Design and a deep customer insight approach to innovation

This paper proposes and explores the Deep Customer Insight Innovation Framework in order to develop an understanding as to how design can be integrated within existing innovation processes. The Deep Customer Insight Innovation Framework synthesises the work of Beckman and Barry (2007) as a theoretical foundation, with the framework explored within a case study of Australian Airport Corporation seeking to drive airport innovations in operations and retail performance. The integration of a deep customer insight approach develops customer-centric and highly integrated solutions as a function of concentrated problem exploration and design-led idea generation. Businesses’ facing complex innovation challenges or seeking to making sense of future opportunities will be able to integrate design into existing innovation processes, anchoring the new approach between existing market research and business development activities. This paper contributes a framework and novel understanding as to how design methods are integrated into existing innovation processes for operationalization within industry.

Nutrition in remote Aboriginal communities: Lessons from Mai Wiru and the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands

Objective To examine the impact of efforts to improve nutrition on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands from 1986, especially in Mai Wiru stores. Methods Literature was searched in a systematic manner. In 2012, the store-turnover method was used to quantify dietary intake of the five APY communities that have a Mai Wiru (good food) store. Results were compared with those available from 1986. Prices of a standard market basket of basic foods, implementation of nutrition policy requirements and healthy food checklists were also assessed in all seven APY community stores from 2008 and compared with available data from 1986. Results Despite concerted efforts and achievements decreasing intake of sugar and increasing the availability and affordability of healthy foods, particularly fruit and vegetables, and consequent improvements in some nutrient indicators, the overall effect has been a decrease in diet quality as indicated primarily by the increased supply and proportion of energy intake from discretionary foods, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages, convenience meals and take-away foods. Conclusions The study findings reinforce the notion that, in the absence of supportive regulation and market intervention, adequate and sustained resources are required to improve nutrition and prevent diet-related chronic disease on the APY Lands. Implications This study also provides insights into food supply/security issues affecting other remote Aboriginal communities and wider Australia.

Coliforms in processed mango: Significance and control

The aims of this investigation were to enumerate coliforms in fresh mangoes, puree, cheeks, and cheeks-in-puree in order to determine the source of these organisms in the processed products, to determine methods for their control, and to identify coliforms isolated from cheeks-in-puree to determine whether they have any public health significance. Product from four processors was tested on two occasions. The retail packs of cheeks-in-puree having the highest coliform counts were those in which raw puree was added to the cheeks. Coliform counts in these samples ranged between 1.4 × 103 and 5.4 × 104 cfu/g. Pasteurisation reduced the coliform count of raw puree to < 5 cfu/g. Forty-seven percent of the 73 colonies, isolated as coliforms on the basis of their colony morphology on violet red bile agar, were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae using the ATB 32E Identification System. Klebsiella strains were tested for growth at 10 °C, faecal coliform response, and fermentation of -melizitose, to differentiate the three phenotypically similar strains, K. pneumoniae, K. terrigena and K planticola. Results indicated that 41% of K. pneumoniae isolates gave reactions typical of K. pneumoniae. A further 44% of strains gave an atypical reaction pattern for these tests and were designated ‘psychrotrophic’ K. pneumoniae. Klebsiella pneumoniae counts of between 2.1 × 103 and 4.9 × 104 cfu/g were predicted to occur in the retail packs of mango cheeks-in-puree produced by the processors who constituted this product with raw puree. In view of the opportunistic pathogenic nature of K. pneumoniae, its presence in these products is considered undesirable and steps, such as pasteurisation of puree, should be taken in order to inactivate it

Effect of nitrogen on the skin colour and other quality attributes of ripe ‘Kensington Pride’ mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit

Near-ripe ‘Kensington Pride’ mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit with green skin colour generally return lower wholesale and retail prices. Pre-harvest management, especially nitrogen (N) nutrition, appears to be a major causal factor. To obtain an understanding of the extent of the problem in the Burdekin district (dry tropics; the major production area in Australia), green mature ‘Kensington Pride’ mango fruit were harvested from ten orchards and ripened at 20 ± 0.5 O C. Of these orchards, 70% produced fruit with more than 25% of the skin surface area green when ripe. The following year, the effect of N application on skin colour and other quality attributes was investigated on three orchards, one with a high green (HG) skin problem and two with a low green (LG) skin problem. N was applied at pre-flowering and at panicle emergence at the rate of 0,75,150,300 g per tree (soil applied) or 50 g per tree as foliar N for the HG orchard, and 0,150,300,450 g per tree (soil applied) or 50 g per tree (foliar) for the LG orchards. In all orchards the proportion of green colour on the ripe fruit was significantly (P<0.05) higher with soil applications of 150 g N or more per tree. Foliar sprays resulted in a higher proportion of green colour than the highest soil treatment in the HG orchard, but not in the LG orchards. Anthracnose disease severity was significantly (P<0.05) higher with 300 g of N per tree or foliar treatment in the HG orchard, compared with no additional N. Thus, N can reduce mango fruit quality by increasing green colour and anthracnose disease in ripe fruit.

Connections not boundaries: Future learning and physical spaces

In the developed world, we feel the effects of "digital disruption" in our experiences of the spaces of retail, hospitality, entertainment, finance, arts and culture, and even healthcare. This disruption can take many forms: augmentation of physical experience with a digital complement such as the use of a bespoke mobile application to navigate an art museum, ordering food on digital tablets in a restaurant, recording our health data to share with a doctor. We also rate and review our experiences of a wide range of services and share these opinions with diverse others via the social web.

Block works

A retail precinct along James Street in Brisbane is made more permeable by Richards and Spence.

Kirjan tie lukijalle : Kirjakauppojen vakiintuminen Suomessa 1740 - 1860

Books Paths to Readers describes the history of the origins and consolidation of modern and open book stores in Finland 1740 1860. The thesis approaches the book trade as a part of a print culture. Instead of literary studies choice to concentrate on texts and writers, book history seeks to describe the print culture of a society and how the literary activities and societies interconnect. For book historians, printed works are creations of various individuals and groups: writers, printers, editors, book sellers, censors, critics and finally, readers. They all take part in the creation, delivery and interpretation of printed works. The study reveals the ways selling and distributing books have influenced the printed works and the literary and print culture. The research period 1740 1860 covers the so-called second revolution of the book, or the modernisation of the print culture. The thesis describes the history of 60 book stores and their 96 owners. The study concentrates on three themes: firstly, how the particular book trade network became a central institution for printed works distribution, secondly what were the relations between cosmopolitan European book markets and the national cultural sphere, and thirdly how book stores functioned as cultural institutions and business enterprises. Book stores that have a varied assortment and are targeted to all readers became the main institution for book trade in Finland during 1740 1860. It happened because of three features. First, the book binders monopoly on selling bound copies in Sweden was abolished in 1740s. As a consequence entrepreneurs could concentrate solely to trade activities and offer copies from various publishers at their stores. Secondly the common business model of bartering was replaced by selling copies for cash, first in the German book trade centre Leipzig in 1770s. The change intensified book markets activities and Finnish book stores foreign connections. Thirdly, after Finland was annexed to the Russian empire in 1809, the Grand duchy s administration steered foreign book trade to book stores (because of censorship demands). Up to 1830 s book stores were available only in Helsinki and Turku. During next ten years book stores opened in six regional centres. The early entrepreneurs ran usually vertical businesses consisting of printing, publishing and distribution activities. This strategy lowered costs, eased the delivery of printed works and helped to create elaborated centres for all book activities. These book stores main clientele consisted of the Swedish speaking gentry. During late 1840s various opinion leaders called for the development of a national Finnish print culture, and also book stores. As a result, during the five years before the beginning of the Crimean war (1853 1856) book stores were opened in almost all Finnish towns: at the beginning of the war 36 book stores operated in 21 towns. The later book sellers, mainly functioning in small towns among Finnish speaking people, settled usually strictly for selling activities. Book stores received most of their revenues from selling foreign titles. Swedish, German, French and Belgian (pirate editions of popular French novels) books were widely available for the multilingual gentry. Foreign titles and copies brought in most of the revenues. Censorship inspections or unfavourable custom fees would not limit the imports. Even if the local Finnish print production steadily rose, many copies, even titles, were never delivered via book stores. Only during the 1840 s and 1850 s the most advanced publishers would concentrate on creating publishing programmes and delivering their titles via book stores. Book sellers regulated commissions were small. They got even smaller because of large amounts of unsold copies, various and usual misunderstandings of consignments and accounts or plain accidents that destroyed shipments and warehouses. Also, the cultural aim of a creating large and assortments and the tendency of short selling periods demanded professional entrepreneurship, which many small town book sellers however lacked. In the midst of troublesome business efforts, co-operation and mutual concern of the book market s entrepreneurs were the key elements of the trade, although on local level book sellers would compete, sometimes even ferociously. The difficult circumstances (new censorship decree of 1850, Crimean war) and lack of entrepreneurship, experience and customers meant that half of the book stores opened in 1845 1860 was shut in less than five years. In 1858 the few leading publishers established The Finnish Book Publishers Association. Its first task was to create new business rules and manners for the book trade. The association s activities began to professionalise the whole network, but at the same time the earlier independence of regional publishing and selling enterprises diminished greatly. The consolidation of modern and open book store network in Finland is a history of a slow and complex development without clear signs of a beginning or an end. The ideal book store model was rarely accomplished in its all features. Nevertheless, book stores became the norm of the book trade. They managed to offer larger selections, reached larger clienteles and maintained constant activity better than any other book distribution model. In essential, the book stores methods have not changed up to present times.

Taustamusiikki markkinoinnin työvälineenä suomalaisissa tavarataloissa

The main research problem of this study was to explain how and why background music is used in Finnish department stores and how it is related to their marketing. The problem was investigated through the opinions, attitudes, and conceptions of the managers of Anttila, Sokos and Stockmann department stores. The data of study (N = 31) constituted of a www-survey to which the managers were asked to answer. In the first chapter of the study s theoretical section, the relationship between background music and an enterprise was examined. It was found that background music can serve as an aid in seeking competitive advantage. In the second chapter, the service encounter s environment and atmosphere in relation to marketing was examined and it was found that they are a part of customer s product or service experience. In the third chapter, the interaction process between service encounter atmosphere and consumer behaviour was examined and the essential finding was that atmospheric stimuli affects an individual through emotional, cognitive, and physiological processes, in which individual s personal characteristics are also in a great role. In the fourth chapter, the significance of background music s musical features was examined but the research results were found so contradictory that only the complexity of the studied phenomenon became clear. Findings from the study s empirical section showed that all examined department stores play background music and the usage of music is chain-controlled. The respondents considered background music in department stores as a fundamental element and they understood its significance in enterprise s marketing. The respondents also believed that customers consider background music important and pleasant. Respondents views on background music s effects to purchasing behaviour divided opinions more, but the majority however believed that background music has effects to purchasing behaviour. The main conclusion of the study was that background music is an important marketing tool, at least in a department store type service encounter.

Online grocery shopping: The impact of shopping frequency on perceived risk

Online grocery shopping has enjoyed strong growth and it is predicted this channel will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years. While online shopping has attracted an abundance of research interest, examinations of online grocery shopping behaviour are only now emerging. Shopping online for groceries differs considerably from general online shopping due to the perishability and variability of the product, and frequency of the shopping activity. Two salient gaps underpin this research into online grocery shopping. This study responds to calls to investigate the online shoppers’ experience in the context of online purchasing frequency. Second, this study examines the mediating effect of perceived risk between trust and online repurchase intention of groceries. An online survey was employed to collect data from shoppers who were recruited from a multi-channel grocery e-retailer’s database. The online survey, comprising 16 reflective validated scale items, was sent to 555 frequent and infrequent online grocery shoppers. Results find that while customer satisfaction predicts trust for both infrequent and frequent online grocery shoppers, perceived risk fully mediates the effect of trust on repurchase intentions for infrequent online grocery shoppers. Furthermore path analysis reveals that the developed behavioural model is variant across both groups of shoppers. Theoretically, we provide a deeper understanding of the online customer experience, while gaining insight into two shopper segments identified as being important to grocery e-retailers. For managers, this study tests an online customer behavioural model with actual purchasing behaviour and identifies the continued presence of perceived risk in grocery e-retailing regardless of purchase frequency or experience.

Electricity pricing in New Zealand and the Australian State of Queensland: Accounting for the impact of sector restructuring

The electricity industries of New Zealand (NZ) and the Australian state of Queensland have undergone substantial structural and regulatory reform with the common intent to improve economic efficiency. Deregulation and privatisation have been key elements of the reform but have been approached differently by each jurisdiction. This study traces the link between structural and regulatory regimes and asset valuation, profits and, ultimately, pricing. The study finds that key drivers in recent price increases are the government-owned generation and retail sector in NZ and the government-owned distribution sector in Queensland. It is concluded that, contrary to the rationale for the imposition of regulatory controls in a nonmarket environment, the regulatory regimes appear to have contributed to higher rather than lower pricing structures.

Secret Squirrel Stuff in the Australian Curriculum English: The genesis of the ‘new’ grammar

In much the same way that a squirrel stores a range of food in a range of places, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority’s (ACARA) Australian Curriculum: English (ACARA, 2015) stores references to grammar in a range of places. This paper explores some seemingly ‘hidden’ grammars within the AC:E to (re)discover their genesis and how they unfold across Foundation to Year 6. The first ‘Secret Squirrel’ moment centres on the introduction of a new grammar which weaves traditional Latin-based and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theory. The second ‘Secret Squirrel’ moment centres on the use of one sub-system of SFL Theory, the System of Appraisal, and its potential to provide an analytical lens for ‘reading’ the interpersonal meaning within narratives. The remainder of the paper draws on Goodson’s (1990) notion of curriculum as a social construction, paying attention to the levels of processes and (potential) practice. This part of the paper focuses on the System of Appraisal as it is introduced in the AC:E and then translates the Content Descriptions to an example analysis. One stimulus text, Melanie Watt’s (2012) children’s picture book ‘Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach’, is introduced then analysed using the System of Appraisal as an analytical lens for identifying how language choices ‘go to work’ (Macken-Horarik, 2003, p. 285) on readers, that is how Watt’s language choices are crafted so a ‘compliant’ child reader (Martin & White, 2005, p. 62) has the opportunity to ‘feel with’ and thus ‘adjudicate’ the behaviour of characters in particular ways (Macken-Horarik, 2003, p. 285).

Using a supply chain approach to guide R&D

Consumers today are presented with an increasing array of products. The growing competition for consumer expenditure requires a whole of supply chain approach to maintain market share for existing cultivars and to successfully commercialise new cultivars. The supply chain needs to deliver value and satisfaction to the end customer and profitability to their members. Critical to getting the product right is developing inherent robustness into the cultivar, and developing processes and systems through the whole supply chain that maintain product quality and add value. This paper describes the approach we have used in working with supply chains in Australia and Indonesia to identify priority areas for improvement. Our experience demonstrates the need for a champion in the supply chain with significant influence and a desire to improve. The paper also describes our approach towards improving a specific supply chain to achieve successful commercialisation of a new cultivar. The cultivar was primarily selected for good production characteristics and attractive visual appeal. The performance of the fruit is being monitored from farm to retail shelf to identify points where quality is lost and practices can be improved. A targeted R&D program is investigating ways of improving production efficiency (nutrition, flowering and canopy management), maturity standards to optimise flavour, harvesting and packing practices to reduce skin damage, and ripening and handling practices to optimise shelf life. This integrated approach is based on similar approaches used to improve the performance of existing mango and avocado cultivars.

The impact of dry matter, ripeness and internal defects on consumer perceptions of avocado quality and intentions to purchase.

Insights into the relative importance of various aspects of product quality can be provided through quantitative analysis of consumer preference and choice of fruit. In this study, methods previously used to establish taste preferences for kiwifruit (Harker et al., 2008) and conjoint approaches were used to determine the influence of three key aspects of avocado quality on consumer liking and willingness to purchase fruit: dry matter percentage (DM), level of ripeness (firmness) and internal defects (bruising). One hundred and seven consumers tasted avocados with a range of DM levels from ~20% (minimally mature) to nearly 40% (very mature), and at a range of fruit firmness (ripeness) stages (firm-ripe to soft-ripe). Responses to bruising, a common quality defect in fruit obtained from the retail shelf, were examined using a conjoint approach in which consumers were presented with photographs showing fruit affected by damage of varying severity. In terms of DM, consumers showed a progressive increase in liking and intent to buy avocados as the DM increased. In terms of ripeness, liking and purchase intent was higher in avocados that had softened to a firmness of 6.5 N or below (hand-rating 5). For internal defects, conjoint analysis revealed that price, level of bruising and incidence of bruising all significantly lowered consumers' future purchase decision, but the latter two factors had a greater impact than price. These results indicate the usefulness of the methodology, and also provide realistic targets for Hass avocado quality on the retail shelf.

Käsityöläisyyden kuva kultasepän ammatissa : Käsityöläisyys Suomen Kultaseppien Liiton lehdessä 1990-luvun lopussa

The aim of this study is to survey the meaning of craftmanship in goldsmith occupation. The image of craftmanship is built theoretically as well as researcher's own practical experience. The study describes a dialogue between self-employed goldsmith s everyday work and trade union's opinion. Suomen Kultaseppien Liitto (The Goldsmith Assosiation of Finland) was chosen forthe trade union, because it is the biggest, the oldest and the most influential on the occupational area. The research data are volumes 1995 - 1998 of occupational membership journal of Suomen Kultaseppien Liitto. The data analyzed with Adapted Content Analysis and Grounded Theory. The professional occupation of goldsmiths, the role of craftmanship and the future of the occupation are discussed. Additionally, the relationship between the Suomen Kultaseppien Liitto and occupational culture and profession of goldsmiths was studied. Craft and craftmanship is most often discussed in articles related to tradition and education.Craftmanship is understood very idealistically, with little meaning in practical life. St. Eligius and the skill and art of goldsmiths in St Petersburg are raised to symbols of craftmanship. The occupational image is broken and a clear conflict between education and occupation is visible. Education produces artist-craftsmen, while handicraft workers are required in industry, and retailers or specially trained store assistant in business. Computer-aided design and manufacture render handicraft workmanship unnecessary. In a pessimistic view, the future possibilities of the goldsmith occupational profession are dim, because the artist-craftsmen are bound to lose to fast-paced machines. On the other hand, people involved in goldsmith education see the future light, designer-goldsmiths developing the occupational to new dimensions. Suomen Kultaseppien Liitto represents goldsmiths in public. The union, however is governed by non-artisan goldsmiths. The union stresses business attitudes and enterpreneurship, and has succeeded in protecting the privileges of retailers and industry. Goldsmiths profession is seen in the research data as a combination of precious-metal industry, jewellery and watch stores, anda goldsmith shop is considered a specialized giftstore. The goldsmiths occupation is not a profession, and the Suomen Kultaseppien Liitto is not a trade union for artist and craftmen. Accordingly, part of the representative authority of the union could be transferred from the Association to Taidekäsityöläiset Taiko ry, a member of organization of Ornamo. Results of this study show the importance of defining the images of the goldsmith occupational profession and the trade union. The results could be applied to goldsmith education to examine what would be the optimal education and training for present employment opportunities. The important background theories has been the theories of Habermas and Lévi-Strauss.

Mallimestari globalisoituneen sarjatuotannon situationaalisessa prosessissa : Kokemustutkimus

In this thesis, taking place within the clothing industry of Finland, the impact of the globalisation of the economy on the pattern maker s job was studied and the present day fields of know-how of the job were found out. The thesis answers the questions, what are the characteristics of the patternmaker s job nowadays, and what areas of the know-how in the patternmaker s job form the core know-how, which is repeated in every organisation. Earlier studies of the subject do not exist in Finland. Similar studies have been made in USA (Staples 1993) and in Estonia (2002). Patternmakers who took part in this study were located in the Finnish clothing companies manufacturing or having clothes manufactured in series production, like clothing industry or chain of stores. A methodical triangulation was used in the thesis. In a phenomenological research of experience seven patternmakers were interviewed and in a quantitative research 26 patternmakers filled in a structured questionnaire. The phenomenological analysis has 2 parts. In the first phase using the professional background of the patternmakers, the historical development of the clothing industry for the last 40 years was described. In the second phase of the phenomenological analysis the description of the patternmaker s job was created based on the organisational strategy of the companies nowadays. The analysis of quantitative research material was performed by one-dimensional study of variables, where the variations in the amounts of variables lead to proportional conclusions. As a result of the structured questionnaire, the core know-how of the patternmaker was pointed out. In the thesis, the concept of situationality was used to describe the continuous change in the clothing industry. This explains the continuous requirement of patternmakers commitment to the time and location. The researcher has a background of a patternmaker and she works as a specialist instructor. With the thesis the researcher updates her professional competence. The analysis of the patternmaker s job can be used to update the content of patternmakers education in the vocational schools.