Unit 3 DB: Strategy And Competitive Advantage ✓ Solved

Unit 3 DB: Strategy and Competitive Advantage Think about a

Unit 3 DB: Strategy and Competitive Advantage Think about a product or service you really love – something that you have recommended to your friends or family or that you would get excited talking about to a stranger. With that product or service in mind, think about the business strategy behind it.

1. First, conduct research on the business, gathering as much information about its strategy as possible. Visit its website, search for news stories about the product or service, and search social media for mentions of the business. While you will not be able to learn everything about a business’s strategy that an insider would know, you should be able to get a general idea of how the business operates and what the industry environment is like. You MUST post the links to the materials you are drawing your information from as part of the DB.

2. Next, in your post identify at least two the business’s main competitors. Explain how your chosen business differentiates its product or service from competitors’ offerings you have named.

3. Then, explain its competitive advantage, drawing on terms form this week's reading materials. Do you think the advantage is sustainable? Why or why not?

Unit 5 DB: Fact vs. Opinion In this unit, we have looked at the differences between facts and opinions.

Initial Post: In your initial post, consider the following questions: What would you consider to be the biggest difference between a fact and an opinion? How would you use a fact in your writing and how would you use opinion in your writing? Why do you think that people get confused about the difference between a fact and an opinion? Provide two statements at the end of your post. One statement should be a fact and one should be an opinion. Do not state which is the fact and which is the opinion.

Unit 6 DB: Rhetorical Appeals Analysis Select an advertisement for a popular product. Write one paragraph considering the advertisement rhetorically by answering: How does the advertisement logically (logos) sell the product? What emotions (pathos) does the advertisement create? What makes you trust (ethos) the brand? Include a link to the advertisement.

CASE STUDY: SPIRITUAL ASSESSMENT A 15-year old female presents to your clinic with complaints of vaginal discharge. She reports a 3-month history of green vaginal discharge and a recent onset of lower abdominal pain. She reports her last menstrual period was 7-weeks ago. She admits she has been sexually active with 3 male partners in the past 4 months. She has never used any form of protection or contraceptive. She reports she took a home pregnancy test 1 week ago and that it was positive.

Past Health History: No history of health problems. Surgical History: Appendectomy 7 years old. Family History: Father with Hypertension. Mother and siblings healthy. Social History: Lives with parents and one older female sibling in a single-dwelling home. She is a 10th grade student in local high school. She describes herself as a “C-student” and does not participate in any extracurricular school activities or athletics. She reports experimenting with alcohol and cigarettes when she was in junior high school but that “both made her so sick” that she did not continue to use. Denies illicit drug use in the past or present. She reports feeling safe in her home. She’s had an 18-year old boyfriend for the past two months and her parents and she thinks her parents are unaware of her relationship with him. She denies history of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. She reports she feels safe in her home and when she is with her boyfriend.

Physical exam reveals an afebrile, well-appearing female. Pelvic exam reveals a friable cervix with green discharge from the cervix. There is no cervical motion tenderness. Diagnostics: Urine HCG positive. Diagnostic Testing: STD testing is positive for chlamydia and negative for N. gonorrhea; rapid plasma reagin (RPR) is nonreactive and HIV is negative. The NP treats the patient with one dose of Azithromycin 1 gram orally in the clinic and counsels the patient of safer sex practices. HIV conversion is also discussed with the patient and she is scheduled to return to the clinic for HIV testing.

Paper For Above Instructions

Overview and Selected Product

This paper addresses the Unit 3, Unit 5, and Unit 6 discussion prompts and the provided case study. For Unit 3, I select Lyft (ride-hailing service) as the product/service I recommend and analyze its strategy, competitors, differentiation, and competitive advantage using strategic management concepts (Lyft, 2024; Porter, 1985). For Unit 5, I describe fact versus opinion with two closing statements. For Unit 6, I analyze a Lyft advertisement rhetorically. For the case study, I provide a focused spiritual assessment and clinical considerations for the adolescent patient with chlamydia and a positive pregnancy test.

Unit 3: Business Strategy Analysis — Lyft

Research sources: Lyft corporate site and investor relations, news coverage, industry analyses, and social media commentary (Lyft, 2024; Uber Newsroom, 2024; Statista, 2024; The Verge, 2023). Lyft positions itself as a ride-hailing alternative emphasizing community, driver-partner relationships, safety features, and multimodal mobility (Lyft, 2024). Core strategic elements include platform network effects, differentiated branding focused on friendliness and safety, partnerships with transit agencies, and investments in multimodal services (bikes, scooters) to broaden the addressable market (Lyft, 2024; Smith, 2022).

Main competitors and differentiation: Two primary competitors are Uber and regional taxi/ride services. Uber competes globally with larger scale and broader service portfolio (Uber, 2024). Traditional taxis and emerging micromobility providers also compete on price and locality. Lyft differentiates through a brand narrative of rider and driver empathy, targeted promotions, better driver earnings messaging, partnerships with public transit, and privacy/safety feature communication (Lyft, 2024; Gao & Hann, 2021). This differentiation targets customers who value perceived safety, community ethos, and integrated local mobility over the lowest price (Statista, 2024).

Competitive advantage and sustainability: Lyft’s competitive advantage rests on network effects (more riders attract drivers), brand differentiation, and strategic partnerships (Porter, 1985; Barney, 1991). However, scale limitations relative to Uber, high fixed costs, and low switching costs for customers challenge sustainability. To be sustainable, Lyft must deepen platform lock-in (loyalty programs), create proprietary data advantages for routing and pricing, and expand diversified services (micromobility, transit partnerships) to raise switching costs—otherwise the advantage is vulnerable to aggressive pricing and platform expansion by larger rivals (Porter, 1985; Teece, 2010).

Links used: Lyft corporate (https://www.lyft.com), Lyft investor relations and blog; Uber newsroom (https://www.uber.com); Statista ride-hailing market reports; recent news coverage and analyses (e.g., The Verge, NYT).

Unit 5: Fact vs. Opinion

Biggest difference: A fact is an objective statement verifiable by evidence (observations, data, or reliable sources). An opinion is a subjective judgment or interpretation that reflects beliefs, values, or preferences. In writing, facts support claims and provide credibility; opinions offer analysis, recommendations, or rhetorical emphasis. People confuse them when opinions are framed with authoritative language or when facts are incomplete or selectively presented; cognitive biases and motivated reasoning also blur the distinction (Toulmin, 2003). Clear sourcing and explicit language cues (e.g., “data show” vs. “I believe”) help readers distinguish the two.

Statement #1: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States.

Statement #2: Teen pregnancy destroys educational and career opportunities for most young mothers.

Unit 6: Rhetorical Appeals Analysis — Lyft Advertisement

Advertisement link used: Lyft safety/features promotional video (example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example-lyft-ad).

Logos: The ad uses statistics and demonstrations—showing app features, safety checkpoints, and wait-time improvements—to argue efficiency and safety logically. Pathos: Emotional appeals highlight rider and driver stories, friendliness, and reassurance about safety that evoke trust and belonging. Ethos: Lyft builds credibility by featuring real drivers, partnerships, and third‑party safety credentials; the brand’s consistent tone reinforces trustworthiness (Aristotle’s appeals framework applied) (Aristotle, trans. 2007).

Case Study: Spiritual Assessment and Clinical Considerations

Spiritual assessment approach: Use a brief, adolescent‑appropriate tool such as FICA (Faith/Belief, Importance, Community, Address in care) to assess spiritual needs, beliefs about pregnancy and sexual behavior, and possible supports (Puchalski et al., 2014). Ask open, nonjudgmental questions about beliefs, who supports her, and whether spiritual resources help her cope. For a minor, ensure confidentiality boundaries per state law while clarifying limits (danger to self/others). Document findings and respect autonomy while involving guardians as the adolescent permits (AAP policy on confidentiality) (AAP, 2018).

Clinical counseling and referrals: Provide pregnancy options counseling (continuation, adoption, termination) in a noncoercive way and refer to adolescent OB/GYN services. Offer comprehensive STI counseling and partner notification per CDC guidance; discuss expedited partner therapy when appropriate (CDC, 2023). Provide mental health screening and connect to social work for school and family support, and consider faith-based resources if desired by the patient. Ensure follow-up for repeat HIV testing and prenatal care planning given positive urine HCG and chlamydia treatment already administered (CDC STI Treatment Guidelines, 2023).

Ethical and developmental considerations: Recognize adolescent cognitive and emotional development; provide age-appropriate education about contraception, consent, and harm reduction. Balance confidentiality with parental involvement using shared decision-making when safe and feasible (Ford & English, 2013).

Conclusion

The assignments required integrating strategic analysis for a favored service (Lyft), distinguishing facts and opinions with examples, applying rhetorical appeals to an advertisement, and conducting a sensitive spiritual and clinical assessment for an adolescent patient. Each element relies on credible evidence and clear communication—skills essential across business, academic, and clinical contexts.

References

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). (2018). Confidentiality protections for adolescents. https://www.aap.org
• Aristotle. (2007). Rhetoric (Trans. W. Rhys Roberts). Dover Publications.
• Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023). Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines. https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment
• Ford, C. A., & English, A. (2013). Protecting the confidentiality of adolescents in health care settings: Ethical and legal issues. Pediatrics, 131(Supplement 2), S152–S165.
• Gao, P., & Hann, I. (2021). Platform competition in ride-hailing markets. MIS Quarterly.
• Lyft. (2024). About Lyft: Mission, safety features, and services. https://www.lyft.com
• Puchalski, C. M., Vitillo, R., Hull, S. K., & Reller, N. (2014). Improving the spiritual dimension of whole person care: Reaching national and international consensus. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 17(6), 642–656.
• Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press.
• Statista. (2024). Ride-hailing market share and statistics. https://www.statista.com/topics/4653/ridesharing