Ethical Theories Essay Example for Free

Ethical Theories Essay Moral dilemmas are a part of daily life and the solutions presented to them are usually dependent on the ethics that govern the individual facing them. Every person at one point in time has been faced with a moral dilemma. This can be described as the values which are used to determine the right way to handle a situation and the wrong way to go about it. Each society and community has its own moral index and in some societies, an action may be viewed tolerable or right, while the same action in another community would be viewed as intolerable and frowned upon. The moral index of a society usually goes hand in hand with religious beliefs and communities which are religiously inclined to have strict rules on what is suitable behaviour and what is not. Societies which have more secular values usually tolerate extreme or eccentric behavior. The difference in opinions of different people in what is normally right and wrong has led to the development of various ethical theories. Two of these theories are utilitarianism and duty ethics. An example of a situation which brought about different ethical stand points is the Firestone Company tire recall in 1999 and 2000. The company had discovered that its newly designed firestorm Radial ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires were defective back in 1996, after 8 of the 18 times were singled out after they failed a test that tested the endurance of tires under high speed. Of the 14. 4 million tires sold approximately 6. 5 million tires had to be recalled due to defects in the details which involved the tread and one steel belt separating from the other steel belt and carcass The details has led to serious and even fatal accidents as the cars overturned when the accidents occurred while they were in motion. In an attempt to show difference between utilitarianism and duty ethics we shall consider an engineer working for the company at the time and the stand he or she would take if they subscribed to utilitarianism or duty ethics Utilitarianism can be described as an ethical theory that proposes that the action that brings good or favorable consequences to the majority is not subject to whether it is right or wrong meaning it is not subject to questioning. (Fredrick,2003) This theory was greatly championed by utilitarians such as John Stuart Mill. This theory advocates for actions that produce happiness to the greatest or largest number of people. In an ideal situation this may be possible but usually any action can produce happiness to many or a few people depending on the action. The theory does not usually advocate for the use of ethically correct actions at all times and thus actions which may be viewed as wrong sometimes bring happiness to a large group of people but the actions still remain morally wrong. An engineer subscribing to the utilitarianism way to life would have supported the company stand and the action it took. The company discovered that some tires were defective and did not recall the rest of the tires that had already been sold. This lead to accidents which caused suffering and death and it was not until an investigation into the cause of the accidents that finally forced the Firestone Company to admit liability and recall the tires. The company did not recall the tires because it feared the losses that it would face incase the tires were all defective. The company chose to protect their profits margins at the expense of their clients. (Little, 2003) As an engineer with a utilitarianism view point this action would be the best because recalling would mean great losses and downsizing in terms of job which would mean unemployment for many people working at the company affecting both them and their dependants. The duty ethics proposes that the action taken in any situation should be just and honest and respectful to all persons involved. This ethical principle advances for the upholding of principles regardless to the wrong consequences whether they will be good or bad. (Graham,2004) An engineer working for the Firestone Company would have chosen to recall all the defective tires and conducted a through investigation to the causes of the defaults without external pressure or the threat of law suits as inducement. The engineer moral compass would have guided them to make such a stand regardless to the fallout which is this case would have resulted in major losses to the company. As per the requirements of the engineering profession, this mechanical engineer was ascribed to some basic fundamental ethics and the relevant professional codes of conduct while in the jurisdiction of their duty. These are guidelines aimed at providing safety standards for the engineers while at work and the common good of the society. However, the same was objectively inadequate in the Firestone’s case. As a basic requirement, they should exercise their professional skills and also knowledge in providing contentment in the general human life. Impartiality and honesty should prevail in their service where fidelity to the public should never be compromised above that of clients and also employers. Elsewhere, engineers should pursue a continued development in their profession and bring service to their different clients without any conflict. These are the basic fundamentals of mechanical engineers whose proficiency is provided by the support of the canons of mechanical engineering. In conclusion the moral stand point taken by any individual should always be after requiring all the necessary information. This is because in every decision made, there are always individuals who love and those who benefit. As in the Firestone, the recalling decision would have resulted in loss. After careful evaluation one should decide on the decision that brings minimal losses in the involved activity.

The Difference Between Feminine and Masculine Essay Example for Free

The Difference Between Feminine and Masculine Essay Farrah Fawcett once said â€Å"God made man stronger but not necessarily more intelligent. He gave women intuition and femininity. And, used properly, that combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I’ve ever met.† Why then, do women still feel that men are superior to them? Does being feminine lower us, or make us inferior? What defines femininity, and masculinity as the opposite? In an excerpt from source B, De Beauvoir says this â€Å"The terms masculine and feminine are used symmetrically only as a matter of form, as on legal papers. † She makes the point that masculine and feminine are unimportant in everyday life, however if used, they are used as a term of judgment and usually negativity. She continues â€Å"†¦for man represents both the positive and the neutral, as is indicated by the common use of man to designate human beings in general; whereas women represents only the negative, defined by limiting criteria, without reciprocity.† Women are defined by limiting criteria. What a degrading phrase. Why is it that women always get put on the back burner of respect? We are told that being a man means you are masculine, and if you are not masculine, you are not a man. But what defines masculinity? Is it being a â€Å"brave soldier† as in source C, or is it being able to be in tune with your emotions? I will draw from source B again â€Å"A man is in the right of being a man†¦ so there is an absolute human type, the masculine.† Men are entitled to no feelings except those that exude strength, because of what we have been told since 1599. In source C, Shakespeare writes â€Å"But I had not so much a man in me, And all my mother came into mine eyes, And gave me up to tears.† He says crying is something from his mother, and it makes him become a man no longer. But what if they had it wrong? What if the real strength of men is being able to be feminine? In source F, a poem written by Maya Angelou, she says this â€Å"Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can’t touch My inner mystery.† How fitting of a woman, the inner mystery she describes. It truly cannot be touched, or bought, or sold. It needs to be earned, and they only way to earn that is be being feminine. To close, I want to finish off with reference to source D, which I think sums up everything that is masculine or feminine. â€Å" Women are told from their infancy, and taught be example of their mothers, that a little knowledge of human weakness, justly termed cunning, softness of temper, OUTWARD obedience, and a scrupulous attention to a puerile kind of propriety, will obtain them the protection of men†¦ How grossly do they insult us who thus advise us only to render ourselves gentle†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

A Conjoint Analysis in High Involvement Purchase Decision

A Conjoint Analysis in High Involvement Purchase Decision There was a time when humans hardly cared for the environment around them, they rather saw the environment as a sphere to simply dominate (Merchant, 1989, p.7-9). Human society as a whole has moved miles away from that view point since then. Now, chances are high that even the regular Joe takes a look at the labels of the products he wants to purchase to make sure they are not harmful to the environment. Customers nowadays not only look for an environmentally safe product but also look into the depths of the production process of the said product as well. Factors such as animal testing, child-labor etc. are strong determinants in many consumer purchase decisions (De Pelsmacker, Driesen, Rayp, 2005, p.363; Unruh Ettenson, 2010a, p.96, 98). It is very common today that a regular coffee drinker makes sure that his/her coffee has UTZ Certified  [1]  logo, Rainforest Alliance Certified  [2]  logo, FairtradeCertified  [3]  logo, and Eco-friendly labels on the coffee pack or the at the restaurant menu prior to purchase (Gurskis, 2009). Continuation of this behavior can be seen when consumers pay extra for their airfare to off-set their carbon footprint, purchase a low-energy motion sensitive bulb for home usage, or purchase organic or ecological food products (GGAS, 2011; Soil Association, 2010, p.4-9). Needless to say, these shifts in customer trends have created quiet big impacts for the businesses and their policies around the globe. The emergence of the green consumer has made it absolutely essential for a business enterprise to obtain somewhat detailed information about its potential and/or existing customers (DSouza, Taghian, Lamb, Peretiatkos, 2006, p.144; Ryan, 2006 p.1). With more and more consumers paying more attention to the environmental features of the products and willing to pay more for such sustainable products, marketing (in the sense of transparent communication) of sustainable products to the potential and existing consumers has become more important than ever. Sustainable or eco-friendly product offerings can accelerate business growths, enable innovations, and build, rebuild, or establish brands (Ottman, 2006). From 2007 to 2009, the launch of eco-friendly products has increased by more than 500% across the globe (Unruh Ettenson, 2010a, p.94). Such an influx did not go unnoticed by the executives. Top businesses around the world now understand that being environmentally responsible can pave the way the to both business growth as well as differentiation (Unruh Ettenson, 2010a, p.96). And sustainability for the business enterprise can be achieved by striking a balance between social, environmental, and commercial goals (Unruh Ettenson, 2010b, p.113). The green trend has made its ground in virtually all product and service categories such as water filters to cleaning products to electronics. Today web hosting service providers such as iPage, fatcow, hostgator etc. have gone green  [4]  . The trend is so strong that even cable service providers are trying to come up with ways to go green (Unruh Ettenson, 2010b, p.114). The Green House Effect or global warming have become household phenomena these days. Either way, a change in global climate could result in severe consequences for planet earths vegetation, lifeforms (including human beings), habitable lands in short, the entire planet would be in danger (Held Soden, 2000, p.441-443). This danger warning was the reason behind the formation of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change and devising a global treaty with the aim of stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system (UNFCCC, 2005, p.5). 1.2 The Emergence of Green Cars According to reports by Federation Belge De lIndustrie De Automobile Et Du Cycle or FEBIAC (2008, cited in De Craecker De Wulf, 2009, p.1), annually about 28 tonnes of CO2 is deposited to the atmosphere of which 37% comes from production of energy and 25% from transportation sector. The report also states that 10% of the annual global Carbon Dioxide or CO2 emissions are caused by private automobiles. So, it is no wonder that the automobile sector is one of the prime concerns for the environmental protection activities. The need for green cars or environmentally friendly vehicles was greater than ever. The automobile industry formally stepped into this Green or environment-friendly product category with Toyotas development and mass-marketing of Prius in 1997 (Lake, 2001). Since then Honda and many other leading automakers have followed suit. The list of auto-makers that already have developed and marketed hybrid (green) automobiles or those who are planning to introduce green automobiles is growing rapidly and even includes sports car giants Porsche (Unruh Ettenson, 2010a, p.98). As we have discussed above, the need for green products is growing day by day. About 75% of the European Union citizens are willing to purchase environment-friendly products (European Commission, 2008). Cars are no exception. This European attitude can be justified by the Belgian example, where, between 2003-2008, the sales of eco-friendly cars (with CO2 emissions of less than 140 g/km) has doubled while sales of more polluting cars (with CO2 emissions of 210-250 g/km) has decreased by 50% (FEBIAC, 2008, cited in De Craecker De Wulf, 2009, p6). About 75% of the European citizens are willing to purchase environment-friendly products (European Commission, 2008, p.27). This growing consumer need is one of the reasons for green cars emergence. The governments and regulatory agencies have also put new regulations to curtail emissions from the automobiles as transportation sector remains a major contributor of environmental pollution. The EU has implemented a policy of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by the year 2020 (Lindfors Roxland, 2010, p.1). So, the member countries are applying various tactics and regulations to meet this goal. For example, Swedens automobile tax is now calculated based on the amount of carbon emissions by the automobile (Lindfors Roxland, 2010) and therefore creating an indirect push on the sales and development of the greener vehicles. The US government, among others, provides income tax credit of upto $7,500 for purchase of an electric car in or after 2010 (US Department of Energy, 2010). UK, China, and France have government programs that provide incentives to motorists who are buying green cars as well (Vaughan, 2011). Many cities (such as Stockholm, London) are exempting green car owners from pa ying congestion tax, driving tax etc (Lindfors Roxland, 2010). 1.2.1 Automobile Industry Initiative As Unruh and Ettenson (2010b, p.110) points out, a race is on in virtually all business industries to produce green products. The automobile industry is no exception. To illustrate the importance of the emergence of the need for green or eco-friendly cars, Fords Chairman William C Ford said in 2003, The automobile business is about to experience the most profound and revolutionary changes its seen since the Model T first hit the streets. (Cited in Office of Technology Policy, 2003, p. 27). Of course, the Model T was the first ever vehicle to be produced. So, according to the chairman of the largest automobile company in the world, the importance of the eco-friendly innovations for the automobile industry has the same magnitude as the invention of the automobile itself. Association des Constructeurs Europà ©ens dAutomobiles (ACEA) states that sustainability is now the key concern of European automobile industry and in the process manufacturers delivered 50 new CO2 reducing technologies (ACEA, 2009, p.10). The automakers are requesting for a à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬40 billion loan fund to develop new technologies to improve the green cars (ACEA, 2009, p11). ACEA entered into a voluntary agreement with the European Commission in 1998 to cut down emissions. As a result, in 2008, the total CO2 emissions of the new cars have been reduced by 20% compared to that of 1998 (ACEA, 2009, p.15). The most significant aspect of this agreement is that the ACEA initiated this even before and legislative restrictions on emissions were put in place. The willingness of the automakers towards developing eco-friendly cars can be clearly understood by this. Moreover, an ongoing initiative by the leading automobile manufacturers to produce even greener vehicles is gaining steady footing. Using bio-plastics for various engine and other components by Ford, Toyota, and Mazda yields proof to this (Guzman, 2010, p.20). Understanding the consumer preferences is one of the most fundamental activities for the businesses as this understanding leads to understanding the consumers needs, and business firms exist to satisfy the consumer needs (Bettman, Luce, Payne, 1998, p.187; Solomon, 2009, p.35). The automobile industry is no exception and is very keen to understanding consumers preferences and answering the needs associated with the resulting needs and demands. For example, a consumer demand for a hybrid car with the plug-in electric option (a switch on option that enables the car to be driven only on electric power to travel a short distance) opted Toyota to develop the Prius PHEV that is due out in 2012 (Vasilash, 2010, p.28-29). Nissan has moved another step further and introduced the Nissan Leaf an electricity fueled car specifically designed for city traveling (Vaughan, 2011). 1.3 Problem Discussion As this study intends to examine the consumer preference of green cars, it falls under the category of consumer behavior or to be more precise green consumer behavior. So, the authors looked into prior works into the fields of green marketing, green consumer behavior, green consumer profiling, and most importantly studies related to green cars. The field of green marketing is relatively new as it was developed during the late 80s and the early 90s (Polonsky, 1994, p.1). So, the number of studies in this field is relatively fewer than other branches of marketing. The approach of identifying and analyzing environment conscious consumers and formulating appropriate marketing strategies has only started over the last two decades (Moon, Florkowski, Brà ¼ckner, and Schonhof, 2002). In case of green consumer profiling, as both the green products and the green consumers are relatively new in this market, the initial studies were not always very conclusive. In studies conducted in the 90s, people were found to be conscious about environment and preferred the green products in general but did not intend to buy green products by themselves (Simmons Market Research Bureau 1991; Roberts 1996). So, the conclusion from these studies suggests that early consumers obtained the green attitude but not the behavior. However, subsequent studies show that the situation is different now. Laroche, Bergeron, Barbaro-Forleo (2001) conducted a study in North America to develop a profile of the green consumers. This study focused on consumers attitude, knowledge, values, demographics, and behavior and their influence on consumers willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly products or services. While the study finds that about 80% consumers are willing to pay more for gree n products, they would refuse to buy products (even green products) from the companies that are known to be polluters (Laroche et. al., 2010, p.519). Although the study by Laroche et. al. (2001) provides evidence of the transformation of consumer attitudes into behavior and successfully develops a profile of potential green consumers; it does not do so in a specific product or service category. That is, the developed profile may be useful to know the state of the green consumers, but it fails to provide us with information regarding a customer profile for a specific product. So, a need for green product or service (such as green or environment-friendly cars) specific consumer profiling exists in the academic arena. The studies relating consumers to green cars are even scarcer as the development of first successful green car dates back to only 1997 and, therefore, even fewer studies are conducted concerning green cars. However, the authors have encountered a few green or environment-friendly car related studies. These studies were conducted in Sweden, The Netherlands, and Taiwan. The first examined environmental-friendly car specific study was conducted in the Netherlands by Rijnsoever, Farla, Dijst (2009). They investigated the consumer preferences and information channels used for car purchases of about 1500 car owners using cluster analysis. Although green car specific, this study only covered existing car owners and did not investigate potential buyers and their preferences. The study was also more investigative of the information channels used prior to the purchase of the current vehicles. The next examined green car related study is by Lindfors Roxland (2010) that looks into the impact of Swedish governments green car rebate program on green cars sales performance. The results of the study showed that although the green car sales increased due to the rebate program, the program might be costing too much in terms of benefit (Lindfors Roxland, 2010, p.38). This study was conducted from the regulators point of view and examined the impact of incentives, regulations, and restrictions on the sales performance of the green cars and did not investigate the consumers or their preferences in any way. Jansson, Marell and Nordlund (2009) used a cluster analytical approach concerning green purchase and curtailment behavior on Swedish car owners as well. The study was conducted on Swedish car owners. There are two major components that have been identified in this research to measure green consumers attitude and behavior. The tendency of green purchasing behavior is to obtain green products and green technologies, while, on the other hand, curtailment behavior is to chop down the use of conventional products (Jansson, Marell and Nordlund, 2009). Value, Belief and Norm(VBN) theory has been taken into account to profile consumers. However, the researchers merely focused on alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and not on other versions of green cars. In addition, the investigation was conducted only on car owners that show the post purchase behavior of car owners. This study did not investigate the potential owners and their preferences. The last examined green car related literature is an International Association for Management of Technologies (IAMOT) conference paper by Li-Hsing, Yi-Chun, Kun-Shiang (2006) presented in Beijing. This paper investigated the consumer preference of potential consumers of green cars in Taiwan. Conjoint analysis was used to identify the preferred attribute sets of the consumers. This study was conducted as green cars were about to enter the Taiwanese market, and although the results identified only 20% of the respondents as potential buyers (Li-Hsing, Yi-Chun, Kun-Shiang, 2006. p.6-8). Although this paper works to develop a consumer profile of green cars in Taiwan, it is incomplete as it could not take into account the post-purchase behavior (as green cars were to be introduced to the market and therefore no existing owners were there) of the consumers. The authors also acknowledge the inability of the study to be representative of Taiwanese market due to online data collection proces s and therefore the lack of reliability of the responses (Li-Hsing et.al., 2006. p.7). From the reviewed studies, we can conclude that a study that represents the potential owners of green automobiles may be of great importance from both business and academic perspective. Now, with the emergence of the Green Cars, consumers have different options in selecting their automobile of choice. So, an understanding of what factors or attributes of a green car can make a consumer tick or turn away can be of great academic interest. And, in light of the prior literature review, the authors believe that a green car specific study focusing on consumer preferences (including both existing car owners and potential car owners) is important to gain further knowledge in the field of green consumer behavior. And to the best of our knowledge, no other previous studies have used conjoint analysis to examine preferences of both potential and existing consumers on green cars rather they used cluster analysis, cross-sectional surveys, or co-variance models. So we believe a study employing Co njoint analysis would enable us to obtain an indirect mapping of the consumer preferences that would be helpful in answering the identified research gap. 1.4 Research Question The research questions that the authors would like to answer through this study is What are the determining attributes of consumers green car choice? How the defined attributes influence the consumer decision concerning green cars? 1.5 Research purpose The authors intend to study the consumer preferences concerning green car purchase. The authors would identify the determining factors in the green (car) purchase decision process. The study would examine both the existing and the potential green car owners to get the measure of the attitude towards the different attributes of green cars. A secondary purpose would be to partially develop a consumer profile of green car consumers. 1.6 Limitations of the Study This study will be conducted in Sweden and therefore only the Swedish definition of Green car will be taken into account. We understand that doing so, a global generalization may be inappropriate and unachievable. We conducted our study based on respondents from Umeà ¥ and Stockholm only. Although we tried to study the Swedish consumers attitude towards green cars, a study based on only two cities may not be entirely representative of entire Sweden. While our study relates to the marketing field of Green Consumer Behavior, we have only focused on the automobile sector. A study incorporating other aspects of green consumer behavior might have yielded a better understanding. This study will examine the consumer preferences related to the specifications available to existing green cars only. The developments in the pipeline are not considered. So, upon the arrival of such developments, a similar study might be conducted. We understand that the green market is evolving fast. This study aims to examine the current green consumers. Further evolution to the green consumer behavior may yield a need to study many different aspects of the consumer preferences apart from the ones we will examine in this study. 1.7 Disposition ** Text will be added here. CHAPTER-TWO (Work is in progress) 2. Theoretical Framework 2.1 Defining Green Car The exact definition of green cars differs from one country to another. However, we may start by stating the conventional perception of green cars. Any car that pollutes less (in reality, emits less CO2 or other pollutants into the atmosphere) may be considered to be environment friendly or green. There are many versions of green cars available in the market. These include, Alternative Fuel Vehicle or AFV, Patrol-Electricity Hybrid, Diesel-Electricity Hybrid, Bio-Fuel vehicle, and Electric vehicles. The AFVs run on non-fossil fuel such as Ethanol (alcohol), while the Hybrids use traditional fossil fuel along with an electric motor for reduced emission and increased efficiency. Bio-fuel vehicles use fuels produced from renewable organic sources such as Bio-diesel. These vehicles produce less emissions than traditional vehicles. Electric vehicles do not use any fuel at all and run on rechargeable battery-powered engines. These vehicles produce zero or no emissions, however, they have fairly short driving range. 2.1.1 Green Car in Swedish Context Both the authors are currently residing in Sweden and therefore would like to conduct this study on Swedish consumers of green cars. So, the specific Swedish definition of green cars would be appropriate here. According to Svensk fà ¶rfattningssamling (SFS 2007, cited by Lindfors Roxland, 2010, p.4), the Swedish definition of Environment-friendly Vehicles or Green Cars depends on the amount of carbon emissions and/or fuel consumption by a vehicle. For AFVs, if their consumption lies below the energy equivalent of 9.2 liters of gasoline/100 km, or 8.4 liters of diesel/100 km or 9.7 m3 of gas/100 km, they would be considered as green cars. Electric cars are considered green if the consumption lies below 37 kWh/100 km. For traditional or fossil-fuel powered vehicles, if their carbon dioxide emissions lie below 120 g/km, they would be considered to be green. Diesel powered cars must also have a particle emission of less than 5 mg/km meaning that they need to have a particle filter fitted to be green. 2.2 Green Consumer Behavior Green consumer behavior may refer to the consumers attitude towards environment friendly products (Roozen De Pelsmacker, 1998, p.23). From this simple definition we can derive that when the consumer attitude towards purchasing (or not) a product is influenced by the green or environment friendly features of the product, we may call that green behavior. Aside from just purchasing, green behavior also includes performing other environmentally responsible activities as well, such as recycling, working in environmental organizations, taking part in environmental-friendly movements etc. (Haanpà ¤Ãƒ ¤, 2007, p.478). In terms of purchasing green, Young, Hwang, McDonalds, Oates (2010) state that consumers purchase green products for everyday use fairly easily but search for information extensively when it comes to high-technology products. They also say that in case of high-technology products, consumers are willing to pay extra and buy green product if it has credible environmental labelling, such as European Commission or EC Energy Label (Young, Hwang, McDonalds, Oates, 2010, p.23). So, having a reliable certification is an important aspect for green consumers. As mentioned earlier, green consumer behavior is not only concerned with purchase of product(s), it also involves not purchasing as well. As Laroche et.al. (2001) point out, majority of the consumers would not purchase products of polluting companins, Young et.al. (2010) find that brand boycotting over environmental concerns has become a regular occurrence as well (De Pelsmacker et.al., 2005, p.364; Young et.al., 2010, p.23). 2.2.1 Determinants of Green Consumer Behavior The determining factors for green consumer purchases tend to be consumers strong green value, prior purchase experience, available time for information search concerning the product(s), knowledge about product relevant environmental issues, availability of the product, and of course, affordability of the said product (Young et.al., 2010, p.29). So, an absence or weakened presence of any of these factors may adversely effect green consumer behavior. This can be justified by the finding of De Pelsmacker et.al. (2005). In that study, the key causes of not performing green stems from unavailability or limited availability of green products, lack of credibility of green label issuer, and lack of accessibility of green product information (De Pelsmacker et.al., 2005, p.383). 2.2.2 Consumer Preference towards Green Consumer preference is the basic groundwork to measure consumer demand and how they act in terms of buying a product. In economic and cognitive psychology traditions, consumer behavior is assumed as rational and consistent. Consumers act consistently on the basis of their preferences and beliefs (Rokka and Uusitalo, 2008,p.517). This is the subjective experience of an individual through which one can measure product attributes from various bundles of goods. As heightened rise of environmental issues consumers are well aware of their environmental product selection. In terms of auto mobility, studies have been found that consumers are highly aware about negative impacts of auto mobility but can not be referred to the changes in car use and purchase behavior. Although attitude and corresponding behavior are interrelated but in practice they find it hard to translate these values of attitude into behavior (Young et. al. 2010, p.20; Rijnsoever et.al. 2009,p.335). 2.3 Consumer Decision-Making Process Consumer behavior is an intermingle of more than one academic disciplines. It blends with psychology, sociology, economics, business and anthropology (Jansson, 2009, p.17). But the relationship of consumer behavior with marketing is inseparable. However, consumer behavior is a vast area of subject that starts with problem recognition and ends up with post-purchase behavior and evaluation (Jansson, 2009, p.17). In order to understand green consumer behavior, we must start from our understanding of the consumer decision making process. This decision making is the outcome of a consumers behavior (be it positive or negative) towards a certain product or service 2.3.1 The Five Stage Consumer Decision making Process In order to understand green consumer behavior completely, we must start from our understanding of the consumer decision making process. This decision making is the outcome of a consumers behavior (be it positive or negative) towards a certain product or service. A consumer goes through five stages during the decision making process. These stages are, Problem Recognition, Information Search, Evaluation of Alternatives, Product Choice or Purchase Decision, and Outcomes or Purchase Evaluation (Solomon, 2009, page 350-352). Figure:01 Stages of Consumer Decision Making Process Image source: Solomon, 2010, p.351 A consumer, recognizing the need searches for information available for satisfying that specific need. The information search may have various sources, such as friends, family, product commercials, internet search etc. Upon receiving sufficient information, the consumer evaluates or compares available alternative products or services that would meet his/her needs. Upon completion of this comparison process, the consumer then decides on which product or service to obtain, and after completing the purchase, the consumer evaluates the purchased product or service against the original need. If there is a gap between the product performance and the need, the consumer starts over these stages by initiating further information search and so on. 1. Need Recognition This is the initial stage in the consumer decision process. A consumer recognizes or realizes his/her need to solve a problem or fulfill a deficiency at this point. The need could be as simple as need for food, or as complex as need for enjoying a movie in a THX certified surround sound system. 2. Information Search Now the consumer begins acquiring information concerning the solution to his/her problem or need. For low-involvement purchases, this stage tends to be short while for the high-involvement purchases information search is almost always extensive (Jobber, 2004, p79). 3. Evaluation of Alternatives Upon collecting sufficient information, the consumer evaluates and compares among the available alternatives that would serve the need. Usually for the higher costing and/or technical products, this step is very extensive as the consumer usually wants the alternative list to be exhaustive (Jobber, 2004, p.79) 4. Purchase Decision This step is the outcome of the alternative evaluation step. Here the consumer chooses the alternative that would satisfy his/her need. The consumers decision of not selecting any alternatives (as none of the available alternatives may be suitable for the need) is also taken in this stage. Upon deciding, the consumer makes the purchase. 5. Purchase Evaluation This perhaps is the most important step for the business enterprise in the consumer decision making process. Here, the consumer evaluates his/her purchase decision and measures his/her satisfaction. If a high degree of satisfaction is attained, likelihood of repeat purchases would be greater, while dissatisfaction would not only eliminate the chance of a repeat purchase but also result in negative marketing of the product/service by the concerned consumer. This is a very basic and simple approach that we as consumers take almost everyday while selecting products to shop. This process implies that a product or service is a solution to a problem and we respond to that problem by researching, deciding, and finally acquiring the product/service that answers the said problem. The above mentioned five stages are not always equally important. For example, the decision process for purchasing hand soap and a TV would be different. While a consumer might rely on prior experience during a hand soap purchase and get it done in minutes without even comparing between alternatives, s/he might spend days in the information search stage and in comparison stage before finally deciding and making a TV purchase. As we mentioned earlier that automobile purchase falls under the high involvement product purchase category, some further understanding is required aside from this simple five stage process. As the green car is not merely the solution to a problem but is an effort to answer the growing consumer awareness of the environment, we need to examine the product decision process in a different and detailed way. 2.3.2 High Involvement Purchase Decision Making: The Cognitive Consumers The decision making process is comparatively complex in terms of high involvement purchase process. Consumers undertake more extensive pre-purchase information search in high involvement purchase (Foxall, Goldsmith, and Brown, 1998, p.28). The central point of this study is environment friendly cars. So, the framework has drawn on high involvement green car purchase decision process. Consumers seek information willingly in terms of extensive problem solving situation (Peter and Olson, 2005, p.188). According to Foxall, et.al. (1998, p.28-29) there are three major steps of high involvement decision making process: stimulus (receiving environmental stimuli- attentional and perceptual filter), organism (interpretation, formation and evaluation), and response (developing, acting, re-evaluating, storing). The S-[O]-R psychology is based on cognitive science. The three steps decision process can be simplified as inputs, central processing and outputs. The process primarily generated from social, business, cultural, political and economic environment (Foxall, et. al. 1998, p.29). Figure: 02 Consumer Choice Process Model Source: Adapted from Foxall, Goldsmith, and Brown, 1998,p.29 According to, Rijnsoever, Farla, and Dijst (2009, p. 335) consumers form an attitude before they get involved into purchasing a new car that lead them towards the probability of possessing a new car. 2.3.3 Multi-Attribute Attitude Model A car is a product that can be seen as a bundle of attributes. So, we need to consider choice behaviors as an automobile purchase involves a choice among two or more options (Ajzen, 2008, p.526). The Multi-At

Essay --

It is noticed that science develops in splashes, each significantly advancing our understanding of the nature. The 19th century was the time of rapid development of microbiology. In the search for secrets of nature science has reached extremely high and low energies as well as large and small length scales. Still until recently we knew very little about one of the most complex aspects of life – microbes and infection. Now we are at the dawn of efflorescence in molecular biology, which provides an excellent basis for application into several areas of biology like cancer and virology . Revelations of molecular biology become extremely crucial, as they provide insights into the way molecules work. Having completed an inspiring five-year course in veterinary sciences,1993-1999 from college of veterinary and animal sciences ,and completing DVM, I would like to continue my pursuit of knowledge and do a dissertation in Virology. This would give me build the strong knowledge base that I desire and a strong expertise in field that I wish to specialize. The past few decades have witnessed rapid advance in the area of virology and molecular biology. The objective of virology is to make life meaningful and to alleviate human and animal ailments caused by these dreadful pathogens . I am keen to be an integral part of this effort. For this, along with an in-depth knowledge of the subject, experience in cutting edge research and hands on experience in real time applications would be of prime importance . In today’s world, microbial sciences has attained such high status due its impact in the day to day life of humanity as a whole.. My interest in the role of microbes and viruses began from UG classes (1993-1999) wherein professors taught us... ...ape me to be a thinker and a learner. The world is literally becoming a global village where opportunities for learning are transcending physical boundaries. In a connected world, Indian knowledge workers are increasingly contributing to the global work force. International education will give me the training and the competence to meet global clients. I look forward to being an active contributing member of the student community at your University. After basic education, I have developed a strong urge to attain academic excellence and to engage in research in the field of virology. I strongly feel that an MS from a reputed university will help me achieve my goal. United States will offer me a very conducive atmosphere for research and development.t I am eagerly awaiting for admission from your esteemed university and embark for my future journey in this field. Essay -- It is noticed that science develops in splashes, each significantly advancing our understanding of the nature. The 19th century was the time of rapid development of microbiology. In the search for secrets of nature science has reached extremely high and low energies as well as large and small length scales. Still until recently we knew very little about one of the most complex aspects of life – microbes and infection. Now we are at the dawn of efflorescence in molecular biology, which provides an excellent basis for application into several areas of biology like cancer and virology . Revelations of molecular biology become extremely crucial, as they provide insights into the way molecules work. Having completed an inspiring five-year course in veterinary sciences,1993-1999 from college of veterinary and animal sciences ,and completing DVM, I would like to continue my pursuit of knowledge and do a dissertation in Virology. This would give me build the strong knowledge base that I desire and a strong expertise in field that I wish to specialize. The past few decades have witnessed rapid advance in the area of virology and molecular biology. The objective of virology is to make life meaningful and to alleviate human and animal ailments caused by these dreadful pathogens . I am keen to be an integral part of this effort. For this, along with an in-depth knowledge of the subject, experience in cutting edge research and hands on experience in real time applications would be of prime importance . In today’s world, microbial sciences has attained such high status due its impact in the day to day life of humanity as a whole.. My interest in the role of microbes and viruses began from UG classes (1993-1999) wherein professors taught us... ...ape me to be a thinker and a learner. The world is literally becoming a global village where opportunities for learning are transcending physical boundaries. In a connected world, Indian knowledge workers are increasingly contributing to the global work force. International education will give me the training and the competence to meet global clients. I look forward to being an active contributing member of the student community at your University. After basic education, I have developed a strong urge to attain academic excellence and to engage in research in the field of virology. I strongly feel that an MS from a reputed university will help me achieve my goal. United States will offer me a very conducive atmosphere for research and development.t I am eagerly awaiting for admission from your esteemed university and embark for my future journey in this field.

Personal Narrative: Reflections on 7th grade English Class Essay

Looking back to the beginning of 7th grade English class I now realized of all the great things I have accomplished this year for English class. I am proud of how hard I worked this year and how my English has gotten better. I am proud to have been part of Ms D's English class and she is a phenomenal teacher. I think that one day I will be able to work as a English teacher like Ms D or I will become a journalist. Although I must say that when I first entered English class I had so many different thoughts. The first thought was about the teacher. I didn?t know if I would have been able to get along with Ms. D because she had looked like a professional person in which doesn?t play around. I was nervous but I knew I would have to try my best to get along with her. When class began I saw how Ms D loved to make her students write essays and that is what I knew I was good at. I saw how she was organized and she wasn?t strict nor she wasn?t mean. Ms. D was actually pretty great and funny. When class had first began I felt strong about my reading because my father used to make me read the newspaper about the age of 5 years old and at home I would have to speak loudly and clearly in front of her or else the things in which I wanted wouldn?t be granted in front of me. I knew that I wasn?t perfect but I knew that I would have to work on my vocabulary because in my country we usually didn?t speak proper English and I knew that the way that you talk is the way you would normally read and it?s the way you would write. I knew that I would have to throw away my bad English and learned English the right way. I feel excellent about reading now and I am more confident than before. I fee... ...proud of. Two things in which I learned this year and I think will be important is to not repeat myself when writing and if your introduction paragraph is not engaging to any readers no one would want to read your essay and it introduces the part of your writing. I also learned that quotes go around something in which a person says and that when there is a new paragraph with quotes around it means that a new speaker is talking. S Symbolism is an object that stands for something or someone. Looking back to the beginning of the year I can see that I was a natural writer and reader. I am confident to move onto 8th grade. There were so many techniques that Ms D introduced us to and it can definitely help us to be a better reader and writer. I will definitely miss Ms. D next year. My reflections are shown in this essay. Personal Narrative: Reflections on 7th grade English Class Essay Looking back to the beginning of 7th grade English class I now realized of all the great things I have accomplished this year for English class. I am proud of how hard I worked this year and how my English has gotten better. I am proud to have been part of Ms D's English class and she is a phenomenal teacher. I think that one day I will be able to work as a English teacher like Ms D or I will become a journalist. Although I must say that when I first entered English class I had so many different thoughts. The first thought was about the teacher. I didn?t know if I would have been able to get along with Ms. D because she had looked like a professional person in which doesn?t play around. I was nervous but I knew I would have to try my best to get along with her. When class began I saw how Ms D loved to make her students write essays and that is what I knew I was good at. I saw how she was organized and she wasn?t strict nor she wasn?t mean. Ms. D was actually pretty great and funny. When class had first began I felt strong about my reading because my father used to make me read the newspaper about the age of 5 years old and at home I would have to speak loudly and clearly in front of her or else the things in which I wanted wouldn?t be granted in front of me. I knew that I wasn?t perfect but I knew that I would have to work on my vocabulary because in my country we usually didn?t speak proper English and I knew that the way that you talk is the way you would normally read and it?s the way you would write. I knew that I would have to throw away my bad English and learned English the right way. I feel excellent about reading now and I am more confident than before. I fee... ...proud of. Two things in which I learned this year and I think will be important is to not repeat myself when writing and if your introduction paragraph is not engaging to any readers no one would want to read your essay and it introduces the part of your writing. I also learned that quotes go around something in which a person says and that when there is a new paragraph with quotes around it means that a new speaker is talking. S Symbolism is an object that stands for something or someone. Looking back to the beginning of the year I can see that I was a natural writer and reader. I am confident to move onto 8th grade. There were so many techniques that Ms D introduced us to and it can definitely help us to be a better reader and writer. I will definitely miss Ms. D next year. My reflections are shown in this essay.

Comparison/Contrast of Cut and The Fourth of July Essay -- essays rese

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wilkinson 1 Comparison/Contrast of â€Å"Cut† and â€Å"The Fourth of July† In the two essays â€Å"Cut,† by Bob Greene and â€Å"The Fourth of July,† by Audre Lorde they both discuss how disappointments as a child affected their lives. Greene’s essay gives five examples about how five boys were cut from a sports team and how they used that disappointment to become successful as adults. Lorde’s essay differed in that it told one story of how her and her family were on their vacation in Washington D.C. and they were not served at a restaurant because they were black. Both authors discuss feelings of being left out, being discriminated against, and how disappointments affected their lives. However, there are more differences than similarities in the essays. I can relate more to Greene’s essay because I am an athlete; however, I have never been in position of worrying about being cut.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Greene and Lorde were similar in that they both faced a form of discrimination on their childhood that helped better them in the future. In â€Å"Cut† the boys all went to try out for a high school sports team and all of them were cut from the teams. â€Å"For the time in my life, I was told wasn’t good enough† (Greene 56). These boys were discriminated against for not having the ability or talent to be good enough to play on the team. On of the people in the essay, Bob Graham stated, â€Å"I know for a fact that it altered my perception of myself. My view of myself was knocked down; my self was lowered† (Greene 57). No one should ever be put into a situation where they face being told they are not good enough. In the other essay, â€Å"The Fourth of July,† a different type of discrimination was discussed, racism. Lorde’s family, which is African American, was faced with discrimination on a vacation to Washington D.C. The y took the trip because Wilkinson 2 Lorde’s sister Phyllis could not go on her senior class to Washington. â€Å"The nuns had given her back her deposit in private, explaining to her that the class, all of whom were white, except Phyllis, would be staying in a hotel where Phyllis ‘would not be happy,’ Daddy explained to her, also in private, that they did not rent rooms to Negroes† (Lorde 202). While in Washington Lorde and her family went out for ice cream to a Breyer’s ice cream shop. They sat down and a waitress, who was white, walked over and... ...t of the season. Not being a starter gave me the determination to work harder and in the end it all paid off. This experience has made me realize that I can do anything as long as I work hard. Wilkinson 5 In conclusion, both Greene and Lorde discuss how disappointments as child have had positive affects on his/her lives as adults. Greene’s essay applied to me more than Lorde’s because I have never been judged by my appearance. I can’t relate to the fact of being cut from a team, but I can relate to the fact being successful with hard work. Wilkinson 6 Works Cited Greene, Bob. â€Å"Cut.† The Prentice Hall Reader. 6th ed. Ed. George Miller. Trenton, N.J.:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prentice Hall, 2001. 55-60. Lorde, Audre. â€Å"The Fourth of July.† Models for Writers. 7th ed. Ed. Alfred Rosa and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul Eschholz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 201-204. Comparison/Contrast of â€Å"Cut† and â€Å"The Fourth of July† by Shane Wilkinson English 110, Section 03 Mrs. Bailey 30 April 2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Comparison/Contrast of Cut and The Fourth of July Essay -- essays rese   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wilkinson 1 Comparison/Contrast of â€Å"Cut† and â€Å"The Fourth of July† In the two essays â€Å"Cut,† by Bob Greene and â€Å"The Fourth of July,† by Audre Lorde they both discuss how disappointments as a child affected their lives. Greene’s essay gives five examples about how five boys were cut from a sports team and how they used that disappointment to become successful as adults. Lorde’s essay differed in that it told one story of how her and her family were on their vacation in Washington D.C. and they were not served at a restaurant because they were black. Both authors discuss feelings of being left out, being discriminated against, and how disappointments affected their lives. However, there are more differences than similarities in the essays. I can relate more to Greene’s essay because I am an athlete; however, I have never been in position of worrying about being cut.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Greene and Lorde were similar in that they both faced a form of discrimination on their childhood that helped better them in the future. In â€Å"Cut† the boys all went to try out for a high school sports team and all of them were cut from the teams. â€Å"For the time in my life, I was told wasn’t good enough† (Greene 56). These boys were discriminated against for not having the ability or talent to be good enough to play on the team. On of the people in the essay, Bob Graham stated, â€Å"I know for a fact that it altered my perception of myself. My view of myself was knocked down; my self was lowered† (Greene 57). No one should ever be put into a situation where they face being told they are not good enough. In the other essay, â€Å"The Fourth of July,† a different type of discrimination was discussed, racism. Lorde’s family, which is African American, was faced with discrimination on a vacation to Washington D.C. The y took the trip because Wilkinson 2 Lorde’s sister Phyllis could not go on her senior class to Washington. â€Å"The nuns had given her back her deposit in private, explaining to her that the class, all of whom were white, except Phyllis, would be staying in a hotel where Phyllis ‘would not be happy,’ Daddy explained to her, also in private, that they did not rent rooms to Negroes† (Lorde 202). While in Washington Lorde and her family went out for ice cream to a Breyer’s ice cream shop. They sat down and a waitress, who was white, walked over and... ...t of the season. Not being a starter gave me the determination to work harder and in the end it all paid off. This experience has made me realize that I can do anything as long as I work hard. Wilkinson 5 In conclusion, both Greene and Lorde discuss how disappointments as child have had positive affects on his/her lives as adults. Greene’s essay applied to me more than Lorde’s because I have never been judged by my appearance. I can’t relate to the fact of being cut from a team, but I can relate to the fact being successful with hard work. Wilkinson 6 Works Cited Greene, Bob. â€Å"Cut.† The Prentice Hall Reader. 6th ed. Ed. George Miller. Trenton, N.J.:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prentice Hall, 2001. 55-60. Lorde, Audre. â€Å"The Fourth of July.† Models for Writers. 7th ed. Ed. Alfred Rosa and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul Eschholz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 201-204. Comparison/Contrast of â€Å"Cut† and â€Å"The Fourth of July† by Shane Wilkinson English 110, Section 03 Mrs. Bailey 30 April 2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Stoichiomety Lab

Stoichiometric Analysis Formal Lab Report I. Purpose- The purpose of this lab is to show stoiciometric reactions and relationships first hand. It also increases our level of understanding about the complicated relationships in chemical reactions and in stoichiometry. II. Introduction- In chemical reactions and formulas there are various relationships between masses of reactants and products. The study of these relationships is called stoichiometry which is derived from the Greek words stoichein meaning â€Å"element† and metron meaning †measure†.Stoichiometry is helpful in predicting outcomes of reactions or finding out missing parts in reactions. It can also help you determine unknown compounds. III. Methods- Add a small sample of MnO2 to a dry test tube. Find the mass of this by zeroing a beaker on a scale and placing the tube inside. Place about 2. 00 g of KCLOx into the test tube. Record the new mass, and mix the two reactants. Put in test tube clamp at a 45 de gree angle. Heat the mixture for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool. Record the new mass.Repeat these steps with the KCLOx/KCLO mixture. IV. Results- KCLOx 1. 19. 78 g 2. 21. 88 g 3. 2. 10 g 4. 21. 12 g 5. 1. 34 g KCL 6. .66 g O2 7. .017 mol KCL 8. .041 mol O2 9. KCLO3 10. 2 KCLO3 ( 2 KCL + 3 O2 KCL/ KCLOx 1. 23. 79 g 2. 25. 83 g 3. 2. 04 g 4. 25. 38 g 5. 1. 59 g KCL 6. .45 g O2 7. .014 mol O2 8. .009 mol KCLOx 9. 1. 10 g KCLOx 10. .539 % KCLOx in mixture V. Conclusion- This lab showed us how stoichiometry can be used in a real situation to find something out. I think that the purpose of the lab was reached.It was helpful in strengthening my understanding of stoichiometry by using critical thinking to solve a problem. There was plenty of room for error. The results could be thrown off if the error is too great. Technique was needed in making sure the entire sample was reacted and keeping all of it in the test tube. VI. Questions- 1. The definition of stoichiometry has roots meaning meas ure and element. In the first reaction you are trying to find the number or measure of an element that is present in a unknown quantity. . d 3. Ion charges aren’t a problem in determining mathematical relationships because the anion in the compound will have the same charge regardless of how many O’s are present. 4. The heating process is the same in both reactions because we want the level of decomposition to be consistent. With a different heating method the decomposition could vary and throw off the calculations. 5. The student could be asked to calculate the theoretical yield and compare/ calculate it to the actual yield to find out their error.