BUSI600 DISCUSSION: AKRON’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 2
1. What is the management-research question hierarchy for Akron Children’s Hospital?
The bottom of the management-research question hierarchy is the management dilemma,
which is the stimuli raising concern. The management dilemma question in the case study would
be: why is Akron Children’s Hospital being overshadowed by competitors in its core markets?
The management question, in this case, would want to answer, how can the Akron Children’s
Hospital compete with the other hospitals in the region? Ultimately, what was decided as the
research question for the study was: what leads parents to decide to take their children to a
certain hospital when acute care is necessary? (Schindler, 2022). It was important to base the
research done by the hospital on a strong research question. A properly crafted research
statement has the ability to “streamline the research process, guide resource allocation, and, most
importantly, yield actionable insights” (Joyce, 2023).
2. What are the advantages/disadvantages of an observation study for this research?
Initial research as to why parents decided to take their children to one hospital over
another found that “although consumers gave high survey ratings to medical capabilities and care
they perceived as high-quality, their decisions in selecting hospitals were often driven more by
emotion” (Schindler, 2022, p. 2, para. 2). The first stage of the research to explore the emotions
that drove the decision to choose one hospital over another included an observation study. To
accomplish this, Marcus Thomas, a research partner of Akron Children's Hospital, gained
permission to shadow physicians, parents, and child patients throughout care at the hospital.
Their observations included listening to, watching, and recording first-hand physical and
emotional reactions (Schindler, 2022). According to a study posted in the National Library of
Medicine, observational studies play an important role in research studies in the medical field -
you can observe things that may not necessarily be measurable, and a research design can be
BUSI600 DISCUSSION: AKRON’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 3
simple, quick, and easy. However, observational studies do offer some unreliability since they
have a higher potential for bias than other forms of studies (Boyko, 2014).
3. What does the brand promise recommendation reveal about what researchers
experienced and concluded from their study?
The researchers in the observation study done at the Akron Children’s Hospital noticed
many positive attributes of the hospital and the care that it offers, but above all, it noticed that the
focus was on giving the kids what was best for them. What resulted was the brand promise,
reading, “Akron Children’s Hosptial focuses ALL of the hospital’s resources (energy, creativity,
state-of-the-art technology, compassion, technical skill, competence, etc.) toward the simple goal
of helping every child reach his or her full potential” (Shindler, 2022, p. 3, para. 1). The
recommendation to release a brand promise shows that the researchers believe that the Akron
Children’s Hospital can actually meet the standards set by the promise. When companies
consistently deliver on their promises, “customers develop an emotional connection to the brand,
making them more likely to stay loyal and recommend the brand to others” (“Why a strong brand
promise is essential for business success”, n.d.). The release of the brand promise in combination
with the care offered at the hospital should increase numbers by involving emotions of the choice
of hospital.
4. If you were designing such an observation study, what would you direct researchers to
record/look for/listen for?
Observations can either be facts or inferences. If I were designing the observation study
that took place at Akron Children’s Hospital, I would put an emphasis on observing factual
information that could separate them from the competing hospitals. Some specific factual
observations could include the number of times a nurse visits, whether or not each medicine is
BUSI600 DISCUSSION: AKRON’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 4
explained, and if the doctor visits every day, to name a few. I think to ensure there was no bias
toward seeing the good when collecting information on feelings and perception, I would not only
include observations but would survey willing patients. The emotional perception of care is
highly important to patients; in fact, in a study by Harvard Medical School, it was found that
“patients report that empathy and compassion are just as important as training and experience
when it comes to choosing a physician” (James, 2023). The importance of empathy is
highlighted all throughout scripture. The apostle Peter writes, “To sum up, all of you be
harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit” (English Standard
Version Bible, 2001/2016, 1 Peter 3:8).
5. What ethical issues would surface in hospital studies in general and this study in
particular?
There are four principles influential to the field of medical ethics: autonomy, non-
maleficence, beneficence, and justice. Autonomy refers to acting intentionally after being given
adequate information and time to understand it. Beneficence is the promotion of the well-being
of patients. Non-maleficence refers to making a conscious effort to do no harm. Lastly, justice
refers to an equitable distribution of social benefits. One common issue with hospital studies is
that these principles are not universally recognized, so there can be disagreements on how to
address and respect these areas of ethics. Additionally, there are concerns for the confidentiality
of patient and clinical information when conducting a survey (Avasthi et al., 2013).
References
BUSI600 DISCUSSION: AKRON’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 5
Avasthi, A., Ghosh, A., Sarkar, S., & Grover, S. (2013, January). Ethics in medical research:
General principles with special reference to psychiatry research. Indian journal of
psychiatry. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3574464/
Boyko, E. J. (2014, November 1). Observational research--opportunities and limitations. Journal
of diabetes and its complications.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3818421/
English Standard Version Bible. (2016). English Standard Version Bible Online.
James, T. A. (2023, January 12). Building empathy into the structure of Health Care. Building
Empathy into the Structure of Health Care | HMS Postgraduate Education.
https://postgraduateeducation.hms.harvard.edu/trends-medicine/building-empathy-
structure-health-care
Joyce, C. (2023, June 3). The importance of good research questions. Medium.
https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/the-importance-of-good-research-questions-d9cc58b0806f
Schindler, P. S. (2022). Business research methods (14th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Why a strong brand promise is essential for business success: Mailchimp. Mailchimp. (n.d.).
https://mailchimp.com/resources/your-brand-promise-an-invisible-
contract/#:~:text=When%20creating%20a%20brand%20promise,long%2Dterm
%20success%20and%20profitability.
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