Client focus in regulatory agencies

Abstract

‘Client focus’ seems like a counter-intuitive notion for regulatory agencies, whose job is to compel people to comply with government requirements. Yet it is becoming the catchphrase for many regulatory authorities. This article puts forward an argument, based on social exchange and regulatory theory, that a client-focused approach is not only compatible with a regulatory role, but also actually facilitates it. It recognizes that most people's propensity to comply is a function of factors other than the fear of punishment, such as their intrinsic or normative motivations and their ability to do what is required. It also assists in delineation and understanding of the proportion of regulatees who opportunistically avoid their obligations. The article advances a broader model of social exchange between regulators and regulatees.     

Consumers as researchers – innovative experiences in UK National Health Service Research

Consumer involvement is an established priority in UK health‐ and social‐care service development and research. To date, little has been published describing the process of consumer involvement and assessing ‘consumers’ contributions to research. This paper provides a practical account of the effective incorporation of consumers into a research team, and outlines the extent to which they can enhance the research cycle; from project development and conduct, through data analysis and interpretation, to dissemination. Salient points are illustrated using the example of their collaboration in a research project. Of particular note were consumers' contributions to the development of an ethically enhanced, more robust project design, and enriched data interpretation, which may not have resulted had consumers not been an integral part of the research team.     

Environmental context and marketing planning processes

The traditional model of marketing planning assumes that the process by which organizations take planning decisions is constant with respect to context. Organizational environment, internal context, performance and distinctive competency affect marketing planning only as information inputs for the planning process, not as influences on the choice of process. However, rapid change in environments, in competitive patterns and in market responses all demand action from organizations. Intuitively, we expect that rapid environmental change will require a faster planning process, and that increasing environmental complexity requires more careful deliberation. The marketing planning model does not accommodate such intuition. This paper outlines the case for rethinking marketing planning models, and develops a conceptual framework through which the impact of environmental context on marketing planning processes can be effectively examined.     

Comment

A Comment on “Marketing Planning and Corporate Culture: A Conceptual Framework Which Examines Management Attitudes in the Context of Marketing Planning” by John W. Leppard and Malcolm H. B. McDonald.     

Retail Financial Services Segmentation

In the light of the increasing importance of market segmentation in the retail financial services industry, this article reviews past research in the area. The article argues the need for research to move forward rather than repeat the kind of studies now being carried out by companies. The way in which academic research might provide a methodological model is discussed and areas for the future development of segmentation research are suggested.     

A study of the perception of public accounting skills held by UK students with accounting and non-accounting carrer aspirations

This paper examines perceptions of the skills that are important for success in public accounting. The total sample consists of 203 respondents who have operationalized carrer interest by either applying to accounting firms (n = 107) or to other large companies for non-accounting positions (n = 96). Data was gathered using an attitudinal questionnaire administered to the two groups. ttests, ANOVA and multivariate analysis were used to analyse the results. Factor analysis was used to generate inputs for discriminant analysis. The finding indicate that bot groups have similar perceptions of the importance of analytical ability and deductive reasoning. However, respondents interested in entering the accounting profession attach greater importance to the possession of good interpersonal skills, empathy, sensitivity, innovation and creativity. Accounting applicants describe accounting as incorporating a wider skill repertoire than those with non-accounting aspirants. The implications of these differing views for carrer choice and accounting education are explored.