Brand leveraging, that is, attaching established brand names to new products, takes advantage of consumers' favourable associations with the brand name in an attempt to create financial value for the firm. Marketing new products with existing brand names is a popular strategy for a variety of reasons; for instance, it can generate savings in a brand's image (Aaker 1990)
Clark et al. point out that there has also been a growing focus on the quality of healthcare delivery systems in the last decade, with an increased focus on how patients perceive the quality of services (Clark et al
This focus on improved outcomes is what quality assurance in the healthcare community is all about, and Davidson and Smirnoff say that patient satisfaction with ambulatory care is important for many people, but it is especially important for patients undergoing treatment for tuberculosis (TB) because they must persist with a long and difficult therapeutic regimen. "TB treatment typically requires 3 to 8 medications given daily or several times a week for 6 to 18 months" (Davidson & Smirnoff, 1999 p
Increasingly, employers are using what has been termed "employer branding" to help achieve these goals. According to DeCamp (2004), an employer brand is much like a consumer brand, with a slight additional twist: "It is an emotional relationship, but between an employer and employee, one that radiates out from this core to other stakeholders, to the community at large, and obviously to potential employees" (DeCamp, 2004 p
The experts recommend clean, well-maintained equipment and facilities (including lockers and showers) in pleasant surroundings accessible throughout the day reflect an employer's commitment to the health of employees. "Ideally, an exercise facility will be part of a full health-promotion program that includes elements such as nutrition counseling, stress reduction, and health education" (DiNubile, 1999 p
Some of these changes such as the remarkable developments in medical science and technology have benefited patients, prolonging and saving the lives of millions. The fully regulated medical system in Canada means that Canadians spend one-third less on their health care than do Americans, and yet most Canadians appear to be very satisfied with their single-payer system (Dranove, 2000)
In the 1980s, the American Medical Association, worried about the lower incomes and weaker political position of Canadian physicians, was pointing to potential drawbacks of the Canadian healthcare plan. These physicians pointed out that Canadians tend to be placed on waiting lists for such non-emergency matters as elective surgery, unless they pay for this privately, and waiting periods ranged between one and 72 weeks (Fuchs, 1990)
Hailey et al. suggest that this response level indicates that providers were unable to judge patient satisfaction accurately and that formal evaluations of patient satisfaction should be included in college health services (Hailey et al
S., Canada is having trouble paying for its health care, and several provinces are cutting back on the services they provide (Heirich, 1998)
Each of the teams then used the "PDCA" (plan-do-check-act) process to implement approved solutions. "This quality assurance iterative process resulted in permanent improvements made in each area resulting in a more effective and efficient patient distribution system, favorable staff comment, and greater patient satisfaction" (Hoskins et al
Effective quality assurance programs provide a framework in which these services can be provided in a cost-efficient manner. "To address these issues and emerging ethical dilemmas, hospitals, health plans, and providers must work collaboratively to develop guidelines for decision making and build consensus about health care goals" (Koloroutis and Thorstenson, 1999, p
Products are transient, but basic needs and customer groups endure forever. A horse-carriage company will go out of business soon after the automobile is invented, unless it switches to making cars" (Kotler, 2000 p
The anticipated number of responses will likely be less than 20 and a representative sampling of at least 100 would be preferred to provide a better statistical basis; however, all surveys received all will included in the data analysis to provide a sufficiently large sampling to produce meaningful results, as well as a narrative responses to the open-ended questions. The literature is consistent is showing that for random samples, the larger the sample, the more reliable it is for estimating such quantities as means or proportions for the population (Leedy, 1993)
"If the numbers in a presentation don't agree with each other, something is wrong. This is the question of internal consistency" (Moore, 1997 p
Quality assurance techniques are useful for measuring this perception well: "The use of outcomes and other performance measures complements the application of standards and completes the quality equation. Performance results usually validate the fact that an organization did the right things right and provide the baseline stimulus for future quality improvement activities" (O'Leary, 1996 p
The healthcare manager can help facilitate the quality assurance improvement process by taking steps to ensure that the valuable healthcare staff (and their professional egos) embrace a common philosophy that patient care and profitability are not mutually exclusive, and that they are in a position to make an individual contribution to that process. "These steps include ensuring that everyone in the workplace is treated as an individual, engaging in appropriate dialogue and active listening, facilitating an atmosphere of trust, as well as ensuring that group conflicts do not interfere with the organization's primary mission" (Parker & Gadbois, 2000 p
The obligations of the public sector are special because citizens grant them power, whether it is the policeman on the beat carrying a gun, a military officer in charge of nuclear missiles, or the welfare official who is responsible for deciding who qualifies for government aid. "It is their obligation to use that power wisely and in the public interest" (Pfiffner p
4. A good fit between individuals and organizations benefits both because people gain meaningful and satisfying work - and organization receive the talent and energy needed to thrive (Shafritz & Russell p
Many of the researchers are of the opinion that technology in education is one of the key factors that can, and has to an extent, brought about radical changes to the formal educational system (Shehnaz & Sreedharan, 2010). This has also led to the perceived enhancement of the use of technology in the classroom for special education to a greater extent compared to the regular classrooms (Boonmoh, 2012)
Researchers also agree that technology has the ability to help students improve and enhance knowledge and skill acquisition. This, they say, can be achieved through learning with and about technology, which has become essential for students in the 21st-century society and workforce to gain competencies to perform well (Chen & Hwang, 2014)