Focus Groups Are More Than Just Interviews - 1512 Words

Focus Groups are more than just Interviews Focus groups are known to have existing before WW11, however, it was in the 1940’s sociologist Robert Merton embraced and pioneered the qualitative research method of focus groups. Merton’s study observed and recorded the effects of educational propaganda and conditioning on troop morale. Nonetheless, it wasn’t until the 1980’s, focus groups were rediscovered and became a common method of qualitative research within social sciences. Subsequently, more studies over the years have helped to develop and refine focus group methods. Qualitative methods such as focus groups are a collaboration between the researcher and participants to gain a rich, deep†¦show more content†¦Focus groups are organised, group discussions between group members and the researcher, and are most suitably used for exploring specific topics, on points of view, exploring attitudes and personal experiences in order to obtain data. In contr ast to interviews that asks a specific set of questions. The role of the focus group researcher is essentially to steer the direction of group discussion or to provoke participation through further questioning when all seems flat. The researcher needs to collect data, during the discussion. Also, prevent an individual participant from dominating the discussion and encourage the more reserved participant. Finally the researcher must at all times ensure flexibility, objectiveness and empathy and analyse collected data for the report. According to Forsyth (2010, p. 130) Tuckmann and Jensen’s (1977) model of characteristics within a group, consist of four stages of process, the first or initial stage, ‘forming’ is when individuals within the group have not articulated any view and have little trust and no conflict is present, however, there is an element of apprehension. The second stage, â⠂¬Ëœstorming’ takes place as participants in the group start to become less apprehensive, more trustful and start to assess each other through subtle and not so subtle arbitration, exploring their

Coca Cola And The Soft Drink Industry - 1178 Words

Despite the mistake of introducing New Coke 32 years ago, Coca-Cola remains a force in the soft drink industry. However, amid this success, Coca-Cola has found themselves in the middle of criticism due to undesirable health effects. These health effects include both short-term and long-term concerns. In terms of long-term affects, Coca-Cola has been associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity (Malik VS, Popkin BM†¦). In fact, individuals who drink 1-2 cans of sugary beverages, including Coca Cola, everyday are 26% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes (Malik VS, Popkin BM†¦). Additionally, a study found the damage a can of coke has one hour after consumption. This study, which offers a wonderful perspective to Coca-Cola’s damaging affect†¦show more content†¦This is most evident with the focus group conducted for New Coke. Coca-Cola’s emphasis on taste prevented important discussions regarding the emotional attachment individuals had with the origina l Coke (Schindler, 23). This central focus on taste sets a poor model for conducting market research and may have potentially prevented opportunities from altering Coca-Cola’s brand identity into a more health-conscious brand. Additionally, this issue stems from Coca-Cola segmenting the improper way. As a cheap drink that baby boomers demand it seems evident that Coca-Cola has inadvertently segmented their customers by demographic variables such as income and age. Segmenting customer based on demographic variables have their limitations (Sirsi, 53). For example, segmenting by income is ineffective due to the reason that people making the same amount of money tend to spend it differently (Sirsi, 53). Coca-Cola inadvertently segmenting by demographic variables such as income and age shifted focus away from correctly segmenting based on customer needs, which would include health effects. Moreover, Coca-Cola’s approach to competitor analysis throughout their history may ha ve potentially caused this marketing issue. The New Coke example illustrates Coca-Cola’s difficulty with this aspect of marketing as New Coke was an attempt to duplicate Pepsi (Schindler, 22). This conflicts with a primary purpose of customer analysis, which is differentiating themselves withShow MoreRelatedCoca Cola And The Soft Drink Industry1931 Words   |  8 PagesThis report examines a very dominant company, Coca-Cola, in the soft drink industry in order to report it’s financial health. This article covers the economics and nature of business employed by Coca-Cola. The financial analysis covers the companies common-size income statements and balance sheets, and various financial statement ratios such as liquidity, capital structure and solvency, return on investment, operating performance, asset utilization and market measures from year 2009 to year 2013Read MoreCoca Cola And The Soft Drink Industry For A Long Time2029 Words   |  9 Pagesdespite these feature s, a brand does not truly exist yet because the product has no history. Therefore, this essay examines how and why Coca Cola has dominated the soft drink industry for a long time compared to other producers and this explains how branding has influenced the consumers and their buying decision. The strength of a brand differs from one industry to another. In the past, branding was used to determine what goods belong to the different producers, but today, as well as determiningRead MoreCoca Cola And Pepsi Cola Essay1024 Words   |  5 PagesCoca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola are two companies who are control the industry of the soft drink. They are the companies who they have the biggest part in the soft drink market. Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola have four different components of the soft drinks industry value chain. They are concentrate producers, Bottlers, retail chains and suppliers (The Coca-Cola Company V. A. G. Barr Company Ltd,1961) Coca-Cola overview The one of the main company control in the soft drink industry market is Coca-Cola companyRead MoreFive Competitive Forces for Coca-Cola Company1298 Words   |  6 Pagesfor Coca-Cola Company The soft drink industry is very competitive for all corporations involved, with the greatest competition being that from rival sellers within the industry. All soft drink companies have to 7 think about the pressures; that from rival sellers within the industry, new entrants to the industry, substitute products, suppliers, and buyers. The competitive pressure from rival sellers is the greatest competition that Coca-Cola faces in the soft drink industry. Coca-Cola, PepsiRead MorePorter s Five Forces Model Essay1602 Words   |  7 Pagesidentify its industry s competitors. Analyzing industry will help any business in determining the competitive strength and weaknesses. By using PFF model, investors can gain valuable information regarding what the actual factors that affect the organization s profitability (Evans Neu 2008). This paper will analyze the Cola Wars case study based on the PFF model, and the primary components of soft drink industry. At the end of this paper, some recommendations will be given to Coca-Cola company toRead MoreCase Study : The Soft Drink Industry1258 Words   |  6 PagesThe soft drink industry has been around for over 100 years and has been growing since. The reason whey there are so many brands of soft drinks are because the soft drink market is very profitable and people want to get in on it. As long as companies remain competitive, which they have been, and improve te chnology to reduce the cost per unit that they sell, the soft drink industry will remain profitable. According to Barbara Murray (2006c), â€Å"The sector is dominated by three major players†¦Coca-ColaRead MoreSoft Drink And Ice Manufacturing1096 Words   |  5 Pages Microeconomics Term Paper Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing in Canada Brian Lopez and Wai-Kit Fung Microeconomics 383-201-DW Fayà §al Rà ©gis Sinaceur December, 2014 â€Æ' Contents Introduction Description of Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing Establishment State of Demand for the Industry’s product Employment Wages and Salaries Industry Performance International Trade Conclusion â€Æ' Introduction Soft drink is one of the most common beverages in our lives; however, most of us do not knowRead MoreWhen You Think Of The Beverage Industry, There Are Several1661 Words   |  7 PagesWhen you think of the beverage industry, there are several brands that come to mind, but one particular brand has developed a reputation for being the most iconic soft drinks in the world. Coca-Cola is a unique brand that has continued to spread its global image to consumers across the world. One way we as consumers can analyze, understand, and influence the effects of the Coca-Cola brand is by using the powers of Michael Porter’s five forces. Each force plays a vital role showing the ways the businessRead MoreCoca Cola Team Project : Case Study Essay1674 Words   |  7 PagesCoca-Cola Team Project Team C- David Martin, Larry Berrios, Erli Wang Coca-Cola was created in 1886 and served in an Atlanta pharmacy, Dr. John S. Pemberton concocted the syrup then Frank Robinson the company accountant coined the name Coca-Cola and was advertised as â€Å"Delicious and Refreshing Beverage† in newspapers (Coca-Cola company). Asa Candler acquires control of Coca-Cola in 1892 from John Pemberton and incorporates as a Georgia corporation. Coca-Cola is purchased from Asa Candler to investorsRead MoreTaste The Feeling. A Substantial Percentage Of The World’S1696 Words   |  7 Pagesworld’s population has heard of, seen, or consumed the brand Coca Cola. It is one of the most substantially marketed, produced, and distributed consumer products available. Operating in over 200 countries, it has gained widespread global appeal and is as one of the world’s most recognizable brands. Analysts have used Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model as a powerful tool to understand the factors that impact the profitability of Coca Cola. The global product has been evaluated on the ways it sets

Compliance Management System Plan Woolworths Limited - Sample

Question: Describe about the Compliance Management System Plan of Woolworths Limited [Australia]? Answer: Introduction This is a report which has conducted a thorough research and proposed a suitable compliance management system for an organisation. The report will aim at developing a compliance management plan. The organisation selected to develop a compliance management system is Woolworths Limited [Australia]. Compliance Management System By definition, Compliance is defined as the process of abiding by the laws, codes and organisational standards of the good governance and accepted community (Giddens, 1981). A compliance management system usually refers to as a system that intends to learn about compliance responsibilities, ensures that employees understand their responsibilities well, ensures business requirements are properly incorporated into business processes and takes corrective actions and update material as necessary. Framework of a Compliance Management System is pictorially represented as: Fig 1: Compliance Management System Source: Giddens, 1981 Generally, organisations are faced with wide-ranging internal and external factors that puts a question mark on whether the organisation will be able to accomplish objectives or not. A Compliance Management System helps to address the risks involved in key areas such as Reputation, Market and Product Development, Financial planning, Risk Management etc. Compliance Management System usually comprises of three key elements that are interdependent with each other. These are Board and Management oversight, Compliance program, and Compliance audit (Giddens, 1981). It is stated when all these elements work together, it enables an organisation to be successful in managing their compliance responsibilities effectively. An ideal Compliance Management System is crucial for the effective working of institution, similar to business plan. A Compliance program includes following crucial components. These are personnel, training and processes. These have been described in later sections of the repo rt. Compliance management system will require following requirements; Risk and compliance needs to be met on a single platform. It needs a central system to enable users across multiple locations to record, review and evaluate compliance information. Risk officers will be using out-of-the box integrated solution to determine risk and evaluate compliance. Risk and compliance officers need real-time data. Apart from it, some IT requirements of a compliance management system are: It needs a central system to enable users across multiple locations to record, review and evaluate compliance information. Tying existing information and ERP applications that exist within the enterprise. Personnel Personnel for the development of a compliance management system include the Board of directors, Management and Staff. Board of directors Management Staff Fig 3: Personnel Requirements Source: Luis, 2008 Board of Directors is responsible for maintaining the effectiveness of the compliance management system. They are accountable for: Approving policies Monitoring risk assessment and finding ways to cope up with them. Approving and monitoring systems of control Creating policies that are consistent to the requirements of organization Management is responsible for effective management of compliance with the rules and regulations applicable for the organization. They are accountable for: Taking leadership roles, such as promoting cultures of compliance management Ensuring to manage risks effectively Identifying the risks within different departments of organizations Helping operational staff cope up with emerging risks Ensuring staff is trained Reporting and finding effective steps to report breaches Employees represent the operational personnel involved in the development of a compliance management system (Luis, 2008). Every employee is responsible for the compliance of their regulations. In addition, it is also crucial for the employees to participate in training sessions, report and escalate any concerns. The levels to which breaches are to be reported are: Breach Rating Reporting Requirements Very High High Medium Low Very Low Board of Directors Board of Directors Management inform Employees inform inform inform inform inform Fig 4: Breach Rating Source: Luis, 2008 Training In order to maintain the effectiveness of a Compliance Management System, it is crucial to train management, staff and directors about it. Hence, for this Compliance Management System, it is essential to provide training related to their job and rules and regulations about the line management and staff. The training will be conducted by compliance officer who will establish a regular training schedule for directors, management and staff (Craig, 2009). I will advise the organisation to conduct in-house training sessions as this will enable more number of employees to take part. Once personnel are trained thoroughly on one topic, compliance officer will regularly assess them to ensure they get the crux of the sessions and check their knowledge about subject matter. For the Woolworths Limited, it is crucial for the front line managers to be well-informed about the crucial information related to retail services. Once they are well-versed then only they can interact with applicants well. For this, a compliance management system is effective when it is regularly updated with recent, complete and accurate information about the baking services (Craig, 2009). Processes The policies, procedures and processes of a Compliance Management System are to be documented and can be updated frequently as the business environment of the organization keeps changing. The policies of the compliance management system will provide information about the aims, objectives and mission of the organization. Overall, there are six processes involved in development of a Compliance Management System; Fig 2: Six Processes Involved in Compliance Management System Source: Craig, 2009 These six processes are; Understanding the legal and regulatory environment Creating and maintaining the requirements of a compliance management system Assessing the risk factors for the development of compliance management system Managing obligations Monitoring and evaluation Communicating and reporting Administration Budget of a compliance management system includes costs related to human resources required for developing, implementing, reviewing and maintaining the proposed compliance management system (Manfred, 2012). The overall budget for the development of compliance management system is proposed to be $50,000. It includes the costs associated with implementing, reviewing and maintaining the system. However, budget is likely to increase if need be at later stages as per the demands of the plan. References Giddens, A. (1981). A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism., Social and Politic Theory from Polity Press 1. University of California Press. pp. 125. Luis, R. (2008). Management: People, Performance, Change., 3rd edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 19. Craig, S. (2009). Merrill Bonus Case Widens as Deal Struggles., Wall Street Journal. Manfred, F. (2012). Kets de Vries The Dark Side of Leadership., Business Strategy Review 14(3), Autumn Page 26.

Socratic Worldview Essays - Socratic Dialogues, Dialogues Of Plato

Socratic Worldview Of the philosophers I have studied, Socrates stands out to me from all the rest. Although I would be the first to confess that I have never put forth the time nor the effort necessary to consider myself a philosopher (at least not in the sense that I imagine most would consider to be the credentials of a philosopher), my philosophy about life is most closely aligned with what I understand Socrates philosophical beliefs to be. Although there are some distinct differences in what I believe to be the ultimate meaning behind life, which I will later address, I believe his thoughts on how one should live their life to be the wisest of any philosopher we have studied. First, let me relate what I understand Socrates philosophy to be. Socrates believed that we all have a soul. He believed that we are to live our life by principles, and that these principles should be what is considered to be good. He was convinced that there were moral absolutes, a right and a wrong, his reason being that if there weren't everything would just be relative. This seems most logical. Also, according to Socrates, in order to find which standards we should live by we should test these standards in real life situation to see if they are right or wrong. From what I understand, we are to live our lives according to rights and wrongs - in our dealings with others, and our private life as well. And, this is all in order to be living according to the dictates of the soul, if you will, and not by the desires of the flesh. One of the most interesting ideas Socrates had, I believe, were his thoughts regarding the "true philosopher." He said that the true philosopher is often misunderstood by other men, that they do not understand that his whole life is the pursuit of death. And, that when death finally comes he does not meet it with dread, but with the acceptance of understanding that the soul is finally to be unencumbered of the body and all its evils. The soul will finally meet truth away from the constraints of an imperfect body. He believed that the soul is immortal and imperishable. He believed that "good souls" departed to an invisible world where happiness is secured and they are free of human folly and error, and of all the problems that normally plague us. Evil souls, on the other hand will wander about in misery paying their penalty until they are reincarnated to a form fitting of their former evil ways in life. And, although I do not believe this view, I appreciate it for the thought and logic behind it. I am intrigued with the way Socrates can look beyond the physical, and make reality of the spiritual aspect while holding no allegiance to any certain god or gods. I can agree with his philosophy regarding living our lives in an effort to be good, and cherishing the soul above the body, and placing all emphasis on the soul and not on the body. Although we cannot scientifically prove that the soul is imperishable - or beyond that, if we even have a soul, but we do know that the body is only temporary, so it seems logical to place importance on something beyond the physical. I think Socrates reasoning behind the evidence of our souls, is brilliant even if incorrect - which I am in no means implying. His idea of anamnesis/recollect intrigues me. Where would we have any idea of perfection, if not from our souls? Certainly anything from the body or physical has yet to show us any form of perfection. For the sake of relating to the reader why I think Socrates philosophy could contribute much to human well being, let me take a moment to relay my thoughts or "philosophy" on life. I agree with Socrates on the stand he makes that nothing good or perfect can ever come from the physical. Pleasing the desires of the flesh always results in only temporary happiness, and even then it is questionable if it is a real happiness, or just a temporary source of satisfaction. Socrates said that the soul is where we can know perfection, and that the important things of this life lie in living for the development or realization of the soul, and that through proper development of the mind in its pursuit of truth, beauty and goodness that the goal and purpose of