IB Business Management SL 4.5.7 People Question Bank

Practise IB Business Management SL/HL 4.5.7 by applying people concepts to exam-style questions.

[Maximum number: 6]

Mercy Ships (MS)

Mercy Ships (MS) is a non-profit organization that operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world: the Africa Mercy. With the Africa Mercy, Mercy Ships provides free healthcare and other medical services.
Each year, Mercy Ships undertakes thousands of surgical and dental procedures and community health projects. Before the Africa Mercy arrives at a port, Mercy Ships uses brochures aimed at local people to promote its services. Mercy Ships also

Figure for Question 4.5.7—People question 1 — IB Business Management SL

treats patients at dental clinics away from the port itself.

Everyone on the Africa Mercy is a volunteer. To keep the ship in operation, it requires a staff of 400 volunteers, including doctors and nurses as well as chefs, engineers, hair stylists, and many other people from different professions. People volunteer for varying lengths of time and must apply for available positions. Mercy Ships volunteers agree to follow a strict code of conduct and also pay a fee to participate. Volunteers include young people before they begin their professional life, middle-aged people who want a career break, and older people who want to remain active and make a difference. All volunteers believe in Mercy Ships' vision statement to "become the face of love in action, bringing hope and healing to the poor".

Explain two elements of MS's marketing mix other than product, price, place and promotion.

Other elements of the marketing mix might include: packaging, people, process, and physical evidence. Of these, the stimulus provides some evidence on:

People: MS relies on people who are passionate about helping others - they must be, as they actually pay to be part of the MS organization and forgo the comforts of home to live on a ship, where quarters are likely to be cramped and the rules are precise. Further, the volunteers are not making money, as they would likely to be if they were still home. The passion of its volunteers would help them work in these difficult conditions, though the rewards of helping those in need are probably great.

Process: MS' process is very straight-forward. MS goes to its patients. The ship goes to ports where their services are needed. Before a ship arrives in port, brochures are delivered so that potential patients are alerted. If patients are unable get to the ship or other locations, $M S^{\prime}$ staff go to the patients in mobile medical and dental clinics. The other key element of the process is the delivery of modern medical services as well as can be provided in generally underfunded and ad hoc circumstances.

Packaging and physical evidence: Limited evidence is provided for packaging and/or physical evidence. As for physical evidence, apart from the ship itself, MS probably has its logo on the medical clothing worn by the staff and on the vehicles it uses for its mobile clinics. Brochures are distributed: brochures are both a form of promotion and a piece of evidence. Possibly, (though possibly not due to the cost), medical supplies come in packages with the MS logo.
N.B. If a candidate says packaging and physical evidence, award [1] overall. If a candidate says packaging and physical evidence, and then mentions only the ship, award [1] overall.

Mark as 3+3.

Award [1] for identification of an element of the marketing mix other than product, price, place, and promotion. Thereafter, award [1 to 2] for each explanation of the element identified, depending upon the depth.

If candidates treat physical evidence and packaging as separate P s, award a maximum of [4].

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4.5.7—People question 1