12 Interesting Facts About Activist Grace Lee Boggs

12 Interesting Facts About Activist Grace Lee Boggs Grace Lee Boggs isn’t a household name, but the Chinese-American activist made long-lasting contributions to the civil rights, labor, and feminist movements. Boggs died on Oct. 5, 2015, at age 100. Learn why her activism earned her the respect of black leaders such as Angela Davis and Malcolm X with this list of 10 interesting facts about her life. Birth Born Grace Lee on June 27, 1915, to Chin and Yin Lan Lee, the activist came into the world in the unit above her family’s Chinese restaurant in Providence, R.I. Her father would later enjoy success as a restaurateur in Manhattan. Early Years and Education Although Boggs was born in Rhode Island, she spent her childhood in Jackson Heights, Queens. She demonstrated keen intelligence at an early age. At just 16, she started studies at Barnard College. By 1935, she’d earned a philosophy degree from the college, and by 1940, five years before her 30th birthday, she earned a doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. Job Discrimination Although Boggs demonstrated that she was intelligent, perceptive and disciplined at a young age, she couldn’t find work as an academic. No university would hire a Chinese-American woman to teach ethics or political thought in the 1940s,  according to the New Yorker. Early Career and Radicalism Before becoming a prolific author in her own right, Boggs translated the writings of Karl Marx. She was active in leftist circles, participating in the Workers Party, the Socialist Workers Party and the Trotskyite movement as a young adult. Her work and political inclinations led her to partner up with socialist theorists such as C.L.R. James and Raya Dunayevskaya as part of a political sect called the Johnson-Forest Tendency. Fight for Tenants’ Rights In the 1940s, Boggs lived in Chicago, working in a city library. In the Windy City, she organized protests for tenants to fight for their rights, including living quarters free from vermin. Both she and her mostly black neighbors had experienced rodent infestations, and Boggs was inspired to protest after witnessing them demonstrate in the streets. Marriage to James Boggs Just two years shy of her 40th birthday, Boggs married James Boggs in 1953. Like her, James Boggs was an activist and writer. He also worked in the automobile industry, and Grace Lee Boggs settled with him in the auto industry’s epicenter- Detroit. Together, the Boggses set out to give people of color, women, and youth the necessary tools to effect social change. James Boggs died in 1993. Political Inspirations Grace Lee Boggs found inspiration in both the nonviolence of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi as well as in the Black Power Movement. In 1963, she took part in the Great Walk to Freedom march, which featured King. Later that year, she hosted Malcolm X at her home. Under Surveillance Because of her political activism, the Boggses found themselves under government surveillance. The FBI visited their home multiple times, and Boggs even joked that the feds likely thought of her as â€Å"Afro-Chinese† because her husband and friends were black, she lived in a black area and centered her activism on the black struggle for civil rights. Detroit Summer Grace Lee Boggs helped to establish the organization Detroit Summer in 1992. The program connects youth to a number of community service projects, including home renovations and community gardens. Prolific Author Boggs penned a number of books. Her first book, George Herbert Mead: Philosopher of the Social Individual, debuted in 1945. It chronicled Mead, the academic credited with founding social psychology. Boggs’ other books included 1974’s â€Å"Revolution and Evolution in the Twentieth Century,† which she co-wrote with her husband; 1977’s Women and the Movement to Build a New America; 1998’s Living for Change: An Autobiography; and 2011’s The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century, which she co-wrote with Scott Kurashige. School Named in Her Honor In 2013, a charter elementary school opened in honor of Boggs and her husband. It’s called the James and Grace Lee Boggs School. Documentary Film The life and work of Grace Lee Boggs were chronicled in the 2014 PBS documentary â€Å"American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs.† The director of the film shared the name Grace Lee and launched a film project about well-known and unknown people alike about this relatively common name that transcends racial groups.

Free Essays on Alcatraz

â€Å"You are entitled to food clothing, shelter and medical attention. Anything else you get is a privilege.† (Number 5, Alcatraz Prison Rules and Regulations, 1934) This rule was one of the realities of life inside the walls of the U.S. Federal Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island. The island is in the heart of San Francisco Bay, just a mile and a quarter away from one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The subject of many movies and books, Alcatraz became a symbol of America’s dark side. There are a lot of documentaries, movies, articles and books about Alcatraz. From fiction rather than fact, we have stories of the prison and of some of the real men who lived in its cells: Al â€Å"Scarface† Capone and Robert Stroud, the â€Å"Birdman of Alcatraz†. Jolene Babyak, the author of Eyewitness on Alcatraz and a former resident of the island, says that the residents of the island were rarely interviewed and the truth of Alcatraz has often been overlooked, lost in the fog of its myths. Alcatraz has been so much more than just a notorious penitantiary. In the time allowed I’d like to tell you about the major purposes the island served throughout its history. Welcome to Alcatraz. It all started on July 18, 1850 when a military board proposed a three-point defensive strategy for San Francisco Bay. This approach required that a massive brick fort be built on each side of the Golden Gate. Alcatraz was selected as the third site with smaller fortification. The city and its rich port were very tempting for Confederate raiders and during the Civil War Alcatraz was an important part of the U.S. Army’s western defense plan. However military technology advanced quickly and the island’s defense became obsolete. In 1907 the Army formally decommissioned Alcatraz as a fortification. When the fort was decommissioned, regular army troops were replaced by the U.S. Military Guard. They tore down the citadel built during the war and start... Free Essays on Alcatraz Free Essays on Alcatraz â€Å"You are entitled to food clothing, shelter and medical attention. Anything else you get is a privilege.† (Number 5, Alcatraz Prison Rules and Regulations, 1934) This rule was one of the realities of life inside the walls of the U.S. Federal Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island. The island is in the heart of San Francisco Bay, just a mile and a quarter away from one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The subject of many movies and books, Alcatraz became a symbol of America’s dark side. There are a lot of documentaries, movies, articles and books about Alcatraz. From fiction rather than fact, we have stories of the prison and of some of the real men who lived in its cells: Al â€Å"Scarface† Capone and Robert Stroud, the â€Å"Birdman of Alcatraz†. Jolene Babyak, the author of Eyewitness on Alcatraz and a former resident of the island, says that the residents of the island were rarely interviewed and the truth of Alcatraz has often been overlooked, lost in the fog of its myths. Alcatraz has been so much more than just a notorious penitantiary. In the time allowed I’d like to tell you about the major purposes the island served throughout its history. Welcome to Alcatraz. It all started on July 18, 1850 when a military board proposed a three-point defensive strategy for San Francisco Bay. This approach required that a massive brick fort be built on each side of the Golden Gate. Alcatraz was selected as the third site with smaller fortification. The city and its rich port were very tempting for Confederate raiders and during the Civil War Alcatraz was an important part of the U.S. Army’s western defense plan. However military technology advanced quickly and the island’s defense became obsolete. In 1907 the Army formally decommissioned Alcatraz as a fortification. When the fort was decommissioned, regular army troops were replaced by the U.S. Military Guard. They tore down the citadel built during the war and start...

Asian art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Asian art - Essay Example Another difference is in the materials used. Simply by taking a detailed look at the Vairocana Buddha, one can begin to notice several significant elements of this piece that distinguish it as a unique piece of art even though it portrays a familiar and often reproduced (in smaller scale) image. Unlike many of the other Buddha statues that are made of a single block of stone, this statue is constructed in such a way that its natural life process has only contributed to its ability to communicate. It is made of hollowed out cedar wood coated, lacquered and then painted with gold leaf or paint. With the lacquer layer working to reflect any light that penetrates through the gold layer, this statue would have gleamed in any kind of illumination, presenting its viewers with a dazzling display of unearthly beauty and light that would chase itself and play along the different curves, angles and lines of the various sections of the piece. It’s approximately life-sized, which gives it an awesome power in its presentation, but also a familiarity and approachability that a larger statue might not have. It invites you to take a closer look and to get to know it on a personal level. The effect of the wearing surfaces, with gold remaining on some areas of the statue but exposed wood appearing in other areas, serves to heighten the experience for me. Although it wasn’t necessarily a part of the original intent, this aging effect immediately conveys the idea of ancient wisdom and abiding endurance.

Clinical Research Informatics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Clinical Research Informatics - Assignment Example Clinical research informatics primarily derives its importance from the fact that it is the lynchpin which links the innovative technologies to their use in the patient care (Majumder, 2012). Clinical research informatics facilitates the ongoing dialogues among both practitioners and researchers in their constant surge to create a dynamic environment of clinical research. â€Å"The development of CRI†¦drives a growing pool of scientific literature based on original CRI research, and high-impact tools and systems will be developed† (Richesson and Andrews, 2012). Health care organizations benefit from the clinical research informatics as they unveil innovative treatment options for the diseases to improve the quality of health care. Clinical research informatics enhance the translational continuum on four levels; â€Å"basic research to clinical trials (T1), clinical trials to academic health center practice (T2), diffusion and implementation to community practice (T3), an d ‘real world’ outcomes (T4)† (Kahn and Weng, 2012). Hence, clinical research informatics make it possible for the health care organizations to apply the theoretical knowledge to practical

American government and politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American government and politics - Essay Example "This vexes me the most of any thing whatever. There are at this time in the adjacent County not less than 5 or 6 well meaning men in close Gaol [jail] for publishing their religious Sentiments which in the main are very orthodox. I have neither the patience to hear talk or think any thing relative to this matter, for I have squabbled and scolded abused and ridiculed so long about it, to so little purpose that I am without common patience. So I leave you to pity me and pray for Liberty of Conscience to revive among us." (Madison, 111) According to church-state scholar Robert Alley, this incident was pivotal in the young Madison's life. Madison had recently graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and was unsure what to do with his life. Dogged by frequent illness, the frail and undersized Madison was not even sure he would live much longer. Learning about those preachers in prison gave him a cause and seemed to reenergize him. "It is the general opinion, I think, of the scholars who have written about Madison that that was a key point in Madison's life," Alley said. "The thing that drove him to get involved in politics was seeing those men in jail in Culpeper County." (Madison, 113) Madison soon had the opportunit... The attempt at disestablishment failed, but Madison's ideas on religious freedom were included in an "Article on Religion" that was adopted by the Convention. The statement held that religion can be "directed only by reason and conviction, not force or violence" and guaranteed to all "the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience." (Madison, 119) Here Madison was responsible for a great leap forward in thinking. At the Revolutionary Convention, delegate George Mason had proposed an amendment guaranteeing "toleration" of all faiths. To Madison, this did not go far enough. He sought to expand religious liberty rights beyond mere toleration and argued for the "free exercise" of religion -- a concept that would later resurface in the First Amendment. Even though his attempt at disestablishing the state church failed, Madison had planted an important seed. Three years later Jefferson made another attempt at disestablishing the Anglican [Episcopal] Church in Virginia and securing passage of a general religious freedom bill. The move was unsuccessful, but seven years later, after the Revolution, Madison took up the cause and pushed both measures through. It was during this struggle that Madison penned what is considered one of the greatest American documents on religious freedom: "The Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments." Despite its somewhat unwieldy title, the "Memorial and Remonstrance" still stands today as a powerful indictment of church-state union. Madison's appeal was written in response to a drive in the Virginia Assembly, led by Patrick Henry, to use tax funds to pay for "teachers of the Christian religion." The "Remonstrance" lists

Organic Industry in Malaysia

Organic Industry in Malaysia Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction Today, with the advancement of science and technology, humans have more exposure to information technology, knowledge and education than ever before. As a result, people become more aware and sensitive to the environment and their surroundings. A quality and healthy lifestyle have becomes a kind of necessity to the modern generation. Among others, â€Å"Organic Food† is recognized to be one of the contributors to a healthy lifestyle. Almost every day, you can read or see â€Å"Organic† topic everywhere around you. From newspaper, magazine, billboard advertisement, internet and etc, â€Å"Organic† has slowly becomes a trend to the modern society. However, a few issues have been identified in the Organic Industry in Malaysia. These factors have a strong role in influencing the purchasing and consuming of Organic Food in Malaysia. Therefore, it is important to identified and understand every factor of influence that affect the purchasing and consuming of organic food in Malaysia as all this factors will affect the entire industry from farmer, retailer, produces and even the consumers. 1.2 Background of Study 1.2.1 What is organic food Based on United State, European, and international definitions, organic food is define as without using any material substance in the food itself, but instead by the holistic methods used on organic farms. According to Gracia and Magistris (2007), the intention of organic production is to eliminate chemical used on the food production in order to promote healthier and safety food. Moreover, organic food also means that it is not cultivated using chemical-derived pesticides fertilizers and herbicides. As an alternative, the process of planting and farming the organic food are by using holistic methods such as compost, crop rotation, and biological agents over a natural period of time. According to National Organic Standard Board of the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) in year 2000, they established a national standard for the term ‘organic. Organic food, it is defined by â€Å"how it cannot be made rather by how it can be made†, which â€Å"must be produced without t he used of sewer-sludge fertilizers, most synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides, genetic engineering(biotechnology), growth hormones, irradiations and antibiotics† (TheStar, 2005). From the individuals point of view, organic means it is grown in a natural environment without any chemical, antibiotics, genetic engineering, and any synthetic products or in simple way, organic mean natural or go back to the traditional way of modes of agricultural. As an overview, the developments of organic food always work in cooperation with nature environment. Normally peoples definition of organic food maybe was just vegetables and fruits, but actually plenty of foods category like meats, eggs, livestock, dairy products and many more are also conclude as organic food. This issues supported by the research conducted by Padel and Foster (2005) where respondents only associate organic term with vegetable and fruit. Generally, organic food includes plenty of categories which include vegetables, fruits, bread, meat, eggs, coffee, juice, rice, tea, potatoes and etc. Other than that, organic food like egg, meat must be free of all kinds of antibiotics or growth naturally in a clean environment. To sum up, organic food is more environmental friendly since it does not create any pollution and waste to the earth. Besides, they give a tremendous opportunity to human being which led to healthy lifestyle and provide a better environment. Organic consumers carry a meaning of who are not only prefer an improved and healthier lifestyle but also environmental exportation and responsible to take care of the nature (Midmore et al, 2005). In addition, it also brings advantage to whole economy by increase business activities, trade, production and consumption. 1.2.2 The fact of organic The rise of demanding organic food and healthy lifestyle in both developed and developing country is not just a passing fad. The popularity of consuming organic food is now in an increasing manner in all over the world where it also includes Malaysia. Increased consumers concern and care regarding food safety and quality as well as health and nutritional aspect of food resulted in increased demand toward organically produced food. Such trend is a kind of reaction to numerous health affair related to processed food (Davies et al, 1995). Refer to the press release post by Nestlà © Malaysia in year 2008, it shows that organic growth reached 8.9% including 3.4% of real internal growth. In Europe, organic growth of Nestlà ©s total Food and Beverages business is about 5.4% and the growth rate is presented around 9.5% in United State and Asia, Oceania and Africa is at the rate of 14.2%. Functional food such as health supplements and organic food was projected reach RM234bil (US$65bil) in 2003 at global market place. It is estimated reach RM601bil (US$167bil) in 2010 by has the growth rate of 14% annually. According Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), in the year of 2001 the sale for organic food has achieved USD 8 billion world wide. The sale value of organic food is estimated to have growth rate at 20-30% by year 2005. The organization stated that if compared with others agricultural products, organic food has high potential for commercialization in Malaysia. Demand for healthy, environmental friendly processed food, minimally chemical used fresh food, organic food and natural food are caused by increasing of consumer awareness in nutrition value and health conscious (Malaysia Industrial Development Authority, MIDA, 2009). Malaysian start to increase their demand since they believe that consuming organic food is one of the best ways that led to a healthy lifestyle and they view this as a worthy â€Å"investment† for their heath. The concern of consumers toward food safety, quality and the environment give an opportunity to the organic industry and become more valu able for producers and retailers. As a part from that, it also activates the organic agriculture sector in Malaysia. The rises of consumers awareness of healthy lifestyle along with environment free of pollution have created a wonderful opportunity and market for organic food. However, it is hard for producer or businessman to manage the right products at a right time, right price and still right place with attractive promotion since the changes of consumer behaviour was so unstable due to various kind of reason, so it is very complicate to fix or to define how the consumer behave. Consumer behaviour carries the meaning of activities people undertake when obtaining, consuming and disposing of products and services (Kozak, and Decrop, 2009). As a result, study and understanding the consumer behaviour and willingness of consumers to pay for organic food is a vital knowledge for marketers, producers and businessman. There is a behavioural model proposed by Von Alvesleben (1997) address that product information, product perception and attitudes are the main factors that drive consumer behaviour. When w e believe that an object or brand possess favorable attributes or have good feeling then we will have good attitudes toward it. As we all know, when consumer attitudes are more desirable, the intention to purchase is stronger. In this research, it is more focus on consumer preferences and their willingness to pay when they wish to obtain organic food. The result can help marketers and policy makers develop strategies to reach customers more effectively and efficiently. 1.2.3 Natural Food vs Organic food Most of the people are often confuse about the different between organic food and natural food. Moreover, people though organic food and natural food own the same attribute and tend to treat or mean both the same. In fact, there are certain features that distinguish organic food and natural food. Obviously, the main factor difference the two is organic food must be certified by United Stated Agricultural Department (USDA) and organic food possessed higher quality. We can notice that organic food have labelled â€Å"organic† and this label represent the products are considered as organic by USDA and get the stamp of approval from designed organization. Products which stamp by USDA or labelled with â€Å"organic† must contain at least 95percent organic. Organic food can either labelled by foreign certification which is USDA or certify by local organization which is Malaysia Organic Scheme (SOM). Products that labelled with SOM carry a meaning which is the process of production inspected by departments Crop Quality Control Division. The standard where SOM follow is Sirim MS 1529:2001 standards. The guideline applied to control whole process of organic food which includes â€Å"production, processing, labelling and marketing of plant-based organically produced food † and lastly, series number will be provided in order to ease the identification process (SOM). Previously, certification only offer for limited organic food such as vegetables, fruit and etc. In general, Malaysia organic aquaculture products were under the governance of Thailands Organic Aquaculture Farms and Products Certification Centre (OAPC). In order to enhance aquaculture industry in Malaysia, fisheries department provide organic scheme for organic aquaculture production. Additional, this action can minimize the cost of apply organic aquaculture certification from other country. Moreover, organic food always free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, bioengineering or irradiation during produce, manufacture and handle (Annadana,2009). Besides, livestock must be free of growth hormones and antibiotics. On the others hand, there is not any specify standard for natural food and it is grown with pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Basically, natural food have minimal processing and do not contain refined sugar or artificial ingredients and without altering the raw product (Hermitt, 2006). 1.2.4 Consumer vs Customer Generally, most of the people have categorized both consumer and customer in the same category where it carry the meaning of purchase any products from sellers. Conversely, both of the words carry different meaning. According to Kotler and Armstrong (2006), consumer is the person who purchases any products for personal use or they call end user. Basically, consumer is the individual who had previously purchased or current users for particular product. On the other hand, the word â€Å"customer† carries different meaning in different perspective. In business market, customer is the individual or organization who purchase the product but not for own consumption. The products will become their inventory for further production or resell to end user (Kotler and Armstrong, 2006). Customer can either is a current user or only a potential customer for the product (Wikipedia). 1.2.5 Organic industry in Malaysia Since 1990s organic market has grown in a favorable beat. Thus, sale of organic food and products are forecasted to be between USD 20 and USD 30 billion yearly. USA is the biggest organic market follow by Germany and United Kingdom. In certain country such as Denmark, Sweden, Austria and Switzerland have 4% share of organic food which exceed in the total food sales. On the other hand, organic market in developing countries is small but considers growing especially in upper income developing countries. Figure 1.3 shows the coverage of organic farm in different country in year 2005. Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia and consists of two mainlands which is Peninsular (west) Malaysia and East Malaysia with an area of 329,750 km2. The agricultural sector in Malaysia is about 10.24% (738,677 / 75,657) of GDP in year 2008 (Department of Statistics Malaysia). Organic farming in Malaysia was started by Center for Environment, Technology and Development, Malaysia (CETDEM). During year 1986 CETDEM started their organic farm in Sungai Buloh with only one hectare plot. According to Department of Agriculture (DoA), there is 131 hectares of organic farm in Malaysia during year 2001 and approximates organic farming increase to more than 1000 hectares in year 2005. In year 2008, there are about 1000 hectares of registered and 2800 hectares of unregistered organic farm. Organic farming and production had started up during year 1990. Due to increase in favorability and demand toward organic products this niche market is growing continuously. Consequently, there is increase in the number of organic organization which include government department and non government organization (Table 1.2). Malaysian organic scheme (SOM) is the organization that has the right to give certification to organic farmers. Today, there are 28 Malaysian Organic Scheme (SOM) Certificate Holders in nationwide with a total area of 1244 hectares (Table 1.3). Due to increasing in organic farming and production, the number of organic retail outlets is also in the increasing manner. As a result, there are many organic companies have started their business such as Justlife, BMS, Country farm, ZenXin, Woots and etc. Organic food was previously consumed by cancer patients or patients who had serious health problem. Today, organic food becomes a choice for every family or even each and everyone. As we know, Justlife is a famous retailer of organic food and organic products. Justlife has only owned half of a whole retail shop at SS2, Subang Selangor with limited organic products and food. Recently, they are success and owning eight retail shops in Malaysia. Accordingly, we can observe that consumer demand of organic food and products is rising in recent year. Since the demand of organic food and products are increasing, government has putting effort in order to encourage producers to involve themselves in organic farming. Besides, government mentioned in Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010), they estimating the value for organic farms industry will be worth RM800 million after five year and plan to have 20,000 hectares of organic farm in year 2010 (Economic Planning Unit). During year 2001, Organic Alliance Malaysia (OAM) was found and this organization act as a private sector association to form national network. Government has tried to match the demand by increase the number of producer and organic farmer. However, we still supported by imports and the amount of foods that we imported from other country is about RM10.9bil or 8.7% of total import. Therefore, a study on consumer behaviour is crucial in order to forecast the demand and prepare for supply. According to local report, a supplier Kerby Ho of KK Hoganik told that demand for organic fruits and vegetables were increase at about 8%-10% every month (NST, 2008). Informed by organic-certified wholesaler Radiant Codes manager- Loke Siew Fong in local report, the sale is experiencing double digit growth. She added that consumers are having higher awareness on health issues nowadays and search for organic food rather than conventional foods (NST, 2008). As a result, research on consumer behaviour can tell supplier with fact reason why they demand for organic food and better understanding the trend of organic market. Moreover, the needs of communicate for both organic concept and build market confidence are vital in Malaysia market. Most of the citizen were still choosing conventional foods as usual and refuse to purchase organic food due to their own personal reason such as inconvenience, price, knowledge and others. Consequently, marketers have to know the concern of customers or citizen in order to better target the market and segments. In short, organic market is in an encouraging rate and it is a potential market for marketers, farmers, suppliers, wholesalers and retailers to aim. The reason why and how the demand increase is important for them to study in order to server the organic fans at the right time and right place with sufficient supplies. 1.3 Research Problem Consume organic food has become an important subject for today in changing social graphic and emerging trend. Government had been aware of the importance of organic sector since early of 1990s. The Organic Trade Association forecasts sales of organic food will be increase by 18% annually through 2010. Organic products become part of the picture for everyone at the present time and customer base of organic sector expected to rise and retailers continue to provide wider variety of organic food. Commissions communication > were presented in December 2002 that they are planning to increase their efficiency, transparency and consumer confidences in order to develop the market for organic food (Gracia and de Magistris, 2007). Refer to a report found in OAM in November 2008, Katherine diMatteo, president of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture; consumers seek organic produce as a way of environmental degradation, or as the best way to eat healthy foods. Besides, government and others view that purchasing organic is a good way for developing fair trade due to most of the organic farmers are small-scale producers. The trend of eating and purchasing organic has boosted up the organic sector in constructive rate. Transaction and trade of business have increase indirectly and these also bring a healthy rate for Malaysia economy. Consumers also willing to pay for organic food during economy down turn in June 2008. Economy down turn do not brought a strong impact to this industry and the sale of organic food still in a healthy and encouraging rate. As a result, we confidents there are something behind the consumers to motivate and move them to purchase organic food. At one time, people always believe that consumers choice was unstructured and natural but at this moment, people know that human behaviour is manipulated, push or even forced by reason. For instance, health conscious is affecting consumers where they will hunt for organic food in order to replace conventional foods. Nevertheless, this is only one of the hypotheses or assumption that we can made, we cannot prove that this is the accurate explanation for the question: â€Å"Why the demand of purchasing organic food is increased from year to year?† Additionally, there are many factors that keep moving people from conventional foods to organic food. Hence, study on the factor that affect consumers willingness in purchasing organic food is an essential issue to further understand consumers mind and support organic. Furthermore, dynamic issues and factors which influence consumers are changeable among individual and purchase decision of organic food will depend on many variables such as consumers attitudes toward environmental protection and healthiness (Gracia and de Magistris, 2007). Human behaviour and customers choice is not impulsive, unconscious, inborn and natural. Conversely, consumers behaviour is always motivated by the environment, enthusiasm, sensation and emotion (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980). Consumer willingness to pay for organic food may influence by numerous factors. Human beings easily get influenced by the environment and objects surrounding them. We have no capability to freeze their consumption and purchase behaviour. The only way that we can do is to study deeply on what are the main aspects they are focusing and what are the essential factors that manipulate their purchasing. More to the point, people perception and motivation in purchase organic food are vary from country t o country. There is different demand in different county with different culture. In order to have a good explanation to answer the entire question and have a bottomless understanding of customers willingness to pay during obtain organic food, we come out with the problem statement: What are the main aspects that manipulate consumers willingness to pay for organic food. Policy maker seek consumer oriental analysis in organic sector since the information is crucial for them (Gracia and de Magistris, 2007). The study not only can improve the understanding of consumer behaviour and factors that affect customers but it is also a necessary research to help marketers to market the products, help government to better know the needs of citizen, help retailers or wholesalers to do some related activities to encourage consumers in order to choose organic food and help producer to estimate the production in future. 1.4 Research Objective The main purpose of this research is to recognize some of the essential variables that motivate or stimulate citizen in Malaysia in purchasing organic food. Organic market is a potential and profitable market for marketers to have a deep study on it since the demand of organic food is keep increasing nowadays. Besides, organic industry did contribute to Malaysia economy and citizens health, as well as the environment. In my opinion, customers belief, feeling, attitudes, motivation and demand trend would bring a deep impact on food industry and this will bring challenges for marketer to design marketing strategy. The following objectives are built to achieve goals of this study. i. To study the determinants that motive consumers willingness to pay for organic food. After identify all the factors, we can better target and server our customers when they doing their purchase. When retailers know all the factors and possess this advantage, they can come out with following step such as education fair, seminar or others kind of exhibition to influence or encourage customers in order to purchase organic food. Moreover, eating organic food can save and secure the earth. Consume organic food not only healthier but also more environmental friendly if compare with conventional foods. By educating others customers about the benefit of consuming organic food, sales of organic food will definitely continue to double up in the future. By the way, this also can help marketers to better market the products and also target potential customers easily. Lastly, this as well will contribute to economic growth and better environment for next generation. ii. To better understanding consumer buying decision and contribute precise data to policy makers. There is a problem that release by NST on November 2008 which is the number of organic supporter is increasing however; there are too few farmers to serve the large pool of consumers. As a result, we can overcome the problem of supply and demand after knowing the reason why customers purchase organic food or not. Moreover, most of the researchers showed consumers are willing to pay for high quality food. If this research can prove that there is a significant result between quality and willingness to pay. Related organization can immediately take action in order to strengthen organic production governance. iii. To study the impact on organic food industry due to the issue of health conscious. Recently, health conscious became a latest issue among citizen in Malaysia. Most of them are practicing healthier lifestyle and willing to spend and search for supplements and healthier foods. They try to avoid themselves in consuming oily, high sugar level and high cholesterol foods. They seek for more healthy activities such as yoga, dancing and search for natural or original products in their daily life. Throughout this study, we can collect precise and significant result to see whether health conscious can increase the number of organic food fans. Furthermore, government can use the result of this research to allocate more funds and capitals to develop small farmers and help them to shift from convention production to organic production. iv. To study the relationship between consumer behaviour and organic food purchases. Many studies pointed that consumer behaviour toward organic food is crucial for decision makers. Obviously, we can understand that the popularity of organic food is in an encouraging rate. However, most of the people are still choosing convention foods as their first choice. This is due to the availability of convention foods is higher than organic food. Although organic food is a potential market, yet customers still cannot get organic food in most of the hypermarket or night market. As we know, most of the consumers in Malaysia will go to night market to purchase their daily or even weekly foods since they can get all kinds of vegetable, fish or meat at lower price at night market. Even there is high demand of organic food; however it is inconvenience for consumers to purchase organic food. Although customer have positive attitudes and high intention to purchase organic food but there are some external factors that will influence customers purchase decision. Accordingly, research o n consumer behaviour can help marketer to study the consumers preferences and do a more appropriate and suitable plan to serve the customers. v. To analyze the willingness to pay for organic food. Consumer always wiling to pay a premium price to obtain any thing or object that they are perceive as a valuable and high quality product. As we all known, organic food is priced higher as compare with convention food. As we all known, consumer has different consumption pattern, attitude and response towards organic food. There is a number of customers are not willing to pay for the premium. Beside that, most of the customers prefer to purchase and consume conventional food instead of organic food. However, some of the consumers are still willing to pay for organic food and they believe this is a â€Å"profitable† investment for them. Consequently, segment of organic consumer is getting bigger and bigger. Therefore, it is essential for this study to analyse consumer purchase decision and offer contribution to the decision makers, society, famers and also nation economy. 1.5 Significant of Study Although the concept of â€Å"green† living and consume organic food are becoming one of the favorable issue in this moment that always be discussed and concerned by most of the population today. However, the amount of people who purchase organic food is considered low. According to Fotopoulos and Krystallis (2003), customers are aware of the benefit brought by organic food but there is only small proportion of them willing to pay for it. Additionally, distance brought a significant issue to potential customers (Padel and Foster, 2005) since coverage of organic food shop is low and cause customers who have the intention to purchase organic food face difficulty when they wanted to buy. Additionally, there are a number of research focus on organic industry had been conducted by researchers from others country (for instance, Gracia and de Magistris, 2007; Fillion and Arazi; 2002). However, there is only few researchers are focusing on the organic industry in Malaysia. As a result, this study can helps in better understanding about organic agriculture in Malaysia and contribute to organic industry in Malaysia. As a result, this study aims to analyse in depth the factors that influence consumers feeling and motivate customers to pay for organic food. Apart from that, this study is crucial to show the brief picture to all related parties who involved in organic food industry such as farmers, department of agriculture, wholesalers, retailers and others. This study also plays as an important role and sources for education sector, marketers and small-medium entrepreneur (SME) to understand more about consumer behaviour and factors that influence consumers willingness to pay for organic food. By the end of the day, the result can help them to do their marketing plan more smoothly, effectively and successfully. According to a report posted by Food, Nutrition Science in May 2009, stated that Organic Trade Association (OTA) published the sales of organic have hit $22million. As a result, knowledge and pool of database are crucial for policy makers in order to implementing their marketing plan. Once wealth of data and evidence presented in the industry, all the parties can significantly gain from the benefit. This study can indirectly support small farmers to have more confidents in produce more and more organics foods. Increase in number of production not only can fulfill the demand of Malaysian and self sufficient but also have the opportunity to export the quality foods to others country. Besides, it give a more visual result to government in order to increase their expenditure in helping small farmers to involve in organic farming. Furthermore, objective of some of the related agency such as CETDEM, FiBL, DOA and OAM can become more achievable. After knowing consumer behaviour in depth, r etailer shops such as Justlife and Country farm can have more confidents on their effort and increase the coverage of their business in order to reach more potential and profitable customers. In addition, this study will help us in understanding consumer mind and know the reason behind every purchase of organic food. We can know the aspects that always push and move consumers to purchase organic food instead of conventional foods. On the other hand, we also can see the barriers that influence consumer refuse to purchase organic food and stay with convention foods which offer a lower price and have a high coverage. This also can assist us to understand the barriers faced by most of the population from their point of view. The barriers can be narrow down when we know the root cause of the barriers. Marketer can use the valuable information to run their marketing mix (4P-people, promotion, place, product) and promotion mix (advertising, personal selling, direct marketing, sponsorship, promotion, public relation). Other than that, consumer organic food is one of the ways to save and secure the earth. This can give a hand to the group who are environmental friendly and always love and care the earth. â€Å"Green life† with organic food can provide a bright future for the entire citizen to own a healthier life style and also a superior environment. Moreover, we can keep a more natural and fantastic earth for our next generation. By exposing more people to organic product, we are able to educate them the importance of growing this industry in Malaysia. As the demands increase, it will benefit all level of people as it will boosts our economy to a higher level. It will provide more jobs opportunity, more researches and bring more involvement in this sector. Eventually, it reflects directly on Malaysia GDP, attracts foreign investment and technology transfer. 1.6 Scope of Study The main focus of this study is to identify how organic consumers behave and their willingness to pay for organic food. This research will be targeted on consumers instead of customers since consumers are the group of people who already takes their action in organic consumption. The information provided by them is more precise and accurate if compared to each other. According to information, organic include organic food and organic products. However, the popularity and acceptability of organic products in Malaysia still consider low. Consequently, this research will focus on organic food such as can food, fresh vegetable, fruit and others. As we all known, consumers willingness to pay is an issue that difficult for marketer to predict. People always change according to the environment, people, object and others surrounding them. However, people who possess the same characteristics or in the same categorize will always have the same respond to particular matter. Consequently, we will come out some possible hypotheses and do a research on it to help related parties in the industry to make their decision. Beside that, we will study consumers willingness to pay for organic food since organics foods industry still in a growth stage in product life cycle (PLC). We believe that the outcome of this research will be very useful and valuable for marketers and retailers. In addition, questionnaire

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Essay -- Metamorphosis Franz Kafka Es

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have chosen The Metamorphosis as my subject for this paper; I will take a close look at how the death of Gregor Samsa opens the doors to understanding the story. I will give examples of irony through Gregor’s metamorphosis and how this irony brings together the conclusion of the story. Through his death we see the truth behind his parents, which in it’s self is ironic. It is difficult to pinpoint one specific thing to write about in the story; there are just so many things that can be brought to light. If I happen to lose sight of my topic bear with me, there is just so much to be discussed in the novella.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the opening lines of the story we are drawn into climax of the story. We are introduced to the main character, Gregor Samsa, and he has been transformed from a human to a bug. Gregor gives a long description of his looks and how he is trying to maneuver around. One peculiar thing is he does not panic, ironically he is more concerned with getting to work and hiding himself from his family. He is a hard working man that supports his parents and sister. The notion that he takes care of them seems to slip by the reader in the beginning of the story and does come up again until the end of the story. It is only then that everyone must go out a do something to support the family   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We finally see at end of the story how useful Gregor was to his family. By using the word useful I mean how many things he could be used for...

Abortion: a Practice of Contraception Essay

Abortion is the deliberate killing of the weakest and most defenseless among us. Unfortunately, for the last few decades, the practice has been recognized as a fundamental human right by the highest court of the land. Many people are fervent supporters of abortion. Their reasons for support are varied. However, I believe that support for abortion is not possible for those who understand our dignity as human persons under God. We were made by God, and it is from Him that we derive our worth The issue of abortion is one of the most commonly used as a topic for academic argumentative papers. Definitely, abortion is a very sensitive issue from the moral and ethical points of view, and there are numerous proponents and opponents of abortions in the US. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay Writing an academic paper on abortion can give the writer a great field for arguing and discussing numerous pros and cons of this controversial issue. At the same time, writing argumentative essay on abortion can help author formulate own point of view on this problem and demonstrate own opinion and position regarding abortion legalization. Many people consider abortion as a cruel, unnatural, and absolutely immoral human act, that is why they are arguing for banning abortions. They qualify it as a murder of an unborn child and argue for launching criminal responsibility to those who intend to do abortion. They are convinced that such thing as abortion can never be considered ethical and it infringes all moral norms and postulates on which our society is based. They believe that abortions as a concept is very unhealthy and even dangerous to normal development of our social life. Those are the most important con factors which can be mentioned when working on argumentative essay on abortion. There are also numerous proponents of the abortion issue, who believe that there is nothing wrong about it and it is a personal matter of every modern woman whether to keep the unborn baby or not. Such individual point on numerous incidents of rape or incest which sometimes simply require abortion as a salvation from the situation. Also, they say that some pregnant women choose abortion since they are not ready for motherhood or do not have funds to rise the child properly. These are quite strong pro arguments which should also be mentioned in any academic paper on abortion.

chapter 6 midterm Essay

chapter 6 midterm Essay chapter 6 midterm Essay Organizational Behavior Midterm Exam Dr. Nancy R. Bishop Newton Human capital is the productive potential of an individual’s knowledge and actions. Social Capital is productive potential resulting from strong relationships, goodwill, trust, and cooperative effort. Human capital involves individual characteristics and abilities, Social Capital involves social relationships. Human capital would involve functions such as job related training such as your company’s products, or services. Work based development opportunities such as a mentor, and learning a second language. Social Capital has two general types . These types are internal and external to your current employer, such as relationships with co workers in another office and relationships with suppliers. According to the competing values , defining culture along two axes (internal or external focus and preference for stability or flexibility) defines four types of organizational cultures. A clan culture has an external focus and values flexibility; it emphasizes innovation and fast responses to change. A market culture has a strong external focus and values stability and control; such organizations are driven by competition and emphasize customer satisfaction. A hierarchy culture has an internal focus and values stability and control; it emphasizes formal, structured work to meet high standards The process essentially begins with targeting one of three layers of organizational culture- observable artifacts, exposed values, and basic assumptions for change. This is accomplished by using one of more of eleven mechanisms: (a) formal statements of organizational philosophy, mission, vision, values, and materials used for recruiting, selection, and socialization (b) the design of physical space, work environments, and buildings; (c) slogans, language, acronyms, and sayings (d) deliberate role modeling, training programs, teaching and coaching by managers and supervisors (e) explicit rewards, status symbols, and promotion criteria; (f) stories, legends, and myths about key people and events; (g) the organizational activities process, or outcomes that leaders pat attention to, measure and control (h) leader reactions to critical incidents and organizational crisis (i) organizational systems and procedures (j) the work flow and procedures (k) organizational goals and associated cri teria used for recruitment, selection, development, promotion, layoffs, and recruitment of people. Cultural changes or differences involve a respect for the individual, customer service, and striving for excellence, according to Sam Walton. Slogans, and acronyms have been used in advertising and are a normal in everyday culture and when a company attempts to change culture knowledge of culture is essential. The three phases of Feldman’s model are anticipatory socialization, encounter, and change and acquisition. Anticipatory socialization begins before an individual actually joins an organization. The encounter phase begins when the employment contract has been signed. Phase 3 involves the period in which employees master important task and resolve any role conflicts The various tactics used to socialize employees are collective v/s individual, formal v/s informal, sequential vs random, fixed vs variable, serial vs disjunctive, and investiture. Each tactic provides organizations with two opposing options for socializing employees. These tactics provide means of developing socialization norms which allow members to feel part of the organization. 1. Power distance- How equally should power be distributed? 2. Uncertainty avoidance – How much social norms and rules reduce uncertainty and unpredictability? 3. Institutional Collectivism- How much should loyalty to the social unit

An Existentialist View of The essays

An Existentialist View of The essays An Existentialist View of The Sweet Hereafter Jean-Paul Sartres concepts have always fascinated critical thinkers and creative artists alike. In this paper I am going to evaluate his many topics and schools of thought as explained in the book Ten Theories of Human Nature by Leslie Stevenson. I intend to specifically explore the concepts of good and bad faith using examples from Atom Egoyans film, The Sweet Hereafter. I shall draw existential parallels between Sartres concepts and Egoyans in order to point out certain motivations that are found within the characters of Egoyans film. I will especially focus on the films main characters and how the concept of community versus outsiders affects them Jean-Paul Sartre defines the universe as being absurd and without God. He denies the existence of God merely because he feels that the responsibility of a mans life belongs in the hands of himself and nothing else. Sartre believes that if man believed in the existence of God, he would not try to make his life meaningful knowing that he had God as a safety net. Therefore, once man denies the existence of God and realizes that he has to depend on himself and only himself for his survival, he will be forced to take his existence into his own hands and make it meaningful. In Atom Egoyans film, The Sweet Hereafter, the small town community of Sam Dent is faced with an existential crisis. After a school bus accident kills nearly all of the towns children, a lawyer is called in to represent certain families who wish to receive monetary compensation for the loss of their children. This creates tension between the families that wish to seek legal mediation and those who wish to solve the pro blem within the community, with no outsiders, like always. The lawyer, Mitchell Stevens, is this outsider that plagues many characters in the film. Before the bus accident, the members of the town of Sam Den...

Pros and cons of outsourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pros and cons of outsourcing - Essay Example Total outsourcing means the decision to transfer IS assets, leases, staff, and management responsibility far delivery of IS services from an internal IS function to a single third party vendor which represents more than 80 per cent of the IS budget. Millar (1994 cited Greaver 1999) defines four basic types of outsourcing arrangements: General outsourcing encompasses three alternatives: (1) selective outsourcing where one particular area of IS activity is chosen to be turned over to a third party, such as data centre operations; (2) value-added outsourcing where an area of IS activity is turned over to a third party who is thought to be able to provide a level of support or service which adds value to the activity that could not be cost-effectively provided by the internal IS group; (3) co-operative outsourcing where some targeted IS activities are jointly performed by a third party provider and the internal IS department. Researchers discovered that many companies investigated outsou rcing as a consequence of IS managers' failure to demonstrate the value of IS to various stakeholders within the organization. Many different stakeholders (senior managers, business unit managers, IS managers, IS staff, and end users) possessed different preferences, expectations, perceptions, and agendas for IS. Form post-modernization point of view, the enthusiasm for IS outsourcing in the trade press is not unique-any new management trend promises to be the panacea to organizational problems. Through radical change, be it business process re-engineering, total quality management, virtual corporations, etc, practitioners are offered yet another utopia. Such positive press tempts many senior executives to jump on the latest bandwagon, and subsequent research shows that many organizations improve radically (Burnett, 1998). Financial Benefits of Outsourcing Many senior managers cite financial reasons for outsourcing. In particular, senior managers view outsourcing as a way to cut costs, improve cost control, and restructure the IS budget. Many companies expect that outsourcing would save them money. They perceive that vendors enjoy economies of scale that enable then to provide IS services at a lower cost than internal IS departments. In particular, senior managers believe that a vendor's unit costs are less expensive due to mass production efficiencies and labor specialization (Greaver 1999). Another financial rationale for outsourcing is gaining control over IS costs. As any IS manager will attest, IS costs are directly related to IS user demands. In most organizations, however, IS costs are controlled through general allocation systems which motivate users to demand and consume resources excessively. General allocation systems are analogous to splitting a restaurant tab--each dinner companion is motivated to order an expensive dinner because the cost will be shared by the other parties. Participants saw outsourcing as a way to control costs because vendors implement cost controls that more directly tie usage to costs. In addition, users no longer call their favorite analysts to request frivolous changes, but instead must submit requests through a formal cost control process. This results in the curtailing of excessive user demands and thus reduces overall IS costs.

Fred tunnel and Horse in Tetons and Seated Indian Essay

Fred tunnel and Horse in Tetons and Seated Indian - Essay Example With regard to the historical context of the paintings, the two paintings are consistent with the post impressionist historical styles of painting which began towards the end of the 19th century. For instance, the styles used in two paintings largely emphasized outdoor paintings with colorful palettes, landscape scenes as well as daily life scenes. All these styles were heavily used during the post impressionist periods. Additionally the artists’ use of colors and shades also suggest that it the works may have been done in the 1900s when the post impressionist styles were the common style (Penelope, 67) .This period was characterized by cultural and racial conflicts between the white American immigrants and the natives. For example the artists may have used more white colors on the paintings to idealize the white race and the western life. One important question that arises in the analysis of the two pictures is whether they have effectively passed across the information that they were intended for. The costumes and ornaments are still regarded as important in several societies due to their continued use in our contemporary society. In both the two paintings, the relationship between the form presented by the artists and the iconography is quite complex. Generally the iconographical requirements have significantly affected the formal elements of the two paintings. In â€Å"Sitting Indian†, Joseph Sharp has effectively included some of the details such as images of the hunted animals.