Kylie McMullan, Pinder Rehal, Katy Read, Judy Luo, Ashley Huating Wu, Leyland Pitt, Lisa Papania and Colin Campbell
This purpose of this paper is to facilitate the exploration of marketing strategy in general and branding strategy in particular for a non‐profit, governmental institution.
Abstract
Purpose
This purpose of this paper is to facilitate the exploration of marketing strategy in general and branding strategy in particular for a non‐profit, governmental institution.
Design/methodology/approach
Students are taken to 2005 when the Canadian Forces needed to increase recruitment. Canada's ageing population and the war in Afghanistan were just two of the many reasons driving an immediate focus on signing up new young Canadians. However, the task was proving more difficult than anticipated.
Findings
A particular challenge lay in that the army's brand – always conservatively constructed to reflect the more peaceful side of military life – had served to alienate many would‐be soldiers who interpreted this portrayal as patronizing and boring. However, a new campaign focused on the more militaristic realities of war might have served only to put off the families of potential recruits to whom these youths turned for advice and support. With the face of the military presented largely through its recruitment campaigns, the Canadian Forces' marketing department needed to do some introspection in order to determine how to proceed.
Originality/value
This case serves to highlight the importance of branding and marketing strategy in a non‐traditional setting and related prompt discussion and learning. This case is intended for classroom use only. It is not intended to demonstrate effective or ineffective handling of a business situation.
Details
Keywords
David Wilkins, Rebecca Jones and David Westlake
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast what is spoken about in supervision case discussions in Children’s Services with what subsequently appears in the written…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast what is spoken about in supervision case discussions in Children’s Services with what subsequently appears in the written record on the child’s file. As an exploratory study, the authors set two research questions – how do supervision conversations and corresponding records compare? And how do social work supervisors make use of these records?
Design/methodology/approach
The authors sampled ten pairs of supervision audio recordings and written records from the child’s file. Using a content analysis approach, the authors compared what was spoken about (on the audio recordings) with what was subsequently written down (on the child’s file).
Findings
The complex activity of social work case supervision is not easily captured in written form. Written records did not reflect objectively the content of the audio recordings and on occasion, even contained information absent from the discussion. Supervisors seemed to engage in an interpretative process when creating the records, translating what was spoken about into a record thought (more) suitable for the file.
Research limitations/implications
The sample was limited to one authority and did not compare between different models or approaches to supervision.
Practical implications
Supervisors understandably orient their recording behaviour towards anticipated audiences (chiefly, senior managers and Ofsted inspectors). To change recording practices, it would help to promote the role of children and families as the more important audience for written recordings of supervision case discussions.
Originality/value
The major strength of this study is the inclusion of audio recordings of actual supervision case discussions and real case records. This is an advantage over the more common methods of vignettes, role plays and self-reports because it allowed the authors to examine directly what happens in practice. The findings from the study are strengthened via the use of a focus group with social work managers, helping the authors to validate and test the themes the authors’ identified.