The Effects Of Blood Doping On Professional Sports

The phenomenon of the blood doping in professional sports is not new; however, it remains prevalent in sports culture. With new techniques being designed to avoid detection, it could be argued that the prohibition of sports enhancing drugs in the professional sports mirror the prohibition of alcohol, making for unsafe, unsanitary and black market drug erupt. Instead of prohibition, could the professional sports community limitations in order to better allocate their money? There are great incentives to use blood doping techniques with little by way of repercussions. Blood doping is a process intended to boost athlete’s performance by increasing the body’s ability to filter more oxygen to the muscles. This is done by increasing the hemoglobin which is the body’s transportation of oxygen to red blood cells (Webmd). The higher the hemoglobin contents in the blood the higher the oxygen amount being transported to the muscle for the purposes recovery. Most common activities blood doping is found in includes long distance activities such as marathon running and cycling, as blood doing is thought to improve stamina (Webmd). There are multiple types of blood doping such as; blood transfusions, erythropoietin injections (EPO) and synthetic oxygen carriers. There are two forms of blood transfusions. The first type is Autologous Transfusions, which is the process of removing one’s own blood and storing it for future use. Whereas the other, Homologous transfusions is the process ofShow MoreRelatedShould Sports Doping Be Doping?1578 Words   |  7 Pages Doping in sports. At present, the problem of the use of doping by athletes is acute for professional sports. The solution of this task immediately entails chain of related questions: how to improve the system of doping control, what drugs to prohibit to use, what measures to show to athletes who violated the rules.But what do we know about doping, in addition, what do the media and the people profit from it? Looking at the situation of modern sports on the other hand, itRead MoreSteroids and Sports Don’t Mix Essay1662 Words   |  7 PagesThe problems of doping in sports began to surface in the late 1950s, because of rumors that coaches were allowing players to use performance-enhancing drugs. The 1956 Olympic Games where plagued with athletes using performance-enhancing drugs, so countries began to speak out against the harm that drugs were causing to the athletes and the sport (6 Anonymous). Long-term use of performance-enhancing drugs will destroy athletes bodies. Doping is the use of illegal substances that is harmful toRead MoreBlood Doping : Can We Beat It?1347 Words   |  6 PagesBlood Doping: Can We Beat It? All humans, no matter what religion, skin color, age, or gender, have blood streaming through out our bodies. Blood rushes oxygen around the body, pulls carbon dioxide out of the body, sends white blood cells to fight illness and infection, is produced in the bone marrow, carries platelets and fibers that close up wounds, and comes in the types A, B, AB, and O, with type O being a universal blood donor. Blood is not just imperative, it is irreplaceable. Doctors canRead MoreShould Blood Doping Be Illegal or Legal in Sports?1499 Words   |  6 Pagescreate ways to become the best in his/her competitive sports; especially when one have to use a lot of endurance and energy to win. In order to be the best you have to put in the work. Some athletes do it the hard way, such as eating healthy, exercising and training. Others use the easy way out, engaging with steroids, enhancements, and blood doping to get ahead of the competition. Many professional athletes have taken to the practice of blood doping in order to gain a competitive edge in their fieldRead MorePreventing PEDs in Professional Sports Essay1198 Words   |  5 PagesThe use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) among athletes in professional sports has caused an outrage all around the world for many years. The use of PEDs not only affects the athlete that chooses to use them, but also the athletes they are competing against, other teams, and the team or country they are representing (â€Å"Survey Reveals†). It is important for athletes to maintain a good reputation in competition, because they need to represent their team in a positive manner and not create suspicionRead MoreThe Greatest Cycling Doping Scheme Fell Apart Around The Ringleader Essay1686 Words   |  7 PagesIn 2012 the greatest cycling doping scheme fell apart around the ringleader, Lance Armstrong. He was called a cheat, bully, and stripped of all seven of his consecutive Tour De France yellow jerseys. At the heart of all of this was a drug called EPO and a method called blood doping. In an investigation by the International Cycling Union (UCI) they found that the period between 1990 and 2000 to as an â€Å"epo epidemic† (Lodewijkx 3). And even now dozens of professional athletes get banned over the u seRead MoreThe Legalization Of Steroids Should Be Beneficial For The World Of Sport1226 Words   |  5 Pagesphysique. Steroids are illegal and are strongly discouraged to be used and may be seen first expressed during high school with the introduction of organized sport teams. The perspective against the legalization of steroids believes in the many benefits of legalization. The perspective for the legalization of steroid expresses the harmful effects of steroids. My view of the subject is that I am against the legalization of steroids. The perspective for the legalization of steroids believes in benefitsRead MoreDoping And Performance Enhancing Drugs1262 Words   |  6 Pagesadmitted to doping during his professional cycle careers. He joins other great names; such as Tyson Gay, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez; all great athletes who have had their reputations tarnished by using performance enhancing drugs (sometimes shortened to PEDs). In his interview with Opera Winfrey, Armstrong stated that â€Å"I didn t view [doping] [as cheating]. I viewed it as a level playing field† (Lance). With this statement, Armstrong is declaring that many professional cyclists andRead MoreErythropoietin : Is It Worth It?1542 Words   |  7 Pageslevels in the blood. When oxygen levels are too low, EPO is released and stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. Often times a low oxygen level in the blood can indicate that a person has anemia, which is a â€Å"condition in which the blood is defi cient in red blood cells†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Merriam-Webster, 2017). Although it created an impressive annual sale, it quickly became used as a doping method for many athletes (Easton, 2010). It’s been almost 20 years since the first EPO doping scandal occurredRead MoreNegative Effects Of Doping In Sport974 Words   |  4 Pagesperformance are continually tempted to use illicit drugs to gain competitive advantage and to aid recovery from training and injuries. Doping in sport can affect performance, destroy reputations, impact friends, families, teams and community support. Doping is defined as the administration of drugs to an animal or person in order to enhance sporting performance. Doping has been traced all the way back to 393 BC when Ancient Greeks used substances to improve their performance in the Greek Olympics. Although

Attachment Theory In Pregnancy - 815 Words

Over the last two decades, multiple studies that have examined the stability of attachment classification from infancy have shown significant discrepancies between the rates of continuity, particularly among the low and high-risk groups, as well as, greater rates of discontinuity among middle-risk groups. Waters et al (2000) administered 12-month-old low-risk infants with the Strange Situation Task in a twenty-year longitudinal study and reported a stability rate of 64%, whereas, Aikins, Howes and Hamilton (2009) via similar procedures demonstrated the stability rate of attachment categories among low-risk infants were only 25%. An explanation for these differences may be due to sample sizes or measurement errors, however the interrater†¦show more content†¦This discontinuity of attachment classifications has been attributed to individuals that have experienced high levels of life stress after one year of age, such as parental divorce, parental depression/hospitalization, de ath of a parent, abuse by a family member, etc. These variables are especially prevalent among disadvantaged groups living in poverty, who experiences greater life stress consistently. Hence, negative life events can cause changes in the quality of caregiving and alter the dynamics of the family, which impacts the stability of attachment relationship from infancy onwards. Therefore, it is the caregiver’s behaviour and the environmental factors surrounding the individual that shapes the stability and change in attachment styles rather than age such as one year. This also supports Bowlby’s attachment theory which highlights both stability and change, hence, it can be concluded infant attachment styles (as measured by the Ainsworth Strange Situation Task) isn’t permanent and can change even after the first year of life. Overall, this emphasises the importance of caregiver-child relationship and their effect on the socio-emotional development of children. The developmental psychological model outlined by Schore (1999), clearly demonstrates secure parental-child attachment is linked to better cognitive and behavioural outcome for theShow MoreRelatedAttachment And Its Effects On Children s Life1025 Words   |  5 PagesAttachment starts to develop since the women’s pregnancy, during this stage of human development the female starts to cultivate emotional attachment to the fetus. The method in which attachment is formed during gestation will eventually affect or enhance the child stance during pregnancy or even after birth. Attachment can be defined as the manner in which an infant creates an emotional connection between specific members. Attachment can be clearly detected, especially with the persons who are closerRead MoreMaternal Fetal Attachment Theory Essay659 Words   |  3 PagesAttachme nt theory was developed by psychoanalyst John Bowlby in the 1950s to focus on the bond formed between a mother and child; this first relationship is critical in determining a child’s developmental outcome and it is indicative of the child’s future relationships (Brooks, 2013). A parent and child can develop a secure attachment or fall into one of three insecure attachment styles: anxious-avoidant attachments, anxious-resistant attachments, and disorganized/disoriented attachments. ChildrenRead MoreSylvia And Deborah Case Study1187 Words   |  5 Pagescome from a disconnect with attachment during the early stages of Deborah’s life. In addition, Deborah’s early experiences affect and change the developing right brain system by forging deeper connections (Schore J. Schore K., 2014, p. 179). The process of developing her emotional regulation and personal growth lacks may not have successfully expanded because of the lack of attachment during her early chil dhood. Psychological Components Deborah’s lack of attachment and inability to process stressRead MoreBasic Statistics Essay examples919 Words   |  4 Pages| Project paper and Feasibility Paper: Week 2 | As preparation for the final research paper, formulate a theory about the correlation between measurable independent variables (causes) and one measurable dependent variable (the effect). Be sure to have at least two independent variables for proposed research paper. The topic proposal should include the following four items which serve as the foundation for the final research paper after instructor feedback is given. | 1) Purpose Statement InRead MoreContemporary Attachment Theory : Epigenetics, Right Brain, And Regulation766 Words   |  4 PagesContemporary Attachment Theory: Epigenetics, Right Brain, and Regulation An interdisciplinary move toward consilience, along with advances in developmental, neurobiological, and epigenetic research, has expanded Bowlby’s fundamental ideas into increasingly complex, refinements of contemporary attachment theory, that include findings from epigenetics, and brain, especially right brain, development while illuminating auto regulatory functions. Epigenetics. Contemporary attachment theorists now viewRead MoreA Complex Compound Of Factors That Has Direct And Indirect Effects On My Physical, Cognitive, And Social1531 Words   |  7 Pagesthe disciplinary authority figure in the house, and my father was always trying to get his point through a conversion. I was born in the 80s, at this time, my mother was 20 years old; I was the second child and the third pregnancy. Not uncommon in Latin America is a pregnancy without preparation, and following the protocol of a Latin family, I was not planned, the same way as my brother and sister, we were a result of a passion that didn’t think about the consequences of unprotected sex. HoweverRead MoreBeing the Child of a Parent with a Mental Illness1727 Words   |  7 Pages Being the child of a parent who has a mental illness involves considerable risk to the child’s secure attachment and long-term mental health. Parental mental health concerns place children at a significantly greater risk of lower social, psychological and physical health than children in families not affected by mental illness. (Mayberry et al, 2005). Living with a parent suffering from a mental illness can have huge negative effects for the developing child. It has been proven numerous times thatRead MoreThe Development Of Attachment Theory1336 Words   |  6 Pageswill look at the development of attachment theory since the time of Bowlby and the many theories proposed to determine which best describes attachment. The Attachment theory highlights the importance of attachment especially between mothers and infants in regards to the infants personal development, both physically and emotionally. Bowlby describes attachment as â€Å"lasting psychological connectedness between human beings†(Bowlby, 1969, p.194). Bowlby’s attachment theory suggested that mothers and infantsRead MorePostpartum Depression And Its Effects On Women1163 Words   |  5 PagesHowever, the treatment of mental illness during pregnancy requires weighing the benefits of pharmacological treatment for the mother, to the risk of the medications on th e growth and development of the fetus as well as the theoretical risks associated with undertreated depression. However, many studies are showing that the risks of postpartum depression to both the mother and infant significantly outweigh the risks of pharmacological treatment during pregnancy. Also, due to the ethical issues surroundingRead MoreAn Attachment For Successful Emotional And Social Development Essay1089 Words   |  5 Pages Attachment is a strong emotional connection between two people, often a bond between a child and caregiver. Since Bowlby’s (1969) theory, describing the importance of developing an attachment for successful emotional and social development, other researchers have theorised that not forming attachments affects individuals, including their possible development of mental health issues. Researchers have replicated Ainworths and Wittig’s (1969) Strange Situation experiment, using the results for

Starbucks Strategic Free Essays

string(237) " By collaborating publicly with Conservation International, Starbucks stands to increase their legitimacy with other NGOs; thus, reducing the risk of protests and the negative implications those protests would have on their brand image\." Starbucks – Strategic Management Prowess Efficacy Today we stand witness to a new coffee era, one made up of Caffe Lattes, Espresso Macchiatos, Cappuccinos and Frappuccinos. Specialty Coffee is here to stay and no one will be more eager to tell you that than Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, the world’s largest specialty coffee bar. In 1993, Starbucks continued its aggressive expansion and moved into the East Coast market by establishing a presence in Washington, D. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks Strategic or any similar topic only for you Order Now C. This expansion has continued and today Starbucks operates more then 15,800 stores internationally and employs roughly 140,000 employees. It grosses 11. 7 billion in annual revenue and is opening 5 new stores every day. (Starbucks Corporation, 2011) Starbucks competes with players both within the specialty market and against those outside the specialty coffee market. Some examples of competitors within the specialty coffee market are Tully’s coffee, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Peet’s Coffee, Caribou Coffee and other smaller chains. Those outside the specialty market include, Folgers, Proctor Gamble, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds and numerous other coffee serving establishments. Starbucks leverages its customer loyalty, premium quality coffee and the homey atmosphere of its stores to fend off competition. Specialty Coffee Industry Attractiveness The most attractive industry for any profit maximizing firm within a capitalistic society would be one in which they can have a pure monopoly. In economics this refers to situations in which one established firm can be the sole provider of a product or service in a particular market segment. This theory of monopoly would be one end of the industry attractiveness scale, while the other endpoint would be defined by the theory of perfect competition. This scale will help us to define the attractiveness of the specialty coffee industry in relation to these two extremes. The five forces analysis of the specialty coffee industry has allowed us to identify some of the key structural characteristics of the main players in the industry, such as the buyers, suppliers, potential new entrants, potential substitutes and rivals within the industry. These key structural characteristics suggest that the forces exerted by these five players on the specialty coffee industry initially made it ideal for a situation to develop in which the industry structure was closer to the monopoly end point on the scale of attractiveness rather than the pure competition end point. The primary competition among rivals within the industry was not price oriented; the buyers of specialty coffee and the sellers of Arabica beans had little bargaining power at their disposal; and there existed no true substitutes for specialty coffee. The strongest force acting on the industry was that of the potential new entrants, which could be mitigated by a first mover firm if it was able to establish dominant brand recognition, successfully expand aggressively and create a defendable differentiated product. Therefore, placing the specialty coffee industry at its inception in the late 1980s on the scale defined above is now possible and it appears to reside closer to the monopoly end of the scale than perfect competition, making it a very desirable industry from the standpoint of a profit maximizing firm such as Starbucks. The second important factor influencing the attractiveness of an industry is the demographic makeup of the consumer base. The higher average American consumption of coffee per day, added to the attractiveness of the industry by providing an enormous pool of potential customers. These two factors also play a significant role in determining the attractiveness of the industry because they show that the average customer of the specialty coffee industry has more financial resources, education and consumes more coffee than the typical American. This implies a consumer base that is more flexible to price fluctuations and is less likely to fuel discounting among rival competitors, or a price war. Both Michael Porter’s five forces analysis of the specialty coffee industry and the demographic makeup of the consumer base, then, suggest an extremely attractive industry with large growth potential in the late 1980s. The objective of any firm trying to dominate or monopolize the specialty coffee industry would be to create defendable sources of competitive advantage through the use of barriers to entry and a horizontal or organic hierarchy that could outpace competition in innovation. Results of the five forces analysis would suggest, given the unlikely prospect of a price war and the negative repercussions of one, that price superiority alone would be an ill-advised approach. Starbucks’ Success Factors First-mover advantage When Howard Shultz purchased the assets of Starbucks on August 18, 1987, he immediately set in motion an aggressive growth strategy targeted at the unique consumer base the specialty coffee industry attracted. Strategic expansion to east Chicago was chosen as the first major eastern expansion target because it presented enormous opportunities being located in the heartland of the two largest basic coffee companies in the United States. The first of these two companies was Folgers, part of the food and beverages division of Procter ; Gamble, and the second company was Maxwell House. California Expansion California simply represented a vast market with an ideal demographic makeup and open attitude toward high quality and innovative foods. Los Angeles was chosen to be the hub city in California given its status as a trendsetter and Hollywood’s cultural ties to the rest of the country. The Catalog Another means Starbucks utilized to determine the most advantageous locations to open new stores was through their mail order catalog. This catalog gave customers the opportunity to order wholesale packaged Starbucks’ coffee beans from anywhere in the country. Employee Satisfaction As Howard Schultz said in reference to his employees, â€Å"these people are not only the heart and soul but also the public face of the company. Every dollar earned passes through their hands. † Maintaining quality of Arabica beans In order to ensure that the quality of Arabica beans stayed at a consistently high level, Starbucks pursued strategies to secure their supply-chain. Environmental / Social Goodwill By collaborating publicly with Conservation International, Starbucks stands to increase their legitimacy with other NGOs; thus, reducing the risk of protests and the negative implications those protests would have on their brand image. You read "Starbucks Strategic" in category "Essay examples" This alliance also allowed Starbucks to attain economies of scale in regards to their ability to contribute positively to the community and the environment by tapping in to some of the expertise offered through Conservation international. The most important aspect of the strategic alliance with conservation international was the collaborative development of C. A. F. E. practices (Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices). The primary goal of the C. A. F. E. practices was to enhance the coffee farmer’s quality of life and to ensure a long-term stream of high quality coffee. Capturing the concept of â€Å"The Third Place† Starbucks tries to offer a â€Å"third place†, where people can get away from the daily routines of their lives and enjoy a cup of coffee from Sumatra, Kenya or Costa Rica. Most importantly, it is a place that offers casual social interactions. Michael Porter’s 5 Forces Analysis The five variables responsible for the forces analyzed using this model are the industry suppliers, buyers, potential new entrants, substitute products and the competition among existing firms. The analysis will apply Porter’s five forces model to the environment surrounding Starbucks today in order to develop an accurate understanding of the current specialty coffee industry. Industry Rivalry Starbucks competes with a variety of smaller scale specialty coffee shops, mostly concentrated in different regions. All of these specialty coffee chains are differentiated from Starbucks in one way or another. Caribou Coffee is a specialty coffee chain that competes with Starbucks. Where Starbucks strives to create an upscale European atmosphere, Caribou coffee tries to implement a more American feel to their coffee houses. A Canadian-based company, A. L. Van Houtte, operates roughly 100 corporate outlets and franchises, serving nearly 3 million cups of coffee per day. As the original inspiration for Starbucks, Peet’s Coffee and Tea Company which originated in Berkeley, California still poses a serious competitive threat. In addition to these smaller scale specialty coffee companies, Starbucks must now compete against two of the largest companies in the fast food industry namely Dunkin Donuts, and McDonald’s restaurant fast food chain. PASTE REST OF COMPETITOR LOGOS Potential for New Entrants The primary deterrents to entry in the specialty coffee industry are the various barriers to entry. The economies of scale within the specialty coffee industry have increased as the size of the top players has increased. There is numerous cost disadvantages imposed on new entrants that are independent of the economies of scale considerations. Product differentiation within the specialty coffee industry has moved towards more subjective traits such as the ambience of the store, the social responsibility of the company and brand identification. All of this makes it more difficult for new entrants to gain a solid customer base. Substitute Products The force created by substitute products in the specialty coffee industry has decreased. Supplier Bargaining Power This initiative was designed to. The fair trade coffee certification ensures that the coffee farmers would be compensated fairly for their crops. Their increased unity under this initiative worked as a positive externality by increasing their ability to exert bargaining power over their buyers, and this initiative is looked at by consumers in their decision of where to purchase their premium coffee. Bargaining Power of Buyers The primary buyers in the specialty coffee industry remain individual consumers, who neither engage in concerted behaviour nor individually purchase in large volumes relative to the total sales of a corporation such as Starbucks. The Specialty Coffee Industry Life Cycle: An Evolutionary Process Through the application of Michael Porter’s five forces model to the specialty coffee industry in which Starbucks currently competes, an understanding of the relative magnitude of each of the five competitive forces has been developed. Specialty Coffee Growth Rate When analyzing the specialty coffee industry’s sales growth from 1990 to 2011, as illustrated in exhibit 1, we can see that the industry experienced enormous growth in total sales between 1998 and 2002. Using exhibit 2, which depicts the generic stages of the industry lifecycle in a graphical format, we can compare the two and pose a hypothesis as to where the specialty coffee industry is in this life cycle. Namely, this comparison suggests that the specialty coffee industry is near the inflection point between the growth stage and the maturity stage in the industry lifecycle. Target Consumer Segment When specialty coffee was first being produced, its target consumer segment was the upper income class. This can be seen in Exhibit 3, which shows a survey Starbucks conducted during the 1990s and highlights the high education and income of its average consumer. This specific customer segment has been nearly fully penetrated. Any additional growth will most likely come from those consumers with middle or lower incomes. Strategic Adaptation Strategies The first thing an organization must do to adapt to a changing lifecycle is to determine where the industry is in that lifecycle. From the assumptions made in this analysis, I have postulated that Starbucks and the specialty coffee industry in the United States is at the end of its growth stage and in the beginning of its mature stage. The buyer market will slowly become fully saturated and repeat buyers will become the primary constituents of the consumer base, with a stronger emphasis on discounting and less differentiation between brands. The next step is formulating a proper strategy to overcome the barriers, in the form of organizational inertia. This would involve developing a fundamental understanding of what the primary contributors to that inertia are. This in turn involves identifying the existing routines and capabilities, the hierarchy structure, along with the power structure and identifying the ingrained perceptions of the business from an outsider’s perspective. Competitive Advantage in a Mature Industry It is first important to determine how Starbucks should reorient their strategic focus, given the characteristics of a mature industry. In the case of Starbucks, they should improve their capabilities in their distribution network and maintain their industry lead in low transportation costs. Starbucks, however, should not attempt to pursue cost advantage in low-cost inputs. In the specialty coffee industry, quality is determined in large part by the quality of the raw inputs, Arabica coffee beans, which are used during the brewing process. Starbucks also should not attempt to seek a cost advantage through their labor force. Undercutting these two inputs would place their brand reputation at risk, which would have a very detrimental effect on their profits. TO ADD: SWOT ANALYSIS + PORTER MODEL IN PICTORIAL FORM+ PESTEL ANALYSIS SOME MOER DIAGRAMS AND PICs Appendix: Starbuck global footprint Growth of Starbuck Stores over last 40 years How to cite Starbucks Strategic, Essay examples

Concerning Contracts Law

Questions: 1. Is Mojo Beverage entitled to pay $100,000 to Ben? 2. Whether there was any valid contract between Livestock Brothers and Dorper Sheep Sellers,If the acceptance were made through fax, would it amount to an acceptance of the offer? 3. Is Stuart liable to pay the full amount of $1000 rental and the deficit amount to Westphalia Marts Pty Ltd? Answers: 1. Law An agreement entered into by two or more parties that is enforceable by law is termed as a contract. The parties entering into the agreement must have legal intentions to bind the agreement (Bhat, 2015). The prerequisite of a valid contract is that it consists of an agreement, an offer and the acceptance of such offer. An offer is the willingness of an offeror to form a contract and acceptance takes place when the offeree accepts the offer proposed. An offer is distinguished from an invitation to treat. Advertisements are usually construed as invitations to treat. However, if they are made to the entire world to accept it, it becomes a unilateral contract and is treated as an offer (Butler et al., 2013). A unilateral contract is formed when either of the parties make an express promise to pay in exchange for an act to be performed by the other party (Cheong, 2014). If the offeree performs according to the offerors promise, the offeror becomes legally bound to fulfill his obligations. In the case Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company (1893), the court held that although the offer was made to the world, Mrs Carlill accepted the offer by fulfilling the terms of the contract. Hence, it amounted to a valid contract and the plaintiff was entitled to the reward. In a unilateral contract, there cannot be acceptance unless the offeree has the knowledge of the offer (Mir, 2015). The party whose performance is sought is not legally bound to perform his obligations but if he performs, the offeror becomes legally bound to comply with the contract (Smits, 2014). Application In the mentioned case, Mojo Beverage made an advertisement for reward that an amount of $100,000 shall be paid whoever catches the tagged Trout. It amounted to a unilateral contract as it was made to all the people of Lake Tranquil. Here, Mojo Beverage is the offeror and Ben the offeree. Ben heard that the price money was erroneous and the correct amount was $1000, few minutes before catching the trout. Ben was aware of the error in the price before catching Lord Harry. Even after that, he proceeded to perform his obligation. In a unilateral contract, when the offeree performs the act, acceptance takes place. Ben performed despite being aware of the change in the offer, which means he had accepted the offer. 2. Law It is a well-established rule that the offeree must communicate the acceptance of an offer to the offeror (Zhang, 2015). A contract would not come into existence unless the offeror receives the acceptance as stated in the case of Entores Ltd v Miles Far East Corporation (1995). Once an offer is accepted the contract becomes binding between the two parties. An offer may be revoked by the offeror at any time unless the offeree has accepted the same. However, the offeror must communicate the revocation of the offer to the offeree (Adriaanse, 2016). The offeree must accept the offer without modifying or changing the original offer. If the offer is modified in any manner, it would be treated as a counter-offer and then the original offer cannot be accepted further as stated in the landmark case of Hyde v Wrench [1840] (McKendrick, 2014). However, a simple request for obtaining information regarding the terms of the offer, it shall not be treated as a counter-offer and the original contract remains intact as observed in Stevenson V. McLean [1880]. Where an offer specifies a stipulated period of time within which it has to be accepted, the offer must be accepted within the stipulated time; otherwise, the offer shall terminate after the expiry of such stipulated period (Jones, 2016). In case, the stipulated period is not expressed, the offer shall be deemed valid for a reasonable period as observed in Ramsgate Victoria Hotel v MonteFiore [1866] LR 1 EX 109. The reasonable time depends upon the circumstances, that prevails at the time the offer is made and acceptance of the same has been made. If the process of acceptance is specified by the offeror, the acceptance of such offer must be communicated by the specified method. If the acceptance is made by telex, telephone and Fax, it is completed when the offeror receives such acceptance. The moment the offeror receives the acceptance the contract is concluded. The offeree must ensure that the acceptance communicated has been received by the offeror to make the contract legally bind ing. Application In the given case, Dorper Sheep Sellers is the offeror who had sent a letter to Livestock Brokers, the offeree, on 1 June, regarding the sale of sheep flock and asked the Livestock Brokers to reply within the period of 14 days. On 6 June, the Livestock Brothers sent a letter to inquire about the terms of the offer regarding the sale to which the Dorper Sheep Sellers did not respond. Here, the Livestock Brokers did not revoke or reject the offer made by the Dorper Sheep Seller, it merely requested to obtain information about the terms of the offer regarding the sale, which does not amount to a counter-offer as the offeree did not modify or change the original offer. The original offer remains intact and binding as stated in Stevenson Jaquess case. However, the offerer expressly specified the stipulated period within which the offeree was required to communicate the acceptance of the offer to the offeror. The offeree accepted the offer after the expiry of the stipulated period. As observed in the Ramsgate Victorias case, if the offeree fails to accept an offer within the stipulated period, the offer automatically terminates after the expiry of the stipulated period. In case Livestock Brokers had communicated the acceptance of the offer by fax within the stipulated period of 14 days, the communication of acceptance shall be completed only when such acceptance is received by the offeror, that is, the Dorper Sheep Seller. 3. Law It is a well-established law that part-payment of a debt is not considered as a good consideration for discharging the full debt. This rule has been established in the landmark case of Penny V Cole [1602]. This rule is referred to as the Pinnels Case. A person owes a certain amount of money to another person, he promises to pay half the amount in full satisfaction, and the other person accepts the same (Kane, 2014). The person accepting the payment cannot be barred from claiming the balance amount later since there is consideration made by the person paying the half amount to make the promise made by the other person, enforceable (Poole, 2016). There is an exception to this rule where consideration may be provided if the creditor agrees and accepts half-payment on prior date rather than the due date or if half-payment is made in a different place and not the original venue (O'Sullivan Hilliard, 2016). Application In the mentioned case, Stuart agreed the lessor, Westphalia Marts Pty Ltd, that he would pay $700 per week instead of $1000 due to a downfall in his business. Westphalia Marts agreed and allowed him to pay the reduced rent amount. Westphalia Marts claims the entire $1000 rental amount per week along with the deficit amount of $300. Here, Stuart made part payment of the rental amount to the lessor, Westphalia Marts Pty Ltd. The lessor although accepted the half payment but it cannot be prevented from claiming the rental amount as stated in the Pinnels case. Conclusion In a unilateral contract, the offeror is legally bound to fulfill the promise made. The offeree is not legally bound to perform his obligations. If the act is performed then the offer is considered as accepted and he becomes entitled to the reward promised. If Ben has performed the act in exchange of the corrected price amount that is, $1000, that was offered by Mojo Beverage then Mojo Beverage being the offeror, would become legally bound to fulfill the promise made. Hence, as stated in the Carbolic Smoke Ball Companys case, Ben would be entitled to receive the reward amount of $1,000 for performing his obligations. A valid contract does not exist between the Livestock Brokers and the Dorper Sheep Seller as the livestock Brokers failed to communicate the acceptance of the offer within the stipulated time and the offer terminated after the expiry of the time-period.In case the acceptance was made by fax, within time the acceptance was not valid, as it was not communicated to the offeror. Stuart is entitled to pay the rental amount along with the deficit amount, as half-payment of a debt is not regarded as a good consideration to discharge the full debt. References Adriaanse, M. J. (2016).Construction contract law. Palgrave Macmillan. Bhat, A. S. (2015). 008_Contract Law. Butler, D., Christensen, S., Willmott, L., Dixon, B. (2013). Contract Law Case Book. Cheong, T. (2014). A Promising Idea: Reconceptualizing the Formation of Unilateral Contracts.Oxford U. Undergraduate LJ, 1. Jones, E. (2016). Texts, Cases and Materials on Contract Law, by Richard Stone and James Devenney.The Law Teacher, 1-3. Kane, J. (2014). The Rule in Pennel's Case: The Case for Repeal, a Mistaken Preponderance and Finding Consideration in Debt Renegotiations.Dublin ULJ,37, 79. McKendrick, E. (2014).Contract law: text, cases, and materials. Oxford University Press (UK). Mir, F. A. (2015). 020_Mercantile Law. O'Sullivan, J., Hilliard, J. (2016).The law of contract. Oxford University Press. Poole, J. (2016).Textbook on contract law. Oxford University Press. Smits, J. M. (2014).Contract law: a comparative introduction. Edward Elgar Publishing. Zhang, E. (2015). Australian Business Law. A Case Study.

Researching Consumer Behaviour

Introduction â€Å"Consumer behaviour is the way that consumers act or behave when looking for, buying, and using products† (Dougherty, 2007). It focuses on how consumers choose and dispose services and products. The decision making process is complex and involves many psychological processes.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Researching Consumer Behaviour specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consumers must take time to recognize their needs, find possible, effective, economical, and convenient ways to solve the problems, before arriving at a buying decision (Mort, 1997). Despite the complexity of the decision-making process, consumers are faced with product decisions daily. In fact, product decision has become so integral to consumers and producers that billions are spent daily in promotion and research to influence the decision process. Currently, consumer behaviour acts as the main guide for produce rs in product development. It is a costly process full of uncertainties, but so critical to ignore. Consumer behaviour affects all sectors of the economy. The demand for all products and services is, therefore, affected by changes in consumer behaviour. As such, consumer behaviour has become an effective tool for influencing the nature of products in the market and their selling prices (Bagozzi, Canli Priester, 2002). This research will attempt to find out what influences students to purchase cars. Having established the influence of consumer behaviour on decision making, the research will attempt to establish the specific role of consumer behaviour in influencing students to purchase cars. It will further establish gender and age disparities, if any, in car purchasing by students. The decision to buy a car may not rest on the students alone, but also their parents. Cases that require the support and consent of parents tend to be more complicated. This is because most parents tend to be reluctant when it comes to allowing students to own cars. The main concern for parents and students intending to own cars while still in college is affordability. However, reliability and safety are other concerns that may cause differences. This research will attempt to establish the factors affecting the choice of cars for those students who have decided to purchase cars. All car buyers consider efficiency, reliability, affordability, and â€Å"coolness† before committing to pay. Getting all the mentioned requirements in a car could be hard (Wilson, 1995).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In fact, it is only possible to get a car fitting in all the above categories in the high-end market. Most students do not fall in this market segment. Therefore, this research will attempt to determine the overriding factor, which most students will give priority in making a purchasing decision. Gender and age segmentation will be used in this research. Age segmentation will be considered for various reasons. â€Å"The basic logic is that people of the same age are going through similar life experiences and therefore share many common needs, experiences, symbols, and memories, which, in turn, may lead to similar consumption patterns† (Hoyer MacInnis, 2010). Most importantly, the research will consider consumption patterns for students from three countries United Kingdom, Spain, and Greece. Since age groups tend to have a similar consumption pattern, using age as segmentation will provide a solid foundation for comparison and analysis. The research will also consider the possible influence of gender on buying decisions. This is because â€Å"males and females can differ in traits, attitude, and activities that can affect consumer behaviour† (Hoyer MacInnis, 2010). The research hypothesis will be formulated from set objectives and will be carefully examined without any biasness. It is evident that the number of students purchasing cars has grown tremendously over the last few years. The trend is wide spread, as it has been observed not only in the United Kingdom, but also in Spain and Greece. As such, marketers, car manufacturers, and institutions offering higher education, are curious to know the main motivation behind the trend, which this research attempts to unravel. Research Objectives General Objectives The aim of this research is to identify and analyze the factors that influence students into purchasing a car and to investigate if there are any differences on students’ decision-making in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Greece. Specific Objectives This research was based on seven specific objectives.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Researching Consumer Behaviour specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To examine the effec ts of socioeconomic status on decision making. To examine how cultural and cultural orientation affects consumer behaviour. To establish what influences priorities among different age groups, races, and gender. To determine the contribution of other factors in influencing decision making. To determine the applicability and relevance of Maslow’s pyramid of needs among students interested in purchasing cars. To establish the relationship between self esteem and owning a car among students. Determine if there has been a significant change in the number of students purchasing cars as compared to five years ago. Hypotheses Many students purchase cars for status and personality identity purposes Extensive marketing has influenced students to buy cars Culture influence students buying decision The society has started treating it as normal for a student to purchase a car A majority of male students are likely to buy cars unlike females because they believe it enhances their chances of dating the best women. Final year students are the majority car buyers The government and the media have influenced students to purchase cars The changes in the education system are some of the factors influencing car buying among students. That cheaper and second hand vehicles form the bulk of vehicles bought by students. Country selection There have been many researches on consumer behaviour and decision making. Corporations and multinational organizations have spent and continue to invest billions of dollars annually in research aimed at identifying the main driving forces in consumer decision making. Since consumers are the backbone of any organization, this trend is unlikely to stop. The business environment has continued to be dynamic and extremely competitive, and knowing what consumers want and the possible factors that could influence their consumption can make a difference between success and failure (Decker Learning, 2001). However, there are little if any research works that have explored cross border or international consumer decision making. Therefore, this research aims at finding out the possible regional differences that may influence consumer decision making, especially among students in buying cars. To get a more diversified result, the research will focus on students purchasing trend in three countries, United Kingdom, Spain, and Greece. Literature Review This section reviews the works done by other scholars and researchers in the area of students’ buying behaviour. It also identifies research gaps for the study. To analyze effectively the existing data and to establish the existing research gap, if any, the section is divided into sub-sections. Since the research aims to establish the purchasing trend of students in relation to gender, socioeconomic status, culture, and priorities, the literature review will be conducted under these four sub-headings. The fact that students have become the latest target market for car manufact urers such as Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu, Porsche, Hyundai, Chevrolet, and Isuzu cannot be denied. There are many probable forces behind the trend, ranging from desire for high social status to affordability. All consumption decisions are complex in one way or the other. The forces that affect households in making purchasing decisions also affect students. Using traditional purchasing decision process makes it hard to find out the factors that drive students to purchase cars (Schiffman Kanuk, 1997). Therefore, it is appropriate to explore all factors affecting students, by virtue of being students first, before considering them as consumers.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gender role in decision making Whether it is purchasing property, consumables, or make-up, gender plays a core role in influencing the decision making process. This research will analyse the work of Solomon, Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having, and Being, Englewood Cliffs (1996), Jennings Wattam, Decision making: an integrated approach (1964), and Kirchler, Conflict and decision-making in close relationships: love, money, and daily routines (2001). â€Å"There are different types of purchase, impulse buying, habitual purchases, and genuine purchasing decisions which have been arrived at by one person autonomously or by selected people together† (Kirchler, 2001). Kirchler further states that whichever the type of purchase; gender plays a significant role (74). Coley, conducted a research aimed at comparing the cognitive and affective differences between men and women in the impulse buying process and found â€Å"a significant difference† (2003). Using a sample size of 2 77 students, Coley found out that many processes associated with buying decisions varry in intensity between the two sexes (283). Such factors include positive buying emotion, buyers ability to manage personal mood, and irresistable urge to purchase a product. How socioeconomic status affects decision-making According to the American psychological association, socioeconomic status (SES) â€Å"is the social standing of an individual or group in terms of their income, education, and occupation.† Numerous researches have proven that SES affects decision making. Among the reputable and highly recognised research works include: Bruin, W.B., Parker, A.M., Fischhoff, B. (2007). Individual differences in adult decision-making competence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 92, no. 5, pp. 938-956. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.938. Finucane, M.L., Mertz, C.K., Slovic, P. Schmidt, E.S. (2005). Task complexity and older adults’ decision-making competence. Psycholo gy and Aging, vol.20 no. 1, pp. 71-84. DOI: 10.1037/0882-7974.20.1.71. Klein, M.F. (1991) The Politics of curriculum decision-making: issues in centralizing the curriculum, Albany: State University of New York Press. According to Finucane, Mertz, Slovic Schmidt (2005), people in the lower SES are prone to making poor decisions. Finucane et al. claims the people in lower SES experience so many problems because they are incapable of getting many things they desire including basic needs (2005). As such, when confronted with decisions to make, their poor background may blurr their vision or infuence their choices negatively. Educated people are more informed and are, therefore, deemed capable of making informed decisions (Klein, 1991). Cognitive functions are also known to decline with age (Finucane et al. , 2005). As such, older individuals are prone to making poor decisions. Since this research focusses on students, the possibility of buying decisions being affected or influence by age is minimal. Effects of culture on decision making Kalman describes culture as, â€Å"The way we live. It is the clothes we wear and the foods we eat. Culture is how we have fun† (2010). Culture encompasses all aspects of human lives, food, language, beliefs, traditions, and values. According to (Donnel, 2007), â€Å"People with different cultural backgrounds have different expectations, norms and values, which in turn have the potential to influence their judgements and decisions as well as their subsequent behaviour.† He further highlights the cultural differences and their possible effects on decision making by giving two examples. European Americans, for example, are generally influenced by the positive consequences of a decision, whereas Asians appear to be more influenced by the negative consequences that may occur due to a decision or line of action. Asians are therefore more â€Å"prevention† focused, manifesting a greater tendency to compromise, seek moderation or to postpone decisions if it is possible. (Donnel, 2007) Since this research is to be carried in three countries, United Kingdom, Spain, and Greece, there is a high possibility that cultural diversity could affect the outcome of the research. The changes in the education system have influenced car buying among students (H1) The increased demand for education has led to the emergence of numerous learning institutions (Smart, 2011). Unlike centuries ago when educational institutions were solely owned and run by governments, changes in the education sector, coupled with increased demand for education, has necessitated private investments in the education sector. The emergence of private institutions has seen increased competition for students’ enrolment. The increased competition has â€Å"seen some centres amalgamate with other units† to increase operations and dominance in the industry (Smart, 2011). The institutions have also introduced many luxurious fac ilities such as swimming pools and student parking to position themselves as preferred choices for students. Such moves could be considered as potential influence for students who own or are considering buying cars. Final year students are the majority car buyers (H2) Final year college students are liable for various financial facilities such as credit cards, and loans. Most of them are also involved in money generating activities such as part-time jobs (Eyring, 2010). The final year students are, in most cases, left with only a few units to complete college education. Therefore, most of them choose to spend wisely the extra time by taking up jobs. Since job schedule can clash with college programme, the students may find it inconveniencing using public means to juggle between job and school. This is because public transport can be inflexible. Worst still, some colleges are located far away from access roads, which makes the two engagements, college and job, hard to sustain. In suc h cases, the students may be forced to buy a car to keep the job while continuing with education. Most employers need relevant experience and quitting a job is something that most college students detest (Berger, 2012). According to the United Kingdom’s department of higher education 2011, â€Å"These days nearly all students have some sort of a part-time job. It might be anything from working a few evenings in a supermarket or behind a bar to dog walking or babysitting. â€Å"The desire to keep a job and continue with college is, therefore, a considerable drive to students to purchase a car other than SES. Extensive marketing has influenced students to buy cars (H3) The competition in the motor industry has reached fever pitch. Dominant car manufacturers such as Toyota, GM and Hyundai, are embroiled in all types of marketing campaigns aimed at increasing sales and market share. The list of leading motor manufacturers by volume of sales by 2011 is provided in appendix 1. As the competition in the motor industry intensifies, it is not only the quality of cars that improves, but also promotion campaigns and accessories installed in the cars. Motor manufacturers have exploited different promotional methods, online advertisements through social sites such as FaceBook and Twitter and company websites, road shows, brochures, auto magazines, and video games. These advertisements are so visually loaded that they lure not only students, but other potential customers. Sample of auto-magazine covers that have ignited demand are attached in appendix 2. The use of celebrity endorsement has had a fair share of influence among students who idolize them. The potentiality of student market cannot be ignored. Car manufacturers having realised this, have resorted to all ways to appeal to students’ perception and beliefs to influence them to buy cars. Advertisement that features â€Å"cool for you and your colleagues† are no surprise anymore. It is not only the visual aspects of the advertisements that have been bent to suit the student population, but also the language used. The use of slag in advertising low-end market cars is a common phenomenon. Many students purchase cars for status and personality identity purposes (H4) In attempts to embrace equally in the educational institutions, the institutions have adopted guidelines and policies that ensure no student is treated in any special way. Many institutions have attempted to improve the learning environment as well as facilities for aiding the learning process to ensure maximum comfort of learners (Collins, 2011). Despite the facilities provided in the institutions, many students still opt to buy cars and still go as a far as bringing them to school. It is believed that this is a move to make them stand out from the crowd. This is a probable explanation especially to those students who live in the institutional facilities, but still choose to come with their cars. Since many thin gs in the institution food, rooms, and facilities such as libraries and laboratories are shared indiscriminately, owning a personal car sets one special or in a class of their own. Methodology The three countries under study have a large number of students’ population in High schools, tertiary colleges, and universities. As such, selecting a representative sample is a complicated task. However, the consumption trends show concentrated purchase of cars in colleges and universities. As such, emphasis will be put on these specific groups. Considering the existence of only a few researches carried out to establish the factors that influence students to buy cars, a qualitative approach will be adopted since it is the best option for such a research. The cost and time involved in carrying out a primary research is extremely high. As such, the research will rely on other concluded works to provided additional information for secondary data. According to (Jackson, 2012), secondary da ta are data already collected by some other researchers for different purposes. These data are essential as they form the foundation for building new research and correcting earlier inaccuracies. No work of research can collect data for all the variables needed to complete the research without using already existing data. Such a research would be too expensive and would take a very long time. However, for secondary data to be of help, they must be readily available, accurate, sufficient, and relevant (Stewart, 1984). The data collected from secondary sources, in this case, will supply both qualitative and quantitative data. The data collected from secondary sources will be used for analysis and interpretation of primary data. As such, no secondary source will be used as a basis for further research. Instead, they will provide crucial information to bridge research gaps. Most data used in the research will be collected from primary sources. â€Å"Primary data refers to information c ollected for the first time specifically for a research study† (Kurtz, 2012). Data collected from primary sources is unique and suits the purpose for which it is collected. There are many methods of primary data collection. The main methods include critical incidents analysis, interviews, diaries, observation, case studies, portfolios, focus group interviews, and questionnaires (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 2003). The selection of appropriate data collection method requires the consideration of many factors such as cost, efficiency, and time available. In this case, focus groups, questionnaires, observation, and interviews will be used. The choice of questionnaires is prompted by its numerous advantages. Questionnaires are cheap to administer, have the ability to cover a wide geographical area, can be emailed hence no need for administrators, and ensures respondents anonymity. Focus groups, on the other hand, will be used to collect qualitative data. â€Å"A focus group could be defined as a group of interacting individuals having some common interest or characteristics, brought together by a moderator, who uses the group and its interaction as a way to gain information about a specific or focused issue† (Marczak Sewell, 2011). Focus groups will be used in collecting primary research because they provide the opportunity for recording not only individuals reactions, but also their attitude in relation to car ownership by students. Additionally, a focus group allows for interratction and broader discussion of the topic at hand (Barbour, 2007). For the opurposes of this study, three focus groups will be formed consisting of 10 individuals, five from each gender. The age of focus group members will be 18-25 years. There will be one focus group in each country, United Kingdom, Spain, and Greece. They focus groups will meet for approxiamtely one and a half hours to avoid lose of interest and fatique. This will also help reduce the chances of deviation. Since one of the objectives of this research is to establish the validity of the cliam that the majority of students who buy or consider buying cars are final year students, members of the focus group will not be randomly chosen, but will be selected from the various years of study, first, second, third, and final year students. Gender is also one of the varriables in the research and as such, the composition of the focus gropups will take care of gender balance. In brief, each focus group will comprise of males and females in their first to final year study in the selected institutions. Since culture and cultural orientation influences decision making, the focus groups will be enriched by selecting people of various races and cultures, and the environment in the focus groups regulated to favour divergent opinions and perceptions. The efficiency and accuracy of data received from the focus groups will be reinforced further by covering a few questions, five to seven questions. Since the focus group participants will not be paid, provision of a comfortable environment is essential. Comfortable chairs and quality refreshments will also be provided to enhance corporation and active participation. Further, the focus group meetings will be held in the respective institutions where the participants take their classes or in a close proximity to the institutions to curb inconveniencies arising from long travelling. Probing questions have been developed to help the focus groups in the discussion process. A copy of the questions is provided in appendix 3. The inefficiencies of focus groups as a primary source of data cannot be ignored (Jenkins Harrison, 1990). Focus groups give a researcher no control over data received, some of which can be quite irrelevant. The data from focus groups is often jumbled, which makes the analysis process quite complicated. Lastly, establishing the accuracy of data received from focus groups is an insurmountable task. These inefficiencies can hinder accurate results and, therefore, many checks have been put in place. For, instance, the data collected from focus groups will be compared with those collected from interviews and observations before any conclusion is arrived at. Interviews will also form part of primary data collection methods. â€Å"An interview is a conversation, usually between two people. But it is a conversation where one person A the interviewer, is seeking responses for a particular purpose from the other person: the interviewee† (Gillham, 2003). The choice of interviews as a source of primary data has been prompted by the fact that it gives the interviewer an opportunity to clarify questions and concepts that the interviewee might not be familiar with, something impossible with questionnaires. Its flexibility is also an added advantage, since it allows the interviewees to respond in any way they deem appropriate provided the response can be understood and captured. When focus groups fail to highlight individuals’ attitude, perceptions, and beliefs, interviews provide the interviewer with the opportunity to capture these important variable, which significant influence purchase decision. Car sellers and manufacturers will be interviewed to establish the purchasing trends of students. If possible, data for sales to students for a period of the past five years will be collected for analysis. Students will also be interviewed to find out if they own cars, or are considering owning one. Considering the low confidentiality of the research topic, both structured and unstructured interviews will be used. Structured interviews will be used because they save time and present same questions to interviewees leading to consistent and relevant data output. Unstructured interviews, on the other hand, will be adopted due to their flexibility, their ability to provide room for the interviewees to express their emotions, attitude, and perceptions, which are core to this research. The structured interview questions are attached in appendix 4. Common errors associated with interviewing such as poor responses resulting from poorly framed questions, probing errors, which may occur due to provision of insufficient time to the interviewee for answering interview questions, and lack of motivation and concentration of the interviewees, have been put on check to eliminate any possible errors in the findings or to reduce error margin significantly. Due to cost reduction efforts, most interviews will be conducted through telephone calls. After identifying the correspondents, scheduled telephone interviews will be conducted at the convenience of the interviewees. Conducting telephone interviews comes with a host of challenges (Marcus, 2011). Since it involves communicating to people we do not see face to face, it is impossible to tell how committed, attentive, and willing they are to be interviewed. This is because it lacks facial clues, which are crucial in determinin g the level of commitment of an interviewee. The curiosity involved when dealing with telephone interviews further complicates its application. Many people find it hard responding to questions, especially when private information is involved, from strangers. Since the research will require the financial status of the students who have purchased cars, it will be important to emphasize the confidentiality of the information provided to boost the confidence of the interviewees. As such, the introduction to interviewees will be extensive and professional. The purpose of the research will also be stated to eliminate suspicions, which could lead to lack of cooperation or giving of false information. All interviews will be recorded for quality and data analysis purposes. The last primary data collection method to be used in the study is observation. â€Å"Observational data collection methods are techniques for gathering qualitative data by watching the behaviour of individuals without di rect questioning† (Hartog Staveren, 2006). It entails â€Å"the systematic noting and recording of events, behaviours, and artefacts (objects) in the social setting chosen for study† (Page, 2000). Page further claims, â€Å"Observation is a fundamental and highly important method in all qualitative inquiry† (2000). The observation process will be structured to enable easy coding and analysis. As such, all cars entering the selected institutions will be recorded. Since all vehicles entering institutions are not only for students, the ones that belong to students will be selected from student parking. Fine details such as vehicle models and the sex of the drivers will be noted. This is because the research aims to establish gender disparity in car ownership among students. For easy analysis, the observation process will be recorded by the use of a video recorder. Note taking will also run concurrently to ensure that no fine details are missed out. Because observat ion will not provided some important information such as the age of the students with cars, which is a critical requirement for this research, approximation will be used. However, the most important information to be collected form observation will be the number of cars owned by students and their models. In this way, observation will give a direct and concrete evidence of car ownership by students and will help to validate the other data gathered through interviews and focus groups. In brief, the data to be collected through observation will be categorized into: The car models owned by students The sexes of the car owners Year of study of the students owning cars The use of multiple data collection methods, interviews, focus groups, and observation, was meant to eliminate the occurrence of â€Å"inappropriate uncertainty† (Sheá ¸ ³edi, 2005). The idea is also supported by Wholey, Hatry Newcomer (2010) who cliam it is appropriate to â€Å"†¦use multiple data collect ion strategies to verify or refute findings †¦Here the solution is to analyze all available data using multiple techniques and addressing rival hypotheses† (179). After the data collection exercise, the data is then expected to be refined and thoroughly analyzed for any deviant or misleading information. Any information that will show a significant deviation from the others will be ignored. The selected data will then be analyzed using packages such as computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS). The variables expected to be used will include number of cars owned by students in the three selected Universities in the United Kingdom (Oxford), Spain (Universitat de Barcelona), and Greece (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), the ratio of males to females owning cars, and the specific car models. Results and Discussion Introduction This chapter presents the results from the three primary sources of data collection that were employed in the research. It fur ther discusses findings from the in-depth interviews conducted; structured observations made, and focus group reactions. Focus Groups The three focus groups formed to collect relevant data for analysis gave different but close results. The main objective of the focus groups is to find out if the participants own cars or are considering buying one. The probing questions designed to guide the focus groups were responded to in varied ways. For instance, when asked, â€Å"Do you own a personal car?† There were two definite answers, yes or no. Still, others who did not own cars indicated that they were considering it. Other interesting findings emerged from the responses. Male students who owned cars, did not only stop at accepted the ownership, but also went ahead to mention the car models. â€Å"Yes, a 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid.† â€Å"Yes, a Hyundai Sonata.† â€Å"Yes, a refined, comfortable, and extremely quiet Toyota Highlander.† It was even more interesti ng as those students who owned sports cars and other expensive brands showered their cars with praises and even at times quoted their purchase prices. Others went ahead to give fine performance details of their cars. The groups almost turned into motor shows, but this did not affect the quality of data recorded, instead, it enriched the data. Some of the recorded reactions are discussed below. One group member, an evidently proud owner of a Ford Mustang sports car said, â€Å"It is not only legendary, but also has low fuel consumption and a persuasive V8 power. It combines versatility and utility making it the best choice for any student. † Another member who owned â€Å"The Infiniti G† praised it in equal measure, if not in a higher degree. â€Å" The car has the best interior design in the world that provides unrivalled comfort. It also has a blistering acceleration.† One oxford student owning a 2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata described it as â€Å"an epitome of comfor t that sets the standard for practicality and fuel economy.† There were also females who owned cars. However, it seemed most of them were not informed of their cars specifications or were simply not interested in talking about them. This is because most females who had cars hardly mentioned their models. Even after asking the cars’ models and performance specifications, only 40% of the females could give detailed information. All males liked the idea of owning a car. The males who did not own cars were considering buying or would be glad to own a car, but face financial challenges. On the other hand, only 60% of females liked the idea of owning a car. They claimed owning a car in college â€Å"may intimidate potential dates.† They further claimed men â€Å"are scared of women they consider dominant, classy, and independent,† attributes associated with owning a personal car in college. A considerable 10% said they would rather support their boyfriends to bu y a car than own it themselves. It is, however, interesting that even the females who were not for owning cars in college, were not against fellow females owning them. The UK female students who were in the Oxford focus group, seemed to have a different opinion from their Greece and Spain counterparts. They strongly believed owning a car is essential for all students. The ones, who did not own one yet, strongly believed they would be happier and more comfortable if they owned one. Concerning the claim that students buy cars for prestige and social status, a considerable number agreed. Male students in Spain and Greece indicated that owning a car attracts considerable respect from the students’ fraternity and even college tutors. A whopping 60% said car ownership attracted females and increases one’s chances of dating high-class females. One male claimed, â€Å"Females want successful males. Owning a car is a symbol of success.† They also claimed owning a car inc reased morale and self-confidence. Students in the United Kingdom share this position. However, they tend to view car ownership in a completely different perspective. They consider it as a means of improving educational horizon like attending off-site classes and going for internships. Female participants overwhelmingly agreed that they would consider men who owned cars more successful than the ones who did not, even if; their guardians buy the cars. One claimed, â€Å"It is hectic dating a guy who has no car because going for parties is hard without a car.† Males, on the other side, felt immense pressure to measure up to the demands and expectations of their female counterparts, which forces them to buy cars if they are not to be treated as second in social ranking. Regarding the influence of government and educational institution’s on student’s car buying decisions, most students felt the two factors did not make any significant contribution. In Spain, for ins tance, the government has provided incentives for students who want to purchase cars (Vaughan, 2012). Many people believe this move has elicited interest among students to buy cars, pushing even those who would otherwise not be interested in purchasing cars to consider doing so. Educational institutions have also contributed in influencing car buying among students. According to one focus group member, â€Å"institutions have continued to create conducive environment for car ownership that have enticed students to buy cars. Security for students’ cars while in college premises has been heightened. Parking spaces are not only provided, but are also well maintained. Despite these incentives, many students feel the government and the education institutions are simply following the wishes of the students, as consumers. In terms of priorities, still the focus groups had varied concerns. Despite inability to fulfil sufficiently other basic needs, some students chose to buy cars. T he consumption of cars by students is in contravention of the theory of the hierarchy of needs developed by Abraham Maslow. According to the theory, a person can only seek higher needs after satisfying lower needs (Goble, 2004). In this case, some students who have bought cars accept that they still face every day challenges such as affording descent meals. Purchasing a car is for esteem needs as stated, but it leaves a lot to desire as to why students would buy a car when they still have a lot to achieve in terms of basic needs, safety needs, and social needs. Interviews Three car dealers were interviewed to establish the purchasing trends of students. Since students purchase various types of cars Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Mercedes, Nissan and many more, choosing a suitable dealer was a complicated task. To get a more representative data, dealers who stock various car models were selected over those that stock specific brands. The selected dealers are Wheatley Car Centre in Wheatl ey Oxford, Mastertrac S.A, Barcelona, and Spanos in Athens. From the interview with the managing directors of Wheatley Car Centre, it was apparent that the company treasured students as a potential market for new and used cars. This is because the company had a variety of affordable cars and incentives such as discounts for every sale and recommendations. Appendix 5 provides the list of cars in the student’s section of the store at the time of visit. According to the manager, students prefer affordable cars with low fuel consumption, which prompted them to open a section with such cars. The manager also confirmed that their student customers are both female and males. However, he said there is a disparity in sales in terms of gender. Out of every nine customers, only one is female. The interview with Mastertrac’s sales representatives revealed closely related findings. The numbers of students who purchase cars have been growing steadily. Despite the growth, only a few female students purchase cars. Despite massive advertisements and incentives, the response from the female students has been low. The interview also revealed that the few females who went to purchase cars seemed to have little or no information on the type of cars they wanted. They preferred using price to guide them in making a buying decision. One sales man said, â€Å"Ladies simply want what they can afford, regardless of how it performs.† Another one said, â€Å"Ladies go for how a car looks and consider its affordability while completely ignoring its performance.† Unless the females come with someone to advice them and help them choose a car, they are likely to buy a completely different car from what they had in plan, provided the sales representative does a little persuasion. The Spanos’s interview also gave many similar revelations. The number of students purchasing cars has increased. However, the store did not have data showing gender difference in sal es. They also indicated that the students were not limited to low cost cars only, as some bough expensive sports cars. Additionally, other students requested pimping and customization of their cars. The three interviews gave very conclusive findings. Most importantly, the information received did not greatly deviate from the information from the focus groups. Observation The institutions under observation had parking lots for students. In fact, the students’ parking lots were more spacious than staff’s parking lot. This is a clear indication that the number of students owning cars is higher than the number of support and teaching staffs owning cars. Many vehicles owned by students, assuming all the cars parked at the students’ parking lot belonged to students, are quite affordable. In the UK and Greece, however, there were mixes of low-end and high-class cars owned by students. There was also an interesting observation made in Spain. Over 80% of males who owned cars drove into the institutions with their car windows down. This was perhaps meant to draw attention and could be used to deduce that they are proud of owning the cars. Those who owned expensive sports cars were the worst victims in this category. Over 90% of the females observed driving into the institutions, on the other hand, had their windows up. In fact, it was almost obvious that females drove any car that was approaching with windows down. It was also observed that the few females who owned cars, owned expensive ones. Most male students also had their cars pimped to suit their taste. Their cars had loud music systems, stickers, and mixed colours or in some cases abstract images. This is contrary to the belief that women like fancy things because most cars owned by female students were plain. Another important observation made in the sales stores was that students frequently came to window shop for cars. Male students were the majority of window shoppers. Those who had purch ased cars came to check on new arrivals, even if they didn’t intend to make new a purchase. Females, on the other hand, visited the stores only when they intended to buy or escorted friends to buy cars. Analysis of Findings Most findings from the focus groups, interviews, and observations were in support of the hypotheses of the research. Some of the findings, however, were in contradiction of the hypotheses. H1 predicted that students buy cars because of favourable and luring environment created by educational institutions such as parking lots and security. Students in the focus groups thought contrarily. They said the created environment by the institutions was simply due to increased car ownership by students and the desire by the institutions to create sanity in parking. This was concurrent with interview finding, which indicated that other factors other than socioeconomic status, culture, and priorities played on 5% role in influencing students’ decision to buy ca rs. As expected, the majority of students buying cars are final year students. Members of focus groups who did not own cars said they would only consider buying when they are in their final year of study. Even the students who did not approve owning cars while still staying said it was acceptable for final years to own one.H3 predicted that extensive marketing plays a significant role in influencing students to buy cars. Focus group members from all the three countries researched noted that advertisement played a role in convincing them that they needed cars. In fact, even members who had not purchased cars said they are under constant from the advertisements, some of which are â€Å"pinned in toilets and bathrooms.† The fact that most students buy cars to gain recognition and social standing was overwhelmingly confirmed. Interview results showed that 60% of students felt they were treated better than others because they owned cars. However, it was the results from the focus groups that were more interesting. Male students who owned cars said it places them in â€Å"a better position to date the best women† in campus. While the female students said they were unlikely to be influenced to date a male for owning a car, they admitted that they viewed the males who had cars as serious in life and of high social standing. Observations also confirmed this hypothesis overwhelmingly. It was observed in Spain that over 80% of males who owned cars drove into the institutions with their car windows down. However, only 10% of females had their windows down. This is an indication that the students who owned the cars felt special and were proud of owning the cars. Further, it was observed in the United Kingdom that students who owned cars pimped them and often came in campus playing loud music. This is perhaps another confirmation that the car owners seek attention from other students. Cultural and government influence on car buying was insignificant. Many stud ents in focus groups were not aware of any government incentives aimed at stimulating students demand for cars. The fact that 40% of those in focus groups in Spain said they are unaware of government incentives despites vigorous campaigns confirmed the little influence the policies have on students buying behaviour. The fact that the research was carried out in three countries with diverse cultures and still had consistent results is a clear indication that culture played an insignificant role too. Conclusion The findings from this research have shown that the number of students buying cars has increased, and that the trend is likely to continue. According to the research, the factors influencing students to buy cars range from desire for high social status, recognition, extensive marketing by motor manufacturers, and societal expectations, to improving educational horizon like attending off-site classes and going for internships. Whichever the reason for buying a car, it is time fo r motor vehicle manufacturers to realise that the student fraternity has become a significant market for motor cars. To succeed in selling to students, the following methods have been identified as effective. Investing in extensive marketing using social media, brochures, websites, and posters pinned in learning institutions have been identified to have significant influence on students’ buying decision. The fact that social standing is a major driving force for students buying cars, the advertisements should be crafted to portray high social standing of owners. Finally, it is evident that people of 18-25 years are driven more by esteem needs and will do everything possible to satisfy these needs even when their basic, safety, and social needs are threatened. It explains why many students rush to buy cars when they can hardly afford decent meals. Appendices Appendix 1: Leading motor vehicle manufacturing companies by volume 2010 Total motor vehicle production Appendix 2: Sa mple auto-magazine covers Ebscomags cited in Vaughan, 2012, p.14 Appendix 3: Discussion Guide for the Three Focus Groups General guidelines Achieving the full participation of the focus group members is essential. As such, it is important to welcome the members and make them feel comfortable and treasured. After the introduction, it will be important to communicate to all group members the aims and objectives of the focus groups. To avoid the reluctance of members divulging confidential information for fear of being exposed, confidentiality of collected information will be affirmed. The interaction process will be recorded for analysis. The discussion is to be as free flowing as possible. Therefore, the set probe questions must not be followed in that sequence, but in any order. Appendix 4: Questionnaire Design Cover letter Dear sir/madam, I am a final year marketing student. As a course requirement, I am supposed to carry out a marketing research in any area of interest. As such , I have decided to research on â€Å"why students buy cars?† As a student, I have selected you to assist in the research process by filling in the questionnaire. Please answer the questions as honestly and precisely as you can. I would also like to assure you that any information provided here in will be handled confidentially, and will not be used for any other purpose not specified without your permission. After completing the questionnaire, please send it to me using the â€Å"reply† option in this email. I expect the completed questionnaire by 20/06/2012. Instructions Answer all the questions Tick where appropriate Questions Do you own a car? If yes, how did you acquire the car? If you bought it, what inspired you to do so? Do you feel treated better because you drive? As the car helped achieve the intended purpose? What is your monthly average income any? Does your income influence your purchasing significantly? Appendix 5: List of Cars at Wheatley Car Centre Models Car Brands Chevrolet Ford Honda Hyundai Kia Mazda Nissan Toyota Others Chevrolet Aveo Hatchback Ford Fiesta Hatchback Honda Civic Coupe Hyundai Accent Hatchback Kia Forte Sedan Mazda MAZDA2 Nissan Cube Toyota Corolla Mitsubishi Lancer Chevrolet Aveo Sedan Ford Fiesta Sedan Honda Civic Sedan Hyundai Accent Sedan Kia Rio Hatchback Mazda MAZDA3 Sedan Nissan Sentra Toyota Yaris Hatchback Fiat 500 Hatchback Chevrolet Sonic Honda Fit Hyundai Elantra Kia Rio Sedan Nissan Versa Hatchback Toyota Yaris Sedan Jeep Patriot Honda Civic Coupe Hyundai Elantra Touring Kia Forte Sedan Nissan Versa Sedan Toyota Corolla Scion iQ Honda Civic Sedan Hyundai Accent Hatchback Kia Rio Hatchback Toyota Yaris Hatchback Scion xD Honda Fit Hyundai Accent Sedan Kia Rio Sedan Toyota Yaris Sedan smart fortwo Hatchback Hyundai Elantra Kia Rio Wagon Suzuki SX4 Sedan Hyundai Elantra Touring Kia Soul Volkswagen Jetta References Bagozzi, P, Canli, Z P riester, R 2002, The social psychology of consumer behaviour, Open University Press, Buckingham, England. Barbour, R 2007, Doing focus groups, SAGE, London. Berger, L 2012, All work, no pay: finding an internship, building your resume, making connections, and gaining job experience, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, Calif. Bruin, B, Parker, M Fischhoff, B 2007, ‘Individual differences in adult decision-making competence’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 92 no. 5, pp. 938-956. Coley, A 2003, ‘Gender differences in cognitive and affective impulse buying’, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 7 no. 3, pp. 282 – 295. Collins, J 2011, The Greenwood dictionary of education, 2nd edn, Greenwood, Santa Barbara, Calif. Decker, D Learning, Inc. 2001, Customer satisfaction, 1st edn, Crisp Learning, Menlo Park, CA. Donnel, B 2007, The Effects of Culture on Decision Making and Judgment.  Web. Dougherty, D 2007, Consumer behaviour, Pear son Education South Africa, Cape Town. Eyring, J 2010, Major decisions: taking charge of your college education, Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, Utah. Finucane, L, Mertz, C, Slovic, P Schmidt, S. 2005, ‘Task complexity and older adults’ decision-making competence’, Psychology and Aging, vol 20, no. 1, pp. 71-84. Gillham, B 2003, The research interview, 2nd edn, Continuum, London. Goble, G 2004, The Third Force: The Psychology of Abraham Maslow, Maurice Bassett, New York, NY. Hartog, A Staveren, W 2006, Food habits and consumption in developing countries: manual for social surveys, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen. Hoyer, D MacInnis, J 2010, Consumer behavior, 5th edn, South-Western Cengage Learning, Australia. Jackson, S 2012, Research methods and statistics: a critical thinking approach, Wardsworth Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA. Jenkins, M Harrison, S 1990, ‘Focus Groups’, A Discussion British Food Journal, vol. 92 no. 9, pp. 33-37. Jennings, D Wattam, S 1994, Decision making: an integrated approach, Pitman, London. Kalman, B 2010, My Culture, Crabtree Publishing Company, St. Catharines. Kirchler, E 2001, Conflict and decision-making in close relationships: love, money, and daily routines, Psychology Press, Hove, England. Klein, M 1991, The Politics of curriculum decision-making: issues in centralizing the curriculum, State University of New York Press, Albany. Marcus, A 2011, Design, User Experience, and Usability. Theory, Methods, Tools and Practice First International Conference, DUXU 2011, Held as Part of HCI International 2011, Orlando, FL, USA, July 9-14, 2011, Proceedings, Part II, Springer-Verlag GmbH Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg. Marczak, M Sewel, M 2011, Focus Groups, London, Continuum. Mort, T 1997, Systematic selling: how to influence the buying decision process, AMACOM, New York, NY. 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Vaughan, A 2012, ‘Government launches  £5,000 car grant scheme’, AutoShow, vol 67, no. 3, pp. 13-17. Wholey, S, Hatry, P Newcomer, E 2010, Han dbook of practical program evaluation, 3rd edn, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Wilson, Q 1995, The good car guide, BBC Books, London. This research paper on Researching Consumer Behaviour was written and submitted by user Alfonso Fletcher to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

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