Marketing Orientation Essay Example for Free

Marketing Orientation Essay There have been many studies of the term ‘marketing orientation’, and its presence within organisations. Marketing orientation is an approach that companies take which centres its activities towards achieving customer satisfaction through effective marketing. It is where customers form the basis of an organisations performance and overall success. In order to achieve successful marketing orientation, a company must organise an effective structure through planning its activities, products and services successfully. This will help the company on focusing its aims and objectives on the needs and requirements of its customers, in order to establish a relationship that will increase performance and success. ‘Market orientation is the organisation wide development of market intelligence pertaining to customer needs. ’ (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990. p12) Two approaches to marketing Orientation have been suggested by Avlonitis and Gounaris (1999), focusing on the practices and culture that the company adopts. It has been interpreted by Avlonitis and Gounaris (1999) that marketing orientation is either ‘a company attitude or company behaviour. This is whether a company is customer orientated or focuses on a competitive advantage through marketing orientation. Other authors have similiar thoughts upon these approaches to marketing orientation. Drucker (1954) believes that customers perceive marketing as an ‘activity involving the entire organisation’, rather than being a specific company process. The author’s view coincides with the work of Avlonitis and Gounaris (1999), as he focuses on the attitude organisations have in satisfying customer needs. The oth er side to this approach is the significance of a company’s culture towards marketing orientated activities. Felton (1959) states; ‘It is the attitudes and beliefs of a workforce that control the level of orientated activities a company strives to achieve,’ implying the focus is on themselves competing rather than putting the customer first. Trout and Ries (1985) perceive marketing orientation as an effort by companies to increase competitor advantage, rather than satisfy customer needs. Therefore the company’s culture is focusing its strategy on competitor orientation in order to achieve success. An organisations performance is a very important aspect of successful marketing orientation. Narver and Slater (1990) state that marketing orientation is based on 3 performance measures, which include ‘customer and competitor orientation, and inter-functional coordination. ’ Introducing effective performance measures can have positive influences on companies, as it helps the company’s culture set aims and objectives for a successful approach to marketing orientation. Jobber (2007) also describes the importance of these measures, stating; ‘A marketing concept culture that manifests in corporate activities to create superior value for customers. However, specific marketing activities relating to the behaviour of a company have ‘emphasis on managerial control rather than the natural culture of the organisation’ (Ellis, 2004), which relates to the work of Trout and Ries (1985) and their beliefs of company’s influencing the importance of competitor orientation over the satisfaction of their customers. Sharp (1991) argues the approach to marketing orientation as described by Drucker (1954), saying that it’s more than just about customer focus; Market orientation has a principle element of focusing on available markets and customer needs. Sharp criticises this view of orientation, as costs of maintaining customer focus will incur in unstable markets, affecting a companies orientation plan. In order to balance this procedure, a company needs equal focus in its approach to marketing orientation, which will help achieve success and efficiency. The link between organisational strategic thinking (Sharp, 1991) and managerial control (Ellis, 2004) helps towards a successful company through competitor orientation. Ellis states that effective performances increase through analysing competitor actions, in order to create a competitor advantage. However, company’s still need to be responsive to customer needs due to volatile markets. Overall increases of a company’s orientation, resulting from effective customer satisfaction, will then lead to greater performances (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990). The relationship between performance and marketing orientation is analysed negatively to strategic marketing. Sin (2005) considers the ‘external environmental aspects’ of marketing orientation, emphasising the importance of linking performance and marketing orientation in order to meet the needs of customers. Sin believes that if companies developed their approaches towards linking these two factors, a more in depth examination of customers needs could be undertaken, which would lead to higher performances within the company. Sin agrees with Sharp’s views, by describing the inclusion of customer needs as well as company aims and objectives. A strategic way of thinking is described by Sharp, where marketing orientation is described as being the most relevant, as it focuses on company, and not just market characteristics. The analyses of various journal articles relating to marketing orientation has led me to understand the different issues relating to marketing orientation. I agree with Kohli and Jaworski (1990) that a company should balance its orientation between customer focus and its aims and objectives, for effective performances. The authors were very clear and focused on what strategies were effective in approaching marketing orientation. I felt that this analysis helped me understand the best method of adopting marketing orientation and how to effectively respond to customer demands, as well as creating a competitive advantage. Limitations to the analysis were discussions from Felton (1959) and Trout and Ries (1995). The views of these authors concentrated on companies who adopted marketing orientation to create a competitive advantage as its main priority. The context of this article focused totally on businesses success and shadowed the importance of customer orientation, something which I feel is crucial for overall success.

Using Ventricular Assist Devices Policies and Procedures

Using Ventricular Assist Devices Policies and Procedures Section 1 – USING VADs II-1 Policy (Section 1) – A. Excepting emergencies, newly placed external or implanted vascular access devices, placement must be confirmed by x-ray prior to infusing any medications or solutions. Note: lines inserted into the femoral vein do not require chest x-ray. B. Administration sets connected to a VAD must be cleaned and prepped using alcohol anywhere along the administration set where entry is made, using a friction scrub for 15 seconds. If the patient displays symptoms of infection: (i.e. febrile, chilling, or has drainage from the VAD exit site), blood and/or site cultures need to be obtained. A physician order is required. C. Emergency care of the VAD includes all of the following: 1. Notify the physician immediately to obtain order(s) if a VAD is cracked, leaking, or has a hole. Clamp the VAD between the site of the defect and the exit site. Clamping must be done atraumatically either with a plastic clamp or with a metal clamp padded with gauze. 2. If the VAD Dacron cuff protrudes from the exit site, secure the VAD with tape and notify the physician. 3. If symptoms of VAD infiltration occur (i.e. edema of the neck, chest, back or abdomen, or shortness of breath), stop the infusion and call the physician immediately. D. For patients who are being treated with antibiotics for sepsis or r/o sepsis, antibiotics ought to be rotated to each lumen of a multi-lumen VAD at least every 24 hours, if possible, i.e. it is optimal to rotate each antibiotic dose, or minimally every 24 hours, until blood cultures are negative for 72 hours. (See Reference Below to II-1-D) E. All central venous access devices which are Present on Admission (POA) or inserted with the intent of the patient being discharged with the device, e.g., hemodialysis, chemotherapy, long term antibiotic therapy, etc. do not require daily validation of medical necessity, but should be inspected for signs and symptoms of infection. All other Central venous devices shall be evaluated for medical necessity on a daily basis. Section 2 – OBTAINING SPECIMENS FROM VADs II – 2 POLICY – (Section 2) – Medical Center A. Aseptic technique is to be used when obtaining laboratory specimens from any type of Vascular Access Devices (VAD). B. Drawing blood from a VAD is performed only by a licensed healthcare professional within their scope of practice using needle-free devices when obtaining or transferring specimens. C. Specimens must be labeled in the presence of the patient and must include patient name, medical record number, date of birth, visit number (for Medical Center only), and date and time of specimen collection. Write the first initial and last name of the person who collected the specimen on the label. Vascular Access Device (VAD), External and Implanted, Catheter Care Page 3 of 17 D. Labs requiring a blue top anticoagulant tube (such as PT/PTT/INR or other clotting studies) should be drawn peripherally. In those instances in which these studies must be drawn through the VAD, this specimen should be the last specimen drawn. E. Syringes less than 10 ml are not to be used when flushing a VAD in order to avoid causing excessive pressure or fracture to the VAD. F. When drawing from a child less than two years of age, a stopcock is used to maintain a closed system and the discard blood is returned to the child within 60 seconds. G. To prevent over-heparinizing a pediatric patient, no more than 50units/kg should be given within a four-hour interval. If flushing does exceed this amount, an MD order should be obtained and individualized for that patient. H. For multi-lumen VADs: When drawing labs from one lumen, clamp other lumen(s) for duration of the blood draw, even if other lumen(s) is heparin locked. This prevents blood from possibly being introduced into second lumen when heparin locked. It also prevents possible contamination of lab specimen if fluid is infusing in second lumen. I. Heparin for routine VAD flushes requires an order in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The dosing and frequency guidelines are found on Attachment C of this policy. II-4 POLICY – (Section 4) – A. An RN who has demonstrated competency in this procedure may perform needle insertion, site care, and needle removal of an implanted Vascular Access Device. B. The surgeon will access the port in the operating room on newly placed ports. C. Sterile technique must be utilized when accessing the implanted VAD. D. Only a 90-degree safety non-coring needle is used to access implanted VADs. Needles are changed every seven days. The recommended non-coring needle sizes for both adult and pediatric patients is 19-22 gauge, 3/4 – 1†. Blood or more viscous solutions require a lower gauge needle. Needle length is dependent upon the amount of subcutaneous tissue and depth of port. Do not access port if area is blistered or there are signs/symptoms of infection. E. Post-op dressings can be removed 24 hours post-op (unless ordered otherwise by physician). Steri-strips at insertion site should remain in place for 7-10 days. F. Implanted VAD site dressing changes are to be done once a week, with the needle change, or whenever it becomes loose, wet, or soiled. G. A heparin-locked non-coring needle may remain inserted for seven days for intermittent IV infusions. If a non-coring needle was placed and the patient does not require therapy, the needle must be removed by an RN prior to the patient being discharged home. H. Topical anesthetics may be used to help minimize the pain of needle insertion.

How the Oboe Works :: Expository Process Essays

How the Oboe Works      Ã‚  Ã‚   The oboe belongs to the group of instruments called the woodwinds.   However, it can be further classifies as all instruments can.   Instruments can be further classified by what vibrates to produce a sound.   In the case of the oboe it is air that vibrates and so it is classified as an aero phone, or enclosed or free masses of air.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are three essential parts to every instrument. 1-The essential vibrating substance.   2-The connected reflector, amplifier, or resonator.   3-Other sound altering devices.   In the oboe these parts are the reed, the resonator, and the multiple keys.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The original source of air comes from the oboist blowing air into the reed.   The oboe has a double reed.   When air is blown it goes over and under the reeds and causes them to vibrate.   When both of these reeds are vibrating they pinch together rapidly.   This consequently disturbs the stream of air that is passing between the reeds.   This disturbance causes air molecules to bunch up leaving an empty space behind them.   The bunch of molecules is called a condensation, and the somewhat empty space of thinned out molecules is called a rare fraction.   The condensation and rare fraction of the air molecules are characteristics of a longitudinal or sound wave.   This process happens very rapidly, and is obviously followed briefly by the next puff of air, making the wave continuous.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This wave passes through the resonator.   The resonator is an object that has a specific period of vibration.   The air passes through the resonator.   This creates a specifically ordered vibration, and a constant frequency.   That is why resonators are often used in instruments to reinforce the sound of a pitch.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This specifically vibrating air enters the length of the oboe.   The bore is the interior diameter of the oboe.   It has a conical shape in the case of the oboe.   The diameter at the top of the bore is smaller than the diameter at the bottom of the bore.   As well as being conical the bore is also very narrow in the oboe.   Therefore, when the air is in the bore it is at a higher pressure at the top than at the bottom, because the air passes from a smaller opening to a larger opening.

Christianity and Greek Epic Tradition as Devices for Miltons Object in

Christianity and Greek Epic Tradition as Devices for Milton's Object in Paradise Lost The widely known story of the Genesis account in the Bible of the creation and fall of humankind does not make for a very interesting story. Almost anyone familiar with Western tradition can provide at least this basic outline: God makes angels, the best angel wants to be God, the angel gets kicked out of Heaven into Hell, goes to the garden of Eden, persuades Eve to eat an apple, and down plunges humanity. So why, then, did Milton choose to use this particular piece of Biblical narrative, first, above his original intention of an Arthurian tale, and second, above any other account in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments? Milton answers these questions both simply and enigmatically in the beginning of the poem: "What in me is dark/ Illumine, what is low raise and support;/ That to the heighth of this great Argument/ I may assert Eternal Providence/ And justify the ways of God to men" (Milton 47). The question that humanity begs an answer for, above all, is the reason for the rampant evil in the world. Many people over the last several centuries, and many Christians even, cannot reconcile the existence of unchecked evil alongside a loving, merciful God. Milton would heartily agree that characteristics of God can be found in any situation in the Bible (and so he did draw from these in other works), but within Milton's enlightened seventeenth-century society, the scientific process itself dictated that to discover the meaning of any process, one had to go back to the catalytic moment. In order to answer the most theologically difficult question this side of B.C., Milton had no choice but to go back to th e beginning and see, with what... ...adise Lost. ed. Thomas Kranidas. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1969. 118-130. "Epic." Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. 2015. Web 30 April 2015. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=119368>. Ferry, Anne. Milton's Epic Voice: The Narrator in Paradise Lost. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1963. "Milton, John." Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. 2015. Web 30 April 2015. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=115562>. Milton, John. Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. New York: Signet Classics, 1968. New American Standard Bible. 2015. Web 30 April 2015. https://www.biblegateway.com Ricks, Christopher. Introduction. Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. By John Milton. New York: Signet Classics, 1968. vii- xxx. Webber, Joan Malory. Milton and His Epic Tradition. Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1979.

Pre-Tensioning in Civil Engineering

Introduction : The idea of pre tensioning has been around for centuries and has been applied to many forms, such as: wagon wheels, wooden barrels etc. In these cases heated metal is made to just fit an object. When the metal cools it contracts and induces prestress into the object thereby strengthening it. The idea of pretensioned concrete has been around since the late 19th century, but its use was limited by the quality of materials available at the time. It wasn’t until the 1920s that materials of a suitable quality were available in sufficient quantity to allow pretensioned concrete to be used with confidence. The pioneers of this field were Freyssinet, Magnel and Hoyer. Description: In pre-tensioned concrete tensile elements such as cables, ribbons, or rods are clamped under calculated tensile stress (Stage 1). Concrete is cast around these elements and allowed to cure( Stage 2). When fully hardened the clamps are released and the stress is transferred within the rigid concrete (stage 3). As long as a load is applied within the design limit, the concrete structural element will never be subjected to tensile stress of sufficient force to cause failure. Pre-tensioning can be used in pre-cast as well as in cast-in-place construction. Most of the pre-tensioning construction techniques are patented although the basic principle used in all of them is common and is well known. Hard drawn steel wires which are indented or crimped are preferred for pre-tensioned elements because of their superior bond characteristics. Small diameter wires of 2 to 5 mm are mostly used in the form of strands comprising two, three or seven wires. High Strength Concrete mix: Pre-stressed concrete requires concrete which has a high compressive strength, with comparatively higher tensile strength. Low shrinkage, minimum creep characteristics and a high value of Young’s modulus are generally deemed necessary for concrete used for prestressed members. Uses: Common uses include Railway Sleepers, Communications Poles, Pretensioned Precast â€Å" Hollowcore† slabs, Pretensioned Precast Double T units –for very long spans, Pretensioned precast inverted T beams – for short-span bridges, Pretensioned precast PSC piles, Pretensioned precast portal frames. Alternatives: The alternative to pre-tensioning is post-tensioning. In a post-tensioned beam, the tendons are stressed and each end is anchored to the concrete section after the concrete has been cast and has attained sufficient strength to safely withstand the prestressing force. In the posttensioning method, tendons are encased in a duct or sheath or coated with grease or a bituminous material before placing them in the formwork to prevent them from becoming bonded to concrete. Advantages: Prestressed concrete has the following advantages 1. Since the technique of prestressing eliminates cracking of concrete under all stage of loading, the entire section of the structure takes part in resisting the external load. In contrast to this, in reinforced concrete, only the portion of the concrete above neutral axis is effective. 2. Since the concrete does not crack, the possibility of steel to rust and of concrete to deteriorate is minimized. 3. Absence of cracks results in higher capacity of the structure to bear reversal of stresses, impact, vibration and shock. 4. In prestressed concrete beams, dead loads are practically neutralized. The reactions required are therefore much smaller than required in reinforced concrete. The reduced dead load weight of the structure results in savings in the cost of foundations. The neutralization of dead load is of importance in large bridges. 5. The use of curved tendons and the pre-compression of concrete helps to resist shea r. 6. The quantity of steel required for prestressing is about 1/3 of that required for reinforced concrete, although the steel for the former should have high tensile strength. 7. In prestressed concrete, precast blocks and elements can be assumed and used as one unit. This saves in the cost of shuttering and centering for large structures. 9. Prestressed concrete can be used with advantage in all those structures where tension develops, such as tie and suspender of a bow string girder, railway sleepers, electric poles, etc. 10. Prestressed concrete beams usually have low deflection.

Criminal Justice Professionals and society

There are many types of people that make up our society. For criminal justice practitioners these people can be broken up in to two groups the law abiding citizens and the criminals. The role of the criminal justice practitioner can at time be simple for example: when it comes to the law abiding citizen the role is to serve and protect. But when it comes to criminal the role of the criminal justice practitioner can become complex. In this paper I will attempt to explore the criminal justice professional’s role in fulfilling society as well as individual needs.There are three parts that make up criminal justice police, courts, and corrections. Each part consists of professionals that play a role in contributing to the reform of key social issues. Issues like cyber crimes, drugs, and school shootings. Each of these issues need criminal justice practitioners on all three levels to aide in some type of reform to make the individual (the victim) and society feel safe. On the web si te Interpol 100 years of international police cooperation cybercrimes are said to be â€Å"one of the fastest growing areas of crime.†This is where criminals are taking to their computers to commit crimes like â€Å"Attacks against computer data and systems, identity theft, the distribution of child sexual abuse images, internet auction fraud, the penetration of online financial services, as well as the deployment of viruses, Botnets, and various email scams such as phishing†.. So how does cybercrimes impact criminal justice practitioners, with technology constantly changing the need for more education in technology and cyber laws are needed if the practitioner is going to effectively find and stop the criminals, dole out punishment as well as seek retribution for the victims.On of the saddest social issue plaguing America has to be school shootings. There are many instances of school shooting throughout history but the one that stands out to me is the Columbine High S chool shootings where on April 20, 1999 seventeen year old Dylan Klebold and eighteen year old Eric Harris committed suicide after killing twelve students, one teacher and wounding twenty-one others.While most of the country sadly wondered how and where did they get the guns and ammunition the criminal justice practitioners were hard at work gathering evidence, securing the crime scene, tending to the survivors and what I think is the hardest part informing parents that they’re children had died. In this instance the criminal justice practitioners were the police department, deputies, and armed security working for the school. I would imagine that after working the crime scene that many of the officers grieved right along with the families.As I researched this part of my paper I could not find one article on how this impacted the police all I can say is that as a parent I can only imagine that some of them must have needed counseling. I can also imagine the law makers coming together to find a way to prevent this kind of shooting from happening again. I would rather not get into the whole gun control issue because frankly I don’t believe there is a law that could be passed that would prevent guns from getting into the wrong hand.The only thing gun laws would do, is make it hard for law abiding citizens to protect themselves. Another issue that criminal justice practitioners have to deal with is drugs. This problem is widespread to say the least because it not only affects the user. It is a known fact that when people use drug they will do whatever it takes to feed their habit even break the law. Drug abusers commit crimes like prostitution, robbery, breaking and entering and assault. Trying to make a person stop using drugs is like trying to stop the sun from rising.A drug addict has to want to stop until that time it is up to the police to take steps to keep society safe. During the Reagan era there was a zero tolerance policy for drug abusers. This kept police and corrections officers busy because the policy was so strict that arrest and incarceration rates increased at a rapid pace. That was during the late 80’s and the war on drugs is still moving full steam ahead. The role of the criminal justice professional in serving individual and societal needs

Holey Soles Essay

This case analysis will focus on the issues surround the lifestyle product company Holey Soles. Psychologist Ann Rosenberg founded the company in September 2002. She initially operated in her garage and backyard, until she recruited Joyce Groote (now current CEO of Holey Soles) and expanded the company into other parts of North America. Holey Soles focuses on creating innovative footwear made from their trademarked technology SmartCel and SoleTek, which is an injection-molded foam technology. As of July 2007, sales had grown at 300% in each of the last two years and the company was ranked number four in the 2006 Profit magazine ranking of Canada’s Emerging Growth Companies. However as they continue to operate, they find themselves getting pushed back by their number one competitor, Crocs. By mid-2007, Crocs sales were 33 times the sales of Holey Soles. Holey Soles has a revenue target of $40 million by 2009, and to achieve this target, they will need to focus on the issues surrounding their company and hindering its growth. We have decided that the core issue surround the company is how to reach the goal of $40 million. They need to address the possible alternatives of either expanding into other products besides footwear, implementing a more aggressive marketing strategy, changing their 2-year goals completely, or maintaining the status quo. These alternatives will depend on the assessment of the time frame, cost, and current and potential competition. Upon analyzing all situations and alternatives, we have decided that the best solution for Holey Soles would be to expand the company by creating other product lines made form their trademarked technology. Only through this method will they be able to generate enough revenue to meet their $40 million goal. Issues The issues surrounding Holey Soles include the inability to have a high market share due to dominance from Crocs, how to reach the goal of $40 million revenue, and deciding upon expansion. We think the core issue is how to reach the goal of $40 million. Decision Criteria 1.Time frame of implementation: They only have 2 years to make reach their intended goal of $40 million. Considering the high target number, 2 years is a very short time frame, and therefore is an important decision criterion. Sourcing from China to other parts of the world also takes a long time, so it factors in how much product can actually be made in the time frame given. 2.Cost of expansion: To reach a goal of $40 million, an expansion of the company would have to take place. This poses the problem of where capital is going to come from. 3.Current competition: Their number one competitor is Crocs. During the 2-year period to reach a goal of $40 million, Crocs will still be selling at the rate they have been, and may also be working towards goals of expansion. 4.Threat of potential competition: In the 2 year time frame given, what’s to say that new competitors will not enter the market? As the clog fad continues, more companies are producing similar products as Holey Soles . Even though most of them aside from Crocs have a poorer design with lower quality materials, the possibility of a company suddenly entering with a whole new technology is always possible. Alternatives & Assessments 1.Expand by increasing a more diverse range of products sold. By relying on selling the clogs alone, they will never be able to reach their goal of $40 million, nor be able to overtake Crocs since Crocs has taken so much more of the market share already. With their trademarked foam-injection technologies SmartCel and SoleTek, they should put those towards creating newer and more innovative lifestyle products aside from footwear. They already started with the beach bag, so it proves that it is possible to create other products. They already have an advantage due to their company being defined as products that are â€Å"lifestyle† centered, rather than simply a â€Å"footwear manufacturer†.