Kant Theory and Justice Essay

Immanuel Kant concerns himself with deontology, and as a deontologist, he believes that the rightness of an action depends in part on things other than the goodness of its consequences, and so, actions should be judged based on an intrinsic moral law that says whether the action is right or wrong – period. Kant introduced the Categorical Imperative which is the central philosophy of his theory of morality, and an understandable approach to this moral law. It is divided into three formulations. The first formulation of Kant’s Categorical Imperative states that one should â€Å"always act in such a way that the maxim of your action can be willed as a universal law of humanity†; an act is either right or wrong based on its ability to be universalized. This belief is part of the â€Å"universal law theory† and states that to determine if an action is essentially â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad,† one must essentially imagine a world in which everyone performed that same action constantly, and imagine if this would be a desirable world to live in. If not, then it is not okay to perform the action. He believes that this â€Å"universal law† lives within us; it is not something that is imposed on us from the outside. For example if one kills oneself out of self-love, it is logically contradictory because self-love refers to respect for one’s self as a rational being and rationality is based on objective (undistorted by emotion or personal bias). So, one can never justify suicide. The maxim of killing oneself cannot possibly exist as a universal law. The second formulation states that one must â€Å"treat humanity whether in thine own person or in that of any other, in every case as an end withal, never as means only. † For example, if I were to lie to a girl so that she would choose to go out with me then I, in effect, use her. Kant would say that I treated her as a means to achieve my end, and he specifically prohibits manipulating or deceiving a person for the purposes of achieving a personal end. According to Kant, only people are valuable as ends. Any action that disregards this is in clear violation of Kantian morality, and purports to reduce an individual’s autonomy; this consequently undermines a person’s rational capability and reduces him/her to a thing. This implies that if someone robs you and takes your wallet, he is treating you as a thing and not as a person. The third and last formulation requires that one sees oneself as the source of all moral law. This simply emphasizes the fact that the moral agent is the one who chooses to act morally. This third formulation tells us to imagine ourselves as the sole lawmaker in a society, and to choose the best possible set of laws that the society of rational beings would live by. Kant believes that we all have reason within us, but some choose to respond and act upon it while others do not. We can reason the way things ought to be, and based on that is how we should act, which explains Kant’s view that a moral action must be chosen through moral reason. For example, one does not cheat on a test because one’s reason tells him or her that it is wrong, not the consequences that follow if one gets caught. Another example is that we do not need the law to tell us not to steal because it is immoral; we simply have to access our ability to reason to rationalize this. In a world where each individual recognizes his/her moral dignity and freely chooses to adopt the same universalizable moral law, all actions become good. In opposition to the Categorical Imperative is Kant’s Hypothetical Imperative, which states that a particular action is necessary as a means to some purpose. Kant believes that these actions are not always moral because they are not performed out of â€Å"pure good will† (pure duty), which is the only thing in the world that is unambiguously good. In the case of the ethical credibility of the principles of affirmative action, Kant’s Categorical Imperative provides for the basis of approval. It is primarily out of a sense of duty that a society would seek to assist its struggling members who are in need of help. The action so far seems good, but we must test its universality. Can we imagine ourselves living in a world in which all societies seek to aid the underprivileged and the disadvantaged at the slight expense of others? Absolutely yes. It is important for one to bear in mind, however, that it is the very action of helping that is being judged as inherently good or bad, and not the action’s admirable or overbearing surrounding consequences. Secondly, we must test that the action is regarding everyone involved as ends and not as means to any particular purpose. Since the aim of affirmative action is to help the current predicaments of those people who were victimized in the past, focus is placed on respecting every individual’s autonomy. In this way, we can see that affirmative action is not a devious plan that seeks to manipulate, but one that seeks to compensate by adjusting the means (circumstances) and not the ends (individuals). Lastly, we must see if the action is establishing a universal law governing others in similar situations; one should behave as if one is the absolute moral authority of the universe. Is completing this action consistent with the application of moral law? If so, the affirmative action passes these three tests and the action is good. In his â€Å"Objections to Affirmative Action†, James Sterba talks about why he believes that Affirmative Action is morally wrong. He argues that a person’s race shouldn’t control his or her point of interest. Sterba argues that Affirmative Action leads to injustice and it is unfair to the white nonminority males because â€Å"it deprives them of equal opportunity by selecting or appointing women or minority candidates over more qualified nonminority male candidates. † He believes that the job of the government is to eliminate all kinds of discriminatory policies. He thinks that â€Å"alternative programs are preferable. † Thus, the government should instead promote equal opportunities through programs within agencies and departments instead of through Affirmative Action which he believes is a fancy word for discrimination. He argues that it is not fair to those who are more qualified for certain opportunities and cannot receive them either because they are not women or because they are not part of the minority. In his First Objection, he argues that Affirmative Action â€Å"is not required to compensate for unjust institutions in the distant past. † He talks about Morris’ argument that what occurred in the past is not the primary issue that puts all present-day African Americans at an unfair disadvantage; it is more about the issues of more recent origin. He makes a point that discrimination today could very well be the source of the disadvantaged disposition of African Americans and other minority groups, and it is certainly something that society could do without. The question remains that in attempting to â€Å"level the playing field† and eliminate present-day discrimination in America, is Affirmative Action a practical approach and should such a program be endorsed? The Fourth Objection goes on to say that Affirmative Action â€Å"hurts those who receive it† because in many ways the people benefitting from it would not see the need to work as hard, and it places â€Å"women and minorities in positions for which they are not qualified. † Sterba proposes that one of the solutions to this problem could be the installation education enhancement programs to compensate for any lack of skills. He believes that this will in a short time ensure that minorities are appropriately qualified for a position. In response to Sterba’s First Objection, Kant would agree that the rightness of Affirmative Action should be based upon the circumstances of the present situation and not what had occurred in the past; this is evident mainly through his a priori form of philosophical deductive reasoning that judges an action before the experience, or â€Å"in the moment. † However, Kant would disagree with Sterba’s Fourth Objection because in my opinion, Kant’s deontological theory correlates with the correctness of the affirmative action in its very aim toward helping â€Å"the right† people. Affirmative action has not significantly diminished gender, racial, and all other forms of discrimination, but the action has promoted equality and diversity to a large extent. In a world where everyone performs the â€Å"good will,† there is justice; and the installation of this program only serves to come closer to this justice. Discrimination is wrong because it violates a person’s basic and intrinsic moral rights. Thus, in itself the adoption of this program is an action that is good because without Affirmative Action it is true in many ways that minorities would remain at a disadvantaged position in the educational system and not be allowed the opportunity to exercise their true potential. Kant would argue that it is a duty out of â€Å"good will† to treat people equally. The concepts of equality and autonomy are emphasized in the nature of this program because it strives to treat everyone as a free person equal to everyone else. According to Kant, one should be treated as ends not as mere means. It can be argued that African Americans at a disadvantaged position were being treated as means by the dominant culture to achieve its own ends in the system. Discrimination cannot exist as a system of nature because those who discriminate would not want to be similarly discriminated against if things were reversed, and so Affirmative Action is justified because it aims to open the door of opportunities to those who have been oppressed for years. That being said, Kant would examine the action itself and not the consequences of the action. When making decisions, one has to put oneself into other people’s shoes and see if one wants to be treated the same way others have been treated; it is a duty to treat others as we ourselves want to be treated. Affirmative Action not necessarily needed in this society to reduce the inherent inequalities that are still existent, but it can certainly be used to assist in leveling the playing field. Affirmative Action has been successful on a short term basis, that is, in increasing the representation of minorities (including women) in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded. However, on the long term basis it can be argued that the program only serves to perpetuate a cycle of need. Kant advocates the idea of equality through his deontological theory by saying that all people deserve equal treatment as rational ends in themselves and that this should never be compromised by the flaws in any social system.

The Strangest Existentialism

Patrick Jackson Advance English 2 Mr. E. Hardy December 9, 2012 The Strangest Existentialism To understand how existentialism is present in The Stranger, written by Albert Camus in 1946, we first need to understand what existentialism is, and originally being written in French, the book presents some troubles in understanding and comprehending the existentialism that is present. Existentialism is a philosophical approach to understanding human existence and experiences.It is based on the assumption that individuals are free and responsible for their own choices and actions. Acting on your own experiences is essential in arriving at the truth and â€Å"man is condemned to be free. † (Sartre). Existentialism is present in mainly two events that occur in the story, when Meursault is on the beach, and he shoots the Arabian. And when he is about to be killed at the end of the story. One part of the novel that displays existentialism is when Meursault shot the Arab on the beach and how he handled the situation afterwards.The Arab drew his weapon, and in this case it was a knife and held it up to Meursault, but that occurrence was not what bothered Meursault at all, it was the light from the sun that shot off the Arab’s knife, and along with the intense heat along with the salt from his sweat in his eyes that was bothering him before. Meursault shot the Arab mainly because he was uncomfortable with the heat and sunlight shining off the knife, not because he felt threatened.In the following pages, Meursault can't understand why he would need an attorney for his case because it's simple to him, he had murdered a man and was now ready to pay the consequences. It exemplifies existentialism because it shows the power of free choice, which is what existentialism solely is. Being able to choose one’s destiny as a way of free choice. The other part of the story that displays existentialism is at the end of the novel when Meursault is sentenced to death.In my personal opinion, I do not think Meursault was an existentialist, until he faced his death the way an existentialist might’ve. Taken from page 123, Meursault says, â€Å"I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. † For him, there was no difference between life and death, everything was the same to him. It could be argued that he felt no emotion for any such thing, such as when Marie asked if he would marry her and he said it didn't matter and that it was up to her.In this moment, for the first time in the book he realizes what his mother might’ve felt before she died, only to be put in the same situation. This point helps to understand existentialism because throughout the whole book his mother's death—which is the first event to occur in the story—had absolutely no meaning to him at all until he is placed in the same situation—facing death—he finally realizes what it must have been like for her and for the first tim e in the whole story thinks about her feelings.From the existentialist point of view you must accept the risk and responsibility of your choices and follow the commitment to wherever it leads, as Meursault displays at the end of the story. Someone that is put in a particular situation understands it far more than someone looking in on that same situation—could be shown when the man is talking Meursault just before his execution. The man doesn’t understand why Meursault won’t pray to Jesus for him to save the man.With Meursault constantly refusing, the man will never truly understand why he won’t because he is not in the situation himself—one commonly used situation that appears often in existentialist writing is that of death. Bibliography Ankrom, Sheryl. â€Å"Existentialism – What is Existentialism. † About. com Health. N. p. , 27 Jan. 2009. Web. 9 Dec. 2012. Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Print. Sarte, Jean Paul. Philip Mairet, trans. â€Å"Existentialism is a Humanism. † Lecture given in 1946. Web. 10 October 2012

Epistemological and Methodological Approaches Essay - 2

Epistemological and Methodological Approaches - Essay Example According to the research findings, virtually epistemology in research means the rule of sciences that derive conclusions based on the information and arguments that are derived from the research study. It includes only those information that can be tested by various means. The ontology of research, on the other hand, involves the worldview with which the researcher progresses towards the study. The epistemological approach involves a conceptualizing process which shows how theory involves and how the theory is revised by varying degree. The epistemological approach involves the development of a qualitative approach and the qualitative approach gets validated by the quantitative methods. The quantitative method always has its origin in the qualitative methods because it is not possible that any quantitative derivation can be made without a qualitative basis. The major methodological positions that are involved in a research design are the positivist approach that is the quantitative approach. The positivist approach can also be called a scientific inquiry that emerges from the metaphysical reaction. Positivism is closely related to empiricism that refers to the scientific methods the aim of which is to establish the truth. The idealistic approach is primarily the qualitative approach. According to idealism reality is not separate from the individuals it is created by the individual mind. The positivist approach combined with the idealist methods can produce a good research design. The first study which we will discuss in the paper is based on the fire setter children and the analysis has been given to justify the behavior of those children. Various causes have been put forward as to why the children behave in such an aggressive manner. The study has also taken into account the difference in attitudes between the fire-setter and non-fire setter children. The second study has discussed the role which the disturbed social relations play in making an individual dev iant in nature.

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Report - Essay Example The Managerial Escalator The â€Å"managerial escalator† concept seeks to explain how specialists grow in their careers to become managers. In most companies and organizations, specialists are employed to perform a specific activity that is in line with their profession (Rees and Porter 7). For instance, an engineer may be hired to specifically deal with the design and implementation of technical concepts. This specialization cuts across various fields for professionals such as accountants, scientists and other professional fields. After some time in the job, a specialist may acquire some minor supervisory duties. For example, a senior engineer may have the responsibility to guide new employees with their job assignments and also check on their progress. These supervisory duties may be very informal since the specialist may not have a direct managerial role. Once the specialist attains experience of say five years, it is not uncommon for him or her to be promoted to a senior r ole. The new role may require the specialist to officially perform some sort of managerial duties albeit on a smaller scale (Schermerhorn & Schermerhorn 2011). Foe instance, an accountant may be put in charge of a small division within the accounting department. The role of leading a team inherently requires some level of managerial skills from the specialist The specialist may get further promotions as he or she attains more experience on the job. In the course of their duties, specialists often gain some managerial experience albeit informally. The managerial escalator concept argues that specialists may actually end up spending most of their time in management roles unknowingly. It is imperative that amount of time that an individual spends on a given position will depend on the individual’s skills (Mintzberg, 2009). Thus, the course of progress in the managerial escalator will vary from person to person. Even though a specialist may continue spending time in the area of s pecialization, the managerial shift occurs when the specialist finds himself spending more time managing people rather than engaging in the specialized activities himself (Rees and Porter 6) The progression from being a specialist to being a manager may not necessarily be similar for all individuals. One of the critical elements that dictate the evolution of specialists to managers is the structure of an organization (Schermerhorn & Schermerhorn 67). Specialists who are given some level of responsibilities and independence progress faster to managerial positions in comparison to those who have limited responsibility. In some organizations, there are specific guidelines that determine the career progression of its employees. It should be noted specialists who transition into managers may not have the requisite managerial skills. In fact, most organizations do not train their specialists with managerial skills and in the rare occasions where the managers are trained, the skills give a re not effective. Thus, it is common in organization to find specialists turned managers who have only informal management skills. The transition from a specialist to a manager may also face some challenges. Management requires specialist skills in order to lead and instruct others appropriately. The possession of specialist skills may also come in handy especially in

Movie analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Movie analysis - Essay Example According to Bass, transformational leaders are charismatic and understanding; they have good emotional intelligence and act beyond their interest to achieve better results for their team. These people are highly appreciated by their team and employers. The case of couch Carter perfectly meets all these requirements. First of all, Carter is a charismatic leader who can attract and retain people’s attention due to his specific approach. In his suit and tie he looks out of place at Richmond. He always speaks politely and asks all people to behave the same way. He establishes the rules of the game and other people have to follow them because he does not approve of any other approach. Every failure results in 100 shuttle runs and 250 pushups (Carter). Carter stimulates his followers intellectually, asking teachers to provide him weekly reports about athletes’ academic progress. When he finds out that 6 of them lag behind, he decides to terminate trainings and games for the sake of school performance. He motivates the boys to study recalling the statistics that 30% of African American males in Richmond are arrested (Carter). Even though almost nobody from local community supports Carter in his decisions, he makes all his basketball team respect him as a leader. He is a role model for his team members. He motivates them by own behavior to become better and think about their future. He is quite personal with his team; he always seeks for life examples to support his ideas. For instance, he uses his cousins’ names to title different basketball maneuvers. Carter treats everybody in his team equally, but he finds an individual approach to each athlete. He punishes his son the same way as other team members. He pays attention to emotional well-being of the team; he is specifically interested in Cruz, who is the most aggressive and unstable athlete. Carter remains strict with Cruz, but every time he gives him a

Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assignment 2 - Essay Example Considered as one of the best living American writers, McCarthy has written 10 novels in the span of four decades, but never once was he interviewed on television. This is what makes this Oprah interview special. Because this is a first for McCarthy (Winfrey, 2008), we might expect that he will be uncomfortable and might find it difficult to answer some of the questions. To prevent this from happening, Oprah went to Santa Fe where McCarthy is working so that he will be in a familiar setting and reduce the anxiety since there are no other people in the room (except for the camera man, of course). Moreover, Oprah chose to open the interview with the obvious question: Why did McCarthy never had any TV interview? This was something that the world renowned author can easily address this because he probably rehearsed this a number of times in different interviews before. From this question, Oprah went on to ask subtle, more personal questions so as to understand how McCarthy works and what inspires him to do what he does. Oprah’s interview had a good combination of direct, open-ended questions. The progression of her questions were well timed, starting with question pertaining to the author’s work before going into details which will force the interviewee to â€Å"think deep† and â€Å"reach into the heart† to find the answers. Aside from the questions, Oprah also showed a real interest in the information being provided by the interviewee. She looks directly at McCarthy and she provides her own reactions to his responses. While I am pretty sure that she had an interview agenda, she does not have it written down, she has remembered all the questions she wants to ask, but she phrases it in the same language used by her interviewee. This way, she improves the communication between them, and it also allows the interviewee to feel that Oprah was really listening to what he

Conversation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conversation - Essay Example Such a practice invariably ends with the death of the fox and oftentimes severe physical injury to the terrier due to the wounds that the fox has inflicted upon it as an act of self defense and being cornered. Phyllis Daugherty, the author of the newspaper article that discusses this practice proffers to the reader that the government of Ireland is currently considering legislation that would ban the practice of the â€Å"digout† itself; however, such legislation would have no effect on the continued prevalence of fox hunting as such (Aaltola 395). With regards to how this particular news article would relate to Pollan’s analysis that we have read, this author would have to connect it to one of the primary points that Pollan made concerning animal rights. As Pollan’s article progresses, he develops a rhythmic analysis of animal rights that uses a type of Boolean logic to draw the reader in to understanding the complexities of the given viewpoints. Due to the fact that these viewpoints deal with such issues as morality, ethics, the further definition of animal welfare/fair treatment, and rights, Pollan incorporates metaphorical parallels to other â€Å"rights† issues that have preceded animal rights in order to more fully develop and nuance his approach (Pollan 59). In order to understand Pollan’s view on the particular process as it relates to the fox hunt and the practice of the â€Å"digout† one must first broach the topic of what is meant by the term â€Å"equality† within the given news article that has been selected. The given news article expressly connects the ideas put forward by Pollan and Singer; ethically humans have responsibilities. Therefore, what one determines to make of these responsibilities therefore becomes the crux of the matter (Singer 11). Says the news article, â€Å"Fox  hunting  is a ‘blood sport,’ masked as an elite activity. Introduced in the 16th Century in the U.K.,   fox  hunting  is still popular in Ireland.  Ã‚  Fox  hunting  involves the tracking, chasing and killing of a helpless, terrorized fox hounded for hours until exhaustion delivers  it to the waiting dogs, to be killed in a frenzy of biting and savagery† (Daugherty 1). Regardless of how one feels about the issues of animal rights, the Daugherty article appeals to the dignity of life as a means to end such savage practices in the same way that Pollan and Singer evoke the higher ethical principles of overall equality and the nonsensical nature of animal cruelty. In this way, although the topics that Daugherty, Singer, and Pollan discuss are divergent, they all hinge on the belief that humans possess an innate responsibility towards other animals. Although Singer and Pollan would take this idea of responsibility further, Daugherty assumes that at the very least, this concept applies to lack of cruelty. Pollan discusses this idea of responsibility within the first tw o pages of his analysis and begins to encourage the reader to take a position as to how they stand upon this principle. Likewise, if one pursues the basis that equality is a moral ideal that should be ascribed to all things equally, there is but one logical end for the reader. Pollan describes such a process by defining that equality, as it relates to humans, does not mean that all people are equally intelligent; instead, he argues through the logic of Peter Singer that the idea of equality

Conceptualizing a Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Conceptualizing a Business - Essay Example This is because the food is cheap, but it has many calories that pose health risks to citizens. Therefore, this aspect brings the writer to the choice of opening up a restaurant that has nutrient facts and serves healthy food at affordable prices. The restaurant will offer varied types of products, which will be served on different occasions. For instance, it will serve healthy products and services to customers such as colorful fruits and vegetables, which are rich in vitamins. It will also serve whole grains, and low-fat dairy product and other products, which have rich carbohydrates. Other products include fish, groundnuts, starchy, lean poultry and unsaturated oils like olive oil and canola that have low calories, hence reducing increased risks for diseases. These are beneficial because they have low calories; hence, they will help customers to have sufficient energy; thus living a healthy lifestyle (McLaughlin pr.8). Therefore, the restaurant will target all categories of customers including students, civil servants and even tourists from varied parts of the globe. The mission of the restaurant is to offer customers nutritious products and services at affordable prices. This mission is significant because it will improve the health living standards of many people; thus maintaining a healthy nation. The vision of the restaurant is to be the health-oriented competitive restaurant by delivering quality and health services at the lowest possible price while striving to meet the needs of all customers effectively. The organization will strive to achieve this in the future through ensuring that customers consume healthy products. Therefore, they will train employees to serve customers health products in order to enable the restaurant to become competitive in the future. The company will employ effective business strategies that will enable it to achieve a competitive advantage in the competitive business environment.

Gender, class, society in Dubliners and Sons and Lovers Essay

Gender, class, society in Dubliners and Sons and Lovers - Essay Example Since the final part of the 20th century, an intellectual movement started to germinate that ignored all forms of social or gender classifications; consequently, exposed the true nature of patriarchal politics that aimed at male empowerment by discriminating as well as forcedly marginalizing women from all forms of intellectual enlightenment. Literature emerged as one of the most effective mediums to communicate the benefits of the movement among common people of the Western socio-cultural discourse. This intellectual movement that affected all domains of Western social life in the late 19th and early 20th century was recognized as Modernism and subsequently the intellectual impact of Modernism helped in deconstructing the conventional ideals regarding morality, gender discrimination, class and racial differentiation. James Joyce and D.H. Lawrence are two highly important writers of this period as they included in their literary creations the essential traits of modernism, such as, q uest to deconstruct the conventional social forms, gender differences, traditional notions about morality and social segmentation. James Joyce’s Dubliners and D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers are two such literary masterpieces that have incorporated within their scopes some of the most important transforming transits of the contemporary Western society in terms of gender, class, and conventional morality. Thesis Statement: While Joyce’s Dubliners reflects various dimensions of human life irrespective of their apparent gender or class differences over the common platform of transforming Ireland, Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers clearly incorporates rebellious outlook against all forms of social conventionalities that have been established since the Victorian era. Though deep analysis of human psyche, portraying characters with the quest to transcend existential barrier and showing

Course project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Course project - Coursework Example The company is quite strong compared to the peer group and the top competitors whose current ratio is 2.01 and 1.10 respectively. The strength emanates from the fact that the current ratio of the company is in between to indicate the assets are steering the growth of the company. The profitability ratio will measure the company’s ability to generate profits. Aswath argues that the gross margin indicates the percentage of net sales going towards fixed costs and profit (34-35). Macys aim for high gross margins that mean more money to cover fixed costs and increase profits. Asset management ratio is a good measure of the company’s efficiency and effectiveness in using the assets in revenue generation. Market value ratios relate to the stock price, observable market value and book value will get obtained in the company financial statement. Therefore, Equity Investors can extend credit to investors due to the report found in its financial ratios. The ratios show an upward trend to indicate that the company is

Mussolinis successful rise to power by 1922 Essay Example for Free

Mussolinis successful rise to power by 1922 Essay Analyze the claim that Mussolinis successful rise to power by 1922 was largely a consequence of the impact of the First World War. Without a doubt, the role of the First World War in Mussolinis spectacular rise to power between 1920 and 1922 was considerable, for it was surely a strong catalyst for change and Italys renewal, meaning it gave way to many problematic economical and political aspects, which in turn gave Mussolini the chance to strike at the precise moment in order to have a direct affect on people and ergo win their support. These were aspects such as the damage of the foundations of Liberal Italy, which had as a consequence the rise of frustration within nationalists and the decrease in wages and increase in the level of unemployment in the country, all of which were obviously disastrous. Therefore, Italian people started to doubt their government, which seemed weak, and initiated a search for a new, stronger leadership which would bring to cease the social unrest and economic problems; to this, Fascism seemed like the perfect alternative and solution. Nevertheless, the impact of the First World War was just to certain extent the reason for Mussolinis rise to power, for there were many other factors affecting the path of Italy into a Fascist dictatorship. These other factors were the already mentioned weak liberal regime, nationalist dissatisfaction and social and economic unrest, as well as Mussolinis opportunism, the Fascists actions and the Kings (Victor Emmanuel) doings. Dealing first with the impact of the war and the numerous consequences it had, it is necessary to point out that it was the war that brought the distress among soldiers and their families, who consequently turned to Fascism as a comfort, which implicates that the war provided a great number of employers for Fascism who were from the elite troops of the Italian army, (or Arditi); this gave Mussolinis movement a great deal of prestige. The war also brought discontent within the Italian political system; this had an effect on million of Italians who started believing that the time of liberalism was finally over; a fact which greatly accelerated the process of the formation of new political parties, such as the Socialist party, and the Popolari (formed by catholic radicals). The formation of these new parties meant a heavy burden for the Liberal government, because with a new opposition and challenge their regime was in danger, nevertheless the Liberal State found itself in a high level of vulnerability seeing that it was incapable of mobilizing the economy with the purpose of eliminating the countrys economic troubles, and finding a way around its limited economic resources; this only provided the masses with new restlessness concerning their government, and ergo made them consider what seemed a more decisive power: Fascism, which seemed to have the key property to put an end to the domestic situation, which after the war was only deteriorating further; causing lifestyles to worsen for the majority of the Italian population, which was the main reason for the sense of social breakdown that was spreading throughout the country. To this, Giolitti could either see no solution, or simply did nothing to stop it, for the Liberal regime could not get rid of the social unrest which gave way to strikes of over 40000 workers. On the other hand, communism seemed to be growing in the form of a political power: the Socialist party, which was in great scale believed to be an enormous threat and therefore any show of strength from this party was greatly feared for it was thought that it might bring revolution. This encouraged most of the social classes to believe in Fascism as it posed as the savoir to this menace and as the defender of law and order. The adoption of this heroic image by the fascists could also be regarded as a degree of opportunism from Mussolinis character, for the tension that was created by the fear of Socialism of the industrialists (who feared revolution was near), small land owners (who were deeply hit by inflation and therefore felt that their government was a weak one), Industrial workers (who were threatened by the seizure of their jobs by the socialist forces) and rentiers created the perfect atmosphere for Mussolini to put into practice his skills and tactics. Mussolini successfully abused the fears of a Socialist takeover from these classes to enable them to consider Fascism not only as an alternative, but as a perfect answer to the request of a powerful and decisive government. Mussolini, to great extent, persuaded people to believe the above by the use of his extraordinary speaking skills, to which he integrated the ideas of bringing order, stability, commitment, discipline and a strong government to Italy; (which were the exact properties of a government that the Italian masses were seeking at the moment), as well as convincing the middle classes that liberalism was finished, (as already mentioned). Moreover, his astuteness served him in convincing people that they (fascists) were violent because it [was] necessary to be so (a direct line from a speech he makes after the murder of a socialist leader), meaning that he was doing what was necessary to complete the correction of Italy. While he convinced the masses that the atrocities committed by fascists were perfectly reasonable by saying that blood alone moves the wheels of history, he was simultaneously using this violent authority to secure political power for his own later use; this meant that the black-shirted actions squads were taking law into their own hands, and by doing so, they were eliminating all those who dared to oppose this fascist movement. To some degree, this use of intimidation was very effective, for it meant that fascism would gain support by force which was obviously directed by fear within the supporters. An example of this successful intimidation was the violent general elections where Fascism gained a considerable amount of seats due to the brutality used to achieve control. But although violence was greatly used, and regardless of the fact that it put Mussolini in position to threaten the state, Mussolini was aware of all the possible consequences that his actions could bring, such as provoking the conservatives to make the authorities crush the fascists if their use of violence went too far; this measure of consciousness made him a great politician. Furthermore, in contrast to the slow Liberal reaction, Fascists were fast to accept their role as the alternative to Socialism and dealt with the Social General Strike with great speed; and by putting a stop to the socialist threat they won many votes in the parliament and had an effective result in the support of Italians; on the other hand, the lack of reaction from the Liberals only showed their incompetence to restore law, order and public confidence in their regime; which in turn continued encouraging the urban educated classes to keep thinking that they were in the path towards a civil war, meaning that the sense of crisis in the circumstances had not yet ceased to exist. In addition, Mussolini exploited to the full the situation of the General Strike and thought of it as the opportune moment to oppose the communist threat and hence use the socialists failure to appeal to the people as a man whose intentions were to save Italy from its inadequate Liberal government and propose a new regime which would be the salvation of Italy. All the while, Mussolini used his character and skills at discourse to reassure to the Liberal government that fascism, unlike Socialism, was not to be feared, this could be regarded as another opportunist strike from Mussolinis part for it served him into luring Giliotti into thinking that Fascism (Mussolinis PFN) could be controlled and absorbed into the existing political regime, meaning the official government list of coalition partners, to form an anti-socialist government coalition. This would come to be one of the biggest mistakes from the Liberals side, for; of course, Mussolini used absorption to his advantage for it gave him a level of respectability as a political party and therefore allowed the Fascists to win more seats, this was a great occasion for Mussolini for he wanted to come to power through parliamentary means. Then again, as expected, this invitation by Giolitti to enter the coalition was the result of a loss of liberal maintained seats in the parliament; seats that were lost to the Socialist party. This situation in which Giolitti was forced to look towards coalitions for support is linked to when he had formed a coalition with the Popolari, which was a political party formed by radical Catholics. This, again, clearly shows the fundamental weakness of the Liberal government for it was completely dependant on this coalition to survive within the parliament and to ad to its already mentioned problems; this was a very problematic relationship because the Popolari were rather suspicious of the Liberals anti-clericalism. The fact that it was once before also dependent on the making of coalitions, the weaknesses of the Liberal Parliamentary System are shown to have been evident long before 1922. Likewise, a further great weakness that the Liberals possessed was the lack of political will to use their own power of violence against the Squadrisimo fascist squads in order to restrain them; and by being deficient in having this determination, the fascist squads continued to perform acts of violence which ensured the fascist to induce fear and therefore eliminate opposition by intimidation. Yet in contrary to all these factors affecting Mussolinis rise to power; his vagueness and lack of any definite political beliefs gave Mussolini a unique sense of ambiguousness, and due to this Mussolini was able to influence and manipulate people so that they would perceive fascism in the way he wanted the to; this opened many paths to Mussolini throughout his career as a politician. The actions of King, Victor Emmanuel, were also crucial in the process of Mussolinis rapid rise to power. This is mainly because the King could have stopped the fascist forces if only he had not been afraid of being replaced by his cousin, Aosta. He was afraid of this because he believed that his cousin, being a fascist sympathizer, would want to replace him if he dared to oppose Mussolini in any aspect. On the other hand, it is believed that the King believed Mussolinis claims that the Monarchy and Fascism could coexist and therefore acceded to his demands, and actually appointed him head of coalition government. On the other hand, it is also said that it was weakness which made the King give into fascism as easily, for he did not believe that anything could be done against fascism; that is was too strong. Nevertheless, it is also greatly believed that Fascism could have been destroyed in 1922, in the March on Rome, of only the King had been strong enough as to oppose Mussolini, because there was a great deal of disorganization within the Fascists, meaning there was a lack of planning of this supposedly great movement, plus Mussolini was under a immense amount of pressure (from the RAS), and was going through a great depression which made him somehow weaker and easier to defeat; and therefore the army could have easily stopped it if only orders have been transmitted to it. A counter argument for this claim that it was weakness which stopped the king from acting is that he thought that Italy was walking into a full-scale civil war, and therefore, to prevent it, he took no measures against Fasc ism, and that, in addition, in that time he was under a great deal of pressure, and ergo did not make what could have been the best decision. Another vital decision that the King took was to appoint Mussolini as Prime minister, although this decision could also be blamed on the weakness of the Liberal regime, because if it had not been so indecisive, the King would not have been forced to take this step towards a dictatorship, thus if the Liberal government had been more able, and had not underestimated Mussolini then the King would not have been under so much pressure and would have probably made a better decision than to appoint Mussolini as Prime Minister. But as we can see, the March on Rome, instead of leading to a disastrous moment in Mussolinis life as it could have; it was the catalyst to the rise of power of Mussolini, for it provided the exact amount of pressure the King needed to make Mussolini the youngest Prime Minister of Italy. With the above historical debate we can say that the First World War provided the necessary conditions for Mussolinis rise to power, however, these were not sufficient and therefore other affecting factors were eventually needed to complete his successful rise to power, such as the terribly weak Liberal government which enabled the Italian people to look elsewhere for strong leadership and ergo turn to Fascism as an alternative and solution to the Socialist threat, and the brilliant tactics that Mussolini uses as well as his great deal of opportunism which made him capable to turn disastrous situations to his advantage. Such as the Matteoti crisis which forced him to use his ability to speak in front of the masses and convince them of the justification for violence; he also benefited from this crisis by abusing the fact that all other forces in the parliament left hi alone and in control of it. Having said the above, it can be understood that Mussolinis rise to power was, as Richard Parrish describes: a multi-causal phenomenon.

Child Recognition of Emotions

Child Recognition of Emotions CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Human emotions serve as a means of expression, often indicating an individuals internal conscious experience or physiological arousal. Emotions also serve as a form of communication, alerting individuals to important aspects of their environment and their relationships with other individuals. Emotions influence a persons actions, cognitions, and how they are perceived by others (Strayer, 2002). For example, emotions may influence how individuals respond to an environmental threat, as feelings of sadness may indicate a withdrawal of behavior or feelings of fear may engage the activity of flight (Strayer, 2002). The experience of emotions, in turn, provides individuals with meaning about both their internal and external environments and information about how they should respond to a social situation. The ability to develop an adequate understanding of emotions is known as emotional competence. More precisely, emotional competence is defined as a demonstration of self-efficacy in emotion-eliciting social transactions (Saarni, Campos, Camras Witherington, 2006, p. 250). For children, one way to gauge their emotional competence is to examine their ability to perceive their own emotions and the emotions of others (Saarni et al., 2006). This type of assessment allows researchers to determine an approximate measure as to childrens emotional development level. The first skill of emotional competence is for children to develop an understanding of self. Through an ability to be aware of their own personal emotional experience, children begin to develop self-conscious emotions. Feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment, for example, allow children to refer to themselves as having conscious awareness that they are distinct from others (Lewis, 1993, 1995; Mascolo Fischer, 1995). In addition, childrens emotional competence is developed through an ability to be aware of multiple emotions or to feel that their emotions are in conflict with their environment (e.g., ambivalence; Stein, Trabasso, Liwag, 2000). As children become aware of their own emotions, emotional development is strengthened and refined. A second important skill development to emotional competence is for children to make sense of others inner states (Saarni et al., 2006). Specifically, children learn to comprehend and interpret others behaviors and begin to realize that others are capable of forming their own beliefs and emotions (for a review see Dunn, 2000; Halberstadt, Denham, and Dunsmore, 2001). Understanding the distinction between ones own emotions and the emotions of others is crucial to emotional development in children. For instance, studies indicate that childrens ability to accurately identify emotions in self and in others may work as a gauge to assess social competence (Halberstadt et al., 2001). In these types of studies, childrens social competence is established by correlating their understanding of emotion terms, facial expressions, and elicitors of emotion terms (e.g., situational descriptions of a happy or sad event) with their social competence rating from teachers ratings or by peers sociometric choices (Saarni et al., 2006). Childrens ability to distinguish differences in emotional features in combination with how others view their ability provides a measure of their social competence. Monitoring childrens social competence allows one to identify socially disadvantaged children and implement effective coping strategies before any harmful, long-term effects manifest (Benford, 1998). Through childrens awareness of their own emotional state, in combination with the skill to discern others emotions, children begin to achieve more effective emotional processing skills. Understanding childrens emotional processing is important because it affects many social outcomes, such as childrens helping behavior (Chapman, Zahn-Waxler, Cooperman Iannotti, 1987, Miller Jansen op de Haar, 1997), aggressive responses (Harris Siebel, 1975), and self-control (Ceschi Scherer, 2003). Few studies, however, have examined how emotion affects childrens abilities to accurately identify the emotional state of others. Consequently, the present study sought to examine the effects of childrens own emotional states on their social/cognitive abilities to recognize emotional states in others. More specifically, this research sought to understand how positive, negative, and neutral emotional states of children affected performance on emotion recognition tasks that utilized different levels of cognitive complexity. By utilizing two types of emotion recognition tasks, the research examined the influence of differently valenced emotions on childrens social-cognitive abilities. Results may help to expand existing social information processing models by incorporating the influence cognitive complexity and affect may serve in childrens recognition of others emotions. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Understanding Others Emotions through Facial Expressions The ability for children to understand what others are experiencing emotionally develops through an interaction between the awareness of their own emotional experience and the ability to empathize and conceptualize the causes of emotions in others (Saarni et al., 2006). In addition, the more children learn about how and why others act the way they do, the more they can make inferences about the emotional state of others. Children typically rely on facial expressions to infer others emotional state (Ceschi Scherer, 2003; Holder Kirkpatrick, 1991). The face is considered the primary indicator of human emotion (Ekman, 1992). For example, body gestures are easily concealed (e.g., hiding a clenched fist behind ones back) or verbal communication can be eliminated by simply refusing to speak. Facial expressions, however, are more difficult to disguise (Ekman, 1993). Additionally, the diversity in an individuals face allows for a variety of emotional expressions, each associated with a distinct facial expression (Ekman, 1993). Facial expressions serve a dual purpose; facial emotions can indicate a persons internal emotional state or function as symbols referring to something else, such as a form of communication (e.g., deterring or placating someones actions; Lewis Michalson, 1985). Facial expressions are commonly used as a means for gauging emotion states in research. By 2 Â ½ years, children can distinguish a number of basic emotional states in the facial expressions of adults, but do not always label them accurately (Izard, 1971). At 5 years, children can accurately label 41% of the emotions depicted in a set of adult photographs (Odom Lemond, 1972). Overall, young children can recognize some of the more common emotional expressions as displayed by adults (e.g., MacDonald, Kirkpatrick Sullivan, 1996). By the ages of 11 or 12, most children recognize and verbalize that a persons expression may be both a social and an emotional response (e.g., Underwood Hurley, 1999). Consequently, children realize that a persons facial expression may indicate both the individuals internal state (e.g., I am feeling sad), as well as what the cues represent socially (e.g., I am expressing my feelings of sadness towards others). Each form of emotional expression is essential in order for children to interpret and comprehend anothers emotion (Underwood Hurley, 1999). Developmental Differences in Childrens Understanding of Others Emotional Experiences As children mature, they acquire greater abilities to make inferences about what others are feeling (Gross Ballif, 1991). Children, in an attempt to understand the emotions of others, begin to combine facial and situational cues. The ability to combine these cues, however, is strengthened and refined as children age. The easiest emotions for children to discern are positive ones (Saarni et al., 2006). Children can more readily identify happy reactions in a naturally occurring setting as compared to negative reactions (e.g. Fabes, Eisenberg, Nyman, Michealieu, 1991). Negative facial expressions, on the other hand, such as sadness, fear, and anger, are more difficult for children to decode. Negative emotions become easier to interpret, however, when they are paired with an emotion-eliciting situational context (Saarni et al. 2006). In addition, the causes of negative emotion are easier for children to decode than causes of positive emotion, an explanation that appears consistent with negative emotions eliciting a more intense response (Fabes et al., 1991). For example, children can easily determine the causes for their goal failures because it is an undesired consequence. Developmental differences are apparent when evaluating childrens understanding of the causes of emotions (Fabes et al., 1991). Younger children (i.e., 3 year-olds) are more prone to attribute causes of emotion to a persons wants or needs, whereas older children (i.e., 5 year-olds) make use of others personality traits to determine their future reactions to an emotional event (Fabes et al., 1991). Children aged 5 to 10 years can use a characters past experience to determine the characters reactions to a new situation (Gnepp Gould, 1985). For example, if a characters best friend harasses him, children aged 5 to 10 can infer how that character will later react to seeing the best friend on the playground. The developmental difference is evident in the quality of the response. Younger children are more likely to infer what the character is feeling solely through the current situational information (e.g., the character would be pleased to see the best friend), whereas older children are m ore likely to use the prior experience to evaluate how the character will react (e.g., the character will avoid the best friend on the playground; Gnepp Gould, 1985). Further support for this developmental difference is that younger children (i.e., preschoolers) are more likely to infer the emotional state of others when a characters emotional cues are presented explicitly (e.g., pictorial representation of the characters face) as compared to older children (i.e. school-aged) who can adeptly determine the characters response when less explicit cues are utilized (Lagattuta, Wellman, Flavell, 1997). These investigations demonstrate that by school age, children are well equipped to identify emotional expressions in others. Although there are developmental differences in childrens abilities to identify reasons for the emotional expression, by the age of 5, children generally distinguish differences in emotional cues and identify different types of emotional expressions in others. Integrating Cognition and Emotion There has been considerable interest in how children interpret, encode, and respond to social environments. One such model that attempts to explain the relationship is the social information processing model (Crick Dodge, 1994). The social information processing model assumes that the way in which children understand and interpret social situations directly influences how they respond behaviorally (Lemerise Arsenio, 2000). In turn, the social information processing model offers an explanation for how children process and interpret cues in a social situation and arrive at a decision that facilitates their understanding of the social environment (Crick Dodge, 1994; Dodge, 1986). For any social interaction, children utilize their past experiences and biologically determined capabilities (e.g., memory store capacity) in order to rapidly assess the situation (Crick Dodge, 1994). To illustrate the social information processing model, imagine a child who gets pushed on the playground by another child. First, the child must encode the social cues (both internal and external) to determine what happened (attention, encoding) and then determine why it happened (interpretation: an accident or on purpose?). In the third step of the model, the child begins to clarify his or her goal in the social situation (e.g., goal to show others he/she wont tolerate the behavior). In step four and five of the model, possible responses to the situation are generated in terms of anticipated outcomes and how those actions relate to the individuals goals (Lemerise Arsenio, 2000). The child may choose to retaliate in response to the other childs actions or the child may choose to not retaliate for fear of the situation escalating. Finally, the majority of children generally choose the most positively evaluated response with respect to goals and anticipated outcomes before the behavio r is enacted (e.g., the child ignores the push and walks away; Crick Dodge, 1994). The social information processing model has been useful in assessing how children encode and interpret social situations. The model, however, does not specify how emotion affects the processing strategy (Lemerise Arsenio, 2000). Lemerise and Arsenio (2000) argue that it is possible to expand Crick and Dodges models explanatory power by integrating emotion processing with social information processing. Before integrating emotion and social information processing, it is important to understand the relationship between the two. Emotions and cognitions may appear similar because both are types of information processing, but the way each influence human behavior makes them distinct (Lemerise Arsenio, 2000). Emotion is about motivation; cognition, on the other hand, concerns knowledge. This view is shared by many functionalist theorists, neurophysiologists, and some cognitive theorists (e.g., Campos, Mumme, Kermoian, Campos, 1994; Damasio, 1994; Oatley Jenkins, 1996). Because cognition and emotion are two distinct processes, an attempt to devise a model that integrates and utilizes the two is pragmatic. In Lemerise and Arsenios (2000) social information processing model, the researchers added and expanded to Crick and Dodges (1994) original concept. In particular, the researchers implemented other emotion processes that could influence accessing and evaluating responses. As an example of this approach, intense emotions can interfere with the steps of Crick and Dodges model where children assess possible responses to a situation (Steps 4 and 5). For example, children with intense emotions may react negatively to a social situation (e.g., becoming easily upset and running away), thereby reducing the probability that they will interpret and encode the situation from the perspective of all parties (Lemerise Arsenio, 2000). Intense emotions, in turn, can influence how a child responds in a social situation. In addition, the childs reaction to the soci al situation may be dependant on whether he/she cares about and wants that person to like him/her (Lemerise Arsenio, 2000). Emotions heavily influence this social decision making process. It is difficult to adhere to a social informational processing strategy without accounting for the influences emotion may serve. Support for the role emotions play in social information processing has been demonstrated in more recent research (e.g., Orobio de Castro, Merk, Koops, Veerman, Bosch, 2005). Specifically, researchers examined the relationship between emotional aspects of social information processing and aggressive boys. After hearing a series of vignettes that instilled provocation by their peers, participants answered questions concerning social information processing, including feeling of their own emotions, the emotions of others, and emotion regulation. Aggressive boys used less adaptive emotion-regulation strategies, attributed more hostile intent to others actions, and reported less guilt concerning their own actions (Orobio de Castro et al., 2005). For aggressive boys, anger attribution (i.e., encoding of emotions) significantly influenced the interpretation step of the social information processing model, a view that is consistent with Lemerise and Arsenios (2000) model. Clearly, emotions can influence childrens social information processing strategies. By combining emotional processing with social decision making processes, researchers can expand Crick Dodges models explanatory power, perhaps offering further insight into the influence emotion serves for childrens cognitive abilities (Lemerise Arsenio, 2000). Induction of Positive and Negative Affect Researchers examine emotional influences on social information processing and other social behaviors by experimentally inducing emotions and assessing the effects (Bryan, Mathur Sullivan, 1996; Bugental Moore, 1979; Burkitt Barnett, 2006; Carlson, Felleman Masters, 1983; Masters, Barden Ford, 1979; Stegge, Terwogt Koops, 2001). Inducing affect typically consists of an experimenter having subjects recall events that make them happy or sad before examining their responses to a variety of social and cognitive problems. These problems can range from measures of altruism, self-gratification, or delay of gratification (Bugental Moore, 1979). For this type of induction procedure, the researcher asks the child to recall and reflect upon a happy or sad past event for approximately 30 seconds to 2 minutes (Bryan et al., 1996). This type of procedure allows psychologists to examine how affective states influence individuals social and psychological behaviors (Bugental Moore, 1979). Pre-recorded videotapes or audiocassettes are another technique used to implement positive or negative affect in children (e.g., Carlson Masters, 1986; Rader Hughes, 2005). The recordings improve the reliability and standardization of the affect inductions. The recording typically follows the same procedural method as the other affect induction studies (e.g., Carlson et al., 1983; Masters et al., 1979; Moore, Underwood, Rosenhan, 1973)—the person reading the script (e.g., actor, puppet) asks the child to ruminate on a past experience that is positive, negative, or neutral for approximately 30 seconds. For any procedural method chosen, it is important to validate if the affect induction actually takes place. There are multiple methods for conducting manipulation checks. Procedures include: having two or more experimenters rate the childs mood and assessing interrater agreement (e.g., Carlson Maters, 1986); having participants use a word item check-list to indicate their current mood (e.g., Vosburg, 1998); or comparing if the performance of children in the positive or negative condition differs from those in the neutral condition (e.g., Bugental Moore, 1979; Stegge et al., 2001). As demonstrated in past research, the induction of positive and negative moods is experimentally possible. Positive and Negative Affect and Emotional Processing There are a number of experimental studies that demonstrate the influence of childrens emotional states on a variety of emotional processes and behaviors, such as altruism (Chapman et al., 1987, Miller Jansen op de Haar, 1997), aggression (Harris Siebel, 1975), and self-control (Ceschi Scherer, 2003). One study, in particular, induced positive emotional states in a group of 5-6-year-old children to examine their responses to social comparison situations where the participant was rewarded unfairly, sometimes in the participants favor, sometimes in anothers favor (Carlson Masters, 1986). Children were exposed to one of three emotion inducing conditions: self-focused happy, other-focused happy, or neutral. After the children focused on their own happy emotional experience (self-focused) or the emotional state of a friend (other-focused) or had no emotional focus (neutral), they and other players received a reward for participating in a game. Children received either more (positive inequality) or less (negative inequality) of an award as compared to the other players. Children in the self-focused happy condition did not demonstrate a reduction in generosity after receiving an inequality of rewards (Carlson Masters, 1986). The authors interpreted their results as supportive of the po sition that positive mood facilitates tolerance of aversive experiences (Carlson Masters, 1986). What these studies did not answer, however, is what influence emotion serves in other social information processes. Specifically, how do inductions of positive or negative affect influence childrens emotion recognition? One research experiment did attempt to investigate the influence childrens own emotional states has on their ability to recognize emotions in others (Carlson et al., 1983). Experimenters induced emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, or neutral affect in eighty 4 and 5 year-old children. The children were then provided with a label of an emotion (e.g. happy) and asked to identify the correct facial expression from a group of photographs of other children who were displaying various emotions. Significant differences in accuracy across the mood induction conditions were not found, but childrens own feelings of sadness did influence their perception of sadness in peers (Carlson et al., 1983). Sad participants were not more inaccurate than happy participants when identifying emotions, but when they were inaccurate they tended to confuse sadness with anger. The induction of positive and negative mood in children appears to have an influence on childrens emotional processing. Negative affective states appear to lead to inaccuracies in the perception of others sadness, whereas positive affective states appear to help children maintain positive emotional experiences, even in the presence of aversive social situations. Influence of Emotional States on Cognition for Adults Despite the number of studies assessing childrens emotion processing ability, only a few studies have investigated how emotion-directed information processes, such as perception, attention, judgment, and memory recognition and recall, are influenced by the childs own emotional state, whether enduring or temporary (Greene Noice, 1988; Masters et al., 1979; Rader Hughes, 2005). Because of this dearth in the literature, it is useful to review studies conducted with adults. One particularly important study, which examined the role affect plays in adults cognitive performance, induced positive and negative affect through the use of a role-playing technique while participants carried out three cognitive tasks (Izard, Wehmer, Livsey, Jennings, 1965). The cognitive tasks ranged from participants generating as many possible uses for a particular object (multiple-use task), recalling sets of numbers (digit span test), and giving verbalized responses for creativity problems. Positive affect increased performance for both the multiple-use task and the creativity problems as compared to those in the negative affect condition. Some literature supports the finding that positive affect results in higher productivity and creativity (Ashby, Isen, Turken, 1999). Specifically, induced positive affect improved cognitive processes such as memory, judgment, risk-preference, decision-making, creative problem solving, categorization, and logical problem solving (Ashby et al., 1999). Other research, however, does not support the claim that positive affect improves cognitive productivity and creativity. Positive affect may actually interfere with performance on some tasks (e.g., Kaufmann Vosburg, 1997). In an attempt to explain the discrepancy in these results, Forgas (2000, 2002) affect infusion model (AIM) suggests that affect results in inattentive processing for complex tasks. As participants experience positive affective, for example, substantive processing or systematic processing may be hindered, thereby interfering with their ability to solve elaborate and complex problems. Specifically, negative moods may facilitate differentiated, analytic processing whereas positive moods may facilitate global, synthetic processing (Forgas, 2000). Negative moods may be more adaptive for cognitive tasks that require one to reduce complex decisions to a series of one-on-one comparisons, thus simplifying the results (i.e., analytic processing). Positive moods, on the other hand, may be more adaptive for cognitive tasks that require one to generate a wide variety of responses, often seeking out all possibilities for a solution (i.e., global processing). Following Forgas (2000, 2002) AIM model, it is clear how research supports the notion that positive and negative affect are adaptive for different types of cognitive tasks. To clarify, some studies show that positive affect facilitates cognitive performance by increasing participants creativity (Ashby et al., 1999; Isen, Daubman Nowicki, 1987; Isen, 2002; Izard et al., 1965). Other research, however, shows that positive affect results in inattentive processing, thereby reducing participants creativity and problem-solving (Forgas, 2000; Kaufmann Vosburg, 1997). These seemingly contrasting findings are explained by differences in task specificity. In the research conducted by Kaufmann and Vosburg (1997), for example, positive affect significantly inhibited creative problem solving. After the researchers experimentally induced affect, participants responded to a series of tasks presented in a paper-and-pencil format, and received no outside feedback. Contrastingly, in research conduct ed by Isen et al. (1987), they used creativity measures such as the candle-problem, which required participants to physically manipulate objects and to come up with as many solutions to the problem as possible. In addition, the participants received feedback, which allowed them to instigate further solutions to the problem. Clearly, the tasks used in each of these studies are distinct. The notion that positive and negative affect are adaptive to different types of cognitive tasks is important because it points out the need to carefully consider the type of cognitive task being performed. Positive or negative moods may facilitate processing for different types of tasks in adults; therefore it is useful to examine how positive or negative moods affect childrens processing in different types of tasks. Influence of Emotional States on Cognition for Children There are indications that the influences of positive affect on childrens cognitive performance are similar to those in adults (Rader Hughes, 2005). For example, eighth-grade students who were experimentally induced with positive affect showed greater cognitive flexibility than students in the control condition and obtained higher scores on a verbal fluency test (Greene Noice, 1988). Likewise, researchers have examined the effects of emotional states on learning (Masters et al., 1979). After the induction of a positive, negative, or neutral emotional state, children completed a series of shape discrimination tasks. The dependent variable in the experiment was how many trials it took the children to achieve perfect mastery for the task (e.g. identifying 12 consecutive trials of shapes correctly). For children in the positive affect condition, positive affect enhanced performance. Contrastingly, for children in the negative condition, negative affect hindered performance dramatically (Masters et al., 1979). In addition, positive affect increased performance for children on a block design task, a challenging cognitive task that requires the use of spatial analysis (Rader Hughes, 2005). Research also suggests a relationship between affect and childrens thinking processes (Bryan et al., 1996). Specifically, negative affective states decrease participants efforts for processing cognitive information (Ellis, Thomas, Rodriquez, 1984). Positive affective states, on the other hand, improve participants memory on various tasks, which include: mastery of a discriminatory task (Masters et al., 1979); altruism (Chapman et al., 1987; Miller Jansen op de Haar, 1997); and child compliance (Lay, Waters Park, 1989). In sum, positive affective states increase complex cognitive functions when participants are required to synthesize information in new and useful ways (e.g., word association and memory tasks, creativity tasks, problem-solving tasks; Bryan et al., 1996). Social Information Processing and Cognitive Complexity Childrens awareness of their own emotional state, in combination with their skill to discern others emotions, allows them to develop more effective social information processing skills. As children become more aware of emotions they or others are experiencing, it facilitates problem-solving (Saarni et al., 2006). In turn, when children know how to respond emotionally to an encounter, it can aid in their decision making strategy, thus influencing behavioral or cognitive processing strategies. Task complexity can negatively influence accuracy in identifying emotional expressions in others (MacDonald et al., 1996). Specifically, research has shown how incorporating contextual information for an emotion recognition task results in lower levels of performance as compared to a task where children are given the label for the emotional expression (MacDonald et al., 1996). Labeling tasks involve an extremely easy stimulus (i.e. children are given a word), whereas contextual information tasks involve integrating and synthesizing implicit information (i.e. children must derive a word from the vignette)plexity. paragraph should be eliminated. This is more relevant to cognitive processing strategies rather than levels of task. Adding contextual information to an emotion recognition task, therefore, increases the difficulty of the task, resulting in lower performance, especially for younger children (MacDonald et al. 1996). Past research on childrens emotional recognition has not adequately addressed the influence of childrens own emotional states (positive or negative) on the accuracy of the perception of emotional states in others. Research addressing the topic is minimal; only a few studies have approached the issue (e.g., Carlson et al., 1983). In addition, past research has not directly demonstrated how emotion and cognitive task complexity influence childrens ability to recognize emotion in others. Based on the information regarding childrens ability to recognize emotions in others through their facial expressions; the developmental differences in childrens facial recognition abilities; the influence of emotion on childrens emotion processing; and the influence of emotion on adults cognitive processing, researchers can devise an appropriate social information processing model. The model, in effect, should integrate emotion and cognitive processes to determine the influence affect and task complexity have on childrens recognition of emotions in others. The component of the model the present study investigated is how childrens own emotion affects their interpretation of social cues, specifically the emotional expression of others. Inaccurate interpretations will provide potential consequences to childrens subsequent social decision making processes. The Present Study The study examined the influence positive and negative affect has on childrens emotion recognition. Children, aged 5-to 8-years, participated because of their ability to identify emotions in others (Fabes et al., 1991, Gnepp Gould, 1985, Saarni et al., 2006). Because emotion processing and cognition are considered an integral part of childrens social competence (Lemerise Arsenio, 2000), the study design combined and evaluated cognition and emotional processes. Specifically, the study investigated how the cognitive complexity of the task interacted with mood effects on emotion recognition performance. In the experiment, children were individually tested. They were first exposed to one of three mood induction conditions (positive, negative, or neutral) using a computer setup with a pre-recorded audio file, a method that is consistent with a brief mood induction procedure (Rader Hughes, 2005). For the testing procedure, the experimenter utilized two forms of emotion expressing questions: label-b

Green Marketing Differs From Traditional Marketing Marketing Essay

Green Marketing Differs From Traditional Marketing Marketing Essay Green Marketing can be defined as the holistic management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying the needs of customers and society, in a profitable and sustainable way. Therefore, one can say that green marketing is a careful integration of social and environmental requirements with the economic desires of the company. Green marketing is also known as environmental, sustainable and eco marketing. Green Marketing differs from Traditional Marketing Differences between green marketing and traditional marketing can be seen from various aspects. Green marketing expands on the fundamental functions of traditional marketing. Consequently, green marketing can achieve goals that traditional marketing cannot meet. For example, green marketing not only focuses on the direct benefit of a product but also on long term environmental benefits. Traditional marketing involves soliciting new customers by using television advertising, print advertising, direct mail and telemarketing. This is known as outbound marketing where focus is on push strategies. Green marketing by contrast uses inbound marketing where the focus is a pull strategy. According to Cordero (2012); Inbound marketing works by creating content that people actually want to see, encouraging potential clients to seek out the company being marketed, rather than the company seeking out people. Social media is the primary marketing platform for inbound marketing. By linking the companys website with external social media sites such as: YouTube, Facebook and Twitter; along with blogs. All these platforms form an interactive media that fosters interaction with potential customers. Why Green? Green marketing has been growing rapidly since it came into existence; it is not only leading companies to environmental protection, but also creates job opportunities and opens new markets. Green Marketing has emerged as a mainstream marketing tool in business over the last decade. With the mobilisation of socio-environmental groups and the vastly increased sources of information in society it is no longer possible for companies to ignore green. Thus green marketing has evolved enough to become significant for the long term sustainability of companies. Filho, et al. (2008), state; The growing concerns with the environment, increased competition, and customer demands are immediate challenges to green marketing. And according to the Harvard Sustainability Initiative, (2012); Companies are under growing pressure to be accountable not only to shareholders, but also to stakeholders such as employees, consumers, suppliers, local communities, policymakers, and society-at-large. Socio-environmentalism (sustaining the future of our Planet) has become a leading concern for all. They are leading motivations for change and reform. Society needs to pressure environmental reform to safeguard the future of our planet for future generations. Table 1 below lists some of the more pertinent socio-environmental concerns; Global Warming Finite Natural Resources Water Waste Management Deforestation Pollution Synthetic Chemicals Genetically Modified Foods Table Socio-Environmental Concerns Green Drivers Figure 1 below demonstrates the green drivers affecting sustainable marketing. Green drivers are divided into two categories: internal drivers and external drivers. Figure 1 Summary of green drivers Environmental Management Catalysts (Khanna, 2005) cited by (Valentine, 2009) External Drivers External drivers include stakeholder pressures, regulation and competition. Figure 2 below lists the various sources of stakeholder pressures. Figure sources of stakeholder pressures Company strategies are often strongly motivated by competition. Competitive analysis is a key element in the strategic direction of the company. The company must ask itself what are the competition doing and how can we gain use from that information to create a competitive advantage. In many cases green marketing is about reacting to industry movements towards green policies. Government legislation and regulations are often driven by demand from society and environmental concerns have increasingly become key election agendas over the last 20 years. Governments are now compelled to implement new regulations at an accelerated rate. For example the EU has implemented the EU Sustainable Development Strategy  (SDS).The SDS sets out the objective of achieving improvement of the quality of life for present and future generations. Prosperity, environmental protection and social cohesion are to be achieved through sustainable communities which are able to manage resources efficiently and to tap into the ecological and social innovation potential of the economy. The SDS supports the EU in evaluating, monitoring, developing and improving the EUs collective carbon footprint. For a company to be truly green it needs its entire supply chain to be green as well. The Company needs to know all subcontractors, which are providing support to main suppliers, practice have green responsibility at the core of their business. A company is only as green as its least green supplier. Local Communities have become increasingly aware of the environment in their vicinity. While they are always thankful for job creation, local communities are less tolerant of company caused environmental and social negatives. GIY Ireland is a social society that encourages members to grow their own food stocks. GIY would be less necessary if produce was sourced locally and sold at reasonable prices. Green activist groups such as Greenpeace can have a very public and damaging effect on companies. They through societal support have the means of lobbying governments and creating campaigns that reduce profits. By going green companies can reduce the impact of activist groups. Internal Drivers Sustainable marketing has emerged as a vibrant economic source of profits. The overall market for green marketing is said to be worth $ 3.5 trillion by the year 2017 (Global Industry Analysts Inc. 2011). Any company interested in growth and profits should have a desire to share in this growth sector. Odell (2007) explains that graduates are now looking to environmentally friendly companies first when seeking employment. She also states employees working at companies with clear corporate responsibility (CSR) programs, including environmental and social programs, are most satisfied. Savvy companies realise that green increases competitive advantage in recruiting, brand reputation, employee recruitment and retention. Corporate Social Responsibility According to the Harvard sustainability initiative (2012), CSR encompasses not only what companies do with their profits, but also how they make them. It addresses how companies manage their economic, social, and environmental impacts, as well as their relationships in all key spheres of influence: the workplace, the marketplace, the supply chain, the community, and the public policy realm. CSR implies that sustainability starts with the senior management and permeates throughout the company, where the corporate level is active in guiding the company strategy with social and environmental concerns addressed along with profit. Wiley cited by Odell (2012) states, Those organizations that have a clear CSR policy set themselves apart from the competition in terms of employment brand. Partaking in CSR activities not only has positive societal effects, but also increases an organizations competitive advantage. To be effective CSR must be: Voluntary, Transparent, and Credible, Integrated into organisation culture, provide value for organisation, stakeholders and society and work diligently with sustainable strategies. Sustainability Sustainability is about ensuring a greater quality of life for current and future generations. Kolter (2011) states, Companies must address the issue of sustainability. Sustainability raises the question whether this generation can leave future generations with the same or a larger basket of resources than we have now. According to Paul Hawken (2012), The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces, or at least not try to defy them. Figure 3 below illustrates how social, economic and environment integration form the sustainability direction of a company. Figure the triple bottom line Sustainability Triumvirate (Greenlaw, 2011) C:UsersLeon BehalAppDataLocalTempNew Picture (1).bmp The idea of sustainability is to reconcile the needs of society, the environment and the companys profits to create long-term shareholder value (Greenlaw, 2011). Sustainability and green marketing are evolving as growing drivers of business in the post-recession world. As part of this agenda savvy consumers are pressuring companies to become transparent with their business practices. No longer is it acceptable to be solely for profit maximisation. Unilever is a recognised advocate of sustainability and CSR, as evidenced by their Sustainable Living Plan (SLP). SLP offers transparency and clarity about Unilevers sustainability targets and progress reports. Greenwashing According to GIA (2012) Greenwashing refers to exaggerated green claims and falsified green claims and is a major challenge for industry, as it leads to consumer scepticism pertaining to such green claims. Despite the risks associated with greenwashing companies continue to practice this. Kock Industries is an US based conglomerate, with interests in multiple environmentally damaging industries such as: mining, oil, and chemicals. Kock Industries actively lobbies the US government against global warming and other green concerns, and has also incurred $400 million in environmental fines and judgements over a four year period in the early 2000s. Despite this Kock Industries website proclaims sustainability and CSR as core elements of its strategic direction. Monsato LLC is a US owned publicly traded company. Like Kock industries Monsato claims sustainability and CSR as key themes in its strategy. Monsato is a global leader in genetically modified foods. There primary focus is on seeds, and they have even obtained patents on these products. Terminator seeds are seeds without reproduction capabilities created by Monsato. The long term effects of terminator seeds on the seed gene pool are unpredictable and should never be commercialised. Green Myopia Companies should strive to avoid Green Myopia, where products are absolutely green and alienate their customer base. The primary reason for being green is to create customer satisfaction through motivating and providing green benefits. It is very difficult to get consumers to switch brands without meeting satisfaction criteria, and absolute green in general will disappoint consumers. Another alienating possibility is overpricing, consumers will select the best alternative is the price differential is too great. Green Consumers NBC Universal the US media conglomerate proposes that consumers conform to one of four green consumer categories. Figure 4 below identifies the four categories as: true brown, potential green, thinking green and behavioural green. Figure Green Consumer Types based on NBC Universal Model True Brown consumers are the hardnosed anti-green types. They are likely to actively seek out non green products and usually apathetic about environmental concerns and are seeking traditional marketing benefits, such as quality, price. They will not go out of their way to source green products. Potential Green (PG) consumers are green aware, but do not actively buy green. PGs need effective encouragement to buy green and their purchases may be coincidental. Think Green (TG) consumers have an interest in favouring green, but it must be convenient. TGs will go non-green when not positively motivated. According to Vernekar and Wadhwa (2011), Consumers with neither strong positive nor strong negative attitudes towards green products are more likely to be persuaded by a non-green benefits message than a green message. Behavioural green (BG) consumers are passionately green. BG consumers are often environmental advocates and only buy eco-friendly or neutral products. BG consumes strongly favour green products, but distrust green advertising. Thus careful consideration needs to be placed on where green marketing is utilised. Green Consumer Segments There are many types of green consumer segments including: resource conservers, health fanatics, animal lovers, and outdoor enthusiasts. It is important to use green strategies effectively when targeting favourable consumer demographics. The 4 Ps of Green Price: Although many consumers state willingness to pay slightly more for green products, the price needs to remain close to alternatives to attract less green consumers. There must be a careful balance between: profits, productivity, environment and people. To justify extra charges green products should offer increased product value through: performance, function, design. Product: Green products need proof of reduction of resource consumption, pollution. Eco-friendly products can state there green as a differentiating factor. Product labelling trends include: energy saving, organic, green chemicals, local sourcing. Companies can label products green simply by using eco-friendly packaging. Place: Companies can reduce their carbon footprint by: managing logistics, such as transport costs, and raw materials sourcing. Companies should carefully consider where and when to sell green products. Many consumers will travel out of their way to buy green, but most want ease of access and will buy non-green when convenient. Promotion: Matching marketing mix to customer green needs by: focusing on relationship between product/ service and environment, promoting green lifestyle benefits. Corporate image is important and CSR demonstrates commitment to green. Social media plays a central role in promoting the activities of green companies. There is even scope for consumer interaction and tastemaker associations from this platform. Green Strategies Industry green norms and potential green market size are key issues for companies looking to gain competitive advantage with green marketing. Companies should consider the likely size of green markets in its industry as well as how can they differ their green products or services from their competitors ones before they take steps on going green. C:UsersLeon BehalAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.WordNew Picture (15).bmp Figure the Four Green Strategy Positions There are four types of green strategies: Lean Green, Defensive Green, Shaded Green and Extreme Green. Figure 5 above illustrates the need for companies to identify their position in regards to substantiality of green market segments and differentiability of greenness in order to choose the right strategy to enter a green market. Promotions tools adopted by this strategy are rather quiet such as public relations versus mass advertising. According to Ginsberg and Bloom (2004), the Shaded Green strategy puts some secondary emphasis on greenness in its more overt promotional efforts and also pursues green product development as well. Finally, they also state, Extreme Green strategy involves heavy use of all four marketing mix elements, including place as distribution systems, massive advertising, retailers etc. Applying the 4Ps of Green Product Price Place Promotion Lean X Defensive X X Shaded X X X Extreme X X X X Table : Applying 4Ps to Green Strategies Differences among these four green strategies can be seen by considering how the 4Ps of the marketing mix are utilised in each strategy. The Lean Green strategy is the one who mainly focuses on product development, design and manufacturing, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). The Defensive Green strategy also pursues greenness in product section but additionally, it involves the promotional aspect of the marketing mix. Lean Green Companies that choose lean green strategy indicate that they are low at both substantiality of green market segments and differentiability of greenness. Lean greens are interested in reducing costs and improving efficiencies at the same time through pro-environmental activities. Their initial competitive advantage would be a lower-cost advantage instead of green one. Because they are at a very low position in both dimensions, they are not focused on publicizing or marketing their green initiatives, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Lean greens are not often motivated to promote their green activities or green product attributes because of the fear of being held up to a higher standard; and they are not always able to live up to it or differentiate themselves from competitors, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Coca Cola can be characterised as a lean green company. Most consumers are not aware that the company has invested heavily in various cycling activities and package modifications. Because the wide target market and brand breadth of the company, Coca Cola has chosen not to market its effort even though it is concerned about the environment. Defensive Green Defensive green companies usually see green marketing as a precautionary measure, or as a response to a crisis or a response to a competitors actions. They seek to enhance brand image and mitigate damage, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). They recognise green marketing is important and profitable but they cannot afford to go green. Their environmental initiatives seem to be sincere, but their efforts to promote these initiatives are rather sporadic and temporary because they are not able to differentiate themselves from their competitors on greenness. Defensive greens do not normally launch an overt and significant green campaign because aggressive promotions could be wasteful and would create expectations that cannot be met. They pursue actions such as small environmentally friendly events and programs. An example would the Gap Inc. Gap has long promoted energy conservation and waste reduction. However Gap was criticised by environmental activists and press due to the involvement with an environmentally unfriendly company that was owned by Gaps CEOs relatives. Luckily, the company managed to weather the attack with a measured, quieter response through public relations. Shaded Green Shaded green companies invest in long-term, system wide, environmentally friendly processes that require a financial and non-financial commitment. According to Ginsberg and Bloom (2004), these companies see green marketing as an opportunity to develop innovative needs-satisfying products and technologies that result in a competitive advantage. Shaded green companies are well able to differentiate themselves from competitors on greenness but they chose to stress other attributes of the product with better financial returns possible. They primarily promote the direct, tangible benefits of the products and environmental benefits are only promoted as a secondary factor. Toyota Prius can be characterised as shaded green. The brand is advertised as an environmentally advanced, fuel efficient hybrid. In fact, upon Launch in the US market the Prius environmental attributes were not stressed; the company focused on advertising fuel efficiency of the car. Extreme Green Extreme green companies use a holistic approach with environmental green values shaping there philosophy. Environmental concerns are fully integrated in the business and product life-cycle processes. Extreme green companies pursue actions such as life-cycle pricing approaches, total-quality environmental management and manufacturing for the environment, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Extreme companies often serve niche market and sell their products through boutique stores and specialty channels. Honest Tea is one of the fast growing organic tea companies in the natural foods industry. Social responsibility is embedded in its identity and purpose from manufacturing to marketing its products, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Green Energy Unfortunately Green Marketing and sustainability is dependent upon green energy for long term effectiveness. It is only when companies source their energy needs from renewable energy sources that they may be considered truly green advocates. Fossil fuels are a leading cause of global warming, and are a finite resource. Industry needs to prepare for the eventuality of a future without oil. Alternative or green energy resources include water, wave, wind, solar, geothermal, etc. Although alternative energy resources are being developed at a rapid rate however they are still too costly in comparison to hydro carbon based energy. Case Studies Case Study 1: SCFI ® Super Critical Fluids International Water conservation has become a real pressing socio-environmental concern. SCFI is an Irish based and owned water reclaiming company. SCFIs patented AquaCritox ® is a revolutionary technology which can completely destroy organic wastes and generate renewable energy. SCFI is a B2B and B2G provider and is currently considered one of the greenest companies on the planet. With water scarcity becoming a very real possibility in the future, water purification processes are becoming paramount for the sustainability of our planet. SCFI is a leading exponent of water reclamation from waste technology. Their balsamaceous water reclamation process is a vast improvement on previous technologies in their sector; Aquacritox offers 99.98% efficiency rating. Evidence that SCFI is generating positive feedback on its Aquacrotix ® technology can be seen by its coverage by Discovery Channels Green Planet show, and nominations for multiple green energy awards. Case study 2: The Body Shop The very first The Body Shop store opens in 1976 in England and ever since it came into the market, it has been taking steps on protecting the environment. In 1985, the Body Shop sponsored posters for the Green Peace and one year later, the Body Shop launched its very first major window campaign save the whale with the Green Peace. The Body Shop has made a commitment to reduce impact on the environment by reducing energy that it consumes and to generate less waste. Steps are as follows: Reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by reducing consumption of hydro- carbon fuels, through electricity, heating and transport cost reductions. Reduce waste by 50% Reduce domestic water use by 25% The Body Shop has joined the Carbon Reduction Commitment and it is the first global cosmetic company to join the commitment. It also focuses on against animal testing by supporting Cruelty Free International. However the body shop has been acquired by LOreal and its greenness is diluted as a result, because youre only as green as your weakest affiliates. Case study 3 Volkswagen Volkswagen the German owned automobile industry giant has a reputation of being consistently ahead of the competition in regards to green initiatives and green product development. Volkswagen has a long history of providing affordable and economical vehicles. The Volkswagen ThinkBlue Symphony advert (2012), shows a historical timeline of Volkswagens consistent fuel economy policy. ThinkBlue inspired by their 1960s think small United States advertising campaign; designed to popularise the Beetle model car. The advert is designed to demonstrate the journey from think small to ThinkBlue. Table 3.1 below summarises the timeline of events presented in the ThinkBlue advert. TimeLine Product Benefits Progression 1959 Beetle Efficient mobility 1960s Camper Van Efficient mobility people carrier 1974 Golf Era begins Fuel efficiency 1993 Turbo Injection Diesel TDI Fuel economy, remains ranked as one of the most fuel efficient on market 1999 Lupo 3 litres per 100Km first mass production car ever to achieve 2005 Polo BlueMotion CO2 emissions reductions, one of most economic cars on market 2006 TSI Turbo injection petrol engines 2014? XL1 prototype 1 litre fuel per 100km 2014 Golf Blue-e-Motion Electric Vehicles, 150km per charge Table Volkswagen Green Product Evolution Take for example their entry into the USA market with the Beetle; a market that was notoriously favouring larger model vehicles. They have consistently delivered cars that have industry leading fuel consumption rates. Take for example their introduction of the Turbo Diesel Injection (TDI) Golf model, a model that is still considered to be amongst the most efficient in its class. While Hybrid vehicles have become mainstream products in recent years and Volkswagen have the Tourneg in this class; they have decided to enter the riskier fully electric market using their celebrated Golf brand. The automotive industry is still closely associated with environmental damaging industries like oil, and mining. Despite this Volkswagen has made significant strides in the last generation to move towards greener products. The Golf Blue-e-Motion is just the start of a new wave of vehicles becoming available through green innovation and marketing. Insights Recommendations Companies interested in green marketing should carefully analyse which green strategy is best suited to their products, services and processes, and match their strategy to the relevant consumer segments. Companies should be self-organising rather than regulated or morally mandated. Paul Hawken states that by embracing a restorative (rather than destructive) economy, companies can begin to repair the abyss between ecology and business. He also believes that business is the chief cause of the most destructive abuses of the environment, but crucially business is potentially the most persuasive driver of environmentalism, through green marketing and sustainability. Engaging in Greenwashing is a very real and dangerous practice for companies to engage in. Brand image is essential for the growth of any company. If the company becomes associated with greenwashing and or environmental crisis, it could become a fatal error in judgement. Even though it is difficult for certain industries to be seen as environmentally friendly, companies in these industries must endeavour to have green products, processes or services in their portfolio. Green myopia is also a potentially harmful viewpoint, if a company becomes too green it risks alienating its target market, thus reducing demand for its products. A careful balance of social, ecological, technological and financial gain is the desired result of going green. Green products must offer better alternatives to existing products, be accessible, and easy to understand. They should also educate/inform consumers of their benefits, as a lack of knowledge is a significant barrier of green marketing. The perception of green lifestyles is a problem, and this is an area where packaging design and functionality become an issue. Green alternatives should be quality and functionally superior, comparative in price, provide labelling that is believable, and easy to find. It is only when functionality and quality are superior that consumers will be willing to pay a premium price. Companies need to create green supply chains, especially if like Unilever they are presenting green marketing as a key element of its CSR and sustainability policies. With consumers having unlimited access through social media to company information and their green activities, it is no longer possible to simply state a companys green agenda. A critical eye should be focused on the companys own green processes and the commitment of its upper management commitment. Senior executives / management should also cultivate this corporate culture. The organisation and its people should support a truly green strategy in order for it to succeed. In addition, it is important to educate consumers about the products as well. Another key element is credibility. Having a good reputation to start with can go a long way in helping to ease consumers scepticism. Companies with socially responsible values will appear more credible to its target audiences. Greenlaw (2011), states that failure to truly adopt sustainability will become a risk factor in the future, where it will affect customers, employees and potential investors. Conclusion Joel Makower founder and executive editor, GreenBiz.com , states; Green marketing is a potent engine for creating business value through innovation, while fomenting genuine societal change. While Paul Hawken states; Business is the only mechanism on the planet today powerful enough to produce the changes necessary to reverse global environmental and social degradation. Business can save the planet through working with society and the environment in a symbiotic relationship. It is societys responsibility to drive Business to adopt green marketing strategies: while it is organisations responsibility to encourage society to actively use their green products. Sharing responsibility is the future of green. Sustainability is the leading zeitgeist of modern western society. It is no longer acceptable for business to be solely focused on wealth maximisation. Figure Sustainable Planet Appendices