Social Marketing, Management, and Organizational Behavior

Part 1

Transparent and accountable governance and strong leadership are the cornerstones of successful public health operations and delivery of public health services.

Respond to the following questions in relation to governance and leadership:

• What are the differences between governance and leadership?

• What systems or processes should public health agencies utilize to ensure communication and accountability between their governing board and leaders? Justify your answers.

According to Kotter (2001), " . . . leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action. Each has its own function and characteristic activities. Both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment."

Respond to the following questions in relation to management and leadership:

• What are the differences between leadership and management?

• Why do you think Kotter described leadership and management as complementary systems of action?

In recent years, the optimal management structure has shifted from a narrow span of control to a broad or wide span of control. Earlier, three to seven individuals were reporting to the same manager (narrow span), whereas today, it is common to have twenty or more staff members reporting to the same person (broad span), as stated in the course textbook.

Based on the readings for this week, respond to the following discussion points:

• Identify at least one pro and one con for each span of control described above.
• State, with reasons, which of the two structures you would recommend.

Part 2

Several decades ago, Kotler and Zaltman (1971) first used the term "social marketing" to describe the application of marketing theory to solve social- and health-related issues. Since then, social marketing has grown in popularity and usage within the public health community, including within national agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local health departments. Some of the factors responsible for the success of national social marketing campaigns are the efficient use of financial resources to develop marketing strategies, consistent messages across geographic boundaries, and uniform evaluation measures.

Respond to the following discussion points in relation to social marketing campaigns:

• What challenges might you expect when adapting a national social marketing campaign in your local community?
• Recommend ways in which your local health department may address these challenges.

References:

Kotler, P., & Zaltman, G. (1971). Social marketing: An approach to planned social change. Journal of Marketing, 35(3), 3-12.

Kotter, J. P. (2001). What leaders really do. Harvard Business Review, 79(11), 85-96.