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Business Competition- Antitrust

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Business Competition- Antitrust

Antitrust lawsuits are used to put an end to activities that stifle trade liberalization and the economy, as well as to make amends for people who suffer losses as a result of the occurrence (Sawyer, 1). The objective is to maintain a free, open, and competitive industry. Lawsuits may be brought by both businesses and private citizens. A business’s rivals may file an antitrust lawsuit, claiming that the business used anticompetitive tactics. For instance, a business may participate in behaviors that monopolize a specific sector (Sawyer, 1). A set of customers may also bring an antitrust case if they believe that a trader’s anticompetitive actions caused them to pay too much for a good or service. The chosen company that has been sued for anti-competitive behavior is the Big Four American meatpackers.

On June 24, Sysco Corporation, the biggest foodservice distributor in the world, filed a civil anti-trust lawsuit against the Big Four American meatpackers, alleging that the businesses had fixed the beef prices in a Houston, Texas, U.S. District Court (2). The Big Four are charged with conspiring to obstruct the quantity of cattle killed since 2015 in order to artificially inflate beef prices. Two anonymous meat packing business informants who testified to the Big Four’s conspiracy are cited in Sysco’s case. The CEOs of Big Four argued that the rise in prices was caused by the current inflation and the fluctuation of demand and supply in the market (2). In this case, the Big Four were wrong to fix the prizes of beef and therefore reducing the market for Sysco and other competitors. The consumers were also at the losing end since the beef prices were so high. The profits and sales were getting relatively lower in the beef industry.

Horizontal and Vertical Restraints of Trade

Any conduct that seeks to restrict a group’s capacity to engage in operations is a restraint of trade. Trade restrictions can be categorized as horizontal or vertical. A horizontal restraint of trade involves an agreement among competitors at the same distribution level for the purpose of minimizing competition (Harrington, 3). A good example is an agreement between two retailers on the price of a product. This is because if they sell the product at different prices, the one selling at a higher price is likely to have lower sales. On the other had vertical restraint of trade involves parties at different levels of a market structure for example manufacturers and wholesalers in order to influence competition. Vertical restraint of trade can occur during production, distribution or supply.

Sources

Sawyer, Laura Phillips. 2019. US antitrust law and policy in historical perspective. Retrieved from https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/19-110_e21447ad-d98a-451f-8ef0-ba42209018e6.pdfIdaho Business Review. 2022. Sysco has beef with the Big Four Meat Packers. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/Sysco%20has%20a%20beef%20with%20the%20Big%20Four%20meat%20packers.PDFHarrington, Joseph. 2020. Horizontal and vertical agreements: Differences between the European Union and the United States. Retrieved from http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0003-2565/2020/0003-25652001007H.pdf

Abstinence and the Drinking Problem

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I would advocate for a client with a drinking problem to abstain to resolve the drinking problem. I would tell the client to quit drinking to eradicate the health and social risks of excessive alcohol. Prolonged use of alcohol leads to the development of chronic illnesses and other serious problems such as stroke, heart disease, digestive problems, and high blood pressure. Moreover excessive alcohol intake has been associated with cancer of the breast, throat, mouth, voice box, esophagus, colon, liver, and rectum. Abstinence is the best route to deal with an alcohol problem because while controlled drinking is viable, it is even harder to implement. As long as one is in an environment where one can access alcohol, controlling ones drinking is difficult. Some of the advantages of alcohol abstinence that have been backed by research include less worry, better sleep, budget savings, and better relationships and sex. Abstaining from sex also results in increased energy and calorie savings. The only disadvantage of abstaining from alcohol has to do with withdrawal symptoms. Individuals addicted to alcohol face dangerous withdrawal symptoms, including delirium tremens when they quit alcohol suddenly. There are extreme cases where alcohol withdrawal causes death to the users. There exists a relationship between faith and alcohol abuse. A 2019 study on the impact that faith has on substance abuse revealed that faith reduces the risk of abuse, use, or dependence. In rare cases, does faith contribute to the abuse and dependence on alcohol.

References

Pandey, S. C., Kyzar, E. J., & Zhang, H. (2017). Epigenetic basis of the dark side of alcohol addiction. Neuropharmacology, 122, 74-84.

The Use of Internet by Non-Profit Organizations to Tell Human Stories

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AbstractThis research paper explores the utilization of the internet by non-profit organizations to frame their mandate by using personal stories to shoe the acts of charity and the good work conducted by the organization. 26 non-profits in health charities were used as samples to develop 344 good stories which were coded. Particularly, the study examined the prevalence and prominence of good works on the websites of the non-profit organizations and how these organizations employed other elements including call-to-action, multimedia, and opportunities for the person interacting with the website to participate. The findings reveal that health charity organizations do use their websites to tell stories that illustrate the good work of the organization. Worth noting, there seems to be a great discrepancy in how these organizations tell these stories. Noteworthy, not many organizational websites depicted model examples in prevalence, prominence, and synergy of stories of the great work they do, and most of them failed to utilize their websites as mediums to the maximum potential.

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Abstract PAGEREF _Toc68364985 h 2Introduction PAGEREF _Toc68364986 h 4Statement of Problem PAGEREF _Toc68364987 h 6Research Questions PAGEREF _Toc68364988 h 8Purpose of Study PAGEREF _Toc68364989 h 8Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc68364990 h 9Early Theories in Relation to the Internet. PAGEREF _Toc68364991 h 9Is the Internet Living up to Its Potential? PAGEREF _Toc68364992 h 9Limitations of Previous Research PAGEREF _Toc68364993 h 10Methodology PAGEREF _Toc68364994 h 10Findings and Discussions PAGEREF _Toc68364995 h 12Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc68364996 h 14Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc68364997 h 14References PAGEREF _Toc68364998 h 15

Part AIntroductionThe fundamental goal of non-profits organizations is using acts of charity to improve society. In the 21st century, there is limitless potential in how citizens can contribute to social change beings that communities are evolving faster than before. The non-profit sector is going through unprecedented growth with approximately 1.4 million non-profit organizations existing in the United States and as a result, society is changing for the better (Winand, Scheerder, Vos, & Zintz, 2016). Countless non-governmental organizations have devoted themselves to almost every cause imaginable and have been supported by the support and philanthropic giving of Americans. From improving education for disadvantaged communities to promoting art, from prevailing over poverty to cleaning the environment, the non-profit sector in the U.S provides a diverse and impressive range of programs that help in improving society. The IRS employs core code systems to categorize non-profit charities for purposes of tax exemption. While there are over 26 categories of non-profits, human service organizations comprise a majority type of non-profit organizations accounting for 35% of the organizations. Organizations dealing with education account for 18% of total organizations. Those dealing in healthcare, art, culture, humanities, societal, and public benefit follow closely. Public benefit and human services account for the biggest portion of charities because they serve as ‘cathall categories meaning that they represent a wide array of organizational missions.

The Internet

In the 1990s, Vice President Al Gore popularized the term ‘information superhighway to mean the future of the internet. Since then how the internet exploded is a medium that stands to defy communication advancement in history. A report by the U.S Department of Commerce notes that the rate at which the internet was adopted eclipses all previous forms of technologies; radio took 38 years before reaching 50 million people, TV took 13 years to attain the same benchmark and the internet took only four (4) years to cross that line. The internet has advanced over time and this has led to improved communication. For instance, use of the email for communication is one component that is used by almost all internet users. A recent article by USA Today reported that approximately 87 billion emails are sent on a daily basis (Maier, Meyer, & Steinbereithner, 2016). A fact that is truly astonishing. Emails have proved helpful for many purposes including communicating with family, friends, in businesses and email has proved a significant functionality that has accelerated internet use. Social networking fosters communication and similarly, websites also facilitate two-way communication between audiences and the internet. Compared to other forms of media, the internet is the most dynamic. It is constantly evolving and new facets keep emerging. If non-profit charities want to engage with the audience in the current era, they must employ the ever dynamic and changing communication strategies and tactics. It should be noted that most internet users find it as a useful source of entertainment and information, completely outranking other mediums such as television which is the most common medium of communication. As such, there is a need for non-profits to change their communication strategies so that they employ this medium.

Statement of ProblemHow information technology is employed by the non-profits sector has changed immensely and today almost all have embraced web presence. A survey conducted by Princeton Research Associates in 2001 focusing on 200 human service organizations to examine the prominence of information technology found that most of the organizational executives maintained that adopting information technology not only helped in improving efficiency but also improving their profile and presence within communities and boost communication among staff members and their constituents (Ragsdell, Rathi, Given, & Forcier, 2016). Further, it was found that big and established organizations took up forms of information technology compared to their smaller counterparts. Organizations with web presence noted that their websites came in handy in explaining their missions and in executing their missions and programs. Some of the reasons cited by organizations for not having websites were cost-related, lack of staff, while others said they had more important priorities hence they did not need one.

The adoption of information technology has given rise to a new world of possibility particularly for the non-profit sector. One of the major incentives of this is that it grants the organization a platform to carry out online fundraising. Following the emergence of the e-commerce functionality businesses were allowed to sell services and products using the internet and as such better placed to fundraise online. With the use of secure internet servers, financial transactions are completed online via credit card or electronic transfer. Recent studies by the Philanthropic Giving Index Survey show that non-profits have recently become successful at online donations with 34.4% of not-for-profit organizations being successful at internet fundraising with the average donation being 150 dollars (Shapiro & Oystrick, 2018).

This research paper is focused primarily on the non-profit organizations that employ the internet and particularly their websites to present stories of the people they help. In America, the scope and number of beneficiaries that have benefited from the good deeds of public charities translate into millions. They may include refugees from the Darfur region of Sudan, battered women, pediatric cancer patients, impoverished farmers among others. Non-profits traditionally used personal testimonials to publicize the organization’s mission. Media platforms such as direct mail letters feature photos and stories of beneficiaries moreso, in Africa benefiting from American donations. Furthermore, annual reports with personal testimonials from beneficiaries were also employed. Public relations officers used interviewed beneficiaries for features in television shows and news outlets to enrich organizational support. Today, with the increased uptake of the internet, organizations are incorporating personal testimonials in their websites. Taking the example of CARE International, which is a leading global humanitarian organization in fighting poverty, if a visitor interacts with their website, they immediately get a glimpse of how the lives of numerous girls and women have benefitted from CARE’s programs that fight poverty. One notices that CARE includes links to personal testimonials of women from around the world on the main page. CARE web page features over a dozen anecdotes that depict the impact of the organization on women and children from a global perspective. Further, the website has photo galleries, Flash representations, and short text explanations that depict how the programs benefit pregnant women and malnourished women in places like Malawi, educational initiatives in Cambodia, and refugees in Darfur. In essence, CARE. Org presents its audiences with an opportunity to get to know about their programs by showing rather than telling them the significance of the impact of poverty reduction on a global scale.

Research QuestionsResearch Question 1: Do non-profits only use organization websites to primarily tell stories about the good deeds of the organization?

Research Question 2: To what degree do is multimedia employed by non-profit organizations on their website to tell good stories about the work of the organization?

Purpose of StudyNon-profit organizations need to develop ways to communicate with the members of the public regarding their organizational program, missions, philanthropy, and funding gaps. Given the funding and tight budgets that constrain them, the Internet has the potential of communicating this information to the public with ease. This research assesses how non-profit organizations use the internet as a medium to cultivate relationships with their stakeholders. Particularly it dwells on how non-profits use websites to predominantly feature stories that paint a good picture of the organization including cats of charity and good deeds. However, the variables are in the prominence of these stories of good works, the framing of the story, and the synergy of these stories of good needs with the call to action. This study assesses the way non-profit use the world wide web to bring to the spotlight their philanthropy, an aspect of public relations that is overlooked while studying charity organizations and their uptake of internet technology. Further, the context assesses the way non-profits frame themselves; they make their causes a bit prominent in the way they showcase success stories of their good deeds to stakeholders using the World Wide Web. Non-profit organizations measure their success not by the money in their bank accounts but by the amount of good they have performed in society.

Section BLiterature ReviewEarly Theories in Relation to the Internet.According to Ahmed, (2017), Marshall McLuhan first used the notion ‘the medium is the message’ to imply that the medium is the most important aspect of communication and not the content. Notably, this aspect also applies to the internet even though initially the theory only applied to older electronic media such as television. McLuhan used the theory to explain that electronic media would transform the world into a global village (Algharabat et.al 2018). True to his word, today people are employing electronic media to communicate across the globe. The notion he predicted of a global village has become a reality.

Is the Internet Living up to Its Potential?Many scholars and technology gurus have regarded the internet as a medium with the capacity to make an important impact on how the world communicates (Bake & Zöhrer, 2017). However some scholars have raised questions about the effectiveness of the internet and if it lives up to its potential (Del Mar Galvez-Rodriguez, et. al 2016). Linda Jean Kenix carried out an analysis on the websites of 70 non-profit organizations. Her aim was to explore how practical the application of the Utopian belief that held that the internet is a tool used to democratize interactive capabilities. Kenix developed four ways to describe the democratic, utopian, and egalitarian ideals of the internet. The first category was the deliberative public sphere which engages members of the public in conversations (Bauer, et. al 2016). . The second one is an opportunity for activism which facilitates volunteer opportunities. The third one is space for marginalized voices and the fourth is instantaneous and interconnected information such as online employment information, site indexes, items for sloe, advertising revenue, and frequently asked questions (Erete, et.al 2016).

Limitations of Previous ResearchCarmichael, & McDonough, (2019) note that scholars in communication have carried out extensive research regarding the effectiveness of online communications; however, most of them have always focused on the for-profit sector. Worth noting, although the research has proved useful in understanding internet use and its functions, studies relating to business communications and websites cannot be generalized in the non-profit sector. Communication researchers have started studying internet use as related to non-profits to fill the gap (Gratton, 2018). Further, previous studies were focused on the concept of credibility and intractability of websites. Presently, the studies conducted are different from the ones done in the past in that they assess one notion of websites of non-profits—stories of goof works (Laureano, et. al 2018). Without a doubt, acts of charity and good works form the lifeblood of any organization. Improving society is the reason why non-profits exist hence researchers in communication need to differentiate how organizations communicate their messages to members of the public (Matthews, et. al 2017). There is a need for current research to study the way non-profits use their websites to examine how to fulfill their missions towards society.

MethodologyThe study employed the use of Philanthropy 400 rankings for 2006 as a sampling study. It uses financial data collected for non-profits to know the top 400 that contribute mot money annually. The Philanthropy 400 is categorized according to 17 non-profits types including public broadcasting and international aid organizations. The majority of the 17 subsectors were selected appropriately for use in this study. For instance, 117 universities and colleges were not eligible samples because their websites fail to fulfill the purposes of audiences that do not relate to the good deeds of the organization. Further, other subsectors did not qualify as they were not ideal. They included museums, hospitals, libraries, and public broadcast organizations. Health samples containing health charities were selected for the study. Particularly the selected health non-profits whose mission is to help patients and loved ones in handling diseases, informing members of the public about health issues, and conducting research for cures. The study was limited to one subsector which eliminated extraneous variables which could have altered the results if it were a multi-sector study.

There were 25 organizations in the subsector of health charities. Coders included one website for an additional organization making the final sample size 26. The primary unit of analysis was the non-profit’s home page while the secondary unit of analysis was the page that had the personal story. The stories that were coded were the ones that were found within the first three layers. The number of clicks from the homepage’s location was used to measure prominence and to measure how prominent the stories were, a secondary measure was used. The internet browser window was employed at all times and stories were code in four sizes; more than a page, half a page, quarter a page, and less than a quarter page. The term multimedia was described as including video, color photography, black-and-white photography, audio, and flash presentations. Perspective was determined in personal stories using the use of the first or third person. The focus of each story was examined using text and classified according to facts, statistics, event-oriented, and human interest.

Findings and DiscussionsThis research paper was exploratory. The study analyzed websites of 26 organizations in the healthcare sector and 344 stores of good deeds located within two clicks from the homepage. The data was collected and coded before being analyzed statistically.

No. of clicks Frequency Percent Cumulative Frequency Cumulative Percent

1 12 46.15 12 45.15

2 8 30.77 20 76.92

No personal stories found 6 23.08 26 100

Total 26 100 Table 1: Website sample location of the stories that are most prominent

From the 20 websites that were assessed, most of them placed prominent stories one click from the homepage, accounting for 46.15% or 12 organizations. The remaining 30.77% placed their prominent stories within two clicks from the home page. 23.08% were not coded they did not have personal stories was because their websites did not have any stories of their good deeds or they were found more than two clicks from the homepage.

Size of Story Page Frequency Percent Cumulative Frequency Cumulative Percent

Below ¼ page 10 2.91 10 2.91

¼ page 31 9.01 41 11.92

½ page 40 11.63 81 23.55

Above ½ page 263 76.45 344 100.00

Total 344 100 Table 2: The Prominence of Personal Stories on Organizational Web Page

About how prominent each story on the web page majority of the stories employed over half of the browser window. They accounted for 76.45 percent of the stories. The stories that remained were displayed less prominently with 11.63% taking half a page, 2.91% taking a below a quarter a page, and 9.01% a quarter of the page.

Research question 1 sought to find out if the organizations use their websites to show stories about the acts of good work of the organization. The tables show that non-profits in the health sector show stories about the organizations prominently hence supporting the research question. In fact, most organizations placed personal stories on their web [ages and also placed them in locations that are easily accessible. Research question 2 aimed to find out if and how these organizations use multimedia to tell stories about the good works of the organization. From the findings, 88.77% of the stories had visual elements with 38.77% showing color photographs. 38.24 % used a pull quote with video clips and black and white photography accompanying 12 and 3 stories respectively.

Visual element Frequency Percent Cumulative Frequency Cumulative Percent

Color Photography 145 38.77 145 38.77

Black and white 13 3.48 158 42.25

Video clip 15 4.01 173 46.26

Audio Clip 2 0.53 175 46.79

Fresh Presentation 1 0.27 176 47.06

Pull Quote 143 38.24 319 85.30

Other 13 3.48 332 88.78

None 42 11.23 374 100

Total 374 100 ConclusionNon-profit organizations in the health sector use websites to show stories about their good deeds and acts of charity. There is a discrepancy in the way how these organizations showcase stories of their good work. A given number of organizations gives models examples of prominence, synergy, and prevalence with a call to action of the stories they post on their websites, however, most of these non-profits do not use the medium to its maximum capacity.

RecommendationsThe internet is still in its infancy as a medium, hence communication practitioners continue to encounter a steep learning curve. Despite this, the internet has expanded hence non-profit organizations must strive to keep up with the pace if they want it to continue being relevant. The only way for non-profits to elevate their mission’s salience is to elevate the prominence and prevalence of stories of good work on their websites, calls to action, using visual elements to accompany testimonial stories, and providing opportunities for reader engagement.

ReferencesAhmed, S. (2017). Effective non-profit management: Context, concepts, and competencies. Routledge.

Algharabat, R., Rana, N. P., Dwivedi, Y. K., Alalwan, A. A., & Qasem, Z. (2018). The effect of telepresence, social presence and involvement on consumer brand engagement: An empirical study of non-profit organizations. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 40, 139-149.

Bake, J., & Zöhrer, M. (2017). Telling the stories of others: claims of authenticity in human rights reporting and comics journalism. Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, 11(1), 81-97.

Bauer, J. M., & Latzer, M. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook on the Economics of the Internet. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Carmichael, C. E., & McDonough, M. H. (2019). Community stories: Explaining resistance to street tree-planting programs in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Society & Natural Resources, 32(5), 588-605.

Del Mar Galvez-Rodriguez, M., Caba-Pérez, C., & López-Godoy, M. (2016). Drivers of Twitter as a strategic communication tool for non-profit organizations. Internet Research.

Erete, S., Ryou, E., Smith, G., Fassett, K. M., & Duda, S. (2016). Storytelling with Data: Examining the use of data by non-profit organizations. In Proceedings of the 19th ACM conference on Computer-Supported cooperative work & social computing (pp. 1273-1283).

Gratton, P. C. (2018). Organization Development and Strategic Planning for Non-Profit Organizations. Organization Development Journal, 36(2).

Laureano, R. M., Fernandes, A. L., Hassamo, S., & Alturas, B. (2018). Facebook satisfaction and its impacts on fundraising: a case study at a Portuguese non-profit organization. Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management, 3(1), 04.

Matthews, T., O’Leary, K., Turner, A., Sleeper, M., Woelfer, J. P., Shelton, M., … & Consolvo, S. (2017,). Stories from survivors: Privacy & security practices when coping with intimate partner abuse. In Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 2189-2201).

Maier, F., Meyer, M., & Steinbereithner, M. (2016). Nonprofit organizations becoming business-like: A systematic review. Nonprofit and voluntary sector quarterly, 45(1), 64-86.

Ragsdell, G., Rathi, D., Given, L. M., & Forcier, E. (2016). Knowledge needs in the non-profit sector: an evidence-based model of organizational practices. Journal of Knowledge Management.

Shapiro, S. J., & Oystrick, V. (2018). Three steps towards sustainability: Spreadsheets as a data collection analysis system for non-profit organizations. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 33(2).

Winand, M., Scheerder, J., Vos, S., & Zintz, T. (2016). Do non-profit sport organizations innovate? Types and preferences of service innovation within regional sport federations. Innovation, 18(3), 289-308.



Praxis Paper 1

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SUPERVALU Grocery Company’s IT current state

1.1 Company Profile

SUPERVALU is known to be among the United States largest chains of supermarkets. The number of stores, which they own is 2349. There are many brand names, by which the company operates such as Cubs Foods, Acme, Lucky, and Bristol, among others. Most of its competition is from Safeway and Kroger. Currently, the store is found in almost all states in America, such as Southern California, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia. There are two segments by, which the company operates. They include Supply Chain Services and Retail Food.

1.2 Introduction

Many business environments are appreciating the importance of technology at the work place. Before, processes were manual, but today automated systems have been integrated in almost every business unit. In turn, practices, which are conducted by business, have improved. This is the reason why SUPERVALU has come up with an information system, which is comprehensive. Evolution of information systems greatly improves processes. In order to obtain competitive advantage, information systems should be planned for strategically. Before new systems are purchased, managers must first make decisions based on the capability of the system (Laudon & Laudon, 2009).

1.3 Profile of the people interviewed at SUPERVALU

The people, who were interviewed for this research, work at SUPERVALU in managerial capacities. Greg Harness is in charge of the Information technology Department. He assumes the title of the Project Manager of IT. Harness is well educated and his experience is vast. He has experience in information technology having worked in this field for twenty years. The other person interviewed is Susan Morris, who is in charge of customer experience at SUPERVALU. She is well informed about matters, which concern the company. Her experience in management is vast and is aware about the functions of the IT department.

1.4 Competitive advantage achieved from using and Implementing Information Systems

Customer satisfaction is the reason why they had to improve their systems. In order to achieve efficiency and accuracy at the company, it makes use of Radio Frequency systems. In turn, it is able to monitor profitability and customer satisfaction. According to Morris (2011), the operative movements at the store are accountable, due to the effectiveness of the system. The system also ensures that optimum efficiency is achieved as evaluation and monitoring of information occurs (Friedman & Hoffman, 2001). The stocks, which are at the stores, are known through a process known as ambient area. The latter is achieved as a result of the existing system (Laudon & Laudon, 2009). This means that problems do not arise when delivery by suppliers is late. Also, there is premium product availability, due to the existing system. She believes that this system has improved the process as the store and in turn, customers are extremely satisfied.

According to Harness (2011), the teams at the various stores are happy about the introduction of the new systems. Their work environment has improved greatly, and everyone feels that work has become more accommodating. The terminals, which have been out in place, are extremely user friendly. One does not have to be an expert in computers to use the terminals. Since the system is reliable, the teams working at the stores are loyal to the company. Expansion has been made easier by the system, as customers in their Northern Ireland, stores are served well. In turn, many customers have praised and commented about the service being offered (Britt, 2010). They have witnessed an improvement in various aspects at the stores. Other competitive advantages, which have occurred, are availability of products, and delivery has become extremely accurate.

Job enhancement has occurred, due to Information systems implementation. Tasks are now prioritized and time saving takes place. The system handles matters concerning information and data handling. The latter was previously done by employees, thus wastage of time occurred often. Processing time is reduced drastically, thus in turn; costs are saved by the company. Differentiation is another competitive advantage obtained from having an information system. This means that SUPERVALU has become strategically different from its competitors. There are certain products, which are found at SUPERVALU, and cannot be found in other stores such as Wal-Mart and even Kroger. Customer base has been expanded, due to the implementation of the differentiation strategy according to Harness (2011).

Lastly, the Information systems have brought about distribution and supply coordination. At SUPERVALU, inventory has in turn been tracked and monitored effectively. Managers are always ensuring that the management process of supply chain is well maintained. Problems are pinpointed easily, and thus another competitive advantage is obtained. According to Morris, Research is being done to find out if there are better systems in the market.

1.5 The Management Information System Strategy

Harness has been given the go ahead to work with other department heads, in order to come with a strategy for MIS. This is because all the companies functions as well as operations are managed by an MIS. Cost implications occur when the strategy is not implemented accordingly. Also, problems such as profit making can be prevented if there is no presence of an MIS strategy. At SUPERVALU, the MIS strategy seeks to ensure that their vision based on technology is realized. At the Corporate setting at SUPERVALU, IT plays a vital role in implementing the strategy. IT provides the needed guidelines to be followed, in the area that the MIS is concentrating on (Harness, 2011).

The MIS strategy also focuses on the changing the structure of change in management. SUPERVALU is designing a system, which will affect all the employees and customers positively. Nowadays, SUPERVALU is making use of social networking, to increase its sales as well as market it. For example, it has embraced Linked a social site that focuses on professionalism. Linked has greatly improved the relations SUPERVALU has with some of its customers, as well as people who want to work for the company. The company has come up with minimum standards, which all the employees must meet (Levine, 2001). The MIS focuses on the components of central infrastructure. This later on brings about proper deliverables as well as there being a direction, which is common to everyone. SUPERVALU is making sure that it forms strategic alliances with technological suppliers (Morris, 2011). In turn, it will benefit by acquiring financial incentives and have a lot of control over ownership and cost issues. Through having the MIS, initiatives for development are taking place as well as important aspects of the company being recognized.

1.6 Conclusion

In conclusion, SUPERVALU is indeed using effective strategies, which are helping it to obtain a competitive edge. Information systems used have improved business and in turn, there are more customers making purchases at the various stores. The MIS strategy is being implemented in order to achieve SUPERVALU’s success in the IS sector.

References

G. Harness, Personal Communication, October 1, 2011.

S. Morris, Personal Communication, October 1, 2011.

Laudon, Jane & Laudon, Ken. (2009).Management Information Systems 11th Ed. New York: Prentice Hall.

Britt, D. (2010). Impact of Globalization in Creating Sustainable Competitive Advantage. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.sdcexec.com/web/online/In-Depth/” http://www.sdcexec.com/web/online/In-Depth/

Levine, L. (2001).Integrating Knowledge and Processes in Learning Organization. Information systems Management, 18, 1, 21-33.

Friedman, D. & Hoffman, P. (2001). The Politics of Information. Change, 33, 3, 50-57.

MARKETING MIX

GENERAL ELECTRIC: SENOGRAPHE 2004

ABSTRACT

The marketing mix is frequently decisive when shaping a product or brand’s distinctive selling point, the exceptional eminence that distinguishes a product from its contenders. GE was at the vanguard of digital technology in the field of mammography, and prolongs this prototype with the prologue of the Senographe 2004. The Senographe 2004 takes the most recent modernizations in digital imaging and unites them with synchronized diagnostic paraphernalia to proffer women global the assistance of faster retorts to prospective life-changing queries.

REFERENCES

www.activexray.com/pdf/ge_SenographeDS.pdf – United States

HYPERLINK “https://www.student.gsu.edu/~wmulford1/digital_mammography.htm”https://www.student.gsu.edu/~wmulford1/digital_mammography.htm

Market Response and Marketing Mix Models by Douglas Bowman and Hubert Gatignon (Apr 23, 2010)

Kotler on Marketing by Philip Kotler (Aug 31, 2001)

Principles of Marketing (13th Edition) by Philip Kotler and Gary Armstrong (Jan 7, 2009)

MARKETING MIX

The marketing mix is a commerce contrivance employed in marketing products. The marketing mix is frequently decisive when shaping a product or brand’s distinctive selling point, the exceptional eminence that distinguishes a product from its contenders. A premeditated blend of the convenient rudiments of a product’s marketing plan generally named as 4Ps: product, price, place, and promotion. These four rudiments are attuned until the accurate amalgamation is established that serves the requirements of the product’s clientele, whilst generating optimal earnings.

4 P’s of MARKETING MIX

Product – A product is perceived as an article that persuades what a customer desires or needs. It is a substantial good or an insubstantial service. Insubstantial products are service based akin to the tourism business, the hotel business and the financial business. Substantial products are those that have a self-determining physical subsistence. A less apparent but omnipresent mass produced service is a computer working system. Every product is interrelated to a life-cycle counting an intensification phase followed by an adulthood phase and lastly an ultimate interlude of decline as sales cascades. Marketers ought to do cautious exploration on how extensive the life cycle of the product they are promoting is expected to be and spotlight their consideration on diverse challenges that crop up as the product progress through every stage. Marketers can inflate the existing product mix by mounting a certain product line’s intensity or by escalating the quantity of product lines. Marketers ought to consider techniques to position the product, techniques to utilize the brand, technique to utilize the company’s resources and how to constitute the product mix so that each product harmonizes the other. The marketer ought to in addition reflect on product development stratagems.

Price – The price is the sum a consumer pays for the product. The price is very imperative as it establishes the company’s earnings and consequently, endurance. Regulating the price has an intense impact on the marketing stratagem, and depending on the price suppleness of the product, frequently; it will distress the demand and sales in addition. The marketer ought to set a cost that harmonizes the other rudiments of the marketing mix. When setting a price, the marketer ought to be responsive of the customer professed worth for the product. Three fundamental pricing stratagems are: market skimming pricing, marketing infiltration pricing and impartial pricing.

Promotion – characterizes all of the techniques of communiqué that a vendor may perhaps employ to endow with information to diverse parties concerning the product. Promotion embraces rudiments such as: promotion, public associations, individual selling and sales endorsement. Advertising envelops any communication that is compensated for, from cinema profitable, radio and Internet announcements through print medium and billboards. Public associations are where the communiqué is not unswervingly remunerated for and comprises press releases, sponsorship arrangements, trade fairs, symposium, colloquiums and events. Word-of-mouth is any actually unceremonious communication concerning the product by common individuals, contented customers or people exclusively affianced to form word of mouth impetus. Sales personnel frequently play an imperative function in word of mouth and public associations.

Place – refers to endowing with the product at a place which is opportune for customers to admittance. Place is identical with allocation. Assorted stratagems such as rigorous allocation, discerning allotment, exclusive allocation and franchising can be employed by the salesperson to harmonize the other features of the marketing mix.

GENERAL ELECTRIC

The Medical Systems allotment of General Electric has a commitment to the medical community to proffer the most recent technological progress in the quickest approach potential in order to promote the furthermost number of people. GE was at the vanguard of digital technology in the field of mammography, and prolongs this prototype with the prologue of the Senographe 2004. The Senographe 2004 takes the most recent modernizations in digital imaging and unites them with synchronized diagnostic paraphernalia to proffer women global the assistance of faster retorts to prospective life-changing queries. Employ of the Senographe 2004 will endow with the patient base with a steadfast outline of concurrent radiological psychoanalysis devoid of the wait that is linked with conventional consequences. With the preamble of the latest product, the Senographe 2004, GE Medical Systems will prolong to leverage its place as the worldwide leader in efficiency, information, and technological elucidations in the healthcare business.

GE’s vision is to develop as a worldwide leader in eminence, efficiency, information & technology elucidations in the healthcare industry. Endowing with advanced products and services conveyed by employees who vigorously congregate promises for the company, clientele and each other. GE’s objective is to again and again elevate the principles of superiority and effectiveness, to endow with the eventual in consumer and patient contentment.

SENOGRAPHE 2004

PRODUCT

The Senographe 2004 is in a distinctive position in that the segment that it will facilitate the majority, explicitly women who have mammograms completed, is not the principal objective of the marketing focal point. While they are an imperative derivative focus, the sanatoriums, broadcasting centers and decision-makers at these conveniences will have the principal focal point of our endeavors. The interpretation following this preference is that the “supremacies that be” at these amenities would be much more sympathetic to product positioning and outlay rationalization dealings in an unswerving approach, rather than through the commendations of patients. The Senographe 2004 will be promoted en route for the early adopters in the marketplace. In conjunction with the early adopters, we will moreover spotlight on the customers that are presently employing analog technology, but are approaching the conclusion of the surrogate for analog paraphernalia and are considering advancement to digital technology. Our endeavors will spotlight on the additional assistance they will obtain from the Senographe 2004. After prologue to the primary market, the loom taken with women in the intended age assortment (40+) will be analogous to that which is utilized by recommendation drug manufacturers. Advertisements highlighting on the assistances of diagnostic competence that is parceled with the screening mechanism will be intended for at this age assembly with the commendation that they confer with their physician for additional information. This advertising will be in the outline of broadcasting and television ads, print ads, and websites in order to capitalize on revelation to information on the Senographe 2004.

PRICING

To capitalize on enduring return on venture in addition to the market share, the Senographe 2004 will have to be commenced with a value pricing stratagem and on an analogous podium as the foremost cohort of GE’s digital mammography paraphernalia. The preliminary price composition will fabricate on the idea that they are proffering a value product which has competences above and ahead of what the market presently has to recommend. This will facilitate shore up the endeavor in speedily intensifying the client base. With augmented worldwide market share, and condensed manufacturing expenses due to economies of scale, GE predicts capitalizing on enduring earnings with this pricing policy.

PROMOTION

Cooperative research with a foremost cancer foundation is the primary stride. This cooperative research endows with the factual world relevance of the new-fangled technology and directs into the aptitude to circulate the consequences in beleaguered Medical Journals. Oncology and breast cancer colloquiums are the subsequent prong of the promotion stratagem. This endows with enslaved addressees where the technology can be established to medical proficient. Teaming up with foremost breast cancer alliances to breed breast cancer consciousness and revealing journalism for doctor’s offices is an effectual technique to breed acquaintance concerning breast cancer and the product to the end consumer. Finally, there are a budding number of breast cancer alliances to aid women in enlightening themselves on revealing and healing, in endowing with achievement stories, and in supplementary resources obtainable to breast cancer patients.

PLACE (DISTRIBUTION)

GE Medical Systems proffers an assortment of techniques to order products. The client has the opportunity of consigning their order by means of a GE sales spokesperson, employing a licensed pre-owned medical paraphernalia dealer, or consigning the paraphernalia that they yearning on-line. Whilst ordering on-line emerges to be a realistic prospect, and specified the actuality that the Senographe 2004 is a novel product and, consequently, could not be pre-owned, we are suggesting that the consumer consign their order through our external sales personnel as a substitute. There are numerous rationales why the sales personnel itinerary is suggested. Initially, the size and intricacy of the machine necessitates a four-day installation progression which will moreover be completed by a GE-recommended setting up service provider or one of the clients’s selecting. An accredited crew is essential due to the electrical, electromagnetic, seismic, formation, and network connectivity qualifications of the paraphernalia. For simplicity of synchronization rationales, employ of the GE Field Engineering Services are suggested as the sales delegate will have unswerving admittance to them. Furthermore, GE’s setting up charges is integrated in the procurement price of the Senographe 2004, while the installation charges of exterior contractors are not enclosed. Second, specified the nature of recently urbanized medical paraphernalia, customers will not be competent to compose the informed decisions indispensable if they wish to procure their paraphernalia in an on-line background. Consequently the counseling services that are endowed with at some stage in visits with the exterior sales personnel endow with indispensable edification concerning the product that they are procuring, as well as a prospect to share information regarding other medical modernizations that may well be of significance to the client. In cooperation the client and the salesperson can take benefit of the pre-existing association between the customer and GE.

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Course

Date

Minnesota v Dickson

Summary; This is a case involving a police officer patting down suspected contraband and finding evidence of cracked cocaine in the clothing of the suspect.

Rule of law synopsis; in the search for weapons the search whereby a police officer detects through his/her skill and common sense that a person might have risky weapons pat-down search is allowed and it is lawful. And given the situation, a warrantless search is justified by the plain-view considerations. Therefore, in this case, it is the respondent who tried to hide or suppress the cocaine but still, a police officer realized it and went for it. Even though the seizure was important and necessary the court of appeal reversed the stand that it was lawful and the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the stand of the court of appeal. This is because the search went beyond what was acceptable under Terry.

The question and the issue herein is whether the seizure of contraband which a police officer has detected through their sense of touch when they are conducting a pat-down search is lawful or is permitted by the fourth amendment

In this case, it is noted that if the search goes beyond what is acceptable or necessary then according to terry it is no longer acceptable. However, if an officer stays within the bounds of the terry during the pat-down search then the search is valid and is not against the law. In this case, as well the resort to a neutral magistrate would almost be impossible and it will not do anything to promote the objectives of the fourth amendment. This is the same as when an officer is searching for contraband weapons whereby the officer is allowed to search the suspect for the weapons without a warrant within the plain view context. According to terry the sense of touch just by itself is capable of making the police officer immediately identify the sort of object or its nature. Terry has its stand in that the police officers have to be able to identify the contraband or weapons through the use of the sense of touch. In this case, the sense of sight and sense of touch are closely related. This is because the sense of sight according to terry is more reliable than the sense of touch.

The fourth amendment provides that the officer should have probable cause to believe that what they are seizing is harmful or contraband before seizing it. Apart from this the court was also concerned about the privacy of the person being searched and according to the fourth amendment; searches should be conducted in a manner that will not make a person’s privacy at risk. However, still, the seizure of a known item cannot be seen as an intrusion into a person’s privacy. Therefore the question in this situation is whether the law was followed during this search as stipulated by terry. The Supreme Court stated that the officer, in this case, overstepped the bounds stipulated by terry about searching for weapons or generally contraband items. Even though this search was necessary according to the Supreme Court the officer was “too much”. This is to mean that he went ahead with the search even though he had identified that the property or the item in possession was not a weapon. Therefore even though it is true that under terry the officer is allowed to search the suspected individual, it does not allow the officer to continue with the search further and therefore this is considered unlawful according to terry. In a conclusion, the search of the cocaine in the individual’s jacket was unlawful therefore this translates into the seizure of the cocaine being unlawful.

Works cited

Amsterdam, Anthony G. “Perspectives on the fourth amendment.” Minn. L. Rev. 58 (1973): 349

Brobson, P. Kevin. “Minnesota v. Dickerson: The Plain-Feel Terry Frisk Is No Longer Limited to a Protective Search for Weapons.” Widener J. Pub L. 3 (1993): 951.

Burkoff, John M. Search Warrant Law Deskbook. C. Boardman, 1987

Mireya Ibanez

February 3, 2021

BME 295C

Ms. Barton

Defining Your Topic Area

Topic Title: Mesenchymal stem cells used to improve traumatic brain injuries involving rat testing

MINUTES OF DISPOSAL MEETING 4TH MEETING

DATE & TIME THURSDAY 28th April 2022, from 10am to 12noon

VENUE Company’s boardroom, HQ

MEMBERS PRESENT

George Gicheru

Carolyne Okango

Loice Chepchirchir

Stanley Chemweno Chairman

Member

Member

Secretary

Apologies

Japhet Samoei Member

Agenda To receive and consider request from M/S Numerical Machining Complex Limited.

To receive and consider report on memo from the Managing Director dated 10/2/2022 on the following ;

Inventory of used tyres and tubes returned to stores.

Inventory of used computers, printers and parts returned to stores.

Inventory of used pipes and fittings recouped through replacement of water lines.

Inventory of used water meters returned to the stores.

AOB related to disposal process.

The meeting started at 10.00am after prayers by Carolyne Okango. With the requisite quorum the chairman welcomed members the meeting. 1.0 Min DC/04/2022: To receive and consider request from M/S Numerical Machining Complex Limited. The committee noted that the government lifted ban on scrap metal dealings, the committee resolved to recommend that the process be

Competitively hence be advertised in the tender.

OR

Disposal as Government to Government to M/S Numerical Machining Complex Limited since its government entity.

2.0

a Min DC/04/2022: To receive and consider report on memo from the Managing Director dated 10/2/2022 on

Inventory of used tyres and tubes returned to stores. The total number of used tyres in the stores reported as follows;

1. Medium size – 129 no

2. Backhoe 7 no

3. Motor cycle 26 no

Also included are used batteries 13 no

The committee recommends for disposal through public auction. 2.0

b Min DC/04/2022: To receive and consider report on memo from the managing director dated 10/2/2022 on Inventory of used computers, printers and parts returned to stores The company requires to develop a policy on disposal of e-waste. The committee recommends disposal through e-waste management upon development of the policy due to the sensitivity of matter on the environment. 2.0

c Min DC/04/2022: To receive and consider report on memo from the Managing Director dated 10/2/2022 on Inventory of used pipes and fittings recouped through replacement of water lines The committee will on 5/5/2022 visit the company’s new water pipeline installations. This will be performed with the support of a guide from user department to take stock of used pipes and fittings. 2.0

d Min DC/04/2022: To receive and consider report on memo from the managing director dated 10/2/2022 on Inventory of used water meters returned to the stores The committee recommends the disposal of the meters as scrap through public auction upon dismantling to remove the gears parts. 2.0 Min DC/04/2022: AOB related to disposal process The committee recommended for capacity building or bench mark on e- waste management since it’s a new mode of disposal to ELDOWAS.

The company to explore legal and regulatory framework on disposal of assets to government institutions.

Minutes Confirmed for circulation:

George Gicheru chairman Date 28th April 2022

Stanley ChemwenoSecretary Date 28th April 2022

Marketing Communications at Noel Leeming

Author’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Marketing Communications at Noel Leeming

Only about 30% of contemporary marketers show complete satisfaction with their capability of engaging clients across marketing communication channels at scale (Salesforce Research, 2019). Any achievement in marketing cannot be accomplished without proper marketing communications. Here, marketing communications at Noel Leeming are evaluated based on relevant literature-centred evidence. The first section of this assessment is a critical evaluation of the current context of this corporation’s marketing communications. The second section includes a detailed assessment of its traditional and digital marketing communication strategies for the targeted consumer segments in the New Zealand marketplace. The last section provides an evaluation of the integration of Noel Leeming’s existing marketing communications approach. The critical evaluation of the existing offline and digital marketing communications at Noel Leeming is imperative because it unveils the company’s potential for engaging its target customer segments satisfactorily.

Current Marketing Communications of Noel Leeming

The concept of marketing communications involves the approaches, means, and techniques employed by an enterprise to convey promotional messages about the brands, products, or services it offers to clients directly or indirectly aiming at persuading them to purchase (Fill & Jamieson, 2014; Pawar, 2014). So, marketing communications are an indispensable and complex part of an organisation’s marketing practices and efforts as it encompasses both the media and the message deployed by the organisation to communicate with its target market. Marketing communications use a combination of different marketing tools and channels to create brand awareness amongst potential and existing clients. This awareness creates a mental picture of the brand or changes the brand image in customers’ minds, thereby assisting them in making purchasing decisions (Dobele, Toleman, & Beverland, 2005). In essence, marketing communications offer the avenue by which firms and their brands present themselves to their audience aiming at stimulating dialogues that ideally culminate in successions of complete and engaging purchasing behaviours.

The marketing communications tools commonly employed by contemporary firms are emails, brochures, websites, pamphlets, advertisements, exhibitions, press releases, and sales promotion campaigns. A complete marketing communication mix should have eight key elements or promotional tools, namely, personal selling, word-of-mouth marketing, sales promotion, advertising, public relations (publicity), direct selling, interactive marketing, and events and experiences (Pawar, 2014; Owen, & Humphrey, 2009). Other elements include online presence, branding, packaging, printed materials, sponsorships, sales presentations, and strategic trade shows (Fill & Jamieson, 2014).

Noel Leeming, a multichannel retailer of branded technology services and consumer electronics and electronic appliances in New Zealand, has well-established marketing communications practices. This is evinced by the fact that the corporation has the position of a marketing planning manager who manages the daily planning of communication activities across various earned, paid, and owned online and traditional marketing communication channels. The marketing planning manager reports directly to the Noel Leeming Group Marketing Manager (Noel Leeming, n.d). The company uses its marketing communications to provide its customers with the latest advice, choices, ideas, and trends, hence strengthening its position in the New Zealand marketplace.

At Noel Leeming, the marketing communications mix includes both traditional and online marketing, but the latter is more dominant than the former. The evidence for this assertion is the company’s major focus on digital marketing innovation based on customer data analytics that is aimed at driving marketing performance. The marketing planning manager develops media plans and recommendations that are consistent with Noel Leeming Group’s advertising and marketing strategies (Noel Leeming, n.d). Using heavy media campaign learnings and data analytics, The Warehouse Group, which acquired Noel Leeming in 2012, has managed to build its capabilities in automated and customised marketing communication, enabling Noel Lemming to shift from traditional analogue marketing channels to embracing digital marketing tools (McKenzie, 2018). The firm’s digital marketing communications practices are currently coordinated by the company’s current marketing communications executive (Green, 2014).

Traditional and Digital Marketing Communications for Targeted Consumer Segments

The target market for Noel Leeming includes tech-savvy New Zealanders who use its consumer electronics and electronic appliances. This target market is divided into three target consumer segments based on their lifestyles. These segments are Success-Driven Extroverts, Young Pleasure-Seekers, and New Greens. According to Watkins et al. (2015), the success-driven extroverts will be inclined to buying Noel Leeming’s consumer electronics and the related appliances because they are early technology adopters, well-informed about popular culture, and conversant with expensive brands. The young pleasure-seekers are part of Noel Leeming’s target market arguing from the perspective that they are media-savvy, have high regard for personal possessions, and engage actively in streaming and downloading their media content (Watkins et al., 2015). The new greens segment forms part of Noel Leeming’s target market because they need electronic gadgets to stay online and up-to-date as regards their green health options.

To reach these consumer segments, Noel Leeming’s marketing communication incorporates both traditional and digital or online target marketing strategies. Traditional target marketing communications apply older media such as radio, television, broadcasts, films, physical print media, face-to-face, and point of purchase (Geraghty & Conway, 2016; Gurău, 2008; Spencer & Giles, 2001). Traditional marketing communications are important to Noel Leeming because they are far-reaching, thereby reaching a broad range of the target customer segments, besides having a lifespan that is easy to define. Traditional marketing communications are also valuable because they offer a more creditable, evocative, and visually appealing aspect that leads to the provision of place, possession, and time utility for the company’s clients (Durmaz & Efendioglu, 2016; Geraghty & Conway, 2016). At Noel Leeming, the traditional marketing communication strategies or tools used to reach the three target customer segments are paid media (display ads and branded content) on television, print, and radio, sales promotion, branding, and public relations (Noel Leeming Group Limited, 2008). In agreement, Stanley (2014) acknowledges that this enterprise leverages the power of paid media in bringing to life consumer endorsements to generate the impact necessary in realising impressive results.

Apart from the traditional marketing communication means, Noel Leeming also reaches its target customer segments using digital marketing communication approaches. According to Gurău (2008), digital marketing communications employ the digital marketing equivalents of traditional marketing communication tools that are customised and adapted to befit the online marketing setting. Thus, digital marketing communications leverage digital technologies, Big Data elements, and the Internet to create interactive communication between companies and their customers, giving the clients a greater role and responsibility in the marketing communication processes (Fill & Jamieson, 2014; McAfee et al., 2012; Owen & Humphrey, 2009). According to Pawar (2014), online marketing communications are both an art and science of communicating brands with clients over digital networks, including cellular phone networks, social media, and the Internet. A complete digital marketing media mix includes a broad gamut of marketing tools that include blogs, social networking platforms, email marketing, SEO, and client-focused videoconferencing, among others (Geraghty & Conway, 2016).

Durmaz & Efendioglu (2016) submit that many companies are shifting from traditional marketing communication methodologies to adopting new digital marketing communication tools. Noel Leeming is not an exception as it has shifted significantly to online marketing communication as McKenzie (2018) confirms. At Noel Leeming, the digital marketing communication mix includes social media, the company website (where pay-per-click advertising takes place), web analytics tools, and email marketing. From the company website, it is evident that the four social media that Noel Leeming uses for online marketing communications include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter (Noel Leeming Group Limited, 2019). Noel Leeming maintains a comprehensive privacy policy for protecting the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information of clients involved in digital marketing communications processes.

Evaluation of Integration of Existing Marketing Communications Approach

Integrated marketing communication, abbreviated as IMC, is a relatively new marketing concept characterised by the meticulous incorporation of all forms of marketing communication messages to ensure consistent corporate messages are sent to diverse target audiences (Gurău, 2008; Pawar, 2014). IMC entails linking together the channels, media, and methods of communicating with individuals outside of a firm, along with the proper coordination and centralisation of the communication activities by the company involved for effective marketing communication (Owen, & Humphrey, 2009). IMC replaces limited-focus, profile-raising options by emphasising the mechanisms and means of commencing and sustaining continuing dialogues with customers and enhancing customer-company relationships (Vargo & Lusch, 2014).

At Noel Leeming, there is proof of the integration of its existing marketing communications approach. The evidence is the existence of an integrated marketing communications coordinator at the Warehouse Group that acquired Noel Leeming in 2012. This coordinator is responsible for driving the marketing communication activities and workflow for the Noel Leeming business, which are integrated to ensure the effectiveness of marketing messaging (The Warehouse Group, n.d). The company uses its IMC function to ensure that its marketing communication is brand-consistent, customer-focused and based on best practices to drive excellence in marketing teams. Also, integrated marketing communication helps Noel Leeming to maintain collaborative processes among these teams to ensure creative marketing communications that generate corresponding deliverables (The Warehouse Group, n.d).

Summary

Marketing communication is indispensable in the successful running of business operations at Noel Leeming. The employment of both traditional and online marketing communications is instrumental in keeping the company in the lead position in its different target customer segments. The adoption of integrated marketing communications enables Noel Leeming to deliver consistent and unified communication messages about its brand offerings to clients in these segments, hence augmenting chances of attracting and maintaining customers.

References

Dobele, A., Toleman, D., & Beverland, M. (2005). Controlled infection! Spreading the brand message through viral marketing. Business Horizons, 48(2), 143-149. Doi: 10.1016/j.bushor.2004.10.011.

Durmaz, Y., & Efendioglu, I. H. (2016). Travel from traditional marketing to digital marketing. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 16(2), 34-40.

Fill, C., & Jamieson, B. (2014). Marketing communications. UK. Herriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Business School.

Geraghty, G., & Conway, A. T. (2016). The study of traditional and non-traditional marketing communications: Target marketing in the events sector. 12th Annual Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference, THRIC 2016, 16th and 17th June, Limerick Institute of Technology.

Green, R. (September 10, 2014). Noel Leeming unveils a brand new look in the latest series of spots via FCB New Zealand. New Zealand. Campaign Brief. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://campaignbrief.co.nz/2014/09/10/noel-leeming-unveils-a-brand-n/.

Gurău, C. (2008). Integrated online marketing communication: implementation and management. Journal of Communication Management, 12(2), 169-184.

McAfee, A., Brynjolfsson, E., Davenport, T. H., Patil, D. J., & Barton, D. (2012). Big data: The management revolution. Harvard Business Review, 90(10), 60-68.

McKenzie, E. (January 26, 2018). The Warehouse Group to move to a single media agency for entire business. The ICG Media. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://stoppress.co.nz/news/warehouse-group-invites-existing-media-agencies-pitch-entire-business/.

Noel Leeming Group Limited. (2008). Noel Leeming Group Ltd background information. Scoop News. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0801/S00270/noel-leeming-group-ltd-background-information.htm.

Noel Leeming Group Limited. (2019). Noel Leeming. Noel Leeming Group Limited. (2019). Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.noelleeming.co.nz/search.html?q=point+of+purchase#sortOrder=rel&page=1&layout=grid.

Noel Leeming. (n.d). Marketing Planning Manager. Auckland, New Zealand: Noel Leeming. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/TheWarehouseGroup/743999664886682-marketing-planning-manager.

Owen, R., & Humphrey, P. (2009). The structure of online marketing communication channels. Journal of Management and Marketing Research, 2, 1-10.

Pawar, A. V. (2014). Study of the effectiveness of online marketing on integrated marketing communication. (Master’s Dissertation DY Patil University, School of Management, Navi Mumbai).

Salesforce Research. (2019). State of marketing: Insights and trends from over 4,100 marketing leaders worldwide. Salesforce Research.

Spencer, C., & Giles, N. (2001). The planning, implementation and evaluation of an online marketing campaign. Journal of Communication Management, 5(3), 287-299.

Stanley, J. (September 2014). Media vital to marketing mix. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://commscouncil.nz/industry-voice/media-vital-to-marketing-mix/.

The Warehouse Group. (n.d). Integrated marketing communications manager. The Warehouse Group.

Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2014). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. In The Service-Dominant Logic of Marketing (pp. 21-46). Routledge.

Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Hinder, C., Lawson, R., Mather, D., Paul, A., … & Williams, J. (2015). The New Zealand consumer lifestyle segments. New Zealand Sociology, 30(1), 111-130.

Business Case for Quality improvement

Student's Name

Institution Affiliation

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Date

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Abstract

There is an increasing belief and interest in using quality improvement to solve the more daily complex challenges in various healthcare firms, yet less literature review to assist the students in developing and evaluating a business case n return investment from quality improvement. Quality improvement is noticed in community health services and mental healthcare. The paper, therefore, discusses a framework to assist in evaluating the return on investment and understand and identify the return on investment from a more extensive application of quality improvement to healthcare providers. The framework has been developed at ELFT, a predominantly provider of community and mental healthcare services to over 1 million individuals practicing quality improvement at scale since late 2014. The case study presents examples illustrating return on investment hence improving efficiency and productivity, staff experience, cost reduction, revenue increment, and patients results

Business Case for Quality improvement

Introduction

According to Hill (2020), most healthcare providers recognize the benefits of quality improvement, which helps transform the health system through quality assurance and performance management. The transformation through quality assurance and performance management assists healthcare providers and others in progressing from good to excellent levels in healthcare programs (Rohrich & Pomerantz, 2021), increasing recognition among healthcare providers. In applying a quality improvement scale, return on investment brings about the creative, strategic ability of the healthcare providers that drive increased revenue in the firm (Fischer & Duncan, 2020). Due to innovative strategic skills in the organization, the firm is aligned more directly for a common purpose of quality improvement in care; therefore, there is cost reduction, leading to improved productivity and efficiency among healthcare providers (Chartier et al., 2019).

The comprehensive framework below helps leaders access and articulate the return on investment by using quality improvement at scale. The framework comes from the work found at East London Foundation NHS Trust. The comprehensive framework from East London Foundation NHS Trust comprises revenue, cost reduction, cost avoidance, efficiency and productivity, self-experience, and patient and family experience results. Calculating the return-on-investment process needs evaluation of benefits and costs as the framework for calculating costs incurred and systematically evaluating benefits. Therefore, calculating return on investment provides the health system providers and others an opportunity to explore, analyze and provide them with sound reasoning for the business case to qualify in health firms. The methods used by the East London Foundation NHS Trust framework for evaluating return on investment include revenue, cost reduction, cost avoidance, efficiency and productivity, staff experience, and family and patient experience results.

Analysis of Return on Investment

Staff Experience

This method of evaluation of return on investment gives the staff more control over the system they are working on, hence helping the team feel more engaged in their work, resulting in more autonomy to make changes in the healthcare organization. The research lays more substantial evidence illustrating how healthcare providers who are more engaged and happier in their work duty deliver better patient outcomes and improved financial results in the healthcare firm. According to Ogbonnaya & Babalola (2021), the quality improvement process necessitates power development for staff members to assist them in solving their issues. The quality improvement process equips healthcare workers with skills and tools to help them tackle and identify problems methodically. The figure below illustrates that the general staff engagement was highest across 57 community and mental health trusts in 2016. The figure below shows that East London Foundation NHS Trust, in the fourth consecutive year, has been in the top 5. In 2014 and 2016, the staff who were feeling to contribute towards work improvement indicated the highest score among all NHS healthcare provider firms.

Revenue

According to Shah & Course (2018), the application of the quality improvement scale explores new strategic skills within a healthcare firm, supplementing competitive merit within the market. The competitive distinction supplemented can realize the importance of attracting revenue by attaining new business reputations for improvement and quality. The figure below illustrates how East London Foundation NHS Trust's Revenue has escalated over some years. Focusing on quality helps demonstrate improved outcomes through the reputation for being a quality leader and quality improvement; contribution to new business acquisition results from health providers possessing quality leader traits. A quality improvement specialist creates an opportunity to support firms with similar endeavors, like the East London Foundation NHS Trust, that generate little revenue. The specialist delivers coaching sessions and training to different firms in the Quality Improvement journey, leading to small revenue generation through the specialist faculty. Usage of data more rigorously and with continuous improvement helps healthcare service providers to focus on matters mainly related to their service; hence services delivered are better in demonstrating the healthcare providers' work value. When the service value offered by the healthcare provider is easily explained, the healthcare personnel reduce the risk of losing service or even being decommissioned from a competing firm, thus the organization retaining its revenue.

Cost Reduction

Removing or reducing costs entirely from the firm helps support annual cost requirements directly for cost improvement existing within the NHS for healthcare providers in a firm (Kaplan & Porter, 2011). The figure below illustrates information obtained from the Ivory ward at East London Foundation NHS Trust that uses quality improvement to reduce bed occupancy on elderly adults' mental health awards. Quality improvement reduces the occupancy from an average of 89% to a sustained new level of 59% through the implementation of various changes comprising; a discharge scheduling checklist, strong social integration within discharge groups, day-to-day patient review, and good communication by providers in contact services in severe hospitals. On checking the graph values, the researcher's team spread the changes to Leadenhall, the same award in various parts of the firm; the team of researchers noticed a reduction in occupancy from 78% to 52%. The researchers noticed similar awards functioning closely to half full; they then made it possible to move only to one ward, raising the option of closing the other ward. Closure of one ward delivers a reduced cost of roughly $1 million every year. Quality improvement helps in cost improvement efforts for the English health economy since the provider's trust looks for ways of reducing their bottom line with a value close to 2-4% yearly.

Cost avoidance

Improving the firm in various areas of quality improvement work at times means avoiding substantial previous costs such as material, equipment, and staff cost incurred. The below illustrates data from East London Foundation NHS Trust on human team resources that work on improving the disciplinary trust process, therefore, reducing the average time of the research process from 110 days to 55 days, indicating a 50% decrease within 18 months. Cost avoidance reduces anxiety for individuals at the center of the healthcare activity and costs spent on staff member payment when suspended from work. ELFT finance team successfully calculated suspension costs in 2014 and 2015, using the calculations to estimate staff members suspended charges on a daily routine. From the analysis, it is probable to guess when the average disciplinary activity length can be reduced by fifty days sustainably. Cases numbers remain constant, leading to an annual cost avoidance of close to $429,000 (Brown et al., 2015).

In the examples below, ELFT has estimated costs avoided by decreasing physical violence in older mental adult health. The economic models comprise finance teams with clinicians to know what happens when a patient becomes violent in the ward and evaluate costs associated with violence. Research on adults illustrated a cost violence reduction from $100,000 for nine months before reducing to $50,000. 35% decrease in violent incidents led to a 50% decrease in violence costs.

Martorell Lackamp (2018) calculates the economic evaluation of costs of suspension per day at ELFT as per 2014 – 2015 data, as illustrated below in the calculation.

Shah & Course (2018) calculated the economic evaluation of costs attributable to violence before and after the QI projects, as shown below.

According to Taylor-Watt et al. (2017), improving staff experience and safety at work centers leads to reduced staff absence, as the examples above have computed. They use temporary agency staff, and staff sickness reduction results from relevant cost avoidance opportunities to improve staff experience and safety. Staff turnover costs such as onboarding and recruitment are easily avoided when the staff remains with the employing firms.

Efficiency and productivity

Quality improvement eliminates waste from the firm and reduces unwanted firm variations by supporting the teams to concentrate on matters related to their firm. By eliminating non-valuable adding procedures in the quality improvement process and restructuring care around the things that have valuable meaning to the service user, the teams are likely to notice efficiency and productivity improvements. These efficient and productive improvements allow clinicians and groups to concentrate on patient care. The figure below shows data from ELFT clinic clozapine in Hackney and City that reduces the time to return blood test outcomes and variation to clinicians. The efficient and productive improvement assists consumers in receiving more predictable services faster, allowing healthcare providers to plan efficiently.

The figure illustrated below shows a collaborative learning system from ELFT on improving flow and access in society teams, having 16 teams from a range of clinical services by use of quality improvement in improving the process from the referral and assessment to treatment. Clinical providers have decreased days in which individuals wait from referral to first-day appointment by 25% over two years, the non-attendance at an initial meeting by 40%, a 26% increment in referral number received at the same time a reduction of 40% and 25%. Decreasing waiting days for patients from referral to the first day of the appointment and the non-attendance at an initial meeting with an increment of referral number received makes clinicians more productive and efficient. In tariff-based systems, the firms are likely to gain income from improving throughput and flow. However, the system contains less income or discernible cost effects in the block contract system for various mental health providers in England.

Family and patient experience outcome

The key reason for quality improvement applications in healthcare firms is to improve results for patients suffering from severe conditions. In ELFT, every individual is invited to consider the critical things that matter families, service users, patients, and staff members working together to receive care. Most firms use quality improvement in solving outstanding issues affecting the firm. By concentrating on what matters to the organizations, the people in different firms delivering and receiving care are attempting to design their quality improvement work as meaningful and individual as possible. The purpose of any healthcare provider is to improve the outcomes and experience of the patients or population at large; hence the business case for the quality improvement aspect needs to align directly with the firm's core purpose.

Conclusion

Considering large-scale activities and applications of quality improvement in a firm, consider the return on investment at multiple stages. The main gear of such a strategic decision is improving experiences and outcomes for individuals receiving care. The firm earns shares from staff motivation and enhanced engagement hence improving the efficiency and productivity of the staff members, the possibility of an increase in revenue, reduction of cost, and avoidance of cost. The research proposes a framework for evaluating the return on investment from quality improvement within a reasonable time frame in the English NHS healthcare economy using a case example from the ELFT quality improvement program. The framework can be applied to large-scale quality improvement within various firms and healthcare. The framework evaluates direct customer benefits, improvement in work employees experience improvement in efficiency and productivity avoidance of costs, and business revenue increase. Efficiency and productivity improvement form the basis for calculating benefits and costs after that return on investment from quality improvement. Utilizing the framework discussed assists in articulating to main stakeholders that return on investment from quality investment can only be partially estimated in terms of costs eliminated from the firm. However, it may be a pushing need for most health economies. Multiple levels of return recognition assist in better linking quality improvement applications to the core strategic significance of healthcare by assessing impacts on patients' experience and results through the quality improvement process.

The high healthcare cost is an issue; most individuals in the United States report that they cannot afford healthcare, hence skipping not seeing the doctor. A survey conducted by the Kaiser family foundation indicates that each of the behaviors portrayed by the individuals results in serious health issues, thus increasing care costs. The daily health care issue shows it presents enormous opportunities though if not looked into keenly, it sometimes leads to various difficulties. The healthcare firm has noted the considerable disparities in healthcare results among multiple populations. The differences noted are not merely tied to the care cost and income; instead, they are connected to environmental factors that impact an individual's wellness and health. Short-term care is goal-oriented, as it involves assisting the patient in rescuing from everyday activities and returning home to a good functioning state. The benefits and costs related to the long-term are only aligned to achieve an investment for a period of a shorter time or during an investment period. However, the long-term care goal is classically conserving the patient's life and health quality for longer. The long-term costs and benefits are aligned with an organization's future betterment and prosperity. The long-term costs benefit the firm from a longer-term investment in prospective resources.

Most conflicts of interest arise when the stakeholders choose individual gain over duties of the healthcare firm where they are shareholders. When a shareholder exploits their position for individual growth in any way, the firm collapses as the shareholder exploiting the resources for self-gain uses more resources for personal benefit. The main stakeholders in a firm are suppliers, consumers, employees, and investors. When various stakeholders have varied objectives within a firm, the organization can therefore choose to satisfy varied shareholders' goals and maximize a single purpose to satisfy the firm needs.

The framework provides evidence that health system providers and others who invest in quality improvement notices a return on investment within a reasonable time frame by various methods, including; self-experience, revenue, cost reduction, cost avoidance, efficiency, and productivity. High healthcare costs can be solved by cutting down the care cost involving health actions and inputs by federal and state agencies. The vast disparity noted in healthcare firms can be solved by establishing various programs to meet a patient's needs. Various opportunities provided by the current healthcare can be looked into by using artificial intelligence that impacts administration and healthcare delivery.

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