International Clients Research Articles

Medical Tourism in Tripura: Issues & Opportunities

Medical tourism in India has an immense scope, primarily due to the unavailability or inaccessibility of medical treatment in border areas of native countries, such as Bangladesh and Myanmar. Also, the significantly low cost of complex surgery and highly skilled doctors are the most significant factors for driving tourism in India. Thus, there is a vast scope for entrepreneurship in this area. On the other hand, it is being covered by lush forests, lakes, and hills. This study aims to develop a model to increase the population of outbound or international patients and their families for medical services. Tripura, being topographically easily accessible for patients from Bangladesh and Myanmar, can be commuted within hours. The study was cross-sectional, and a purposive sampling technique was used. The data was collected using a 5-point rating scale specifically constructed to understand the factors enhancing medical tourism. Various hospitals that provide medical services to domestic (other states in India) & international clients, tourism agencies, and relevant sources have contributed to this study.

The Healthcare Needs of International Clients in China: A Qualitative Study

BackgroundDue to globalization, an increasing number of international visitors comes to China. The needs of their medical care are understudied, which can cause low patient satisfaction and lead to poor clinical outcomes for the clients. To meet those international clients’ medical care needs, hospitals in China are seeking strategies to improve services.PurposeThe aim of this study was to explore international clients’ medical care experiences in China, and their perceptions of the quality of these international healthcare services.Patients and MethodsIn May 2020, focus group interviews with 24 clients and four healthcare professionals were conducted in the international clinic at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital (SRRSH). In the client group, 24 representatives of international clients from nine countries were invited and divided into three groups to discuss healthcare needs of international clients who seek healthcare in China. Four healthcare providers, including two nurses and two physicians who usually serve in the international clinic, were also interviewed. Data were analyzed using hybrid inductive/deductive thematic analysis.ResultsSix major healthcare needs of international clients were identified, namely: needs for privacy and confidentiality; effective communication; multicultural sensitive care; pleasant environments; qualified care and procedures; and respect. International healthcare is a complex process for both international clients and healthcare professionals.ConclusionThe government and institutional administrators around the world should construct the policies and protocols and integrate cultural competence, communication skills, and privacy and confidentiality protection into health professionals training program to ensure the quality services in the international clinics.

Behavior-based safety 2022: today’s evidence

ABSTRACT The empirical basis for behavior-based safety (BBS) continues to mature and provide guidance to both practitioners and companies. This paper will share the results of a recent study conducted by Cambridge University using data provided from DEKRA clients. The study involves 88 international clients who provided over 1.3 million observational data points, including monthly incident and culture survey data. The findings challenge traditional assumptions about BBS initiatives. For example, the study strongly suggests that having a limited number of “dedicated observers” is more effective than processes that encourage all employees to participate. The data also suggest that being observed once a month is more effective than more frequent observations. Further, the data illustrate how using observers familiar with tasks is more effective than using observers “with a fresh pair of eyes.” Additional data are presented on other elements of BBS along with a summary of implications for BBS practitioners.

Primitivist medicine and capitalist anxieties in ayahuasca tourism Peru

AbstractAnalysing healing practices at an ayahuasca tourism centre in Peru, this article illustrates how Shipibo practices of curing and sorcery have adapted to the demands of international clients searching for primitivist healing experiences. At the core of this adaption is the thorny issue of occult power and its relation to capital accumulation. Sorcery here does not serve clients but is manifest among healers working to capitalize on the guests’ primitivist rejections of modern life while operating in environments of economic scarcity and ambient poverty. Ayahuasca tourists do not request and generally do not believe in sorcery, but their very presence generates and negates the local moral economy of sorcery in novel ways. The article explores a paradoxical aspect of ayahuasca tourism wherein guests purge similar anxious desires for capital accumulation that healers achieve when curing them.

Reinventing the Portuguese knitwear industry: the case of Pedrosa & Rodrigues private label management model

During the first decade of this century, the Portuguese knitwear industry, and textile cluster, were strongly affected by globalisation and seemed destined to decline. The Portuguese knitwear industry developed for decades a business model based on price as the main competitive factor, and that model was no longer able to support competitiveness against low wages countries. Portuguese knitwear industry made a dramatic change towards a competition based on value to the client. The companies adopted as primary differentiation drives technological innovation, design, fashion, and services customer-oriented, together with more presence on international fairs and exhibitions. The new strategy resulted in the significant growth of exports that reached 40% from 2009 to 2018. The restructuring of the cluster, however, changed it significantly, and the number of companies was reduced by almost 50%. The competitive change made the entire Portuguese textile cluster an international case study where the modern concept of private label business model is central. The business model of private label adopted by the most competitive knitwear companies considered a full package of services to international clients. It integrated the collection’s design, raw materials development, superior finishing, careful and cost-effective confection and sophisticated logistics. Pedrosa & Rodrigues, SA. is a midcap company from Barcelos County, North of Portugal, and is a highly successful example of the new competitive paradigms. This new model is now leading the Portuguese knitwear industry to a higher level in the value chain and gives it a strong reputation worldwide.

Interpreting in Tanzania from the perspective of Tanzanian interpreters

Abstract The study overviews the role of interpreting services in Tanzania, presenting mainly the experience of practicing freelance interpreters. The two official languages of Tanzania – English and Swahili – have separate roles in the country. Although most Tanzanians accept English as a necessary medium of intercultural communication, Swahili is perceived as an important part of Tanzanian national identity. It is the country’s lingua franca. On the one hand, Tanzania aims to preserve communication in Swahili; on the other hand, there is an inevitable need for intercultural communication with the rest of the world that grows especially in the context of globalization. The paper focuses on the role, status, education, working languages, conditions of Tanzanian interpreters, and the requirements of local and international clients. The study also creates a broader context that mentions crucial historical moments that have influenced the country’s current character of intercultural communication.

The Impact of Of COVID-19 on the Sri Lankan Economy

The recently identified coronavirus causes COVID-19, an infectious disease. Before the eruption in Wuhan, China in December 2019, no one had heard of this new virus (WHO, 2020). All affected nations have taken steps to protect themselves and several countries have already specialized in obtaining the coronavirus vaccine but have been unable to control the problem due to lack of knowledge and management. Although more than six months have passed since the epidemic, Sri Lanka has made significant progress in curbing the spread of COVID-19; However, the threat persists after the third wave of COVID-19 attacks. This article focuses on identifying the impact of the country's major income sectors, especially tourism, apparel and textile industry, small and medium enterprises, agriculture and food, on the Sri Lankan economy. Tea export earnings fell to the US $ 270.1 million. Revenue from other sectors such as fruit and vegetable production and coconut production in March 2020 was significantly lower than in March 2019. Tourism earnings from January to June 2019 were 1,901. USD This was due to restrictions imposed on airport routes and the revocation of visas. Delays or cancellations of orders from local and international clients reduced sales by more than 80% in small and medium enterprises. The impact of Kovid-19 on all these major revenue-generating sectors in the country, however, led to a GDP growth of 3.6%, which could harm the overall economy of the epidemic and lead to appropriate recommendations. It is being implemented to achieve economic growth despite the epidemic in the country.

Business incubators as international knowledge intermediaries: Exploring their role in the internationalization of start-ups from an emerging market

This paper investigates how business incubators facilitate the international growth of start-up clients originating from emerging markets. Drawing key insights from a network perspective, we explore the processes by which business incubators create international linkages between the networks of knowledge creation and knowledge application. Our analysis of interviews and archival data on five Chinese high-tech business incubators reveals that clients-interface, market-interface, and knowledge recombination practices of the business incubators create international knowledge linkages, which in turn facilitate the international growth of their start-up clients. This role of incubators as knowledge intermediaries is achieved through several networking and learning mechanisms, including clustering and coaching of international clients, upstream and downstream networking in international markets, and client-market matchmaking internally. This study demonstrates business incubators as an efficient modality of internationalization for locally bound international knowledge and network scarce start-up clients.

Internet Presence and Multilingual Dissemination in Corporate Websites

The development of Information and Communication Technologies has enabled companies to spread messages globally, allowing them to open new markets and reach international clients. In this sense, the multilingual dissemination of corporate information plays a key role, and, for this purpose, websites are great communication vehicles. The aim of this paper is to offer an overview of the internet presence of SMEs in Andalusia, along with their intention to reach international targets via the multilingual dissemination of corporate information, as well as determining the variables that influence these factors. To meet these objectives, a sample of 1425 SMEs has been analyzed. Results show that 52.3% of the companies evaluated had a website and only 10.3% of them offered their content translated to, at least, one language, and that variables such as company size, area of specialty and location may have an impact on these two aspects. The findings reveal that more research and policies are required to support SMEs in their digitalization and internationalization process.

Green training and organizational efficiency: mediating role of green competencies

PurposeThis paper aims to highlight the importance of implementing green training as a part of green management practices in organizational operations by building the arguments through the lens of Ability–Motivation–Opportunity (AMO) theory. In this regard, the mediating impact of green competencies on the association between green training and organizational efficiency is determined.Design/methodology/approachThe research followed a quantitative and cross-sectional approach. The study involved ISO-14001 certified textile manufacturing organizations to better serve the research purpose. The responses were collected from 235 managerial-level employees through purposive sampling. The data analysis was performed by using structural equation modelling to examine the interrelated dependence of the variables.FindingsThe findings of the study reveal that green training is essential for environmentally responsible organizations to attain their goals of efficient resource consumption in addition to serving the greater cause of environmental protection. There is a dire need to impart environmental-friendly competencies to the employees who resultantly become able to adopt eco-efficient ways of doing business.Research limitations/implicationsThis study also has limitations regarding the generalizability of its results. It is primarily because of the limited sample size and restricted geographical domain. Additionally, AMO theory has not been empirically tested in this study.Practical implicationsProgressive textile manufacturers need to incorporate a consistent policy for green management practices to meet the expectation of their international clients and to remain competitive in international markets. It is equally important for the governmental authorities to design such environmental policies which necessitate the need of incorporating pro-environment business practices and measuring their outcomes.Originality/valueThis study will contribute to enrich the literature by offering an empirical analysis of green training for achieving the organizational efficiency in textile manufacturing sector. It will be a novel context to contribute to the literature of green management practices and its related fields. Moreover, the study is one of its kind that uses the AMO theory to identify the mediating role of green competencies for understanding the association between green training and organizational efficiency.

A Study of Project Management Processes for Sustainable and Successful Projects in Software Industry: Expectations vs Perceptions of Managers

Project Management Processes (PMPs) are essential to avoid project failures due to the complexity and nature of projects in the software industry, particularly in emerging economies. The software industry is growing rapidly in Pakistan with an increasing number of local, regional and international clients. The project managers who are familiar with PMPs are therefore needed for the proper implementation of these processes, which will lead to sustainable and successful software projects. However, very limited studies have analyzed the expectations and perceptions of the project managers of these PMPs. In order to fill this gap, therefore, this study examined the role of PMPs in the sustainable development and success of software projects by documenting the expectations and perceptions of managers. A structured questionnaire is designed to collect data from 143 participants working in software houses. SPSS is used for the processing and analysis of data using selected statistical tools. The results show a clear difference in expectations and perceptions for PMPs, which means that project managers are of a less rational, sentimental and emotional nature. The findings of this study also show that the male segment is dominant in the software industry which may be due to of Pakistan’s specific social and cultural environment. There is however no significant difference between expectations and perceptions of both male and female project managers for PMPs. The findings of this study will help researchers, practitioners, academics and other stakeholders in the software industry.

Matching global service standards—the role of intermediaries in economic upgrading of support-service firms in global production networks

Abstract Economic upgrading of local firms in developing countries is a central theme in research on global value chains/production networks. Within this literature, few studies have concentrated on upgrading in non-tradable services. Even when serving international business clients these tend to be understood as locally rendered, peripheral activities that offer limited upgrading opportunities. Using the facilities management sector in Mumbai as a case in point, this article argues that such a view overlooks how: (1) more sophisticated demands from advanced international business service firms lead to enhanced standards and economic upgrading in low-end, non-tradable services, and (2) the emergence of global support-service providers acting as intermediaries in global production networks (GPNs) has contributed to enhanced operational standards in low-end support services. At the conceptual level, this article aims to elucidate the capital and labor dimensions of economic upgrading. This allows for a better understanding of the variations in economic upgrading across sectors and the ripple effects of economic upgrading in places where GPNs are grounded.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Sri Lankan Economy

The most recently identified Corona virus causes COVID-19, a communicable illness. Before the outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, no one had heard of this new virus (WHO, 2020). All of the afflicted nations have been seeking for a safety precaution, and a few countries have already specialized a Corona virus vaccination, but the issue has already spiralled out of control owing to a lack of knowledge and management. More than six months into the epidemic, Sri Lanka has made significant progress in limiting the spread of COVID-19; nonetheless, the threat remains after hitting the third COVID-19 wave. This paper determines on identifying the impact that has created within the Sri Lankan economy specifically pertaining to the key income sectors of the country, such as tourism, apparel and textile industry, small and medium enterprises, agriculture and food. Tea export income dropped to USD 270.1 million in January to March 2020. In March 2020, earnings from other agricultural sectors such as fruits and vegetable products and coconut production were substantially lower than in March 2019. Tourism earnings from January to June in 2019 were 1,901 USD, whereas they were 956 USD in 2020 (from January to June). This was due to restrictions placed on airport routes and visa cancellations. Due to delayed or cancelled orders from domestic and international clients, sales of more than 80% of small and medium businesses decreased. COVID-19’s impact on all these key revenue generating sectors in the country however led to a negative GDP growth of 3.6% whereby it can be concluded that the overall impact upon the pandemic on the country’s economy has left a negative impression and appropriate recommendations should be implemented to achieve an economic growth despite the ongoing pandemic of the country.

Knowledge sharing and adoption behaviour: An imperative to promote sustainable soil use and management

Knowledge sharing and adoption behaviour: An imperative to promote sustainable soil use and management

Business Incubators as International Knowledge Intermediaries: An Evolutionary Perspective

This research investigates how business incubators perform the role of knowledge intermediary to facilitate the international evolution of start-ups. The research adopts the evolutionary perspective of the firm, by employing the concepts of variation, selection, and retention. We collected and analysed interviews and archival data from five incubators from China that have international operations. The findings show that client and market-interface activities and the internal knowledge recombination practices of the business incubators facilitate the international evolution of start-ups. Those incubators as a knowledge intermediary provide start-ups with several mechanisms, including clustering and coaching of international clients, upstream and downstream networking in international markets, and client-market match-making internally. Business incubators serve as an efficient modality of internationalization for locally bound international knowledge and network scarce start-ups.

Russian Family Foundations: benefits and pitfalls for international clients with Russian connections

Abstract Since 2018, Russian law has provided for the concept of a “Hereditary Foundation”, a private foundation which can be established after the demise of the testator and which can act in a way similar to a common-law trust. It is an option for complex estate planning under Russian law. It has attracted both interest and controversy, with many concerned that the gray area, lacunae, and inconsistencies in the legislation may prevent its effective implementation. The authors analyze the practical challenges in this area and consider whether and how this vehicle fares in competition with the non-Russian structures traditionally used by Russian private clients for estate and succession planning.

HALAL LOGISTICS LEGAL FRAMEWORK: MALAYSIA PERSPECTIVE

Halal logistics is one of the profitable industries in Malaysia with demand from local and international clients. Though there are regulations and standards protecting this industry, the enforcement on these two demands attention and further study as there are still reports of abuse of the Halal logo due to failure to segregation of halal and non-halal products during the logistics chains. Currently, there are very limited literature review on enforcement of halal logistics. Hence, this research seeks to discover the critical factors for effective enforcement of halal logistics in Malaysia. Applying a qualitative method, semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders of the industry. Besides that, references were made to previous publication, case laws and legal documents. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and reconciled. By using Nvivo software (12 Plus), the researcher coded the transcriptions and identify the themes and sub-themes. The findings discovered the following elements as critical within the industry: first the source of laws applicable in halal logistics, the duties and responsibilities of legal agencies and the due process (legal proceedings). This research will focus on the critical elements which are the sources of laws and the due process. The result shows that with regards to the sources of law, all participants agreed criminal laws are applicable in Halal logistics cases. However, only the academician and Halal logistics operator agreed civil laws should be included. Moreover, they also concurred that inclusive application of civils laws should also extend legal exposure to the halal logistics operators in order to manage the activities and avoid mistakes and cross-contamination.

Prototype Development of Low-Cost Semi Automated Foam Shredder Equipment

The Furniture Industry of the Philippines is one of the most labor-intensive and artistic industries in the country which develops the hardworking, creative and enterprising qualities of Filipinos in manufacturing best-quality furniture. With this, the Philippines is dubbed as the “Milan of Asia.” In Pampanga alone, there are several furniture SMEs which manufactures for both local and international clients. Aside from the saw dusts as the by product, scrap foams are also a hurdle for the furniture manufacturers in Pampanga and Central Luzon. Due to the continuous demand of the furniture industries in Pampanga, the study incubated to develop a lowcost semi-automated foam shredder prototypes that will cater the need of furniture industries to crash foams within the customer specification to create a new set of raw materials. The system requirements for the prototypes followed the first utility model that was created. The target of the study is to reduce the production and operating cost of the foam shredder without compromising the capacity, quality and aesthetics of the prototype. The prototype must pass the requirements as follows: (a) safe and efficient, (b) easy to use; (c) reliable and maintainable; (d) yielding capacity of 40 kgs/hr. Ten (10) furniture companies are selected in order to conduct the validation testing of the prototypes developed.

Clinical Relevance and Psychometric Properties of the Swedish Version of the Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument.

Based on the increasing diversity of Swedish society, health professionals, like occupational therapists, find it challenging to provide culturally competent services to international clients. Consequently, cultural competence among professionals needs to be measured and improved using psychometrically tested instruments. This study examines the clinical relevance, construct validity, and reliability of the Swedish version of the Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument among Swedish occupational therapists. Material and Methods. A randomised sample of 312 Swedish occupational therapists answered a survey based on the Swedish version of the Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument with supplementary questions on the clinical relevance of the instrument. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the clinical relevance of the Swedish version of the Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument. Factor analyses, both exploratory and confirmatory, were run to examine the factor structure. Cronbach's alpha was performed to assess the internal consistency of the instrument. Results. The participants reported that the 24 items had high clinical relevance. The validation yielded a three-factor model: openness and awareness, workplace support, and interaction skills. All three of these factors showed high loadings. Conclusions. The study results indicated positive clinical relevance and psychometric properties for the Swedish version of the Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument and strong support to be utilised in Sweden. The implications of this study are important given the rapid growth in migration over the last few decades. A self-rating instrument measuring cultural competence could support occupational therapists' professional knowledge and development when they interact with international clients. As the tool was originally developed in English in the United States, the feedback from the Swedish version could potentially be useful for the instrument in modified form and for use by occupational therapists in English-speaking countries.

Unpacking the advanced producer services complex in world cities: Charting professional networks, localisation economies and markets

Limited empirical evidence in support of world-city formation has been the ‘dirty little secret’ of the eponymous research area. Since the late 1990s, inspired by Sassen’s account of The Global City, the field focused on advanced producer services (APS) firms as primary actors in world-city formation. While generating robust insights into the shifting geographies of world cities, empirical attention has mostly focused on mapping inter-urban world city networks formed by APS firms. Despite a rich literature on APS clusters, the degree to which specific intra-urban agglomerations and their inter-firm connections shape up has received little systematic attention. Based on a company survey in Brussels (Belgium), our study charts interactions between APS professionals to better understand the geographies, quality and intensity of their encounters. Our findings reveal that the Brussels-based APS cluster constitutes a hybrid of an industrial complex with stable formal ties and a social network based on informal exchange. Financial services assume a central position in what might be called ‘a para-financial services complex’, revealing close ties with legal services, accountancy and audit, and ICT. Geographically, we find that the APS complex depends on fine-grained localisation economies, which allow a small share of APS professionals to service both domestic and international clients. We conclude that APS actors in Brussels exhibit a strong domestic anchoring, indicative of the continued relevance of world cities as national financial centres amidst financial globalisation.