The Interplay of Personal Selling and Direct Marketing: An Exploratory Study in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Beyond dispute, personal selling represents the dominant and most effective promotional element in industrial settings, but its costs are quite substantial. Against this background, sales managers are forced to reexamine alternative approaches for servicing and informing customers in order to justify the productivity of their industrial selling mix. In this context, the complementary use of direct marketing to field selling becomes a primary concern as it allows for confidentiality and personalization of the message in contrast to mass communication while it provides information at a lower cost than does personal selling. However, no study has empirically investigated the interplay of personal selling and various direct marketing instruments with regard to several contextual factors determining the preferred use of direct marketing over personal selling so far. Thus, focusing on business-to-business transactions, this study’s objective is to deepen the understanding of the direct marketing and personal selling interplay. Due to limited empirical insights to this area, an exploratory research design is adapted. Results indicate that the advantageousness of direct marketing in comparison to personal selling is determined by customer-related, internal and external contextual conditions. Further, a well-designed interplay helps to improve selling productivity, brand awareness and customer satisfaction – and thus business unit performance. --

Food risk perceptions by different consumer groups in Germany

This paper presents an analysis of the changing food risk perceptions of German consumers over the period 1992 to 2002. We analyse the respondents' general risk attitudes and their specific perceptions of food risks. Using cluster analysis we generate a typology of four consumer types. One group is worried about natural food risks, the second does not worry about any types of food risks, the third is concerned about technical food risks and the fourth is concerned about all food risks. A multinomial logit analysis identifies factors that describe the classification of households in this grouping. General risk attitudes and knowledge about food risk are significant variables in the explanation. --cluster analysis,food safety,multinomial logit,risk perceptions,risk typology

REDD+ and the Collaboration between Practitioners and Experts

REDD+ is a response to the growing urgency of mitigating climate change and hindering the deforestation of tropical forests. The simple thought of “making trees worth more standing up, then cut down” and therefore storing carbon in trees, has proven to be quite complicated and complex, especially as bilateral agreements are based on result-based payments. However, what is considered a result can be much more than just the amount of reduced carbon-emission. Brazil is the country with the most tropical rainforest in the world, and Indonesia is home to the world's third largest tropical forest, and therefore important partners in the work towards reducing GHG emissions. These two countries and their bilateral agreement between Norway will be in focus in this thesis. After over 13 years, the programme has met many challenges, including miscommunication and inconsistent approaches in the bilateral agreements. Another concerns safeguarding, a requirement to have a system for in REDD+ agreements. This has proven to be almost impossible to monitor and report on. Further, the funding from Norway comes through the ODA budget, which presents additional requirements which have caused difficulties. The programme goes through evaluations, and the government does use research in their strategic planning and in the development of REDD+. Still, there are lessons learned after these years which suggests that better understanding and collaboration between researchers and practitioners is beneficial. This thesis investigates the issues with REDD+ agreements being funded through the ODA budget, and the difficulties of safeguarding as part of the requirements to receive result-based funding. Further it explores how practitioners and experts in Norway collaborate towards REDD+ today, how they share knowledge, how they interact with each other and if they have the same understanding of what the programme is trying to achieve - and what is necessary to achieve the set goals. It argues that more informal collaboration between practitioners and experts to create a common understanding and connection is necessary and would be beneficial in gaining more information regarding national contexts before mapping out plans or setting goals, which could be part of resolving issues found in connection with having safeguarding and ODA finds connected with result-based payments

Effects of ploughing depth on decomposition of barley straw in organically managed soil

Litterbag were used to study the effects of different ploughing depths on decomposition rate of barley straw with different ploughing depths. The burying depth of the litter (13 vs 25 cm) affected the decomposition rate of barely straw more than the different ploughing depths (13 vs 25 cm). From our results we suggest that slowly decomposable organic matter, such as leached barley straw, may be incorporated deeply by ploughing in organic cereal production systems, in order to regulate perennial weeds. In soils with good structure and porosity, the decomposition rate of straw can even be larger with deep ploughing. In dense, clayey soils it is important to be very accurate in ploughing time in order to secure that the ploughing is in fact loosening the soil. Otherwise, lack of oxygen and low decomposition of straw is likely to be the results

Hvordan kan sykepleier forebygge hypoglykemi hos eldre i sykehjem med diabetes type 2?

Studentarbeid i sykepleie (bachelorgrad) - Høgskolen i Bodø, 200

Breaking Waves : New Energy’s Open Innovation Strategy for Shaping the Maritime Industry : An Exploratory Case Study

This thesis explores how an established firm can leverage an organizational setup for open innovation, in order to become more sustainable. The phenomenon is investigated through an exploratory case study, examining New Energy, a company owned by the established Wilhelmsen group. Through semi-structured interviews and observation, the findings are related to the literature on open innovation, corporate venture capital, and innovation at the edge. The study’s findings are twofold. Firstly, the study identifies how New Energy’s setup and dynamics align with the open innovation approach. New Energy was established as an open innovation initiative, leveraging its network by opening its company borders and accessing resources from internal and external actors. By effectively balancing an external and internal focus, New Energy creates a unique opportunity to access diverse resources, fostering industrial synergies and collaborations that contribute to Wilhelmsen’s sustainability agenda. The study also suggests that New Energy’s dual focus reduces resistance within Wilhelmsen and is beneficial when establishing relationships with external partners. Secondly, the findings demonstrate how New Energy encompasses elements from literature on both corporate venture capital and innovation at the edge, with a stronger alignment with the edge approach. In line with the edge literature, New Energy has an external focus and pursues innovative projects alongside Wilhelmsen’s traditional operations. In addition, New Energy experiences capital restrictions, incentivizing the company to utilize its network. However, the findings also reveal some unique features not extensively covered in existing literature. These distinctive features are primarily linked to the New Energy team, as New Energy focuses on having passionate people with a wide range of competencies. This has led to close team dynamics and enables New Energy to access valuable resources in the network. Additionally, the Executive Vice President’s characteristics and position in the group management team contribute to a close relationship with Wilhelmsen. These features are important in New Energy’s efforts to shape the maritime industry. Overall, the findings provide valuable insights into the innovative characteristics of New Energy, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of how established firms can respond to a changing business environment.nhhma

Thinking about the Past: Early Knowledge about Links between Prior Experience, Thinking, and Emotion

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66219/1/1467-8624.00267.pd

Biologiske metoder for nedbryting av medisinrester i gjødsel

Norsk senter for økologisk landbruk (NORSØK) og analyselaboratoriet MoLab ved Högskolan Kristianstad har gjennom dette forprosjektet arbeidet med å skaffe mer kunnskap om medisinrester i hestegjødsel, biologisk nedbrytning av disse og utvikling av analysemetoder. Sammen med Hageland Surnadal har vi gjennomført en markedsundersøkelse for å undersøke kjøpe- og betalingsvilligheten for eventuelle nye jordprodukter basert på lokal hestegjødsel. Det er lite kunnskap om medisinrester i norsk hestemøkk. I dette prosjektet har vi videreutviklet en analysemetode som kan analysere for ulike antibiotika og parasittmidler i samme prøve. Metoden er utviklet og testet slik at den kan brukes på fast substrat, som hestemøkk. Hestemøkk fra medisinerte hester og hestemøkk tilsatt kjente mengder medisiner ble kompostert ute i en ranke bestående av hestemøkk og nyslått gras. I et potteforsøk ble noe av hestemøkken fra medisinerte hester tilsatt kompostmeitemark for å se hvordan de bearbeidet medisinrestene. - Flere medisiner til husdyr ble vurdert i starten. Det er utviklet en analysemetode for flere virkestoffer i medisiner mest vanlig brukt til hest. Antibiotikumet Tribrissen vet inj med virkestoffene trimetoprim og sulfadiazin, og parasittmidlene Panacur med virkestoffet fenbedazol og Banminth med virkestoffet pyrantelembonat til hest, ble med i hele forprosjektet. 70 prøver av hestemøkk og hestemøkkompost ble analysert. Vi fant at man kan analysere tørket hestemøkk fra medisinerte hester, prøvene trenger dermed ikke frysetørkes for videresending til analyse. Analysemetoden kan brukes for å analysere alle 4 virkestoffene samtidig. - Det er høyest restinnhold i hestemøkk 1-2 dager etter at hesten er behandlet, litt ulikt for hvert stoff. Deretter reduseres mengden raskt. Nedbrytingen av medisiner tar tid i de komposteringsmetodene som ble testet. I rankekomposten avtok innholdet av medisiner utover i perioden på 60 dager. Det var litt ulike nedbrytingskurver for de ulike stoffene. Tre av stoffene var det ennå rester av i komposten etter 60 dager. Forsøket med bruk av kompostmeitemark må optimaliseres og gjøres på nytt, mellom annet fordi mange av meitemarkene døde i ledd med ubehandlet hestemøkk. - Våre utprøvinger viser at møkk fra behandla hester bør skilles fra annen møkk de første 1-3 dagene etter behandling. Det må utvikles håndteringsstrategier for denne massen slik at den kan brukes trygt i plantedyrking. Det må flere utprøvinger til mht omdanningshastighet av medisinrester ved ulike komposteringsmetoder. Både temperaturutvikling, størrelsen på kompostranken, fuktighetsforhold og overlevelse av kompostmeitemark er viktige faktorer som vi må vite mer om under norske forhold. Innholdet i urin ble ikke testet. - Vi gjennomførte en spørreundersøkelse om jord og gjødsel blant 100 hagesenterkunder. Den viste at det er en viss interesse for torvfrie, lokalproduserte jord- og gjødselprodukter, rundt halvparten av de spurte var villige til å betale 20 % merpris for et slikt produkt. Undersøkelsen viste at forbrukerne ønsket jord og gjødsel som er næringsrik og hvor ett produkt kan brukes til flere formål. - Dette prosjektet har hatt stor betydning for samarbeidspartene ved å utvikle analysemetode for medisinrester i fast hestemøkk, videre har vi lagt et grunnlag for å videreutvikle hestegjødsel som et produkt uten medisinrester. Prosjektet ble finansiert av Regionalt forskningsfond Midt-Norge og Fylkesmannen i Møre og Romsdal, i tillegg til at samarbeidspartene har bidratt med en betydelig egeninnsats

Salt content in herring – How the salt content in herring changes during capture and catch handling

Brazil applies a threshold limit value for the amount of salt that is accepted in natural herring, namely 134 mg sodium per 100 g fillet. Compared with the salt content values found in the relevant literature, and the measurements that are routinely performed in Norway, this is a low value that would be difficult to fulfil. RSW (Refrigerated Sea Water) is a quick and appropriate agent for chilling large catches – of herring, for example. However, when fish are stored in RSW after capture, they may assimilate salt from the cooling medium. Another factor that can increase the salt content in herring is stress. When herring are subjected to stress, as happens during capture, the salt content in their blood will increase. All in all, the threshold limit value set for salt content in Brazil is considered to be unrealistically low, taking into account how catches are handled in Norwegian pelagic fisheries. * The original report is in Norwegian and the reference is: 8/2023, ISBN 978-82-8296-743-3Salt content in herring – How the salt content in herring changes during capture and catch handlingpublishedVersio

Breadth and Depth of Promotional Sales in Food Retailing

Temporary price reductions (sales) as a means of promotion have become an increasingly important tool in the marketing mix of food retailers around the world. This paper investigates the retailers' pricing strategy by explicitly accounting for the multi-product nature of retailing. We find that retailers systematically adjust the breadth and depth of sales over time and they respond aggressively to their rivals' promotional activities. Finally, the breadth and depth of sales are found to be substitutes in the set of the available strategies to increase the store traffic. (authors' abstract