Mark Durkin – författare

The extent to which social media can potentially add value within various service contexts is not well understood. While at a general level it would seem that direct and immediate interactive communication with customers and stakeholders would be of benefit in terms of general communications, the integration of new media alongside more traditional marketing activities is not without difficulty. Many organisations appear seduced by what new technological communication channels are capable of but evidence suggests that those same organisations may have limited sensitivity to the appropriateness of employing social media to add value to the customers’ service experience. Launching social media initiatives appears low cost and fairly straightforward, technically, but managing the subsequent interactions and engagement appropriately, and indeed profitably, can often be beyond a firm’s resources and competencies. In this book the challenges of effectively managing interactive communications through social media is described in various service contexts, (e.g. healthcare, travel, small businesses) and within prevailing, yet ever more crucial marketing concepts, such as customer relationship management (CRM) and customer complaining behaviour. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Service Industries Journal.

This practical book suggests ways in which healthcare students and practitioners can develop their compassion strengths.Discussing what compassion is and means, it includes a new compassion strength model and a series of exercises the reader can use for reflecting on and developing their practice. A hallmark of healthcare practice is compassion, yet there is a lack of understanding as to what compassion is and how it can be developed in practice. The book begins with the challenge of defining compassion, particularly looking at healthcare contexts and making links between self-care and caring for others. It then presents a new, evidence-based holistic model that brings together key elements of compassion for self and other, along with a scale that readers can measure themselves against. Identifying eight strengths "self-care, connection, communication, competency, empathy, interpersonal skills, character, and engagement" Durkin provides the theoretical background to each, accompanied with suggestions for practice and reflective activities. It ends with a selection of vignettes that readers can use to try out their strengths. Highlighting the concept of compassion strengths, and compassion as a way of being, this is an essential read for healthcare students and practitioners, whether involved in direct patient care or management.

This practical book suggests ways in which healthcare students and practitioners can develop their compassion strengths.Discussing what compassion is and means, it includes a new compassion strength model and a series of exercises the reader can use for reflecting on and developing their practice. A hallmark of healthcare practice is compassion, yet there is a lack of understanding as to what compassion is and how it can be developed in practice. The book begins with the challenge of defining compassion, particularly looking at healthcare contexts and making links between self-care and caring for others. It then presents a new, evidence-based holistic model that brings together key elements of compassion for self and other, along with a scale that readers can measure themselves against. Identifying eight strengths "self-care, connection, communication, competency, empathy, interpersonal skills, character, and engagement" Durkin provides the theoretical background to each, accompanied with suggestions for practice and reflective activities. It ends with a selection of vignettes that readers can use to try out their strengths. Highlighting the concept of compassion strengths, and compassion as a way of being, this is an essential read for healthcare students and practitioners, whether involved in direct patient care or management.

The extent to which social media can potentially add value within various service contexts is not well understood. While at a general level it would seem that direct and immediate interactive communication with customers and stakeholders would be of benefit in terms of general communications, the integration of new media alongside more traditional marketing activities is not without difficulty. Many organisations appear seduced by what new technological communication channels are capable of but evidence suggests that those same organisations may have limited sensitivity to the appropriateness of employing social media to add value to the customers’ service experience. Launching social media initiatives appears low cost and fairly straightforward, technically, but managing the subsequent interactions and engagement appropriately, and indeed profitably, can often be beyond a firm’s resources and competencies. In this book the challenges of effectively managing interactive communications through social media is described in various service contexts, (e.g. healthcare, travel, small businesses) and within prevailing, yet ever more crucial marketing concepts, such as customer relationship management (CRM) and customer complaining behaviour. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Service Industries Journal.