https://research-methodology.net Necessary knowledge to conduct a business research Thu, 27 Oct 2022 01:04:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://rm-15da4.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-logoBRM-32x32.jpg https://research-methodology.net 32 32 https://research-methodology.net/marketing-communication-mix/ Thu, 27 Oct 2022 00:13:02 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3882 Defined as a “dialogue between business unit and its present and potential customers that takes place during pre-selling, selling and post-selling stages”[1], marketing communication mix, or promotion mix is considered to be a fundamental aspect of business marketing initiatives. Kotler and Keller (2009)[2] divided marketing communication mix into the following six categories: advertising, sales promotion, events and experiences, public relations and publicity, direct selling and personal selling. 1. Advertising is “a paid non-personal communication about an organisation and its products transmitted to a target audience”[3]. The following are important platforms of print and media advertising: TV Radio Magazines Newspapers Billboards & posters Viral marketing Celebrity endorsement Product placement 2. Sales Promotions is a marketing strategy which involves using temporary campaign or offer to increase interest and demand on products and services. The following are popular sales promotion techniques: Seasonal sales promotions. Businesses may reduce the prices of certain items during holidays and festive seasons such as Christmas holidays. Money off coupons. Customers receive coupons by mail, in store or they cut coupons our of magazines or product packaging to purchase the product next time for lower price. Purchase of a product allows the customer to participate in a game to win a price. Discount vouchers. A voucher that can be used to purchase a product at a reduced price. Free gifts. Customers get an item for free if they purchase a product. Point of sale materials. Use of posters, display stands and other promotional tools to present the product to customers within the shop. Loyalty cards. Possibility for customers to earn points for buying specific products or buying from specific sellers. Accumulated points can be exchanged for goods or other offers. For example, Tesco Clubcard, Sainsbury’s Nectar etc. 3. Events and experiences, as a marketing mix component relate to a…]]> https://research-methodology.net/communication-model-for-organisation/ Thu, 27 Nov 2014 17:56:37 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=6181 This article proposes a communication model for organisation in health industry. Communication is “a process of circular interaction involving a sender, receiver, and message” (Moran et al., 2007, p. 45) and the quality and level of communication plays an important role in running the operations by the health authority. Facilitation of communication in the health authority organisation in order to send messages to internal and external stakeholder can be explained by application of Shannon and Weaver’s (1949) model of communication which consist of five elements: information source, transmitter, channel, receiver and destination. Shannon and Weaver’s (1949) model of communication Adapted from Chandler (1994) Information source in case of the health authority relates to senior level management aiming to communicate information about changes in the organisation. Transmitter for the health authority relates to press office in case of communication with external stakeholders. In internal communication, on the other hand, line level managers and immediate supervisor may serve as transmitters of messages sent by stop management. Channels available for the health authority to transmit its messages include but not limited to the official website of the organisation, press releases in local and national media, newsletters etc. Receiver can be represented by media for external communications as a wide range of media platforms can discuss official press releases of the health authority organisation thus, causing the message to reach its destination. Destination for communication message represents individuals and parties for whom the message is intended. Noise is an important factor in this model of communication as it can interfere in communication process potentially causing messages to be misunderstood. Therefore, it is important for the health authority management to be proactive in terms of eliminating or at least minimising the noise.   References Chandler, D. (1994) “The Transmission Model of Communication” Available at: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/trans.html…]]> https://research-methodology.net/uniqueness-of-design-elements-of-mobile-phones/ Sun, 02 Feb 2014 00:54:03 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=5460 Design can be explained as the process of giving something a deliberate aesthetic form. Design of mobile phones is one of its primary success factors. Key features of a mobile phone design elements may relate to physical design of the handset, user input, mobile context, usability of the devise, design of content and others. Portability marks one of the most important features of design elements of mobile phones. Finding an effective balance between portability and usability is one of the most challenging tasks for modern mobile handset designers. On one hand, customers expect conveniently usable keyboards and wide screen sizes from modern mobile phones so that the device can be used with no or minimum strain eyes. On the other hand, designing large keyboards and enlarging screen sizes in a mobile phone can only be achieved by enlarging the physical size of the devise with negative implications on its portability. Therefore, designers of mobile phones need to find an effective balance between usability and portability. Generally, The design process of a mobile phone may include the following stages: 1. Design brief. This initial stage in mobile phone design process involves the formulation of initial ideas for the design. Initial ideas for the design may be obtained from customer feedback of the previous models or changes in the marketplace associated with innovation or breakthrough. 2. Product design specifications stage relates to the market research and analysis of the problem. During this stage data related to customer needs and wants in relation to mobile phone designs are going to be collected and analysed. 3. Concept design is a stage in design process where outlines of key features of the design are developed. For a mobile phone concept design may include specification of the size of the screen, size and form of buttons,…]]> https://research-methodology.net/benefits-and-value-of-mobile-phones-to-customers/ Sat, 01 Feb 2014 00:37:33 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=5454 The primary, traditional benefit of mobile phones can be specified as being able to engage in conversation with other people. However, benefits offered by mobile phones have been extended mainly during the past two decades to include communication through texting, recreation through games, taking pictures and videos, browsing internet etc. The primary benefits of mobile phones that relates to serving as a communication platform, has traditionally facilitated the communication through phone calls and text messaging. However, thanks to the internet browsing capabilities in modern mobile phones, communication can also be facilitated through e-mails, chats and video calls. Increasing levels of capabilities of advanced mobile phones in terms of taking pictures and videos are causing mobile phones to impose direct competitions to manufacturers of cameras and camcorders. This fact can be pointed to as another substantial benefit of mobile phones. Moreover, internet browsing capabilities of mobile phones have substantially increased the range of their benefits to offer the possibilities of shopping, reading news, listening to music and watching films online, working with spreadsheets, and even serving as a wallet to purchase products and services offline. To summarise the point, mobile phones have become an integral part of daily life for most people to such as extent that they cannot imagine their life without this product.   Mobile Phone Value to Customers Value proposition of mobile phones to customers are significant and this value is associated with serving as an effective communication tool through several mediums such as phone calls, text messages, e-mails and video calls, recreation, making purchases, working etc. It is important for mobile phone manufacturers to be able to distinguish between customer wants and needs in order to be able to achieve long-term growth. Customer need is associated with specific functional or emotional benefit or the product that customer…]]> https://research-methodology.net/barriers-in-organisational-communication/ Mon, 28 Oct 2013 00:12:59 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=4691 There is a set of factors that could have negative implications in facilitation of organisational communication. These barriers include choice of the wrong communication medium, incorrect use of language, wrong type of message, inappropriate appearance of message, use of jargon, emotional barriers, and physical disabilities.     1.     Choice of Wrong Communication Medium The choice of wrong communication medium is one of the most common communication barriers. The choice of communication medium need to correspond to the nature of the message. For example, giving negative feedback regarding any aspect of employee performance is better done through a verbal communication in a constructive way, rather than sending a letter or an e-mail.   2.     Incorrect Use of Language Incorrect use of language can also be specified as one of the major barriers to effective communication and this may relate to grammar, punctuation, spelling and a range of other issues.   3.     Wrong Type of Message Another significant barrier to communication may relate to inappropriate choice of the type of message.  Complex instructions to employees need to be communication in written forms, whereas interpersonal and other conflicts are best resolved with oral communication.   4.     Inappropriate Appearance of Message Ineffective appearance of the message can also prove to be a communication barrier in organisational settings. Inappropriate appearance of the message is usually caused by its poor expression associated with readability, light print, omissions, ineffective sentence structure and others. Ineffective organisation of ideas and poor choice of words in verbal communication can be specified as additional reasons of inappropriate message appearance.   5.     Use of Jargon A range of occasions and reasons when jargons are used may relate to communicating with individuals within the same industry, unthinking use of jargons, attempts to impress the receiver(s) of message, altering the attention of receiver from…]]> https://research-methodology.net/increasing-importance-of-communication-in-organisations-literature-review/ Sun, 27 Oct 2013 00:58:24 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=4686 Increasing importance of communication in organisations has been discussed by a number of authors, the most notably in the works of Mangion (2011), Guffey and Loewy (2012), Zeng (2012) and DeVito (2012). Mangion (2011) detects a direct link between the quality of management-employee communication and the level of achievement of organisational aims and objectives. Moreover, Mangion (2011) convincingly argues that increasing importance of communication in organisations is linked to shortening period of time associated with decision making. The level of communication in organisations between management and employees also has implications on the level of trust of employees towards management (Guffey and Loewy, 2012, Zeng, 2012). According to the findings of Guffey and Loewy (2012), in organisations where management regularly communicates with workforce employees tend to have greater level of trust and confidence, and consequently loyalty to their management. Similarly, DeVito (2012) finds positive correlation between the qualities of management-employee communication and the level of employee motivation. DeVito (2012) explains this finding in a way that a high quality of management-employee communication creates the feeling of involvement in organisational decision making in employees, and thus they become more empowered to perform their duties. Moreover, DeVito (2012) argues that communication in organisations might have several directions and illustrates these directions as it is represented below                     Directions of Organisational Communication Source: DeVito (2012) The most popular communication methods in organisations include e-mails, face-to-face meetings, group shifts meetings, scheduled and unscheduled meetings and others (Yates, 2007, Innis and Watson, 2008, Zeng, 2012). Hargie (2012) links the increasing importance of communication in healthcare organisations in particular to regular technological innovations and technological breakthroughs within the same sector. Moreover, important attributes of private healthcare organisations have been specified by Guffey and Loewy (2012) and Zeng (2012) as increased level of power of external stakeholders, high level…]]> https://research-methodology.net/channels-of-communication-at-workplace/ Thu, 24 Oct 2013 00:00:25 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=4666 Channels of communication can be divided into four categories: nuturative, requisitive, directive, and emotive. Moreover, employees can also be divided into reactor, workaholic, persister, dreamer, rebel, and promoter categories. Pauley and Pauley (2009) correspond the utilisation of each of these channels to the types of employees in the following manner:   Type Channel Reactor Nuturative Workaholic Requestive Persister Requestive Dreamer Directive Rebel Emotive Promoter Directive Source: Pauley and Pauley (2009) References Pauley, J.A. & Pauley D.J. (2009) “Communication: The Key to Effective Leadership” ASQ Quality Press]]> https://research-methodology.net/verbal-and-non-verbal-communication-at-workplace/ Wed, 23 Oct 2013 03:59:33 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=4660 Verbal Communication Verbal communication is facilitated with the use of voice and words. Generally, the key elements of verbal communication include words, sound, languages, and the physical act of speaking. The majority of verbal communication account for casual exchanges with other people. In verbal communication there is a clear and personal communication link between senders and receivers. Challenges associated with verbal communication include poor choice of wording, physical disabilities, ineffective utilisation of communication techniques, and subjective opinions. The outcomes of verbal communication between managers and subordinates can be compromised in terms of achieving its objectives through the negative impact of certain factors. These factors include poor listening skills of managers, emotional barriers, use of inappropriate language.   Non-verbal Communication The majority of communication is facilitated in non-verbal ways. Non-verbal communication can be divided into the following eight categories: facial expression, appearance, haptics, gestures, eye gaze, paralinguistics, proxemics, and body language and posture. One of the main differences of non-verbal communication from verbal communication can be specified in a way that in former form the communication can be done intentionally, as well as, unintentionally. In other words, when an individual is experiencing specific feelings such as boredom, excitement, or fear, his or her feelings can be communicated through non-verbal channels even when the individual does not aim to communicate them intentionally.]]> https://research-methodology.net/model-of-interpersonal-communication/ Mon, 21 Oct 2013 00:30:31 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=4649 The model of interpersonal communication assists in comprehending elements and interactions relevant to the communication process. Communication models can be linear or cyclical. The Model of Interpersonal Communication illustrated below acknowledges communication as a continuous process and appreciates the impact of each element on the overall outcome of communication. Source: Cleary (2008)   Sender In the process of communication the sender is an individual that initiates the communication in the first place. Also, specified as source, encoder or communicator, the sender has the primary responsibility of the contents of the message.   Medium  Medium in a communication process can be explained as a form in which the message is transmitted by a sender to a receiver. Medium can be divided into two categories: written and spoken. Written medium include book, letter, e-mail, fax, memo and any other written format, whereas spoken mediums include but not limited to lectures, presentations, interviews, telephone conversations and others. The choice of medium in communication depends on a wide range of factors that include the duration of time available, the level of importance of the message, geographical distance between sender and receiver, and cost considerations.   Audience Receiver, also referred to as an audience is the individual to whom the message is directed by the sender. Communication outcome depends on the ability of the receiver to understand the message. The manner in which receiver comprehends the message depends on individual life experiences and cultural background.   Decoding Decoding comprises the process of receiving, interpreting and comprehending the message by receiver. A range of factors impacting this stage of the communication process include the type of message, the quality of the use of language by the sender, possible emotional barriers and others.   Feedback Feedback can be explained as the response of the receiver to the…]]> https://research-methodology.net/communication-definition/ Fri, 18 Oct 2013 00:55:17 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=4596 The origin of the term of ‘communication’ is linked to the Latin word of ‘communis’ that means common. There are many definitions of communication. One of the most comprehensive definitions of communication can be proposed as “the process of creating meaning between two or more people through the expression and interpretation of messages” (Cleary, 2008, p.xii). In simple terms, communication can be defined as a process in which a message is encoded by a sender and passed to receiver through certain channels, or order for the message to be decoded. Adppted from: Anthony Wanis-St.John’s “Communication and Negotiation”   References  Cleary, S. (2008) “Communication: A Hands-on Approach” Juta  ]]> https://research-methodology.net/integrated-marketing-communications-introduction/ Tue, 25 Jun 2013 00:40:33 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3889 Integrated Marketing Communications can be defined as “a communication process that entails the planning, creation, integration and implementation of diverse forms of marketing communications that are delivered over time to a brand’s targeted customers and prospects” (Shimp, 2010, p.10). The integration of all marketing efforts is necessary, due to the fact that the core meaning of the brand need to be stressed by each individual marketing technique. The formulation of an effective brand core meaning has significant positive contribution to the growth of the business. It needs to be stressed that Integrated Marketing Communications is not just a buzzword or a management fashion. On the contrary, “Integrated Marketing Communications  is not a fleeting but rather has become a permanent feature of the marketing communications landscape around the world” (Shimp, 2010, p.9).   References Shimp, T.A. (2010) “Advertising, promotion, and other aspects of integrated marketing communications” Cengage Learning]]> https://research-methodology.net/use-of-social-media-in-internal-corporate-communication/ Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:46:28 +0000 http://research-methodology.net/?p=3040 Cooks (2008) defines social media as the types of software tools used by individuals in order to consume, convey, create and share content such as blogs, social networking, wikis etc. The literature review revealed a consensus among authors on the idea that during the last decade social media has evolved as an efficient means of communication for business and private purposes. Moreover, Morley and Parker (2010) observe increasing level of addiction to social media among individuals in general, and younger people in particular. Specific characteristics of social media as a communication tools include peripheral traits, facilitation of many-to-many communication, high level of transparency, and many potentials for the disruption of communication. It has been stated that “one of the benefits of using social media services as a communication interface is that a lot of people are already there; they know how to use the features and perhaps the threshold for participating in interaction with others is lower” (Zavoral, 2010, p.413). Additional benefits of using social media as a communication channel in workplaces have been found to include inexpensive or no associated costs (Ruesch and Bateson, 2008), ease of use (Thayer, 2009), possibility to limit visibility whenever necessary (Guffey et al., 2009), and social media serving as a content-sharing medium (Bronstein et al., 2010). According to Bronstein et al. (2010) the use of social media by businesses in general and large multinational corporations in particular is not limited to the facilitation of communication. Rather, social media in its various forms such as company Facebook page or YouTube clip is being valued by increasing numbers of businesses at a strategic level. Moreover, according to Eunson (2012) the introduction of a wide range of innovative social media sites and new platforms for online communication did little to compromise the role of traditional e-mails…]]>