Motivation Mystery: How to Keep Employees Productive
Motivation Mystery: How to Keep Employees Productive
The article “Motivation Mystery: How to Keep Employees Productive” by Patrick Hull is not only an interesting but also an enlightening resource. Inferring from the article, it is apparent that motivating employees in the workplace to ensure that they remain productive is a current pertinent event, which researchers have to address.
Managers have always focused on providing incentives to the employees to keep them motivated, and hence productivity. Among those that have produced the expected outcomes include bonuses, perks, amenities, education, and positive recognition. While these benefits might be optimal, it is of central importance to go well beyond the practice of providing incentives (Hull, 2013). This is especially due to the notion that incentives may not be sustainable. As such, they may change, and this might correspond with a shift in the motivation depicted by the employees.
For example, if the incentives are scaled down, it means that the worker motivation will also decline. In the light of this, while still providing the incentives, it is important to devise another strategy to maintain the employees’ morale. The course that Zappos, which is an online clothing and shoe company based in Las Vegas, is a benchmark model (Hull, 2013). The firm does not provide extraordinary perks for the employees. Instead, the Chief Executive Officer has created a corporate culture that elicits and maintains happiness, and which builds loyalty among the employees.
To conclude, it is perceptible that organizations have to be highly innovative in their employee motivation practices. Not all methods, such as the provision of integrated incentives, can ensure long-term motivation and productivity subsequently. It is suggested that managers should focus on creating a culture that creates happiness and loyalty among the workers.
According to Chase and Jacobs (2011), the design of process is an essential part when it comes to incorporating the supply chain and operation strategy. The product design deals with analyzing the connection between the product and technological life cycle while service design presents the association between services offered and quality client experience. Generally, design matrix is a vital framework that helps a company to make decisions and establish a direction for products and services (see figure 1).
Process Design Aspect
Prepaid food (Service)
car (Product)
Design focal point
Customer
End user
Strategy
faster delivery of goods to clients
Process design approach
Design to facilitate easy ordering
Agree with producer, access various markets, hard to copy
Process map
Flowchart
Service design
Process Performance Measurement
Customer feedback,
Production phase, time to market, quality
Factory location
Transportation, sources of human capital, concentrate production
Facility layout
concentrate productivity
Process design
the design will directly influence clients
Scheduling
Adequate products
Production planning
Production flow may not contribute to reduction in profitability
Workforce
Effective interaction with clients
Should be competent to perform duties
Quality
Enhance client experience by decreasing lead time
enhance quality control while reducing weaknesses
Capacity
Use of location, demand volatility, routine interaction
Ensure system balance, forecasting techniques equipment
Inventory
Adoption of a push inventory structure
Adoption of a push inventory structure
Figure 1. Design matrix
The prepaid food is selected for service while the car is a product for identifying appropriate process design matrix. To effectively manage service and deliver on-site services, three forms of contrasting techniques such as product line, self-service and personal attention approach (Chase and Jacobs, 2011). Product line: the product line approach concentrates on the efficient production outcomes, which are services.
Based on this approach, the organization is in charge of controlling the implementation of every unity so as to ascertain not only speedy delivery but also a quality combination of prepaid foods in a clean environment. When it comes to the provision of prepaid food services, the product line approach is useful for the firm. In particular, it allows the organization to deliver quality services to clients.
Self-service: with this approach, customers are involved in the service production, which contributes to the improvement of service efficiency. Some of the techniques that transfer the burden to customers include electronic tickets, the firm websites and automatic teller machines (ATM).
In essence, the self-service approach will be valuable as it will help the food organization with respect to delivering high-quality products to the client and minimize time or service provision (Chase and Jacobs, 2011). As such, the self-service approach will help the firm to concentrate on delivering effective services in the shortest time possible.
Personal attention approach; this technique highlights the need for ensuring a linkage between a sales person and clients to ensure good customer service. Together with other approaches, the personal approach will assist the food company to develop mutual association and ensure client loyalty. Conversely, to manage the production of items, there are a number of design techniques such as job shop, batch, assembly line, or continuous flow.
The job shop process involves how duties are done by one employee or a team of employees. Again, under this process, there are several products as well as services like hairdressers, tailoring, and shipbuilding among others. However, with respect to a car, this is not applicable.
In the batch production process, the design is categorized into numerous parts. In other words, products are manufactured in groups rather than individually, however products pass various stages and products have to be completed prior to moving to the subsequent phase (Chase and Jacobs, 2011). The batch production process is also appropriate in manufacturing which involves small to moderate volumes for a wide-range of products. When it comes to manufacturing a car, the batch production process is not appropriate.
The assembly line is the most appropriate production process for cars. This is because it uses automated manufacturing sequence to produce same products along with a conveyor. For manufacturers, an assembly line process helps in the flow of materials along with several workstations (Chase and Jacobs, 2011). For efficacy purposes, an equal lead-time is required to accomplish tasks in every unit.
Explain how this can be applied to processes within your work or personal life and provide examples.
Service and production process can be applied in my work in different ways. For instance, product process like batch production can be used in my line of work when it comes to the manufacture of products with similar content. This process requires a lower capital investment that is efficient and also suitable for seasonal goods. Nonetheless, it is involving hence requires sophisticated technology to make the process faster. Service design process like job shop can be useful in work in terms of helping in performing duties with my colleagues.
References
Chase, R. B. & Jacobs, F. R. (2011). Operations and supply chain management (13th ed.). Retrieved from the University of Phoenix eBook Collection database
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MacArthur, John F. Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship. Thomas Nelson Inc, 2013.
Summary
The book by MacArthur is very resourceful to Christians and leaders seeking to be effective in their ministries and in their personal growth in Christ. The book has three chapters, each delving in different topics, addressing the need for Christians to understand the immense power of the Holy Spirit. In the first chapter, the author states how Christians in several parts of the world have been faking their understanding of the working of the Holy Spirit.
Others use their position to swindle and steal from unsuspecting listeners using the language of generosity and faith.[1] He says prosperity is not a gospel but a heresy.[2] The author says that the Holy Spirit is already churning the Church through mighty revivals and it requires Christians to discern the times and workings of the Holy Spirit in their midst.
In the second chapter, the author states the importance of speaking in tongues as a sign to the Israelites and as a transition to the new covenant from the old.[3] The use of tongues should be orderly and only for edification purposes and not for spiritual ecstasy. The author strongly reinstates the need to have faith in praying for the sick, whose healing should depend on the faith of their intercessors, not theirs.
The author in the third chapter brings several themes into light. First, the author highlights the dangers of counterfeiting the working of the Holy Spirit, stating that it is vital to have a true understanding of the Holy Spirit in worship. The Holy Spirit is God, whose presence in a person should result in a greater spiritual experience.
The Holy Spirit has the ability to secure a person’s salvation, but some charismatic Christians ignore this wonderful ministry of the Holy Spirit. The author states that it is important for believers to be filled continually with the Holy Spirit in order to offer effective worship to God and to be fiery in their ministries.[4]
Critique
The works of MacArthur highlights several problems encountered in the Christian faith worldwide. The author is concerned with the low level of spirituality in the church; and how some ministers have reduced the message of salvation to personal gain. The author’s arguments on the working of the Holy Spirit resonates the need for the church to awaken and rediscover the power of revival, prayer, worship and evangelism.
I agree with the author’s analyses of several theatrics present in the church such as false tongues, false miracles, prosperity gospel, and use of the pulpit for personal gain. It is imperative for the minister to understand their call and adhere to their master’s command, the Holy Spirit, in their daily activities.
The author has also stated how important it is to speak in tongues; genuine tongue that leads to edification of the person. This is the most abused practice in the church according to the author, and amounts to mockery of the highest order to the Spirit.
The fact that many Christians do not understand the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives in terms of His plans for their salvation also highlights the need for Christians to seek for a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit. To sustain the great revival and to keep the Spirit fire burning, Christians will have to safeguard themselves from false doctrines and practices and lean to the pure word of God.
Evaluation
MacArthur reinstates the perpetual need for revival in the body of Christ in his book. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the church has experienced mighty revivals by the Holy Spirit seeking to change the static nature of the church to a vibrant one. The notion of being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in new tongues is a part of Christian experience that the mainstream churches have ignored for a long time.[5]
The Holy Spirit has immense ability to work in the current church in an even mightier state than the ancient church; something that has been plagued by the inability of the church to recognize His power and the need to yield under His authority. The Holy Spirit is a prerequisite for the successful operation of the church, which Jesus promised to send, without which we cannot be effective in ministry.[6]
George Smeaton in his book The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit reiterates how this third personality of God has been working with humanity since the time of Enoch. The Holy Spirit is the finisher and effecter of the purposes and plans of God. However, the reason why the church has remained dormant for a long time is due to lack of understanding of the Holy Spirit and yielding to the spirit of confusion.
The church is at the edges of societal centrality due to entertainment of ungodly doctrines by ministers and congregation as well. Christians must learn to test the spirits to know which is from God in order to avoid deception.[7] God gave several people in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit in order to do specific tasks, requiring wisdom, courage, extreme strength, and skills.[8] Therefore, the infilling with the Holy Spirit is a requisite for effective spiritual experience in Christianity and realization of greater purpose. The author’s analogy of the works of the Spirit reflects the works of other authors as an imperative entity.
Migration of people has the benefit of spreading several levels of workforce around the world. Both skilled and semi-skilled workforce is desirable in many parts of the world and may help in distributing some essential work practises that are missing in several parts of the world (Kaplan 2017). Immigration helps in replenishing labour needs in some countries that are experiencing low workforce due to the ageing population or low increase in the population that creates a gap in labour needs (Kochan&Finegold 2012).
The competitive nature of global marketplace requires companies to have highly skilled workforce in order to compete favourably. Some organizations are then forced to offer attractive packages to these workers to move them from their countries of origin, mainly developing countries.
The migration of people has got many effects on both the home country and the destination country of the labourers. The influx of many labourers into a country may affect the minimum wage as employers will have a large pool of employees to choose from (Siddiqui 2012). The impact on home countries may include brain drain or low skilled workforce, causing slow economic growth due to inadequate expert workforce to accomplish essential jobs (Siddiqui 2012).
There is a multifaceted effect of immigration in terms of its contribution to the workforce. The effect may be positive or negative depending on where the migrants come from or go to and the type of labourers. This study seeks to find whether migrant workers can bring new practises and work performance standards to a country and whether they can be an asset to that country.
Sources of Migrants
There are several social, economic, political and environmental factors that may contribute to the migration of individuals. People have been migrating for many centuries from one region to another, and in doing so distributing their culture and practises around the world. There are several reasons why people migrate which may be poverty, political turmoil or socio-economic reasons.
Poverty or poor economy
Poverty is arguably the highest cause of migration in the 21st century due to the huge imbalance between the poor and the rich. There is a great disparity between developed and developing countries, with the five richest countries in the world being 100 times richer than the ten poorest countries in the world (One America 2017).
The quest to run away from poverty and struggles that cloud those living in developing countries is very high. Additionally, skilled workers from developed countries in professions such as engineering, medicine, nursing and finance may want to move to countries where they can earn better wages, improve their skills, increase their knowledge, and experience better working conditions (Dayton-Johnson 2009).
The developed countries are often faced with massive corruption, nepotism, tribalism, unequal distribution of resources and embezzlement of public funds by public officials (Fokkema& De Haas 2015). Unemployed people in these countries may therefore migrate either to urban centres, or to developed countries where there is high wages and good working environments.
For example, in Haiti the average per capita income is around $400 per year, while in the United States an unskilled labourer can easily make that in a week (One America 2017). This forces many to seek out employment in these countries, which also helps them remit money to their families back at home and help them fight poverty. Poverty makes hundreds of Africans brave the dangers of drowning in the Mediterranean Sea, when they board smuggling boats using their hard-earned money to Europe.
In 2015, more than 1600 people drowned in the Mediterranean Sea when their boats capsized as they were being smuggled into Europe from Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria (Saunders 2015). The quest to run away from poverty makes people risk everything for good life abroad.
Political instability and armed conflict
In March 2017, the president of the United States Donald Trump banned the citizens of Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Iran from accessing the United States (Whitehouse.gov 2017). These countries constitute the countries with very unstable political environments, as wars and civil wars are continuing in these countries due to various reasons.
The failed Arab Revolution in Syria left the country in political turmoil as the government is battling militias and terrorists from taking control of the country (Gharib 2017). The same is happening in Somalia and Yemen. These countries generate the largest number of refugees as they escape from their war torn countries towards safer environments such as the United States and Europe.
Out of the 16.5 million refugees present in the world by 2017, 30% come from Syria (Gharib 2017). The bulk of these refugees come from the five mentioned countries, and are mainly hosted in South Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Uganda, Kenya, Sweden and Chad among other countries (Garib 2017). Among these hundreds of refugees are skilled labourers such as teachers, doctors, nurses, drivers, and government officers such as clerks, accountants and administrators. These refugees will most likely seek for employment in their new countries and will help in the economy of their destination countries.
Socio-economic factors
Apart from poverty and political turmoil, there are many other factors that influence the migration of people to other areas. Saunders (2015) found out that the Mediterranean migration crisis does not only come from poverty or political strife in Africa, but rather from high demand for labourers in Europe. He found that most of those who risked their lives to go to Europe were educated, ambitious, middle class and very far from being peasants.
These individuals would pay up to $2000 for a trip to Europe, showing that they could at least afford the large amount of money for a successful life abroad. Saunders (2015) also found that the illegal migrants from Africa were connected to individuals in Europe working in the same profession, and are not running away from something but rather following a certain opportunity in Europe.
Most people who migrate to successful economies do so to advance their social status, by getting jobs with good earnings, and some to seek for specific opportunities in business and investment opportunities (Awumbila, Owusu&Teye 2014). The oil business in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia has attracted a large number of expatriates into the region. The prospects of employment with better salaries, good lifestyle and better working conditions are the main reasons many expatriates from other countries go to the Middle East (Shaheen 2009).
The ageing Baby Boomers population in the United States and most European countries is creating a massive gap in employment as the group is retiring at an alarming rate and in great numbers (Kochan&Finegold 2012). This creates a wide gap in employment as there is need for skilled labourers in these countries to fill the employment gap.
Additionally, supplementary staff are needed mainly in the health and hospitality sectors to cater for the needs of this population, as their weakening bodies come with more needs (Bartha et al. 2015). The retirement of the Baby Boomers leaves many companies with the need to recruit workers to fill the gaps in middle skill jobs such as high skill manufacturing, nursing, computer technology, and accounting (Kochan&Finegold 2012).
Some people migrate to other countries hoping to improve their education or other statuses in life. For example, Legrain (2007) reports that some of the people living in London were in transition into better jobs, but had to spend some years learning English before venturing into better jobs in the UK, or other English speaking countries like the United States.
Most of the immigrants were from Asia, South America or Africa. Legrain (2007) also shows that many immigrants in the United States and UK end up upgrading themselves and getting into lucrative careers such as accounting, professors in universities, hotel managers and administrative assistants among others. Therefore, migrant workers help their countries of destination in several other ways too despite the setbacks many face.
Importance Migrant Workers
Migrant workers serve as a ‘reserve army or labourers’ waiting to bridge any employment gap in seasonal peaks of production (Hardy 2009). In the United Kingdom and the whole European Union, many companies require seasonal job needs in various sectors such as agriculture, hospitality and service industries, attracting workers from Africa and Asia (Hardy 2009). According to Saunders (2015), the Mediterranean migration is usually seasonal because of the different job demands in European countries.
In 2008 for example, there was an increased Europe to Africa migration because of the economic recession that many European countries were going through. The migration erupted again in 2011 and 2014/2015 because of stable economic times in the European markets. Most of the people crossing were learned and professionals seeking to establish their lives in Europe.
Effects on Work Practises and Standards
Migrant workers do not just fill the job deficiency gaps in their destination countries, but provide a quick way of providing professional and high skill workforce required by the destination countries (Foema& Haas 2015). After the great recession of 2008, many employers in the United States struggled to find individuals to fill gaps in the middle skills jobs as the large number of retiring Baby Boomers were creating huge employment demands in the job market and immigration reduced during this period (Kochan&Finegolf 2012).
The discovery of oil in the United Arab Emirates in the 1960s created a high demand for workers to fill several sectors of the economy such as finance, accounting, hospitality, engineering and media among others (Soto &Haouas 2012). The UAE is the richest country in the world in terms of oil, accounting for 7% and 4% of the world’s reserve of oil and gas respectively as by 2011 (Soto &Haouas 2012). The local population of the Emiratis consist of less than 20% of the total population, which could not provide enough individuals to fill the high skill jobs required in the job sector.
The expatriate population in the UAE come from many countries, mostly from Asia and especially India (De Bel-Air 2015). The good salaries and better lifestyle in UAE attracts talented and highly skilled individuals from different countries in the world to fill job positions in the oil sectors and related industries. The thriving UAE economy has a lot to do with the high number of expatriate population that cover 95% of private sector jobs and 40% of public sector jobs (De Bel-Air 2015). The input of the migrant workers has put UAE to be one of the most vibrant economies in the world.
Migrants have the ability to change the economies of certain countries to be outstanding in certain areas. The Software Industry of India is one example, where diaspora Indians in the American software companies travelled back home to form software companies in their country (Dayton-Johnson 2009).
Today, India’s software industry is the leading in Asia, and constantly collaborated with other companies in the USA to provide better services. Migrant workers have enabled the UAE to have a vibrant industrial sector, while the exquisite human resource practises in Qatar is mainly attributed to expatriates who run most of the country’s companies including multinationals (Koji 2011).
Bridging local skill gaps
One characteristics associated with migrant workers is that their approach to work is always different from that of the local population. Koji (2011) notes that many citizens of UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia work in the public sector because they detest the working conditions in the private sector. The United Arab Emirates promoted the development of the non-oil sector in the 1980s to reduce the country’s reliance on the oil industry (Koji 2011).
Therefore, expatriates form 99% of the population in non-oil sector mainly manufacturing, construction, transport and low-skilled jobs as they are able to endure extreme working conditions. The need to make money and change their social conditions at home makes these individuals to brave all conditions to be able to succeed (Koji 2011).
Carvalho (2015) notes that expatriate population helps in the economic development of a country as they contribute to the essentials of economic growth such as population, productivity and participation. Most migrants are usually of prime working age and are ambitious, hardworking and skilled in one sector or another. As noted by Carvalho (2015), most Australian migrants are below 40 years old and above 20 years old.
They therefore form the best country’s asset in bridging labour needs, by filling gaps in the population. By using them, the country can advance economically as they provide additional labour in the deficiencies created by the local population.
Another characteristics associated with migrant workers is that they are very hardworking. As opposed to the local population which may be choosy, they are able to adapt to the local working conditions and can endure very harsh working conditions in their host countries (Poulney 2015).
The position of Qatar to hold the FIFA World Cup in 2022 has attracted a hoard of expatiates mostly from Asian countries to work in the construction industry, as the country tries to beat the deadline of constructing world-class stadiums for the event (Poulteney 2015). Though there are instances of human rights violations, the working population in these projects is highly migrants as locals keep off the deplorable working conditions of the huge projects.
Imai et al. (2011) notes that many migrant workers have a tendency to remit money back home to their families as they work abroad. This money is meant to uplift the living conditions of those left behind. These remittances helps in improving the credit rating of these countries and providing foreign currency that can be used to inhibit investor panic (Imai et al. 2011). The remittances helps migrant workers to invest in physical assets in their home countries and improving the health and education of the local population.
Challenges Faced By Migrant Workers
Migrant workers face a myriad of challenges in their journeys to uplift their living standards. They often face very difficult conditions of work and have few rights at their jobs (Siddiqui 2012). Poulteney (2015) notes that migrant workers in Qatar work for almost 16 hours, and their visas are often confiscated by their employers until they finish their contracts. These practises are however changing as the government seeks to impose tough penalties to employers confiscating their employees’ travelling documents (Tuxford 2016). Workers in Middle East though endure long working hours and often suffer from cardiac arrest and heat strokes.
Some countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar deny migrant workers citizenship and are forced to leave the country immediately their contract ends, or when they are unable to get another job (Koji 2011). Some employers in some countries may also exploit migrant workers by offering them very low wages as compared to the locals. They may also deny them training, job related perks or health insurance coverage benefits.
Conclusion
Migrant workers can be a great asset to a country. They may bring a lot of experience and good work practises that can aid greatly the economy of a country. They often migrate because of poverty, political instability or to improve their social status. This makes them better workers as they are hardworking and visionary, though this comes with challenges.
References
Awumbila, M., Owusu, G. and Teye, J.K., 2014. Can rural-urban migration into slums reduce poverty? Evidence from Ghana. Migrating Out of Poverty Working Paper, 13, pp.1-41.
Bartha, A., Fedyuk, O. and Zentai, V., 2015. Low-skilled Migration: Immigrant Workers in European Domestic Care.
Dayton-Johnson, J., GTZ, A.P., GTZ, K.S. and Schwinn, J., 2009. Migration and employment. Unclassified DCD/DAC (2009) 16/ADD, p.93.
De Bel-Air, F., 2015. Demography, migration, and the labour market in the UAE.
Fokkema, T. and Haas, H., 2015. Pre‐and Post‐Migration Determinants of Socio‐Cultural Integration of African Immigrants in Italy and Spain.International Migration, 53(6), pp.3-26.
Imai, K.S., Gaiha, R., Ali, A. and Kaicker, N., 2014. Remittances, growth and poverty: New evidence from Asian countries. Journal of Policy Modeling,36(3), pp.524-538.
Kaplan, G. and Schulhofer‐Wohl, S., 2017. Understanding the Long‐Run Decline in Interstate Migration. International Economic Review, 58(1), pp.57-94.
Kochan, T., Finegold, D. and Osterman, P., 2012. Who can fix the “middle-skills” gap. Harvard Business Review, 90(12), pp.81-90.
Koji, H., 2011. Controversies over labour naturalization policy and its dilemmas: 40 years of Emiratisation in the United Arab Emirates. Kyoto Bulletin of Islamic Area Studies, 4(1-2).
Legrain, P., 2014. Immigrants: Your country needs them. Princeton University Press.
Rabe, B. and Taylor, M.P., 2012. Differences in opportunities? Wage, employment and house‐price effects on migration. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 74(6), pp.831-855.
My clinical role largely involves billing, coding, and documentation of patients’ data to facilitate easy communication between insurance companies and the healthcare organization that I currently work for. My healthcare facility often sends the coding and billing information to insurance companies to claim payments. As a coding, documentation and billing specialist, I am charged with the responsibility of keeping clear health data and reviewing those records before assigning proper codes to specific diagnoses (Benoit, Bergeron and Bertrand, 2016; & Deloitte, 2016).
Coding, billing, and documentation of patients’ health data are governed by strict ethical, legal, and regulatory standards because they involve usage of confidential information. In this regard, clinicians have strict ethical and legal responsibilities to observe as far as documentation strategies, coding, and billing are concerned (Benoit, Bergeron and Bertrand, 2016).
Personally, I feel that it is in order for documentation strategies, coding, and billing to be governed by strict ethical, legal, and regulatory standards. Since clinicians have access to private patient’s records, they must maintain total confidentiality in their documentation strategies, coding, and billing (Deloitte, 2016). In addition, these clinicians have an ethical responsibility to access only that information that is related to the issue being addressed at any given time.
Their actions must comply with the ethical standards documented in the American Association of Professional Coders and the American Health Information Management Association (Benoit, Bergeron and Bertrand, 2016). As far as their legal and regulatory responsibilities are concerned, documentation, coding and billing specialists must maintain confidentiality requirements as outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, (HIPAA). The ethical, legal, and regulatory standards that govern documentation strategies, coding, and billing, play a significant role in minimizing healthcare fraud and abuse (Deloitte, 2016).
Evidence-based research has become an important aspect of the healthcare industry in the recent past due to the role that it plays in improving healthcare delivery. According to JoAnn (2017), evidence-based research is necessary because it helps clinicians to generate the right type of data that they can use to improve the effectiveness of care. Clinicians often rely on different kinds of knowledge for them to make the right decisions in their relationships with sick patients.
Furthermore, they are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of the physiological, psychological, emotional, and social factors affecting their patients’ health for them to deliver the most appropriate care. Although clinicians can quickly obtain this information from existing literature, they must complement it by evidence from empirical research. Evidence-based research, therefore, provides clinicians with practical facts that they can integrate with their experiential knowledge to improve patient care (Kristensen, Nymann and Konradsen, 2015).
I incorporate evidence-based research to a large extent into my role as a clinician. I firmly believe that the safety of my patients depends on the availability of evidence that can adequately support the nature of care that I deliver to them (JoAnn, 2017). For this reason, I rely on data obtained from evidence-based research to improve healthcare services which serve to promote better outcomes for my patients.
I do not only rely on evidence-based research to change my care practices, but I also develop available evidence to fulfill existing knowledge gaps as far as improvement of patient safety is concerned. Over the coming years, I aspire to utilize evidence-based research to improve my skills as a clinician (Kristensen, Nymann and Konradsen, 2015).
Falls are common among seniors, especially those who are suffering from chronic health problems such as diabetes (Graveande and Richardson, 2016). According to Graveande and Richardson (2016), a geriatric fall is a sudden occurrence among the elderly that signifies a decline in their homeostatic reserve. Geriatric falls pose a great risk of loss of independence to the elderly in the society today.
This calls for the greatest need to identity and implements the most appropriate health maintenance strategies that would improve care for this population and their families. Mazur, Wilczynski, and Szewieczek (2016) critically explore the importance of health maintenance specific to geriatric falls as it pertains to the care of the patient and their family.
According to Mazur, Wilczynski, and Szewieczek (2016), exercise is the most appropriate health promotion strategy for geriatric falls because it helps to improve balance and minimize the risks of repeated falls. Exercise is a recommended health promotion strategy for geriatric falls because it serves to generate a greater amount of homeostatic reserve for the elderly patient. In addition to exercise, elderly patients who are at high risks of falling should eat a balanced diet as this provides them with energy that they may need to regain physical activity.
As Mazur, Wilczynski and Szewieczek (2016) explain, social support can help to reduce risk factors for future falls among the seniors because it drives away the fear that typically develops from past falls. Family members of elderly patients who are recovering from the effects of falls should pay attention to physical activity, nutritional strategies, and social support in their effort to promote positive health outcomes for their patients (Mazur, Wilczynski and Szewieczek, 2016).
I agree with the solutions provided by Mazur, Wilczynski and Szewieczek (2016) because they are supported by evidence-based research. In a well-organized research, Burton, Cavalheri and Hill (2015) have revealed that physical exercise programs help to improve balance in older adults who are at risk for falls. These researchers further assert that planned nutritional strategies contribute to induce positive health changes such as improved performance and reduced risk for falls in geriatric patients.
In a similar study, Durbin, Kharrazi and Mielenz (2016) support the use of social support, physical exercise, and dietary supplements in promoting health maintenance to geriatric patients. Since health maintenance solutions for geriatric falls are supported by evidence-based research, clinicians can utilize these ideas to make appropriate healthcare decisions for their elderly patients (Kristensen, Nymann and Konradsen, 2015).
The number of elderly adults who are being diagnosed with diabetes in the society today is on the rise. The major challenge faced by clinicians is defining the therapy goals for geriatric patients due to the existence of limited data about the aging process and drug response of this population (Kazerle, Shalev, and Barski, 2014).
Considering the complexities that surround the health status of geriatric patients, clinicians are charged with the responsibility of choosing a treatment plan that will maximize glycemic control, while at the same time avoiding exposing their patients to increased risks. Due to variations in physiological functions between adults and geriatric patients, the treatment approach for geriatric patients differs significantly from that of an adult (Graveande and Richardson, 2016).
Treatment of geriatric patients involves the use of medication as well as other interventions such as nutritional strategies and psycho-social support (Graveande and Richardson, 2016). This paper will focus on pharmacological or drug treatment alone. The best medication that should be used to treat geriatric diabetic patients includes; metformin, sulfonylureas, meglitinides, thiazolidinediones, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, and sodium glucose co-transporters two inhibitors.
These medications are taken orally at highly controlled doses. Geriatric diabetes patients can also be treated using injectable therapies such as GLP-1 analogs, pramlintide, and insulin. Although similar medications can be used to treat diabetes in adults, the drug dosage differs significantly between the two populations due to variations in pharmacokinetic parameters. In this respect, the drug dosage given to geriatric patients are relatively lower than those administered to adults. The goal of delivering lower doses to geriatric patients as compared to adults is the need to maximize chances of glycemic control, without exposing the elderly adults to additional risks (Kazerle, Shalev, and Barski, 2014).
My learning progress in the course directly correlates to the stages in Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory. Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory assumes that a learner experiences a progressive form of knowledge acquisition that involves five stages namely; novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert stages of skill acquisition (Josephsen, 2014). Since I began the course, I have successfully gone through the first stage of Benner’s theory known as novice stage.
When I started the course as a novice, I had no background experience, and I had difficulty differentiating between relevant and irrelevant aspects. Even now, I still take my time to understand course requirements and their significance in shaping my roles as a clinician. After familiarizing myself with a few course concepts, I will move to the second stage of advanced beginner.
At this stage, I will rely on rules provided by my instructor to perform every individual task. Furthermore, I will ask more experienced students to help me integrate practical knowledge and to set priorities for the course (Bowen and Prentice, 2016).
After learning course concepts for two years, I will progress to the competent stage of skill acquisition. Here, I will easily compare situations and make judgments on that scenario that require immediate attention. Additionally, I will integrate devised rules with those learned in the classroom to help solve complex matters. From the competent stage, I will move to proficient stage characterized by critical thinking and individual decision making (Bowen and Prentice, 2016).
While at proficient stage of skill acquisition, I will be able to easily see changes that take place in every situation and implement appropriate responses to promote success. It is at this stage where I will view the course as a whole rather than regarding its small components like I currently do. Later on, I will progress to expert stage of skill acquisition. Here, I will be able to grasp every situation more accurately than now.
Additionally, I will no longer rely on rules and guidelines to make appropriate decisions on how to tackle issues related to the course. Moreover, I will operate from a deep understanding of every situation and make judgments that will generate positive outcomes (Josephsen, 2014).
In conclusion, as a clinician, I have an obligation to observe ethical, legal, and regulatory responsibilities during documentation, coding, and billing. Also, I must acknowledge the importance of evidence-based research by making clinical decisions based on facts obtained from empirical studies. A good example of a health situation in which I can effectively utilize evidence-based research is when designing a health promotion program specific to geriatric falls.
In this case, evidence-based practice will help me to deliver the most appropriate care for the patient and his or her family. Considering the little volume of knowledge that I have gathered as a novice, I believe that my learning progress in the course effectively correlates to the stages of Benner’s Novice to Expert Theory.
References
Benoit, M., Bergeron, J. & Bertrand, G. (2016). Decision-making tool: Telepractice and digital records management in the health and human relations sectors. Quebec: Conseil Interprofessionnel du Quebec.
Bowen, K. & Prentice, D. (2016). Are Benner’s expert nurses near extinction? Nursing Philosophy, 7(2): 144-148. Doi.10.111/nup.12114.
Deloitte. (2016). International review: Secondary use of health and social care data and applicable legislation. Author: Deloitte & Touche Oy, Group of Companies.
Durbin, L., Kharrazi, R. & Mielenz, T. J. (2016). Social support and older adult fall. Injury Epidemiology, 3(1):4.doi:10.1186/s40621-016-0070-y
Grave and, J. & Richardson, J. (2016). Identifying non-pharmacological risk factors for falling in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 39(15): 1459-1465.doi:10.1080/09638288.2016.119974.
JoAnn, M. (2017). Call to action: How to implement evidence-based nursing practice. Nursing, 47(4):36-43.
Josephsen, J. (2014). Critically reflective theory: A proposal for nursing education. Advances in Nursing, 2014: 360-594. Doi:10.1155/2014/594360.
Kazerle, L., Shalev, L. & Barski, L. (2014). Treating the elderly diabetic patient: Special considerations. Diabetes Metabolic Syndromes and Obesity, 7: 391-400.
Kristensen, N., Nymann, C. & Konradsen, H. (2015). Implementing research results in clinical practice: The experience of healthcare professionals. BMC Health Services Research, 16:48.doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1292-y
Mazur, K., Wilczynski, K. & Szewieczek, J. (2016). Geriatric falls in the context of a hospital fall prevention program: Delirium, low body mass index, and other risk factors. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 11:1253-1261.doi:10.2147/CIA.S115755.
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One of the guidelines of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) pertains research expounds about red flags of research that require Research Ethics Consultation. This guideline can affect the research process and the research approval process mainly because if a researcher wants to conduct research and collect data about sensitive topics or vulnerable population he/she is required to obtain ethics guidance that should be incorporated into research planning.
Examples of vulnerable populations that have been stipulated by the Institutional Review Board include the following; minors, that is individuals who are below 17 years, prisoners, mentally impaired or disabled persons, and undocumented immigrants, residents in nursing homes, patients of the research or adult students of the researcher (Chew-Graham, 2016).
Vulnerable populations can affect the research population because one should evaluate the degree to which it is appropriate to include the vulnerable populations in the research or if it is necessary to carry out research using information from individuals who do not have decision-making capacity such as the mentally disabled individuals as required by the research approval process guidelines.
Information from some of these individuals should also not be disclosed to the public; this, therefore, poses a challenge to the researcher when it comes to the presentation of the research findings. Chew-Graham (2016) reports that when dealing with vulnerable groups, it is advisable for one to consider any possible adverse impact that inclusion of the participants such as minors may have in later stages.
The Walden IRB also offers direction on the use of Archival researchers (Beyer et al., 2016). Mostly private or public records are used to provide IRB approval before data is analyzed. The IRB protects the data of the stakeholders. Therefore, when doing research one will ensure that he/she does not use an organization’s data without permission. If so, then the report should indicate the source of the data to avoid plagiarism issues with can prompt stakeholders to press charges against the researcher.
References
Beyer, T., Tiehen, J., Mahato, M., Ferrari, L., & Ramakrishnan, S. (2014). Institutional Review Board.
Client Address: 49 Featherstone Street, London, United Kingdom
Background This patient care action plan is for William. William currently has liver cancer and he is very much worried about his condition and how his wife Gladys will cope with the situation. When William was growing up, he thought that he would live to reach ninety years old, like his parents, without any serious illness. His dream of living longer has just been shattered after he recently discovered the presence of blood in his stool. On visiting the hospital, William has received a confirmation from Dr. Maxwell that he has liver cancer. William’s immediate carer is his wife, Gladys, who provides assistance with daily living activities as well as with social support. Since William’s kids have their own families and they are mostly committed to work, he has limited access to family support. His living setting is the home environment, and he frequently visits the hospital from where he is cared for by Dr. Maxwell and nurse Linda. Dr. Maxwell has involved other physicians in William’s care. The doctor is working together with other highly qualified healthcare professionals to ensure that William receives the support that he needs for the longest period possible. William’s health condition is not that severe, and his recent health care trajectory indicates that he has a positive progress. His positive health progress is mainly attributed to good communication and a positive relationship with his healthcare providers, including the social worker. At the moment, William largely depends on services obtained from only one GP healthcare resource.
Needs Assessment From the PCC4U Needs Assessment, it is evident that some of Williams needs have been met while there are others, which have not been effectively addressed. Needs that are currently met The positive progress that is being observed in the patient is attributed to primary health care services that he is now receiving from the doctors and nurse Linda (Llobera, Sanso, and Leiva, 2017). Through support obtained from the doctors, William has learned and can apply various health promotion options that are available to him. Also, William has been informed about the right people he should approach in case his health condition gets worse. Immediate needs that should be met It is important to prioritize patients’ unmet needs to plan effectively on how to help them manage their health conditions (Khosla, Patel, and Sharma, 2012). There are two major immediate needs that William should be assisted to meet. During his interaction with nurse Linda, William explains that he is in a bit of pain and that he still has a lousy appetite. These conditions are common among older people with terminal illnesses (Goodman, Dening, and Zubair, et al., 2016). In this regard, William should be taught how he can solve his appetite problems and how he can effectively manage pain. Potential needs that might arise William’s healthcare providers should be prepared to address potential needs that might arise in the course of care. It is important to identify possible emotional and physical health problems that may arise to formulate strategies that can be used to prevent them early (Clarke, Bourn, Skoufalos, Beck, and Castillo, 2017). To meet William’s physical and emotional needs, the healthcare providers should engage specialists in palliative medicine and palliative nursing, as well as family members, to provide necessary care as early as possible (Llobera, Sanso, and Leiva, 2017).
Local Resources and Services Scan
Service name and brief description
Address/contact details and website URL (if available)
Opening hours/contact hours
How to access (e.g. is a referral required?)
What needs can this service help to meet?
Healthcare team member responsible for referral/action
Open Monday to Friday from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm, Saturday 11.00 am to 6.00 pm, and Closed on Sunday
No referrals are necessary
Offers emotional and social support for patients with terminal illness and their families.
Lead nurse Angel and Marilyn can assist patients with making appointments and follow-up.
William can get necessary emotional and social support from this facility.
Hospice UK
34-44 Britannia St, Kings Cross, London WC1X 9JG +44 20 7520 8200 http://www.hospiceuk.org/
Open Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Closed on Saturday and Sunday
No referrals are necessary
Provides all types of home-based care needed by patients with serious illness.
Carol Warlford is the Chief Clinical Officer in charge of all forms of palliative care in the facility.
This facility is appropriate for meeting William’s physical, social, physiological, and emotional needs both now and in future.
St. Christopher’s Personal Care
Sydenham, UK +44 20 8768 4500 http://www.stcpersonalcare.org.uk/
Open every day from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.
No referrals are required
Offers support with all forms of care including medication, nutrition, activities of daily living, social support, and emotional support.
Denise, Maxine, Tony, and Sandra are highly trained to offer palliative care to all patients with various needs.
The facility is a useful back up for William’s palliative care needs.
Action Plan
Medication: The nurse should plan a visit to the physician to provide the right prescription for William to enable him to manage pain effectively (Ramanayake, Dilanka, and Premasiri, 2016; & Al-Mahrezi, and Al-Mandhari, 2016). This arrangement should be made as soon as possible.
Nutrition: The nurse should contact a nutritionist to help with the development of a feeding plan for William and his wife. Since appetite is one of William’s problems that should be solved urgently, this action should be started as soon as possible (Forbat, Haraldsdottir, Lewis, and Hepburn, 2016; & Caccaialanza, Pedrazzoli, and Zagonel, et al., 2016).
Physical Activity: William’s wife should contact a trainer to help William with physical exercise (Lowe, Tan, Faily, Watanabe, and Courneya, 2016; & Chandrasekar, Tribett, and Ramchandran, 2016). This arrangement should be made before William’s next meeting with the GP.
Counselling: The nurse should plan a visit to a professional psychologist to plan counselling sessions for William and his family (Pino, Parry, Land, Faull, Feathers, and Seymour, 2016). This plan should be ready before William’s next meeting with the GP.
Referral to Hospice: The nurse should contact a social worker to provide William and his wife with detailed legal information related to the procedures he should follow when he will be required to relocate from home-based care to the hospice (Hui and Bruera, 2016). This arrangement should be made when William will no longer be in a position to make decisions by himself.
Reference List
Al-Mahrezi, A. & Al-Mandhari, Z. (2016). Palliative care: Time for action. Oman Medical Journal, 31(3): 161-163. doi: 10.5001/omj.2016.32
Caccaialanza, R., Pedrazzoli, P…& Zagonel, V. (2016). Nutritional support in cancer patients: A position paper from the Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM) and the Italian Society of Artificial Nutrition and Metabolism (SINPE). Journal of Cancer, 7(2): 131-135. doi: 10.7150/jca.13818
Chandrasekar, D., Tribett, E. & Ramchandran, K. (2016). Integrated palliative care and oncologic care in non-small-cell lung cancer. Current Treatment Options in Oncology, 17: 23. doi: 10.1007/s11864-016-0397-1
Clarke, J., Bourn, S., Skoufalos, A., Beck, E. & Castillo, D. J. (2017). An innovative approach to health care delivery for patients with chronic conditions. Population Health Management, 20(1): 23-30. doi: 10.1089/pop.2016.0076
Forbat, L., Haraldsdottir, E., Lewis, M. & Hepburn, K. (2016). Supporting the provision of palliative care in the home environment: A proof-of-concept single-arm trial of a palliative carers education package (PrECEPt). BMJ Open, 6(10): e012681. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012681
Goodman, C., Dening, T…& Zubair, M. (2016). Effective health care for older people living and dying in care homes: A realist review. BMC Health Services Research, 16: 269. doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1493-4
Hui, D. & Bruera, E. (2016). Integrating palliative care into the trajectory of cancer care. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 13(3): 158-171. doi: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2015.201
Khosla, D., Patel, F. D. & Sharma, S. C. (2012). Palliative care in India: Current progress and future needs. Indian Journal of Palliative Care, 18(3): 149-154. doi: 10.4103/0973-1075.105683
Llobera, J., Sanso, N….& Leiva, A. (2017). Strengthening primary health care teams with palliative care leaders: Protocol for a cluster randomized clinical trial. BMC Palliative Care, 17: 4. doi: 10.1186/s12904-017-0217-9
Lowe, S., Tan, M., Faily, J., Watanabe, S. & Courneya, K. (2016). Physical activity in advanced cancer patients: A systematic review protocol. Systematic Reviews, 5: 43. doi: 10.1186/s13643-016-0220-x
Pino, M., Parry, R., Land, V., Faull, C., Feathers, L., & Seymour, J. (2016). Engaging terminally ill patients in end of life talk: How experienced palliative medicine doctors navigate the dilemma of promoting discussions about dying. PLoS ONE 11(5): e0156174. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156174
Ramanayake, R., Dilanka, G. & Premasiri, L. (2016). Palliative care: Role of family physicians.Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 5(2): 234-237. doi: 10.4103/2249-4863.192356
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The patient care that I have provided has greatly influenced my career and my decision to advance my nursing education. Although I am a licensed practical nurse (LPN), the nature of patient care that I have provided is far much above my professional level. Most of the care services I offer perfectly match those that should be performed by a registered nurse. For instance, I have been able to obtain a specialty in allergies just like a registered nurse.
Due to my commitment to patient care, I have been promoted to head the sub-acute unit of the hospital where I currently work. I have frequently had the privilege to train registered nurses who are deployed at my unit despite the fact that I belong to a lower rank than them. Surprisingly, a large percentage of registered nurses whom I have interacted with have succeeded in their careers, not only in my current hospital but also in other facilities.
These achievements have influenced me to continue my nursing education. As Farinaz (2016) explains, there is always a limit of the nature of patient care that an LPN can provide. Being an LPN, there is a limit of what I can do to my patients and my fellow nurses. In this regard, I feel that by advancing my education, I will acquire additional nursing knowledge and skills that will enable me to possess competencies that resemble those of a registered nurse.
With these academic qualifications, I will be in a position to perform more advanced caring roles than the ones that I can offer at the moment. Furthermore, I believe that advancing my nursing education will increase the salary that I shall be able to earn. Being a single mother of three, I honestly think that I should be compensated well to motivate me to work hard because most of the tasks that are delegated to me should be performed by a registered nurse.
Question Two
With the nursing knowledge and skills that are currently possessed, together with those that are yet to be acquired, I see myself contributing positively to the nursing profession. According to Arabi, Rafii, Cheraghi, and Ghiyasvandian, (2014), nurses make an enormous contribution to the nursing profession by protecting the quality of health care. I believe that the goal of a successful nurse is always to make a meaningful contribution to his or her profession.
I am highly committed to achieving this goal, and I increasingly utilize my work experience to make a significant change to nursing. With seven years of professional experience, I stand out as a nurse who can deliver quality patient care. Furthermore, I always strive to provide care by my educational training to protect my licensure. I work hard every day to become part of highly qualified nurses who can deliver the highest quality care as recommended by the Institute of Medicine (The Institute of Medicine, 2010).
Furthermore, I will contribute to the nursing profession by utilizing my skills and knowledge to assist my supervisors as well as my fellow nurses. As I continue to deliver extraordinary care to patients, I extensively interact with my supervisors because this helps me to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses.
I am eager to learn to fill my knowledge gaps and to fit to work in the rapidly changing medical and nursing fields. In this manner, I will be in a position to make meaningful reforms to the nursing profession and to take patient care to a higher level. The contribution that I can make to nursing encompasses both patient advocacy and change implementation (Arabi et al., 2014).
Reference List
Arabi, A., Rafii, F., Cheraghi, M. A. & Ghiyasvandian, S. (2014). Nurses’ policy influence: A concept analysis. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 19(3): 315-322.
Consumer behavior can best be understood by recognizing that each individual has unique tastes and preferences. In marketing, consumer behavior plays an imperative role in designing marketing strategies, through an understanding of consumer psychology, consumer decision making process, implications of consumer knowledge on decision making, and motivation associated with the purchase of different products (Johnson et al, 2014). This way, marketers can effectively improve their marketing strategies and campaigns to ensure that they appeal to the customer.
In making a decision, customers go through a process that involves need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post-purchase evaluation. To influence demand for its products or services, a company must ensure that it maintains quality to meet customer needs and provides adequate information about its products and services.
A useful strategy in understanding consumer behavior is to remain in the limelight so that when customers are in the process of decision making, the company’s product or service comes to mind. Through advertising, marketers can promote brand awareness, reinforce attitude on brands and influence external searches. A company that has successfully achieved this is Proctor & Gamble, which is considered the world’s largest advertiser. Its constant advertisements on television, online, social media and printed media has ensured revenue growth to a great extent.
The #LikeAGirl Always sanitary pads advertisement for example has over 64 million views. The Smell Like a Man, Man advertisement featuring Old Spice products also became widely famous as well as ‘Best Job’ that sought to recognize the importance of mothers. These advertisements by Proctor and Gamble could have easily influenced decision making among customers.
To take advantage of the customer decision making process, companies must design marketing strategies that capture the attention of consumers and thus invoke interest in the program ((Johnson et al, 2014). Coca Cola remains one of the products that has managed to consistently capture the attention of customers. Most of Coca Cola advertisements are a call to action and this plays a major role in influencing decision making. In the advertisement catch phrases ‘Taste the Feeling’, ‘Share a Coke with a Friend’, ‘Obey your Thirst’, all these are aimed at encouraging customers to buy Coca Cola beverages.
Organizations in designing their marketing strategies must establish which of the three types of decision making the consumer is likely to make. Cognitive decision making is a deliberate, sequential and rational process and the effort put towards decision making depends on the degree of involvement. To enhance decision making, companies should design and advertise their products in such a way that it catches the attention of the customer.
In purchasing a car for example, the process of decision making is cognitive and this explains why brands such as Mercedes, Volkswagen, Nissan and Toyota ensure high quality and performance of their cars, given that the customer is likely to check specs and the experience of other users before purchasing. This differs from habitual decision making where the process is mostly unconscious, behavioral and automatic and hence lack evaluation or information search (Ciravegna, Fitzgerald & Kundu, 2013).
Examples include everyday use products such as toiletries and food supplies. While companies may not spend much on advertising for such products, there is need to ensure customer satisfaction because it determines customer retention capability.
Marketing – STP
Customer needs are unique to each individual and no particular product can satisfy everyone, hence the growing importance of segmentation, targeting and positioning (Ciravegna, Fitzgerald & Kundu, 2013). Large conglomerates such as Coca Cola, Walmart, Dell Inc., Apple Inc., Amazon, L’Oreal, H & M, Louis Vuitton, Rolex and Rolls-Royce among others attribute their success to effective market segmentation.
This means that in order for organizations to effectively meet customer needs, they must tailor their products and services to meet different groups of customers. This is known as segmentation and is defined as the process through which a company identifies individuals and organizations whose characteristics are similar; in order to base their marketing strategy on such information.
Segmentation is an important aspect of marketing because it ensures effective identification of target markets, development of marketing mix to suit market characteristics, identification of differentiated marketing strategies and an opportunity to take advantage of marketing opportunities (Kotler & Armstrong, 2015). Rolls Royce, Rolex and Louis Vuitton for example target high end customers who are lovers of luxurious products and are willing to pay high prices in order to gain prestige.
Accordingly, such companies must ensure that their products are expensive when analyzing consumer behavior and that not everyone can afford them. Failure to do so would lead to loss of customers because it is no longer prestigious to own their brands. This means that customer segmentation has helped them in designing a marketing strategy and a marketing mix that works for its customers.
Identifying customer segments may be based on various approaches including geographical segmentation, demographic segmentation, behavioural segmentation and psychographic segmentation. Subway and McDonalds target families, thus indicating demographic segmentation; Target aims at reaching people in urban areas, thus demographic segmentation; Nike targets sports personalities which represents interests and is therefore psychographic segmentation; Mercedes targets brand loyalty and is thus behavioural segmentation.
Customized marketing is growing in popularity and locomotive companies, airplane manufacturing companies and design companies have taken a lead. Customized marketing is used in markets where individual customers have sufficient purchasing power to warrant the design of a unique marketing mix for each (Kotler & Armstrong, 2015).
Ferrari for example specializes in the development of tailor-made cars to provide their clients with unique cars that match their personality. ‘Build your own Ferrari’ is a mantra of Ferrari’s Personalization Programme, which seeks to give a personal touch to all customers (Ferrari, 2017). To achieve this, customers can choose their own fabric, colors, wood, leathers and finishes to suit their individual tastes and desires.
References
Ferrari 2017, Ferrari’s personalization programme, Retrieved from
