6.1 Discussion: Devotional – Is Business Growth a Gift, a

6.1 Discussion: Devotional – Is Business Growth a Gift, a Task, or a Reward?

 150-250 WORDS

Getting Started

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

• Develop a biblical framework to resolve ethical dilemmas in marketing strategies and tactics.

Resources

• Bible (New International Version)
• Article: The Gods of the Prosperity Gospel
• Article: The Biblical Meaning of Success

Background Information

The Bible has many passages about hard work, wealth, and success, and some of the greatest are found in the book of Proverbs. Here are a few of the many passages related to those themes.

• Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. (Proverbs 10:4-5 NIV)
• Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. (Proverbs 11:28 NIV)
• Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. (Proverbs 13:11 NIV)
• The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs. (Proverbs 14:14 NIV)
• All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. (Proverbs 14:23 NIV)
• The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5 NIV)
• Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV)

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus shares The Parable of the Bags of Gold also known as The Parable of the Talents.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
2. There is certainly a theme in Proverbs that a hard-working righteous person will be rewarded more than the lazy slackard.  Many of the mega-churches today preach what is sometimes called prosperity theology or the “prosperity gospel” in which blessings are expected by those who believe. Success in this world is the just reward of believing in God and supporting various ministries that are in need of financial support, the kind that can only be found from the donations of a large number of cheerful givers. There is a subtle message, and sometimes not so subtle, that if you are not successful, you are probably not working hard enough and are not faithful enough in supporting the church. This is certainly a popular message for those who are successful and want to minimize their possible feelings of guilt. It’s also a popular message for those who wish to have success and hold out hope that hard work and faithful giving and service will lead to both temporal and everlasting rewards.
3. But are those thoughts and feelings correct? Are they spiritually healthy?
4. You identified a company or industry of interest for your degree program. Consider these questions and share your thoughts on them.
   1. What is the relationship between righteousness and success in business in that industry of interest?
   2. Are some industries more suited to righteous leadership and management? Why?
   3. What is inherently right or wrong about trying to grow a successful and therefore profitable business in your industry of interest?
   4. Is business growth a gift, a task, or a reward? Why?

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6.2 Assignment: Research-based Marketing Plan Revised Final Proposal – Pricing, Promotion, and Distribution Channels

Getting Started

Revised Final Proposal – Pricing, Promotion, and Distribution Channels

The process of peer review strengthens a presentation by having another qualified person analyze the same data and then review your work. You have written and revised a product differentiation and positioning section (submitted in 3.4), a product development and market demand section (submitted in 4.4), and an internal and external marketing environments section (submitted in 5.3). In the last module, a peer provided a different and alternative perspective, conclusion, and/or recommendation using independent research and analysis on your pricing, promotion, and distribution channel section (received in 5.2). You will now strengthen your initial report on pricing, promotion, and distribution channels by integrating the alternative from your peer into your revised final draft that will be submitted to the client.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

• Determine pricing strategies, price setting methods, distribution channels, and key channel members.
• Analyze the effectiveness of emerging promotional strategies.

Resources

• Textbook: The 30 Day MBA in Marketing: Your Fast Track Guide to Business Success, Ch. 6-7, pp. 115-150
• Textbook: Value-based Marketing Strategy: Pricing and Costs for Relationship, Ch. 4
• Textbook: Setting Profitable Prices: A Step-By-Step Guide to Pricing Strategy-Without Hiring a Consultant, Ch. 1-7, pp. 3-51
• File: Market Analysis Report Template

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
2. This is your revised final draft of the pricing, promotion, and distribution section of your consultant’s report. It is based on what you posted in the 4.3 Discussion and on your peer’s comments and response posted in the 5.2 Discussion.
3. Your revised final report must integrate your peer’s alternative analysis or recommendation as an alternative perspective as part of your final report. You must either accept your peer’s perspective as a replacement to your initial proposal based on adequate credible theory and current marketing practice to accept it or you must provide adequate credible theory and current marketing practice to reject it. If you accept it as the correct analysis or recommendation, then the peer alternative will become the primary focus of your final paper, and your original analysis and/or recommendation will be noted as an alternative perspective that you have rebutted through cited research. If you do not accept the alternative, then you only need to discuss it as an alternative and provide objective and qualified reasons to reject it.
4. Use the titles in the Market Analysis Report Template to create six sections for this part of the consultant’s report: 
   1. Analysis of Current Pricing Models in the Market
   2. Analysis of Current Promotional Models in the Market
   3. Analysis of Current Distribution Models in the Market
   4. Recommended Pricing Strategy for JGJ Inc.
   5. Recommended Promotional Strategy for JGJ Inc.
   6. Recommended Distribution Strategy for JGJ Inc.
5. The body of your paper (i.e. excluding title page, graphics, appendices, and references page) must be 1300 words (+/- 50 words). In the event that your peer did not provide feedback, your length must be 1000 words (+/- 0 words) and you will not be penalized for not including the missing feedback.
6. You must use, cite, and reference at least five credible sources not provided in the course documents, plus at least one source provided in the course documents.
7. Your paper must be submitted as a Word document.
8. Your paper must be formatted to current APA standards including title page, body of the paper, citations, headings, graphics, appendices, and references page.  (See OCLS APA Writing Styles Guides

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