Role of Marketing in the Non-Business Environment

October 2012 -Role of Marketing in the non-business environment since article â€Å"Broadening the Concept of Marketing† by Philip Kotler and Sidney J. Levy was published in 1969 — Written by Anthony Chi Yuen CHAN 1 Abstract Social economic development over the past 40 years has been drastic over the world. From 1970 to 2010, global GDP has grown over 20 times from 3,288 billion USD to 63,064 billion USDi. Government consumption expenditure per capita increased from 140 USD to 1,640 USD on global bases. In well developed countries and economic zone (like UKii and EU), ocial protection, general public services, health care, education, and national and public order and safety account for over 70% of government total spending. cause the increase of spending in the public sector? What had been changed to While large amount of money had been spent, what has changed in the public sector to ensure the effectiveness of spending? Private sector managerial techniques, practices a nd orientations, marketing strategies and dimensions helped shaping the evolution of public management to be more efficiently and effectively.The purpose of this paper is to state specific examples of the adaptation of marketing management strategies and tactics at the selected areas of public services. Particular case will illustrate how STP, 4P’s, and 3P’s adopted in the decision making process. Understanding the background of social evolution, we will examine how demographic and economic improvement has driven these marketing strategies in these civil services in Hong Kong over the past 40 years. IntroductionEvery organization, private sector or public services alike, depend greatly on marketing strategies and communication to promote their goods and services. Hong Kong Government has evolved its public communication from minimum interaction to highly involvement in planning, researching, consulting, implementing of the new regulations and policies. The objectives a re obvious, better execution, greater acceptance, less rebellious toward administrative power. After Second World War, Hong Kong was governed by British system.One will not be surprised to learn Hong Kong transformation from a small fishing village to a modern business and manufacturing city was greatly benefited by immigrating many British public services and social management policies and experiences. At the beginning of the colonial rule, many of the establishment and policies were implemented through a direct top down approach. British Government at the U. K. assigned Governor to Hong Kong to decide and implemented all policies across the society. Minimum communication was noted from the Government for promotion of new policies. ommunication. External limitation also put barriers to effective At the 1950’s social communication media was very limited. The lack of basic formal communication tools like newspaper and radio broadcasting was one of the challenges at the beginni ng. General population literacy was low also accounted for limitation of communication. As society improved, education level has risen, government new policies were demanded to be explained and rationalized before implementation. Modern government communications have to utilizing all available tradition and modern media. Advertising through multi-lingual newspaper, prime time television advertising at television, radio broadcasting with advertisement and commentary shows; public transportation exterior/interior advertising; mobile phone messaging; smart phone application; internet media (blogs; facebook; twitters; government web sites etc) are fully utilized to let government communication reaching complicated social segments. Likewise, the internet age of marketing communication channels also encouraged faster and direct general public feedback be reverted to the concerned government bodies.Privatization of some public services, like parks and garden management, public area hygiene , and airport security management of non-critical zone etc. , influenced the image of quality services. Service privatization also has a reverse influence back to Government to review marketing strategies. As a result, Hong Kong civil service activities are managed through a more business-like management structure, and commercial marketing strategy and tactics becoming more evidence. We will examine various examples of Government policies and activities where marketing management philosophies are adopted.Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) – Marketing as strategy (STP) While social and economic development enriched, modern social needs becoming complicated, deeper to details, and towards long term stability. Majority of population has their basic humanity needs satisfied, the Government started to consider long term social protection. Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) is designed for workforce to plan for retirement life. Before the implication of the MPF System, only about one-third of the Hong Kong workforce had some form retirement protection.From a marketing strategy point of view, MPF program identified the need for retirement saving for all workforces. Therefore, any employee, no matter full time or causal, at the age between 18 to 65 is included in the segment. The main target groups within this segment are those employee who has no experience nor has knowledge to establish his/her own retirement saving program with financial institutes. Therefore, it is required by law to join compulsory retirement saving plan for a minimum saving level per month. For employee who are not in the main target (i. e. apable and willing to contribute more than the minimum saving level), the MPF program has the flexibility to allow non-target group contributors to put extra money to the mandatory saving level. MPF is a financial saving services that position itself as mass population at a monthly affordable contribution rat e. There are similar retirement saving options offe red by other financial institutions, but most of them are not targeting mass market. A series of TV commercial were made and aired (for example http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=-DcC1pccSTM) for the promotion of MPF.In the video, it is clearly illustrated the segment, target, and position of this program. Intangible (services) vs Tangible (physical) – 4P’s : Products Public management is traditionally considered to be a service oriented sector, and therefore offering intangible products. Public security, national health, emergency assistance, education, 3 and legal justice, just to name a few, are critical services provided by public administrators. Public administration also provides tangible products such as subsided housing, government publication, municipal water supply, and land sale etc.Public Housing Strategy – 4P’s : Price Hong Kong Housing Society and Hong Kong Housing Authority offer government subsidized housing for particular population segmen t. Because of the complexity of housing demand and affordability, Government designed four major types of subsidized housing programs. All of these public and subsidized housing program are targeted to different user groups, and are positioned very differently. Each of the program also has different level of discount rate, either for sale or for rent, when compare with open market value. ange of restrictions and eligibility criteria. Users are generally subjected to a Each of the pricing structure is evaluated based on target group income and affordability. Market researches are done, and public hearing is held before program reveal to public. Public housing prices are designed to balance user affordability and at the same time protect open market housing prices stability. Below are the iii four main housing schemet :. ? Home Ownership Scheme estates are subsidized sale-to-public housing estates for low-income residents.They are usually built adjacent to or within Public Rental Hous ing and nearly identical in construction. They are managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority and are earmarked for sale to low-income qualifiers at prices which are heavily discounted from market value, and the land value is similarly subsidized. The mortgage and resale of these units in the second-hand market are likewise restricted to eligible low-income residents. Within a public housing estate development, some blocks may be designated by the Authority exclusively for rental while others may be earmarked for sale. ?Tenants Purchase Scheme allows existing tenants in the rented public housing program to purchase their flats. The sale prices are set around 50% to 60% lower than the market prices of private flats due to subsidies and restriction on selling. ? Flat-for-Sale Scheme allows flats under the scheme for sale at concessionary price. ? Sandwich Class Housing Scheme estates were built for sale to lower-middle and middle-income residents, known as the sandwich class, who did not qualify for low-income public housing in the Home Ownership Scheme but still had trouble affording private housing.The quality and market positioning of Sandwich Class Housing were significantly higher than public housing estates and comparable to some middle-class private developments. These units were sold at levels that were slightly below market value and came with a five-year resale restriction. Land development as new source – 4P’s : Place Hong Kong has land size at 1,100 square kilometers, and population grown from four million in 4 1970 to 7. 2 million in 2010. That makes Hong Kong one of the most densely populated city in the world. Hong Kong Land Department holds one of the most scared resources, land.Urban development and local economic highly depend on availability of land sales. Therefore, promotion and marketing communication of land planning become increasingly important over years. Private sectors as well as general citizen concern about future new land supply as well as timeworn redevelopment zone. Land development as well as land source of land affects property prices, and the urbanization development planiv. One good recent example is the Geotechnical Engineering Department confirms the technical capability of underground land and cavern for new source of land.This marks a new era for the possible new â€Å"place† for future property market and industrial zone development. The GED makes use of short video to promote new land supply idea (see endnote’s hyper link)v. Crime prevention – 4P’s : Promotion Police force goals and objective have dramatically changed for the last four decades from mainly law enforcement operation to equally emphasizing the importance of crime prevention. Study have shown in different country that increase of police force does not necessary reverse proportion to the number of crime. i Therefore, a lot of marketing and promotion effort have been dedicated to home security d esign, drug abuse prevention, internet crime awareness, and police force recruitmentvii, proper automobile driving technique etc. As social and communication media develops and widened, communication channels broadened from traditional newspaper advertising to internet social platform such as police force websiteviii, facebook, youtube, tweeter, discussion forum, to personal contact like public relationship division within the police force.Public sector personal and organizational marketing – 3P’s : People After the transfer of sovereignty to People Republic of China, Hong Kong government organization and management became increasing transparent. Hong Kong resident has increasing interest of government departmental leadership, and government operation efficiency. Compare to forty years ago, when Hong Kong was still under British colonial rule, the Governor, Executive Council, Legislative Council, as well as most public politician were all appointed by the Government.De mocratic election slowly started in the 1980’s for local district representatives and a portion of Legislative Council. Personal marketing in the public services became more and more importantix. Two examples are the recent Legislative Council (LECO) Election, and Hong Kong Special Administration Region Chief Executive Election. LECO election is an open democratic election for all qualified citizen. Competitions are big between candidates, and are compared based on their experiences, past contribution to the society, and related political party’s reputation. Education system reform progress – 3P’s : Process While every spot light falls onto the people, in the public sector, the ultimate goal for a government is to implement set policies and procedures. Taking for example, the Education Department just recently introduced a new secondary and territorial school system in Hong Kong. The new system revised the seven years secondary schooling to six years, but extending the normal three years under graduate programmes to four years. New Product (Education System) Development Strategy was use. The education ureau made use of product development concept of idea generation, preliminary analysis, detail investigation and research, planning and development, communication, testing, implementation, and auditing cycle. x xi The result was a smoother implementation, better acceptance by education institutions, students, parents, and prevented political instability in case of adverse situation. Conclusion Social, economic, political, and education development evolves over time. Citizens are demanding more frequent, closer, deeper, and highly transparent participation in public administration.Therefore, non-business organization like public administration and political management spend more resources (time, man power, and money) at the early stage of new social policy development. Citizens are defined as customers or end user in the public administ ration model. Because of the rising demand by the customers for better involvement during the course of public administration, and, at the same time, administrators wants to have higher chance of success and sustainability of new policy, customers involvement of the early part of Stage-gate Processing becoming evident, which is in contrast with public policy development four decades ago.American Marketing Association (AMA) who defines â€Å"Marketing† for its members, have also renew the definition to suit with the ever changing environment. In the letter from Mike Lotti and Don Lehmann, Chairperson of the Board and Committee Chair of AMA, subjected New Definition of Marketing dated December 2007, Lotti and Lehmann said â€Å"(the new definition of) Marketing is regarded as an ‘activity’ instead of a ‘function’ and positions marketing as a broader activity in a company/organization, and not just a department.The new definition also positions marketi ng as providing long term value rather than narrowly as an exchange of money (short-term) for the benefit of the shareholder/organization. †xii European marketing community also published similar notion a few years earlier than its US counterpart, defining that â€Å"long-term customer relationships are considered as the cornerstone of marketing†xiii. This is in line with modern public administrators’ objective, that is to satisfy the needs of different segments and targets of citizens.It is worth to note that this paper is not to argue marketing management strategies, tactics, and concepts in public sector did not exist in Hong Kong at the early years. As a matter of the facts, in the 60s and 70s, Government have organized activities to understand customer (local residents) 6 needs related to long term social development plan and pre-execution hearing sessions with local leaders and legislators, but only at a lot less formal and structured as the society current ly established. In response to Levy and Kotler’s article, DavidJ.Luck had argued that marketing strategies and activities had been in used in various government activities before Kotler and Levy’s article was publishedxiv. When social, economic, and political reforms continue, society should expect to see marketing activities in non-business organization, particularly for public administration sector, to continue evolves alongside with modern marketing management methologies. i Ivan Kushnir’s Research Center, kushnirs. org rd ii UK Public Spending since 1963, Simon Rogers, 3 June 2012, guardian. o. uk iii Milestones: Hong Kong Housing Society Housing Price, Land Supply and Revenue from Land Sales, Raymond Y. C. Tse, 2012 v Enhanced use of underground space in Hong Kong, Geotechnical Engineering Department, http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=jZ_IX0KocNk&list=UUi4fX-nEJseYhlAuY4DJ0wQ&index=7&feature=pl cp vi Law Enforcement Marketing: Perceptions of a police force, Peter Bohan, 1987. vii Hong Kong Police: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=ckDWtaWNHo0 viii Hong Kong Police: http://www. police. gov. hk/ppp_en/index. tml ix After ten years of transfer of sovereignty: political stability and reform in Hong Kong, Jermain T. M. Lam, 2008 x Stage-gate systems: a new tool for managing new products, Robert G. Cooper, 1990 xi Marketing in the public sector: Inappropriate or merely difficult? : Peter Graham, 2010 xii th AMA Definition of Marketing: Mike Lotti and Don Lehmann, December 17 , 2007 xiii Defining Marketing: A market-Oriented Approach: Christian Gronroos, 1989 xiv Broadening the Concept of Marketing. Too Far: David J. Luck, 1969 iv 7

Phuket tourism Essay

This report will discuss how the rapid growth and mismanagement of the Hospitality, Tourism and Events Industry has impacted the island of Phuket, Thailand. The Tourism Industry is a major source of revenue for the island and therefore has a significant impact. The Tourism Industry has only been developing on Phuket since the 1970s, and the increased employment opportunities and income have resulted in much better living conditions for residents in this short period of time. However there are multiple problems caused by local and Thai government’s mismanagement of the industry. The sharp decline in tourist arrivals after the 2004 tsunami demonstrated the need for a wider target market in order to sustain the local economy. A major segment with the potential to bring considerable revenue to Phuket is MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events), which is an area of rapid growth in South East Asia. However the local government has failed thus far to develop a world class conference centre on the island. This failure to plan is also affecting the environment in Phuket, as the island does not have the capacity to dispose of the waste produced by the increased population: particularly during peak tourist season. This is just one of many problems that the government and community in Phuket must resolve in order to develop an economically and environmentally sustainable Tourism Industry. 1.0 Introduction This report will discuss the impact of the Hospitality, Tourism and Events Industry on Phuket, in Thailand. It will first briefly explain the fundamental characteristics of the HTE Industry. It will then talk about some of the many costs for Phuket caused by the ineffective management by the government of the rapidly developing HTE industry. This failure to plan has led to an unsustainable economy and an unsustainable environment which negatively affects the residents of Phuket. It will discuss how Phuket’s lack of diversity in the HTE Industry hinders potential growth in the economy. However not all of the impact on Phuket is bad. The rapidly developing Tourism Industry makes a very large contribution to the health of the local economy. It has elevated the standard of living on the island by supplying the residents with wider employment opportunities. The challenge is to find solutions to the problems faced by Phuket which satisfy the  stakeholders with different priorities: residents, businesses, development and environmental departments. Its government needs to enable its various stakeholders to collaborate in order to resolve the social, economical and environmental issues caused by the rapidly expanding HTE Industry. This needs to happen in order to develop Phuket into a sustainable tourism destination. 2.0 Fundamental Characteristics of the HTE Industry The HTE Industry consists of three segments: Hospitality, Tourism and Events. The three segments are classified as separate industries, yet they are not always easily defined as separate because many elements of each are overlapping (William Blue MGT102 Study Guide, 2013). A definition of hospitality is â€Å"The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers† (Bieringa, 2012). In the HTE industry a guest is a customer, and the host is the businesses who offer services for a fee. A host can also be a place, and Phuket the city performs as a host to many tourists as a popular tourism destination. The hospitality industry consists of a wide range of businesses who provide services such as accommodation, food and beverages (William Blue MGT102 Study Guide, 2013). Na Sakohakorn (2011) explains that â€Å"Tourism involves all activities which are conducted away from home†. Therefore a business is part of the tourism industry if it conducts business with customers who are travelling outside of their home territory. Events are an integrative effort of various services with the end result of an ‘experience’ (William Blue MGT102 Study Guide, 2013). All three co-exist in a mutually beneficial relationship in which the different segments work together to meet the varying needs of their guests. 3.0 Development of HTE Industry in Phuket Phuket is the largest island in Thailand, which has been called the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’ by the Government and local tourism operators in a bid to market it as an oasis of paradise floating in the Andaman Sea (Kontogeorgopoulos 2005). It is Thailand’s second largest international gateway by air, with nearly 20 million tourist arrivals in the year 2012 (Tourism Authority of Thailand, n.d). It was a popular trading port for tin from the 16th century, until the last tin mine closed in 1992 due to a worldwide drop in tin prices (Asia News Monitor, 2009). In the 1970s the  Tourism Authority of Thailand commissioned firms to come up with plans for the development of Phuket (Lauzon, 2009.). This development resulted in heavy investments in the local tourism industry from foreigners and mainland Thais, leading to increased employment opportunities and resultantly a strong reliance of the local economy upon the sustainability of the tourism industry. This reliance has been increased overtime with the shift from traditional occupations such a tin mining, rubber tapping and fishing to jobs within the tourism industry (Kontogeorgopoulos 2005). The impact of the HTE industry here is significant due to the unusually large effects it has on the lives of local people. 4.0 Impact of HTE Industry on the Local Economy The HTE Industry is a vital element in the growth and sustenance of the local economy. This is because 38.5% of Gross Provincial Product comes from hotels and restaurants in Phuket (Ichinosawa, 2006). About 80% of locals work within the HTE Industry, with only around 20% remaining in traditional occupations. Because tourism has become such an integrated part of the economy, even traditional occupations such as fishing and manufacturing also indirectly rely on the industry for income. Tourism has many benefits to Phuket, such as increasing revenue intake, increasing employment and aiding social development by stemming the migration of youth to the mainland (Sakolnakorn, 2011). However the government has damaged opportunities to develop a sustainable plan for tourism with constant political infighting (Asia News Monitor 2009). Sustainable development is defined in the 1987 Brutland report (William Blue MGT102 Study Guide, 2013) as â€Å"Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.† ` 5.0 2004 Tsunami’s Impact on the HTE industry in Phuket The catastrophic Tsunami of 2004 served to highlight the vulnerabilities within Phuket’s economy. This Tsunami was the biggest the Indian Ocean has ever seen with a devastating 155,000+ fatalities in the 11 countries it hit (Do Something, n.d). The Tsunami left a secondary impact of a stagnated regional economy in its wake. As Kasperson (2004) says, â€Å"Unfamiliar or distant places may easily fall play to distorted or stereotypical  perceptions.† Tourists stopped coming after the Tsunami, and there is no insurance against stigma. The tourism agencies selling the majority of packages to Phuket were located in foreign countries therefore local businesses could not develop good supply chain relationships with them to ensure sales continued. Phuket’s marketing strategies revolved solely around its ‘Pearl of the Andaman’ image as a paradise of sun and beaches. The Tsunami tainted this image by increasing the perception of risk for tourists visiting its famous beaches. Sales in the beginning of 2005 dropped to only 10-30% of normal rates (Ichinosawa 2006). Phuket paid the price for relying upon a small segment of a potentially diverse HTE industry. 6.0 Events as a Potential Major Source of Revenue A segment of the HTE industry with vast untapped potential for Phuket is the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions, or MICE, segment. MICE events are one of the fastest growing segments in the industry and particularly in the South East Asia region. According to a study done by IHG in 2012, 50% of delegates coming to South East Asia for MICE events come from outside the region. However Phuket handicaps itself in this sector as despite decades of talks and studies it still lacks a world class conference centre (Fein, 2012). There was an attempt to build 2.6 billion BAHT centre in 2011; however the project is still in limbo as the environmental impact assessment was rejected. This is an example of the constant struggle between government departments for environmental planning and tourism resulting in a lack of efficient city planning. A world class conference centre would contribute to the local economy by diversifying the market and drawing in high spending MICE delegates (Asia News Monitor, 2010). The failure to build a conference centre demonstrates the continued failure of the Phuket government to build a sustainable economy. 7.0 Impact of HTE Development on the Environment The rapid growth combined with ineffective management has resulted in many environmental issues in Phuket. An article in the National Geographic Traveller rated Phuket’s environmental status as 46/100 and categorized it as ‘in serious trouble’. These problems spawn from a lack of planning, combined with irresponsible environmental behaviour due to lack of  discipline in Thai culture, and increasing materialism and consumerism (Boonchai, Beeton, Srichai). The rising population and urbanisation have drastically increased the use of natural resources, with approximately 75% of the environmental impact being caused by the consumption of non-durable goods, water and energy (Ruiz-Molina 2010). An example of the problems caused by over-population is the piling up of solid waste on the island. Phuket’s incinerator only has the capacity for 250 tonnes of waste per day, while the island produces 300-350 tonnes per day. This means that the excess waste is piling up at the rate of 50-100 tonnes every day. Phuket also can only provide 30,000 cubic meters of water, yet the demand is 40,000 per day (Lauzon, 2009). The disputes between development and environmental protection sectors of the government hold back progress in finding solutions to these issues. These government departments fail to seek the input of the many varied stakeholders on Phuket who could offer vast insight into potential solutions: the business owners and local people (Boonchai, Beeton, Srichai). Once again these unresolved issues highlight the inability of the local government in facilitating a satisfactory compromise to achieve long term sustainable development in Phuket. 8.0 Impact on Local Residents The development of the HTE industry in Phuket has brought many increased challenges into the local people’s lives; however the benefits outweigh the costs for most residents. One particularly dark segment of the industry which affects local women and children is Sex Tourism. Prostitution began due to a lack of employment opportunities for uneducated women during the Vietnam War (Ehrfurcht, n.d). It has been illegal since 1960, but the law is rarely enforced due to the government’s reliance upon it to maintain the economy (Morison, 2008). A wide survey of tourists revealed that 17% thought that the sex industry was motivation to come back to Thailand as it is easy to find (Rittichainuwat 2008). It is so easy to find because it is practiced widely in bars and brothels, and like in other segments of the Tourism Industry locals are increasingly being replaced by foreign women (Hanenberg 1998). Another area where the Thai people are being replaced is the labouring industry. It is increasingly expensive to employ residents due to the high cost of living on Phuket, which means more labourers are being hired from the Union of Myanmar (Sakalnakorn, 2011). The increasing  migration of people from the Union of Myanmar, also known as Burma, is causing a perceived loss of culture and increased crime rate in the local community. Despite all of the negative aspects introduced to Phuket by the HTE industry development, quality of life has been improved for residents. 9.0 What the Future Holds for Phuket Phuket has rebounded from the economic downturn following the Tsunami. The average hotel occupancy rate was a very healthy 75% for the year 2012 (Chinmaneevong, 2012). This rebound has been spawned by new direct flights from China and Eastern Europe, combined with lower costs from competition with the local cheap airlines. The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s marketing targets for 2014 and beyond are health and wellness tourism, golfers, honeymooners and weddings, and ecotourism. It is targeting the first three areas due to the high spending customer demographics in each segment. Kontogeorgopoulos (2005) says that the â€Å"Desire to spend leisure time in natural settings is a key factor behind the recent rapid growth of ecotourism†. The challenge for tourism operators is Phuket is to give the Ecotourists the perception that they are still on a paradise island, despite the mass tourism and close proximity to urban areas. This is achieved partly through â€Å"communicative staging† (Kontogeorgopoulos 2005) where the landscape near resorts is designed to give the appearance of a natural environment. Guests to Phuket can also go for day trips to Phi Phi and other nearby islands which remain untouched by urbanisation to experience the sense of exploring a natural island environment (Lauzon, 2009). All stakeholders in the Phuket community (locals, businesses and government alike) wish for Phuket to be regarded as a ‘Green City’ in the future (Boonchai, Beeton, Srichai). This can only be achieved by engaging all members of the local community to form a comprehensive and sustainable development plan for Phuket (Xing, 2011). 10.0 Conclusion This report discussed the effects of the Hospitality, Tourism and Events Industry on the island of Phuket. The Industry’s rapid development has resulted in economic benefits, but has had some negative side effects upon society and the environment. The problems have been caused by the Thai and local government’s lack of compromise, lack of planning and failure to  enforce laws. Phuket seems to have not learnt from the 2004 Tsunami that economic reliance upon a small segment of the HTE industry is not a good long term plan in the changeable modern world. The new era of mass tourism which is hitting Phuket now, combined with the level of opportunity currently growing within the MICE segment in South East Asia, is an opportunity to develop more diversity in order to maintain its economy. It is vital that sustainability of the Tourism Industry is achieved as the local economy has become dependent upon it. Protecting the environmental is of equal importance as the Tourism Industry and people’s livelihoods depend on an attractive and natural-seeming environment in order to keep the guests arriving. Hopefully the many stakeholders in Phuket can find solutions so the island can develop as a Green City with a stable economy. Reference List Asia News Monitor, 2009, Thailand: Indigo Pearl Phuket – Distinctive concept taps Into Island’s rich history, Asia News Monitor, 2 November 2009, Bangkok. Asia News Monitor, 2010, Thailand: TAT says Phuket is the most favored destination for international beauty contest and wedding party, 8 January 2010, Bangkok. Bieringa, L., 2013, One definition of hospitality is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, Dominion Post, 13 August 2013, Wellington, New Zealand. Boonchai, C., Beeton, R. J. S. and Srichai, N., 2010, Environmental Management in Phuket: A Systematic and Participatory Approach for Solving Wicked Problem, University of Queensland Chinmaneevong, C. 2012, Phuket tourism outlook bright, infrastructure lags, Tribune Business News, 22 April 2012, Washington. Do Something.org, n.d, 11 Facts About the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, available: http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-2004-indian-ocean-tsunami# Dev, S., 2011, ‘I Do’ on Distant Shores, Express Hospitality, February 2011, Available: http://hospitality.financialexpress.com/20110215/management02.shtml eTravel Business News, 2012, TCEB Joins Pact with Phuket and TAT in Welcoming â€Å"Amway 2012† from China Moving Fast to Implement Government’s Scheme and Boost Mice Industry, eTravel Business News, 9 May 2012, Available: http://america.etbnews.com/21372/tceb-joins-pact-with-phuket-and-tat-in-welco

Business Ethics Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Business Ethics - Article Example Cremer and Bettignies contend that the reality and misconceptions about business ethics is frequently not â€Å"pragmatic,† as business are usually unclear about the particulars of their operations (De Cremer & de Bettignies, 2013). At the same time, the article explores the effects of this ambiguity in business practices. Businesspersons are motivated by indirect expectations and norms that can direct them towards violating ethical conduct (De Cremer & de Bettignies, 2013). The fact that this motivation makes up ordinary business today compels Cremer and Bettignies to accept a degree of ethical disconnection. Research proves that some level of overall tolerance that businesspersons will behave according to indirect presumptions of competition and greed. Business is a difficult game, and violation of ethics do occur, which make up the entire time. The pragmatism of business ethics revolves around two prevalent observations. First, it is acceptable to stretch business limits but not violate legal boundaries. Second, morals entail â€Å"grey zones,† which makes it difficult for businesses to assume responsibility (De Cremer & de Bettignies, 2013). Businesses consult current laws and regulations to learn that is unacceptable legally. This approach is beneficial in the sense that a business can practice what the law does not spell out as unacceptable. This outlook of stretching legal limits successfully blurs businesses ethical limits and raises the opportunities that organizations ultimately cross legal boundaries. In the process, an entirely new reality is formed centered on missing data (De Cremer & de Bettignies, 2013). This gap successfully lies to organizational stockholders about the business’ true practices. Impractical business practices persist even when businesspersons know stretching the legal limit creates ambiguity in business ethics. More opportunities to lie to shareholders, consumers, the government, and the community correspondingly

Gasland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gasland - Essay Example This film has created a new awareness in the public concerning the devastating environmental effects of hydraulic fracturing, which is one of the means through which natural gas is extracted in the mainland United States. This means of gas extraction, also known as fracking, is done through the injection of chemicals and massive quantities of water at high pressures with the intention of cracking open the rocks deep beneath the surface and as a result releasing the natural gas. This method has helped in the emergence of the natural gas boom across the United States, but as the film shows, there has developed proof that this method of gas extraction is leading to the contamination of water as well as leaking into homes. The film works towards the establishment of means through which these issues concerning the conservation of the American environment can be discussed and viable solutions for the environmental problems caused by these activities by oil and gas companies can be found. I t can further be said that this film deals with the preservation, the development, and the return of the American natural environment to the state in which it was previously. ... In the film, it is stated that previously, the main method that was used for the extraction of natural gas was through the drilling into the ground until a pocket of gas was hit and this gas was captured as it rose. The director states that one of the reasons why he started making the film is because he started to wonder how it was that all of a sudden his family and their neighbours were in a gas drilling area when prior to this, their area had never had any kind of industrial development. In the film, the fact that the fracking method is causing environmental damage is worrisome and disturbing and it is because of the use of these methods by the various gas companies that the beautiful, scenic and amazing landscape of the United States is being destroyed. The director of the film, who also serves as the narrator, states that at least fifty percent the state of New York as well as sixty percent the state of Pennsylvania is being leased to gas companies for the purpose of drilling fo r gas using the fracking method. Throughout the film, it is seen that the land in the United States is being handed over to gas prospecting companies at an alarming rate with many of the individuals doing so, mostly farmers, not realising that doing so is resulting in the destruction of their natural environment (Fox). One would say that the film is mostly made up of a series of interviews and it can be considered to be one which shows profound respect for the people from different places across the United States that are interviewed. It can further be said that because of the respect that is displayed by the film’s director that the individuals who are interviewed are so forthcoming with the information that they have to give concerning the

Creative Writing (Introduction to Nursing and its fields of Practice.) Essay

Creative Writing (Introduction to Nursing and its fields of Practice.) - Essay Example What is clear however is hatred. None seems to care about each other anymore. So the war went on. So fierce and so long with all sides wanting to win it badly that all resources, both material and human were directed to the war effort. It had gone too long that once the rich countries of United States and Europe had become destitute and so are those in the Gulf Countries. Nobody seems to win the war but the very idea that the hatred of both sides is fed with destruction and maim, is already enough to justify the war effort. Everybody seems to be a soldier. Except for the nurses. They were not part of the destructive aspect of war for they are assigned to heal the wounded and the dying. They also find no reason to join in the war nor have the stomach for the killings which is reduced to barbarism. With all the despair, killing around them, the nurses just comforted themselves with their profession working diligently with the consolation that they are able to touch those who are under their care which is a big relief in a time when people no longer care about each other. It is because hate seems to become the norm and the air that people breathe. Hate became so thick one can almost touch it and anything beyond it such as love, compassion, care and humanity seemed to be consumed all by hate. Then there was Florence and her friend Nightingale. Probably the aberration in the present order of things. The two of them were the head nurses of two opposing forces in the world, the western part of the world now dubbed as Sodom and the eastern part of the world known as Gomorrah. Both Florence and Nightingale were friends when they were still in nursing school but were separated when the war broke out the very day after their graduation. Florence had to go back to her home country in the United States while Nightingale had to go back to the United Arab Emirates. Their regions who used to be friends suddenly became at war and they did

Introduction to Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Introduction to Law - Essay Example Crime 1 – (RWC 9A.36.001) Assault in the First Degree (Dave). He used the BB gun against Patty. The proof is the bullet entering her book bag. She then fleeing for safety. Her action is to avoid sure personal injury. Defense (RCW 9A.12.010) Insanity (Dave). He says the state of mind made it impossible to understand right from wrong actions. There would need to be a preponderance of evidence. This defense will not stand. Dave will be found guilty on both charges. Defense 2 (RCW 9A.16.110) Defending Against Violent Crime (Patty) The claim is the fear of imminent danger. Patty used no more force than was necessary in the circumstances. This defense will stand. The charge will be dismissed. Counter arguments – There is little room for any credible counters. The persons are clearly identified. The ownership of the ring can be clearly established. The circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the ring are clear. It is clear who committed the initial crimes. There is evidence that the bag was damaged. Further, it should be possible to confirm Dave’s fingerprints on the gun. The security authorities were able to apprehend him immediately. Presumably with the weapon and the bruises. The bruises were necessary for the escape. It should be possible to trace his DNA on the bag and traces of the bag material on the bruised

Analysis of the Book Bitch and the Movie Based on the Book Essay

Analysis of the Book Bitch and the Movie Based on the Book - Essay Example The essay "Analysis of the Book Bitch and the Movie Based on the Book" presents the comparative analysis of the book "Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women" and the movie "Taken" based upon the book. In the 2008 movie "Taken" directed by Pierre Morel was released, the story is a spinoff from Elizabeth Wurtzel’s book "Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women". It used to be that in the old days, girls and women used to have to be accompanied everywhere they went. In Medieval Spain, women had to be accompanied by a chaperone when they were asked out by a gentleman who would come calling. There are traces of this in the movie when Liam Neeson’s character, Bryan, insists that his daughter not goes alone to France. Even when his daughter insists that she is taking her peer and friend Amanda with her to France - who is also 17 years old - Bryan is not convinced that it’s the best idea. He has a bad feeling about it. His wife Lenore, however, insists that he will never let his daughter do anything. She will come to later regret urging her husband to allow the teen to go with her friend to Paris. It is when the girls take a trip in a Parisian taxi that things go horribly wrong, and an Albanian gangster kidnaps the girls and sells them into slavery. This is when Bryan, the ex-CIA officer, springs into action - as he is told he only h as 96 hours max to save his daughter before she is lost forever. The author’s contentions that the way girls and women are perceived today is an accurate portrayal of what goes on in real life.

Extreme Risks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Extreme Risks - Essay Example Rees notes that some experiments, say launching of single nuclear weapon, are known to render threat to life on Earth. However, the magnitude of the impact of such experiments may not be amply intense to destroy the whole world. On the contrary, the author asserts that there are some physics experiments performed mainly for the purpose of pure scientific inquiry that could possibly pose global or even cosmic threat. For instance, device known as particle accelerators have been created to aid in the study of particle composition of the world. This machine is primarily utilized to investigate about most extreme energies and temperatures. Unbeknownst to many, such experiments that entail the smashing of atoms are said to possibly have disastrous effects on the universe. The author elaborates that this type of experiments may generate unprecedented concentration of energy which may lead to different catastrophic scenarios. This first scenario entails the formation of black hole that sucks in everything around it. However, Albert Einstein disputed this claim as the energy requirement for the formation of black hole is significantly greater than the amount of energy generated with the collision experiment. The second scenario involves the formation of strangelet, which is described as reassembled quarks. A strangelet is deemed harmless in itself but it said to possess the ability to convert anything it encounters into a new strange form of matter. With this, it could transform the entire planet into an inert hyperdense sphere. The third theory concerning vacuum is considered as the most disastrous. Some have speculated that the concentrated energy when particles crash together may set off a "phase transition" that would rip the fabric of space itself. Although experts have expressed that the likelihood of these scenarios occurring is minimal, Rees asserts that we cannot be completely sure of the outcome. This is because the probabilities assigned to these scenarios are deemed subjective due to the absence of comparison to a similar occurrence in the past. According to Rees, one way of checking whether an experiment is safe would be to examine if such has occurred naturally. For example, the negligible probabilities posited by experts may be acceptable in light of the fact that particles randomly crash into other atomic nuclei in space. This shows that space is not as "breakable" as envisaged by physicist. However, the mechanics change once the accelerators become more powerful, thus, no longer replicating what naturally occurs. The same concerns are encountered with the plans of Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States and CERN Laboratory in Geneva to crash atoms more forcefully. Issues regarding safety is raised since no adequate reassurance is established considering that the conditions are different from what occurs naturally. Even if two notable theories were asserted in relation to the improbability of strangelet formation and characteristics, many experts still question the sufficiency of such claims. In view of the above, Rees opines that it is not reasonable to conduct an experiment if the downside may entail finality and completeness of extinction. As such, experiments with "doomsday downside" should not be permitted unless the general public is assured that the risk such undertaking may entail is within

ENVS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ENVS - Essay Example Interaction between contaminated water and body surfaces of plants and animals also has adverse consequences to establish significance of water quality to environmentalists. This paper reports on water quality of a section of Cherry Creek, based on results from a field study. The experiment aimed at understanding the anthropogenic and natural sources of common water pollutants and understanding the role of sampling and sources of errors in performing an experimental analysis. The study was conducted on July 16, 2013, from Denver country’s Platte River and the experimental procedures implemented near bridge down. The one hour exercise was conducted in the afternoon in a sunny weather and a temperature of 790 . Prior 48-hour period to the exercise had an average temperature of 73.50 and a combination of rainy and sunny weather. Existence rain prior to the study indicates chances of pollution while the river section had algae growth of five percent, no submerged aquatic plants wi th grass vegetation along the road to the stream site. The stream’s bottom was majorly composed of sand, 60 percent, gravel, 10 percent, silt, 10 percent, and rock shelf, 20 percent. Water contamination from pollutant gases that gets absorbed in rainwater and washed materials from earth’s surface were therefore anticipated. ... The jar was then held near the bottom of the stream and water collected from an inverted position of the submerged jar. Water was allowed into the jar for 30 seconds and turbidity chart used to determine the water’s turbidity level. The water was emptied into the stream and the same collection procedure repeated for tests on alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, hardness, nitrate level, Ph level, phosphate level, ammonia level, water temperature and coli form bacteria. Data Data shows concentration of the tested components that dissolved in water: alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and ammonia. Concentration was measured in ppm and the different minerals had different concentration level in the stream water. Other measures are turbidity, hardness, pH, coli form bacteria and water temperature. The following table summarizes results of the experiment. Turbidity Alkalinity DO Hardness Nitrate pH Phosphate Ammonia Q Tem 40 JTU 180 ppm 3 ppm 240 ppm 2 ppm 7.6 1.5 ppm > 4 ppm 34.61 260 c The table bellow summarizes data from other experimental groups. Turbidity Alkalinity DO Hardness Nitrate pH Phosphate Ammonia Q Tem H1 20 JTU 120 ppm 6 ppm 360 ppm 1 ppm 7.5 1.5 ppm 0.25 ppm 32.536 250 c CCH2 0 JTU 240 ppm 4 ppm 280 ppm 0 ppm 7.5 4 ppm 0 ppm 22.16 270 c PH2 80 JTU 180 ppm 4 ppm 240 ppm 2 ppm 7 4 ppm 0 ppm 20475 280 c Results The study reported a turbidity level of 40 JTU. This value is far beyond the recommended maximum level of 0.5 JTU. Reported rainfall in the past 48 hours to the exercise could be one of the reasons for the high turbidity level. While this is a temporary but recurrent cause of turbidity, a more permanent cause could be washed physical materials from the streams banks and base at regions before the

Do Not Learn as a Machine Essay Example for Free

Do Not Learn as a Machine Essay It’s twelve at night. Tons of papers and a cup of coffee on the desk prepared for pulling an all-nighter. Studying for the exam tomorrow, cramming tons of class-notes and materials. Students are fighting for an A. However, what do we expect them to learn from it? Is it even beneficial to them? After all, most students forget almost everything as soon as they finish the exam. Apparently, there are some fundamental problems in our current educational system. In the three essays, â€Å"The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education† by Paulo Freire, â€Å"Against School† by John Taylor Gatto and â€Å"The Achievement of Desire† by Richard Rodriguez, the authors realize different problems of the educational system and have different opinions about it. In my point of view, the main problem in the current educational system is that it encourages students to receive information meekly, without doubting, questioning or even understanding the material. As a result, these students resemble machines which acquire many facts but can barely develop their own critical thinking. The three aforementioned authors have differing opinions on the current educational system, but they all describe it as a system where students merely receive information but do not undergo critical thinking. In â€Å"Against School,† Gatto states that the educational system is a scheme the government uses to make people more â€Å"manageable† by reducing their critical judgment. To achieve this, school provide answers of every question to the students. It works because â€Å"Easy answers have removed the need to ask questions† (Gatto 155). It is true. Since students were taught in their early life that teachers are absolutely right, and that they should obey the authorities, as a result, most of them do not judge the teachers’ explanations. As they grow up, students tend to find the answers from books or teachers instead of figuring the answer out by themselves. Thus, their critical and original thinking have been obliterated completely under this educational system. Moreover, the boredom of schooling successfully removes the students’ curiosity which drive them to ask questions. A similar idea appears in â€Å"The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education. Freire uses the term â€Å"banking system† to describe the educational system where the teachers deposit a large amount of knowledge on the students. Students soon become receptacles which â€Å"extend only as far as receiving, filling, and storing the deposits† (Freire 1). These students do not understand how the information related to the real world, and can neither apply the knowledge to the real world problem nor develop their own critical thinking. In â€Å"The Achievement of Desire†, Rodriguez mainly describes his early life as a successful student. It gives a concrete example to support Gatto and Freire’s opinion. As he describes himself as a â€Å"great mimic; a collector of thoughts, not a thinker† (203), it fits Gatto and Freire’s description about the educational system, that even a considerably â€Å"successful† student could not perform critical and original thinking. Under this type of educational system, students try to find their way to achieve high scores. However, it turns out that the best way to be successful in this system isn’t the best way to learn. In the essays, the authors describe how the â€Å"successful† student is like. According to Freire, â€Å"The more meekly the receptacles permit themselves to be filled, the better students they are† (1). In order to be considered â€Å"good† under this system, students need to receive a large amount of facts on a superficial level. The best strategy is not to think, not to question, just believe and memorize it. Freire observes a phenomena in which teachers talk about contents â€Å"which are detached from reality, disconnected from the totality that engendered them† (1). In this way, students acquire tons of facts and maybe enhance their memorization ability, but fail to understand how these facts are connected to the daily life. In â€Å"The Achievement of Desire,† Rodriguez realizes that he was the â€Å"worst student,† even though he was considered â€Å"successful† in the system. â€Å"He becomes in every obvious way the worst student, a dummy mouthing the opinions of others. But he would not be so bad—nor would he become so successful, a scholarship boy—if he did not accurately perceive that the best synonym for primary ‘education’ is ‘imitation’† (203). The scholarship boy noticed that the best way to succeed in this system is to borrow and copy the ideas of others. Clearly we know that this is not the way to learn, as learning requires original processes. Therefore, it can be concluded that being successful in the educational system is not the same as being successful in learning. My experience supports this. Some teachers in my high school ask students to memorize all the model answers to every possible question that might be asked on the standardized test, but do not give explanations or have activities which could actually help students understand. The aim of teaching would then become merely the test scores. My physics teacher kept reminding us how many students got an A in a standardized test under his training, which emphasized becoming â€Å"machines for solving problems. † Being these machines could improve our performance on a test; however, we did not retain any substantial knowledge throughout the class, some even losing the motivation to learn afterwards. Solutions to a problem can be simple once we understand the cause of it. In the essays, the authors suggest their individual solutions. Freire suggests to oppose the â€Å"banking system,† by implementing a â€Å"problem-posing system. † In a problem-posing system, teachers pose some problems related to the world and ask the students to attempt to solve them without a straight forward answer (Freire 7). Students would then have the chance to explore the respective topic by themselves, think about every possible solution creatively. It takes time for all students to figure out the answer, and some of them may even fail to do it, but at least each student has tried to think about the problem. In this way, students are learning the material cognitively, and hence they will understand it more deeply and be able to apply the knowledge to the real world. Moreover, this system can motivate students to learn. According to Freire, â€Å"Students, as they are increasingly posed with problems relating to themselves in the world and with the world, will feel increasingly challenged and obliged to respond to that challenge† (8). When students try solving the problem, they are not being narrated by the boring materials and instead use their creative brainpower. They will find it fun to learn in this way and grow an enthusiasm to continue learning. In â€Å"Against School,† Gatto suggests to do the retrograde of the school’s mediocre influence on children. â€Å"School trains children to be employees and consumers; teach your own to be leaders and adventurers. School trains children to obey reflexively teach your own to think critically and independently† (155). To do this, we can educate children not only by books, but also encourage them to join different kinds of extra-curriculum activities such that they can grow interest in all areas. As an international student, I always compare the educational systems in America and Macau. I found that the educational system in America is relatively more â€Å"problem-posing† than my early education in Macau. Professors always give us chance to discuss and have more in-class activities. I fit in this problem-posing system and thus I can learn better and understand concepts more clearer. In conclusion, in order to learn cognitively and acquire the true knowledge, students should try to understand the materials before they decide to believe and cram it. Doxa means common beliefs and facts, while logos means the principle of knowledge. When students deeply understand it, they will attain the level of logos, not only doxa. It gives the students knowledge as well as the skill to derive other truths. To avoid being a machine, we should have our own thought and creativity. In the ideal problem-posing system, students can explore it in their way but not copying others’ ideas because they do not need to worry about their grades. They would then have their original opinion and thought, instead of meekly receiving information, being a mindless machine.

The Amelogenesis Imperfecta Health And Social Care Essay

The Amelogenesis Imperfecta Health And Social Care Essay Your sister has noticed that the teeth of her young son are discoloured and has taken him to the dentist. After a series of tests, the condition of X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta is diagnosed. She asks you, a dental student, to explain the reason for this condition. Particularly, she would like to understand why, in this condition, the enamel is malformed, how the enamel differs from normal and the reason her son, but not her, or her husband is affected. Learning outcomes 1. To explain and understand normal enamel formation. 2. To identify the different types of AI and their presentation. 3. To describe the genetic code and various types of genetic mutations that can be found. 4. To understand and describe the phrases; autosomal dominant inheritance, autosomal recessive inheritance and X-linked recessive inheritance. 5. To identify the genes associated with AI. Introduction Amelogenesis imperfecta is a hereditary disorder that affects tooth development and results in the abnormal formation of tooth enamel. In the above scenario our nephew has been diagnosed with X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta. Below I will explore the proposed learning outcomes and take a closer look at the inherited disease. Explain and understand normal enamel formation. The teeth are composed of three mineralised tissues; enamel, dentine and cementum, which surround the inner unmineralised dental pulp. [1] The dental pulp is the only living part of the tooth and is made up of connective tissue, odontoblasts and nerves. It supplies the outer mineralised layers with a supply of organic compounds and the odontoblasts help with the creation and repair old dentin. The nerves inside the pulp are also very sensitive and alert an individual of any injury or trauma that may occur. If the pulp is exposed to bacteria, infections are likely. [2] [3]http://www.dentalhealth.ie/common/images/legacy/dhp/pic_stuctureoftooth.gif Cementum can be found below the gum line covering the dentin and root of the tooth. It helps to anchor the tooth and protect the root. It is continuously formed through life by cementoblasts in the dental pulp as it prone to destruction. [4] [6] FIG.1 Basic tooth structureDentine is made up of tiny tubules and is the most abundant of the three mineralised tissues. It acts as support beneath the enamel covering and has a protective function to the dental pulp. Dental pulp, cementum and dentine are all derived from the mesencymal origin. [5] [7] FIG.2 Enamel structure The head is orientated superficially and the tail towards the tooth root http://www.kck.usm.my/ppsg/histology/e_2_0.jpg Lastly enamel which is derived from the ectoderm is made up of primarily crystalline calcium phosphate and is the outermost component of the tooth and covers the dental crown. The calcium hydroxyapatite enamel crystals are arranged as keyhole shaped rods that span the full thickness of the enamel layer (see fig.2). The enamel crystals have a parallel orientation and any gaps between the rods are filled with further crystals. Enamel is the hardest most mineralised structure found in the human body. [4] [8] Enamel is formed by the process of amelogenesis after dentine is formed in the process of dentinogenesis. There are four main stages to amelogenesis; Presecretory, secretory, maturation and post maturation. [1] [9] FIG.3 Basic tooth structureThe presecretory stage starts with proliferation of the oral epithelium to form the dental lamina, further proliferation with occur at the site of each future tooth and there will be an outgrowth of cells; this is called the bud stage. This bud of cells then enlarges and develops a cavity in the cap stage and further growth and development will lead to the development of four recognisable layers in the bell stage. Finally the internal enamel epithelium will cease to divide and the dental lamina will degenerate leaving being the early developing tooth. [1] In the secretory stage a partially mineralised enamel matrix is deposited directly on the surface of the previously formed dentin by adjacent secretory stage ameloblasts. [1] The organic partially mineralised matrix is produced as a result of the combined actions of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and secretory granules. The ameloblasts will move away when the first layer of enamel is deposited on the dentine allowing the Tomess process to develop at the secretory pole of each ameloblasts. The Tomess process is responsible for the formation of enamel rods as it lays down the crystals of the enamel matrix. The ameloblasts lie adjacent to the stratum intermedium which contains alkaline phosphotase which is responsible for calcification of the tooth enamel. These ameloblasts continue to produce the enamel matrix until full thickness is reached. [4] Maturation of the partially mineralised enamel matrix involves the removal of organic material and the continuous influx of calcium and phosphate. [4] Maturation stage ameloblasts differentiate from secretory stage ameloblasts and they now contain high numbers of mitochondria to carry out their function as a transport epithelium moving substances into and out of the maturing enamel. The maturing enamel matrix contains four main types of protein; amelogenins, ameloblastins, enamelins and tuftelins. The amelogenins are important in maintaining the spaces between the enamel rods and the ameloblasts control the elongation of the enamel crystals, both of these proteins are removed from the mature enamel. Enamelins undergo cleavage as the enamel matures and will only be found on the surface of the crystals.Tuftelins are present in mature enamel and responsible for hypomineralisation. [1] [4] In the final stage of post maturation the enamel organ will degenerate and the tooth will erupt and become exposed to the oral environment. [1][4] Identify the different types of AI and their presentation. Amelogenesis imperfecta is a group of hereditary disease that affects both the primary and secondary dentition. It results in the enamel becoming hypoplastic, hypomineralised, discoloured and sensitive. [10] There are four main types of amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) that have been identified because of their differences in enamel defects that present in patients. In Hypoplastic AI (type1) the enamel is of normal colour but much thinner as the enamel has not formed to normal thickness, the enamel can also have pits and grooves due to the disturbance in differentiation of ameloblastins. In hypomaturation(type 2) AI the teeth are of normal shape but have a mottled, dark, opaque appearance and chip away easily from the underlying dentine because of a change to the rod structure. Hypocalcified AI (type 3) has poor enamel mineralisation and a defect in its matrix structure making it very soft and susceptible to abrasion; its appearance is dark and chips easily. [1] [11] (see fig.4).http://www.ojrd.com/content/figures/1750-1172-2-17-1-l.jpg Finally hypoplasia (type 4) AI is a combination of hypoplastic and hypomaturation AI. It is characterised by a reduction in enamel thickness and the enamel has a yellow brown mottled appearance. [13] [12] FIG.4 Phenotypic descriptions of amelogenesis imperfecta. hypoplastic (a, b, c, d), dysmineralised (e, f), hypocalcified (g, h) hypomineralised form (e and f) The hypomaturation forms (g, h) Describe the genetic code and various types of genetic mutations that can be found. [15] FIG.5 Genetic information is encoded in the base sequence of DNA molecules as a series of genes. The genetic code describes how base sequences are interpreted into amino acid sequences during protein synthesis via transcription and translation. [14] http://sjesci.wikispaces.com/file/view/DNA-to-codon.gif/155543209/DNA-to-codon.gif The DNA sequence of a gene is divided into a set of three bases called a codon (see fig.5). Each codon gives rise to a particular amino acid or a stop signal. The genetic code is referred to as degenerate because each amino acid is encoded by more than one codon; there are 64 possible combinations of codons from the 4 nucleotide bases (Adenine, guanine, cytosine and uracil or thymine) but only 20 different amino acids. (See fig.6)http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i-CYqAFf61o/TZXYoBQmXrI/AAAAAAAAB5g/5PmMdfOP1PQ/s1600/genetic-code-1.jpg This degeneracy minimises the possible effects of mutations as alterations to the base sequence are less likely to change the amino acid so changes to the protein structure and function are avoided, this is known as a silent mutation. Protein synthesis always starts with the initiation codon AUG which encodes the amino acid methionine but this is later removed. Protein synthesis is terminated by the any of the three stop codons; UAG, UGA and UAA. [14][16] [17] FIG.6 DNA mutations can however cause genetic disorders and cancers. A gene mutation occurs when there is a change in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene; these can be classified as either point mutation which involves the alteration of a single base or gross mutations which often involve the alteration of longer DNA sequences. There are several types of point mutations. Missense mutations occur when a single base is altered or substituted and a different amino acid is produced. Nonsense mutations result in translation ending prematurely because a nucleotide base has been substituted for another resulting in a stop codon and frameshift mutations result after a single base is either deleted or inserted which causes the ribosome to read a new set of codons which will alter the complete amino acid chain produced.(see fig,7) All these changes to the DNA sequence will alter the amino acid chain and subsequently have a serious effect on the protein produced and effect how well it will work or how it will carry out a specific task. Gross mutations have the same implications and also experience insertion and deletion but this is of several bases at a time. [14][18] Figure 4: If the number of bases removed or inserted from a segment of DNA is not a multiple of three (a), a different sequence with a different set of reading frames is transcribed to mRNA (b). [19] FIG.7 Frameshift mutations If the number of bases removed or inserted from a segment of DNA is not a multiple of three (a), a different sequence with a different set of reading frames is transcribed to mRNA (b). Identify the genes associated with AI. Faulty alleles of the genes AMELX, MMP20, KLK-4 and ENAM cause the disease amelogenesis imperfecta. These genes usually provide the genetic instructions for the production of proteins that are essential for the healthy formation of enamel. The mutations of these genes have caused a change in the nucleotide base sequence and as a result the protein structure is altered making them work ineffectively or not at all, in turn this has a variety of effects on the enamel formation. [1] The AMELX gene is located on both of the sex chromosomes, X and Y and provides instructions for the protein amelogenin which is essential for normal tooth development as is separates and supports the hydroxyapatite  crystals as they mature. Mutations in AMELX have been found to cause X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta because of the change in structure to amelogenin. [20] The  ENAM  gene provides instructions for the production of the protein enamelin and mutations of this gene can be found in both patients with autosomal dominant AI and autosomal recessive AI.[21] (see below) MMP20  is responsible for the protein enamelysin mutations in this gene are inherited via the autosomal recessive pathway and KLK-4 mutations are responsible for hypomaturation AI. [22][23] Understand and describe the phrases; autosomal dominant inheritance, autosomal recessive inheritance and X-linked recessive inheritance. Humans have 22 pairs of autosomal homologous pairs of chromosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes; X and Y. Females have two X chromosomes where as males have one X and one Y chromosome. [18] There are three patterns of single gene disorders that allow faulty alleles (version) to be passed between generations. These include autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive and X-linked. [14]Autosomal dominant genes [24] FIG.8 Autosomal inheritance In autosomal dominant disorders only one faulty allele needs to be passed from the parents to the offspring for them to be affected by the disease. The affected child will also have one normal allele of the gene making them heterozygous. The affected childrens offspring will also have a 50% chance of inheriting the affected allele. (see fig.8)[14] In autosomal recessive disorders however the likeliness of being affected by the disease is only 25% and both parents must possess at least one of the mutated alleles. (See fig.9)This is because in recessive orders both inherited alleles must be mutants to show an effect in the offspring. There still is a 50% chance of being a carrier (if you have one healthy and one effected allele). [14]http://retinaaustraliansw.com.au/images/AutosomalRecessiveInheritance.gif [26] FIG.9 [26] FIG.10 X-linked inheritance Illustration showing X-linked recessive inheritance pattern with carrier mother In X-linked disorders the faulty allele is present on the X chromosome. As males only have one X chromosome they only need one copy of the allele to have the disease, they are hemizygous. Females however must have two copies of the faulty allele (homozygous) to be affected and so are in most case carriers. A female carrier has a 50% chance of their daughters being carriers and a 50% chance of their sons being affected by the disease. (See fig.10)[18] Amelogenesis imperfecta has different modes of inheritance. Hypoplastic  (Type I) and Hypomaturation (Type II) AI can be inherited by all three modes of the above inheritance patterns. Hypocalcified (Type III) AI is not inherited via the X-linked pathway and Hypoplasia (Type IV) AI is only passed between generations via the autosomal dominant pathway and only one faulty allele has to be passed to the offspring for them to be affected by amelogenesis imperfecta. [13] Conclusion Our nephew has been diagnosed with X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta. Taking in account the above information we can now conclude the reason why he but not his parents are affected by the disease is because our sister must be a carrier of the faulty allele of the gene AMELX. Males are hemizygous so the possibility of the father possesing the faulty allele has been ruled out or he would too be affected by the disease. One can also assume that he is suffering from either hypoplastic AI or hypomaturation AI as the other two types are not inherited via the X-linked pathway. The treatment of amelogenesis imperfecta will depend on the severity of the condition but it is usually to treat the aesthetic symptoms so crowns may be given to hide the displeasing characteristics of the malformed enamel.

Hammerhead Sharks Essay -- essays research papers fc

Hammerhead Sharks Marine Science/ Per. 1 Sharks are one of the most feared sea animals. They live in oceans across the world but are most common in tropical waters. There are over three hundred fifty species of sharks. They can be broadly categorized into the following four groups: Squalomorphii, Squatinomorphii, Batoidea, and Galeomorphii. The shark family Sphyrnidae that includes the Hammerheads are part of the Galeomorphic classification. They are probably the most easily recognizable of all the sharks. The Hammerheads are among the strangest looking sharks. As the name indicates they have a flattened head which resembles the head of a hammer. Their eyes and nostrils are at the ends of the hammer. There are many species of Hammerheads. There are eight living species of hammerheads. The following four are the main categories: 1. Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini)-Pectoral fins are tipped with black this grey shark. The maximum length is about 12 feet. 2. Bonnethead (Spyrna tiburo)-With a head shaped like a shovel the bonnethead rarely grows more than four feet long. This shark is commonly seen inshore. 3. Smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena)-Bronze with dusky fin tips, it can grow to thirteen feet. 4. Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran)-Attaining a length of a possible 18 feet, this is the largest and most dangerous of all the hammerheads. One of the most interesting things about the hammerheads is the unique shape of their heads. Ever since scientists started to study the hammerhead they have speculated about the use of the hammer. The hammer is a complex structure and probably serves more than one function. The most important function of the hammer according to scientists is increased electroreceptive area and it's sensory perception. This means that the hammerhead has a remarkable sensory ability to detect the small electrical auras surrounding all living creatures. Under certain conditions, such as in searching for wounded animals, the electrical activity increases helping the hammerhead to feed. It is also believed that the hammerhead may be able to use the Earth's magnetic field as a source for navigation. Some hammerheads migrate a lot and may rely on this built in compass sense to guide them in the open ocean. Another use for the hammer is to enhance maneuverability. The hammer... ...heads go there for mating purposes. Observations in these sea mounts show that the majority of hammerheads there are female. This indicates that its easy for the male to find a mate. However, researchers were surprised to find that there were many immature female hammerheads at the sea mounts. This led them to believe that in addition to reproduction there must be other reasons for coming to the sea mounts. It is believed that the sea mounts serve as navigational centers. Each evening the hammerheads begin a ten to fifteen mile swim away from the mount, always returning by dawn or the following day. It seems that they spend the night at distant deep water feeding grounds. The young females participate in these long distance swims. The sea mount serves as a navigational center helping them find their way back. The nightly swim help the young find nutritious food which helps them in their growth. Bibliography: Klimley, Peter, "Hammerhead City", Natural History, Oct. 1995, pp 33-38. Martin, Richard, "Why the Hammerhead?", Sea Frontiers, May-June 1989, pp. 142-145. Moss, Sanford, Sharks, Prentice-Hall, 1984. World Book Encyclopedia, Sharks, World Book Inc., 1988.

Greek Philosophers :: essays papers

Greek Philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle had virtually the same beliefs about man's relation to the State, although Plato's political theory of the State was more rational than Socrates or Aristotle's. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle all believed that man was not self-sufficient, they believed man would be most happy living in a State. They also believed that all men wanted to live the truly good life where they could be in tune with the truth and achieve their ultimate goals. Although Socrates, Plato and Aristotle's political views of the State are similar, Plato's view is more rational than Socrates and Aristotle's in the sense that he created an ideal State. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were three philosophers in ancient Greece who believed that no man was self-sufficient enough to live on his own. Plato believed "a State comes into existence because no individual is self-sufficing" (Stumph, 70). This theory of Plato's was also shared by Aristotle who said "He who is unable to live in society or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must either be a beast or a god" (Stumph, 103). These two views indicate the importance of a State to an individual according to Plato and Aristotle. All three philosophers believed that man would be much happier if he was part of a State rather than on his own. Socrates once stated "We are all more productive if we specialize in one thing rather than try to excel at many things" (Stumph, 40). Within the State Socrates believed that there would be a division of labour for the provision of food, shelter and clothing. An individual living outside of a State would have to provide thems! elves with these necessities. As Socrates stated above within the State you would specialize in one thing only, while a different individual would specialize in something else and this would allow the quality and the quantity of the product to increase. "Plato assumes that we are all born with physical and intellectual equipment that makes us suited to perform some tasks better than others" (Rice, 42). So now individuals only have to specialize in something that they are physically and intellectually suited for according to Plato. These three philosophers believed that if man could be more productive by specializing in something that they are suited for they would be happier. Aristotle made the point that "Every community is established with the view to some good; and that mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good" (Copleston, 351). Socrates, Plato and Aristotle all believed that man needs to be

The Noble Gases Essay -- essays research papers

The Noble Gases   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Noble Gases are the far right elements on the periodic table. On the earth they are scarce so we don ¹t see much of them. They are do not react well with anything. In fact until around the 50 ¹s they hadn ¹t found anything that they would react with any of the gases. But then someone found out that Fluorine one the of most reactive elements could form compounds with Xenon. Later they found that it could react with most of the other nobles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Helium is one of the more scarce nobles on earth but in the universe it makes up 25% of it. Helium ¹s presence was discovered by using spectral analysis to detect helium in the sun ¹s spectrum. Helium is not found a lo...

Grevious Grendel (Beowulf)

Beware of Grievous Grendel! We have all heard of the great epic poem Beowulf; one of the first major works in English literature. Grendel is a monster in this epic poem, in which he terrorizes people. He is a huge, powerful descendant of the biblical Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. In the same way as Cane, Grendel was cursed and condemned by the mighty Creator. Grendel is envious, resentful and angry toward mankind. He may attack at any time, for no reason at all and there is no way to reach an agreement with him to make him stop what he is doing. He exists to devastate and to murder human beings.Grendel may be a part of fiction in this poem, but he also exists in real life. In modern life we can find the character of Grendel in natural disasters and human beings. A citation from the poem, translated by Kevin Crossley-Holland, would give a good picture of what Grendel caused to human kind; think of a beautiful place, a mead-hall, where peop le came together every night to eat, drink, sing and feast. People were living in harmony, until one night Grendel turned up and started the terror upon Hrothgar’s people, which would continue for the next twelve years: Then, under cover of night, Grendel came o Hrothgar’s lofty hall to see how the Ring-Danes were disposed after drinking ale all evening; and he found there a band of brave warriors, well-feasted, fast asleep, dead to worldly sorrow, man’s sad destiny. At once that hellish monster, grim and greedy, brutally cruel, started forward and seized thirty thanes even as they slept; and then, gloating over his plunder, he hurried from the hall, made for his lair with all those slain warriors. Grendel turns up out of nowhere, kills, murders people, and then disappears. In modern life we deal with natural disasters in a similar way.There are earthquakes, tornados, volcanic eruptions and floods, which cause loss of life and property damage. A natural disaster comes without giving any notice, shatters homes, takes lives and leaves a population helpless with the ruins of its attack. People in modern civilization experience the same feelings as Hrothgar’s people, who were attacked for years and years; living in fear of horror, never knowing when to expect disaster to strike. Besides natural disasters, human beings can be Grendels themselves. Before going further into this topic, I would like to mention Freud’s Ego theory.According to Freud, we are born with our Id. The id is an important part of our personality because as newborns, it allows us to get our basic needs met. Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle. In other words, the id wants whatever feels good at the time, with no consideration for the reality of the situation. When a child needs to be changed, the id cries; when the child is hungry, the id cries again. The id does not care about reality, or about the needs of anyone else; when the id wa nts something, nothing else is important.Within the next three years, as the child interacts more and more with the world, the second part of the personality begins to develop. Freud called this part the Ego. The ego is based on the reality principle. The ego understands that people have needs and desires and that something being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run. It is the ego’s job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration the reality of the situation. Around the age of five the Superego develops.The superego is the moral part of us, which can sort right from wrong, and develops due to the moral and ethical discipline taught by our parents. In a healthy person, according to Freud, the ego is the strongest so that it can satisfy the needs of the id, not upset the superego, and still take into consideration the reality of every situation. If the id gets too strong, impulses and self gratification take over the person’s life. If the sup erego becomes too strong, the person would be driven by rigid morals, would be judgemental and unbending in his or her interactions with the world.So when the ego is incapable of maintaining control of the id and superego, some kind of abnormality arises; here we meet the terrorists and murderers in modern life who we can compare to Beowulf’s Grendel. We never know when they will show themselves and their cruel intentions. But when they do appear in our lives, we suffer pain, become afraid and sad because of their actions. We know they are there and can’t stop them from doing harm to people. As a conclusion we can say Grendel is not fiction and he is not in the past.Grendel is still among us, keeping us afraid of what might come to harm us or our loved ones. When the next natural disaster will arise is a surprise and we’ll never know when an unhealthy person or group will decide to attack us. So be aware of grievous Grendel and be ready to suffer, because you mi ght be next in line! Leyla Doner Dugdu – 285533 – evening References: http://psychology. about. com/od/eindex/g/def_egostrength. htm http://www. betterlivingthroughbeowulf. com/? p=328 Beowulf, translation by Crossley-Holland, K. Grevious Grendel (Beowulf) Beware of Grievous Grendel! We have all heard of the great epic poem Beowulf; one of the first major works in English literature. Grendel is a monster in this epic poem, in which he terrorizes people. He is a huge, powerful descendant of the biblical Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. In the same way as Cane, Grendel was cursed and condemned by the mighty Creator. Grendel is envious, resentful and angry toward mankind. He may attack at any time, for no reason at all and there is no way to reach an agreement with him to make him stop what he is doing. He exists to devastate and to murder human beings.Grendel may be a part of fiction in this poem, but he also exists in real life. In modern life we can find the character of Grendel in natural disasters and human beings. A citation from the poem, translated by Kevin Crossley-Holland, would give a good picture of what Grendel caused to human kind; think of a beautiful place, a mead-hall, where peop le came together every night to eat, drink, sing and feast. People were living in harmony, until one night Grendel turned up and started the terror upon Hrothgar’s people, which would continue for the next twelve years: Then, under cover of night, Grendel came o Hrothgar’s lofty hall to see how the Ring-Danes were disposed after drinking ale all evening; and he found there a band of brave warriors, well-feasted, fast asleep, dead to worldly sorrow, man’s sad destiny. At once that hellish monster, grim and greedy, brutally cruel, started forward and seized thirty thanes even as they slept; and then, gloating over his plunder, he hurried from the hall, made for his lair with all those slain warriors. Grendel turns up out of nowhere, kills, murders people, and then disappears. In modern life we deal with natural disasters in a similar way.There are earthquakes, tornados, volcanic eruptions and floods, which cause loss of life and property damage. A natural disaster comes without giving any notice, shatters homes, takes lives and leaves a population helpless with the ruins of its attack. People in modern civilization experience the same feelings as Hrothgar’s people, who were attacked for years and years; living in fear of horror, never knowing when to expect disaster to strike. Besides natural disasters, human beings can be Grendels themselves. Before going further into this topic, I would like to mention Freud’s Ego theory.According to Freud, we are born with our Id. The id is an important part of our personality because as newborns, it allows us to get our basic needs met. Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle. In other words, the id wants whatever feels good at the time, with no consideration for the reality of the situation. When a child needs to be changed, the id cries; when the child is hungry, the id cries again. The id does not care about reality, or about the needs of anyone else; when the id wa nts something, nothing else is important.Within the next three years, as the child interacts more and more with the world, the second part of the personality begins to develop. Freud called this part the Ego. The ego is based on the reality principle. The ego understands that people have needs and desires and that something being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run. It is the ego’s job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration the reality of the situation. Around the age of five the Superego develops.The superego is the moral part of us, which can sort right from wrong, and develops due to the moral and ethical discipline taught by our parents. In a healthy person, according to Freud, the ego is the strongest so that it can satisfy the needs of the id, not upset the superego, and still take into consideration the reality of every situation. If the id gets too strong, impulses and self gratification take over the person’s life. If the sup erego becomes too strong, the person would be driven by rigid morals, would be judgemental and unbending in his or her interactions with the world.So when the ego is incapable of maintaining control of the id and superego, some kind of abnormality arises; here we meet the terrorists and murderers in modern life who we can compare to Beowulf’s Grendel. We never know when they will show themselves and their cruel intentions. But when they do appear in our lives, we suffer pain, become afraid and sad because of their actions. We know they are there and can’t stop them from doing harm to people. As a conclusion we can say Grendel is not fiction and he is not in the past.Grendel is still among us, keeping us afraid of what might come to harm us or our loved ones. When the next natural disaster will arise is a surprise and we’ll never know when an unhealthy person or group will decide to attack us. So be aware of grievous Grendel and be ready to suffer, because you mi ght be next in line! Leyla Doner Dugdu – 285533 – evening References: http://psychology. about. com/od/eindex/g/def_egostrength. htm http://www. betterlivingthroughbeowulf. com/? p=328 Beowulf, translation by Crossley-Holland, K.

Kpop

I believe everyone here has known Hollywood right? And also Plywood? As we know, Hollywood has become the house of best actor, best movie, best music and many more. Also Plywood for its unique dance, song and their clothes such as Sari. Now†¦ How about K-pop? Have you ever heard anything about K-pop? Have you ever seen any k-pop fan girls shouting like crazy to their idols? Will you think they have wasted a lot of time thinking about their idols 2417 rather than studying?If you think in this way, I think you've misunderstand those children who chase after Korean idols. I am a huge fan of KOP. I started becoming a KOP fan girl from 2009 until now. Before I am so into KOP I used to be a person who give up easily, don't have any dreams and doesn't really like to talk to people. The past 5 years of my fan girl life had its ups and downs, Joy and tears, excitement and fulfillment. One thing for sure, I do not regret every single moment of it. Some would say I kind of wasted my 5 year s of my life for KOP.One who does not experience it would surely never understand. The Journey helped me learn more, gain more, and enhance my skills more. The most important thing that ever happens to me was I improved my communication skills a lot by making friend with different fans. If I have never entered to the world of k-pop, I will not be able to step closer to one of my dreams. As u can tell, If not for KOP I would not have experienced this Journey. It Is not really how KOP changed me but how KOP helped me acquire and learn all those things that I know will be helpful in the future.

Organic Foods in India Essay

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumers’ decision-making process for purchase of organically produced foods in India Design/methodology/approach – Using already existing research model and scale, forming hypothesis, and testing its validity in Indian context. Using convenient sampling (Tier 1, 2 B school Graduates) to gather data for factor loading. Type of Research – Descriptive Research Introduction Organic production system is a system that produces organic foods in harmony with nature and the environment. In other words, this is a unique system which ensures that the â€Å"best practices† in the area of production are utilized to ensure that the output is a healthy and safe apart from having a positive symbiotic effect with the environment. Thus, one can say in lay man’s terms that an organic food product is one that has been produced using only natural agents in the production process. For the vast majority of human history, food has been produced organically. It was only during the 20th century that new synthetic chemicals were introduced to the food supply. Under organic production process, the use of conventional non-organic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides is heavily regulated. In the case of livestock, they are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and growth hormones. Scenario in India Organic foods are fast changing from a fad to a serious proposition in India. Today, the reach of organic foods is expanding to gradually find its way into the average Indian household. An indicative reason for the same is the rising health consciousness among Indian consumers. Pegged at Rupees 6. 5 billion in 2010, the organic food market is witnessing the shift from being an elitist to a healthy product. Although production and consumption figures for organic food in India are way behind the world average, the market is now showing signs of a strong growth trend. Slowly the deterrent of high price is being out-weighed by nutrition, quality and a chance to shape a safe environment. The organic food products market has been continuously facing the issue of absence of recognizable brands, small range of products, high prices and faulty government policies and a general lack of retail presence which has translated to low demand in the domestic market. In spite of this industry players are optimistic about the future prospects, as they are of the opinion that this industry holds a lot of promise. The export industry remains undeveloped with most producers being either small or marginal farmers, small cooperatives or trade fair companies. The small farmers, scattered across the country, offer an incomplete product range that are mostly available as a local brand. This is especially an issue in developed countries where the shelves of an average supermarket is stocked with a large range of certified organic foods. Problem Statement The question on everyone’s mind is where exactly is the organic food industry falling short? What are the main factors that influence a consumer’s decision to purchase organic foods? The fact of the matter is that this area has suffered from lack of interest/attention and a very low level of research. Thus, our Problem Statement is as follows â€Å"What influences the decision to buy organic food products in India? † Research objective The purpose of this assignment is to understand the primary influencers that motivate our target study group of individuals belonging to the upper middle-class category in their decision to buy organic foods products in India. Since the students of the top B-Schools either belong to or will be a part of the aforementioned category and will be starting new families, they are part of core prospective customer segment for this market. Hence, we have decided to focus our research on them. Literature Review Scope This research study focuses on understanding the primary influencers motivate our subjects (individuals from the upper middle class category) to buy organic foods. Students of B-Schools are from diverse backgrounds and origins. Most belong to the upper middle class category and we can safely assume that those that aren’t will be a part after they graduate. Moreover, they are also in that stage of life where they start a family of their own and assume additional personal responsibilities. This makes them appropriate subjects for this study. This study will analyse their responses with respect to knowledge about and attitude towards organic food, and their sensitivity to the health and environmental benefits associated with it. Sources and their Details: Honkanen, P. (2006), â€Å"Ethical values and motives driving organic food choice†, Journal of Consumer Behaviour , 5, pp. 420-430 The paper tries to investigate the role of ethical motives in consumers’ choice of organic food. The relation between ethical food choice motives, attitudes and intention to consume organic food was studied by estimating a structural equation model. We were able to comprehend ethical motives better and were thus able to incorporate it under environmental Consciousness. Donovan, P. , McCarthy R. (2002), â€Å"Irish Consumer preference for organic meat†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 353-370 The paper tries to examine Irish perception of organic meat. It identified three consumer groups. Beliefs and purchase intentions of consumers and non-consumers were differentiated. Proposed factors leading to purchase intention were Health Consciousness, Perceived value, Income and environmental concern. After validation checks they had had to make the constructs less abstracts due to low values. Aertsens, J. , Verbeke, W. , Mondelaers, K. , and Huylenbroeck, G. V. (2009), â€Å"Personal determinants of organic food consumption: a review†, British Food Journal, Vol. 111 No. 10, pp. 1140-1167 It uses theliterature concerning personal determinants of organic food consumption. This is the ? rst paper providing a comprehensive overview and linking the literature on organic food consumption to the values theory and the theory of planned behaviour, including the role of personal norm and focusing on emotions. The proposed integration of mental processing in an organic food consumption model leads to interesting hypotheses and recommendations for policy makers, researchers and stakeholders involved in the organic food market. Padel, S. , Foster, C. (2005), â€Å"Exploring the gap betweenattitudes and behaviour, Understanding why consumers buy or do notbuyorganic food†, British Food Journal, Vol. 107 No. 8, pp. 606-625 Its results show that most consumers associate organic at ? rst with vegetables and fruit and a healthy diet with organic products. Fruit and vegetables are also the ? rst and in many cases only experience with buying organic product. The decision-making process is complex and the importance of motives and barriers may vary between product categories. The motives and barriers provided herein helped us in adapting the survey questionnaire. Baker, S. (2004), â€Å"Mapping the values driving organic food choice, Germany vs the UK†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 38 No.8, pp. 995-1012. This study explores the reasons why the behaviour of consumers in the UK and Germany has been so divergent despite both groups of consumers holding similar attitudes about organic foods. This was done by investigating the underlying values driving food choice behaviour using means-end theory and Laddermap 5. 4 software. The dominant means-end hierarchies were uncovered and the cognitive process mapped. {draw:frame} Makatouni, A. (2002), â€Å"What motivates consumers to buy organic food in the UK? , Results from a quantitative study† , British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 345-352 Its main objectives are to identify beliefs, with respect to organic food, of parents who buy and do not buy organic food; the positive as well as negative attitudes towards organic food of those who buy and do not buy organic food; the impact of those attitudes on food choice for parents who buy and do not buy organic food; and to model the food choice behaviour of parents with respect to organic food. It employs both qualitative and quantitative methods. This paper also uses the means-end chain approach. The key idea is that product attributes are a means for consumers to obtain desired ends. It provides a very detailed means end chain which helped us finalize some aspects of our questionnaire. Magistris, T. , Gracia, A. (2008), â€Å"The decision to buy organic food products in Southern Italy†, British Food Journal , Vol. 110 No. 9, pp. 929-947 Its findings provide more evidence on consumers’ underlying motivations to buy organic food to the already existing evidence in Europe to evaluate the future implementation of the Regulation (EC) no. 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products. In addition to this the empirical results would help local policy makers to establish appropriate market strategies to develop the future demand for these products. It indicates that consumer’ attitudes towards organic food, in particular towards the health attribute and towards the environment are the most important factors that explain consumers’ decision-making process for organic food products. It has been found that larger information on the organic food market, which drives to a higher consumers’ organic food knowledge, is important because it positively in?uences consumers’ attitudes towards organic food products. It also that consumer who try to follow a healthy diet and balanced life are likely to have more positive attitudes towards organic food products and towards the environment, inducing a more likely intention to purchase organic foods. This paper provided with the adequate Structural equation model. It also possessed the relevant constructs and variables which could be easily adapted to Indian requirements. Since for the target segment of our paper income is not an issue, it proved easy to adapt to the theoretical model according to our needs. The questionnaire has been validated, which has been duly adapted by us. Outcome Through this study we hope to drawing links between knowledge about and attitude towards organic food, and their sensitivity to its health and environmental benefits and the decision to buy it. Also, we can gauge as to which are the primary contributors to the purchase decision. This can go a long way in helping a player in the organic food industry understand the market and position himself appropriately to achieve success. Research framework and hypothesis specification A study on the food choice is a complex phenomenon that represents one of the most important parts of human behavior, where several cognitive and behavioral factors can vary sharply between individuals. In other words, whether the consumers intent or decide to purchase organic foods is a difficult task because it depends on many factors that cannot be directly observed. Thus based on the above mentioned paper by Magistris, T. , Gracia, A.(2008), it can be conclude that the more favorable health and environmental attitudes consumers have, the more likely they will buy organic food product. In accordance with this, the first hypothesis of the proposed model is defined as follows: Hypothesis1: When consumer’s attitudes towards organic food (H1-a) and towards the environment (H1-b) are positive, consumers’ intention to buy organic food products will also be more likely to be positive. Hypothesis 2: When a consumer has higher organic food knowledge, he/she will be more likely to have positive attitudes towards organic food products. Hypothesis 3: Consumers’ lifestyles related to healthy diet and balanced life influence internal factors of consumers, such as, attitudes towards organic foods (H3a) and attitudes towards the environment (H3b) during the decision process to buy organic food products. Proposed Research Model {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Explanation of factors and observed variables Intention to purchase organic foods Intention is the cognitive representation of a person’s readiness to perform a given behaviour, and it is considered the immediate antecedent of behaviour. Findings from many studies reveal that consumers’ attitudes towards different organic food attributes (human health, safety, etc. ) and towards the environment are the most important factors that explain consumers’ decision-making process for organic food products. Organic knowledge Knowledge It indicated the knowledge the consumer possesses about organic food Definition Does the consumer know that, â€Å"_Organic foods are produced without the use of conventional pesticides, arti? cial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge_†? Healthy diet and balanced life Exercise Processed food. Fruits and vegetables Red meat Additive free Health check ups Balanced life The observed variables are self-explanatory Environmental attitudes Pollution Belief that the current developmental path and consumeristic culture will end up destroying the environment Damage It quantifies the feeling that unless we do something the damage to the environment will be irreversible. Conservation Describes whether one performs conservatory tasks. Recycled Preference for consuming recycled products Recycling Whether one partakes in recycling of products Attitudes towards organic food products. Health Does on believe that organic products are healthier? Quality Do organic products have superior quality? Taste Are organic products are more tasty? Research Methodology Data will be collected from a survey conducted across the top B-Schools of the country. It is our opinion that the budding managers from these institutions are (or will be) part of our target group of affluent customers for organic food products. The ? nal sample will include 200 students selected through convenience sampling. This method has a reputation of being less reliable but it is the best suited due to its convenience and low cost. Moreover, it is known to work with a sample that contains students. A questionnaire will be designed to analyze the knowledge of organic food, attitudes towards organic foods and purchase behavior of the selected students. The ? rst question was related to their knowledge on organic food products. The second set of questions comprised of those related to organic food consumption (consumption level, intention) purchase, frequency of purchase, perceived quality, place of purchase, etc.). The third and final question includes several questions on consumers’ attitudes towards organic food products and environmental aspects. The questionnaire also contains questions on socio-demographic characteristics (i. e. sex, family size and composition, age, education, income and lifestyles). The questionnaire format will be validated using a small pilot survey before being administered to the students. Questionnaire Would I buy organic food products? How will you rate your knowledge on organic food products? What is your opinion on â€Å"Organic foods are produced without the use of conventional pesticides, arti?cial fertilizers, humanwaste, or sewage sludge â€Å"? I do exercise regularly I avoid eating processed food I often eat fruit and vegetables I avoid eating food products with additives I take regular health check-ups I try to have an organized and methodical lifestyle Is the current development path is destroying the environment? Unless we do something, environmental damage will be irreversible I practice environmental conservation tasks I prefer consuming recycled products I partake in product recycling Organic products are healthier Organic products have superior quality Organic products are more tasty Activity and time based plan Data Analysis/ The Data analysis will be carried out on the valid survey responses obtained from the respondent pool to which the survey is administered to. We will be using SPPS 17. 0 to carry out various correlation tests to figure out what factors affect the ‘intention to buy organic foods’ and also what sub-factors affect them. This will also allow us to point out which all factors show strong correlations and which all show less correlations. Bibliography Honkanen, P.(2006), â€Å"Ethical values and motives driving organic food choice†, Journal of Consumer Behaviour , 5, pp. 420-430 Donovan, P. , McCarthy R. (2002), â€Å"Irish Consumer preference for organic meat†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 No. 3/4/5, pp. 353-370 Aertsens, J. , Verbeke, W. , Mondelaers, K. , and Huylenbroeck, G. V. (2009), â€Å"Personal determinants of organic food consumption: a review†, British Food Journal, Vol. 111 No. 10, pp. 1140-1167 Magistris, T. , Gracia, A. (2008), â€Å"The decision to buy organic food products in Southern Italy†, British Food Journal , Vol. 110 No. 9, pp. 929-947 Padel, S. , Foster, C. (2005), â€Å"Exploring the gap between attitudes and behaviour, Understanding why consumers buy or do not buy organic food†, British Food Journal, Vol. 107 No. 8, pp. 606-625 Baker, S. (2004), â€Å"Mapping the values driving organic food choice, Germany vs the UK†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 38 No. 8, pp. 995-1012 Makatouni, A. 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(1995), â€Å"Values, environmental attitudes, and buying of organic foods†, Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 16, pp. 39-62. 13. Chinnici, G. , D’Amico, M. and Pecorino, B. (2002), â€Å"A multivariate statistical analysis of the consumers of organic products†, British Food Journal, Vol. 104 Nos 3/4/5, pp. 187-99. 14. Shepherd, R. , Magnusson, M. and Sjoden, P. O. (2005), â€Å"Determinants of consumer behaviour related to organic foods†, Ambio, Vol. 34 Nos 4-5, pp. 352-9.