The Religion Of Jainism Essay Research Paper free essay sample

The Religion Of Jainism Essay, Research Paper The Religion of Jainism Jainism is an Indian faith. This faith has its historical beginnings in the same part of northern India as Buddhism. Jina or Victor who is the leader of the motion was a # 8220 ; coeval of the Buddha # 8221 ; ( Smart 277 ) . We will write a custom essay sample on The Religion Of Jainism Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The instructions of Jainism were transmitted orally. The Jain faith split into two religious orders one being the Digamabaras and the other being the Svetambaras. The Digambaras religious order is besides known as the # 8216 ; Sky Clad # 8217 ; the monastics in this sect pattern nakedness as a mark of complete rejection of ownerships. The other religious order Svetambaras besides known as the # 8216 ; White Clad # 8217 ; and they think that the transmittal of unwritten instructions has become corrupt. Jainism besides developed a philosophical literature. Harmonizing to the Jain theory they believe that they need to hang on to the memories and patterns of the yesteryear. There philosophical philosophy is # 8220 ; rich and elusive # 8221 ; and there are two chief facets of this faith ( 277 ) . The first is a strong accent on non-injury to all life animals and the 2nd would be the great vows that they undertake. There are a few cardinal thoughts to Jainism. The first 1 is the being of many psyches. Second there is the world of the universe. Following there is the operation of karma. Finally there is a demand to take duty for your actions and there is besides a possibility of release ( 283 ) . There is a short supplication that is used by laic individuals to show their devotedness to give up everything and come in the province of being a monastic or a nun. The supplication provinces: # 8221 ; Ceasing of illfare, ceasing of karmic effects, decease in brooding enchantment, deriving enlightenment: Let these be mine, friend of the whole existence, vanquisher for I have come for safety in your path. # 8221 ; ( 284 ) . Jain temples are typical in two ways. First the innermost shrine is an image of Tirthankara. The temple is besides marked with a cardinal Jain symbol, which is a Hakenkreuz. This Hakenkreuz is surmounted by three points and half a Moon. All of these have significance. The four weap onries of the swastika represent the four degrees of life. First there are those who are born in one of the seven snake pits, so there are those born as workss, animate beings, or insects. Next there are those who are born as worlds, and eventually there are those who are born as godly existences. The three points represent the three gems and the half Moon represents release ( Smith 545 ) . Their community is focused on signifiers of cloistered life, which is supported by laymans. Monks an vitamin D nuns take five vows and pattern three gems. The first is the right of belief, second the right cognition, and eventually right behavior. Monks adopt a mobile manner of life and the lone clip of the twelvemonth that they retire is during the rainy season. The ground that they retire during this clip of the twelvemonth is to avoid wounding any of the little animals that swarm in the clay. Every twelvemonth the monastics and the nuns of this faith spend portion of their lives in a retreat together. This retreat is normally during the rainy season and during this clip they are given many different regulations to populate by. First they are non to talk any rough words after they arrive at the retreat and if they fail to make this they will be excluded from the retreat. They are besides non allowed to go engaged in a difference and if one occurs they are required to inquire for forgiveness from the superior. Finally they are non allowed to go for more than four or five conference s before they have to return to the retreat site ( Smart 285 ) . The faith of Jainism besides believes in higher speculation. This high or pure speculation is said to be the accomplishment of a individual who has become a liberated one. In this speculation the first thing that must be done is to halt of the full head so the organic structure and so eventually they must halt external respiration. During the needed clip of this pure speculation they destroy the four leftovers of karma # 8211 ; # 8221 ; finding hurting and pleasance, life span, fate and environment # 8221 ; ( 286 ) . After this the psyche takes the signifier of a consecutive line. One of the chief ethical values to Jainism is the belief no injury should be done to any life being. They are non to kill anything and this leads to Nirvana, which consists in peace. They are besides non supposed to make injury to anyone by word Acts of the Apostless or ideas ( 287 ) . Finally there are five vows that they are said to be the footing for an ideal life for the ballad individual to draw a bead on to and for the monastics and nuns to populate by. The first vow being to abdicate all killing to all living existences. The 2nd is to abdicate all ideas of address that contains any choler or greed and neer speak prevarications. The 3rd is to non take anything that is non given. They are non to take anything whether they are in a small town or in the forests. The Forth being to give up all sexual pleasances with either Gods work forces or animate beings. Finally the fifth vow is to abdicate all fond regards whether they be large or little ( 289 ) . These are the chief vows for the monastics and nuns to populate by in the faith of Jainism.

Ferdinhand Magellan essays

Ferdinhand Magellan essays Magellan was the most adventurous explorer of the 16th century. He was born in the spring of 1480 to a lower Nobel Portuguese family. He proved himself in many battles and expeditions for his country. But in 1517 he renounced his Portuguese citizenship after King Emanuel refused his request for a fleet to prove the Spice Islands could be reached by sailing west. Magellan left for Spain to seek support for his plan. King Charles I desperately needed a westward route to the Spice Islands in order to share in the profitable spice trade. The Portuguese controlled all the other trade routes around Africas Cape of Good Hope and Spanish ships were not allowed to pass through. He eagerly approved Magellans plan and funded the expedition. In September of 1519 Magellan set sail with five ships and a crew of 270 men to find a route around or through South America. There are a lot of reasons I believe this expedition is the greatest adventure of the 1500s. For one, nobody knew if a passage existed or how far it was across South America. The maps they had to use were very crude and far from accurate. Magellan was also taking a big risk by commanding a Spanish crew, remember he is Portuguese born and the relationship between these countries is not good. If they did find a passage though South America they still had to find the Spice Islands and they would be in uncharted waters. The weather, winds, and currents were all unknowns to them at the time. Magellans expedition did discover a passage through South America to the Pacific Ocean. It is what we now call The Strait of Magellan located at the Southern tip of South America. But the voyage didnt go as planned and a heavy price was paid for their discoveries. The trip took nearly three years to complete. Four of the five ships were lost. All but 18 of the crew of 270 died from starvation, disease, and warring with hostile natives. Magellan died in a battle in the P...

Free Essays on September 11

Early Tuesday morning I heard my mother’s screams. Jumping up abruptly from bed thinking that something had gone seriously wrong, I ran to the living room where my mom stood in shock. Quickly turning my head I saw the first impact of Flight 11 into Tower 1 of the World Trade Centers. This is not real I thought. How could we let something like this happen? Every sound drained from my ears and all I could hear were of the engines from Flight 11 roaring into Tower 1. The first word that filtered through my mom’s mouth was â€Å"terrorism†. She knew at that moment that it was no accident. One of the darkest days in history had unfolded before my very eyes seeing terrorism, the opportunity of unity, and how I view my life after the attacks. Terrorism is the newest acts of evil that we must all deal with. It is heartbreaking to see children of a third world country whose government has taught them to hate one of the most powerful and united countries in the world. When the news confirmed the attacks in New York were terrorists acts I was filled with fear and anger. It is amazing to see the lengths people will go to execute such detailed plans. I thought that terrorism could not strike at home, but it has happened before and could possibly happen again. All I could do was soak up everything and try to listen to the opinions of others and to see their reactions. Is it a spirit, a way of looking at life, a way of living that cannot be destroyed? Can Terrorism be destroyed? Will the evil live on even if we kill those responsible for this attack? Can we fight against the people who don’t value life? The chance of unity was visible to every American after the attacks had taken place. It seemed that whatever race you are whether you are, African American, White, Hispanic, Muslim, or Asian, we are all the same when dealing with human life. If there is anything that brings the sense of unity out of this nation of individuals, it’s ... Free Essays on September 11 Free Essays on September 11 Early Tuesday morning I heard my mother’s screams. Jumping up abruptly from bed thinking that something had gone seriously wrong, I ran to the living room where my mom stood in shock. Quickly turning my head I saw the first impact of Flight 11 into Tower 1 of the World Trade Centers. This is not real I thought. How could we let something like this happen? Every sound drained from my ears and all I could hear were of the engines from Flight 11 roaring into Tower 1. The first word that filtered through my mom’s mouth was â€Å"terrorism†. She knew at that moment that it was no accident. One of the darkest days in history had unfolded before my very eyes seeing terrorism, the opportunity of unity, and how I view my life after the attacks. Terrorism is the newest acts of evil that we must all deal with. It is heartbreaking to see children of a third world country whose government has taught them to hate one of the most powerful and united countries in the world. When the news confirmed the attacks in New York were terrorists acts I was filled with fear and anger. It is amazing to see the lengths people will go to execute such detailed plans. I thought that terrorism could not strike at home, but it has happened before and could possibly happen again. All I could do was soak up everything and try to listen to the opinions of others and to see their reactions. Is it a spirit, a way of looking at life, a way of living that cannot be destroyed? Can Terrorism be destroyed? Will the evil live on even if we kill those responsible for this attack? Can we fight against the people who don’t value life? The chance of unity was visible to every American after the attacks had taken place. It seemed that whatever race you are whether you are, African American, White, Hispanic, Muslim, or Asian, we are all the same when dealing with human life. If there is anything that brings the sense of unity out of this nation of individuals, it’s ...

Troubles with Academic Papers Essay Writing App List is at Your Service!

Troubles with Academic Papers Essay Writing App List is at Your Service! Troubles with Academic Papers? Essay Writing App List is at Your Service! If you are having trouble with your academic papers, there is help available. You can get an essay writing app to lend you a hand. There are many suitable writing apps for essay crafting which help students to avoid succumbing to distractions. They are also designed to help them better manage their time so that academic papers do not seem impossible. Below are 7 essay writing apps which are best suited for students: iA writer It is an app with a clear interface which is very easy to use. It helps students to write articles, essays, or poems in no time without difficult settings or complicated interfaces. Pages Students who use Apple technologies can turn to Pages. This app lets them create documents, edit them, and view them no matter where they are. This is particular beneficial for students because it affords them the opportunity to write down an epiphany, a change, or an edit to something whenever creativity sparks. When sitting on a bus, or reflecting before bed, students might have a great idea perfect for their next paper which they can write down instantly. There are also templates already available for download, so that students can make reports or essays easily. After this, students can share the files they have made with teachers or other students. Articles This app lets students research easily for their upcoming project, putting together chapters, maps, and a table of contents for the writing they have. This makes it easy to trace notes and keep track of research. Plain Text It works as a text editor and has a simple interface which looks strikingly similar to that of a piece of paper. The best feature associated with this app is the ability to create documents and organize them in a folder, then sync that folder with Dropbox. When taking notes, downloading journal articles, and typing multiple drafts, this feature works incredibly well for students. Notebooks This is an app which lets students create content and organize digital notes. Students can divide their research into sub projects and then cross reference the items they have filed. Additionally students can keep track of PDF pages, word documents, and Excel documents too. Papers It is a wonderful app for research, as it allows students the opportunity to browse hundreds of articles online and in a personalized library, and then search for the articles based on name or title. Students can then rate the articles for quality and utilize a built-in citation and reference feature to create their bibliography easily. Clean Writer It keeps writing to a minimum with automatic saving, integration for Dropbox and even email sending, so students can automatically send their email content to themselves or to other people. Overall, there are many great essay writing services and applications available which make it easier for students to get their academic work done on time. No longer do students need to suffer alone. Now there are apps to help get through even the most difficult writing assignments.

Case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Case analysis - Essay Example In principle, international markets require unique approaches due to the variation in market characteristics. Home Furniture Ltd is one of the business organizations that have expanded its business strategy in the international market in an effort to increase its profits. In these new markets, the organization has faced the challenges of deploying effective leadership in a multi-cultural environment. For the organization to position itself in this business market, it is crucial to re-strategize and develop effective leadership strategies desired in the modern business environment (Stahl & Brannen, 2013). A close analysis of the organizational management in Home Furniture ltd will reveal the weaknesses and the strategies that can be used to realign the organization in the international market. Globalization and cross-cultural management are terms that emerged as a result of organizations efforts to expand their business operations in the international market. Business globalization has many advantages to the organization and this is why many organizations are pushing their operations in the international market. Global strategy helps organizations to take advantage of emerging market segments where business potential is higher than in local markets. This provides an opportunity for the organization to optimize their profits by investing in rapidly growing markets. Also, globalization helps organizations to increase its customers which will have a positive impact on the performance of the organization. As competition becomes severe in local markets, organizations are pushed to invest in geographical markets to ensure that they survive the severity of this competition. However, the international business market has many risk factors that threaten new market entrants. First, the cultural factors influence business strategy. In the international market, the organizations has to work with different cultural attributes

What is the theme in the story "The Chrysanthemums" by John Essay

What is the theme in the story "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck - Essay Example All what Elisa can perform is to watch Henry from a distant as he performs his job. Any kind of detail that reaches her about the ranch management is conveyed indirectly from Henry, who only speaks unclearly, and in with words of humiliation instead of treating his wife fairly as an equal partner. The tinker appears cleverer as compared to Henry, however does not have Elisa’s passion, spirit, and desire for adventure. As per Elisa, he may even match the skills of tinker. Yet, it the one who is favored for a ride about the country, leading an adventurous life that he imagines is flabby for women. Steinbeck employs the tinker and Henry as substitutes for the paternalism of patriarchal societies in common: the way they ignore women’s potential, the same the society does. Steinbeck outlines that urge for sexual fulfillment is incredibly powerful and causes an individual to behave in an irrational way. Henry and Elisa are in a functional marriage but very passionless and they appear to treat one another more of a sibling than a spouse. From the story, Elisa is a tough woman associated with sexuality and fertility but lacks even a single child, revealing the nonsexual character of her relationship with Henry. Regardless of the fact that her marriage does not fulfill her needs, Elisa has remained a sexual person, a behavior that Steinbeck portrays as desirable and normal. From her frustrated sexual desires, Elisa’s attraction to the tinker is astonishingly uncontrollable and powerful. When she tells about staring at the star at night, for instance, her language is through and nearly pornographic. She goes on her knees before him and in a position of sexual submission, looking and reaching out towards him, as the narrator describes it, â€Å"like a fawning dog.† In quintessence, she subjects herself at the intimacy of a completely unfamiliar person. The outcome of Elisa’s strong attraction is perhaps even much destructive than the desirability itself.

Giorgio Armani Brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Giorgio Armani Brand - Essay Example According to the paper the brand’s marketing strategy has been effective, as it has been marketed to emerging markets like China, where there is a strong uptake for premium, luxury fashion products. This paper will discuss the brand architecture of Giorgio Armani, and present a brand extension model. Detailed findings SWOT Analysis for Giorgio Armani Strengths The brand’s personality-based and uniquely designed products, which are among the best, globally The brand’s unique design, which helps differentiate it from competitors The characteristic feature of the clothes and apparel, which are hand stitched compared to the ordinary machine-stitched products The brand’s presence among international sports players and teams These areas identify the policies and the formulas employed for the brand which gives it an edge in brand positioning and recognition. Giorgio Armani has a ready-to-wear and a couture line, which increases their presence among average income consumers. From this study it is clear that weaknesses of Brand PETA activists do not support the outlook of the brand, which resulted in the development of a negative image The brand’s limited global market presence, compared to other global apparel brands Opportunity of Brand The brand’s coverage can be extended to cover the bottom of the market pyramid A larger part of the workforce is young, which increases their capacity to explore and design attractive and powerful products The brand’s ability to expand globally and to penetrate through tie-ups and the launch of new brand stores globally Threats The brand’s dominant coverage of a small upper-premium class market segment The brands slow uptake in picking up on life style brand The brand’s duplicity: fake products of the brand are traded at very low prices, in the lower market segments Giorgio Armani’s brand position Unlike the usual branding processes employed by entrepreneurs in the c onsumer products industry, the fashion and luxury branding of Giorgio Armani is highly personality-based and unique. The designs of the brand are founded on the founder’s personality. This is evident from the critical role of design in the fashion and luxury apparel positioning of the brand. The personal style of Giorgio Armani is crucial in the development and the marketing of the brand. The designer’s style is grounded on product differentiation, which is communicated in a tangible and visual manner. Brand’s Target Audience The target audience of the Giorgio Armani brand includes men and women. The products offered within the different lines for men include shoes, clothes, watches, eyewear, fragrances and home furnishings. The products offered to female consumers include shoes, clothing, bags, eyewear, cosmetics and home furnishings.  

Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Public Relations - Essay Example This was the situation in this case. BP was trying to clean up, but its stock was sinking and everyone was turning on it. Many of its press releases from this period seek to reassure the public and the media. BP wanted to convince people that it was doing its best to help clean up the spill. They wanted people to think they were working very hard and tirelessly to do their best and ensure that the livelihood of people in the Gulf area and many of the marine animals were protected. This context is very important to understand. BP was dealing with a massive public relations (and natural) disaster. It was a challenging environment. One of the things that they worked hard to do was be open and transparent about the actions they were taking to solve the problem. That is in part what got them through the mess intact. What was accomplished in the communication? Consider more than just the obvious message. The obvious message here is one of damage control. BP wants to be seen to be working h ard to clean up the environment. They also want to tell people that they are willing to pay for the damage caused. Below this message is an effort by BP to show that they are in control of the situation. They are working hard, but more than that they know what is happening, they can quantify the damage, they are being very responsive to each of the problems that come along. The press release shows to the world that BP is not only working hard but is able to talk about each step of their action in a clear and direct way. For BP, there are no secrets. Everything is above board. That is what is accomplished through this communication. They wanted to send a message with a lot of facts about what they were doing but more than that, they wanted to be seen to be open and transparent. They didn't want to appear to be hiding anything in this situation. Were the press releases related in any way to each other or to major news or industry trends occurring at that time? The press releases were closely related to the events in the Gulf. Indeed, they were a direct response to the oil spill that was happening. Because BP was held to blame for the spill, the press releases were used as a way to assuage the public anger over the issue. It was also a way to get the media to try to start reporting on the story from a positive point view, i.e. what BP was doing to solve the problem. In a situation that extended over many months, BP issued a great number of press releases. The communications department of the company was definitely working overtime through the summer of 2010. Did the company send a consistent and coherent message? The company for the most part sent a consistent and coherent message. The press releases focused on what BP was doing to try to clean up the oil spill. The press releases also focused on some of the technical aspects of the clean-up and effort to stop the well from leaking anymore. Efforts to communicate BP's compensation for those affected by the spill were also included in the press releases. It should be noted that BP received a great deal of criticism when its CEO strayed off of this topic and began to offer an inconsistent message, saying in public for example that the spill was also very hard on him and that he wanted his life back too. That sort of inconsistent messaging caused the company a great deal of grief. In situations like this it is very important to understand that the media will be looking for any perceived inconsistency.

Othello, the Moor of venice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Othello, the Moor of venice - Essay Example These lines indicate Desdemona's interest in Othello as a man. She finds him fascinating and worthy of love and makes the first move. As Othello says later, "she had eyes and chose me" (3.3.189). Othello also explains the mutual nature of their regard: "She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them" (1.3.167-8). Desdemona sees Othello as the bravest and most accomplished man she has ever met. Othello, an outsider in Venice, is flattered that his life could affect a woman this way. He does not expect to be admired-he has fought for everything he ever received-and Desdemona's love binds his heart. Without the forces working against them, they have a strong basis for a successful marriage. Othello is not easily brought to suspect betrayal. When Desdemona first asks for a favor, Othello tells her twice, "I will deny thee nothing" (3.3.76; 3.3.84). Without Iago, there is no doubt in his mind as to Desdemona's motivation. In the same scene, he remarks to himself, "when I love thee not, Chaos is come again" (3.3.91). This line gives us insight into Othello's heart. Desdemona is, to him, a goddess of civilization who transforms him from a despised Moor into an honored Venetian. Until Iago skews the balance, Othello's love for Desdemona is stable and grateful. Even when Iago plants seeds of doubt in his mind, Othello has trouble believing Iago's lies.

Us. World History Essay Example for Free

Us. World History Essay 16. Consider the relationships and contact of European societies with Asia, Africa, and the New World from 1492 to 1914. What are the changes and continuities in these relationships? What did the Europeans want in each area of the world? How was the European trading systems different from the earlier systems involving Dar-Al-Islam? What effects did these contacts have on the Europeans? On the societies contacted? You might want to make a chart of these causes and effects. How did the patterns of world trade change from 1492 to 1914? The Europeans used the power of seas and oceans to control the export of specific products. They had products such as pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. They regulated commerce with Asian trading network that stretched from ports of the Red Sea to South China. Many European seafaring nations were involved in South and Southeast Asia and was based on trade. The European powers struggled to find the most profitable ways to get things that they wanted from Asia. Most of the Europeans went to Asia to find Christian converts instead of personal gain. Also some stayed to live in coastal enclaves, but trade and commercial profits let Europeans explore, fight in wars and have a hard time to live in Asia in nearly the first century of European overseas expansion. Africa also used their African coast to trade with China and the New World. 80 percent of Africans died in middle passage voyage from African to the New World. Many people died in trading because people began getting infected with disease and spread them. Everywhere in West Africa was the region influenced by trans-Atlantic slave trade. The East Coast of Africa traded along the Indian Ocean with many Ottoman Turks. Some continuities is that we use some of the same patterns of trading throughout 1492-1914. For example, we still use the availability of oceans and seas to trade along the coasts of countries. But there were many changes as well. During the 1800s and 1900s, technology became more advanced. This led to easier ways for trading. Africans traded for ivory, gold, and especially slaves, with the New World. The slaves were forced to go to the households to work. Some places that had many slaves are Arabia and many areas of the Middle East. Europeans also took many slaves. Europeans always needed slaves to go work on their plantation colony. The East African coast was the area that supplied the most slaves. They shipped the slaves off to any country that had something in return for the Africans. Europeans established many plantation style colonies on islands such as  Mauritius (located in the Indian Ocean) but they always depended on the East African Slave trade. Slavery became a prominent feature of the east African coast and the slave trade from the interior to these plantations and to the traditional slave markets of the Red Sea kept going till the end of the 19th century. The effect on the Europeans was that they were making many plantations and were able to make a lot of money with the other countries that they were in contact with because they traded their plantation for other expensive goods. Dar al Islam was different from Europe because in order for them to trade their plantation and crops, they had to work on it to make it grow. Unlike the Europeans, they have slaves doing the work for them. After the good results of the Europeans, other countries bought slaves, knowing that they would have more done, and more goods to trade. 17. The industrial revolution is a major concept in terms of the world history. What factors were necessary to have an industrial revolution? Where did it begin? Where did it spread? How did it change patterns of economic, social, and intellectual interaction? What advantages and disadvantages did it bring? Compare the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century with those brought by the movements toward Globalization of the twentieth century.. For an industrial revolution to take place Business Leaders, labor sources, natural resources, Inventions Innovations, and in Britain the 2nd Agricultural Rev, factory systems, economic philosophies, and capitalism + enlightenment ideas combined. The industrial revolution started in Britain with the 2nd agricultural revolution (Enclosure movement and Urbanization). The industrial revolution spread through much of Europe, especially Belgium, France, and Germany as well as Japan and the United States. Intellectual interactions increased with the spread of new ideas and a lot of new inventions to better life and contribute to the industrial revolution, such as the domestic system, the steam ship and the steam-powered locomotive. Patterns of economic and social interactions also increased by not in a good way, social the government controlled everything that society did and owned most of everything and economically patterns decreased among the population and focused to land owners or factory owners. Innovations such as the telephone, combustion engine, radio, airplane, the system of interchangeable parts and  the assembly line. The advantage was huge money to land owners and factory owners, new technologies making Britain, at the time, the hegemony. The disadvantage was that is cause massive poverty amongst the majority of the population, pollution and families being torn apart. The changes in the Industrial revolution brought great money and power to that country of the time, and eventually led the nation to be prosperous, although globalization now is making the world smaller, giving pollution causing environmental problems and making life economically dependent. 18. Make a list of the ways that the industrialization was related to the Imperialism and to Nationalism. Then illustrate each of the items on your list with examples from the experience of Russia, France, and the United States, Great Britain, the Ottoman Empire and Mexico. * Makes the people work together: In Europe, urbanization occurred and for the domestic system to work, people had to cooperate with each other. * Gave women a little bit of more rights: In Europe, women were allowed to work in factories but they were under horrible conditions. * Increased trade for foreign resources: Europe colonized nations on every other continent in the world to get raw materials. * Influenced ideas: Ideas came such as communism, socialism, neocolonialism, and Marxism * Brings more technologies: Some technologies that were developed was the flying shuttle which sped up the weaving process in 1733. In 1763, John Hargreaves invented the spinning Jenny which was capable of spinning vast amounts if thread. In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which allowed massive amounts of cotton to be quickly processed in the Americas, and exported to Europe. Also, the telegraph which was invented in 1837 by Samuel Morse, allowed people to communicate across great distances within seconds. The telephone, which was invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1879. The internal combustion engine was invented by 1885 by Gottlieb Daimler. Marconi Guglielmo invented the radio in 1890s and Orville and Wilbur Wright invented the airplane in 1903. * Helps the people: To all the countries that industrialized, this helped manual labor from the people to convert the labor into machines. * Rapid shift in economy: All economies boosted because of all the progress it made * Countries engage in war: Countries were getting more powerful and others wanted to be the  same. Some examples of wars because of nationalism were World War I and World War II. * Changes in social structure: Throughout history, the wealthy class was small and the poorest class was huge. But industrialism twisted it around, members of the working class saw factory owners gain wealth quickly – at their expense. The owners didn’t inherit their position, but achieved success by exploiting their workers, and the workers knew it. * Rebellions take place: They took place because of change. * 3 groups of people come about: Conservatives, Moderates, and Radicals. Conservatives don’t want change, Moderates are fine with whatever happens and Radicals want change. * Forces the country to gain a lot of power: the country gains a lot of wealth and tends to have more power and control over other countries created colonies. * Some countries gain independence: Countries in North and South America gain independence like America in 1783, Paraguay in 1811, Uruguay in 1811, Chile in 1826, Argentina in 1816, Ecuador in 1822, Colombia in 1815, and Venezuela in 1821. * Impact on environment: Industrial Revolution created pollution and gobbled up a lot of natural resources 19. Analyze changes in gender and social structure in the following regions: United States, France, China, India, Ottoman Empire/Turkey, and Brazil from 1750 to today. Throughout history the majority of societies were base upon male dominance, a patriarchal society. Usually this was because back in the stone ages many societies were nomads, or they were societies involved and agriculture and women were not looked at highly. This is because women were expected to stay home and cure for the kids or take care of the house while the males would go out and make sure there is food for the family when they get back and this is what made males more dominant over females knowing that without the males getting food survival would be extremely tough. However throughout time some societies became less agricultural such as the United States throughout times such as during World War I. During the war all the men were sent off to serve and fight for their country and the only people back home were females and eventually females started to run there own business and gain some sort of importance and if it weren’t for them the United States would’ve been in a completely different situation when the men returned home from war. In spite of the males having all the dominance over females when they returned home from war they expected women to give up what they have accomplished and hand  it over to the men. Of course it all seemed unfair to the women but there was not too much they could do, but this is how the societies change socially. The geography and society situations usually reflect upon the social structures within empires, kingdoms, countries etc. 20. Make a chart outlining the content, strengths, effects, and limitations of each of the following intellectual systems of thought: Adam Smith – The wealth of Nations Karl Marx – The communist Manifesto Isaac Newton – The Principia Explain why each of these works is the product of Western and Enlightment thinking. Intellectual systems:| Content:| Strength:| Effects:| Limitations:| Adam Smith- â€Å"The wealth of Nations†| Private ownership| Economic prosperity and fairness| A free market system| Governments were removed entirely from regulation (laissez-faire capitalism)| Karl Marx- â€Å"The communist Manifesto†| Working class could eventually revolt and take over means of production| Helped better the conditions of the workers and the amount of hours they worked | In England a group of workers called luddites destroyed equipment in the factories in the middle of the night to protest working conditions and pitiful wages| All the instruments of power- the government, the courts, the police, the church-were on the side of the rich against poor| Isaac Newton- â€Å"The Principia†| Where he invented calculus| Proved the theories of Copernicus, Galileo, Bacon, and others| Proved that the sun is the center of the universe| Helps scientists prove experiments but doesn’t necessarily mean or give the right answer | Each of these works is the product of Western and Enlightenment thinking as the Age of Enlightenment refers to a period of time in Western culture and philosophy where reason was advocated as the best and surest way to obtain the truth.

Effect of the Financial Crisis on Consumer Buying Behaviour

Effect of the Financial Crisis on Consumer Buying Behaviour ABSTRACT Consumer buying behaviour is a complex phenomenon, which is comprised of a bundle of decision-making processes, economic determinants and market stimuli. Consumer purchasing behaviour has been attracting the interest of a great number of academic and commercial parties for many years. The complexity of the processes with which consumer purchasing can be associated has made the phenomenon considerably difficult to be predicted and controlled. However, as consumers are the most essential source of revenue for business organisations, therefore their behaviour is of significant importance for achieving market survival and financial prosperity. This is the reason why the present dissertation is focused on researching and analysing the phenomenon in the present financial crisis. As the current crisis is already recognised to be having a major effect on many economic and social aspects of the United Kingdom, the researcher concentrates specifically on revealing the effects the present economic downturn has on the buying behaviour of consumers. The author is highly interested in revealing the disturbances that can be identified to occur and thus provide valuable insight to commercial and academic parties in the context of predicting and controlling consumer purchasing patterns. The dissertation is specifically focused on analysing the buyer behaviour changes from a marketing perspective. The author provides a number of suggestions, which were extracted from the conducted secondary and primary investigation. The developed propositions outline the various considerations companies should integrate in their marketing campaigns in order to perform successfully, despite the financial crisis and economic downturn. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Buying behaviour can be described as the set of attitudes that characterise the patterns of consumers choices. Buying behaviour is a phenomenon that varies depending on a wide range of factors, such as: demographics, income, social and cultural factors. Apart from the essential internal factors, which can be recognised as influential to buying behaviour, there are a number of situational contexts that can be suggested to affect consumer choices. In this respect it can be proposed that consumer behaviour is a combination of customers buying consciousness and external incentives which are likely to result in behaviour remodelling (Dawson et al., 2006). This is why researchers in the field of consumer buying patterns conclude that it is derivative of function that encompasses economic principles and marketing stimuli (Hansen, 2006). As buying behaviour is a key factor for companies profitability, it is a phenomenon that has been attracting the attention of researchers for many years. One of the fields most significantly interested in consumer choice, is the field of marketing (Kotler, 2000). Marketing is the discipline focused on extracting knowledge on consumers characteristics to enable companies to respond to customers expectations and facilitate organisations in providing high quality customer service (Groucutt et al., 2004). This is why it can be suggested that the context of the present dissertation could be of significant importance for marketing researchers and professionals. As the present project aims to analyse the financial crisis effects on consumer behaviour it can be suggested that the in depth scrutiny which the current examination would establish could transform into a valuable source of marketing direction. In other words, the present dissertation is likely to transform into a valuable source of marketing comprehensiveness as it would reveal knowledge on the likely changes in buying behaviour which the current financial and economic downturn is causing and thus provide commercial organisations with a piece of research that could stimulate greater appropriateness and integrity in companies business performance during a volatile period (Churchill and Peter, 1998; Iacobucci and Calder, 2003). Todays financial crisis, which has resulted in an economic downturn, could be recognised as a major challenge for the profitability and even survival of many global companies. The financial crisis, which was the result of the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the USA, has transmitted internationally and caused disturbances in a wide range of powerful economies. Many countries are seen to be on the brink of recession if not already plunged into it (Deutche Welle, 2008). As the present dissertation is specifically evaluating the financial crisis impacts on consumers buying behaviour it can be recognised that some of the challenges which consumers are currently facing and are likely to experience in the near future can be divided into two categories – direct and indirect. The direct factors can be recognised as the decreasing disposable income, job insecurity and credit financing hurdles (Office for National Statistics, 2008). On the other hand the indirect aspects of the credit crunch on customer behaviour can be outlined as the challenges of credit financing and investment capability which commercial organisations face and which make these organisations unable to continue with producing high quality products and customer service (The Economist, 2008). The research question the current project aims to answer is: What type of consumer buying behaviour has been most significantly affected by the financial crisis in the UK?. As it can be observed, the question the researcher focuses on addressing can be used for outlining the research parameters of the dissertation (Bell, 2005). In order for a research to yield credible results it should be frame-worked in a manner that clearly structures the contextual boarders of a project. This can be achieved only through the identification of a set of research variables, to be explored, tested and synthesised in a logical flow (Saunders et al., 2003). In the present context, the research focus and the variables which can be recognised are: The United Kingdom; the current financial crisis; consumer buying behaviour and in particular non-business consumers; and retailing. As it can be observed the research variables outline a clear framework to guide the researcher through the development of a consistent and coherent research process. Once recognised, the research variables can be addressed through the application of sub-questions and research objectives (Easterby-Smith et al., 2002). In this respect the objectives which the dissertation incorporates for responding to the research question are: the evaluation of buying behaviour characteristics, which would reveal various buying behaviour characteristics and patterns; analysis of the financial crisis impacts on consumers and in particular the effect on buying behaviour characteristics; and the identification of current buying trends of products in the UK. In the context of forming a clear framework and outlining clear objectives to address the set research question, this dissertation can be divided into six chapters to guide the research process flow. Chapter 1 introduces the readers to the topic by outlining the aim of the dissertation, the primary research question, the research objectives and the value of the examination. Chapter 2 provides a critical literature review of the topic. The literature review is structured by the application of a funneling strategy, depicted in Figure 1. The funneling strategy aims to provide greater clarity in the research boundaries as it gradually tightens the research focus by outlining the specific research variables to be explored and examined. Chapter 3 provides the research methodology employed in the current investigation. The section also reveals the research philosophy, strategy, objectives and sources, which were employed for the successful exploration of the topic. Chapter 4 outlines the research findings, which are achieved through a multi-source strategy of secondary and primary research. Chapter 5 provides a discussion on how or whether the research findings address the research question. Chapter 6, the final chapter of the dissertation, offers a conclusion to the research. This chapter is followed by a list of references. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Consumer Behaviour Consumer behaviour can be described as a process in which individuals or groups purchase a tangible or intangible product to satisfy needs or preferences (Perner, 2008). Nowadays, the role of the consumer is of great macro and micro-importance as the consuming power is an essential economic driving force. The great significance of the consumers role can be recognised from the fact that most contemporary consumers spend a great amount of time and energy on buying behaviour and decision-making activities. This is why consumer behaviour can be identified as a process, which comprises all activities related to the process of purchasing, such as: information gathering; information exchange; selecting; buying and consuming (Hansen et al., 2004). As buying behaviour is identified to encompass a wide range of a priori and post-buying activities, therefore it can be recognised as a significantly complex phenomenon. Buying behaviour is determined by two main factors – internal and external. The internal factors that determine consumer buying behaviour are presented by the various consumer segments. In other words, the particular set of characteristics a segment possess (i.e. demographic, social, cultural, life style, etc.), can be described as essential determinants of the segments buying behaviour. On the other hand, there is a set of external factors that can play a significant role in determining consumer behaviour, such as: promotions; advertising; customer service, economic and market stability, etc. In this respect, it can be concluded that buying behaviour is significantly determined and influenced by the highly interdependent combination of customers buying consciousness and external stimuli (Dawson et al., 2006). 2.2 Types of Consumer Behaviour The literature recognises four distinctive types of consumer buying behaviour. They differ with respect to the frequency of occurrence, emotional involvement, decision-making complexity and risk. In this context there are four distinctive buying behaviour patterns which can be outlined, such as: programmed behaviour; limited decision-making buying behaviour; extensive decision-making buying behaviour and impulsive buying (Arnould et al., 2002). Programmed behaviour, also known as habitual buying behaviour, is the buying pattern which can be characterised as the routine purchasing of low cost items, such as: coffee; daily newspaper; tickets, etc. It is a process that involves little search for information and low complexity of decision-making (Learn Marketing, 2008). Limited decision-making buying behaviour can be characterised as a buying pattern that involves moderate levels of decision-making and comparatively low amounts of required information to trigger purchasing. It is a buying behaviour, which can be related to the purchasing of clothes – the consumer can easily obtain information on the quality of the product and often spends short time on selecting and securing the purchase (East, 1997). In contrast to the limited decision-making buying pattern and the programmed purchasing behaviour, the literature identifies extensive decision-making buying behaviour (Foxall and Goldsmith, 1994). This type of behaviour is characterised with complex decision-making, where the buyer needs a comparatively longer period to make a decision and greater amounts of information gathering. It is buying behaviour usually provoked by expensive and infrequent purchases, which involve higher levels of economic and psychological risk (Peter and Olson, 2007). The fourth type of buying behaviour, which is observed in the literature, is the impulsive buying. Impulsive buying is characterised as a buying process that does not involve any conscious planning. It is a short-term phenomenon, which is usually provoked by an external stimuli and irritation, making particular products irresistible to consumers at a given short period of time (Wells and Prensky, 1997). As it can be observed in the literature on the different types of buying behaviour, a significant determinant, which accompanies each of the described behavioural choices, is the consumers emotion. The consumers emotion as suggested by Hansen et al. (2004) is a fundamental determinant of buying behaviour. It is a component of the purchasing decision-making, which can be recognised to be both influential to, and influenced by, a number of internal and external factors (Chaudhuri, 2006; Laros and Steenkamp, 2005). Deriving from the significant importance of consumer emotion in purchasing and the great determining value it possess, the research would suggest a new framework of buying behaviour in order for the researcher to address the initial research question adequately. The framework is adopted from the phenomenological literature and theoretical concepts, which were identified during the research process. In this respect the continuum proposed encompasses all of the buying behaviour types and the consumers emotion as their most significant determinant. At each extreme of the continuum, there can be recognised two distinctive types of buying behaviour – planned and unplanned which are to be researched and discussed in the succeeding section of the present literature review. Although emotion is a subjective phenomenon, which significantly varies according to individual traits and situational particularities, the researcher suggests that emotion is the most essential determinant of planned and unplanned buying behaviour (Havlena and Holbrook, 1986). In other words, as unplanned buying behaviour is the attribute of impulsive buying, it can be suggested that unplanned buying behaviour is greatly affected by greater emotional drives. On the other hand, as planned behaviour usually involves complex decision-making, greater information gathering and a longer time period for selection, it can be concluded that planned buying behaviour is rather resulted by rationality than emotionality. Although it is a fair clarification that many complex decision-making processes may initially occur through emotional attraction and impulse, the particular features of the buying process are the variables which are evaluated in the present research and therefore, it can be suggested that planned buying behaviour is less emotional than unplanned. 2.2.1Planned Buying Behaviour Planned consumer buying behaviour is best described by the theories of planned behaviour (TBA) and reasoned action (TRA) (Hansen, 2006). The theories reveal that planned behaviour can be determined by the consumers perceptions of complexity or in other words how difficult it is for the consumer to select and secure a particular product (Ajzen, 1991). The concept of perceived complexity is described by Keen et al. (2004), to comprise of the situational variables of channel tradeoffs and transaction costs. In other words, the level of complexity of a particular transaction, it is suggested, is determined by the opportunity cost of the alternative channels that exist and transaction costs, such as time, money and effort. Furthermore, the theory of planned behaviour specifically introduces the concept of perceived behavioural control as an essential determinant of the process of planned behavioural intention (Posthuma and Dworkin, 2000). In this respect, the TBA not only does explain the importance of the consumers perception of the levels of complexity with which a particular purchase can be associated, but also outlines the essential role of the buying risk which consumers are likely to bear during purchases. The perceived risk perspective can be recognised as a multidimensional construct. High perceived risk can result from the consumers expectation of experiencing a negative outcome from a buying interaction (Lim, 2003). In this respect if any situational determinants of the process of purchasing reveal a possibility of negative outcome, it can be suggested that this is likely to increase the levels of consumers perceived risk. In this context, situational determinants of these types can be recognised to be the transactional costs, which are associated with every purchase consumers make. In other words, the higher the transactional costs (i.e. money, time, effort, etc.) the greater the likelihood of higher levels of perceived risk (Hansen, 2006). On the other hand, perceived risk is not only determined by the transactional costs, which consumers identify. Contrary, perceived risk is often influenced by situational variables and outcomes, which the consumer fails to recognise. In other words, if a consumer is unable to clearly identify the possible outcome of a particular buying transaction, the consumer would be less inclined to purchase. In this respect, it can be concluded that another significant determinant of buying risk is uncertainty (Shim et al., 2001). This is why planned behaviour is associated with complex decision-making processes, which is characterised by extensive information gathering (Peter and Olson, 2007). 2.2.2 Unplanned Buying Behaviour As it was already identified, there are four distinctive types of buying behaviour, which can be recognised in the literature and which can be categorised in two distinctive categories of planned and unplanned buying behaviour. Each of the categories can be identified as encompassing different decision-making processes, characteristics, complexity and length (Arnould et al., 2002). Moreover, consumers decision-making goes through a number of transformations at different stages in the buying process: problem recognition; information search; evaluation of alternatives; and purchase decision (Peter and Olson, 2007). In this respect, it can be suggested that the purchasing determinants vary according to the stage at which the particular consumer is situated in the buying process at a given time. There are two distinctive but highly interdependent sources that can be identified as influencing the buying behaviour of consumers. They can be recognised as internal and external buying behaviour factors (Brassington and Pettit, 2007). The internal factors that determine consumer buying behaviour can be divided into the categories of: personal (i.e. age, life style, occupation); psychological (i.e. wants, motivation, perceptions); social (i.e. needs, social class, group and family influence); and cultural (i.e. common sense, background, beliefs, knowledge) (Groucutt et al., 2004; Iacobucci and Calder, 2003). On the other hand, the external buying behaviour factors can be identified as the marketing approaches of companies to attract consumers by advertising and promotions. Another external factor that may be recognised as highly influential to the purchasing behaviour of consumers is the micro and macro-economic stability within the particular market environment (Churchill and Peter, 1998). As it can be observed, purchasing behaviour is mainly determined by internal factors (i.e. economic principles – disposable income, status, social class) and external stimuli (i.e. marketing – promotions and advertising; economic environment) (Dawson et al., 2006). Moreover, it can be proposed that these factors are highly interdependent as, for example, the economic stability within a market environment can be suggested to be significantly influential on the internal purchasing determinants of lifestyle, occupation and disposable income, which is likely to have subsequent effect on wants, motivation and perceptions. 2.3.1 The Financial Crisis Factor The Western world is currently facing a significant economic challenge in the face of the current financial crisis. The financial crisis, which is experienced by the majority of the developed G7 countries and in particular the UK, was the result of the US subprime mortgage crisis in August 2007 (Toussaint, 2008). The US mortgage crisis was caused by the bad quality of loans which were issued in the market at that time. For a period of seven years, some of the US financial institutions had been providing numerous credits to consumers with bad credit history, which subsequently resulted in a pool of credits with a lowered possibility of repayment (Cecchetti, 2008). There are several explanations for the occurrence of the crisis, which can be recognised in the literature but are not discussed in the present dissertation as the research question is more interested in the outcomes of the crisis than the factors that caused it. The burst of the real estate mortgage bubble had a contagious effect on the rest of the well-developed Western economies (Horta et al., 2008). Many EU countries experienced the shock in their banking sectors as the provision of credit financing became a great challenge. Banks were suffering from lack of liquidity, which caused both business and non-business consumers financial hardships (The Economist, 2008). The effect of the financial crisis unfolded over a wide range of other economic aspects. The wide scope of the crisis caused a downturn in many industries, the bankruptcy of leading organisations and overall economic recession to countries like the UK, Germany and France (Deutche Welle, 2008; Hopkins, 2008; Office for National Statistics, 2008). The multi-dimensional characteristic of the financial crisis is identified to have negative impacts both on business and non-business consumers. Some of the major impacts the current financial crisis has on consumers are: job uncertainty and unemployment; decreased disposable income; decreased saving rates; fewer credit financing opportunities; greater consumption risk; higher product and service prices, etc (Allen and Gale, 2007; Gramley, 2008). The UK retailing market is recognised as one of the markets that has been most severely affected. Consumers are seen to be purchasing very carefully as they focus on efficiency buying and cutting back on waste and premium products, but consumers are not predicted to be reducing their regular consumption. Buying behaviour is seen to be shifting to products with comparatively good quality and low price (Hawkins, 2008). Furthermore, the current economic sluggishness is likely to predispose to greater consumer interest in hard discounters, which makes such retailers believe in market share expansion and prosperity. Moreover, food retailing, on which the present research question is focused, is seen to be the most stable part of the retailing industry and it is predicted to be gaining market share by the production of efficient marketing strategies. However, the failure in providing good buying experience and low variability of products, which are common for hard discounters, are predicted to be the factors that are likely to impede their market growth (Mintel Oxygen, 2008). UK consumers are also recognised to be spending more time at home (Euromonitor International, 2008). This shift of buying behaviour can be considered to promote the use of online buying channels through which consumers can compare prices and gather information for their purchasing decisions but at the same time are likely to face buying risk which is usually associated with online purchases. CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology of the present dissertation is influenced and structured by the research process onion, which was developed and introduced by Saunders et al. (2003). In this respect the Research Methodology section of this dissertation is divided into five sub-topics, each of which aims to provide a detailed explanation of the research process. Knowledge is a complex phenomenon influenced and developed by various contextual variables. In this respect, a research philosophy represents a researchers perception of the way knowledge is constructed (Saunders et al., 2003). There are three research philosophies recognised in the literature philosophies of positivism, interpretivism and realism. Each of these philosophies provides a distinctive view on the way knowledge is developed. It is important for a research process to clearly establish its research philosophy as it has a significant impact on the methodological framework applied. For example, positivism applies scientific reasoning and law-like generalisations in the process of knowledge construction (Remenyi et al., 1998). The research methodology influenced by this philosophy is characterised with a highly transparent structure to facilitate replication (Gill and Johnson, 1997). On the other hand, the research philosophy of realism identifies the existence of a number of external social objectives, which influence peoples interactions and respectively the creation of knowledge. Realism can be recognised to be close to the philosophy of positivism but at the same time possesses clearly distinctive characteristics as the philosophy highlights the inappropriateness of exploring peoples interactions in the style of natural science (Saunders et al., 2003). The philosophy, which is incorporated in the context of the present dissertation, is the research philosophy of interpretivism. Interpretivism is chosen to be the philosophical framework of the study, as the researcher believes that knowledge is a complex phenomenon, which cannot be generalised in a value-free and detached manner. Furthermore, the researcher focuses on exploring the topic by the application of critical interpretations and gradually establishing research conclusions (Remenyi et al., 1998). 3.2 Research Approach The literature outlines two distinctive research approaches, which can be applied in the present dissertation – deductive and inductive. A deductive research approach is suggested to be suitable for scientific research, where the researcher develops a hypothesis, which is tested and examined to establish a theory (Hussey and Hussey, 1997). In the present context, as the researcher aims to gradually formulate the research theory through the critical evaluation of the research variables, and as the inductive research approach follows research data to construct theory, therefore it can be suggested that the present research approach is inductive. Furthermore, the inductive research approach, which provides greater flexibility, provides the researcher with the opportunity to modify the research emphasis depending on the accumulated findings throughout the research process (Easterby-Smith et al., 2002). 3.3 Research Strategy A research strategy can be explained as the tool or tools the researcher employs for addressing the research question. There are six research strategies, which can be identified in the literature, such as: experiment; survey; grounded theory; ethnography; action research and case study (Saunders et al., 2003). The present dissertation employs the research strategy of grounded theory. The researcher primarily focuses on extracting knowledge through research in the phenomenological literature. The present research strategy is appropriate as it is described in the literature to be suitable for inductive reasoning or in other words, applicable to research contexts which aim to gradually establish research assumptions and propositions (Husey and Husey, 1997). Although the present dissertation is essentially influenced by the research strategy of grounded theory, the researcher subsequently employs a primary research strategy of in-depth interviews to collect data. This primary research method is described in greater details in the Data Collection section. 3.4 Time Horizon Another important characteristic of the present research process is the time horizon. There are two time horizons recognised in the literature – longitudinal and cross-sectional. A longitudinal research process examines particular phenomenon over a given period of time, whereas cross-sectional is focused on a particular moment. The present dissertation has a cross-sectional time horizon as it is recognised to be appropriate to the research aim and the researchers resources. Firstly, the researcher was given a limited period of time which constrained the ability to conduct a longitudinal examination. Secondly, the present research question is not interested in analysing the variance of the research variables over a period of time but focused on exploring and revealing new contextual insight by suggesting new interpretations and theoretical assumptions (Robson, 2002). 3.5 Data Collection Method The present research process can be described as an exploratory one. It aims to reveal new insight and evaluate the researched phenomena in a new light. Furthermore, the research has a flexible approach to establishing its theoretical propositions, which does not mean that the research lacks clear direction and framework (Adams and Schvaneveldt, 1991). As exploratory research processes share the common research strategy of exploring the phenomenological literature and extracting expertise from specialists in the field and focus group interviews, similarly the present dissertation incorporates the research strategy of grounded theory and in-depth interviews. In this respect, it can be concluded that the present study is built on a combination of secondary and primary data. 3.5.1 Secondary Data The secondary data employed can be described as multiple source secondary data. Multiple source secondary data can be divided into two categories – area based, which comprises of academic sources and time series based, which focuses of commercial issues (Saunders et al., 2003). The use of multiple source data provides the researcher with the opportunity to develop a balanced and analytical dissertation. The academic literature is used for outlining the academic context of consumers buying behaviour, whereas the commercial sources are used for identification of the current conditions, which are likely to challenge the academic constructs. 3.5.2 Primary Data The present dissertation incorporates a multi-method research process, where the researcher combines secondary and primary data in the same study. This strategy is chosen as the researcher believes that both methods are significantly dependable on each other in the present research context, and that secondary data provides solid theoretical foundation, whereas primary data contributes to the researchers ability to address the most important issues in the present context (Robson, 2002). The primary data is extracted through the conduction of in-depth interviews. 3.5.2.1 In-depth Interviewing In-depth interviews, also known as unstructured interviews, are recognised as an appropriate data collection method as the information they reveal corresponds to the researchers aim of analysing, interpreting and responding to new contextual insight rather than reaching any law-like generalisations. This is why in-depth interviews are a common data collection method in exploratory research projects. Furthermore, in-depth interviews provide greater flexibility as they can be conducted both face-to-face and over a telephone, which is recognised not to affect the interview outcomes differently (Ghauri and Gronhaung, 2002). This can be considered as a significant facilitation especially with respect to the time constraints, which the researcher experiences. In the present context, each sub Effect of the Financial Crisis on Consumer Buying Behaviour Effect of the Financial Crisis on Consumer Buying Behaviour ABSTRACT Consumer buying behaviour is a complex phenomenon, which is comprised of a bundle of decision-making processes, economic determinants and market stimuli. Consumer purchasing behaviour has been attracting the interest of a great number of academic and commercial parties for many years. The complexity of the processes with which consumer purchasing can be associated has made the phenomenon considerably difficult to be predicted and controlled. However, as consumers are the most essential source of revenue for business organisations, therefore their behaviour is of significant importance for achieving market survival and financial prosperity. This is the reason why the present dissertation is focused on researching and analysing the phenomenon in the present financial crisis. As the current crisis is already recognised to be having a major effect on many economic and social aspects of the United Kingdom, the researcher concentrates specifically on revealing the effects the present economic downturn has on the buying behaviour of consumers. The author is highly interested in revealing the disturbances that can be identified to occur and thus provide valuable insight to commercial and academic parties in the context of predicting and controlling consumer purchasing patterns. The dissertation is specifically focused on analysing the buyer behaviour changes from a marketing perspective. The author provides a number of suggestions, which were extracted from the conducted secondary and primary investigation. The developed propositions outline the various considerations companies should integrate in their marketing campaigns in order to perform successfully, despite the financial crisis and economic downturn. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Buying behaviour can be described as the set of attitudes that characterise the patterns of consumers choices. Buying behaviour is a phenomenon that varies depending on a wide range of factors, such as: demographics, income, social and cultural factors. Apart from the essential internal factors, which can be recognised as influential to buying behaviour, there are a number of situational contexts that can be suggested to affect consumer choices. In this respect it can be proposed that consumer behaviour is a combination of customers buying consciousness and external incentives which are likely to result in behaviour remodelling (Dawson et al., 2006). This is why researchers in the field of consumer buying patterns conclude that it is derivative of function that encompasses economic principles and marketing stimuli (Hansen, 2006). As buying behaviour is a key factor for companies profitability, it is a phenomenon that has been attracting the attention of researchers for many years. One of the fields most significantly interested in consumer choice, is the field of marketing (Kotler, 2000). Marketing is the discipline focused on extracting knowledge on consumers characteristics to enable companies to respond to customers expectations and facilitate organisations in providing high quality customer service (Groucutt et al., 2004). This is why it can be suggested that the context of the present dissertation could be of significant importance for marketing researchers and professionals. As the present project aims to analyse the financial crisis effects on consumer behaviour it can be suggested that the in depth scrutiny which the current examination would establish could transform into a valuable source of marketing direction. In other words, the present dissertation is likely to transform into a valuable source of marketing comprehensiveness as it would reveal knowledge on the likely changes in buying behaviour which the current financial and economic downturn is causing and thus provide commercial organisations with a piece of research that could stimulate greater appropriateness and integrity in companies business performance during a volatile period (Churchill and Peter, 1998; Iacobucci and Calder, 2003). Todays financial crisis, which has resulted in an economic downturn, could be recognised as a major challenge for the profitability and even survival of many global companies. The financial crisis, which was the result of the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the USA, has transmitted internationally and caused disturbances in a wide range of powerful economies. Many countries are seen to be on the brink of recession if not already plunged into it (Deutche Welle, 2008). As the present dissertation is specifically evaluating the financial crisis impacts on consumers buying behaviour it can be recognised that some of the challenges which consumers are currently facing and are likely to experience in the near future can be divided into two categories – direct and indirect. The direct factors can be recognised as the decreasing disposable income, job insecurity and credit financing hurdles (Office for National Statistics, 2008). On the other hand the indirect aspects of the credit crunch on customer behaviour can be outlined as the challenges of credit financing and investment capability which commercial organisations face and which make these organisations unable to continue with producing high quality products and customer service (The Economist, 2008). The research question the current project aims to answer is: What type of consumer buying behaviour has been most significantly affected by the financial crisis in the UK?. As it can be observed, the question the researcher focuses on addressing can be used for outlining the research parameters of the dissertation (Bell, 2005). In order for a research to yield credible results it should be frame-worked in a manner that clearly structures the contextual boarders of a project. This can be achieved only through the identification of a set of research variables, to be explored, tested and synthesised in a logical flow (Saunders et al., 2003). In the present context, the research focus and the variables which can be recognised are: The United Kingdom; the current financial crisis; consumer buying behaviour and in particular non-business consumers; and retailing. As it can be observed the research variables outline a clear framework to guide the researcher through the development of a consistent and coherent research process. Once recognised, the research variables can be addressed through the application of sub-questions and research objectives (Easterby-Smith et al., 2002). In this respect the objectives which the dissertation incorporates for responding to the research question are: the evaluation of buying behaviour characteristics, which would reveal various buying behaviour characteristics and patterns; analysis of the financial crisis impacts on consumers and in particular the effect on buying behaviour characteristics; and the identification of current buying trends of products in the UK. In the context of forming a clear framework and outlining clear objectives to address the set research question, this dissertation can be divided into six chapters to guide the research process flow. Chapter 1 introduces the readers to the topic by outlining the aim of the dissertation, the primary research question, the research objectives and the value of the examination. Chapter 2 provides a critical literature review of the topic. The literature review is structured by the application of a funneling strategy, depicted in Figure 1. The funneling strategy aims to provide greater clarity in the research boundaries as it gradually tightens the research focus by outlining the specific research variables to be explored and examined. Chapter 3 provides the research methodology employed in the current investigation. The section also reveals the research philosophy, strategy, objectives and sources, which were employed for the successful exploration of the topic. Chapter 4 outlines the research findings, which are achieved through a multi-source strategy of secondary and primary research. Chapter 5 provides a discussion on how or whether the research findings address the research question. Chapter 6, the final chapter of the dissertation, offers a conclusion to the research. This chapter is followed by a list of references. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Consumer Behaviour Consumer behaviour can be described as a process in which individuals or groups purchase a tangible or intangible product to satisfy needs or preferences (Perner, 2008). Nowadays, the role of the consumer is of great macro and micro-importance as the consuming power is an essential economic driving force. The great significance of the consumers role can be recognised from the fact that most contemporary consumers spend a great amount of time and energy on buying behaviour and decision-making activities. This is why consumer behaviour can be identified as a process, which comprises all activities related to the process of purchasing, such as: information gathering; information exchange; selecting; buying and consuming (Hansen et al., 2004). As buying behaviour is identified to encompass a wide range of a priori and post-buying activities, therefore it can be recognised as a significantly complex phenomenon. Buying behaviour is determined by two main factors – internal and external. The internal factors that determine consumer buying behaviour are presented by the various consumer segments. In other words, the particular set of characteristics a segment possess (i.e. demographic, social, cultural, life style, etc.), can be described as essential determinants of the segments buying behaviour. On the other hand, there is a set of external factors that can play a significant role in determining consumer behaviour, such as: promotions; advertising; customer service, economic and market stability, etc. In this respect, it can be concluded that buying behaviour is significantly determined and influenced by the highly interdependent combination of customers buying consciousness and external stimuli (Dawson et al., 2006). 2.2 Types of Consumer Behaviour The literature recognises four distinctive types of consumer buying behaviour. They differ with respect to the frequency of occurrence, emotional involvement, decision-making complexity and risk. In this context there are four distinctive buying behaviour patterns which can be outlined, such as: programmed behaviour; limited decision-making buying behaviour; extensive decision-making buying behaviour and impulsive buying (Arnould et al., 2002). Programmed behaviour, also known as habitual buying behaviour, is the buying pattern which can be characterised as the routine purchasing of low cost items, such as: coffee; daily newspaper; tickets, etc. It is a process that involves little search for information and low complexity of decision-making (Learn Marketing, 2008). Limited decision-making buying behaviour can be characterised as a buying pattern that involves moderate levels of decision-making and comparatively low amounts of required information to trigger purchasing. It is a buying behaviour, which can be related to the purchasing of clothes – the consumer can easily obtain information on the quality of the product and often spends short time on selecting and securing the purchase (East, 1997). In contrast to the limited decision-making buying pattern and the programmed purchasing behaviour, the literature identifies extensive decision-making buying behaviour (Foxall and Goldsmith, 1994). This type of behaviour is characterised with complex decision-making, where the buyer needs a comparatively longer period to make a decision and greater amounts of information gathering. It is buying behaviour usually provoked by expensive and infrequent purchases, which involve higher levels of economic and psychological risk (Peter and Olson, 2007). The fourth type of buying behaviour, which is observed in the literature, is the impulsive buying. Impulsive buying is characterised as a buying process that does not involve any conscious planning. It is a short-term phenomenon, which is usually provoked by an external stimuli and irritation, making particular products irresistible to consumers at a given short period of time (Wells and Prensky, 1997). As it can be observed in the literature on the different types of buying behaviour, a significant determinant, which accompanies each of the described behavioural choices, is the consumers emotion. The consumers emotion as suggested by Hansen et al. (2004) is a fundamental determinant of buying behaviour. It is a component of the purchasing decision-making, which can be recognised to be both influential to, and influenced by, a number of internal and external factors (Chaudhuri, 2006; Laros and Steenkamp, 2005). Deriving from the significant importance of consumer emotion in purchasing and the great determining value it possess, the research would suggest a new framework of buying behaviour in order for the researcher to address the initial research question adequately. The framework is adopted from the phenomenological literature and theoretical concepts, which were identified during the research process. In this respect the continuum proposed encompasses all of the buying behaviour types and the consumers emotion as their most significant determinant. At each extreme of the continuum, there can be recognised two distinctive types of buying behaviour – planned and unplanned which are to be researched and discussed in the succeeding section of the present literature review. Although emotion is a subjective phenomenon, which significantly varies according to individual traits and situational particularities, the researcher suggests that emotion is the most essential determinant of planned and unplanned buying behaviour (Havlena and Holbrook, 1986). In other words, as unplanned buying behaviour is the attribute of impulsive buying, it can be suggested that unplanned buying behaviour is greatly affected by greater emotional drives. On the other hand, as planned behaviour usually involves complex decision-making, greater information gathering and a longer time period for selection, it can be concluded that planned buying behaviour is rather resulted by rationality than emotionality. Although it is a fair clarification that many complex decision-making processes may initially occur through emotional attraction and impulse, the particular features of the buying process are the variables which are evaluated in the present research and therefore, it can be suggested that planned buying behaviour is less emotional than unplanned. 2.2.1Planned Buying Behaviour Planned consumer buying behaviour is best described by the theories of planned behaviour (TBA) and reasoned action (TRA) (Hansen, 2006). The theories reveal that planned behaviour can be determined by the consumers perceptions of complexity or in other words how difficult it is for the consumer to select and secure a particular product (Ajzen, 1991). The concept of perceived complexity is described by Keen et al. (2004), to comprise of the situational variables of channel tradeoffs and transaction costs. In other words, the level of complexity of a particular transaction, it is suggested, is determined by the opportunity cost of the alternative channels that exist and transaction costs, such as time, money and effort. Furthermore, the theory of planned behaviour specifically introduces the concept of perceived behavioural control as an essential determinant of the process of planned behavioural intention (Posthuma and Dworkin, 2000). In this respect, the TBA not only does explain the importance of the consumers perception of the levels of complexity with which a particular purchase can be associated, but also outlines the essential role of the buying risk which consumers are likely to bear during purchases. The perceived risk perspective can be recognised as a multidimensional construct. High perceived risk can result from the consumers expectation of experiencing a negative outcome from a buying interaction (Lim, 2003). In this respect if any situational determinants of the process of purchasing reveal a possibility of negative outcome, it can be suggested that this is likely to increase the levels of consumers perceived risk. In this context, situational determinants of these types can be recognised to be the transactional costs, which are associated with every purchase consumers make. In other words, the higher the transactional costs (i.e. money, time, effort, etc.) the greater the likelihood of higher levels of perceived risk (Hansen, 2006). On the other hand, perceived risk is not only determined by the transactional costs, which consumers identify. Contrary, perceived risk is often influenced by situational variables and outcomes, which the consumer fails to recognise. In other words, if a consumer is unable to clearly identify the possible outcome of a particular buying transaction, the consumer would be less inclined to purchase. In this respect, it can be concluded that another significant determinant of buying risk is uncertainty (Shim et al., 2001). This is why planned behaviour is associated with complex decision-making processes, which is characterised by extensive information gathering (Peter and Olson, 2007). 2.2.2 Unplanned Buying Behaviour As it was already identified, there are four distinctive types of buying behaviour, which can be recognised in the literature and which can be categorised in two distinctive categories of planned and unplanned buying behaviour. Each of the categories can be identified as encompassing different decision-making processes, characteristics, complexity and length (Arnould et al., 2002). Moreover, consumers decision-making goes through a number of transformations at different stages in the buying process: problem recognition; information search; evaluation of alternatives; and purchase decision (Peter and Olson, 2007). In this respect, it can be suggested that the purchasing determinants vary according to the stage at which the particular consumer is situated in the buying process at a given time. There are two distinctive but highly interdependent sources that can be identified as influencing the buying behaviour of consumers. They can be recognised as internal and external buying behaviour factors (Brassington and Pettit, 2007). The internal factors that determine consumer buying behaviour can be divided into the categories of: personal (i.e. age, life style, occupation); psychological (i.e. wants, motivation, perceptions); social (i.e. needs, social class, group and family influence); and cultural (i.e. common sense, background, beliefs, knowledge) (Groucutt et al., 2004; Iacobucci and Calder, 2003). On the other hand, the external buying behaviour factors can be identified as the marketing approaches of companies to attract consumers by advertising and promotions. Another external factor that may be recognised as highly influential to the purchasing behaviour of consumers is the micro and macro-economic stability within the particular market environment (Churchill and Peter, 1998). As it can be observed, purchasing behaviour is mainly determined by internal factors (i.e. economic principles – disposable income, status, social class) and external stimuli (i.e. marketing – promotions and advertising; economic environment) (Dawson et al., 2006). Moreover, it can be proposed that these factors are highly interdependent as, for example, the economic stability within a market environment can be suggested to be significantly influential on the internal purchasing determinants of lifestyle, occupation and disposable income, which is likely to have subsequent effect on wants, motivation and perceptions. 2.3.1 The Financial Crisis Factor The Western world is currently facing a significant economic challenge in the face of the current financial crisis. The financial crisis, which is experienced by the majority of the developed G7 countries and in particular the UK, was the result of the US subprime mortgage crisis in August 2007 (Toussaint, 2008). The US mortgage crisis was caused by the bad quality of loans which were issued in the market at that time. For a period of seven years, some of the US financial institutions had been providing numerous credits to consumers with bad credit history, which subsequently resulted in a pool of credits with a lowered possibility of repayment (Cecchetti, 2008). There are several explanations for the occurrence of the crisis, which can be recognised in the literature but are not discussed in the present dissertation as the research question is more interested in the outcomes of the crisis than the factors that caused it. The burst of the real estate mortgage bubble had a contagious effect on the rest of the well-developed Western economies (Horta et al., 2008). Many EU countries experienced the shock in their banking sectors as the provision of credit financing became a great challenge. Banks were suffering from lack of liquidity, which caused both business and non-business consumers financial hardships (The Economist, 2008). The effect of the financial crisis unfolded over a wide range of other economic aspects. The wide scope of the crisis caused a downturn in many industries, the bankruptcy of leading organisations and overall economic recession to countries like the UK, Germany and France (Deutche Welle, 2008; Hopkins, 2008; Office for National Statistics, 2008). The multi-dimensional characteristic of the financial crisis is identified to have negative impacts both on business and non-business consumers. Some of the major impacts the current financial crisis has on consumers are: job uncertainty and unemployment; decreased disposable income; decreased saving rates; fewer credit financing opportunities; greater consumption risk; higher product and service prices, etc (Allen and Gale, 2007; Gramley, 2008). The UK retailing market is recognised as one of the markets that has been most severely affected. Consumers are seen to be purchasing very carefully as they focus on efficiency buying and cutting back on waste and premium products, but consumers are not predicted to be reducing their regular consumption. Buying behaviour is seen to be shifting to products with comparatively good quality and low price (Hawkins, 2008). Furthermore, the current economic sluggishness is likely to predispose to greater consumer interest in hard discounters, which makes such retailers believe in market share expansion and prosperity. Moreover, food retailing, on which the present research question is focused, is seen to be the most stable part of the retailing industry and it is predicted to be gaining market share by the production of efficient marketing strategies. However, the failure in providing good buying experience and low variability of products, which are common for hard discounters, are predicted to be the factors that are likely to impede their market growth (Mintel Oxygen, 2008). UK consumers are also recognised to be spending more time at home (Euromonitor International, 2008). This shift of buying behaviour can be considered to promote the use of online buying channels through which consumers can compare prices and gather information for their purchasing decisions but at the same time are likely to face buying risk which is usually associated with online purchases. CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology of the present dissertation is influenced and structured by the research process onion, which was developed and introduced by Saunders et al. (2003). In this respect the Research Methodology section of this dissertation is divided into five sub-topics, each of which aims to provide a detailed explanation of the research process. Knowledge is a complex phenomenon influenced and developed by various contextual variables. In this respect, a research philosophy represents a researchers perception of the way knowledge is constructed (Saunders et al., 2003). There are three research philosophies recognised in the literature philosophies of positivism, interpretivism and realism. Each of these philosophies provides a distinctive view on the way knowledge is developed. It is important for a research process to clearly establish its research philosophy as it has a significant impact on the methodological framework applied. For example, positivism applies scientific reasoning and law-like generalisations in the process of knowledge construction (Remenyi et al., 1998). The research methodology influenced by this philosophy is characterised with a highly transparent structure to facilitate replication (Gill and Johnson, 1997). On the other hand, the research philosophy of realism identifies the existence of a number of external social objectives, which influence peoples interactions and respectively the creation of knowledge. Realism can be recognised to be close to the philosophy of positivism but at the same time possesses clearly distinctive characteristics as the philosophy highlights the inappropriateness of exploring peoples interactions in the style of natural science (Saunders et al., 2003). The philosophy, which is incorporated in the context of the present dissertation, is the research philosophy of interpretivism. Interpretivism is chosen to be the philosophical framework of the study, as the researcher believes that knowledge is a complex phenomenon, which cannot be generalised in a value-free and detached manner. Furthermore, the researcher focuses on exploring the topic by the application of critical interpretations and gradually establishing research conclusions (Remenyi et al., 1998). 3.2 Research Approach The literature outlines two distinctive research approaches, which can be applied in the present dissertation – deductive and inductive. A deductive research approach is suggested to be suitable for scientific research, where the researcher develops a hypothesis, which is tested and examined to establish a theory (Hussey and Hussey, 1997). In the present context, as the researcher aims to gradually formulate the research theory through the critical evaluation of the research variables, and as the inductive research approach follows research data to construct theory, therefore it can be suggested that the present research approach is inductive. Furthermore, the inductive research approach, which provides greater flexibility, provides the researcher with the opportunity to modify the research emphasis depending on the accumulated findings throughout the research process (Easterby-Smith et al., 2002). 3.3 Research Strategy A research strategy can be explained as the tool or tools the researcher employs for addressing the research question. There are six research strategies, which can be identified in the literature, such as: experiment; survey; grounded theory; ethnography; action research and case study (Saunders et al., 2003). The present dissertation employs the research strategy of grounded theory. The researcher primarily focuses on extracting knowledge through research in the phenomenological literature. The present research strategy is appropriate as it is described in the literature to be suitable for inductive reasoning or in other words, applicable to research contexts which aim to gradually establish research assumptions and propositions (Husey and Husey, 1997). Although the present dissertation is essentially influenced by the research strategy of grounded theory, the researcher subsequently employs a primary research strategy of in-depth interviews to collect data. This primary research method is described in greater details in the Data Collection section. 3.4 Time Horizon Another important characteristic of the present research process is the time horizon. There are two time horizons recognised in the literature – longitudinal and cross-sectional. A longitudinal research process examines particular phenomenon over a given period of time, whereas cross-sectional is focused on a particular moment. The present dissertation has a cross-sectional time horizon as it is recognised to be appropriate to the research aim and the researchers resources. Firstly, the researcher was given a limited period of time which constrained the ability to conduct a longitudinal examination. Secondly, the present research question is not interested in analysing the variance of the research variables over a period of time but focused on exploring and revealing new contextual insight by suggesting new interpretations and theoretical assumptions (Robson, 2002). 3.5 Data Collection Method The present research process can be described as an exploratory one. It aims to reveal new insight and evaluate the researched phenomena in a new light. Furthermore, the research has a flexible approach to establishing its theoretical propositions, which does not mean that the research lacks clear direction and framework (Adams and Schvaneveldt, 1991). As exploratory research processes share the common research strategy of exploring the phenomenological literature and extracting expertise from specialists in the field and focus group interviews, similarly the present dissertation incorporates the research strategy of grounded theory and in-depth interviews. In this respect, it can be concluded that the present study is built on a combination of secondary and primary data. 3.5.1 Secondary Data The secondary data employed can be described as multiple source secondary data. Multiple source secondary data can be divided into two categories – area based, which comprises of academic sources and time series based, which focuses of commercial issues (Saunders et al., 2003). The use of multiple source data provides the researcher with the opportunity to develop a balanced and analytical dissertation. The academic literature is used for outlining the academic context of consumers buying behaviour, whereas the commercial sources are used for identification of the current conditions, which are likely to challenge the academic constructs. 3.5.2 Primary Data The present dissertation incorporates a multi-method research process, where the researcher combines secondary and primary data in the same study. This strategy is chosen as the researcher believes that both methods are significantly dependable on each other in the present research context, and that secondary data provides solid theoretical foundation, whereas primary data contributes to the researchers ability to address the most important issues in the present context (Robson, 2002). The primary data is extracted through the conduction of in-depth interviews. 3.5.2.1 In-depth Interviewing In-depth interviews, also known as unstructured interviews, are recognised as an appropriate data collection method as the information they reveal corresponds to the researchers aim of analysing, interpreting and responding to new contextual insight rather than reaching any law-like generalisations. This is why in-depth interviews are a common data collection method in exploratory research projects. Furthermore, in-depth interviews provide greater flexibility as they can be conducted both face-to-face and over a telephone, which is recognised not to affect the interview outcomes differently (Ghauri and Gronhaung, 2002). This can be considered as a significant facilitation especially with respect to the time constraints, which the researcher experiences. In the present context, each sub