The Global Business Crisis and Consumer Behavior free essay sample

The Global Business Crisis and Consumer Behavior: Kingdom of Bahrain as a Case Study Durra Mansoor Akram Jalal January 2011 Summary: This research aims to learn how Bahrain consumers affected by global financial crisis since 2007. Additionally, it focuses on changes in consumer behavior after global crisis. The result of this research is based on questioner analysis which tries to measure knowledge about global crises to randomly selected consumers in Bahrain. The World is facing with economic challenges. America, powerful Europe and Asia affected by financial crises in some different levels. The global financial crisis affected all consumers in the World not only economically but also psychologically. This new financial situation increased panic and uncertainty on consumers in globe. In hard and stressful times such as economic crises, consumer behavior changes have occurred. Because of FC, consumers changed their behaviors by reducing their consumption. People became money-minded and they don’t want to spend money for premium products anymore, and they prefer cheapest products. We will write a custom essay sample on The Global Business Crisis and Consumer Behavior or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They redefine â€Å"necessities† and â€Å"luxuries†. So, they only buy the things which are taking place on their shopping list. They’re comparing products and making their choices by compromising quality. Some of them started to manage their income by searching on e-commerce websites to catch best price. They are planning their purchasing by postponing expenditures like discretionary expenditure to make savings. Thus, their total expenditure amount decreased because of global crisis. According to Mansoor and Jalal (2011), the role that consumers play in these days is very crucial to business’ survival. It is driving force behind the success of many businesses, because most of the contemporary consumers spend major time on buying decisions. Consumers buying decision is changing person to person. However, after economic crises, consumer started to spend much time for information and decision making. By predicting consumer’s behavior, a business can understand consumer’s needs, and can work on fulfilling the needs and meeting the expectations of their customers (Mansoor and Jalal, 2011). Businesses should work hard for success of their businesses and try to strengthen their long-term strategies. They should personalize their products to earn consumers’ loyalty. Making investment to their brand and differentiating themselves against to their competitors are also crucial. Businesses should add new and irreplaceable products to their portfolios and build tight relations with their consumers to survive in financial crisis. Consumers in Bahrain adapted to new trends after financial crisis. They preferred to purchase less priced and substitute products compared by expensive products. They though that expensive products are not that much worthy by considering their high prices.

Cognitive Dissonance Definition and Examples

Cognitive Dissonance Definition and Examples Psychologist Leon Festinger first described the theory of cognitive dissonance in 1957. According to Festinger,  cognitive dissonance  occurs when people’s thoughts and feelings are inconsistent with their behavior, which results in an uncomfortable, disharmonious feeling. Examples of such inconsistencies or dissonance could include someone who litters despite caring about the environment, someone who tells a lie despite valuing honesty, or someone who makes an extravagant purchase, but believes in frugality. Experiencing cognitive dissonance can lead people to try to reduce their feelings of discomfort - sometimes in surprising or unexpected ways. Because the experience of dissonance is so uncomfortable, people are highly motivated to try to reduce their dissonance. Festinger goes as far as to propose  that reducing dissonance is a fundamental need: a person who experiences dissonance will try to reduce this feeling in much the same way that a person who feels hungry is compelled to eat. According to psychologists, our actions are likely to produce a higher amount of dissonance if they involve the  way that we see ourselves and we subsequently have trouble justifying why our actions didn’t match our beliefs. For example, since individuals typically want to see themselves as ethical people, acting unethically would produce higher levels of dissonance. Imagine someone paid you $500 to tell a small lie to someone. The average person probably wouldn’t fault you for telling the lie- $500 is a lot of money and for most people would probably be enough to justify a relatively inconsequential lie. However, if you were paid only a couple of dollars, you might have more trouble justifying your lie, and feel less comfortable about doing so. How Cognitive Dissonance Affects Behavior In 1959, Festinger and his colleague James Carlsmith published an influential study showing that cognitive dissonance can affect behavior in unexpected ways. In this study, research participants were asked to spend an hour completing boring tasks (for example, repeatedly loading spools onto a tray). After the tasks were over, some of the participants were told that there were two versions of the study: in one (the version the participant had been in), the participant was not told anything about the study beforehand; in the other, the participant was told that the study was interesting and enjoyable. The researcher told the participant that the next study session was about to start, and that they needed someone to tell the next participant that the study would be enjoyable. They then asked the participant to tell the next participant that the study was interesting (which would have meant lying to the next participant, since the study had been designed to be boring). Some participants were offered $1 to do this, while others were offered $20 (since this study was conducted over 50 years ago, this would have been a lot of money to participants). In actuality, there was no â€Å"other version† of the study in which participants were led to believe the tasks were fun and interesting- when participants told the â€Å"other participant† that the study was fun, they were actually (unknown to them) speaking to a member of the research staff. Festinger and Carlsmith wanted to create a feeling of dissonance in participants- in this case, their belief (that lying should be avoided) is at odds with their action (they just lied to someone). After telling the lie, the crucial part of the study began. Another person (who appeared to not be part of the original study) then asked participants to report on how interesting the study actually was. Results of Festinger and Carlsmiths Study For participants who were not asked to lie, and for participants who lied in exchange for $20, they tended to report that the study indeed wasn’t very interesting. After all, participants who had told a lie for $20 felt that they could justify the lie because they were paid relatively well (in other words, receiving the large sum of money reduced their feelings of dissonance). However, participants who were only paid $1 had more trouble justifying their actions to themselves- they didn’t want to admit to themselves that they told a lie over such a small amount of money. Consequently, participants in this group ended up reducing the dissonance they felt another way- by reporting that the study had indeed been interesting. In other words, it appears that participants reduced the dissonance they felt by deciding that they hadn’t lied when they said the study was enjoyable and that they really had liked the study. Festinger and Carlsmith’s study has an important legacy: it suggests that, sometimes, when people are asked to act in a certain way, they may change their attitude to match the behavior they just engaged in. While we often think that our actions stem from our beliefs, Festinger and Carlsmith suggest that it can be the other way around: our actions can influence what we believe. Culture and Cognitive Dissonance In recent years, psychologists have pointed out that many psychology studies recruit participants from Western countries (North America and Europe) and that doing so neglects the experience of people who live in non-Western cultures. In fact, psychologists who study  cultural psychology  have found that many phenomena that were once assumed to be universal may actually be unique to Western countries. What about cognitive dissonance? Do people from non-Western cultures experience cognitive dissonance as well? Research seems to suggest that people from non-Western cultures do experience cognitive dissonance, but that the  contexts  that lead to feelings of dissonance might differ depending on cultural norms and values. For example, in a  study  conducted by Etsuko Hoshino-Browne and her colleagues, the researchers found that European Canadian participants experienced greater levels of dissonance when they made a decision for themselves, while Japanese participants were more likely to experience dissonance when they were responsible for making a decision for a friend. In other words, it seems that everyone does experience dissonance from time to time- but what causes dissonance for one person might not for someone else. Reducing Cognitive Dissonance According to  Festinger, we can work to reduce the dissonance we feel in several different ways. Changing Behavior One of the simplest ways to address dissonance is to change one’s behavior. For example,  Festinger explains  that a smoker might cope with the discrepancy between their knowledge (that smoking is bad) and their behavior (that they smoke) by quitting. Changing the Environment Sometimes people can reduce dissonance by changing things in their environment- in particular, in their social environment. For example, someone who smokes might surround themselves with other people who smoke instead of with people who have disapproving attitudes about cigarettes. In others words, people sometimes cope with feelings of dissonance by surrounding themselves in â€Å"echo chambers† where their opinions are supported and validated by others. Seeking Out New Information People can also address feelings of dissonance by processing information in a  biased way: they may look for new information that supports their current actions, and they might limit their exposure to information that would make them feel greater levels of dissonance. For example, a coffee drinker might look for research on the benefits of coffee drinking, and avoid reading studies that suggest coffee might have negative effects. Sources Festinger, Leon.  A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance.  Stanford University Press, 1957.  https://books.google.com/books?isbn0804709114Festinger, Leon, and James M. Carlsmith. â€Å"Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance.†Ã‚  The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology  58.2 (1959): 203-210.  http://web.mit.edu/curhan/www/docs/Articles/15341_Readings/Motivation/Festinger_Carlsmith_1959_Cognitive_consequences_of_forced_compliance.pdfFiske, Susan T., and Shelley E. Taylor.  Social Cognition: From Brains to Culture. McGraw-Hill, 2008.  https://books.google.com/books?id7qPUDAAAQBAJdqfisketaylorsocialcognitionlrGilovich, Thomas, Dacher Keltner, and Richard E. Nisbett.  Social Psychology. 1st edition, W.W. Norton Company, 2006.  https://books.google.com/books?isbn0393913236Hoshino-Browne, Etsuko, et al. â€Å"On the Cultural Guises of Cognitive Dissonance: The Case of Easterners and Westerners.†Ã‚  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology  89.3 (2 005): 294-310.  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7517343_On_the_Cultural_Guises_of_Cognitive_Dissonance_The_Case_of_Easterners_and_Westerners White, Lawrence. â€Å"Is Cognitive Dissonance Universal?†.  Psychology Today Blog  (2013, Jun. 28).  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-conscious/201306/is-cognitive-dissonance-universal

CJUS 410 DB4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CJUS 410 DB4 - Essay Example In addition, a single witness can incriminate the accused due to ill intensions or presentation of wrong information unknowingly. My view of witness cross examination is also affirmed by scriptures quoted from Proverbs 18:17 and Deuteronomy 13:16–19. Both scriptures encourage cross examination of witnesses in order to establish whether the information given is true or false which is my view of criminal procedure operation. Further, the scriptures quoted from Exodus 22:12-13 and Deuteronomy 22:13–18 confirm my view of using physical evidence in order to deliver fair judgment. The current criminal procedure addresses the issue of witnesses, cross examination of witnesses and provision of physical evidences in an acceptable manner. Firstly, the current criminal procedure uses federal rules that incorporate the rights for each party that participates in criminal trials. More importantly, the rights included demonstrate the bible teachings within the law. For example, the current system enables criminal defends to receive a fair trial (The Legal Information Institute n.d). Secondly, the current criminal procedure permits a substantive due process. This is where the law enforcement officers as well as judges and prosecutors are constrained by the constitution so that fundamental rights and liberties for people involved in a criminal procedure are adhered to (The Legal Information Institute n.d). Therefore, law enforces cannot take advantage of their position to intimidate the accused. Of more importance, the current criminal procedure provides for cross examination of prosecution witnesses. This facilitates the procedure of determining whether the information presented is factual or false. In addition, the current criminal procedure permits the accused to seek the assistance of a counsel (National Legal Aid & Defender Association 1). This enables the

Cap and Trade System vs. Carbon Tax System Research Paper

Cap and Trade System vs. Carbon Tax System - Research Paper Example The call for robust action on climate change is coherent and urgent. It is obvious to any environmental conservationist that without firm action the effects from heat waves, droughts, flooding, hurricanes and other adverse weather occurrence will always keep worsening, creating even disastrous human and economic effects (Environmental Justice Matters 2). There are basically some approaches to be opted for:   a direct carbon tax and a cap-and-trade approach.  Ã‚   Climate change critiques have so far seen success in stopping adoption of whichever of these appears to have any momentum (Environmental Justice Matters 2). With cap-and-trade, they not only managed to disorganize and finally prevent enactment of the Waxman-Markey bill in the 110th Congress, but were able to tar cap-and-trade as a critically uncalled for strategy in the general political dialogue – notwithstanding its prior consensus success with SO2 and NOX (Environmental Justice Matters 2). Economists hold the v iew that, if the market is left to operate freely, greenhouse gas emissions will be too much, since there is not enough incentive for firms and households to cut emissions. Out of that, they propose the polluter pays principle and fixing a price on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (Hedges 1). This can be made possible through either a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade scheme. A carbon tax imposes a tax per unit of greenhouse gas emissions and gives firms and households, an incentive to cut pollution if doing so would cost less than paying the tax (Lavelle 4). Because of that, the size of pollution reduced is a factor of the chosen level of the tax. The tax to be paid is arrived at by assessing the cost associated with each unit of pollution and the costs of controlling that pollution. Setting the tax level too low will cause the firms and households to probably opt for paying the tax and continuing to pollute, above what is optimal for society. Very high and the costs will esca late higher than necessary to cut emissions, impacting on profits, jobs and end consumers (Lavelle 4). On the other side, a cap-and-trade system sets an optimum level of pollution, a cap, and disburses emissions permits to firms that produce emissions. Companies should have a permit to cover each unit of pollution they produce, and they can get these permits either through an initial allocation or auction, or through trading with other firms. Since some firms suddenly find it cheaper to cut pollution than others, trading occurs (Klare 12). While the maximum pollution quantity is put in place in advance, the trading price of permits vary, becoming more expensive when demand is high relative to supply and cheaper when demand is lower. A price on pollution is therefore come up with as a result of setting a ceiling on the overall quantity of emissions. As time passes, the limits become stricter, cutting pollution simultaneously until the desired reduction goal is reached. This is typica l example of the cap and trade program enacted by the Clean Air Act of 1990, which cut the sulfur emissions that cause acid rain and it met the target at a much lower cost than industry or government anticipated (Klare 12). It will therefore turn out to be cheaper for some firms to reduce their emissions below their permitted limit than others. These more dynamic companies, who emit below their allowance, can trade their extra with companies that are not able to make reductions as easily. This leads

Graphic design Essay Example for Free

Graphic design Essay I have been surrounded with art my whole life. My aunt is a photography major and my father started out in graphic design but now does more of the business side than creative. I grew up in a home that had a love for art. When I was little I used to sit for hours and hours and watch my dad work on his projects. I just loved watching how he created the beautiful picture and wanted to learn how I could do it too. I took art classes in elementary and junior high school and loved being able to create pictures with pencil, oil pastels, paint, or create a vase with broken pieces of glass. Once I got to high school I took digital photography, drawing, web design, and interior design and loved it all. I knew graphic design was what I wanted to do when I looked at all the classes required for the major and couldn’t wait to take all of them and learn all that I could. The beauty of art has always attracted me and I have always loved being able to create it myself. Sometimes I kind of struggle with the whole inspiration or â€Å"what do I draw† thoughts, but with graphic design there is more of a need where a client needs a logo, or a web page, or play bill to be designed. There is already the need and I am here to fulfill that need with my creative ideas and it has more of a purpose than to just make somebody feel something. It is to catch the viewers’ eye and intrigue them to come to your event or buy your product. I love being able to help people. Knowing that I can both create art and help someone with graphic design is just the perfect fit for me.

Who Has Seen The Wind: Meaning Of Life Essay -- essays research papers

Who Has Seen the Wind: Meaning of Life From the time people are born, until they die, it is only a natural thing to want to keep learning about their life and to figure out why they were put on this earth. From the very beginning of life, babies want to touch and experience everything around them. Throughout the novel, Who Has Seen the Wind by W.O. Mitchell, Brian O'Connal has found himself with a tremendous hunger to discover the real meaning of life. Clearly, then, Brian always searches for new ways to learn about the world he lives in. One of the things that Brian shows an interest in is God. Brian really wants to meet Him, not knowing that God is something that cannot be seen, for He is a spirit. Brian would say "Lets go over to his place"(7). Throughout the novel, Brian seems to be looking for God. He has his own image of God in his mind, thinking that "God rides the vacuum cleaner"(31). Brian learns the truth about God from different people like his parents, Saint Sammy, Mr. Hislop, his grandma, and his friends. He discovers that God is everywhere and in everyone, but He cannot be seen. Furthermore, Brian is very much interested, like many other children his age, about where living things come from. Being as young as he was, he always thought that God delivered babies. After Brian witnessed his very first birth, that of a rabbit, he became very confused and curious about what and how it happened. Brian had a very uncomfort...

Kellogs Case Essay

Using two motivation theories of your choice, explain a) the similarities and the b) differences between the two theories. Among the various motivation theories, I chose Herzberg’s theory of motivation and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. a) Similarities Herzberg is the person responsible for the birth of the two-dimensional paradigm of factors affecting people’s attitudes about work. This is sometimes called the two-factor theory. The factors involved are: hygiene factors and motivators. The presence of hygiene factors or dissatisfiers relate to the situation in which the person does what he or she does while motivators or the satisfiers relates to what a person does. Maslow introduced his hierarchy of needs which is about how people satisfy various personal needs in the context of their work. He also theorized that a person could not recognize or pursue the next higher need in the hierarchy until his or her currently recognized need was substantially or completely satisfied. The two aforementioned theories are similar in the context of recognizing that there are several factors/needs that affect a person’s attitude towards work. Particularly in Herzberg’s theory, factors may satisfy or dissatisfy a workers performance in the company; it can make them or break them. While Maslow’s hierarchy of needs stated that there are needs which one by one should be satisfied, so as to improve his capabilities as a person or as a worker in a company. These stages should be slowly and completely satisfied before going up on the pyramid of needs. So in onclusion, these two theories common denominator is the satisfaction of one’s needs for them to function more positively. In addition to their similarities, Herzberg’s hygiene factors and motivators are the same as the physiological needs in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. b) Differences Herzberg’s theory of motivation involves the hygiene factors and motivators. These factors are different in a way that hygiene factors are called dissatisfiers while motivators are the satisfiers. Such factors like the company policy, interpersonal relations, supervision, working conditions and salary are hygiene factors. The absence of hygiene factors can create job dissatisfaction, but their presence does not motivate or create satisfaction. Motivators on the other hand, are the factors that enriched a person’s job. There are five determinants of motivators; achievement, recognition, works itself, responsibility and advancement. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is named as follows, beginning from the bottom on the pyramid to the top; physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization. As individuals satisfy one level of need, their motivation change as they aspire to reach the higher order needs. Physiological needs are thirst, hunger and sex. Safety needs are security, stability and protection. Social needs are the escape to loneliness, love and belongingness, to love and be loved. Esteem needs are self-respect, the respect to others. Self-actualization is to fulfill one’s potentialities. Basically, the two theories differ in the aspect of the recognition of the different factors or needs that a person/leader must take into consideration. Another thing is Herzberg’s theory is all about the factors which affect a person’s attitude about work while Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is all about the various personal needs in the context of their work. 2. Describe the benefits to an organization of having a motivated workforce. When an organization has a motivated workforce, the benefits are mutually gained. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone, it may sound redundant but yes, it’s true. You gain money and at the same time you gain your workers trust and camaraderie. For example, in our store, whenever there are high rate of sales, we give incentives. If there are times when we see that our workers have a hard time working, like stocks have arrived, we give extra snacks. We treat our workers not just workers in our store but also as a member of our family, but there are limitations and we draw the line between leader and worker so as to avoid abusive behaviors. During holiday seasons or birthdays, we invite them to join us in our trip. We saw this as a chance for us to get to know our workers better outside our store, how they are as an individual. We also go a little further in knowing what motivates them, what they want, and how to satisfy their needs, because knowing what motivates our workers makes our relationship in the store, easy and effective. 3. Analyze the difference between hygiene factors and motivators. Hygiene factors are called as the dissatisfiers; they are the job factors which are essential for motivation in a workplace. The presence of these factors does not lead to positive satisfaction for long term. But if these factors are absent or if these factors are non-existent at workplace, then they lead to dissatisfaction. In other words, hygiene factors are those factors which when adequate or reasonable in a job, pacify the employees and do not make them dissatisfied. These factors are extrinsic to work. Hygiene factors are also called as maintenance factors  as they are required to avoid dissatisfaction. These factors describe the job environment or scenario. The hygiene factors symbolize the physiological needs which the individuals wanted and expected to be fulfilled. Hygiene factors include: ? Pay- The pay or salary structure should be appropriate and reasonable. It must be equal and competitive to those in the same industry in the same domain. Company Policies and administrative policies- The company policies should not be too rigid. They should be fair and clear. It should include flexible working hours, dress code, breaks, vacation, etc. ? Fringe benefits- The employees should be offered health care plans, benefits for the family members and employee help programmes. ? Physical Working conditions- The working conditions should be safe, clean and hygienic. The work equipments should be updated and well-maintained. ? Status- The employees’ status within the organization should be familiar and retained. Interpersonal relations-The relationship of the employees with his peers, superiors and subordinates should be appropriate and acceptable. There should be no conflict or humiliation element present. ? Job Security- The organization must provide job security to the employees. Motivators on the other hand are factors which are inherent to work. These factors motivate the employees for a superior performance. These factors are called satisfiers. These are factors involved in performing the job. Employees find these factors intrinsically rewarding. The motivators symbolized the psychological needs that were perceived as an additional benefit. Motivational factors include: ? Recognition- The employees should be praised and recognized for their accomplishments by the managers. ? Sense of achievement- The employees must have a sense of achievement. This depends on the job. There must be a fruit of some sort in the job. ? Growth and promotional opportunities- There must be growth and advancement opportunities in an organization to motivate the employees to perform well. ? Responsibility- The employees must hold themselves responsible for the work. The managers should give them ownership of the work. They should minimize control but retain accountability. 4. Evaluate the benefits to organizations of using different motivation approaches. If an organization uses different kinds of motivation approaches, they are more likely to achieve a better workplace with workers who are well motivated. Why is this so? because the different theories of motivation suggests a lot of tips and challenges for the company to apply for them to achieve a better and happier people in the working department. Another is that the company leaders will be able to satisfy every members needs leading to satisfaction and motivation, as well as avoiding the dissatisfiers that might result to drawbacks. Motivating the members of your company makes them more committed and they will trust you because they will feel that they are important to the company they are working into. Applying various types of motivation theories also makes the working environment more exciting and interesting, so your workers are more enthusiastic in coming to work every day and ultimately making productive, profitable and competitive business. This way, you are not just gaining money but you are also able to help others improve themselves as a worker and as efficient and effective members of the society.