watson uses the word carative in contrast with medicine’s curative factors. She uses the carative factors for the reason of honoring the human magnitude of the work of nursing and the subjective experiences and inner life world of the patients that they serve. The carative factors have ten elements: faith-hope, humanistic-altruistic system of value, expressing positive and negative feelings, helping-trusting human care relationship, transpersonal teaching-learning, creative problem solving caring process, human needs assistance, supportive, protective and corrective physical, mental, societal and spiritual environment, and existential phenomenological spiritual forces. This however evolved into the caritas process which has a deeper spiritual magnitude and dimension which means to treasure and to give exceptional loving attention (Watson, 2001). Transpersonal Caring regards the harmony of life and relations that move in concentric circles of caring from a person, to others, to the society, to the world, to our planet, and to the universe. Transpersonal caring is established in a happening or actual caring instance. It shows concern for the life within. The patient is regarded as complete and as a whole, in spite of disease or illness (Watson 2003). The transpersonal nurse looks for a connection to embrace the soul or the spirit of the patient, by way of healing and caring (Watson 2003). Caring in the nursing career takes place each time a nurse to patient contact is achieved. Unlike in medicine, some doctors may look at a patient and just prescribe a drug, after that, their deal is finished. In contrast, the nurse seeks to enter the patient’s world in order to draw closer and know the patient as a caring individual, and that it is from this epistemology that the caring of nursing begins to unfold (Schoenhofer 2002). This caring makes a big difference to the well being of each patient. Caring may happen without curing, but curing cannot take place without caring (Watson 2003). It is with that conviction that nurses are concerned for patients in the anticipation that they add to the well being or cure of that patient. Hope may be the only support an ill person has to keep their optimism. Nurses care adequately to credit that hope and hold up for the patient. They have the vision that patient is complete and whole. The one being cared and one caring are unified (Watson 1997). It’s experiencing human being connection at a deeper level than a bodily contact (Watson 2003). This connection describes how the nurse goes further than an objective evaluation, presenting concerns toward the person’s deeper and subjective meaning concerning their own health care condition. The nurse’s caring realization becomes vital for the association and understanding of the other person’s point of view. This approach highlights the exclusivity of both the nurse and the person, and also the mutuality linking the two persons, which is primary to the bond. As such, the one cared-for and the one caring cooperate in connection in mutual search for wholeness and meaning perhaps for the sacred transcendence of suffering (Watson, 2001). The term transpersonal means to go further than an individual’s own ego and the here and now, while it allows him/her to arrive at a deeper spiritual connection in promoting the patient’s healing and comfort. Lastly, the objective of a transpersonal caring association corresponds to enhancing, protecting, and preserving the person’s humanity, dignity, inner harmony, and wholeness. According to Jean Watson (1988, 1999), a caring occasion is the moment (central point in time and space) when the patient and the nurse come as one in such a way that an instance for human caring is formed. Both persons, with their exceptional and phenomenal fields, have the likelihood to move toward together in a human-to-human contract. The one being cared for and the one caring for are predisposed by the actions and choices decided within the affiliation. For Watson (1988, 1999), a unique field correspond to the person’s frame of orientation or the entirety of human experience consisting of bodily sensations, feelings, spiritual beliefs ,thoughts, goals, environmental considerations, expectations and meanings of an individual’s perceptions, all of which are based upon one’s present moment, and one’s anticipated future. Not just a goal for the cared for, Watson (1999) insists that the nurse as well needs to be conscious of her own awareness and genuine attendance of being in a caring instant with his/her patient. Furthermore, in cooperation, the one cared for and the one caring can be predisposed by the caring moment throughout the actions and choices decided inside the relationship, thus, influencing and becoming a fraction of their own life history. The caring event becomes transpersonal when it permits for the occurrence of the spirit of both, then the occasion of the moment expands the restrictions of openness and has the capability to increase human capacities (Watson, 1999). Nursing can enlarge its obtainable role, long-lasting to make offerings to health care inside the contemporary model by developing its opening health strengths and caring healing that have always been in attendance on the edges (Watson, 1999). Nursing is a caring profession that is privileged as the spirit-filled, spiritual practice that it is. I deem it is a mission for a particular spiritual human being who cares about the spirituality of other persons. The humanistic nature of nursing is reflected in the caring replica. Caring is the innermost concept in the discipline of nursing. Caring may seem simple, but it entails these many aspects and it takes a lot of effort to render this, especially to people who we don’t even know. It’s easier to diagnose a patient and just prescribe some medications; it’s another story when you try to have a deep relationship with a patient while still upholding your profession. Doctors leave it to the nurse to care for the patients, because nurses are the ones who have an encounter with them 99% of the time. They are the ones who know the patients condition, even their emotions at times. Moreover, not all patients are considerate and thankful for a nurse’s efforts. Nurses must keep their moods up and not be affected by the ups and downs of their tiresome profession. At the end of the day, they still hold their faces up high and continue caring for every other patient they will be encountering in the future. Caring entails love and loving is not an easy thing to do. It is said that while a nurse enters into a patient’s room, a compelling field of expectation is produced. In this deeper, more stretched out way of thinking about the power, energy, and beauty of love, a caring moment (Watson, 1999b) becomes a vibrational field of cosmic love full of life that radiates mutuality and reciprocity, which transcends space, time, and physicality sustaining and confirming our humanity and our association with the Levinas. The infinity of the whole universe (Quinn, 1992). This ethic of caring and loving becomes the first philosophy for sustaining and facing the infinity of the nursing profession. If nurses follow this ethical order, nursing has a serious role in moving humanity in the direction of the omega point, ever closer to God and the unexplained blessed circle of loving, living, dying, trusting, and being. Lastly, a quote to ponder on the care illuminated by the nursing profession in contrast with that of medicine: â€Å"The heart is as broad as the sky, because it can embrace joy and pain side by side. † Even in the midst of hard to deal with patients, nurses still choose to care.

Pornographys Effects on Relationships Essay -- Porn Porno Dating Marr

Pornography's Effects on Relationships When it comes to relationships there are many things that need to be present in order for it to work out. You must have support from both sides and honesty is also a big factor. When pornography enters a relationship it can be destroyed and could possible ruin that relationship forever. This essay will be able to inform you of all the ways that pornography can and does ruin relationships. Support for this argument will be drawn from the following sources: Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, Love, Sex, and Health, and The Question of Pornography. First of all trust is one of the biggest factors when it comes to being in a relationship. It there is no trust it could all easily fall apart. This is why so many women loose their husbands trust when they first discover that they have been cheating on them with pornography magazines, books, and more often internet sites. Pamela Paul states that â€Å"most men do not admit to engaging in pornography but try to hide it from their spouse in order to keep it a secret. When their spouses end up finding out about it, all trust has been lost in the relationship and this is when it usually ends† (100). Most women become devastated when they find out that their husbands have a â€Å"second life†. They really feel that they have been cheated on and have lost that special connection between their significant other and them. When women find out about this it usually leads to short term separation which in the end leads to divorce and their relationship simply becomes another statistics of how many relationships pornography has ruined. Most relationships rely on trust and when that trust bond is broken it is very hard to get it back. Along with trust comes honesty and if some women believe that their husbands may be using pornography they may confront them and ask. Pamela Paul says â€Å"a typical males response is ‘of course not’. Then they go on to say ‘I can’t believe that you don’t trust me’ when men say this is makes their wives really think about what they just asked and so they end up believing them† (99). It is sad to think that some women can be easily controlled like the above situation but also most women like to hope for the best so they just decide that their husband is telling the truth. The men on the other hand continue to go on, as life is normal and still engage in porno... ...tually enhances relationships have several strong claims, it is still evident that pornography is, overall, damaging to relationships. There is more evidence to support the argument than the counterargument. Most of the argument sources are recent journals that have all updated statistics and information while the counterargument sources are mostly books and at least a few years old. In conclusion, it has been shown that pornography does indeed ruin relationships and is shown by the argument, which is much stronger, then the counterargument. There may be some good benefits to using pornography but more often than not it always seems to ruin more relationships. Pornography may be every where and available to almost everyone and it may never go away and relationships will continue to be ruined. In the future people should learn to accept life the way it should be without all of the superficial parts of it. In the end it will be able to help them, to have a much healthier relationships that last much longer. The government should make a law to ban all types of pornography in order to try and save more relationships. As a result of this the divorce when then be lowered.

Obey Direct Orders Essay

There are more than a few reasons that lawful orders should be obeyed. These orders are given for a variety of reasons, and should be followed whether or not you understand or agree with them. Orders are sometimes given simply to keep soldiers to maintain their military bearing and display a proper image of the United States Armed Forces. Other times they are given to protect the soldier or to protect the soldiers around him/her. No matter what, an order should be carried out without question, because if you question orders that seem less important, you could get someone hurt because you were wasting time ignoring or questioning an order that you thought was unimportant. A soldier is given a great many orders that fall into the first category I discussed, maintaining military bearing. These orders range from keeping in step and swinging your arms in formation, to not moving while talking on your phone. All of these orders have reasoning behind them that has applications on the battlefield. For instance, if you are keeping in step and swinging your arms in formation, then you are paying attention to the cadence that is being given, so if you get a command by whoever is marching you, you are already paying attention and can react quickly. This can be the difference between life and death in a combat zone. The same thing can be said about talking on the phone while walking around. You need to not have any distractions when you are patrolling an area. If you are not alert, you could get yourself killed by an IED, or worse you could get others killed. So while these orders may not seem to have all that much importance in the here and now, they actually have a great deal of importance in that they train you in how you need to behave while deployed, so they should be followed with just as much care as any other order. Another type of order that is given is an order that is designed directly to protect you or those around you. Every time you are given an order to do guard duty or a cleaning detail, that order is there to protect yourself and others. When you are asked to pull guard duty, you are actively watching for threats to those that you are guarding. If an insurgent were to try to enter your AO when there was no guard, he could do a lot of damage before he was noticed, and he could kill a lot of people. If you have a guard on post, the same insurgent is likely to be killed or taken into custody with no loss of U.S. Soldiers. When here in training you are practicing the ability to stay alert while on those guard duties. If you were to fall asleep on duty, or not report, then you could be responsible for the deaths of your fellow soldiers. A less obvious threat than insurgents are the bacteria and diseases that you are helping to keep under control every time you follow an order to do a cleaning detail. If these orders are not followed then our fighting force could become crippled by sickness. So you can see even cleaning details are in place to help protect you and your fellow soldiers. In the end the point is, whether or not you understand the reason you are being given an order, or agree with that order, it needs to be followed. Failing to follow orders can cause people to get hurt, or can put you in the position of not having the focus or discipline to stay out of harms way yourself. Follow orders every time.

How Technology Can Assist or Hinder Information Management Practices in Organisations

1 INTRODUCTIONTechnology has come a long way in the past 10 to 15 years and we now have access to information at virtually any time, or place we wish. Organisations today rely heavily on technology and without it, would likely struggle to survive. Technology has enabled us to better service the needs of consumers in the ever-changing market.2 ADVANTAGESThe obvious advantage with technology today is that it allows instant access to information and is a great time saving mechanism. USB devices and cloud software make it easier than ever before to access your files anywhere in the world.There is also almost no waiting time whatsoever when you need to find access to a document or the like. It has replaced the need to manually file documents which is a major advantage not only because it saves labour, the document is now much easier to find – you only need to type the file name into the computer and it can bring what you are looking for up.Going digital has also had a large impact on our environment, in a good way. Since the need to file documents manually has significantly reduced, we have in turn saved billions of tonnes in paper as well as reducing greenhouse gasses from producing paper related equipment in factories. Technology has also allowed us to take advantage of more storage than ever before as the need for physical filing equipment has gone. For example, a server can store an earth-shattering amount more information than a filing cabinet or cupboard.3 HINDRANCESData integrity can be a major downfall when using information systems in the workplace as it relies on the user to put the data in correctly in the first place. Until we advance so far in technology that human input is no longer  needed to collect data, then this will remain as a hindrance that we can’t avoid. Whilst technology is very advanced in society today, it also still has the ability to malfunction and crash, it is by no means flawless. Downtime is infrequent but it still me ans that we need to be keeping information backed up onto multiple resources and sometimes there is a need for a hard copy to be kept which can be time consuming to maintain.4 CONCLUSIONWhilst technology is by no means flawless, it has greatly enhanced our way of life and how we keep record of information and events. If technology was just as advanced 100 years ago, we might have seen a very different recollection of historic events.In terms of technology impacting our workplace information systems, it has definitely had an effect for the better. It has allowed us to record mass amounts of information, saved us numerous hours of time and made it extremely easy to access data whenever, wherever – which I feel outweighs the hindrances by far.We can’t control human error but through frequent and improved training for employees, we can reduce it so that the information system being utilised becomes more reliable.

School Violence Essays - Crime, Violence, Dispute Resolution, Ethics

School Violence Essays - Crime, Violence, Dispute Resolution, Ethics School Violence Violence in schools is a great concern in our society. The concern is heightened by the abundance of media coverage on a number of recent school shootings. With all of the news clips, sound bites, and Internet coverage swirling around in our heads, one might conclude that children are more violent today, than they were in recent years. But, school violence is not a new issue for the nineties; School violence has been around since the1950's, but then it was more an issue of juvenile delinquency than violent behavior. The difference between the two generations is that today student conflicts are more likely to be solved with the use of weapons. The fact is a gun is much more intimidating than a fist. There is nothing scarier than arriving at school afraid of what may happen next. Many students are faced with this problem everyday. Children should feel safe when they walk into school. Many people use violence as an expression to release feelings of anger or frustration. They think there are no answers to their problems and turn to violence to express their out of control emotions. Others use manipulation as a way to control others or get something they want. Violence is a learned behavior. Like all learned behaviors, it can be changed. This isn't easy, though. Since there is no single cause of violence, there is no one simple solution. The best you can do is learn to recognize the warning signs of violence and to get help when you see them in your friends or yourself. Teachers tend to believe that school violence is a result of sociological factors such as: lack of parental supervision, lack of family involvement and exposure to violence in the mass media. These factors could be traced to high divorce rates, both parents working and high availability of mass media, e.g. television, Internet, ect. Students who live in fear of violence, witness violent acts, or become victims of violence suffer an array of short-term and long-term consequences emotionally and physically. They have been found to be at greater risk for low school performance, absenteeism, truancy, school dropout and delinquency. In fact, research has shown that juveniles who are victimized, or who repeatedly witness violence, and do not receive immediate support in understanding and dealing with it are at higher risk of using violence as a means of dealing with their own conflicts; thus repeating the cycle of violence. Schools are not doing enough to protect students and other school personnel. Curing social ills could take a long time, so I propose a high security approach to the problem. The community may find this expensive and students find it oppressive, but how many more people have to die? I propose the following strategy: Police officers in every school; Metal detectors at each doorway; Some type of dress code-banning big clothes where weapons can be hidden; Hall monitors- hallways, doorways, restrooms and cafeterias; Train certain school personnel in weapon usage. Allow them to carry and store weapons on campus. If students knew someone else on campus had a gun to protect students, they may think twice about bringing one to school. This may sound severe, but this is a direct approach to the problem. Additional discipline is needed in order to stop school violence. We need more discipline in the family, in school, and even in public. We need to educate children that their actions do have co nsequences. As our country's morals keep declining and the murder rate continues to rise in schools, we will still be blaming our problems on anything but ourselves.

Battle of Dak To in the Vietnam War

Battle of Dak To in the Vietnam War The Battle of Dak To was a major engagement of the Vietnam War and was fought from November 3 to 22, 1967. Armies Commanders US Republic of Vietnam Major General William R. Peers16,000 men North Vietnam Viet Cong General Hoang Minh ThaoTran The Mon6,000 men Background of the Battle of Dak To In the summer of 1967, the Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) initiated a series of attacks in western Kontum Province. To counter these, Major General William R. Peers commenced Operation Greeley using elements of the 4th Infantry Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. This was designed to sweep PAVN forces from the jungle-covered mountains of the region. After a series of sharp engagements, contact with PAVN forces diminished in August, leading the Americans to believe that they had withdrawn back across the border into Cambodia and Laos. After a quiet September, US intelligence reported that PAVN forces around Pleiku were moving into Kontum in early October. This shift increased PAVN strength in the area to around division level. The PAVN plan was to utilize the the 6,000 men of the 24th, 32nd, 66th, and 174th regiments to isolate and destroy a brigade-sized American force near Dak To. Largely devised by  General Nguyen Chi Thanh, the goal of this plan was to force the further deployment of American troops to the border regions which would leave South Vietnams cities and lowlands vulnerable. To deal with this build up of PAVN forces, Peers directed the 3rd Battalion of the 12th Infantry and the 3rd Battalion of the 8th Infantry to launch Operation MacArthur on November 3. Fighting Begins Peers understanding of the enemys intentions and strategy was greatly enhanced on November 3, following the defection of Sergeant Vu Hong who provided key information regarding PAVN unit locations and intentions. Alerted to each PAVN units location and objective, Peers men began engaging the enemy the same day, disrupting the North Vietnamese plans for attacking Dak To. As elements of the 4th Infantry, 173rd Airborne, and the 1st Brigade of the 1st Air Cavalry went into action they found that the North Vietnamese had prepared elaborate defensive positions on the hills and ridges around Dak To. Over the ensuing three weeks, American forces developed a methodical approach to reducing PAVN positions. Once the enemy was located, massive amounts of firepower (both artillery and air strikes) were applied, followed by an infantry assault to secure to objective. To support this approach, Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 173rd Airborne established Fire Support Base 15 on Hill 823 early in the campaign. In most instances, PAVN forces fought tenaciously, bloodying the Americans, before vanishing into the jungle. Key firefights in the campaign occurred on Hills 724 and 882. As these fights were taking place around Dak To, the airstrip became a target for PAVN artillery and rocket attacks. Final Engagements The worst of these took place on November 12, when rockets and shellfire destroyed several C-130 Hercules transports as well as detonated the bases ammunition and fuel depots. This resulted in the loss of 1,100 tons of ordnance. In addition to the American forces, Army of Vietnam (ARVN) units also took part in the battle, seeing action around Hill 1416. The last major engagement of the Battle of Dak To began on November 19, when the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Airborne attempted to take Hill 875. After meeting initial success, the 2/503 found itself caught in an elaborate ambush. Surrounded, it endured a severe friendly fire incident and was not relieved until the next day. Resupplied and reinforced, the 503rd attacked the crest of Hill 875 on November 21. After savage, close-quarters fighting, the airborne troopers neared the top of the hill, but were forced to halt due to darkness. The following day was spent hammering the crest with artillery and air strikes, completely removing all cover. Moving out on the 23rd, the Americans took the top of the hill after finding that the North Vietnamese had already departed. By the end of November, the PAVN forces around Dak To were so battered that they were withdrawn back across the border ending the battle. Aftermath of the Battle of Dak To A victory for the Americans and South Vietnamese, the Battle of Dak To cost 376 US killed, 1,441 US wounded, and 79 ARVN killed. In the course of the fighting, Allied forces fired 151,000 artillery rounds, flew 2,096 tactical air sorties, and conducted 257 B-52 Stratofortress strikes. Initial US estimates placed enemy losses above 1,600, but these were quickly questioned and PAVN casualties were later estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,445 killed. The Battle of Dak To saw US forces drive the North Vietnamese from the Kontum Province and decimated the regiments of the 1st PAVN Division. As a result, three of the four would be unable to participate the Tet Offensive in January 1968. One of the border battles of late 1967, the Battle of Dak To did accomplish a key PAVN objective as US forces began to move out from cities and lowlands. By January 1968, half of all US combat units were operating away from these key areas. This led to some concern among those on General William Westmorelands staff as they saw parallels with the events that led to French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.  These concerns would be realized with the beginning of the Battle of Khe Sanh in January 1968. Resources and Further Reading Vietnam Studies: Tactical and Material InnovationsEdward F. Murphy, Dak To. New York: Presidio Press , 2002.

Contemporary issues in travel and tourism Assignment

Contemporary issues in travel and tourism - Assignment Example Tourism has emerged to be one the fastest growing economic sectors in many countries. For instance, in Costa Rica, tourism has been serving as the largest foreign exchange earner since 1995. The natural attractions such as Poas Volcano Crater and Cocos Island have enhanced the growth of the sector in Costa Rica. Since the year 1999, tourism in Costa Rica has earned more foreign exchange than agricultural product exportation in the country (Jawahar 2009, p. 268). Despite the tourism sector being the leading foreign exchange source, it also brings consequences such as terrorism and security, health and safety impacts, and negative social and cultural impacts in the country. Current issues affecting tourism in Costa Rica Insecurity issue There are many current issues affecting travel and tourism in Costa Rica, which include insecurity and natural hazards such as earthquakes. The problem of insecurity in Costa Rica towards tourists may pose a greater negative impact to tourism in the country. Costa Rica hopes to make billions of revenue from the travel and tourism sector this year, so travelling to Costa Rica is very imperative to sustain the country’s economy (Costa Rica News 2011). Tourists should be aware of the current possible insecurity matters in the country. Terrorist attacks in the country occur randomly anytime and anywhere. Examples of these attacks include suicide bombs, car bombs, kidnappings, and shootings. Therefore, tourists should be aware that there is an increment in the number of crimes around the entire country including pick pocketing and stealing of passports (Costa Rica News 2011).... Ecotourism in the country helps in provision of political, social, and economical funds, educate travelers, directly benefits local communities’ political empowerment and economic development, and ensure protection of different cultural practices and human rights. â€Å"Take the only memories and leave only footprints† is a common slogan used in Costa Rica in protected places (Costa Rica 2013). However, tourist destinations in Costa Rica are shifting carbon free area following the trend of tourists being more focused in environmentally responsible hence adopting a sustainable tourism (Donald 2005). Task 2 Key statistics of tourist for the last five years in Costa Rica Costa Rica remains to be the most visited country in Central American States, with 2.2 million tourists in the year 2011. The total of tourists touring the destination surpassed the two million landmarks in the year 2008 representing 54% U.S. tourist visiting Costa Rica. Due to the combined global economic crisis and the flu epidemic, this occurred in the year 2009, lead to a reduction of the number of tourists in 2009 to 1.9 million visitors. This was a reduction of 8% percent compared to the turn up in 2008. In the year 2010, the number of tourists rose to 2.1 million, barely breaking the record of 2008. An historical record was set in the year 2012 with 2.34 million tourists visiting Costa Rica, a 6.9% increase over the year 2011. The global tourist receipts increased to 2.4 billion dollars in the year 2012, and the leading country of origin was United States with a total of 864,340 visitors, Nicaragua in 474,011tourists being the second, and Canada with 136,261 visitors. Emerging trends in terms of product services offered The Costa Rica tourism composes of visible actors-like airlines and hotels,