Risk analysis in loss prevention research
Conventional risk management models identify risks, assess the probability of their occurrence and potential impact, and then implement steps to reduce the risk or the impact of the risk. Although almost all retailers implement measures to try to eliminate or reduce theft (the end step of risk management), we know little about how many undertake systematic risk assessments of loss to guide solutions and the methods that they may use to do so. This study presents the results of a survey of 22 diverse retail companies about their LP/AP risk management process, including the types of risk data collected, types of risk assessment and analyses conducted, and how these data are used in management decisions.
Research by Retailers: Understanding Loss and the Effectiveness of Loss Prevention Strategies
Many retail companies may conduct research on various aspects of retail theft or loss prevention but because of the proprietary nature of this research, it may not be reported in academic or trade journals. As a result, we know little about the focus or analytical techniques retailers use to conduct research. The data for this study were collected from a diverse group of retail companies. The study examines retailers' conduct to better understand theft in their stores and technologies to reduce theft. The findings indicate that retailers use a variety of analytical techniques to study retail loss and loss prevention, and are more likely to conduct research to understand the nature of loss when they believe that they have a severe loss problem. A substantially higher percentage of companies conduct research on loss prevention technologies than they do on understanding the sources of loss.
Application of the Kano Model for a Better Understanding of Customer Requirements in Higher Education—A Pilot Study
Various pieces of information and knowledge turn into “know-how” simply by their application in the market. This applies to all spheres of activities. It is therefore important to know and understand the requirements of customers already in the stage of making a product, and to confront these with the possibilities of a producer. In this article we are exploring the possibilities of a better understanding of the requirements of customers and stakeholders in the process of the creation of products in educational services. In particular, we examined seven general requirements: practice orientation, ethical orientation, research orientation, quality resources, innovation orientation, skills orientation, and quality staff. We use the Kano model on a pilot sample of respondents at an institution of higher education. Our results showed that “practice orientation” and “quality resources” are the most stable requirements, while “quality staff” is the least stable. The most linear requirement (the same effect on satisfaction and dissatisfaction) is “innovation orientation”. “Research orientation” belongs to attractive requirements and we also found that in the case of “ethical orientation” there are weak relations between positive and negative responses in our survey. The “skills orientation” proved to be too general, and our research shows that it could be indifferent. It is therefore advisable to specify the investigated skills when investigating requirements on educational services. The main contribution based on the proposed research procedures is an effective linking of customers and producers already from the beginning of constructing a value chain. Investing in sophisticated management approaches when modelling products and processes can thus become a significant source of the competitive advantage of an educational institution. At the same time, it is a contribution to better placing of its graduates in the labor market.