Analyzing Aspects of Service Recovery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analyzing Aspects of Service Recovery - Essay Example In relation to theoretical aspects of measuring service quality in healthcare, it is important to note that the issue of quality in healthcare services always generates immense pressure to the healthcare providers (Rubenstein 2006, p. 70). It is of paramount importance that the patients get assurance of quality care and services that they subscribe to. It is also reasonable when the customers and patients expectations are not only met but also clearly understood under the constraints the hospitals must operate in. It can be quite difficult to measure the quality of services because intangible specifications are the ones used to determine it. An example is colour, width, height, depth among others. Many organizations have chosen a methodology called SERVQUAL (service quality) to measure the quality of their services. It is a service quality questionnaire that uses 5 dimensions in its quest for quality. The five dimensions include: responsiveness, reliability, assurance, empathy and ta ngible qualities such as appearance of physical facilities among others. Each dimension is measured on a scale of 1 to 7 together with its expectation and perception. The weight of each point is done according to customer importance (Schoeman 1992). The score from each dimension is then multiplied by the weighting. After this, the expectation score is subtracted from the perception score to get the Gap Score. If the Gap Score is negative, it indicates that the actual service (the perception score) is below expectation (the expected score). The Gap is the reliable indicator of the five dimensions of service quality. Decision making models can help the health care sector to assess the perceived service quality in the sector (LaCombe 1995, p. 558). . The model rates performance of hospitals. Hospitals should put more emphasis on providing health care services with empathy, reliability and professionalism to give qualified services that are satisfactory. The hospitals can improve their service quality and better service delivery to their consumers if they addressed their individual issues highlighted by SERVQUAL methodology. Considering intergenerational service preferences in health service management and delivery, health care needs vary with age and health care for the older persons has generated a number of services and programmes. This is in response to the need of a more oriented and community-based care for the ageing population. In America, the young population is fast changing to the middle-age population. This has resulted to a greater demand for health care services and products and vast competition amongst the health care providers (Porter and Teisberg 2004, p. 66). The development of a health care plan for the elderly has been directed by a range of principles and concepts that influence it. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also come up with guidelines and policy statements through the WHO Active Ageing Policy Framework that influence the commun ity health care development program. The health care programs aim is to introduce value and new scope to the existing primary health care program by adding integrated social and health services. This will be achieved through a partnership with the public and private health care providers to meet the increasing needs of the elderly. The process of building a comprehensive program for the elderly requires consideration of some overarching facts as a guiding

Explain the Balance-of-Payments BoP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Explain the Balance-of-Payments BoP - Essay Example This definition provides the fundamental relationship between BoP and the foreign exchange market. Foreign exchange is considered as a transaction made by citizens, organizations and businesses within a country with foreigners, hence, it is included in the national summary to keep track and calculate transactions with other countries. Specifically, the foreign exchange market creates a demand for foreign currency in addition to a supply of the domestic currency in the forex market. Gwartney et al. explains that since the foreign exchange market will bring quantity demanded and quantity supplied into balance, it will also bring the total debits and total credits into balance† (420). Foreign exchange is different from a simple demand for money. When country demands money it means people of such country require or demand money they would be able to hold and use. In foreign exchange, the currency is treated like a product being transacted, wherein the demand for such currency means that one is offering another within a form of exchange. In an open economy, particularly, the balance of payments surpluses and deficits are considered equivalent to imports and exports of domestic currency, which means the internal disparities that arise between the demand for and supply of money are correctable through the balance of payments (Riesenhuber 285). This is best depicted within the fixed exchange rate regime. In a fixed exchange rate regime, a country’s Central Bank has control over the exchange rate. This is achieved through the readiness of the bank to purchase or sell its home currency at a specific rate when required. Marin used the case of the United Kingdom as an example: There is a UK balance of payments surplus so that there is an excess demand for ?, the Bank of England has to sell ? in order to mop up the excess demand which (like any other demand) would otherwise cause a rise in the foreign exchange price of the ?, i.e. an appreciation (Marin 149). I n the fixed foreign exchange rate, the government involvement or actions can induce changes and affect certain variables such as those that make up the balance of payments (i.e. the balance of goods movements). Most of the foreign exchange markets and regulatory regimes use this model because of the recognized need for the government’s role in stabilizing fluctuations. The fixed-rate regime is also being made imperative by explicit balance of payment policies, which favor managed flexibility especially on the need to insulate the domestic economy from foreign disturbances (Arize 177). In Free Floating Exchange Rate Regimes, the Central Bank or similar authority is not involved in the foreign exchange market. It is determined freely by the demand for, and the supply of, foreign currencies by private parties (Arize 177). The transactions that transpire are reflected in the balance of payments of a country as is, without any correction made. 2. Explain the so-called â€Å"inter est-parity† condition and use this to discuss the effects of a country’s monetary expansion on its interest rate, exchange rate, and output (hence employment) when this policy is: