Read and watch the lecture resources & materials below early in the week to help you respond to the discussion questions and to complete your assignment(s).

(Note: The citations below are provided for your research convenience. You should always cross reference the current APA guide for correct styling of citations and references in your academic work.)

Read

• LoBiondo-Wood, G. & Haber, J. (2014).
  • Chapter 21

Online Materials & Resources

• Visit the CINAHL Complete under the A-to-Z Databases on the University Library’s website and locate the articles below:
  • Owens, L.D., Koch, R.W. (2015). Understanding quality patient care and the role of the practicing nurse. Nursing Clinics of North America, 50(1), 33-43.
  • Mercurio, P., Ellis, A.S., Schoettker, P.J., Stone, R., Lenk, M.A., Ryckman, F.C. (2014). Using improvement science methods to increase accuracy of surgical consents. AORN Journal, 100(1), 42-53.
• Explore/View the website(s) below:
  • How to improve (Links to an external site.)
    Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2019). How to improve. http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/HowtoImprove/default.aspx
  • Quality Improvement.pdf
    Hughes RG. (2008). Chapter 44: Tools and strategies for quality improvement and patient safety. In Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses, Hughes RG, editor. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2682/

Quality Improvement Initiative

Describe a quality improvement initiative in your current or recent practice setting. What was the nurse’s role in the project? What was the outcome of the project? Has the improvement been sustained? Why or why not?

Submission Instructions:

• Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources.

Students, please view the “Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment” in the Student Center.
Instructors, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.
 

Assignment 2: Risk Management Plan

Due Week 4 and worth 240 points

Note: The  assignments are a series of papers that are based on the same case,  which is located in the Student Center of the course shell. The  assignments are dependent upon one another.

In this assignment, you  will create a risk management plan. You have a budget of $100,000 and a  timeline of six (6) months for the plan. Please refer to Figure A-1,  Risk Management Plan Template, from Appendix A of the Hillson and Simon  text to create the plan.

Write an eight to ten (8-10) page Risk Management Plan Component paper in which you:

1. Prepare  the Scope and Objectives of the Risk Management Process section of the  Risk Management Plan based on the facts presented in the case study.
2. Determine  the project size, based on the facts presented in the case study, and  provide justification based on Figure 3-4, Example Project Sizing Tool  (Chapter 3 of the Hillson and Simon text).
3. Select  the risk tools and techniques, and complete the Risk Tools and  Techniques section of the Risk Management Plan for both the qualitative  and quantitative aspects of the project. Provide a rationale for the  selection.
4. Develop the Risk Reviews and Reporting section of the Risk Management Plan based on the project size previously determined.
5. Define the Probability and Impacts section of the Risk Management Plan and justify the values assigned.
6. Define the Risk Thresholds section of the Risk Management Plan and justify the values assigned.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
• Include  a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s  name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover  page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment  page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Apply  the concepts of risk management in a project context to develop an  appropriate risk management plan as a key element of the project  management process.
• Survey  the project sponsor, stakeholders, team membership and key decision  influencers to develop a qualitative assessment of the project risks and  apply the results to further refine the project risk management plan.
• Create  a schedule of project risk reviews appropriate to the organization and  risk including major, minor, and post-project threats and opportunities,  including archiving the results of the project risk plan is  incorporated into this schedule.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in project risk management
• Write clearly and concisely about project risk management using proper writing mechanics.

 Click here to view the grading rubric.

Access XanEdu Case Pack via the Student Center or the XanEdu link in the course menu

Your instructor will let you know which case to use. (Trouble accessing? Check Student Center for Detailed Instructions on XanEdu)

Class: Intro to Marketing

You are writing a reply to forum posts made by my classmates.

2 replies. 200-words in each reply. 

The main forum post[1] is at the bottom.

What you are replying to:

First Reply:

Targeted or differentiated marketing, takes place when an organization “targets” a specific segment or group of people to sell its product to. The organization will do this by marketing an offering, price or promotion to the targeted group. For example, an automotive company targeting military personal with incentives on purchasing a new vehicle. Targeted marketing has become more popular with organizations because it allows them to target a specific consumer base that could be beneficial to the organization. Mass or undifferentiated marketing sells the same products to everyone. It is often called the shotgun approach to marketing because organizations will use every means possible, television, radio, social media, etc., to get its marketing to reach every individual. The cost of mass marketing can be high. There are four common segmenting strategies ways that an organization can use to make it easier to target a specific target base. Behavioral, demographic, geographic, and psychographic segmentation are the different strategies on organization can use. Behavioral segmentation divides people and organization into groups according to how they behave with or act toward products. With behavioral segmentation, organizations are looking at what benefits the consumer is seeking in the product; how often the product is being used; when it is being used, daily, during holiday’s, etc.; and the buyer’s status or loyalty to the product. Demographic segmentation focuses on age/generation, income, gender, family life cycle, ethnicity, family size, occupation, education, nationality, religion and social class. Demographics are easy to obtain through many websites, such as the U.S. Census Bureau. Geographic segmentation looks at the region where the product is to be sold, the size of a city or town, population density, and climate. For example it would not be beneficial to sell snow sleds in a tropical climate that never sees snow accumulation. With geographic segmentation, organizations can then use geocoding or geodemographics to plot the information they obtained on maps. Geocoding plots only information obtained through geographic segmentation and geodemographics plots information obtained from both demographic and geographic segmentation. Psychographic segmentation involves segmenting consumers by their activities, interests, opinion, attitudes, values, and lifestyles. This form of segmentation is often used to fill in the blanks from the other forms of segmentation. Organizations can gather information on consumer’s activities, interests, opinions, etc. through surveys. The choice of hair products is one thing that my friend and I buy differently. She chooses to buy her hair products from the salon where she has her hair done. I’m much more on the conservative side and perfectly happy spending $3.49 for my shampoo. I don’t know the reason why my friend has the need to buy the higher priced salon products. Like many woman, I would say she buy’s it because her stylist recommended it during a hair appointment. I myself tend to not fall for the recommendation of my stylist. I like me cheaper products and feel that they do just as well as the higher priced items.
I believe it’s easier for the salon to target her because she has very long, very thick, curly hair and I have very thick, straight hair that I keep shoulder length. My friend’s hair tends to become frizzy and at times she has problems with split ends. After having her stylist recommend a Matrix Biolage product for curly hair, that is the only product my friend buy’s. It’s easier for not only the salon, but also the Matrix Biolage Company to target my friend. Biolage sells hair care product line that works specifically for consumers with curly hair. The type of hair a consumer (texture, dry, oily, etc.) has can be used to target a consumer and their specific hair care needs.
 

References
Tanner, J., & Raymond, M. (2012). Principles of marketing. Irvington, NY: Flat World Knowledge, Inc.

Second Reply:

Hello Class,

This week’s topic asks us to describe a product we like and believe more people should purchase. A product I thoroughly enjoy are amino acids. Amino acids are a form of energy booster targeted towards fitness minded customers. Generally, the boost comes from caffeine that’s mixed into the amino acids, yet the amino acids are specifically marketed only in the fitness industry. More people should choose this product over energy drinks and understand it does the same thing coffee does but has fitness benefits as well.

I would reposition this product as an alternative to energy drinks that contain many other ingredients that are not necessarily good for you. Amino acids typically contain different flavors which provides a similar experience as an energy drink. Additionally, amino acids have more health benefits than a cup of coffee, so go with the healthiest choice of the caffeine products and consume some amino acids.

The new tag line for this product. “Energy drinks got your heart thumping? Get the same wake-up with amino acids without having jitters of an energy drink.” Well, that is a rough tag line, but you get the point. I’m still just a marketing student not an expert.

The second part of the post this week was discussing products my friends use that differ from products I use, this is tough a tough task. Many of my friends are very like minded and use many of the products I do. For instance another friend named Matt enjoys AHA seltzer water as do I. While my friend Harry only drinks Black Rifle Coffee and I will drink various different kinds of coffee based on what is available to me. I think a way that Black Rifle could achieve more of my patronage (and for the record I’m friends with one of the owners of the company) would be to expand its availability which has happened extensively over the past few years. I feel that BRCC (Black Rifle Coffee Company) has done an excellent job expanding the company to reach a larger audience. What started as a highly targeted Veteran and Active Duty market has increased dramatically as store fronts are popping up and BRCC products finding their way into different retail space. I believe that BRCC will eventually become a major competitor against Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts due to the proud heritage in the BRCC company. Something that differs from the other competitors is the boasting claims of roasting their own coffee here in the US instead bulk acquisition from multiple places throughout the world. However, I feel BRCC will find it difficult to expand its business into the international space. 

————-    

[1] Initial Forum Question: 

Answer the two questions below

1. Describe a product you like that you believe more people should purchase. As a marketer, how would you reposition the product in the customer’s mind to increase its purchase? Outline your strategy. Create a new tagline for this product.

2. Think about some of your friends and what you have discovered by visiting their homes. Do they buy different things than you do? If so, why? How might a company distinguish you from them in terms of its targeting? 

PART 1:

Since popular media (i.e.TV in the 1950’s, internet/digital/social media now) has become more accessible, it has changed the way people view what is normal and what people “need” to have. For example, many times we don’t know something exists until we see it on TV or the internet, and suddenly we HAVE to have it. A young kid thinks they are poor because EVERYONE else has certain shoes, phones, etc.

1. How do you feel marketing has influenced the consumer behavior of families? Is this making it harder for families to keep their heads above water?
2. What are a few product examples that are associated with the poor, the working class, and the rich?
3. Do you feel it is ethical for marketers to target children so they influence their parents to buy products – why or why not?

PART 2:

You have been retained by the Walt Disney Company as a marketing consultant to design a study investigating how families make vacation decisions.

1. Among the family members, whom would you interview? What kind of questions would you ask?
2. How would you assess the relative power of each family member in making vacation-related decisions?

PS: Consider the material attached in Power Point on “family decision making” in your answer.