Different stakeholders Essay

Every organisation has Stakeholders; these are groups or individuals that affect or are affected by the business. The number of stakeholders of a business varies and so does their importance and influence on the company. The type of organisation and the product or service it supplies also determines the stakeholders. An organisation such as Lidl has far more stakeholders than family business; it is therefore much more influenced and affected by the actions, aims and objectives of its stakeholders. In this report I will evaluate the influence that the different stakeholders exert within Lidl. Employees are very influential stakeholders of Lidl and they are crucial for the running of the organisation. They have around 315,000 employees worldwide. The quality of an employee’s performance depends on the way human resources are managed within the company. An employee’s main interests are salaries, wages and job satisfaction; all of these factors influence the company’ s staff turnover. When employing new staff, and managing existing staff the employers must consider a lot of different elements. Employees can affect and influence Lidl in various ways and due to different reasons, some are; skills and qualifications, personal views and opinions, employee performance, training and redundancy. As employees are one of the main stakeholders and are the human resources of the company; their performance highly affects Lidl. If the employees are not satisfied with their wages or the working environment the products and services will not be of a satisfactory standard which could result in poor publicity. Motivation is one of the methods used to improve employee performance as when employees feel unmotivated they tend to perform inadequately e.g. the shop floor could be untidy, shelves un-stocked or a lack of people on the tills. An employee’s skills and qualifications are crucial aspects because if an employee doesn’t have the right skills or knowledge to perform a certain task essential for the consecutively of Lidl; it could slow down the whole production process therefore decreasing the quality of the presentation within the store resulting in Lidl making less profit than they could have. Customers contribute to profit levels and turnover through buying products and services.

Sherlock Holmes Essay

â€Å"The resemblance to a fierce old bird of prey† shows just how frightening this character is. Using this descriptive language is important as it portrays Dr Roylott as someone who is overpowering, fierce and evil which makes him sound like a frightening person who would commit murder. This also creates tension in the reader making them want to find out if it is him who is the murderer. 5. What did you hope to achieve through creating the character Sherlock Holmes? Through the character of Sherlock Holmes I hoped to show him as a positive role model and someone who the law should be like. In those days the police’s â€Å"attempts to combat crime shifted back towards the prevention of crime, as opposed to the detection of criminals. † (This source is from www. oldbaileyonline. org/history/crime/policing. html#metrotext) This is why the police dismissed Helen Stoners story and if Sherlock Holmes had done the same thing then Helen Stoner would have died. This shows how the way of policing was back then. I hoped to change the police force through the character of Sherlock Holmes to make them realise that policing had to be aimed at the detection of criminals as well as preventing crime. â€Å"Pray be precise to details† shows that Holmes is interested and wanting to find out why Julia Stoner died, unlike the police force who just wanted to prevent than solve crime. 6. How did you create a sense of mystery and tension in the plot of ‘The Speckled Band? ‘ I created the sense of tension and mystery in the story by showing evidence along the way. â€Å"Why it’s a dummy† â€Å"A ventilator into another room† There were several little changes carried out about that time† â€Å"A small saucer of milk† â€Å"A small dog leash. † All this evidence adds to the tension and making the reader want to read on to find out how the evidence is all linked. Also, â€Å"How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil? † This rhetorical question shows how terrible the ordeal was. â€Å"I could not here a sound, not even the drawing of a breath†¦. The shutter cut off the least ray of light and we waited absolute darkness. † This quote makes the reader feel like they are waiting for something to happen and therefore, thus building more tension. 7. How important was setting in the story ‘The Speckled Band? The setting in ‘The Speckled Band’ such as â€Å"the building of grey† was important because it symbolises the danger that lurks about them. â€Å"Lichen-blotched stone, with a high central portion and two curved wings like the claws of a crab. † The simile which describes . Stoke Moran shows the danger that Holmes and Helen are in. The claws sound like they are dangerous and will trap anyone and make them suffer a terrible fate for those who approach them. â€Å"It was a perfect day, with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the heavens. The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out their first green shoots, and there was full of the pleasant smell of the moist earth†¦ and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged. † This pathetic fallacy shows the contrast between where they are coming from which is calm and â€Å"pleasant† and Stoke Moran, which is portrayed as a â€Å"sinister† place full of danger and mystery. This setting is important as it also builds tension in the reader which makes them want to read on. Sam Booth 10/05/2007 1 of 3 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

It Is Good to Be Different Essay

Everyone is different, and each of us has its own personality Owned. But it is nice to be different? Be distinguished from the others. What is to be different? Do you feel alone, living in their different world†¦ It is hard to be different. Everyone sees you as an outsider and will not accept in their world. Among them is the fear that something more of them, others see it as something more unworthy and unnecessary. It is hard to be different because its not easily find their soul mates. Difficult to discover someone to like you, someone who will understand. It is sad to be different among the same, because they close with anyone and any attempt to approximate and can leave severe damage in your soul. Because it is difficult to accept that others do not they understand they are not valued, you do not want to even be friends, and constantly must prove to them. To prove that you’re just as human as they are! But it is unique to be different. When all have the same opinion – you have their own unique views. When all looking in one direction, you turn in a completely different and surprise everyone with current and interesting ways in your different way of thinking. Yeah, you’re different, you is difficult, but it makes the center of attention of those looking for someone with different interests, someone who does not need another to do something. You’re individualist who succeeds in life alone, not like someone else. Need to be different. What would happen to the world if there were no diversity? What would happen to mankind if all the same, if everyone liked the same things? I think different people are those who run the big machine of existence. Others are crowds, the masses people who individually do not have anything important – is it just because it has others. Such people namitrat his idols, some of which are similar to podarzhavat, no matter whether this would be an actor, singer, politician .. They can not I find myself in this endeavor to impersonate someone, someone who will like the rest. But does it make sense in this, trying to impersonate another may not post when you find yourself in nature and vocation? Is not more sense then your whole existence? Is then you can prove yourself when you actually already exist? Well, is it nice to be different? You are unique, you need the world, then what the hell that must be fought with generally accepted standards? Difficult things make life meaningful. Because when everything is easy, you lose the stimulus-ambition dies. Did not the person seeking to grow inaccessible. Yes, it’s nice to be different, because everything different is good, it will not duplicate it unique!

Is Latin language affect us today in United States Research Paper

Is Latin language affect us today in United States - Research Paper Example Latin has had an important influence in the configuration of English at all stages of its insular development more so in the United States. It continues to be studied across Europe and especially among Americans. Latin is a medieval language that was prominently used during the periods of Roman Empire. The language has however survived particularly through numerous literary works of Roman scholars and philosophers (McGraw, 2012). It has widely estimated that only 20 to 30 percent comprises words of Old English while the rest have been borrowed from various languages among them Latin language. From this findings the influence of Latin in English, is thought to be lexical in nature that mainly center on words that have Latin roots. But as much as the language is impacting the citizens of United States, critics have it that the language is long dead and has no significant influence on the lives of the citizens in the United States and has its mentioning only in the scientific words and among denominations of Roman origin. Generally being the only surviving language of Italic language family .Latin remains a significant piece of linguistic puzzle among the United States. According to Draper and Hicks (2006), Latin is currently the fourth most spoken language among high school students in the United States, ahead of such modern languages as Italian and Japanese, this is a clear indication that the language is gaining popularity especially among the youths. This is particularly evidenced by the fact that most organizations, universities and institutions all over the United States have Latin mottos, even today. For example, Harvard’s motto simply states â€Å"Veritas† which means the truth, Yale’s motto is â€Å"Lux et Veritas† meaning light and truth. On the other hand, Princeton’s motto is a Latin phrase â€Å"Dei sub numine viget† which translates as â€Å"Under Gods power she flourishes. The motto of the US

How Do Corrections Support the System Efficiency Essay

How Do Corrections Support the System Efficiency - Essay Example Corrections in criminal justice involve punishing the guilty with a view of reforming them from their criminal ways. The political and social groups keep on debating the core issues of behavior change and rehabilitation in the criminal justice system. In order to measure the effectiveness of correctional facilities in criminal justice system, this paper will focus on five aspects of correctional performances. The first aspect is security. The role of a correctional facility is to provide security for the community as well as for the offenders. The role of a prison is to keep the offenders away from other members of the community. The criminal justice system believes that by keeping the offenders away from the community, the community will be free from danger. An efficient correctional facility is one that is free from prison breaks. Correctional facilities the world over have been effective in reducing prison breaks. An efficient correctional facility provides security for the inmate s both internally and externally. If a correctional facility is prone to prison breaks, then that facility is not secure hence inefficient. Internal security is important in reforming the offenders. Many prisons in the world have been related to drug sale, internal penetrations and exchange of contrabands thus undermining the effectiveness of prisons as correctional facilities. However, prison reformists are coming up with ways of combating such behavior. These include education of inmates on the adverse effects of drugs and other contraband material within the prisons. In the United States, most prisons are filled with prison gangs and contrabands that control movement of food and silverware within the prison’s dining halls. These loopholes are however diminishing due to strict rules by the administration. Correctional facilities are important in ensuring the safety and security of criminal convicts. This is because most correctional facilities are designed to keep the priso ners safe. The prison has been effective in keeping the prisoners safe from harm, public lynching or persecution by rival criminal groups. Research has shown that prisoners and prison staffs assaulted are reducing due to the continuous reforms within the correctional facilities. In some cases an inmates who gets assaulted while in prison is most likely to take revenge when he gets out. The correctional facilities aim at reducing incidences of assault in the prisons in order to effect behavior change. Additionally, tough measures are being taken against individuals caught trying to assault an inmate or staff regardless of the reason for the differences. Correctional systems are essential in keeping law and order with the communities. The correctional system is meant to keep the prisoners in order. The correctional centers are efficient in keeping the prisoners in line. The prisoners are educated on the importance of upholding law and benefits of upholding law. The ability of the pris on management and administration to enforce rules and regulations effectively help to keep the prisoners in line. Funds to help the administration run the prisons are being put in place to enhance the performance of the correctional facilities. The ability of a prison to prevent and avoid misconduct and disturbances will help keep order in the prisons. Fostering self care among offenders is another important

Narrative Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Narrative Speech - Essay Example She was an advocate of the post Cold War neoconservative agenda and helped to shape many of the anti-terror policies of the GW Bush administration. Paraphrase: Our freedom is not protected by a strong national defense alone. It requires the support of the intellectuals and academics that define and promote freedom in a way that makes its significance understandable to all men. Only when we understand the meaning of freedom are we able to promote it around the world as a treasure worth fighting for. Narrative: I can still remember that calm summer morning as I sat on the couch and watched a second airplane explode into the side of the Twin Towers. A confused Brian Gumble was reporting live and it was clear by his loss of words that the incident confused him. I instinctively knew that the US was under attack from some foreign enemy, and though as my anger welled up inside me the onrush of thoughts prevented my mouth from speaking. I knew what I wanted to say, but did not know how to say it. Months later as the missiles hit Baghdad I sat in a state of awe of the military might, again I was lost for words, thinking only that revenge was finally on its way. As the war ground on, I felt the smugness of victory and the glory of a position that I still was unable to articulate. When Jeane Kirkpatrick died in 2006, I was reminded of her quote that said, "No government, no foreign policy, is more important to the defense of freedom than are the writers, teachers, communication specialists, researchers - whose responsibility it is to document, illustrate, and explain the human consequence of freedom and unfreedom". I was reminded of all my previous teachers, the average people from average places, who had for years encouraged me to express my self. I suddenly felt driven to "document, illustrate, and explain the human consequence". As I attend school the need to communicate has become a central focus of my college

(whatever you feel good) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

(whatever you feel good) - Essay Example However, since there is always a close relationship between the public and the celebrity therefore there arise a question always as to whether the personal lives of those celebrities revealed to the general public or not. Personal characteristics of celebrities also include their sexual orientation therefore question arise as to whether the celebrity’s sexual orientation should be revealed to the public and who should reveal it. As discussed above that celebrities being the most famous among the masses tend to have two different life styles where mostly their real and private life style is not revealed to the public in most of the cases. â€Å"Celebrities are asked all the time about their personal lives, including their romances, so it’s perfectly fair for the media to ask â€Å"the question† of public figures and then let the person have their say. If they choose a non-answer, like Foster, Cooper and the other glass closet occupants, then so be it. Report the answer and let people think (and say) what they may.† (Crain). This quote clearly defines how the media should be projecting the personal lives of the celebrities including their sexual orientation. However, the ethical practices of the profession are not very often practiced therefore there remains always a strong probability that media may not behave the way it should have. The issue of disclosing the sexual orientation of the celebrities needs to be viewed on two different counts. First whether the public at large is willing to know about this fact and secondly if yes how Media should report this fact? What should be the ethical parameters under which this fact can be revealed to the public? This question also need to be viewed within the social connotation of celebrities also as revealing sexual orientation of a celebrity in India might bring entirely different reaction as compared to

Los Angeles's Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Los Angeles's Globalization - Essay Example Such an activity draws together people from different regions and countries, bringing them into one common place; where the diversity of each participant and audience is experienced. The coming together of communities into a common operation of events that are of global characteristic is the essence of globalization. Contemporary and conventional infrastructure is a component of globalization. Similar architectural designs can be found in more than city, state or country (Johnson, 299). What this means is that a number of countries in that context have shared information, knowledge and skills to the way of getting things done. For instance, China-Los Angeles characteristic relationship between modern structures can represent an aspect of globalization. There are those unique designs and complex architectural developments that can be found in both China and Los Angeles. This aspect depicts an aspect of collaboration in creativity and share of technology in the infrastructure sector. T he only relationship that can lead to such observations is a high level of globalization in the context of the two analyzed scenarios. Concepts of globalization are not limited to any specific notion, motive or mode. Mass movements of people from one city to another, one state to another and from one country to another has been characteristic of the globalization process. Different communities are no longer limited to their native lands; they are getting access to the entire world as globalization heightens. It is in this regard that Jewish communities can be found all around the world, and most importantly in Los Angeles. In order to pump more sense into this, a festival like the Song Kran held in Los Angeles is a clear indication of just how much communities and more specifically individuals have evolved and revolutionized to fit into the dynamism of the world society (Moore 177). Assimilation of foreign traditions, customs and cultures are part of the ever changing world of today . Famous traditions and means of recognizing cultures throughout the world have taken another dimension altogether. Cultural practices that were once only specific to some groups in a given state are now found miles away, assimilated by another society. This just shows how the global trend is moving towards uniting the entire world population. Such is the case in Saigon town of Los Angeles. Chinese traditional designs of major entry points characterize this part of Los Angeles. This aspect presents a noticeable element of a globalized Los Angeles, in comparison to the rest of the world. Religious practices have not been left behind in the quest for globalization. These practices are establishing all over the world as people continue to interact and merge with others from different locations of the world. Los Angeles serves as a common basis for this interest through the availability of mosques. Los Angeles is not an Islam dominated city, but has taken into consideration the interest s of other communities in its development processes. Presence of mosques merges Islamic contexts into the city, allowing for unionism of diverse inhabitants of the city, both local and international (Samudio 108). Another similar aspect of this is the city-within-a-city notion of Los Angeles. Pure Korean activities are undertake right in the heart of Los Angeles, despite the physical, geographical and social differences evident

Payment plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Payment plan - Essay Example MFA worked by creating quotas that restricted the competition posed by imports irrespective of the benefits of price considerations (Isenheim, 2007 p6). Quotas helped remove some part of the incentives offered to foreign suppliers unlike quantitative restrictions that totally eliminate prices and costs from the transaction. In essence, the MFA set up quotas that restricted the amount of textile products that each country could export to another per year; when this threshold was reached, they had to wait for another calendar year to resume exporting to those countries under the MFA (Isenheim, 2007 p7). The MFA agreement covered specific products, not only those made from cotton, but also from wool and chemical fibre (Isenheim, 2007 p7). The quotas were provided or created through bilateral trade agreements and their implementation through unilateral measures in the event of â€Å"severe market disruptions or proof of an existing threat thereof† (Isenheim, 2007 p7). Poor developing countries were put in an advantageous position by the MFA since it allowed their products to compete on a level ground with cheap imports from developed countries. Developing countries like Bangladesh, which had readily available cheap labour, were as able to expand its textile industry to a stage where even after the abolishment of MFA, they were hardly affected, and it saw their revenues from the textile industry increase. This was because even after the MFA was done away with, they still had the largest pool of cheap labour compared to developed countries. This applies to all developing countries because they are characterised by the same conditions present in Bangladesh. The economic impact of MFA on developing countries was greater than its effect, in developed countries. The MFA helped developing countries attract substantial foreign investors, in the textile industry, and create millions of job opportunities, which worked

The Effects of Social Media on a Business Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Social Media on a Business Essay Social media has greatly changed the way people communicate and interact with one another. There are a variety of social media sites which are used worldwide, such as Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. This type of communications method is now being used by business in marketing their products. The fact that many people use social media to discuss their thoughts and views online, has caused business to alter their communications and marketing strategies to better fit the new mean of sending out messages. Social media is presently used in place of the â€Å"old-fashioned† marketing tools, such as TV, billboards, radio, etc. This new process which business use to convey messages and promote ideas or products has formed a collaboration with its customers. A business can now gain instant feedback from its customers, tackle rumors, and post any updates about the business online. Companies reported using these social media tools was helpful for several reasons. They reported that the tools provide the following: †¢ Another way to communicate  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Added value to customers †¢ Product/brand awareness †¢ Ability to keep up with trends and competitors †¢ Demonstration of product †¢ A more cost effective and productive form of marketing. (Barnes, 2010) Objective This literature review will discuss the role that social media plays on businesses and the effect it has when promoting a business or marketing its product. This review will contain the view and analysis of experts in the use of social media by businesses, and in what way the media can benefit or damage the reputation of an organization. The research questions used were â€Å"How does social media affects businesses?† and â€Å"How can social media benefit a business?†. While The research questions were similar, they did offer a wide range of topics concerning the research objective. Searching and locating literature The main database used for the research was Polytechnic’s summons. The research questions were first used here which introduced many articles. Most of the articles found by summons were taken from the Proquest and Emerald management collection databases, among other database systems. When reviewing the articles I read the â€Å"executive summary† or the â€Å"introduction† and later decided whether to continue with the article or to exclude it. The articles which were ruled out were the ones discussing social media from a non-business perspective. Some articles which were excluded did have good ideas, even though they presented it with a different viewpoint, so I used the reference list of said articles to locate more literature and further the research to get closer to the objective. The role that social media plays on businesses Mediatization describes how media is transformed from being a mediator and instrument for other institutions to become an institution in itself (Hjarvard, 2008). This further explains that social media is now a global institution, businesses and organizations will have to find new strategies in their marketing approach which will act in accordance with today’s mediatized society. (Pallas and Fredriksson, 2010) Businesses must now learn the new ways of functioning in a mediatized society. Media, especially social media, is important for the overall view of a business. When consumers look to a business they judge it based on its reputation, a reputation which it gains through mediatization. A successful business will have to know how mediatization works, and be able to alter it so that the customers will see what the business intends to be seen. A proper image and reputation of the business will be formed. As the flow of consumer online activity began rising businesses took notice of this â€Å"phenomenon† and picked new means of reaching consumers and their targeted audience through social media. In the beginning business created blogs, wikis, and forums in order to reach their audience, but now they have heavily started using the highest ranked social media sites such as micro-blogging via Twitter, and Facebook (Li and Bernoff, 2008). The effect of social media on a business Many would argue that social media benefits a business in a positive way and is a innovative way of marketing. Electronic media brings people together, when businesses join in on this media they are now in-touch with their customers. They will be able to connect with their audience which will result in customer loyalty, which will give the business an upper hand over potential competitors (Varey, 1999). Organizations will need to incorporate social media tools into their marketing and communication strategies. Social media will shift the consumers views on the business because they will now be able to spot the degree of openness and responsiveness in the business (Schein, Wilson and Keelan, 2009). However, in her article How do the most successful companies use social media? (2010), Nora Barnes gives an opposing view on the use of social media by business. While in the short-run a business will gain a fast reputation, it will affect the business in the long-run. She argues that if a business is thought of as an â€Å"official† business with high ranking employers and maybe investors, then social media is not the correct marketing tool to be used as it shows a business as being vulnerable, and will not be thought of very highly by its high-ticketed consumers. Dury (2008) also furthers this argument by stating that marketing is different to social media and that the two should not be mixed. That it ‘destroys social medias foundations by undermining its human elements’. This is because the essence of marketing is corporate and that a social media approach will issue a softer outlook to the official corporate image of a business. An organizations reputation means everything. Executives know the importance of this, The stronger the reputation, the better quality of customers they get and the brand name begins to rise (Eccles, Newquist and Schatz, 2007). Social media is not considered a â€Å"quality† method of marketing an organization, and certainly not a brand name. An organizations quality is shown in its: †¢share of voice – how much was said; †¢performance – amount of coverage relative to one’s peers; †¢breadth of coverage – themes reported; †¢media tone – positive, neutral, negative; †¢risk profile – the ratio of positive to negative coverage for particular themes; and †¢position – whether the media reflects the organization’s desired profile. (Dowling and Weeks, 2011) Reputation is in the consumers mind therefore a company should be aware of the quality it is presenting in order to provide a positive reputation. A similar opinion was given by Mat Ramsey, mentioning â€Å"Don’t use social media for corporate communications† (Ramsay, 2010). Any updates regarding the business should be posted on its official website. If they were done via social media sites it will bring down the status and quality of the corporation. Summary The study of the above articles has proven one thing, that social media has a very important part to play in the communication and marketing section of a business, whether for the good of the business or for bad. The use of social media may benefit some businesses but it harmed others. A business must study this approach carefully when deciding to incorporate social media in the marketing strategies as the effect may make or break it. Benefits The benefits of this review is the comparison between expert opinions over the matter. Social media hasn’t been fully investigated so this review brings all the thoughts on this topic together in ordered to get a clear image on the benefits and effects of social media.

Reactions to The Birth of a Nation

Reactions to The Birth of a Nation Mohammad A. Mian The Emergence of Modern America It can be argued that no other film in American history has been as controversial as D.W. Griffiths silent epic film, The Birth of a Nation. The Birth of a Nation, which first premiered on February 8th, 1915, and was based on Thomas Dixons novel and play The Clansmen.[1] The film is set in the American Civil War and the period of Reconstruction during the 19th century, and chronicles the lives of two families, the Stonemans and the Camerons.[2] The Stonemans are an abolitionist Unionist family from the North, whereas the Camerons are a Southern family loyal to the Confederate cause during the American Civil War.[3] Throughout The Birth of a Nation, African Americans are portrayed as being savages, violent thugs, sexual predators, ill mannered brutes, and ballot stuffers. For this reason, despite the films positive reception among the American public and news outlets at the time of its release; The Birth of a Nation received a negative response from African Americans and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, both of which protested against the films premiere across American cities. Despite the criticism, the film was defended by various news outlets and Griffith himself. Many contemporary film critics and historians regard The Birth of a Nation as Americas first great cinematic feature, despite its controversial portrayal of African Americans. The focal point of The Birth of a Nation are two juxtaposed families, the Stonemans and the Camerons. Members of the Stoneman household are Austin Stoneman, an American legislator and abolitionist, his sons Phil and Todd, and his daughter Elsie.[4] The Cameron family consists of Dr. Cameron, a Southern physician and staunch Confederate after the outbreak of the Civil War, his wife Mrs. Cameron, his two daughters, Margaret and Flora, and his three sons, Benjamin, Wade, and Duke.[5] At the beginning of the film, Phil and Todd visiting the Cameron family estate in South Carolina.[6] Upon immediately seeing Margaret, Phil falls in love with her, whereas Benjamin is awestruck by a picture of Elsie.[7] A few months later, the American Civil War erupts, and the Cameron sons enlist in the Confederate Army, while Phil and Todd uphold their loyalty to the Union by joining the army of general Ulysses S. Grant.[8] During the war, Black militiamen attack and ransack the Cameron estate, but the wo men of the household are saved by a Confederate contingent which routs the militia.[9] The portrayal of African American soldiers as brutes and savages strongly correlates with the stereotypical portrayal of Blacks the filmmakers envisioned. By the conclusion of the war, Todd, Wade, and Duke are killed in the conflict, while Benjamin is captured and taken to a hospital in Washington D.C.[10] At the hospital, Benjamin meets Elsie, with whom he develops a romantic relationship. The deaths of Todd, Wade, and Duke were emotionally appealed to the films audience, many of whom likely lost relatives in the Civil War. During his stay at the hospital, Benjamin is informed that he is to be executed by hanging due his associations with the Confederate guerillas.[11] In order to seek a pardon for Benjamin, Elsie and Mrs. Stoneman meet with Abraham Lincoln, and both of them manage to convince the President to pardon him.[12] After President Lincolns assassination, Austin Stoneman and his fellow republicans impose harsh measures on wealthy White Southerners, such as land confiscation, ushering in the Reconstruction period in American history.[13] Austin Stoneman travels to the South Carolina to oversee the implementation of the reconstruction policies of the Republicans.[14] He is accompanied by a Mulatto governor, Silas Lynch.[15] Lynch is portrayed as having psychotic characteristics, a common stereotype of African Americans among White Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[16] In the Southern cities visited by Stoneman and Lynch, African American soldiers are seen harassing Whites, while triumphantly parading on the streets.[17] In these particular scenes, Black militias are portrayed as being ill mannered and brutish in comparison to the naÃÆ'Â ¯ve and gentle White Southerners.[18] During the regional elections, Whites are shown as being barred from voting, whereas African Americans cast multiple votes without any issue.[19] After the elections, the African Americans who are elected to South Carolinas legislature are portrayed as being ill mannered, as the film once again highlights seeks to portray them as being brutish.[20] Laws in favour of African Americans are also enacted, which require Whites to respect Black soldiers in their cities, and mixed marriages are also legalized.[21] All of these factors, culminate in Benjamins founding of the Ku Klux Klan to counter the ever increasing power of African Americans in the South.[22] After Elsie hears about the activities perpetrated by Benjamins organization against African Americans in the South, she abruptly ends their relationship.[23] Meanwhile, Bens sister, Flora commits suicide after being pursued by Gus, a Black freedman who seeks a romantic relationship with her.[24] Gus incontrollable carnal desires are meant to portray him as a sexual predator, a common stereotype associated with African American men during the late 1800s and early to mid 1900s.[25] After personally witnessing his sisters demise, Benjamin has Gus lynched by his fellow Klan members, and places his corpse in front of Lynchs house.[26] Lynch immediately issues orders to suppress the activities of the Klan, and in the process Benjamins father is arrested for being associated with the organization.[27] He is, however, ironically rescued by his loyal Black servants with Phil Stonemans aid.[28] After hearing of the imprisonment of Mr. Cameron, Elsie attempts to convince Lynch to stop his crac kdown on the Klan.[29] Lynch refuses and attempts to rape Elsie, but she is saved by Benjamin and other Klan members who also manage to capture Lynch.[30] The capture of Lynch by the Klan is meant to emphasize the heroicness of the Ku Klux Klan as defenders of White Americans, and stereotype African Americans as savages. In the following election day, Black voters are stopped from voting by members of the Ku Klux Klan, and Margaret and Phil, and Elsie and Benjamin are married.[31] The film concludes with the title Dare we dream of a golden day when the bestial War shall rule no more? But instead the gentle Prince in the Hall of Brotherly Love in the City of Peace.[32] Following its release in 1915, The Birth of a Nation was praised by American film critics writing for various news outlets during the following few decades, without any mention of the films racial stereotypes of African Americans. One notable review of the film is Seymour Sterns article BIRTHDAY OF A CLASSIC: The Twentieth Anniversary of Birth of a Nation Recalls Its Significance in The New York Times, which was published on March 24th, 1935. Despite their being a twenty-year gap between the films release and Sterns review, he reflected the view Americans had of the film upon its initial release. Stern wrote It appeared twenty years ago as an unforeseen and unprecedented phenomenon in the old fashioned movie world of the day. With it the cinema became one stroke of art, and its first masterpiece was acclaimed by the critics. Simultaneously was once and for all delivered from the gaudy dominion of the vaude-ville show, which at the time had a stranglehold upon it-and David Wark Griffith entered into the long and magnificent reign as the kin of directors.[33] Stern further praised the films impressive photography by stating The picture is so remarkable from such a variety of important aspects that it is not easy immediately to select any given one. Griffith introduced a multitude of technical innovations that have since become the part and parcel of filmcraft. Here for the first time he used night photography, self-focus photography, moving camera shots, lap dissolves, the split screen and acute camera angles. The low-angle shots of mounted clansmen looming over the frightened Negroes are unforgettable. His subtle use of the iris in this film marks the fruition of that device.[34] From both of these statements, it is evident that Stern had high regard for the film. In fact, he had such high regard for the film that he described it as one which innovated and transformed the entire motion picture industry. Sterns review of the film also showcase the prejudiced White Americans had towards African Americans, as he did not once mention the films controversial portrayal of Blacks as a hindrance to the films visual magnificence.[35] Furthermore, Sterns referral to African Americans as Negroes further suggest that he largely agreed with their portrayal in the film, which is not surprising considering the fact that African Americans continued to be stereotyped in American media until after the Second World War. While Stern had nothing but praise for the film, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People protested against the film, as did African American veterans of the First World War. In the year of and years following The Birth of a Nations release, many African Americans protested against its release in theatres. While the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People opposed the film immediately upon its initial release, they did not take direct court action against it until after the First World War. The NAACP launched its court case against the film in the State of New York in 1921, and it was covered by The New York Times in an article titled FOES OF KLAN FIGHT BIRTH OF A NATION: Ask Motion Picture Board to Forbid Revival Here-Griffith and Dixon Defend Film. The article, published on December 3rd, 1922, stated Demands that a revival showing of The Birth of a Nation be prohibited in this state as a glorification of the Klu Klux Klan and part of a local drive by Rev. Oscar Haywood to increase membership of the Klan were made yesterday at a hearing before the motion picture commission of the State of New York by Walter F. White, Assistant Executive Secretary for the Advancement of Colored People; Henry W. Shields, Senator Elect from the 21st District; and Alderman George W. Harris.[36] The NAACPs protests were carried out against a rescreening of the film in the State of New York in 1921.[37] Many of those involved were influential members of the African American community, and they were displeased by their portrayal in the film.[38] Eventually the protest resulted in a court case against the film, in which D.W. Griffith was also present.[39] Unfortunately for the NAACP, the judge of the case ruled in favour of the films screening by stating that it did not, in any way, promote the Ku Klux Klan, but rather, was a reflection of post-Civil War America.[40] The protests showcased the racial tensions present in the United States during the early 20th century, and they also reflected upon the desire of African Americans to see the film have its theatre permits revoked. For many African Americans, the film added to their negative image among many White Americans, an image which they sought eradicate. To make matters worse, the judicial authorities did not support the ple as of the NAACP. However, opposition to the film existed even before the official involvement of the NAACP, as in May 1921, African American war veterans protested against the films screening in front of the Capitol Theatre in New York.[41] In May 1921, African American veterans of the First World War and their wives protested against the screening of The Birth of a Nation in Capitol Theatre in New York. On May 21st, 1921, Negroes Oppose Film was published in The New York Times, and it covered these protests. The article reflected the opinions of the war veterans on the film by stating Negro ex-servicemen in uniform, flanked by negro women, gathered in front of the Capital to protest against the revival of The Birth of a Nation. Some of the pickets carried placards which read We represented America in France, why should The Birth of a Nation misrepresent us here? Others distributed circulars published by the Nation Association for the Advancement of Colored People which demanded, Stop the Klu Klux Klan propaganda in New York.[42] Ultimately, these protests did not result in a victory for the picketers, as five of their organizers were arrested by the police, including three women, although, they would all be released within a few days.[43] The failure of the protests evidenced the lack of regard the American political establishment had for African American war veterans and the stereotypical portrayal of their community in the film. In fact, D.W. Griffith continued to defend the film, and after the May protests, he was quoted by The New York Times as saying It is a source of regret to me that purely advised people are endeavoring to stir up animosity against The Birth of a Nation. The opposition is misguided, and was misproven and laid away many years ago. The leading villain in the story is a white man, who leads a misguided following into conflicts which do not reflect upon the negro. It there were the slightest ground for protest against the film it seems to me that white men would have claim to it than negroes. I shall be quite willing, however, to submit the matter under oath to the consideration of the court.[44] Griffiths comments are not surprising considering the popular attitude towards African Americans at the time. However, his assertion that African Americans were not the leading villains in the film has no justifiable ground considering the films stereotypical portrayal of them. It is also interesting to note that Griffith was open to take the matter to court. Considering the lack of regard American courts had for African Americans at the time, this is also not surprising. The lack of sympathy for African Americans among American courts is further evidenced by lack of intervention by federal courts against the film. For this reason, despite a ban on the film in three states and a few cities upon its initial release in 1915, it seemed that the film would continue to be screened in American theatres due to its popularity among the White populace.[45] Indeed, the NAACP continued to protest against the film up to the 1950s, as the film was continuously revived in American theatres. In 1950, picketers rallied against the revival of The Birth of a Nation outside the Beverly Theatre at 823 Third Avenue.[46] The protesters were upset the controversial film was being screened in the New York once again, despite it being 35 years since its initial release. The President of the NAACPs branch in New York, Lindsey H. White, led the protests, which was covered by The New York Times article FILM REVIVAL PROTESTED: N.A.A.C.P. Pickets Birth of a Nation at Beverly Theatre.[47] According to the article The revival of D.W. Griffiths silent-film classic The Birth of a Nation, was protested yesterday by Lindsey H. White, president of the New York branch, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Mr. White stated that the film, now being shown at the Beverly Theatre, 823 Third Avenue, distorts the historical truths of Negro and White in the reconstruction governments that were set up in various at the close of the Civil War. The NAACP has been picketing at the theatre since Saturday.[48] The article reflects upon the frustration among African Americans to have the films screening in the Beverly Theatre stopped. It also showcases that while it had been three decades since the films release, American attitudes towards the films content largely remained the same. Despite this, the popularity of the film had largely declined, as Americans became more interested in the Western genre of films in the 1950s and 1960s. With the decline of the film, it has become common knowledge that the film is no longer as popular, nor as widely viewed as it once was since the 1970s. For contemporary film historians from the 1990s onwards, the film is still regarded as one which transformed the American film industry. Perhaps no lines from a contemporary critics review of The Birth of a Nation better capture the films legacy on American cinema than these from Molly Haskells article In The Birth of a Nation,: The Birth of Serious Film in The New York Times The defining moment for the motion picture as a mass medium, an art form and a disturbingly powerful social force occurred on a bitterly cold night on March 3, 1915, at the Liberty Theatre in New York. It was the world premiere of D.W. Griffiths The Birth of a Nation, an event of such cultural magnitude that 80 years later, controversies still rage about the film among film scholars about its racially charged images.[49] Throughout her review, Molly praises the film for its ground-breaking innovations, vivid, imagery, and ability to keep an audience engaged, which is remarkable for a film 2 hour and 40 minutes long silent film produced in the early 20th century.[50] She is, however, critical of the films content, especially its negative portrayal of African Americans, as she does not agree with their stereotypical mannerisms in the film.[51] Nevertheless, she concludes her review by stating In Griffiths masterpiece sublimity of expressed was marred by melodramatic racism. Yet The Birth of a Nation, warts and all, remains a milestone: the movie that catapulted the medium from its 19th-century peep-show origins into its status as the great new art form of the 20th century.[52] Thus, it can be said that, while The Birth of a Nation remains a controversial film among, there is no doubt it transformed the film industry into a corporate giant. Upon its initial release in 1915, The Birth of a Nation was positively received by the American public and news outlets alike. However, the film was staunchly opposed by Africans Americans for its stereotypical portrayal of their community. Furthermore, the film reflected the tensions which existed between African Americans and White Americans from the late 19th to mid 20th century. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples was at the forefront of the opposition to the film, and remained so until the 1950s, after which the film declined in popularity. Almost all film historians agree that the film innovated the American film industry. However, they have criticized the film for its discriminatory portrayal of African Americans. Bibliography Films Griffith, D.W. The Birth of a Nation. 12 Reel Film. Directed by D.W. Griffith. New York: Epoch Producing Co., 1915. Primary Sources DEFENDS FILM PRODUCTION: Griffith Says He Regrets Complaint Against Birth of a Nation.' The New York Times, May 9th, 1921. Accessed March 20th, 2017. FILM REVIVAL PROTESTED: N.A.A.C.P. Pickets Birth of a Nation at Beverly Theatre. The New York Times, May 19th, 1950. Accessed March 20th, 2017. FOES OF KLAN FIGHT BIRTH OF A NATION: Ask Motion Picture Board to Forbid Revival Here- Griffith and Dixon Defend Film. The New York Times, December 3rd, 1922. Accessed March 20th, 2017. NEGRO PICKETS IN COURT: Decision Reserved on Protest Against Film The Birth of a Nation. The New York Times, May 10th, 1921. Accessed March 21st. NEGROES OPPOSE FILM: Ex-Service Men Say Birth of a Nation Misrepresents Them. The New York Times, May 7th, 1921. Accessed March 20th. Haskell, Molly. In The Birth of a Nation, The Birth of Serious Film. The New York Times, November 20th, 1995. Accessed March 21st, 2017. Stern, Seymour. BIRTHDAY OF A CLASSIC.: The Twentieth Anniversary of Birth of a Nation Recalls Its Significance. The New York Times, Mar 24, 1935. Accessed March 20th, 2017. Secondary Sources Christensen, Terry. Reel Politics, American Political Movies from Birth of a Nation to Platoon. New York: Basil Blackwell Inc, 1987. [1] D.W. Griffith. The Birth of a Nation. 12 Reel Film. Directed by D.W. Griffith (New York: Epoch Producing Co., 1915). Film. [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid. [4] Ibid. [5] D.W. Griffith. The Birth of a Nation. 12 Reel Film. Directed by D.W. Griffith. Film. [6] Ibid. [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. [9] Ibid. [10] Ibid. [11] Ibid. [12] Ibid. [13] D.W. Griffith. The Birth of a Nation. 12 Reel Film. Directed by D.W. Griffith. Film. [14] Ibid. [15] Ibid. [16] Ibid. [17] Ibid. [18] Ibid. [19] Ibid. [20] Ibid. [21] Ibid. [22] Ibid. [23] D.W. Griffith. The Birth of a Nation. 12 Reel Film. Directed by D.W. Griffith. Film. [24] Ibid. [25] Ibid. [26] Ibid. [27] Ibid. [28] Ibid. [29] Ibid. [30] Ibid. [31] Ibid. [32] Ibid. [33] Seymour Stern. BIRTHDAY OF A CLASSIC.: The Twentieth Anniversary of Birth of a Nation Recalls Its Significance. (The New York Times, Mar 24, 1935), X4. [34] Ibid. [35] Seymour Stern. BIRTHDAY OF A CLASSIC.: The Twentieth Anniversary of Birth of a Nation Recalls Its Significance., X4. [36] FOES OF KLAN FIGHT BIRTH OF A NATION: Ask Motion Picture Board to Forbid Revival Here-Griffith and Dixon Defend Film. (The New York Times, December 3rd, 1922), 29. [37] Ibid. [38]ÂÂ   FOES OF KLAN FIGHT BIRTH OF A NATION: Ask Motion Picture Board to Forbid Revival Here-Griffith and Dixon Defend Film., 29. [39] Ibid. [40] Ibid. [41] NEGROES OPPOSE FILM: Ex-Service Men Say Birth of a Nation Misrepresents Them. (The New York Times, May 7th, 1921), 8. [42] Ibid. [43] NEGRO PICKETS IN COURT: Decision Reserved on Protest Against Film The Birth of a Nation. (The New York Times, May 10th, 1921), 6. [44] DEFENDS FILM PRODUCTION: Griffith Says He Regrets Compl

Consumer Motivations for Online Shopping

Consumer Motivations for Online Shopping CHAPTER 1 1 INTRODUCTION At the end of the last century, online shopping was already starting to catch peoples attention, and was slowly attracting consumers to use it as a channel, primarily because of its ease in completing purchases (i.e. not needing to step out of the home) and also in providing information as, even then, some sites already provided extensive information (Gay 1999, Gehrt et al 2007). But we are well into the first decade of the 21st century, and since then times have changed and certainly, consumers motivations, as evidenced in this literature review and the results of the research project, have changed. The use of the online channel for shopping varies greatly by country with the UK and the US ranking high up in the list with greatest ratio of online shoppers among Internet users, in addition to also having a large penetration of users for Internet access (Bhatti 2006). In the UK, Internet access among households has increased from 34% in 2000 to 54% in 2004, while Internet access for adults increased from 40% in 2000 to 64% in 2005 (Datamonitor 2006). 1.1 Research aims and objectives The project had two key questions to focus on and this acted as a guide to the research design and methodology. The two key research questions in my project were: What are the key consumer motivations for online shopping and how are these impacting the development of the online channel? This question focused on the key drivers acting as impetus for consumers to pursue online shopping, and how these drivers were impacting the online channel as an alternative channel for making purchases. What are the emerging trends for online shopping, and how will the online shopping channel develop? As online shopping continues to increase, both organisations and consumers are expected to be better-placed with having a good understanding of where online shopping trends seem to be directed at. 1.2 Consumer motivations The project sought to understand the consumer motivations for choosing online shopping as an alternative channel or, for some consumers, their main channel for shopping particular items. This part of the project was based on determining what consumers have stated as their key motivation factors through secondary research. This was supported by primary research by surveying and interviewing consumers on their motivational factors. The objective was to list out the key motivational factors consumers have for online shopping. 1.3 Emerging trends for online shopping In addition to understanding consumer motivation, this project also sought, as an objective, to understand the emerging trends in online shopping, and establish a viewpoint on where the online channel was expected to move to. Similar for consumer motivations, this part of the project was based on a combination of primary and secondary research. 1.4 Rationale for research project There was a strong rationale for pursuing this project as it aimed to provide a greater understanding of the consumer and the motivations behind online shopping. As the importance of the online channel becomes increasingly greater for organisations, there is greater need for determining the consumers key drivers in choosing this as an alternative channel for shopping. The project results impact both consumers and organisations. For consumers, this gave them a venue for stating their preferences and key requirements to continue using the online channel which could lead to improvements on the online shopping experience. For organisations, this project provided an understanding of the current situation and also the emerging trends based on competitive dynamics, in order to be able to provide the consumers their requirements. This project was also important for me as the student as it gave me an opportunity to develop the knowledge and pursue the analysis of a critical management issue which was becoming a greater value add channel for a large number of organisations. The project, I believe, has led to new insights and a confirmation of consumers key motivations to online shopping. I believe this contributes to the growing knowledge on the online shopping experience of consumers 1.5 Overview of the study Chapter 1 is the introduction chapter where the background, research question and rational, objective and the structure of the research are stated. Chapter 2 contains a brief literature review on online shopping and provided basic understanding about consumer motivations and emerging trends for online shopping which is related to the research question. Chapter 3 is brief about the case study on online shopping. Chapter 4 contains research methodology which includes research frame work the design of the research, sampling and questionnaire. Chapter 5 describes the critical review of the findings. Chapter 6 discusses on recommendation and conclusions. CHAPTER 2 2. LITERATURE REVIEW The study attempts to analyze research works relating to consumer motivations for online shopping and related issues are critically evaluated. This research project was pursued with a ‘qualitative research approach as the focus was on consumer motivations, which, while it could have been developed with quantitative metrics, seemed to translate better into a qualitative focus. The objective was more focused on going in greater depth across the key consumer motivations instead of tallying figures in terms of which factors consumers felt were their key motivations. The qualitative aspect of the research project was pursued through surveys and in-depth questionnaires. 2.1 Consumer motivations Childers et al (2001) defines ‘‘consumer motivations for online retail shopping conducted a few years ago, some of the consumer motivations cited were interest in use of a new technology, ease of navigation and use, and convenience of online shopping. While the research mentioned looked at consumer motivations, the research was only a subset of what could be learned from consumer behaviour as the study focused on only a few possible factors of online shopping activity. Linked to the increase of online shopping is the increase in access and usage of the Internet. Rodgers and Sheldon (2002) researched ‘‘the increasing use of the Internet and highlighted shopping as one of the key motivations for increased consumer use. In this work, the authors looked at shopping as a consumer motivation for increased consumer use. (Ko et al 2005, Tamimi et al 2005, Dadzie et al 2005) discussed that ‘‘it should be noted that there has been considerable growth in Internet access and usage, and this has created a significant market in marketing and communications of organisations. Online shopping has been growing and organisations have been focusing more on developing the online channel to capture a greater share of the wallet of the consumer. Online shopping Hult et al (2007) defines that ‘‘online shopping can relate to any offering of service quality, product quality, or e-Business quality where the objective is the customer-based value creation for organisations. Based on this definition, we can see that the number of online shoppers has indeed increased significantly in the UK, with the percentage of UK Internet users shopping online (including ordering tickets of buying goods and services) grew from 36% in 2000 to 61% in 2005 (Datamonitor 2006). For this research project, the broad definition is reasonable as the key focus of the research is in understanding consumer motivations for online shopping in general, with no specific product or service in mind. Undoubtedly, there are a large number of ways in which to cut the issue and there would be differences in the consumer motivations for specific products in specific markets. The works cited in this section provided a good starting point in the consumer motivations to be considered. The research works also provided an indication of the increasing use of the Internet and online shopping as an activity. From the limitations cited in the research works, further research needs to be conducted on a general understanding of consumer motivations which are not limited to a few factors. The rest of this section discusses some motivating factors cited by consumers as driving their online shopping activity. 24-hour access Bramall et al (2004) reported that ‘‘motivation by consumers is the 24-hour access provided or allowed by most online shopping channels. Thus, the online channel is utilised by consumers as it provides them with 24-hour access for information, customer service, and purchase opportunity. This essentially gives the consumer the opportunity to browse products and purchase at the consumers own leisure. While the research of the authors states this factor as a motivation, the focus of the research work was actually on potential trust issues in online shopping. This specific motivating factor was not analysed in comparison to other motivating factors for consumers. + Shopping convenience One oft-mentioned reason and an early consumer motivating factor, for shopping online is the convenience of doing so as consumers wont need to go to the retail stores and experience the ‘hassle of buying products in the stores (NBC News 2007). According to one study Furnham (2007) ‘‘not only highlight the convenience of shopping online but also states that shopping only also helps decision-making as a large part of the information requirements a consumer may need to make the decision are found online. Clearly, shopping convenience is expected to rank high among the consumers in terms of their motivations for pursuing online shopping. Gehrt et al (2007) reported that ‘‘Shopping convenience is a large factor for the US and UK consumers but this is not limited to the US or the UK markets only as even in Japan, online shopping has seen increasing growth rates, with shopping convenience as the greatest factor motivating consumers to do online shopping. The shopping convenience factor has been recognised across a number of research works, but these only tend to highlight that consumers have different meanings attached to the terminology, and may actually be referring to different sub-factors under the general term of convenience. In understanding this factor further, specific meanings were attached to and discussed in the surveys and interviews for the research. Greater bargains Craver (2006) reported that ‘‘not only consumers are expected to continue increasing their online purchases but only if they receive greater bargains from sellers in their online sites versus their retail stores. Thus, consumers are already building the expectations that prices online will be less that prices in retail stores. Hajewski (2006) pointed out that ‘‘If only to hammer the point of increasing consumer expectations, two factors mentioned by consumers in their increased interest in doing online shopping were free shipping of their products purchased and also everyday low pricing particularly relative to the retail stores of the sellers. The key limitation in the citations for ‘greater bargains is that these are from press articles and the approaches were not based on proper research conducted to determine the consumer motivations for online shopping. Nevertheless, this should still be accepted as a consumer motivation as this has been mentioned to be a factor based on the articles cited. Overall online shopping site experience Elliott Speck (2005) discussed that ‘‘touches on the overall online shopping site experience which in a way, relates to the overall customer experience in online shopping. This factor is quite specific to online shopping sites which consumers may visit but this nevertheless provides a motivation for some specific consumers and it relates to the overall online shopping site experience and having a positive satisfaction to the experience. Specifically, the authors argued that the following factors impacted on the consumer motivation to complete their online shopping transactions: ease of use of online shopping site, product information available, trust in the brand and the online shopping site, customer support, and entertainment experienced while in the site. The focus of the research conducted by the authors was not on online shopping specifically but rather on the attitude towards retail web sites but using the online shopping experience as an example, with an analysis of the resulting impact on the consumers. Similar to some of the other published research cited in this section, the key limitation is the set of respondents considered for the research which, in this case, consisted of undergraduate marketing students. The results are interesting and provide a good preview of what the results could be if the research is expanded to capture a greater sample of the population. 2.2 Emerging trends for online shopping In reviewing the related literature touching on online shopping and also consumer motivations, a number of emerging trends were clearly seen. These include the following: * Increased efforts in improving online security * Potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses * Usability of an online site as an increasing differentiator * Management of Internet product returns * Increasingly demanding consumers * Increasing opportunity for organisations to develop consumer relationships * Increasingly older market * Greater share of ad market Each of these trends is discussed in greater detail in this section. Increased efforts in improving online security (Bramall et al 2004, Arnold et al 2007, OConnell 2005, Cullen 2005) explained that ‘‘online shopping has shown strong growth and yet the belief is that online shopping growth rates could actually be much higher if not for security-related concerns by some consumers. Biswas et al (2006) described ‘‘there are two trends to be noted in relation to the security concerns of consumers. The first, as mentioned, is that there are greater efforts placed by organisations in improving online security as breaches to their security could have considerable consequences. The second trend is that a complementary approach to improving reputation for managing online security risks is paramount. In support of this, where there are great concerns for risk, it has been established that utilising expert endorsers, as opposed to celebrity endorsers or even non-celebrity non-expert endorsers, can actually help in bringing consumers over their risk concerns. Potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses Another trend is that organisations are increasingly seeing potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses. For example, in recent months, Kohls, a US department store chain, has offered products online which were not normally found in their department stores and these included higher-priced items such as leather chairs, high-end home entertainment centres, and flat screen televisions (Hajewski 2007). This trend is not without its implications for organisation. In the Kohls example, one problem with the expanded product range as done by Kohls was that Kohls did not offer everything they had online in their retail stores. This is a concern as some consumers utilise the online site for their ‘window shopping before moving to the retail stores to try on and purchase the items (Dodes 2006). The article states that more than 80% of online shoppers research products online first before sometimes going to the stores to see the products firsthand. Given that not all products are available in the stores, it would be prudent for online sites to be clear about which products are available in the stores and which products are not. In terms of ancillary businesses, the increase in online usage and online shopping has even spawned related business such as businesses which monitor traffic into organisations websites with the objective of increasing an organisations online sales (Newman 2007). Another ancillary business opportunity is from online shopping sites is as a social shopping space, such as Jellyfish.com which was recently acquired by Microsoft as it saw the growing opportunity in the business (Gallagher 2007). However, these new business are still untested as these are fairly new and would need some time before potentially growing into profitable businesses. As online shopping continues to grow, organisations will continue to seek out other opportunities that could help build the rationale for investments in establishing a highly competitive online shopping site. Usability of online site is an increasing differentiator Massey et al (2007) reported that ‘‘while the extent of technological readiness of the consumer plays a part in determining the level of comfort in navigating through an online shopping site, the general usability of an online shopping site is an increasing differentiator and distinguishes between the different sites that consumers will utilize in online shopping. The goal with these sites is to have it easily navigated through by consumers such that any potential barriers to keep consumers from purchasing products and services are effectively taken out of the equation. An example of an initiative moving into the direction of overall ease of usability is the recent transaction involving Abazias.com and Google wherein Abzias.com partnered with Google for their shopping checkout process which is considered fast and very convenient (M2 Presswire 2007). The challenge for organisations is to continue making their online shopping sites easier to use. And to support the point, some online shopping sites now provide potential live help from customer service if particular requirements are needed in order to limit the number of lost purchases resulting from consumers abandoning their purchases (Prince 2005). Overall, the design of the website and the ease of use have a large impact on the online shopping sites performance (Auger 2005). Management of Internet product returns Mollenkopf et al (2007) explained that emerging trend is the establishment of clear guidelines in the management of Internet product returns, which then addresses a key concern or questions by some consumers. Internet product returns has been one of the key factors limiting part of the online shopping growth as the uncertainty surrounding how returns of defective or unwanted products impacted on the overall cost and inconvenience for the consumer. Organisations which are able to state clearly their policies on Internet product returns, and which provide a seamless process for allowing consumers to make returns for products bought online are at an advantage versus other organisations which have a perception of ‘being difficult to coordinate with in processing Internet product returns. Increasingly demanding consumers As the development of the online shopping channel continues, we are now seeing increasingly demanding consumers. This is shown in the UK supermarket sector. In this sector, online shopping is still considered a poor offering by the UK supermarkets as none of the top five supermarket chains passed a service test conducted by a consumer affairs staff of a newspaper (Prunn 2006). Their failures were from their product offering to the product substitutes provided. The key good news for the UK supermarkets though was that the websites were generally easy to use for online shopping. Also, the delivery drivers were helpful and friendly. In contrast, in the US, online shopping offering for the supermarkets is a competitive offering with various supermarkets increasingly providing greater online shopping offerings for their consumers including chef-prepared, fresh-food delivery service (Food Institute Report 2006). Thus, the US supermarkets are able to provide the US consumers with their ‘demands from US supermarkets. UK supermarkets will need to focus on improving their offering in order to capture the consumer wallet for shopping deliveries. Increasing opportunity for organisations to develop consumer relationships (Kennedy 2006) pointed out that the online shopping channel provides organisations with an additional channel to develop consumer relationships. Organisations which are able to effectively capture value from their online shopping offering are the organisations which are able to â€Å"collect and analyze data on consumer patterns, interpret customer behaviour, respond with timely and effective customised communications, and deliver product and service value to consumers†. The game is not new to most organisations. The only difference is that there is a new channel to consider for the consumer relationships. In order to be competitive, organisations should be able to learn from their interactions with the consumers, and develop the channel into one that consumers will find value from. With the growth of the online shopping channel, more organisations will invest in ensuring that consumer information is managed properly to be leveraged by the organisation in capturing value from the interactions. Increasingly older market Iyer Eastman (2006) has noted that the â€Å"older internet users market comprises the fastest-growing demographic group in the Internet market† and are, aside from large and growing, generally financially secure. This potential trend has large implications on various organisations that can benefit from this research work. Thus, a greater understanding of the key trends is important in order to allow the organisations to plan and invest properly in their online shopping channels. Greater share of ad market Finally, another trend worth noting is the increasing share of the ad market by the online channel. With the growth of the online shopping consumer market, the ad share of this channel is expected to grow as well from about 5-8% to up to one-fifth of total ad budgets over the next three years (Ong 2005). The greater share of the ad market by the online channel has implications for organisations across two key points. First is that there needs to be a decision on the amount of the ad budget that will be allotted to the online channel. After deciding on the first point, the second key point is that it is imperative for organisations to understand the business model of the online channel, and that the organisations have a plan in ensuring their investments will eventually generate good returns. CHAPTER 3 3. CASE STUDY 3.1 History of online shopping Shopping online is the process for the customer to buy products or services via the Internet. In other words, consumers can buy it from the comfort of a holiday home of their own products from a store online. The concepts of this show before the first World Wide Web that are used with real-time transactions are processed from the domestic television! The technology used is called Videotext and shows the first time in 1979 by M. Aldrick, designed and installed the system in the UK. T. 1990 by Berners-Lee created the first WWW server and browser, and in 1995 by expanding the Amazon online shopping experience. History of Online Shopping is amazing. Gone are the days of waiting in traffic and work our way through the store is too full. All we need is a computer, bank account, credit or debit card and freedom voila! From books, to cosmetics, clothes and accessories to name a few, online shopping is the best in the century to 21 Simply find a site that offers things you want, price and delivery terms and in a matter of a few days of your purchase is at your door. Benefits and the ease of clear predictable as we offer a wider selection, competitive prices and greater access to information in regards to our purchase. Online stores are usually available 24 hours a day, and allow consumers to shop in their spare time and without travelling outside normal working hours. Another to consider is the first time the Internet was not well prepared that they will change the way we shop. On the web is created as a tool for communication, which in time to let the ease of virtual shopping. History of online shopping by itself represents a change by the people and now has become a service used by the ordinary business and shopping in the world. (Online blog, http://roomen-online.blogspot.com/2009/08/history-of-online-shopping.html) 3.2 Growth of online shopping The ability to shop online has transformed the way many consumers go about purchasing a product or service, giving the power to the individual consumer to access information, allowing easy and convenient research and comparison of various factors prior to making a purchase. The growth rate of online commerce is unparalleled in any other industry, growing twenty times faster than the overall UK retail market in 2005. Furthermore, the number of online shoppers grew by 25.5% to 14.6 million; with the number over the age of 55 doubling to 2.7 million. Forrester Research predict that UK shoppers will drive UK e-commerce from â‚ ¬43bn in 2006 to â‚ ¬76bn in 2011, accounting for 29% of total European internet retail. As such, we see the market study as a good opportunity to ‘take stock of online shopping in the UK, looking at what it has done for UK plc as a whole since its growth through the internet boom of the late nineties to the stable yet competitive market we see today. I t is worth noting many of the businesses that lived through the dot-com crash were internet retail sites, a clear indication of the valuable role they play for consumers. ( OFT Market Study on Online Shopping, http://207.45.116.138/ndbs/positiondoc.nsf/1f08ec61711f29768025672a0055f7a8/6174E87FE56AFC3F8025735300568DBA/$file/oftonlineshopping250706.pdf ) 3.3 Current trend As far as online shopping in UK is concerned, there is clear trend that those who resort to this new system of shopping will increase by 30 to 40 per cent in a period of 4 years. Remember, there was a delay of 2 to 6 years for people to shift to online shopping after getting acquainted to the internet. But the online system is gaining momentum in an unprecedented market reaction. In the early years only younger generation was using the online shopping services, but then came a remarkable change in the pattern of users. More and more people from older generation are getting attracted to the online shopping system. According to reliable projections, by 2050 the retail marketing scene will undergo a thorough change in its form and magnitude, and the shopping in UK will evolve beyond recognition with high street dominating the field. Everyone will be online, every hour every day! It will become an automatic process and convert the high street to something like a gallery style showroom! If the prediction becomes a reality, the Britons will be spending nearly 63 billion pounds for the online shopping. 860 million parcels will be shipped to the United Kingdom to serve 26 million internet shoppers. Each shopper will spend  £ 2400 each on an average. The number of people using online shopping will exceed the predictions and projections, if the present trend is an indication to that. At present, 10 per cent of the total retail selling is through internet. It will go up to 20 percent in 3 years. There will be a remarkable change in the composition of customers, patronizing online shopping. Men and women of all ages and professions will adopt the new system for the advantages inherent in the online shopping. The older generation, will increasingly use the online shopping, to avoid the ordeals of travelling, searching and bargaining involved in the conventional shopping. It is easier, faster, safer and valuable, according to those who have changed over to the system. No doubt the online shopping will gain popularity and momentum in the coming years. Globalization of trade has given a new impetus to this new market initiative. The political borders are disappearing as far as trade and commerce are concerned. The online trading and international postal services are giving new thrust to economy. Cross border shopping is flourishing. The internet has helped to widen the area of information much to the benefits of the customers. More accurate information is available now, about the companies, their products and services. The consumers are able to browse online catalogues and acquire vital information about a variety of goods displayed by several companies in their websites. Regarding prices there is a distinctively clear advantage for the consumer. The absence of middle men in the online shopping system will permit the dealers to trim their profit margins in favour of the customer. There are many price comparison service providers who serve the consumer by providing product information and price advantages. Retailers also publish their price ranges in such websites. The shopping web portals are more than the online version of yellow pages. The price comparison services search and retrieve data directly from retailers and feed them to the consumers through the internet. A comprehensive list of retailers and detailed list of prices are available with regular updating. (Future of ONLINE SHOPPING in UK, http://www.edealsuk.com/articles/online-shopping-trend-uk.html) CHAPTER 4 4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY . This research project was conducted with an explanatory research approach as the focus was in discovering ideas and insights into consumer motivations and emerging trends on online shopping (Mariampolski 2001). The research methodology also followed the framework of analysis defined in the previous section which resulted from the literature review. As the research work was largely qualitative, the exploratory approach and the analysis and results from the primary research provides a good understanding of the consumer motivations for online shopping, and also provides a framework for further analysis if needed by other researchers focusing on greater depth in some areas or expansion of issues not covered in this research project. The focus of the research project is on consumer motivations on online shopping and will not touch on specific online sites unless these are discussed in the context of increasing online shopping activities and consumer motivations. 4.1 Primary research The key primary research activities for this project included surveys and in-depth interviews to understand the key consumer motivations for online shopping. 4.1.1 Surveys The surveys gave a preview of the various factors which were impacting on online shopping. An open-ended survey was conducted to give consumers the opportunity to give factors which they truly feel were their key motivating considerations. The survey was divided into two main sections: * Open-ended and unprompted This section was designed to allow the respondents to give answers freely without any prompts. This was to ensure that the consumers thoughts were captured properly, and that their ideas and key motivations were the ones that were included in their responses. * Prompted with specific factors After the unprompted section, the survey had a section which had some of the preliminary findings from the literature review. This was designed to test the literature review findings, and also provide the respondents an opportunity to highlight some factors which may be important but were not mentioned by the respondent during the first part of the survey. 4.1.2 In-depth Interviews The in-depth interviews were Consumer Motivations for Online Shopping Consumer Motivations for Online Shopping CHAPTER 1 1 INTRODUCTION At the end of the last century, online shopping was already starting to catch peoples attention, and was slowly attracting consumers to use it as a channel, primarily because of its ease in completing purchases (i.e. not needing to step out of the home) and also in providing information as, even then, some sites already provided extensive information (Gay 1999, Gehrt et al 2007). But we are well into the first decade of the 21st century, and since then times have changed and certainly, consumers motivations, as evidenced in this literature review and the results of the research project, have changed. The use of the online channel for shopping varies greatly by country with the UK and the US ranking high up in the list with greatest ratio of online shoppers among Internet users, in addition to also having a large penetration of users for Internet access (Bhatti 2006). In the UK, Internet access among households has increased from 34% in 2000 to 54% in 2004, while Internet access for adults increased from 40% in 2000 to 64% in 2005 (Datamonitor 2006). 1.1 Research aims and objectives The project had two key questions to focus on and this acted as a guide to the research design and methodology. The two key research questions in my project were: What are the key consumer motivations for online shopping and how are these impacting the development of the online channel? This question focused on the key drivers acting as impetus for consumers to pursue online shopping, and how these drivers were impacting the online channel as an alternative channel for making purchases. What are the emerging trends for online shopping, and how will the online shopping channel develop? As online shopping continues to increase, both organisations and consumers are expected to be better-placed with having a good understanding of where online shopping trends seem to be directed at. 1.2 Consumer motivations The project sought to understand the consumer motivations for choosing online shopping as an alternative channel or, for some consumers, their main channel for shopping particular items. This part of the project was based on determining what consumers have stated as their key motivation factors through secondary research. This was supported by primary research by surveying and interviewing consumers on their motivational factors. The objective was to list out the key motivational factors consumers have for online shopping. 1.3 Emerging trends for online shopping In addition to understanding consumer motivation, this project also sought, as an objective, to understand the emerging trends in online shopping, and establish a viewpoint on where the online channel was expected to move to. Similar for consumer motivations, this part of the project was based on a combination of primary and secondary research. 1.4 Rationale for research project There was a strong rationale for pursuing this project as it aimed to provide a greater understanding of the consumer and the motivations behind online shopping. As the importance of the online channel becomes increasingly greater for organisations, there is greater need for determining the consumers key drivers in choosing this as an alternative channel for shopping. The project results impact both consumers and organisations. For consumers, this gave them a venue for stating their preferences and key requirements to continue using the online channel which could lead to improvements on the online shopping experience. For organisations, this project provided an understanding of the current situation and also the emerging trends based on competitive dynamics, in order to be able to provide the consumers their requirements. This project was also important for me as the student as it gave me an opportunity to develop the knowledge and pursue the analysis of a critical management issue which was becoming a greater value add channel for a large number of organisations. The project, I believe, has led to new insights and a confirmation of consumers key motivations to online shopping. I believe this contributes to the growing knowledge on the online shopping experience of consumers 1.5 Overview of the study Chapter 1 is the introduction chapter where the background, research question and rational, objective and the structure of the research are stated. Chapter 2 contains a brief literature review on online shopping and provided basic understanding about consumer motivations and emerging trends for online shopping which is related to the research question. Chapter 3 is brief about the case study on online shopping. Chapter 4 contains research methodology which includes research frame work the design of the research, sampling and questionnaire. Chapter 5 describes the critical review of the findings. Chapter 6 discusses on recommendation and conclusions. CHAPTER 2 2. LITERATURE REVIEW The study attempts to analyze research works relating to consumer motivations for online shopping and related issues are critically evaluated. This research project was pursued with a ‘qualitative research approach as the focus was on consumer motivations, which, while it could have been developed with quantitative metrics, seemed to translate better into a qualitative focus. The objective was more focused on going in greater depth across the key consumer motivations instead of tallying figures in terms of which factors consumers felt were their key motivations. The qualitative aspect of the research project was pursued through surveys and in-depth questionnaires. 2.1 Consumer motivations Childers et al (2001) defines ‘‘consumer motivations for online retail shopping conducted a few years ago, some of the consumer motivations cited were interest in use of a new technology, ease of navigation and use, and convenience of online shopping. While the research mentioned looked at consumer motivations, the research was only a subset of what could be learned from consumer behaviour as the study focused on only a few possible factors of online shopping activity. Linked to the increase of online shopping is the increase in access and usage of the Internet. Rodgers and Sheldon (2002) researched ‘‘the increasing use of the Internet and highlighted shopping as one of the key motivations for increased consumer use. In this work, the authors looked at shopping as a consumer motivation for increased consumer use. (Ko et al 2005, Tamimi et al 2005, Dadzie et al 2005) discussed that ‘‘it should be noted that there has been considerable growth in Internet access and usage, and this has created a significant market in marketing and communications of organisations. Online shopping has been growing and organisations have been focusing more on developing the online channel to capture a greater share of the wallet of the consumer. Online shopping Hult et al (2007) defines that ‘‘online shopping can relate to any offering of service quality, product quality, or e-Business quality where the objective is the customer-based value creation for organisations. Based on this definition, we can see that the number of online shoppers has indeed increased significantly in the UK, with the percentage of UK Internet users shopping online (including ordering tickets of buying goods and services) grew from 36% in 2000 to 61% in 2005 (Datamonitor 2006). For this research project, the broad definition is reasonable as the key focus of the research is in understanding consumer motivations for online shopping in general, with no specific product or service in mind. Undoubtedly, there are a large number of ways in which to cut the issue and there would be differences in the consumer motivations for specific products in specific markets. The works cited in this section provided a good starting point in the consumer motivations to be considered. The research works also provided an indication of the increasing use of the Internet and online shopping as an activity. From the limitations cited in the research works, further research needs to be conducted on a general understanding of consumer motivations which are not limited to a few factors. The rest of this section discusses some motivating factors cited by consumers as driving their online shopping activity. 24-hour access Bramall et al (2004) reported that ‘‘motivation by consumers is the 24-hour access provided or allowed by most online shopping channels. Thus, the online channel is utilised by consumers as it provides them with 24-hour access for information, customer service, and purchase opportunity. This essentially gives the consumer the opportunity to browse products and purchase at the consumers own leisure. While the research of the authors states this factor as a motivation, the focus of the research work was actually on potential trust issues in online shopping. This specific motivating factor was not analysed in comparison to other motivating factors for consumers. + Shopping convenience One oft-mentioned reason and an early consumer motivating factor, for shopping online is the convenience of doing so as consumers wont need to go to the retail stores and experience the ‘hassle of buying products in the stores (NBC News 2007). According to one study Furnham (2007) ‘‘not only highlight the convenience of shopping online but also states that shopping only also helps decision-making as a large part of the information requirements a consumer may need to make the decision are found online. Clearly, shopping convenience is expected to rank high among the consumers in terms of their motivations for pursuing online shopping. Gehrt et al (2007) reported that ‘‘Shopping convenience is a large factor for the US and UK consumers but this is not limited to the US or the UK markets only as even in Japan, online shopping has seen increasing growth rates, with shopping convenience as the greatest factor motivating consumers to do online shopping. The shopping convenience factor has been recognised across a number of research works, but these only tend to highlight that consumers have different meanings attached to the terminology, and may actually be referring to different sub-factors under the general term of convenience. In understanding this factor further, specific meanings were attached to and discussed in the surveys and interviews for the research. Greater bargains Craver (2006) reported that ‘‘not only consumers are expected to continue increasing their online purchases but only if they receive greater bargains from sellers in their online sites versus their retail stores. Thus, consumers are already building the expectations that prices online will be less that prices in retail stores. Hajewski (2006) pointed out that ‘‘If only to hammer the point of increasing consumer expectations, two factors mentioned by consumers in their increased interest in doing online shopping were free shipping of their products purchased and also everyday low pricing particularly relative to the retail stores of the sellers. The key limitation in the citations for ‘greater bargains is that these are from press articles and the approaches were not based on proper research conducted to determine the consumer motivations for online shopping. Nevertheless, this should still be accepted as a consumer motivation as this has been mentioned to be a factor based on the articles cited. Overall online shopping site experience Elliott Speck (2005) discussed that ‘‘touches on the overall online shopping site experience which in a way, relates to the overall customer experience in online shopping. This factor is quite specific to online shopping sites which consumers may visit but this nevertheless provides a motivation for some specific consumers and it relates to the overall online shopping site experience and having a positive satisfaction to the experience. Specifically, the authors argued that the following factors impacted on the consumer motivation to complete their online shopping transactions: ease of use of online shopping site, product information available, trust in the brand and the online shopping site, customer support, and entertainment experienced while in the site. The focus of the research conducted by the authors was not on online shopping specifically but rather on the attitude towards retail web sites but using the online shopping experience as an example, with an analysis of the resulting impact on the consumers. Similar to some of the other published research cited in this section, the key limitation is the set of respondents considered for the research which, in this case, consisted of undergraduate marketing students. The results are interesting and provide a good preview of what the results could be if the research is expanded to capture a greater sample of the population. 2.2 Emerging trends for online shopping In reviewing the related literature touching on online shopping and also consumer motivations, a number of emerging trends were clearly seen. These include the following: * Increased efforts in improving online security * Potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses * Usability of an online site as an increasing differentiator * Management of Internet product returns * Increasingly demanding consumers * Increasing opportunity for organisations to develop consumer relationships * Increasingly older market * Greater share of ad market Each of these trends is discussed in greater detail in this section. Increased efforts in improving online security (Bramall et al 2004, Arnold et al 2007, OConnell 2005, Cullen 2005) explained that ‘‘online shopping has shown strong growth and yet the belief is that online shopping growth rates could actually be much higher if not for security-related concerns by some consumers. Biswas et al (2006) described ‘‘there are two trends to be noted in relation to the security concerns of consumers. The first, as mentioned, is that there are greater efforts placed by organisations in improving online security as breaches to their security could have considerable consequences. The second trend is that a complementary approach to improving reputation for managing online security risks is paramount. In support of this, where there are great concerns for risk, it has been established that utilising expert endorsers, as opposed to celebrity endorsers or even non-celebrity non-expert endorsers, can actually help in bringing consumers over their risk concerns. Potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses Another trend is that organisations are increasingly seeing potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses. For example, in recent months, Kohls, a US department store chain, has offered products online which were not normally found in their department stores and these included higher-priced items such as leather chairs, high-end home entertainment centres, and flat screen televisions (Hajewski 2007). This trend is not without its implications for organisation. In the Kohls example, one problem with the expanded product range as done by Kohls was that Kohls did not offer everything they had online in their retail stores. This is a concern as some consumers utilise the online site for their ‘window shopping before moving to the retail stores to try on and purchase the items (Dodes 2006). The article states that more than 80% of online shoppers research products online first before sometimes going to the stores to see the products firsthand. Given that not all products are available in the stores, it would be prudent for online sites to be clear about which products are available in the stores and which products are not. In terms of ancillary businesses, the increase in online usage and online shopping has even spawned related business such as businesses which monitor traffic into organisations websites with the objective of increasing an organisations online sales (Newman 2007). Another ancillary business opportunity is from online shopping sites is as a social shopping space, such as Jellyfish.com which was recently acquired by Microsoft as it saw the growing opportunity in the business (Gallagher 2007). However, these new business are still untested as these are fairly new and would need some time before potentially growing into profitable businesses. As online shopping continues to grow, organisations will continue to seek out other opportunities that could help build the rationale for investments in establishing a highly competitive online shopping site. Usability of online site is an increasing differentiator Massey et al (2007) reported that ‘‘while the extent of technological readiness of the consumer plays a part in determining the level of comfort in navigating through an online shopping site, the general usability of an online shopping site is an increasing differentiator and distinguishes between the different sites that consumers will utilize in online shopping. The goal with these sites is to have it easily navigated through by consumers such that any potential barriers to keep consumers from purchasing products and services are effectively taken out of the equation. An example of an initiative moving into the direction of overall ease of usability is the recent transaction involving Abazias.com and Google wherein Abzias.com partnered with Google for their shopping checkout process which is considered fast and very convenient (M2 Presswire 2007). The challenge for organisations is to continue making their online shopping sites easier to use. And to support the point, some online shopping sites now provide potential live help from customer service if particular requirements are needed in order to limit the number of lost purchases resulting from consumers abandoning their purchases (Prince 2005). Overall, the design of the website and the ease of use have a large impact on the online shopping sites performance (Auger 2005). Management of Internet product returns Mollenkopf et al (2007) explained that emerging trend is the establishment of clear guidelines in the management of Internet product returns, which then addresses a key concern or questions by some consumers. Internet product returns has been one of the key factors limiting part of the online shopping growth as the uncertainty surrounding how returns of defective or unwanted products impacted on the overall cost and inconvenience for the consumer. Organisations which are able to state clearly their policies on Internet product returns, and which provide a seamless process for allowing consumers to make returns for products bought online are at an advantage versus other organisations which have a perception of ‘being difficult to coordinate with in processing Internet product returns. Increasingly demanding consumers As the development of the online shopping channel continues, we are now seeing increasingly demanding consumers. This is shown in the UK supermarket sector. In this sector, online shopping is still considered a poor offering by the UK supermarkets as none of the top five supermarket chains passed a service test conducted by a consumer affairs staff of a newspaper (Prunn 2006). Their failures were from their product offering to the product substitutes provided. The key good news for the UK supermarkets though was that the websites were generally easy to use for online shopping. Also, the delivery drivers were helpful and friendly. In contrast, in the US, online shopping offering for the supermarkets is a competitive offering with various supermarkets increasingly providing greater online shopping offerings for their consumers including chef-prepared, fresh-food delivery service (Food Institute Report 2006). Thus, the US supermarkets are able to provide the US consumers with their ‘demands from US supermarkets. UK supermarkets will need to focus on improving their offering in order to capture the consumer wallet for shopping deliveries. Increasing opportunity for organisations to develop consumer relationships (Kennedy 2006) pointed out that the online shopping channel provides organisations with an additional channel to develop consumer relationships. Organisations which are able to effectively capture value from their online shopping offering are the organisations which are able to â€Å"collect and analyze data on consumer patterns, interpret customer behaviour, respond with timely and effective customised communications, and deliver product and service value to consumers†. The game is not new to most organisations. The only difference is that there is a new channel to consider for the consumer relationships. In order to be competitive, organisations should be able to learn from their interactions with the consumers, and develop the channel into one that consumers will find value from. With the growth of the online shopping channel, more organisations will invest in ensuring that consumer information is managed properly to be leveraged by the organisation in capturing value from the interactions. Increasingly older market Iyer Eastman (2006) has noted that the â€Å"older internet users market comprises the fastest-growing demographic group in the Internet market† and are, aside from large and growing, generally financially secure. This potential trend has large implications on various organisations that can benefit from this research work. Thus, a greater understanding of the key trends is important in order to allow the organisations to plan and invest properly in their online shopping channels. Greater share of ad market Finally, another trend worth noting is the increasing share of the ad market by the online channel. With the growth of the online shopping consumer market, the ad share of this channel is expected to grow as well from about 5-8% to up to one-fifth of total ad budgets over the next three years (Ong 2005). The greater share of the ad market by the online channel has implications for organisations across two key points. First is that there needs to be a decision on the amount of the ad budget that will be allotted to the online channel. After deciding on the first point, the second key point is that it is imperative for organisations to understand the business model of the online channel, and that the organisations have a plan in ensuring their investments will eventually generate good returns. CHAPTER 3 3. CASE STUDY 3.1 History of online shopping Shopping online is the process for the customer to buy products or services via the Internet. In other words, consumers can buy it from the comfort of a holiday home of their own products from a store online. The concepts of this show before the first World Wide Web that are used with real-time transactions are processed from the domestic television! The technology used is called Videotext and shows the first time in 1979 by M. Aldrick, designed and installed the system in the UK. T. 1990 by Berners-Lee created the first WWW server and browser, and in 1995 by expanding the Amazon online shopping experience. History of Online Shopping is amazing. Gone are the days of waiting in traffic and work our way through the store is too full. All we need is a computer, bank account, credit or debit card and freedom voila! From books, to cosmetics, clothes and accessories to name a few, online shopping is the best in the century to 21 Simply find a site that offers things you want, price and delivery terms and in a matter of a few days of your purchase is at your door. Benefits and the ease of clear predictable as we offer a wider selection, competitive prices and greater access to information in regards to our purchase. Online stores are usually available 24 hours a day, and allow consumers to shop in their spare time and without travelling outside normal working hours. Another to consider is the first time the Internet was not well prepared that they will change the way we shop. On the web is created as a tool for communication, which in time to let the ease of virtual shopping. History of online shopping by itself represents a change by the people and now has become a service used by the ordinary business and shopping in the world. (Online blog, http://roomen-online.blogspot.com/2009/08/history-of-online-shopping.html) 3.2 Growth of online shopping The ability to shop online has transformed the way many consumers go about purchasing a product or service, giving the power to the individual consumer to access information, allowing easy and convenient research and comparison of various factors prior to making a purchase. The growth rate of online commerce is unparalleled in any other industry, growing twenty times faster than the overall UK retail market in 2005. Furthermore, the number of online shoppers grew by 25.5% to 14.6 million; with the number over the age of 55 doubling to 2.7 million. Forrester Research predict that UK shoppers will drive UK e-commerce from â‚ ¬43bn in 2006 to â‚ ¬76bn in 2011, accounting for 29% of total European internet retail. As such, we see the market study as a good opportunity to ‘take stock of online shopping in the UK, looking at what it has done for UK plc as a whole since its growth through the internet boom of the late nineties to the stable yet competitive market we see today. I t is worth noting many of the businesses that lived through the dot-com crash were internet retail sites, a clear indication of the valuable role they play for consumers. ( OFT Market Study on Online Shopping, http://207.45.116.138/ndbs/positiondoc.nsf/1f08ec61711f29768025672a0055f7a8/6174E87FE56AFC3F8025735300568DBA/$file/oftonlineshopping250706.pdf ) 3.3 Current trend As far as online shopping in UK is concerned, there is clear trend that those who resort to this new system of shopping will increase by 30 to 40 per cent in a period of 4 years. Remember, there was a delay of 2 to 6 years for people to shift to online shopping after getting acquainted to the internet. But the online system is gaining momentum in an unprecedented market reaction. In the early years only younger generation was using the online shopping services, but then came a remarkable change in the pattern of users. More and more people from older generation are getting attracted to the online shopping system. According to reliable projections, by 2050 the retail marketing scene will undergo a thorough change in its form and magnitude, and the shopping in UK will evolve beyond recognition with high street dominating the field. Everyone will be online, every hour every day! It will become an automatic process and convert the high street to something like a gallery style showroom! If the prediction becomes a reality, the Britons will be spending nearly 63 billion pounds for the online shopping. 860 million parcels will be shipped to the United Kingdom to serve 26 million internet shoppers. Each shopper will spend  £ 2400 each on an average. The number of people using online shopping will exceed the predictions and projections, if the present trend is an indication to that. At present, 10 per cent of the total retail selling is through internet. It will go up to 20 percent in 3 years. There will be a remarkable change in the composition of customers, patronizing online shopping. Men and women of all ages and professions will adopt the new system for the advantages inherent in the online shopping. The older generation, will increasingly use the online shopping, to avoid the ordeals of travelling, searching and bargaining involved in the conventional shopping. It is easier, faster, safer and valuable, according to those who have changed over to the system. No doubt the online shopping will gain popularity and momentum in the coming years. Globalization of trade has given a new impetus to this new market initiative. The political borders are disappearing as far as trade and commerce are concerned. The online trading and international postal services are giving new thrust to economy. Cross border shopping is flourishing. The internet has helped to widen the area of information much to the benefits of the customers. More accurate information is available now, about the companies, their products and services. The consumers are able to browse online catalogues and acquire vital information about a variety of goods displayed by several companies in their websites. Regarding prices there is a distinctively clear advantage for the consumer. The absence of middle men in the online shopping system will permit the dealers to trim their profit margins in favour of the customer. There are many price comparison service providers who serve the consumer by providing product information and price advantages. Retailers also publish their price ranges in such websites. The shopping web portals are more than the online version of yellow pages. The price comparison services search and retrieve data directly from retailers and feed them to the consumers through the internet. A comprehensive list of retailers and detailed list of prices are available with regular updating. (Future of ONLINE SHOPPING in UK, http://www.edealsuk.com/articles/online-shopping-trend-uk.html) CHAPTER 4 4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY . This research project was conducted with an explanatory research approach as the focus was in discovering ideas and insights into consumer motivations and emerging trends on online shopping (Mariampolski 2001). The research methodology also followed the framework of analysis defined in the previous section which resulted from the literature review. As the research work was largely qualitative, the exploratory approach and the analysis and results from the primary research provides a good understanding of the consumer motivations for online shopping, and also provides a framework for further analysis if needed by other researchers focusing on greater depth in some areas or expansion of issues not covered in this research project. The focus of the research project is on consumer motivations on online shopping and will not touch on specific online sites unless these are discussed in the context of increasing online shopping activities and consumer motivations. 4.1 Primary research The key primary research activities for this project included surveys and in-depth interviews to understand the key consumer motivations for online shopping. 4.1.1 Surveys The surveys gave a preview of the various factors which were impacting on online shopping. An open-ended survey was conducted to give consumers the opportunity to give factors which they truly feel were their key motivating considerations. The survey was divided into two main sections: * Open-ended and unprompted This section was designed to allow the respondents to give answers freely without any prompts. This was to ensure that the consumers thoughts were captured properly, and that their ideas and key motivations were the ones that were included in their responses. * Prompted with specific factors After the unprompted section, the survey had a section which had some of the preliminary findings from the literature review. This was designed to test the literature review findings, and also provide the respondents an opportunity to highlight some factors which may be important but were not mentioned by the respondent during the first part of the survey. 4.1.2 In-depth Interviews The in-depth interviews were