Managing Change in Organisation Essay

Today, teams and organizations face rapid change like never before. Globalization has increased the markets and opportunities for more growth and revenue. However, increasingly diverse markets have a wide variety of needs and expectations that must be understood if they are to become strong customers and collaborators. The ability to manage change in an organisation, while continuing to meet the needs of stakeholders, is a very important skill required by today’s leaders and managers. Organizational change is undertaken to improve the performance of the organization or a part of the organization, for example, a process or team. When an organizational system is disturbed by some internal or external force, the change may occur. The change is modification of the structure or process of a system that may be positive or negative. It disturbs the existing equilibrium or status quo in an organization and may affect the whole organization, or various other parts of the organization i n varying degrees of speed and significance. It may affect people, structure, technology, and other elements of an organization. It may be reactive or proactive in nature. When change takes place due to external forces, it is called reactive change. However, proactive change is initiated by the management on its own to enhance the organizational effectiveness. The change is one of the most critical aspects of effective management. Organizational change is the process by which organizations move from their present state to some desired future state to increase their effectiveness. The goal of planned organizational change is to find new or improved ways of using resources and capabilities in order to increase an organization’s ability to create value and improve returns to its stakeholders. An organization in decline may need to restructure its resources to improve its fit with the environment. According to Ackerman (1997) organisational change can be distinguished in three types, namely, developmental change, transitional change and transformational change. Developmental change refers to organisational change in which what already exists is continually improved but no radical progress is achieved or aimed at. Transitional change is a shift in the way a process is completed or designed to increase efficiency. A transitional change could involve the automation of a manufacturing process that was once done by hand. Transformational change refers to a shift in the business culture of an organisation resulting from a change in the underlying strategy and processes that the organisation has used in the past. A transformational change is designed to be organisation-wide and is enacted over a period of time. Significant organizational change occurs, for example, when an organization changes its overall strategy for success, adds or removes a major section or practice, and/or wants to change the very nature by which it operates. It also occurs when an organization evolves through various life cycles, just like people must successfully evolve through life cycles. For organizations to develop, they often must undergo significant change at various points in their development. That’s why the topic of organizational change and development has become widespread in communications about business, organizations, leadership and management. Leaders and managers continually make efforts to accomplish successful and significant change as it’s inherent in their jobs. Some are very good at this effort (probably more than we realize), while others continually struggle and fail. That’s often the difference between people who thrive in their roles and those that get shuttled around from job to job, ultimately settling into a role where they’re frustrated and ineffective. In this paper, it will be explained how the Digicel Corporation has converted from the traditional model to a transformed organizational model over the last five years. Digicel Corporation ia a telecommunication based company who provides land line, internet services, sale of handsets, credit for pay as you go customers, contract accounts, sale of tablets, etc. Digicel opened its very first store in 2001 by Irishman Denis O’brian. Digicel has transformed from a company into the region’s largest telephone corporations, leading in sales year after year. One of Denis O’brian techniques for change is technological changes. By the 2000’s the organisation had been so successful and had more increasing growth than any other telecommunication companies in the Eastern Caribbean region resulting in the purchase of AT&T in St. Lucia. Digicel provides consumers with low prices under the slogan â€Å"The Bigger Better Network† (digicel.com). The price sensitive merchandise allows customers to get more for their dollar. Digicel offers its customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week services, which is appealing in any retail market. The goal is to satisfy the growing telecommunication needs of customers. The best example of this organisational change that I can think of is the globalization of Digicel. This Organisational change began in 2001 when Denis O’brian opened in Jamaica. This was the beginning of Digicel’s vision of becoming an international company. Since then, Digicel has been aggressively expanding its markets and investments throughout the Eastern Caribbean Region, and Ireland. The company currently has operations in a number of countries including Ireland, Central America, Oceania, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent, Dominica, Antigua, Panama, Bermuda and Grenada to name a few. Digicel also employs more than 5,500 associates worldwide, with more than 1000 stores currently in operation. Digicel is committed to achieving leadership as a telecommunication service provider. In order to achieve this goal, it has implemented specific business strategies that include globalization. Digicel leaders believe that globalization is critical to the company’s growth and continued success. In its quest to remain competitive, Digicel is pressing onward on its mission of seeking new opportunities, innovations, solutions, and talent in the global markets. Major advances in technology and communication and the growth of the Internet have also made it possible for Digicel to conduct and manage business globally. The company’s utilization of technology has been and will continue to be critical in its business success. Digicel being a communication company, along with other global companies are now dependent heavily on electronic communication devices to conduct business transactions. Integration of enhanced information system has a significant impact on the way Digicel collects, access, and disseminate information. Technological innovations have increased the efficiency and quality of business processes. Digicel uses the internet through the social networks lik e twitter and facebook to attract new customers and advertise their services. However, in spite of all the advantages, technology also has its drawbacks. Digicel is now online and services can be done at local banks and connected through computers. Therefore, the company is vulnerable to hackers and computer viruses that can paralyze its business. Computer crime is also a threat and has damaging effects on any global information systems. Computer security and protection is critical to the business. The use of technology in the business also has a major impact on privacy issues. Violation of privacy, computer monitoring, and computer matching, unauthorized personal files are examples of privacy issues that can destroy the reputation or integrity of any company (O’Brien, J. 2003). Digicel must take these threats seriously as it continues to compete in both national and international markets. An issue that faces Digicel or any company that uses technology is that technology is not static. In fact, the dominant attribute of technology is that it is always changing. Digicel must continue to invest to keep its technology up-to-date and able to help make the company compete successfully in the global markets. It has to ensure that its employees are effectively trained on the use of technology to achieve maximum productivity and quality. Digicel’s managers and employees involved in international business regularly interact with people from different countries. They are constantly exposed to different social, political, cultural, and economical challenges. The globalization of Digicel can present complex problems for its international managers and employees. Post, Lawrence, and Weber , 1999 states that to do business in the international market, a company must â€Å"design a business plan that fits with the cultural, competitive, and political realities of diverse societies defined by features such as language, customs, religion, and traditions† (p.125). It is important for Digicel to not only appreciate the cultural differences, but also to understand how these differences can affect its international business operations. Digicel should vary its management process and practices to take these differences into account. Maintaining current or potential multinational customers is a challenge for any global business. Each time Digicel opens a store in a different country, it has to integrate the â€Å"company’s unique culture and effective retailing concepts to each new country†. However, the emergence of multinational customers’, demand that Digicel also has to take into account and be sensitive to the difference s in customer preferences, needs and requirements. The company has done considerable market research and analysis before its expansion to other countries. The globalization of a company’s market poses a challenge to the individuals responsible in the management of knowledge. Companies use knowledge management technologies to have a focused view of its customers around the world. Development of technology and expanding markets in different economic regions necessitates the use of knowledge management technologies. Organizational change is a major strength for Digicel. They are consistently redefining processes to reduce costs in the area of telecommunications, inventory replenishment lead times, purchasing and defining the appropriate product and merchandise mix at each of their locations. Operations at Digicel are built on the premise that they can offer everyday low prices. This has been a competitive area that Digicel has had success in. Digicel has been able to build consumer trust by delivering the promise of the cutting-edge technologies and services at a competitive price. By driving down costs in all portions of their business they have a successful business strategy. What makes Digicel successful is its â€Å"ability to apply technology to its critical processes† (www.digicelgroup.com). It is important to note that new knowledge and technology comes from the innovative and creative minds of employees and leaders. The need to be better and/or faster inspires new way of thinking. A company that encourages innovative and creative thinking and integrates these into its organizational culture will attain competitive advantage. The goal of planned organizational change is to find new or improved ways of using resources and capabilities in order to increase an organization’s ability to create value and improve returns to its stakeholders. An organization in decline may need to restructure its resources to improve its fit with the environment. At the same time even a thriving organization like Digicel may need to change the way it uses its resources so that it can extend its business and find new markets for its existing products. One of the findings from my studies revealed that the employees of Digicel resisted the change to conduct business online and through the local financial institutions. In a sense, this is positive. It provides a degree of stability and predictability to behavior. If there weren’t some resistance, Digicel may have taken on characteristics of chaotic randomness. Resistance to change can also be a source of functional conflict. For example, resistance to Digicel’s transformational change or its reorganisation stimulated a healthy debate over the merits of the idea and resulted in a better decision. But there is a definite downside to resistance to change. It hinders adaptation and progress. Resistance to change doesn’t necessarily surface in standardized ways. The resistance to change at Digicel was overt and immediate. It made it easier for management to deal with resistance when it is was this way: For instance when the change was proposed and employees quickly responded because they thought their jobs were being made redundant by voicing complaints, engaging in a work slowdown, threatening to go on strike, or the like. The greater challenge for management would have been managing resistance that was implicit or deferred. Implicit resistance efforts are more subtle – loss of loyalty to the organization, loss of motivation to work, increased errors or mistakes, increased absentism due to sickness and hence, more difficult to recognize. Similarly, deferred actions cloud the link between the source of the resistance and the reaction to it. A change may produce what appears to be only a minimal reaction at the time it is initiated, but then resistance surfaces weeks, months or even years later. A single change that in and of itself might have little impact becomes the straw that breaks the company’s back. Reactions to change can build up and then explode in some response that seems to tally out of proportion to the change action it follows. The resistance, of course, has merely been deferred and stockpiled what surfaces is a response to an accumulation of previous changes. When management is willing to discuss openly with their employees all aspects of an impending change, it is desirable that ample time be planned between the initial mention of the change and the state of its actual initiation. Management should use this interval to ensure that all involved attain maximum understanding of the change and its probable consequences. Management should plan the length of this interval by working out a trade-off betwe en two considerations. Often these will be in conflict with each other. The first of this is a question of how long it takes for the processes of accommodation and rationalization to occur for the most people involved. The second consideration is an evaluation of those situational factors which determine when the change must be instituted and implemented and when the benefits must be realized. To achieve the best trade-off between these two considerations, management needs to evaluate the relative costs of two alternatives; delaying the introduction of the change to gain more preparation time in the interest of realizing optimum benefits, conforming to the intended schedule with the possibility of an increased risk of resistance and the resultant probability of reduced benefits. In many instances, management may discover that it will be economical to delay the change until the possibility of its acceptance is enhanced. If management decides not to delay, resistance may cause not only reduction in the possible benefits but also probable delays in their re alization, management should plan sufficient time during the early phase of the change for accommodation and rationalization to occur and for understanding to be developed. Involvement and participation are perhaps the most powerful techniques management can use to gain acceptance of change. Commitment to carry out these decisions is intensified. Personal satisfaction derived from the job is increased. The extent of personal involvement can range from merely being informed, to discussing problems and voicing opinions and feelings to actually making and implementing decision. Digicel has become one of Caribbean’s most successful telephone companies by offering communication services at low prices for individual, families and corporations. It is strong because it shapes perception better than any company in the region. Digicel’s power position relative to the key policy issues and stakeholders is one of domination. The size, wealth, and financial power of the company are impressive. It is the largest communication company in the Eastern Caribbean States. It is the largest political and social donor in the retail sector. This dominance, and the company’s finances, coupled with retaining the top lobby shops in the Region give the company an advantage. The company manages its relationship with its key stakeholders in a way that maximizes the tactical advantage of Digicel. With groups that the company perceives as hostile, such as other communication companies, complaining former employees, or even local ad hoc opposition groups, who are fighting to keep Digicel out of their community, the company uses every means available to it in order to win. Digicel has established a foundation in an effort to give back to the community where the company is based by issuing scholarships, sponsoring sports personnel and assist the less fortunate. The company applies its retail philosophy, of being the best, and winning, into its political and public affairs strategy. Using tools at its disposal, such as the top law firms, and top Public Relations firms, the company does battle in court with those who challenge it. In public, Digicel uses top of the line Public Relations strategy firms to produce commercials for its stores and to portray the best possible image. Another way the company is successful is its ability thus far to keep out of the headlines any significant negative publicity. The company has also avoided being probed by regulators for some of its aggressive retailing and competition practices. In the case of Digicel and government relations, the goal is to have a low profile, and to keep government regulators away. Its relationships with key stakeholders are maintained as well by the communication of corporate statements on its Internet site and through other paper based corporate communications. It keeps contact with the Government offices and retained political groups. The strategic and tactical advantage of Digicel when pursuing a political and public affairs strategy is the use of its financial resources and to provide handset for communications. It can buy an army of the top lobby firms, lawyers, and public relations specialists should it need to. Since the company has a history of fighting back, and winning, when it is challenged, that may be keeping larger groups away from fighting the retail giant. From a scan of recent headlines, the company does not appear to be involved in fighting any major federal legislation. Notably, Digicel is involved in numerous municipal zoning disputes across the Region. In an attempt at meeting the demands of its customers within the region, Digicel embarked on purchasing various pieces of property in which to erect transmission towers. The top issue within this venture is the question of zoning regulations and the proximity of these towers in the communities and the population on the whole. The company has been making large payouts in an attempt to keep the towers which were erected and to erect more so as to establish greater services. The company’s strategic and tactical activities are more apparent at the state and municipal levels. Mainly, the company fights legislation through the courts. Top issues are municipal zoning regulations. At the federal level, it is worth noting that Digicel gives heavily to political candidates, who happen to be generally pro business in their voting. Digicel does not generally employ a grassroots campaign strategy, as it has no established infrastructure to do this. It has over five thousand, five hundred employees. Should the company wish to tap its â€Å"associates† to become active on an issue, such as trade, for example, they would have a large base of people to draw upon. May of the She Magazine noted that Digicel sometimes stages grassroots efforts to oppose local companies who are rallying against technological advances. Digicel will send in professionals and staff from its headquarters to form business development and revitalization committees, and use these fronts to challenge the anti Digicel groups (She Magazine, 33) In terms of consistency, the company has much to improve in the way of dealing with communities and groups. The company chooses to cut costs and push the boundaries of existing regulations. Then it falls victim to lawsuits and is sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The company has a goal of keeping out unions. Yet, the company by its frugal employee wage compensation practice, the reliance on part-time workers, and unfair shift scheduling practice, is creating discord among its employees. These conditions foster the development of labor unions. If the company were to improve its payment and treatment of employees, perhaps it can avoid future problems and issues such as turnover. The company is well positioned to tackle any obstacle. While not maintaining a large government relations department, the company retains top lobbyists, making it ready and capable to deal with issues as needs warrant. In conclusion, Digicel is the number one retailer in the Caribbean Region and operates in many countries and is moving into new countries every year. Digicel is also expanding as a telecommunication giant. Each year, the number of people who have a stake in Digicel also grows since gives shares to the employees. Digicel has had reasons to file law suits against its competitors as injunctions were placed against them as it relates to use of similar networks within the same region. Digicel is often able to uncut many other local industries and more communication companies are shutting down when Digicel moves into town. As a result of Digicel’s ever growing size and variety of services they offer, their public affairs department is going to become more and more important. As Digicel attain sectors of the marketplace, there is going to be more regulation against them and their public affairs department is going to have to work harder to make it possible for Digicel to continue to grow. And as the animosity against Digicel becomes more widespread, here and in foreign countries, Digicel is going to have to work harder to maintain their good reputation. Digicel’s foundation will become increasingly more important for giving things back to the community. In order for Digicel to stay at the top of their game and follow the company’s strategy and achieve their key policy goals, they are going to have to deal better with their stakeholders and make sure they guard their reputation well. Bibliography Module – Managing Change in Organisations. http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/organizational-change-management-OCM http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/transformational-change.html (2008) About Digicel. Retrieved November 8, 2008 http://www.digicel.com/wps-portal/storelocator/St.Lucia- About_Digicel.jsp May Wayne. She Margazine† Into Their Business Model. Volume 3. Star Publishing Company. October 2010. Page 33. Post, J.E, Lawrence, A. T., & Weber, J. (1999). Contemporary Business Issues with Readings. Based on selected materials from the ninth edition of business and society: corporate strategy, public policy, ethics, New York, McGraw-Hill Gareth R. Jones (2004). Organizational Theory, Design, and Change: Text and Cases. Fourth Edition. Pearson Education, New Delhi. Kavita Singh (2005). Organisation Change and Development. New Delhi :Excel. 2000-2001. National Directory of Corporate Public Affairs.

El Paraiso Hotel Resort Cebu and Its Health Benefits

Profile of the Company El Paraiso Hotel Resort Cebu is a five star hotel which offers comfortable place and quality services to make the stay of the guests a pleasurable one. It is located in Lapu-Lapu City, which is composed of several small islands and connected to mainland Cebu by two bridges, the resort is just 30 minutes away from the international airport. Being one of the most luxurious hotels in the Philippines, making the vacation of guests a memorable one is one of the main objectives of the company. Vision of the CompanyEl Paraiso Hotel and Restaurant as the number one provider of quality hotel and food services within the islands of the Philippines. Mission of the Company El Paraiso Hotel and Restaurant aims to provide quality hotel and food services through regular and continuous employment, trainings, seminars and supervisions of highly qualified, efficient and good-natured employees and through the use of state-of-the-art facilities and convenient hotel rooms, kitchens , lobbies, restaurants and other hotel places. Hotel Facilities * Infinity pool * Fitness center * Wellness center * Cinema * Souvenir shop * Clinic * 3 restaurants and 1 bar Lobby lounge * 186 rooms PROJECT HEAD * Elaine Michellica Lopez (Human Resource Manager) * Lovely Cabacoy (Assistant HR Manager) * Krystel Urbina (Assistant HR Manager) * Sharmaine Orense (Project Development Supervisor) * Christchen Del Valle (Research and Extension Coordinator) * Joan Tolentino (Assistant R&E Coordinator) * Marc Kenneth Quitalig (Assistant R&E Coordinator) BUDGET The company has allotted six hundred twenty five thousand pesos for this project. This includes four hundred seventy five thousand pesos for the wellness project and two hundred thousand pesos for the health program.Monthly expenses will be incurred for this project that is why the company will set other funds for these expenses. RESOURCE NEEDED Financial Resources The financial resources will be coming from the fund set aside solely for the corporate social responsibility programs of the company. In view of the fact that this company has been operating for many years now, it is expected that it has allotted funds for this kind of projects because in the long run, this project will benefit not just the employees but the company as well. Human ResourcesThe top management should be the first one to cooperate in this project. Their approval will be the key factor on the possibility of this project to put into action. The project coordinators should do their best to put in practice the strategies needed for the implementation of this program. They must thoroughly follow the set guidelines on how they will perform their individual duties and responsibilities. The employees benefited should also cooperate in this project. They must exert their full understanding and appreciation on the project provided for them.While the company is exerting effort on how they can improve or at least maintain their healthy lifestyle, they must be disciplined even in their respective homes. Discipline is a must in this project. ORGANIZATION TIE-UPS Different departments and agencies are going to be involved in this project. These are the Department of Tourism, Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, Bureau of Food and Drugs, UNILAB and Mactan Doctors’ Hospital. These departments and agencies have their own part in the realization of this program. Department of Tourism is concerned about the tourists that are going to be the customers of the hotel.Department of Health is concerned about the health of the employees providing the services for customers while Department of Labor and Employment is concerned about the overall condition of the employees in the company. The Bureau of Food and Drugs will serve as the guide of the company in the distribution of vitamins and medicines to the employees. UNILAB will be the reliable supplier of the company of the vitamins and medicine to be distributed and the Mactan Doctors’ Hospital is going to be partner of the company in medical examinations that will be done to every employee.PROGRAM PLAN I. Title of the Project This project was entitled as â€Å"Wealthness at El† because it focuses on the health and wellness of all the employees of the company. The company is concern with the health and wellness of its employees because the company believes that they provide great contributions to the success of the company just like other stakeholders. II. Location The management of El Paraiso decided to propose this Corporate Social Responsibility Program in Mactan, Cebu since Cebu is one of the main tourist spots here in the Philippines.Having an international airport in Mactan, Cebu is a great factor to the operations of the company. Employees need to face different types of people from different cultures and status in life. III. Duration As long as the company is operating and obtaining enough profit to sustain the projec t, the management believes that this program will continue to exist. If the management will approve of this project, it is expected to be established on the first quarter of the following year. Since the first project is about forming a company fitness and wellness center, it is expected to operate as long as the company is in service.With regards to the next project which is about the medical assistance and support for employees, the proponents foresees that as long as the company is generating large profit from its operations, the project will continue. According to the top management of the company, it is expected that for the next 50 years, the company will continue to operate. IV. Type of the Program The proposed project is a type of Health and Wellness Program for all the employees of El Paraiso. This is the type of program we have proposed because being with people of all raises requires enough strength and confident aura.This will only be possible if the employees facing the m are very much healthy and well disciplined in terms of physical health. Less absences and tardiness and better performance will be the benefit that the company will get from this project. In the short run, the benefit against cost cannot be easily achieved but in the long run, the company believes that the initial cost of this project will be insignificant if it will be measure against the benefit that the company and the employees will get from its employees. V. Department Involved * Department of Health the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for ensuring access to basic public health services to all Filipinos through the provision of quality health care and the regulation of providers of health goods and services. Since once of the project proposed involves that health of the employees, it is only right to involve the Department of Health in this project. * Department of Tourism * The executive department of the Philippine government responsible for th e regulation of the Philippine tourism industry and the promotion of the Philippines as a tourist destination.The nature of the company is a hotel and resort. Different tourists around the world are going to be the customers of the company. Department of Tourism should be involved in this project because their main concerns are the tourists and tourist spots in the Philippines. * Department of Labor and Employment * the executive department of the Philippine Government mandated to formulate policies, implement programs and services, and serve as the policy-coordinating arm of the Executive Branch in the field of labor and employment.The main beneficiaries of these projects are the employees of the company. Since it is a private corporation it is the Department of Labor and Employment who has the concerned over the employees of the company. VI. Project Leader and Coordinators Project leader: Elaine Michellica Lopez (HR Manager) Coordinators:Lovely Cabacoy (Asst. HR Manager) Krystel U rbina (Asst. HR Manager) Sharmaine Orense (PD Supervisor) Christchen Del Valle (R & E Coordinator) Joan Tolentino (Asst. R&E Coordinator) Marc Kenneth Quitalig (Asst. R&E Coordinator) VII. Cooperating Agencies * Mactan Doctors’ Hospital a 151 bed tertiary infirmary fully equipped with the latest cutting edge technology for your optimum diagnostic and therapeutic treatment under the care of their elite medical and surgical specialists. In case that the clinic of our company cannot support the health requirements needed by our employees, they can visit this hospital for further examinations. They can avail discounts if they present the health cards distributed by the company. * UNILAB * the Philippines‘ largest and leading pharmaceutical and healthcare company with over 60 years experience of giving the  best value in healthcare to Filipinos.The vitamins that the company needs in this project will be directly coming from UNILAB. Since there is going to be a contact abou t the supply of vitamins, discounts will be expected from the transactions. * Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) * a regulatory agency that ensures the safety, efficacy, purity and quality of processed foods, drugs, diagnostic reagents, medical devices, cosmetics and household hazardous substances through state-of-the art technology, as well as the scientific soundness and truthfulness of product information, for the protection of public health. VIII. BeneficiariesAll the employees of El Paraiso Hotel and Restaurant Cebu Branch are going to be benefited from this program. This program is proposed for the well being of the employees working for the company because they are the assets of the company. For the company, the employees are one of the major reasons why the company is continuously operating and earning profit. It is only right that they get benefits from the company concerning their health and wellness. IX. Total Cost of the Project The estimated initial cost of the first proje ct for the wellness of the employees cost four hundred fifty thousand pesos (Php 450000. 0). For the next project which is for the health of the employees has an initial cost of around one hundred seventy five thousand pesos (Php 175000. 00). The total initial cost for the project proposed is six hundred twenty five thousand pesos (Php 625000. 00) The monthly budget for the health assistance provided for employees costs two hundred twenty thousand pesos (Php 220000. 00) X. Rationale of the Project Our company believes that our employees are the asset of the organization. We value them in the best possible way because they are of great contribution to the success of the company.To show our concern to them, we decided to have a program that will address their health issues. It is very important and an advantage of the company to have healthy people inside the organization. This program ensures that their health status is regularly monitored. The company also implements this program no t just to ensure health awareness but also to motivate the employees that will result to increasing productivity and reduces cases of absenteeism and tardiness. XI. Objectives General Objectives: * To maintain a healthy workforce who would therefore provide quality ervice to customers * To provide continuous benefits to every employee of the company * To improve the well being of every employee * To prevent and manage any form of health difficulties or disease Specific Objectives: * To provide fitness centers that would be accessible to every employee * To provide monthly check-up for every employee and supply of vitamins monthly * To give health cards to every employee wherein they can avail discounts on hospitals and medicine. XII. Description of the Project Strategies and MethodsIn order to aid the management in the execution of the said project, the following strategies were formulated: 1. Information of this project would be properly disseminated so that every employee would be informed of the benefits that they could get from the said project. 2. The company would have a partnership or coordinate with a trusted hospital to aid it on the monthly check up of the employees. 3. It would also coordinate with a drug manufacturer and buy drugs directly to it to ensure quality of the drugs and it is also a cost saving move. . The management would also keep track of the health records of the employees by providing each employee with a medical journal on which the results of their monthly check up would be written. 5. The management would establish a schedule for the monthly check up of the employees. For instance, a group of employees would be scheduled for their check up for a certain week and so forth. This is to ensure that the monthly check up would be well organized and would not be burdensome on the part of the physicians. 6.For a more effective distribution of vitamins, the employees would be given their monthly supply of vitamins during their scheduled ch eck up. 7. The management would make it clear that the fitness center is accessible to every employee and they could use it anytime as long as it is not during working hours. XIII. Financial Plans WELLNESS PROJECT Total Initial Cost of the Project| Total Cost of Gym Equipments| 269000| Installation Costs| 50000| Renovation (lighting and ventilation) of the function hall| 100000| Total initial cost of wellness program| 419000| GYM EQUIPMENTS| PRICE| QUANTITY| TOTAL COST|Treadmill| 15000| 5| 75000| Exercise bike| 10000| 5| 50000| Upper body trainer| 12000| 5| 60000| Dumb bells| 1000/pair| 20| 20000| Punching Bags| 3000| 3| 9000| Gloves and Mitts| 1000| 10| 10000| Boxing balls and swivels| 3000| 3| 9000| Table tennis table| 8000| 2| 16000| Table tennis rackets| 2000/pair| 10| 20000| Total Cost| | | 269000| HEALTH PROJECT Total Initial Cost of the Project| Renovation (lighting and ventilation) of the clinic room| 50000| Total cost of medical equipments| 78600| Cost of health cards and j ournals to be distributed among employees| 10000| Installation of medical equipments| 30000|Total Initial Costs| 168600| MEDICAL EQUIPMENTS| TOTAL COST| Wheelchairs (3 pcs)| 21000 | Hospital bed (2 pcs)| 30000| Blood pressure monitor (3 pcs)| 6600| Nebulizer (2pcs)| 9000| Weighing Scale| 4000| Gauze, tape and bandages| 3000| Latex and vinyl gloves| 3000| Thermometers| 1000| Disinfectants| 1000| Total Cost| 78600| Financial budget for every month Total Cost of Vitamins to be distributed monthly| 100000| Fund for the hospitalization of employees per month| 50000| Monthly salary of the physician and assistant nurses| 70000| Total| 220000|XIV. Functional Relationships with the Collaborating Agencies El Paraiso is proud to implement the â€Å"Wealthness at El† for ensuring the health and wellness of every employee. In line with this, our company had its partnership with different agencies that would be a great contributor for the implementation of the program. These agencies are t he Mactan Doctors’ Hospital, UNILAB, and Bureau of Food Drugs. First, we conducted our board meeting together with the head from each respective agency. Every matter concerning this program had been discussed.Then we had the contract signing thereafter. Our agreement is that they would continue supporting our program as long as it continues its operations. The monthly check-up of the employees would not be possible without the staff coming from the hospital. This includes board certified physicians in internal medicine and occupational medicine (Preventive Medicine), doctors and registered nurses who provide a variety of direct health care services and health promotion activities for the company. The vitamins and other medicines needed would be coming from the drug manufacturer.The company decided to have its partnership directly from the manufacturer to obtain quality products yet affordable, so that this program would not be that costly. XV. Monitoring and Evaluation Mechan ics In order to monitor and evaluate the performance of the said project, the management had established the following mechanics: 1. The management would provide evaluation sheets which the employees would answer with the following questions: * Are you aware of Wealthness at El? * Are you able to benefit from the said project? In what ways did it become beneficial to you? Do you have any complaints regarding the procedure and other matters about the project? What are they? * Do you have any suggestions that the management could do to respond on these complaints? * What can you recommend to the management to further improve this project? 2. The head physician would periodically report to the management and discuss the matters of the project particularly their health status. XVI. Plans for Ensuring the Sustainability of the Project In order for a business to be successful in the long run, they need to contribute to the welfare of the community, conservation of the environment and moti vation of their employees.This is what we called the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Our company was concerned with our employees because they are one of the contributors why our business continues to operate. That’s why we have proposed a project for them. We want them to obtain some other benefits on our company while contributing to the success of our business. For us to ensure the sustainability of our project, we have made several plans. Those are the ff: * During the mere operation, we will provide a separate fund or will restrict our fund for the sustainability of this project. We are going to sustain this through obtaining a contingency fund. * We will be having a deal with our collaborative agencies so that they will support our needs to sustain it. * Since our company has been operating for almost decades, we are well-known in the country. We will be having sponsors so that we didn’t need to worry that much. * In case of loss, our main branch located i n Manila is the one to help us recover so that we will continue operating. PROGRAM EVALUATION Based on the survey conducted by the company and based on the medical journals of the employees, the results showed improvement of their respective health status.This project has been implemented on every employee of the company. Schedules of check-ups were implemented so that it was certain that every employee has undergone medical examinations. The vitamins that have been distributed to the employees are effective in improving their energy towards work which resulted to better performance in terms of providing quality service to customers. In terms of the wellness program, the healthy lifestyle of the employees has been maintained. Sickness has been avoided and their confidence towards their looks and appearance has increased. t was found out that certain improvements will be needed for the betterment of the techniques and strategies needed to make this project successful. More systematic strategies should be needed for the distribution of vitamins and schedules of check-ups so that delays can be avoided. After several years of execution of this project, the company had been benefited because it is able to maintain a healthy workforce that would provide its customers quality service. The employees of the company are able to receive the benefits that these particular project aims to provide to them.Company Benefits from CSR Program Through the â€Å"Wealthness at El†, the company is able to derived the following benefits: 1) The company is able to maintain a healthy workforce who will provide quality service to the customers. 2) Its employees are more motivated because they feel that the company value them. 3) Motivated employees will result to increase in productivity and reduce cases of absenteeism and tardiness. 4) Therefore, a healthy and motivated workforce will result to the company’s improved reputation which enables them to attain higher income.

Service and the Security implication of VOIP Dissertation

Service and the Security implication of VOIP - Dissertation Example The use and importance of telecommunication in business cannot be overstressed. In some industries, it is even their source if not the most important infrastructure that drives the business processes. However, in order to use the technology efficiently and effectively, its limitations and security has to be assessed and determined. The anonymity of the internet provides an added complexity to the challenge since the prosecution and detection of perpetuators is not only hard but the detection of an actual eavesdropping is already hard in itself. This dissertation will provide the best infrastructure that is both resilient and redundant that will provide the basic security to basic security threats. As proof of concept this dissertation will also demonstrate how an actual VoIP system can be set-up and used, this dissertation has also confirmed how an actual attack on the security can be done and its potential effect on the user. This dissertation also provided a technical strategy on h ow to remediate the security vulnerabilities. However, as any technical security strategy goes, there will always be a hacker that is better at overcoming the best and the latest security system. A determined hacker will always find a way to overcome any security system thrown in front of him thus this dissertation will provide recommendation that will protect businesses from falling prey to opportunistic and disreputable shady characters. Acknowledgement This author would like to thank his love ones for providing him with the inspirations to stay on track for him to be able to finish this dissertation. This author would also like to thank his instructor for providing him the chance and opportunity to learn not only from his instructor’s knowledge but also from the wisdom his instructor imparts. The practical way this author’s instructor presents solutions to complex problems have inspired this author to be better than what he perceive can become. This author’s instructor made him realise that this author can be more than what he want to be or could become. Table of Contents Abstract 3 Acknowledgement 4 Table of Contents 5 1.0Introduction 5 1.1 Overview 6 1.2 Existing Problems 7 1.3 Aims and Objectives 8 1.4 Project Objectives 9 1.5 Research Methodology 10 1.6 Structure of the Dissertation 12 2.0 Literature Review 13 Chapter Summary 26 3. 0 Methodology 28 4.0 Voice over IP Implementation and Threats and Vulnerabilities Demonstration 30 5.0 Statement of Result 49 6.0 Analysis AND Discussion 51 7.0 Conclusion 53 8.0 Recommendation 57 Reference List and Bibliography 61 Appendices 67 List of Figures: 67 List of Tables: 68 Asterisk installation guide 68 CentOS/Linux installation guide 68 1.0 Introduction Asterisk was developed as a cheap alternative to PBX by Mark Spencer. Since then the face of VoIP has never been the same again. Since 1989 the development of VoIP as an alternative transport system for telephony signalling has progress to a po int that almost all of the telephone infrastructures all over the world are being used as data transporter along with voice channel. VoIP simply enabled telecommunication companies to maximize its infrastructure by making several channels available in a

Medical School Essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medical School Essays - Essay Example My undergraduate course at the UC-Berkeley, Public Health, has given me thorough exposure to social issues that affect the provision of healthcare. Given the opportunity, I would like to share my expertise with a large, metropolitan city (i.e. inner city). This setting would be ideal for gaining practical medical expertise, due to the thorough exposure to a wide variety of medical needs. Perhaps, more importantly, this opportunity would permit me to develop accountability and autonomy, commensurate with my abilities. Moreover, this setting will allow me to help as many people as possible, especially those in deprived areas who do not have access to proper medical care. Apart from helping them through my medical expertise, I also want to develop them spiritually and morally. Again, this setting would allow me make a difference in more lives. I have a wealth of experience living in an urban setting, which is accounted for by my eight years of residence in San Francisco. During this time, I went to school, worked full-time and engaged in volunteer opportunities. My volunteer experience at the California Pacific Medical Center and the American Red Cross Mobile are noteworthy, because I have seen first hand the suffering that is undergone by the underprivileged, including disease, lack of basic commodities and resources, and even discrimination. My volunteer experience at the American Red Cross Bloodmobile gave me the opportunity to use my proficiency in the Spanish language to help minority blood donors understand and clarify their concerns with medical staff and fellow volunteers. It is also during these experiences that my resolve to pursue a medical career has been reinforced. I feel fulfilled interacting with patients from diverse and multi-cultural backgrounds, and has allowed me to personally witness the existing dis parities in the urban healthcare system. I have

Family Culture and Tradition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Family Culture and Tradition - Essay Example Like in any other family, this is the time when everyone is in a hurry as we race around the house to get what we need for school. Our parents, on the other hand, prepare for work. Our father drops us off in school before going to the office. Mother is left at home as she cleans up the mess we have left behind before she herself goes to work. We all have our own different schedules during the day. After school, my siblings and I proceed to our own activities – ballet, art class, violin lesson and karate class. We all have a full day before assembling back home when we arrive at different times. We children rest in front of the television or take a nap in our rooms, then do our chores and homework. We take turns helping out in the kitchen as our parents prepare dinner. Even they, take turns cooking dinner with Mom cooking on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Dad cooking on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On weekends, we all pitch in cooking our meals or eat out. We have usually have dinner together at 7:30. At the dinner table, everyone shares what happened to them during the day. We make it a point to balance our Up times and our Down times referring to the g ood and bad things that happened to us. Sometimes, our talks are serious, but most of the time, we laugh and have fun with each other’s company. The dinner conversations we have keep us all updated with each other’s lives. I remember regarding dinner time with my family as the highlight of my day. After dinner, my siblings and I clean up and do the dishes before going back to our homework or whatever activity we choose. Before going to sleep, we make it a point to kiss and hug our parents good night and exchange â€Å"I love you’s†. We each have mom-and-me as well as dad-and-me one-on-one dates at least once a month apart from the times we go out as a family. We either have lunch or dinner, shop, go bowling, watch a show or anything

Reports on Microbe and Antimicrobial Agent Essay

Reports on Microbe and Antimicrobial Agent - Essay Example In smears of exudates, Candida appears as a gram positive, oval budding yeast, 2-3 x 4-6 micrometer, gram positive, elongated budding cells in chains, or true hyphae. On Sabouraud’s agar incubated at room temperature, soft, cream-colored colonies with a yeasty odor develop. The surface growth consists of oval budding cells. The submerged growth consists of pseudomycelium. This is composed of pseudohyphae that form blastoconidia at the nodes and sometimes chlamydoconidia terminally. Among the principal predisposing factors to Candida infection are the following: diabetes mellitus, general debility, immunodeficiency, indwelling urinary or intravenous catheters, intravenous opioid abuse, administration of antimicrobials, and corticosteroids. A. Mouth: Infection of the mouth (thrush) occurs-mainly in infants and in AIDS patients-on the Buccal mucous membranes and appears as white adherent patches consisting largely of pseudomycelium and desquamated epithelium, with only minimal erosion of the membrane. Growth of Candida in the mouth is enhanced by corticosteroids, antibiotics, high levels of glucose, and immunodeficiency. B. Female Genitalia: Vulvovaginitis resembles thrush but produces irritation, intense itching, and discharge. Loss of an acid pH in the vagina predisposes to candidal vulvovaginitis. Acid pH is normally maintained by the bacterial flora in the vagina. Diabetes, pregnancy, progesterone, and antibiotic therapy predispose to disease. C. Skin: Infection of the skin occurs principally in moist, warm parts of the body, such as the axilla, intergluteal folds, groin, or inframammary folds; it is most common in obese and diabetic individuals. The infected areas become red and weeping and may develop vesicles. E. Lungs and other organs: Candida infections may be a secondary invader of lungs, kidneys, and other organs where a preexisting disease is present (eg, tuberculosis or cancer).

Effective Interpersonal Relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effective Interpersonal Relationships - Essay Example The change should transform organizations since old mental states that are immune to change would be discarded.However, anyone reading this book would benefit from the concepts presented by the authors such the four internal languages people often use that keeps them from achieving change. The authors provided a clear illustration of the steps needed so the reader can devise his own ways of making change. Change is presented as a process that can be adapted by anyone who is willing to change his attitude from within. Aside from this, the authors also presented three social languages that prevents groups or communities in making progress since the said social languages ( i.e. Language of Rules and Policies) helps them maintain a status quo. However, the main focus of the first few chapters were aimed towards the individual. But before the step-by-step process was explained, the authors emphasized the idea that most individuals are stuck not because they are helpless but because they are not aware of competing commitments that hinder their growth. These hindrances can be seen in the form of blame or complaints that individuals make in their daily lives. But only after realizing that there is a value behind a complaint, then that is the time people realign their perspective. According to the authors, it is necessary for an individual to recognize competing commitments that hold him back from becoming a better person. It is imperative that an individual assess the commitments he has and evaluate the more important ones that matter to his life. A person may need commitment to an exercise program since his health is deteriorating due to smoking: yet, his commitment to nightly socialization in the belief that this relieves his work stress stops him from developing a worthier commitment. Another enlightening fact is recognizing

Group Project Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Group Project Finance - Essay Example Year in and year out, there are reports of various forms of medical errors, most of which lead to very grievous consequence s as has been stated before. Below are some of the commonest forms of medical errors that are experienced in the United States on a constant statistical basis. Forms of Medical Errors Medication Errors The American Health Association identifies medication errors as the number form of medical error that is experienced in all United States health facility (McDonald , 2013). According to the European Medicines Agencies (2012), â€Å"Medication errors are unintentional errors in the prescribing, dispensing, or administration of a medicine while under the control of a healthcare professional, patient or consumer.† This can be said to be a very holistic definition that gives a total outline of what medication errors are and how they come about. Basically, medication errors can be said to be unintentional, even though their consequences are mostly unavoidable an d unpardonable. What is more, medication errors are not caused by unskilled specialists put by medical experts and under the supervision of same. What this means is that medication errors ends at the point where the medical expert ends his duty in prescribing, dispensing or administering a drug to the patient. The situation must not continue from the point where the patient makes a mistake with a well prescribed or administered medicine or drug to say medication error has taken place (Den Bos et al., 2011). Surgical Errors Surgical errors have also been said to be the second largest form of medicine errors that are recorded across health facilities in the United States. Whiles finding permanent or temporary solutions to some forms of ailments and diseases that plague patients, health professions have had the need to undertake various forms of surgical operations. These operations may be as minor as a non-opening surgery or as huge as a plastic surgery. Whiles undertaking some of the se surgical operations, there are series of mistakes that surgeons make. When such mistakes that occur in the process or in the act of undertaking a surgery occurs, we say there has been the occurrence a surgical error. Experts have continued to wonder why there continues to be high cases and incidents of surgical errors when there continuous to be advancement in technology, tools, training, and procedures. It has however been settled that over work on the part of nurses, doctors and other hospital personnel is a major cause of this. Fatigue, miscommunication, lack of attention, and hastiness have also been identified as common causes. Nosocomial Infections Nosocomial infections have also been identified as a very risky medical error that commonly takes place among some most health facilities. Generally, nosocomial infections are hospital acquired infections, meaning they are infections that come about as a result of favored hospital environment (Den Bos et al., 2011). In the common est form, nosocomial infections occur as patients visit hospitals or are admitted at the hospitals. Nosocomial infections are also commonly reported in the form of outbreak of diseases among

Economics in one lesson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics in one lesson - Essay Example He argues that, the art of economics involves analyzing primary and secondary effects these policies to all groups. The book discusses in details several fallacies such as high taxes, evils that take place in the public projects, minimum wage rate, effects of bailout, price control, tariffs on imports, rent control, trade union activities, regulations and economic effects of government actions. Parity pricing, disbanding a large number of troops, commodity stabilization and inflation are fallacies that are not given much weight but are included in this book. Hazlitt does not object public program spending but rejects the use of public projects as a plan of injecting money into the economy. He argues that public projects should be justified based on their importance to the economy. Money outsourced from the private sector by the government in the form of taxes is used to fund public projects. Using the bridge example, Hazlitt argues that creating a job in the public sector kills another job in the private sector. In such projects there are things which are not permitted to come into existence. In paragraph 3 of this book, Hazlitt argues that, the secondary effect on public projects is in the form of how money used to fund these projects is diverted to other areas. Unfortunately, such news most likely will not be reported on considering the kind of news that are being aired nowadays. Government never does as well in making loans as the private sector does. This is because people tend to be more careful with their own money (Hazlitt. Para8). Unfortunately, most of the time this fact is always hidden because bad loans made by the government are hidden in most federal spending. On the other hand, when banks collapse due to bad loans, it is announced all over the news. Political considerations further hide the bad loans as a result of government lending. This

Thomas Jefferson Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Thomas Jefferson - Term Paper Example This essay stresses that Jefferson was elected the Governor of Virginia when he was 36 years old in 1779. He was re-elected the next year as the term was for one year by then. He shifted the state capital to Richmond from Williamsburg. Jefferson term as a governor saw the introduction of public education, religious freedom, and fairer inheritance laws. As the Revolutionary war in opposition to Great Britain continued, he was serving as a wartime governor. After the Revolutionary War victory and the peace treaty with Great Britain in the year 1783, Congress of federation was formed by United States. Jefferson was the appointed Virginia delegate. He was among the team that was created so as to set rates for foreign exchange. He was the one who recommended that American currency to be based on a system of decimals; his plan was legalized. This paper makes a conclusion that Jefferson remains a significant figure in US history in as far a politics and democracy is concerned. His contribution towards modern United States and its socio-economic and political progress cannot be forgotten. Besides, United States has sustained its economic and political power throughout the world due to a strong and effective constitution which is attributed to efforts of such iconic personality like Thomas Jeffersion.The federal system has worked to maintain unity and progressive development and this explains the height of Jefferson’s efforts to model a prosperous United States.

FIFA World Cup 2014 In Brazil Essay Example for Free

FIFA World Cup 2014 In Brazil Essay In 2014 Brazil will host one of the most important competitions for the sports. It is the FIFA world cup. It will be the 20th official FIFA world cup and it will happen between June 12 and July 14 of 2014. This is the 20th edition of this competition and will be contested by the mens national teams from the 208 member associations of the FIFA. Brazil will be host the competition for the second time. The first time was in 1950 right after the World War 2. The two world cups before the one in 1950 got canceled because of the war. Seventeen cities showed interest in being chosen as world cup host cities, but usually FIFA only approves 8 to 10 cities so they ended up choosing 12 cities in 12 different states. The final game will happen in Rio de Janeiro at the Macarana stadium. The opening ceremony was supposed to happen at Sao Paulo’s football club stadium but technical problems wouldn’t allow it so a brand new stadium will be built just for the world cup. Rio de Janeiro is one of the most popular cities and is the second largest cities of Brazil, containing 6.3 million people and it is very famous for the samba, carnival and the Christ of Redeemer. Maracana is their principal and biggest stadium. It was built for the world cup in 1050. It was renovated in 2006 and fits 82 000 people but in the days it used to fit almost 200 000 people. Sao Paulo is also a popular city. Sao Paulo is the largest city in South and Central America. The population use a lot of public transportation because cars are v ery expensive and there is a lot of traffic. Sao Paulo is known as the â€Å"motor of the economy† because a lot of big companies has their bases in Sao Paulo.

Effects of Population Growth

Effects of Population Growth Nerujan Sivanesan Issues of human geography have had irreversible impacts on the Earth as we know today. Over the centuries, the growing human population has led to high population densities, and has greatly affected the fate of one particular country. The environmental, economic and social impacts have been both positive and negative in the case of this nation. Although many nations are affected, no other place bears the weight of this issue more than the country of India. Currently, India has a population of 1,220,800,359 people and it ranks second according to the central intelligence agency website when compared to all the other countries around the world. In addition, population density is the number of people living per unit of an area1 and India currently retains a population density of 388 people/km2 in 2013 according to the population reference bureau website. As a result of their high population, it leads to the emergence of many socio-medical issues and survivalhood complications9 such as a lack of water supply as well as having a greater working population despite suffering from shortages of land and resources. In addition, it will lead to the reduction of population growth which in turn will assist in the reduction of its population in the future. The environmental repercussions that will arise in India due to having a high population will massively affect this nation. Environmental issues such as a lack of water supply and polluted water will occur as a result of India’s continually growing population. In addition, the water supply that is obtained will most likely be polluted because daily garbage generation ranges more than 3-20 tons.3 All this generated garbage is found on streets, infront of homes and other properties which will end up in rivers and lakes, eventually contaminating the water. Also, the unregulated disposal of pollution occurs through drains joining into rivers, streams, and reservoirs.3 This is because companies do not have waste water treatments systems, thus, all the water in this environment will be contaminated by these chemicals. Moreover, having a human population with a high population density will lead India to have a lot of gas powered vehicles on its streets which will result in air pollution. As a result of air pollution, it will contribute to global warming which will hamper the required weather conditions needed to maintain India’s agriculture, which is a critical part of their economic life. Unfortunately, the poor people will be most likely affected by this since most of them live in rural areas. This is bad news forIndia as a whole because agriculture is one of their most important ways for raising economic income. Even though there are mainly negative effects regarding the environmental implications for this issue, there are still some positive effects too. One positive effect would be that the increase in population in agricultural areas of India will result in a higher production of agriculture. Hence, this will help sustain the country both environmentally and economically because it wil l prevent shortages in food supply as well as provide an income for the poor agricultural workers. Economic benefits and complications arise due to India having such a high population. In fact, Indians living in this highly populated country will be more willing to accept lower wages due to having a high unemployment rates. As a result this will attract more companies because they would not have to pay high wages and would allow India to grow economically. Even though India will economically grow because of the attraction of companies, their economy will still suffer due to the fact that a high number of people in this country are in poverty and that the gap between the poor and rich is growing. This is because the rich people are exploiting more resources than poor people.9 Also, the number of middle class people found in this nation will continue to grow so the purchasing power will become higher power. Therefore, the more people there are in a country, the greater their economic potential will. In addition, having such a high population will result in the development of technology. For that reason, rising population promotes the need for some sort of technological change in order to meet the rising demands for certain goods and services, as a result more jobs will become available.13Moreover, a mass influx in population is considered harmful to economic growth since the resources found in India are found to be limited due to the increasing rate in population growth. Even though this is true, it can also lead them to have a very high working population. Since, the amount of resources will become limited due to the increase in population; their prices will greatly increase. Nonetheless, the increase in prices of resources would often lead people, especially poor people to suffer from starvation. Consequences will arise for the reason that India will want to solve/reduce their current issue, overpopulation, however, its citizens financial status will determine whether the methods suggested is agreeable or not. It is a known fact that women play a decisive role in influencing the birth rates during their child bearing years. Therefore, family planning efforts are promoted such as encouraging later marriages as well as increasing the length of birth intervals so that the population rate will be reduced in the future. When successful, family planning efforts tend to help reduce the population rate because families will limit themselves to two children most of the time. In addition, women play a crucial role in high population rates because some women especially the women in poverty are illiterate which would mean there is an encouragement of early marriages. This is because families in poverty usually marry their daughters off in exchange for dowry once they enter their child be aring years. As a result this will assist both the daughter as well as her family economically. Since they are illiterate, they will be encouraged to have children in short birth intervals because they reside in rural areas and once their children become older they will begin to assist in the agricultural work given, as it is their only source of income. Evidence shows that women’s education has a positive association with a wider range of contraceptive product usage in India, whereby women possessing high levels of education use both modern and traditional non-terminal methods of birth control.4 In addition, women who are educated tend to marry later in their lives. Furthermore, this would mean that they have shorter child bearing years when compared to women who are illiterate. India’s growing human population is still a concerning issue and it has affected the fate of this country environmentally, economically, and socially. Through environmental implications, water supplies will sometimes be contaminated because of a lack of waste water treatment systems in industrial companies and an increase in agricultural production will occur due escalation in population growth. In addition, the increase in agricultural production will help India’s economy to become much stronger. However, there are many people in this country that are in poverty which would cause its economy to decline. Later marriages will help reduce population growth because women will now have shorter child bearing years and this method is mostly used by educated women. Uneducated women marry during the initial stages of their child bearing year for economical or social reasons and this would mean they have longer child bearing years. Many consequences will result due to population growth and it can be interpreted in different ways on how it would affect India. Reference 1.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/population+density?s=t 2.http://www.sfu.ca/geography/undergraduate-program/human-geography-sfu 3.http://books.google.ca/books?hl=enlr=id=J6sZo47jJNsCoi=fndpg=PA50dq=how+overpopulation+affects+India%27s+environmentots=FZay88LUiGsig=mS2rwX8b9T4W6A8-43hk7x7YoL0#v=onepageqf=false 4. http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/docview/200907237 5.http://web.b.ebscohost.com/abstract?direct=trueprofile=ehostscope=siteauthtype=crawlerjrnl=09725784AN=86021326h=zu59X88190lyNltFvjZpfzTtHQ5aKCt8BM87felpzhBaD7AK10%2fd2ePpsRh3LSDL5tE5GRrFKnzAALuXIi2cng%3d%3dcrl=c 6. http://www.prb.org/DataFinder/Topic/Rankings.aspx?ind=30fmt=31tf=54loc=249,250,251,252,253,254,34227,255,257,258,259,260,261,262,263,264,265,266,267,268,269,270,271,272,274,275,276,277,278,279,280,281,282,283,284,285,286,287,288,289,290,291,292,294,295,296,297,298,299,300,301,302,304,305,306,307,308,311,312,315,316,317,318,319,320,321,322,324,325,326,327,328,34234,329,330,331,332,333,334,336,337,338,339,340,342,343,344,345,346,347,348,349,350,351,352,353,354,358,359,360,361,362,363,364,365,366,367,368,369,370,371,372,373,374,375,377,378,379,380,381,382,383,384,385,386,387,388,389,390,392,393,394,395,396,397,398,399,400,401,402,404,405,406,407,408,409,410,411,415,416,417,418,419,420,421,422,423,424,425,427,428,429,430,431,432,433,434,435,437,438,439,440,441,442,443,444,445,446,448,449,450,451,452,453,454,455,456,457,458,459,460,461,462,464,465,466,467,468,469,470,471,472,473,474,475,476,477,478,479,480sort=AscendingsortBy=value 7.http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST?order=wbapi_data_value_2010+wbapi_data_value+wbapi_data_value-lastsort=asc 8. http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/docview/1346647850 9.http://rierc.org/social/paper174.pdf 10.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html 11. http://asbbs.org/files/2011/JBBS_24.1_Spring_2012.pdf#page=108 12.http://www.indiawaterportal.org/sites/indiawaterportal.org/files/Climate change in India_Forgotten threats, forgotten opportunities_EPW_2010.pdf

Marketing Islamic Travel Destinations A Religious Perspective Tourism Essay

Marketing Islamic Travel Destinations A Religious Perspective Tourism Essay Literature on tourism and destination marketing research is rich with key themes which seek to explain why people travel and select specific destinations. Many of the studies are based on the theory of pull and push motivations. The theory posits that tourists are pushed by internal desires or emotional factors to travel as well as pulled by external factors in the form of the attributes of various destinations. While many studies have been conducted to investigate the various types of destination attributes, there has been a lack of research on the religious attributes of the destination and its impact on tourists choice as well as satisfaction. Moreover, when it comes to Islamic religious attributes, the lack of study is more noticeable and profound. The objective of this study is to investigate whether there exists a basis for segmenting the tourism market by Islamic religious attributes through studying the views and opinions of tourists visiting Malaysia. 2. Significance of the Study The Muslim tourism segment may consider a target for destination marketers. Assuming religion represents one of important factors in the decision-making process in regards to travel destinations(Collins Tisdell, 2002), it is important to ensure that Islamic religious attributes are available in those destinations. This may lead to tourist satisfaction as well as encourage multiple return visits. Muslims are well-ordered to follow Islamic teachings which directly and indirectly impact on their decisions concerning leisure and travel plans (Hamira Henderson, 2009). In this regard plans to market destinations for Muslim tourists should be guided by Shariah (Islamic code of life) rules specifically those that pertain to tourism activities. In recent years, it has been observed that there is a growing interest in new tourism concepts such as Islamic tourism. Another concept is Halal hospitality which is akin to the concept of Halal food, a concept already recognized in many countries including those in the Middle East(WTM, 2007). Newspaper articles consider this to be a new phenomenon in the United Arab Emirates and Middle Eastern countries. Halal tourism has attracted many tour packages entirely based on what they term Islamic culture (Javed, 2007) which is defined as a type of religious tourism which is in conformity with Islamic teachings regarding behaviourisms, dress, conduct and diet (WTM, 2007). Heyers (2008) elaboration on the rapid large-scale development of Shariah-compliant hotels is but another expression of the existing trends towards increased Islamisation of activities which in the past focused more on banking, insurance and finance. Thus, tourism is generally encouraged by Islamic law as following the re ligion entails etiquettes, mannerisms, rules and regulations regarding conduct, dress, food, and prayer(Hamira Henderson, 2009). Halal tourism operators target families from the Gulf region known for their conservative interpretation of the teachings of Islamic Shariah. The World Travel Market Report (2007) shows that Halal tourism has the potential to develop into a resilient market. Promising market potentialities cause it to be targeted by industry operators and market researchers. Focus on this market is further increased by a forecasted increase in growth whereby tourist income for the Middle East is expected to grow 108% to a staggering US$ 51 billion while domestic tourism is expected to grow by 82% to reach US$24 Billion by 2011. Much of the forecasted growth is due to increased numbers of Middle Eastern tourists which underlines the need for tailored Halal tourist packages offering services catering to Muslim needs. The negative side of western tourism causing Halal tourism to be increasingly popular among Muslims is issues which have a negative impact on the Muslim community such as the consumption of alcohol, prostitution, inappropriate dressing, kissing in public and open affection between sexes in public (Sindiga, 1996). However, non-Muslim countries continue to attract Muslim families, including those from the Gulf region interested in visiting attractions such as nature parks as these comply with Islamic Shariah. In response to this the current study is an attempt to greater understand the new concept of Halal tourism. Muslims constitute a global market of 1.82 billion potential customers (Muslim population worldwide, 2009). Islamic religious attributes are bound to be very important considerations when a Muslim decides to travel abroad. Given the potential problems expected from non-Halal tourism, the Muslim tourist may decide not to travel to a particular destination due to the absence of these attributes. According to Uysal et al. (2008, p. 413) a study of a the particular attributes of any given destination would provide clues and/or insights that destination marketers could use in developing and promoting their tourism destinations. Bogari et al.(2004) claim that destination attributes and issues pertaining to Islamic culture were not sufficiently covered by researchers. In effect, the study focuses in the Islamic attributes of destinations which could be used as a base to attract Muslim tourists in destination marketing programs. The marketing of Islamic destinations is certainly not an easy task(Henderson, 2008b) because of the variance between the demands of western tourists and the Islamic teachings. Therefore, exploring Islamic attributes may help destination marketers to tailor products and services that satisfy Muslim tourists in addition to using them in promotional programs. In addition, this study attempts to offer insights into the tourism expectations and experiences of followers of the Islamic religion. Muslim tourists could be influenced by religious aspects in their destination choice. Thus, the objective of this study is to explore which Islamic attributes of destinations such as worship facilities and Halal food that may be important to the Muslim tourist; especially in the Muslim world. 3. Literature review: Religion plays a large influence on many peoples behaviour as customers (Essoo Dibb, 2004). In the context of tourism, religion may influence the choice of destination and tourists product preferences(Adi Ron, 2008). According to Poria et al. (2003), the effects of religious belief on behaviour come from two main sources First, there are the yes and nos, dos and donts of a persons religion which are to be observed. Examples consist of the religious rules prohibiting Muslims from consuming pork, or Hindus from consuming beef. The second means by which behaviour is influenced is the fact that religion shapes the culture, attitudes and values of society. This is supported by Grigg (1995) whose research provides evidence on the influence of religion and religiosity on dietary habits. Further support is found in Essoo and Dibb (2004) who demonstrated the influence of religion on consumer behaviour by identifying the differences in consumer spending between Muslims and Hindus. Although the relationship between tourism and religion has been addressed in the literature on tourism, there remains a shortage of theoretical publications in the area of tourism in the context of Islam. Religion and religiosity are acknowledged factors influencing behaviour according to various social settings. In spite of this widely acknowledged fact, research that explores relationships between religion, behaviour and tourist destination choice remains highly limited (Adi, 2006; Adi Ron, 2008; Din, 1989; Fleischer, 2000; Howe, 2001; Poria et al., 2003; Rinschede, 1992). Din (1989) argues that social scientists have tended to overlook the importance of religion in tourism studies. Its importance is emphasized by Adi and Ron (2008) who underline the general importance of the relationship between tourism and religion. For this reason Heo et al. (2004) recommend more related studies that identify and discuss special tourist requirements and preferences. Although neglecting to menti on religion specifically, Fang et al. (2008) conclude that tourists are more likely to choose destinations believed to best satisfy tourist push needs and preferred destination attributes. Studies conducted in this area include Adi (2006) which investigates the religious needs of Christian tourist in the hospitality industry and Fleischer and Nitzav (1995) which investigates the religious needs of Christian pilgrims in the tourism industry. Likewise Hoffmann (1994 Cited in Adi 2006) conducts research on Jewish ultra-orthodox tourism segment. In addition to this, some papers complement the aforementioned research by discussing the religious requirements in the tourism food sector. For example, Dugan (1994) presents the religious necessities in food supply for Muslim, Christian, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists. When it comes to the relationship between tourism and religion, particularly Islam, the lack of literature is more obvious especially regarding Islamic religious attributes and their impact on tourist needs in general and Muslim tourists in particular. The only studies available typically focus only on the needs of Muslim pilgrims (when they visit Makkah for the Haj) rather than the needs of tourists. However, Adi and Ron (2008) forecast increased number of religiously-minded tourists who join dynamic multipurpose packages especially from developing countries many of which are Muslim countries. 3.1 Religious Attributes What does the term `religious attributes of destinations really mean? There are many aspects that can constitute `religious attributes of destinations. The following sections present the literature on the matter: 3.1.1 Hotels Meeting the Religious Needs of Patrons Additional religious services and provisions in hotels may result in attracting new markets and improved hotel rates (Adi, 2006). A study in Israel conducted by Mansfeld et al. (2000) recommended placing Makkah stickers or `Qibla stickers (stickers with ornamented arrows pointing towards the city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia for prayer directions) as well as placing a copy of the Quran in every room occupied by Muslim visitors. Din (1989) found that hotels in Kuantan, Malaysia catered to Muslim needs in the hospitality industry by requiring first class hotels to provide prayer rooms fully equipped with prayer mats, the Quran, Suruh Yasin, and Tasbih, plus Qibla stickers. Adi (2006) presented a number of suggestions to improve the religion-friendliness of hotels. The suggestions begin by simply providing a bible in hotel rooms along with providing information on religious activities and institutions. This keeps religiously-minded tourists in direct contact with scripture and informed of available services. Employment of Christian workers creates a religious atmosphere in the hotel. The hotel may choose to organize its own religious activities. It should provide a place of worship within the hotel itself or be in close proximity to a church. Christian symbols within a hotel such as a cross and images of the Virgin Mary help to provide a religious environment and dà ©cor. Religious values play a role in catering to religious needs. For example, Collins-Kreiner Kliot (2000) hypothesizes the Protestants need for a bible in hotel rooms based on their belief in direct communication with God. Fleischer (2000) compares between Catholic and Protestant pilgrims in terms of the peculiarities of their tourist needs. The study reveals that Protestants appreciate religious symbols and opt for religious-sensitive tourist packages more so than Catholics. Moreover, Adi (2006) recommended catering to such Christian needs in the hotel room as that may increase the satisfaction of Christian tourists Empirical studies on the impact of catering to Islamic religious needs and the level of satisfaction of Muslim tourists are very few. Some of the studies discuss services of this nature which may include Muslim religious restrictions such as activities of vice and forbidden entry for unmarried couples (Din, 1989; Hamira Henderson, 2009; Henderson, 2003) . They also found that hotels may provide religious information such as the location of nearby mosques or prayer times and nearby Halal restaurants (Henderson, 2003). Furthermore, as Muslims avoid free mixing between the sexes, hotels could offer separate swimming pools and recreational facilities (Al-hamarneh steiner, 2004; Henderson, 2003; Timothy Iverson, 2006). Hashim et al. (2007) suggest that providing Halal food on the hotel menu or information on nearby Halal restaurants would enhance the holiday experience. Timothy and Iverson (2006) also suggest that hotels should educate their staff on cross-cultural communication to all ow them to treat Muslim tourists with respect and consider recruiting religious staff. 3.1.2 Places of worship The five daily prayers are of great importance to practicing Muslims. Therefore, the mosque (a Muslim house of worship) or prayer room is considered to be one of the most crucial facilities for Muslims (Al-hamarneh steiner, 2004; Syed, 2001). Adi (2006) suggests that proximity to a mosque may influence Muslim tourist preferences when making hotel reservations. Mohsin (2005) conducted a study to assess Peninsular Malaysians attitude towards choosing the Northern Territory of Australia for a holiday as a tourism destination and found that Muslim respondents were concerned about the availability of mosques. Mohsin and Ryan (1997) recommend that the ease of access to Islamic services are important when they explored the attitudes of Malaysian and Indonesian business people towards the possibility of holidaying in Australia. It is also suggested that Middle Eastern countries take concrete steps to develop Halal tourism internally by having prayer rooms at tourism sites (WTM, 2007). Syed (2001) also suggested that the availability of mosques at tourist destinations may increase satisfaction levels. The mosque itself may be considered as a tourist attraction if they are unique and outstanding (Henderson, 2003). 3.1.3 Availability of Halal food Dugan (1994) presented findings on food service requirements by Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. Evidence from Browns (1996) ethnographic study shows the influence of religious prohibitions on determining their expectations regarding services provided by a hotel such as appropriate ingredient choice and preparation. This is further supported by Williams (2002) who identified the role of the Jewish Kashrus (Jewish religious requirements) in prohibiting certain foods and regulating compliance procedures for food preparation. For Muslims, the issue is centred on the concept of Halalness. Halal food refers to food that can be lawfully consumed when conditions for Islamic food preparation are met. Food that is unlawful to Muslims includes pork, pork-derived foods including lard and bacon and meat and other products from carnivorous animals or those that feed on carrion. Consumption of any food or drinks with alcoholic content is also prohibited (Dugan, 1994). One important distinguishing feature of the Halal label is that animals must be slaughtered in the name of Allah (God). There are many studies that show the importance of the availability of Halal food to Muslims in choosing their tourist destinations (Adi, 2006; Adi Ron, 2008; Mohsin, 2005; Mohsin Ryan, 1997; Syed, 2001). The importance of this to some Muslims is reflected by the fact that even when served halal food, many are still concerned over whether the food is genuinely halal. Henderson (2003) found that some firms in the Western tourism industry are concerned over this issue. Some Muslims ask about the ingredients the meal is made up of because pork and alcohol in all its many forms are forbidden. Therefore, meals which are provided to Muslim have to be alcohol and pork-free and the utensils have to be uncontaminated by these two elements (Dugan, 1994). Catering to Muslim tourists needs in terms of providing Halal food in any particular destination may increase their overall satisfaction and loyalty. Mansfeld et al. (2000) gives explicit recommendations for providing food which complies with Shariah laws. Therefore, a caterer who is aware on how to satisfy Muslims or who offers religious groups dietary needs will attract more Muslim customers (Dugan, 1994). 3.1.4 Banning of Alcohol Consumption and Gambling According to Islamic Shariah, it is completely forbidden for Muslims to drink or sell alcohol. Muslims are also prohibited from gambling and being involved in the gambling industry. It is stated in Al-Quran: O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satans handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper. (Al-Quran, 5:90). Moreover the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Alcohol is the mother of all evils and it is the most shameful of evils. (Ibn Majah, 2004). It is also not permissible for Muslims to visit places where alcohol is consumed and gambling is practiced (Al-hamarneh steiner, 2004; Din, 1989; Hamira Henderson, 2009; Hashim et al., 2007; Henderson, 2003, 2008a). Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia implement very restrictive policies related to gambling and the sale of alcohol. Other countries are not so restrictive. For example, in most states in Malaysia alcohol is freely available although Muslims can be punished for drinking in public. 3.1.5 Sexual permissiveness The Shariah expressly forbids Muslims from engaging in fornication or adultery. Activities deemed conducive to sexual permissiveness are not allowed to take place in public. This is based on many verses in The Holy Quran including like: Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). (Al-Quran, 17: 32). Many Muslim scholars take the view that it is Haram or not permissible to visit, for the sake of tourism, places where sexual permissiveness is rampant. Their opinion is based on the principle that Islam came to impede all roads leading to evil. If some tourist activities result in the facilitation or the commission of sins then it is not permissible for Muslims to be involved in such tourist activities (Rasma, 2008). Most Muslim countries including Malaysia prohibit adultery. The Malaysian licensing policy prohibits prostitution and behaviours such as public or indecent displays of affection (Din, 1989; Hamira Henderson, 2009; Henderson, 2003, 2008a). Moreover, in some Malaysian towns municipal enactments for lodging establishments explicitly forbid unmarried couples from being in close proximity (Din, 1989). Many Muslim authorities frown on tourism in general due to the perception that tourism is associated with sexual permissiveness (Din, 1989). Therefore, some Muslim scholars prohibit sex tourism as practiced by some Arab Muslims from the Middle East in travelling to Europe or Bangkok (Din, 1989). What is more, using sexually provocative images in marketing tourist destinations to Muslim customers is also frowned upon. According to Shariah, promotion techniques must not use sexual appeal in international marketing (Mohammad et al., 2001). Female images are therefore not featured in tourism promotion in some Malaysian states like Terengganu (Henderson, 2003). Mohsin (2005) is of the opinion that the use of sexually provocative images of bikini-clad girls to promote a destination will not attract Muslim tourists. 3.1.6 Dress code According to Shariah Muslim women must not expose their hair and body. The Holy Quran states: O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not annoyedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Al-Quran, , 33: 59) Men are supposed to cover their thighs (Timothy Iverson, 2006). In deciding tour destinations, Muslims look at the local dress codes in that particular region of the world being considered. Such considerations are to gauge the level of conformity to Islamic dress norms in order to determine if they will or will not be comfortable visiting that particular destination. This is particularly so for Arab tourists who have to observe strict dress codes in their native countries and prefer not to expose themselves and families to environments that may threaten their sense of proper dressing. Hashim et al (2007) demonstrates the Malaysian Tourist Boards awareness of Islamic dress sensitivities by restricting their marketing campaigns to present only traditional Malay Muslim dress codes. Women with headscarves and men wearing Songkoks-a black rimless hat worn by Malay men usually for praying-were depicted on advertising billboards and home pages. Some conservative Malaysian states enforce appropriate dress norms prohibiting people from disturbing cultural norms by wearing revealing clothes such as bikinis. Furthermore, western tourists are expected to adorn the Islamic attire when visiting religious places like mosques (Henderson, 2003). Hamira and Henderson (2009) claim that Shariah laws prohibit improper dressing. Al-Hamarneh and Seiner (2004) assert that considerations of the religious conservatism of any particular region including prescribed dress codes should be respected. Such cultural considerations are expected more so of tourism operators in all aspects of the tourism industry as they are interacting directly and regularly with foreign tourists (Adi Ron, 2008). 4. Methodology The objective of this study is to explore Islamic religious attributes which may be important to Muslim travellers. In order to achieve this objective, focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted and were followed up with interviews to explore opinions and travel experiences in more depth. This combination of the FGD and the interviews has its advantages. Firstly, in identifying a range of Islamic religious attributes from the FGD. Secondly, to explore in depth, by conducting interviews using a relatively wide range of participants in order to discover more Islamic attributes and to check the conclusions with the FGD (Morgan, 1996). The FGD and the interviews are research techniques pertaining to qualitative research (Myers, 2009, p. 121). The aim of the FGD is to collect information through group interaction but the interview is considered an opportunity to discover new information from individuals (Cavana, Delahaye, Sekaran, 2008, p. 138). Semi-structured questions were designed in this study for the purpose of conducting interviews and focus group discussions. Semi-structured questions were designed in this study for the purpose of conducting interviews and focus group discussions. The participants were asked about the Islamic attributes they would require when traveling in a Muslim country or a non Muslim country. They were then asked specifically about these attributes when visiting Muslim countries. This was followed by probing questions that sought to explore in detail specific attributes generated from FGDs such as access to worship facilities, availability of Halal food, services provided in hotels, and morality. Two focus group discussions were conducted in June 2009. The participants of these focus groups were international PhD students currently studying in Malaysia in different areas of research. The participants of FGD1 consisted of eight males from Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Mauritania, Oman, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt and Sudan. The duration of FGD1 was one and a half hours. The participants of FGD 2 consisted of seven females from Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Nigeria, Oman, Turkey, and Algeria. The duration of FGD 2 was one hour and fifteen minutes and the participants did not agree to record the session digitally. The reason for this may be culturally related. All FGD participants had overseas travel experience for various purposes such as tourism, business, learning, and visiting friends. A total of 53 interviews were conducted with tourists in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia; 27 interviews in July 2009 and 26 interviews in October 2009. Thirty of the interviewees were males, and twenty three were females. Only those who professed to be Muslims were selected. 38 tourists did not accept to be interviewed. The duration of most interviews was between 35 to 45 minutes. 41 interviews were recorded digitally. The rest were unable to be recorded due to objections from the interviewees who were females from the Middle East. The interviewer transcribed both the FGDs as well as all interviews session. Some interviewees from the Middle East preferred to communicate in Arabic while the rest were conducted in English. The interviewer adopted the probing technique during the session to encourage the participants to provide more details. Some demographic information was also gathered. The digital recording of the interviews was changed into text. The data was organized fo r easy categorization and systematic data analysis. 5. Findings Results of the analysis were categorized into two major aspects which are tangible and intangible. The tangible aspect consists of Islamic religious facilities such as, worship facilities, Halal food, and Islamic recreational facilities: (A)Prayer facilities: Mosque: all interviewees were concerned about the availability of Mosques (Masjid) or prayer rooms for their tourist destination. Easy access to a mosque/prayer room is considered a vital aspect for Muslim tourists and should not be ignored by tourism planning but should be considered a necessary service. This can be shown in the following response: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Masjid or prayer room must be available in the streets and public places. In other words, a prayer room should be available in all places which I may visit in the destination such as hotels, shopping malls, and airports. Even in the airplane to destination, it should allocate a place for prayer. (FGD No. 1) Masjid is available in most of the places in the destination during my journey, in shopping malls, highwaysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and of course in the hotel. (Int. No.1, USA) It is noticed from the previous responses that Muslim tourists expect easy access to a Masjid and/or prayer room to be a primary requirement in Muslim countries. They also highlighted that they expect to find prayer facilities readily accessible during tourist activities. Islamic call (Azan) for prayer: 31 interviewees were concerned about the need for public calling of the Azan (prayer time). Destination operators should provide information about Muslim prayer times. 17 interviewees recommended a prayer time call during flights or journeys to their destinations, hotels, shopping malls and parks. Some also requested prayer time clocks (which ring with each prayer time) or a prayer timetable in the hotel room. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I need also Prayer time call in the airplane, airport, hotel or at least prayer timetable in hotel room. (Int.No.2, Canada) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Prayer timetable or Alfajr clock (Prayer time clock brand) should be found in hotel room. (Int.No.4, Saudi Arabia). In Islam Muslims should pray five times daily but they are permitted to merge and shorten the prayers while travelling according to the length of the journey and other Islamic legal rules and requirements. As such, the participants preferred that they be reminded about prayer times in order that they may choose between praying at the usual times or merge them. Quran and Qiblah direction pointer: all interviewees emphasized the importance of the provision of Qurans and Qiblah direction pointers in hotel rooms. Some proposed that one or two simple Islamic books to be provided in hotel rooms and in aeroplane seat pockets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦It will be fine if I find Quran book in hotel room, some Islamic leaflets in the airplane seat pocket, Makkah direction pointer, Sejadda for prayer (prayer mat), simple Islamic book in hotel room à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (FGD No. 1) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I need the Holy Quran book inside the hotel room, some Islamic books which I can read; I dont want any statue or sculpture like a Buddhist. I found that in India when I was there. Also direction of Qibla is important to meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Int. No.15, Djibouti) The Quran is the Holy book for Muslims. Muslims are requested to read the Holy Quran. Although most of Muslims have a soft copy of the Quran on their hand phones, the hard copy represents the preferable option for reading. Moreover, the Makkah direction pointer is a basic demand of Muslims as they perform their prayers elsewhere even though in public places. Some hotel industry practitioners, even some hotels in non Muslim countries, already provide Qiblah pointers inside their hotel rooms but some participants report that they did not find it in some hotels in Muslim countries. Muslim toilets: 36 interviewees who have travelled to western destinations complained about the bath room because they could not perform ablution (Muslim mandatory washing before performing prayers). There is no such facility inside airport toilets and hotels. Therefore, they requested Muslim toilets to be provided in all airports, hotels and public places. Muslim toilet is very important in airport because the regular toilets provide only tissue. As Muslims, we need water supply inside the toilet. It should be found in public places because in the hotel you can find water but in public it is difficult. (Int. No.14, Thailand) I will be very happy if I find à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and Bidet in the bathroom (Int. No.2, Canada). Muslim followers must do ablution before prayers. They are required to clean themselves with water when using the toilet. Some countries adopt modern toilet designs which do not enable users to wash themselves using water; providing only tissue. However, some Muslim countries have modified this style and have adopted a Muslim design for their bathrooms which provide water. From previous participant responses, they find it satisfying when water facilities are made available in toilets. (B)Halal food: all interviewees reported that the availability of Halal food is a basic need for all destinations. It is noticed that all interviewees need Halal meals in flights to their destination. Moreover, they recommended that hotels and restaurants in the destination should provide Halal meals free from pork and alcohol. Some of them were worried about the preparation of Halal meals. Seven interviewees highlighted that the kitchen should also be Halal which means that Halal and non-Halal foods cannot be cooked together in the same kitchen and with the same utensils. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I need Halal food to be available. The mosques and Halal food restaurants, mostly they are close to each other. Last week, I was in Cambodia. Once I was close to the Masjid I found Halal restaurants. (Int. No.13, Turkey) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Some hotels, in breakfast they provide Halal food and non-Halal food from the same kitchen that means the Halal and non Halal food are cooked together using the same facilities. I need Halal kitchen. Moreover, some Arabian tourists cant read English so they eat non-Halal meat. (Int. No.12, Egypt) The travel experiences of some participants highlighted that easy to find Halal food is one factor in choosing the destination for their vacation. Some are very sensitive regarding Halal issues and go well beyond Halal labels. They want to make sure the meat and ingredients used in cooking are Halal and do this by usually asking the service providers. On top of this they also ask whether the kitchen is Halal or not. In response to this some hotels in Malaysia allocate two kitchens; Halal and non-Halal. (C)Islamic entertainment: 39 interviewees gave high priority to finding Islamic-oriented recreations s