Marketing: The key to organizational effectiveness

The aim of this paper is to make clear the difference between the marketing concept and marketing strategy. It advocates that not only should the former be used by all structures of business organizations, but that it is necessary to do so. It is the marketing strategy chosen by the firm that is dependent upon the organizational structure and not the concept.     

Editorial

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

An Empirical Analysis of Monitoring Behaviour and Private Benefits of Investors in the Spanish Market

The objective of our study is to look for anequilibrium among three factors: the privatebenefits that main shareholders can obtain fromthe firm, the social benefits derived from acertain ownership structure (such assupervision and alignment of interests) and thecosts derived from ownership concentration(such as loss of liquidity and riskdiversification). Our empirical analysis allowsus to conclude that the supervisory role ofownership is more intense in firms where thepotential conflict of interest betweenshareholders and managers is greater, andtherefore the value of the firm can beincreased through a specific composition of itsshareholders.     

An overview of the Salmonella enteritidis risk assessment for shell eggs and egg products.

This article summarizes a quantitative microbial risk assessment designed to characterize the public health impact of consumption of shell eggs and egg products contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). This risk assessment's objectives were to: (1) establish the baseline risk of foodborne illness from SE, (2) identify and evaluate potential risk mitigation strategies, and (3) identify data gaps related to future research efforts. The risk assessment model has five modules. The Egg Production module estimates the number of eggs produced that are SE-contaminated. Shell Egg Processing, Egg Products Processing, and Preparation & Consumption modules estimate the increase or decrease in the numbers of SE organisms in eggs or egg products as they pass through storage, transportation, processing, and preparation. A Public Health Outcomes module then calculates the incidence of illnesses and four clinical outcomes, as well as the cases of reactive arthritis associated with SE infection following consumption. The baseline model estimates an average production of 2.3 million SE-contaminated shell eggs/year of the estimated 69 billion produced annually and predicts an average of 661,633, human illnesses per year from consumption of these eggs. The model estimates approximately 94% of these cases recover without medical care, 5% visit a physician, an additional 0.5% are hospitalized, and 0.05% result in death. The contribution of SE from commercially pasteurized egg products was estimated to be negligible. Five mitigation scenarios were selected for comparison of their individual and combined effects on the number of human illnesses. Results suggest that mitigation in only one segment of the farm-to-table continuum will be less effective than several applied in different segments. Key data gaps and areas for future research include the epidemiology of SE on farms, the bacteriology of SE in eggs, human behavior in food handling and preparation, and human responses to SE exposure.     

A campus-community coalition to control alcohol-related problems off campus: an environmental management case study

The authors report on the effects of a university and community coalition in preventing problems related to college students' off-campus drinking. The Albany, New York, Committee on University and Community Relations used strategies based on an environmental-management approach that focuses on changing the environment in which individuals make decisions about alcohol consumption and related behaviors. Committee initiatives included improving enforcement of local laws and ordinances, creating a safety-awareness campaign for off-campus students, and developing a comprehensive advertising and beverage-service agreement with local tavern owners. The initiatives were associated with a decline in the number of alcohol-related problems in the community, as indicated by decreases in the number of off-campus noise ordinance reports filed by police and the number of calls to a university-maintained hotline for reporting off-campus problems. An environmental management approach, the authors suggest, has promise as an effective means of preventing alcohol-related problems among college students.     

Thriving in change

The turbulent state of health care and the rapid changes that show no sign of abating point to many career-related challenges for physician executives. How can you predict the impact of these changes on your career? What measures can be taken to prevent any negative impact of change? And how can you prevail when dealt a negative blow like job loss? The signs that foreshadow the unraveling of a physician executive's career are described. The warning signs are: Not keeping up with change, losing your influence; getting negative feedback; turning your "concerns" into complaints; the economy working against you; and being blindsided because we think leaders operate logically. Being proactive puts more control in your hands and leaves less to chance. You can prevent being blindsided if you: develop your people skills; get comfortable and involved with e-business; stay abreast of health care trends; pick up the pace; and develop "You, Inc." There is a final component to prevailing over adverse circumstances--find your work-related passion and apply it to your career.