Module+2+Lit+Review

==UPDATE: ALL TEXT FOR OUR REVIEW HAS BEEN ADDED AT THE BOTTOM. PLEASE REVIEW THE GROUP TEXT AS WELL AS YOUR INDIVIDUAL REVIEWS. I REFORMATTED SOME TO CONFORMITY. IF YOUR SEARCH STRATEGY IS NOT WHAT I HAVE LISTED, PLEASE CORRECT IT. ALSO IF I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR SOURCE, PLEASE ADDRESS IT (I THINK GINA AND SARAH NEED TO LOOK). I WILL REFORMAT THE CITATIONS TO INCLUDE THE HANGING INDENT IN THE FINAL VERSION (APA STYLE). ==

IF I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU BY 7:00 THIS EVENING I'M GOING TO DUMP TEXT INTO THE WORD TEMPLATE AND POST IT HERE: http://eme6635dogloversgroup.wikispaces.com/file/list
I updated my individual section. I found most of my sources on Google, so I added the web addresses like you have them for everyone else's resource lists. Let me know if you need anything else for this. (SC) I updated the Neilsen source, looked at the PDF. (LG)

==THE TEXT OF THE REVIEW IS AT THE BOTTOM, PLEASE EDIT AS YOU FEEL NECESSARY. I'LL ADD THE PROPER CITATIONS AND ADD YOUR INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS LATER TODAY. (LG) == I made one change. In the last sentence of the second paragraph, I assume that was supposed to say "...but do not want to pay..." I added the "not." The rest sounds good. I will check back in tonight to see if anyone else made any other changes, so I can write up the research question and supporting questions. (SC)

Thanks for catching that, Sarah! Working on your citations and formatting now. (LG) I still have to put the file in Word format, if you want, since I'll already be online, I'll submit it. (LG)
 * Looks good to me. Do I need to submit? (LE) **

PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ANY OTHER CORRECTIONS HERE. AM FORMATTING THE DOCUMENT, WILL POST ON THE WIKI UNTIL 8 AND THEN I'LL SUBMIT. (LG)

7:15: file uploaded here:

http://eme6635dogloversgroup.wikispaces.com/file/list
please list any corrections below this entry. I'll check back at 8:00 and if I don't see anything, I'll submit the lit review. (LG)

Instructions:
Based on your approved project topic, each team member will find 4 or 5 related articles to help give support to the project issues, related real world problem, inquiry methodology, or proposed measurement techniques. Then the team will assimilate all of this individual work together to create a literature review. Be sure to use [|APA Style 5th Edition]. The main purposes for a literature review is to support and strengthen your inquiry logic as well as to present to your audience a case that your questioning is significant, important, and relevant to the real world problem(s). The lit review establishes what is already “out there” on your topic, it helps help you see what DON’T you know, as well as sheding light on similar areas or topics that might be more appropriate. Another key purpose is to help you develop solid research questions (the next phase in the semester project). A lit review is carried out to help frame your inquiry ideas.The lit review should give credibility to your issues, purpose, rationale, and methods. The following questions should be considered when deciding what literature is important to include in your lit review. Also these questions give you a logical framework for writing the lit review. • How do my selected articles support framing the problem? • Do my articles provide evidence that my inquiry topic (problem) is important or has importance? • Did I learning anything that I didn’t know? Explain. • Did I confirm anything that I already knew? Explain. • Did your search explain any new and/or divergent ways of thinking about the topic? • Did your search ground your ideas in current efforts by others? • Are you proposing a study or methods that have already been carried out by others? If so, how unique are your efforts? Can you justify the need to conduct your study? The lit review document will have two parts: Team summary of the lit review
 * 1) Team summary will bring all of the individual efforts together. The team summary will need to have the following:
 * 2) Description for how the team carried out this task
 * 3) List the most relevant articles selected from the team efforts
 * 4) Address the questions poised earlier. Be sure to use citations for your claims. (These questions are the same for the individual documentation below
 * 5) Individual documentation will have the following:
 * 6) Brief description of the search strategy including search databases and key term used for searching
 * 7) List of 4 or 5 relevant articles
 * 8) Response to the questions posed earlier.

Due: Feb 2nd File Name: SPP2T##.doc

Team Summary
Our search strategy included exploration of websites using the search terms “green,” “products,” “consumer,” “purchase,” “marketing,” “cleaning products,” “misleading advertising,” and “green studies” with Google, and through searching databases in the FSU Libraries collection. With the topic having a mainstream theme, it was necessary to also include searching websites to support journal articles. As we posted our articles, we individually adjusted our search terms and sources to round out our literature selection.
 * Search Strategy**

Bonini, S. & Oppenheim, J. (2008). Cultivating the green consumer. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 56-61. Retrieved January 27, 2009, from http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/cultivating_the_green_consumer/.
 * Literature**

Consumers Want “Green” Products, but Not at a Big Price (2007, November). Kitchen & Bath Design News, 25 (11), 52. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from the ProQuest Newspapers database.

Do “Green” Conscious Consumers Practice What They Preach? New Consumer Purchase Data Reveals That Many Do Not! (2008, September 29). Business Wire. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from the InfoTrac OneFile database.

O'Brien, K. A. (1992). Green Marketing: Can it be harmful to your health? Industry Week, 241(8), 56-59. Retrieved January 26, 2009, from the FSU Libraries Business database.

Pickett-Baker, J. & Ozaki, R. (2008, May). Pro-Environmental Products: Marketing Influence on Consumer Purchase Decision. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 25 (5), 281-293. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from the InfoTrac OneFile database.

Shrum, L.J., McCarty, J.A., & Lowrey, T.M. (1995, June 22). Buyer Characteristics of the Green Consumer and Their Implications for Advertising Strategy. Journal of Advertising. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing/direct-marketing/598814-1.html

“Going Green” is a phrase that has been used to describe a lifestyle change toward purchasing environmentally-friendly products and making energy-saving changes in our lives. Americans are realizing the environmental impact of our choices, and our concern is rising about how the environment will be for our children and grandchildren. The problem our group has identified is to what extent are consumers actually purchasing environmentally-friendly products when consumers claim they are environmentally friendly. The literature we selected supports this problem, along with underlying factors leading to the lack of purchasing green products.
 * Discussion**

The articles selected support the problem the group has identified. Material was found concerning green consumers and their actual purchasing habits and attitudes toward green purchases. From the literature, it is evident that there is a desire to go green. However, there are barriers to making the change. For example, consumers are interested in making green purchases for home furnishings and construction but do not want to pay the additional costs that green products often carry ("Consumers Want 'Green' Products," 2007).

Bonini and Oppenheim (2008) identified five barriers that consumers face when considering green purchases: “lack of awareness, negative perceptions, distrust, high prices, and low availability.” The supporting literature confirmed these barriers. Pickett-Baker and Ozaki (2008) point out that the desire to purchase green products exists, but that consumers have difficulty In locating these products due to lack of marketing efforts.

Studies have been conducted to identify the characteristics of green consumers. These consumers tend to be careful shoppers and skeptical of advertising (Shrum, McCarty, & Lowrey, 1995). Negative perceptions and distrust are reinforced by the practice of “greenwashing,” (O'Brien, 1992) a term used to describe how companies are falsely advertising their products to be green when they in fact, are not. In this age, the perception of advertising is turning negative and this is a contributing factor to the slower adoption of going green.

The literature explored the desire to go green and barriers preventing consumers from going green, but another aspect of green consumers was discovered. A study was conducted to determine whether green products were purchased that focused on age groups. It was discovered that older adults were more likely to purchase green products repeatedly and read nutrition labels to select healthier, organic foods. Younger adults were more likely to purchase green products but not on a regular basis and did not maintain healthy diets ("Do 'Green' Conscious Consumers," 2008).

The literature did not provide new information that was not previously assumed. However, it did support what the group individually suspect in terms of attitudes and behaviors of green consumers. The disparity between age groups was also of interest and this provided an opportunity to think about the difference in behaviors of the “Baby Boomer” generation and the “Gen Y” generation.

The literature showed what has been perceived about green purchasing – that more consumers claim to buy green than are actually buying green. Our group wants to explore why there is a gap in the desire to buy green and the actuality of buying green. Barriers have been identified to include marketing and awareness. The difference between our efforts and those of other researchers would lie in the scale of our research. Most studies were on a nationwide basis where our research would be on a more local level and therefore more relevant to us personally.

Individual Review - Sarah Clamons

Search Strategy The search databases used for this documentation search included Google’s search engine and the Education Resources Information Center database accessed through the Florida State University online library site. The search terms used include: green living, green consumers and eco-friendly living.

Literature Bonini, S. & Oppenheim, J. (2008). Cultivating the green consumer. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 56-61. Retrieved January 27, 2009, from http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/cultivating_the_green_consumer/.

Hesse. M. (2008). Today’s Oxymoron: the Green Consumer. San Francisco Chronicle, G-4. Retrieved January 27, 2009, from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/12/HOCNVEA70.DTL.

Kagawa, F. (2007). Dissonance in Students’ Perceptions of Sustainable Development and Sustainability: Implications for Curriculum Change. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 8 (3), 317-338. Retrieved January 27, 2009, from the ERIC database.

Green Consumers Spend More in Warehouse Clubs, and Buy More Produce, Pasta and Cereal than Non-Green Consumers (2008, June 5). Retrieved January 27, 2009, from http://us.nielsen.com/news/documents/NielsenNMILOHASConsumer608.pdf

Discussion The article by Bonini and Oppenheim (2008) suggests five barriers to consumers turning to environmentally green products. The authors also provide possible solutions for breaking these barriers down. Our groups’ original problem focuses on whether or not American consumers are really living green and this article provides possible answers to why they might not be and how to fix that. The article by Hesse (2008) provides the viewpoint that today’s green consumers are driven by consuming, rather than by not buying. This article helps define what green living is all about and helps in defining our groups’ final problem. The Nielson survey (2008) shows that eco-friendly consumers are the top purchasers of many consumer-packaged goods that offer a variety of environmentally friendly options. The study conducted by Kagawa (2007) shows students perceptions towards sustainability and maintaining a green lifestyle. Each of these articles provides insight into the lifestyles and perceptions of eco-friendly consumers, which helps shape the problem. The articles show how the green lifestyle has an impact on many different aspects of our culture, including product manufacturers, stores, and individual consumers. I learned a few things from the articles that were surprising. Kagawa (2007) showed that more males considered themselves knowledgeable about sustainability than females did. This surprised me, since I equate sustainable resources with shopping for household goods, which I generally consider a more female dominated task. I also found it interesting to learn that the Nielson study (2008) showed that the best market areas for manufacturers trying to capture the eco-friendly consumers is with non-carbonated soft drinks, baking mixes and indulgences, such as frozen novelties and syrups. These are not items that I think of when I think of green resources. Although some resources on the internet say that sustainability is dying down, the Nielson report (2008) did reconfirm my belief that sustainability is still going strong. The study by Bonini and Oppenheim (2008) also reconfirmed that two of the reasons a lot of people are resistant to go green is because of a lack of knowledge about how to shop for green products and the high price of products that are considered environmentally friendly.

Individual Review - Lorrie Etheridge

Search Strategy In searching for articles for our research, I tried various keywords including “green consumers”, “green consumer studies” and “misleading green advertising”. I confined my search to what I considered reputable sources like the New York Times, Newsweek and Time Magazine.

Literature Freitag, M. (1989, August 6). Luring “Green” Consumers. New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2DA133AF935A3575BC0A96F948260

Kanter, J. (2008, September 9). The Color of Consumer Consciousness: Light Green and Dark Green. New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/the-color-of-conservation-light-green-and-dark-green/

Makower, J. (n.d.). What’s Behind the Green Consumer Research? Retrieved January 28, 2009, from http://makower.typepad.com/joel_makower/2007/09/whats-behind-th.html

Oldham, J. (n.d.). As the Economy Slumps, So Does Trash. LA Times. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-trash25-2009jan25,0,5995857.story

Salisbury, S. (2008, November 3). Some Products’ “Green” Claims Misleading, False. Palm Beach Post. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2008/11/03/a9f_greenwashing_1103.html

Shrum, L.J., McCarty, J.A., & Lowrey, T.M. (1995, June 22). Buyer Characteristics of the Green Consumer and Their Implications for Advertising Strategy. Journal of Advertising. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing/direct-marketing/598814-1.html

Walsh, B. (2008, September 11). Eco-Buyer Beware: Green Can Be Deceiving. Time Magazine. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1840562,00.html

In order to frame our questions, I felt that we needed to see what kind of material was available concerning green consumers and their habits and perceptions.
 * Discussion**
 * How do my selected articles support framing the problem?**

I think that my research suggests that American consumers are very green conscience if not always green compliant. The articles suggested that Americans want to be green but are confused as to what green means and also that many Americans do not buy green due to costs and misleading advertising.
 * Do my articles provide evidence that my inquiry topic (problem) is important or has importance?**

I found it interesting that there are so many entrepreneurs out there capitalizing on the green movement.
 * Did I learning anything that I didn’t know? Explain.**

My feeling was that many consumers feel they are doing everything they can to be more eco conscience when in reality most are not doing very much. My research confirmed this.
 * Did I confirm anything that I already knew? Explain.**

I found it interesting how many businesses have been formed to help consumers become green. The web has a proliferation of green websites. Many of the websites that I encountered focused on building green.
 * Did your search explain any new and/or divergent ways of thinking about the topic?**

I think the search probably muddied the waters more for more concerning our topic. By saying Are American consumers really "Living Green" based on current marketing strategies the marketing strategies threw me off.
 * Did your search ground your ideas in current efforts by others?**

I think that there have been others who have studies the effects of marketing on green consumers. Our focus may need to shift to something like “Are American consumers doing all they can to ‘go green’? The difference between our efforts and those of other researchers would lie in the scale of our research. Most studies were on a country-wide basis where our research would be on a more local level and therefore more relevant to us personally.
 * Are you proposing a study or methods that have already been carried out by others? If so, how unique are your efforts? Can you justify the need to conduct your study?**

Individual Literature Review – Lea Ann Gates

Search Strategy

I searched in the FSU Libraries suite of databases, first in ISI Web of Knowledge with the terms “green products consumer purchase,” and then in InfoTrac One File with the terms “green consumer purchase.” I selected articles that had been recently published, in the past two to three years for updated material.

Literature

Consumer Desire for “Green” Electronics on the Rise, Says CEA (2008, December 10). Business Wire. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from the InfoTrac OneFile database.

Consumers Seeing Green but Eco-Challenging Brands to Show Their True Color (2008, July 30). Business Wire. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from the InfoTrac OneFile database.

Consumers Want “Green” Products, but Not at a Big Price (2007, November). Kitchen & Bath Design News, 25 (11), 52. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from the ProQuest Newspapers database.

Do “Green” Conscious Consumers Practice What They Preach? New Consumer Purchase Data Reveals That Many Do Not! (2008, September 29). Business Wire. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from the InfoTrac OneFile database.

McDonald, S. & Oates, C.J. (2006, May/June). Sustainability: Consumer Perceptions and Marketing Strategies. Business Strategy and the Environment, 15 (3), 157. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from the ProQuest Newspapers database.

Pickett-Baker, J. & Ozaki, R. (2008, May). Pro-Environmental Products: Marketing Influence on Consumer Purchase Decision. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 25 (5), 281-293. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from the InfoTrac OneFile database.

Rex, E. & Baumann, H. (2007). Beyond Ecolabels: What Green Marketing can Learn from Conventional Marketing. Journal of Cleaner Production, 15 (6), 567-576. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from the ISI Web of Knowledge database.

Shoppers Are Defying the Financial Crisis and Buying Green Products, Says The Boston Consulting Group; Retailers Perceived to Have “Green” Agendas Are Poised to Benefit From Consumers Choosing to Purchase Environmentally Friendly Products During the Downturn (2009, January 20). Internet Wire Retrieved January 31, 2009, from the InfoTrac OneFile database.

Discussion “Going Green” is a phrase that has been in the spotlight in recent years. As we realize the environmental impact we are having on the Earth, our concern is rising about how the environment will be for our children and grandchildren. The problem our group has identified is to what extent are consumers actually purchasing environmentally-friendly products when consumers claim they are environmentally friendly. The literature I selected supports this problem, along with underlying factors leading to the lack of purchasing green products.

A study was conducted to determine whether green products were purchased that focused on age groups. It was discovered that older adults were more likely to purchase green products repeatedly and read nutrition labels to select healthier, organic foods. Younger adults were more likely to purchase green products but not on a regular basis and did not maintain healthy diets (“Do ‘Green’ Conscious Consumers,” 2008). Another factor was the perception of effort and difference in lifestyle in living green. Surveys indicated that if the effort was great to either purchase a green product or make a lifestyle change, consumers were less likely to do so (McDonald & Oates, 2006).

Clearly there is a desire to go green. Consumers are looking for green products, such as in the home furnishings industry, however they do not want to pay an exorbitant cost to purchase these products (“Consumers Want ‘Green’ Products,” 2007). Consumers also expect to see green products, as in the electronics industry. They look to companies to offer environmentally-friendly products (“Consumer Desire for ‘Green’,” 2008). Consumers want to purchase green products but they expect more from the manufacturers. They want companies to produce these products and offer green alternatives (“Consumers Seeing Green,” 2008).

A surprising fact that was discovered was that even in our bad economic times, consumers are still purchasing green products (“Shoppers are Defying,” 2009). It was assumed that because green products cost more in most cases, that there would have been a downturn in the purchase of these products. However, It was not surprising to read in the literature that consumers are more likely to make changes in their lifestyles to go green if there is not much effort. When recycling was not as commonplace and as easy to putting items in a special box provided by garbage service, people were less likely to recycle. It took a long time for consumers to become accustomed to separating items for recycling. The same can be said for purchasing green products and practicing green lifestyles.

After searching for information about consumers and green products, it was discovered that marketing techniques are being used to promote products. Although this is not a new or divergent way of thinking, it brings to the forefront information about how to increase the purchasing of green products. Studies suggest that more aggressive product placement in stores can encourage the purchase of products (Rex & Baumann, 2007). Packaging also needs to be considered to increase awareness and value of going green (Pickett-Baker & Ozaki, 2008).

The literature showed what has been perceived about green purchasing – that more consumers claim to buy green than are actually buying green. Our group wants to explore why there is a gap in the desire to buy green and the actuality of buying green. It is hoped that with survey data collected, that it will serve as a basis for reducing the gap so that consumers are more aware of their purchasing behaviors and make a change for the better to improve the quality of our environment.

Individual Review – Gina Minks

Search Strategy I searched on Google and the Florida State University online library site with the terms “green consumer marketing,” “consumer green cleaning products,” “consumer green cleaning products misleading advertising” and “green advertising misleading.”

Literature Bishop, S. (2008, January 23). Don't Bother with the "Green" Consumer. Retrieved January 26, 2009, from http://www.hbrgreen.org/2008/01/dont_bother_with_the_green_con.html

The 'Green' Consumer: Catalina Marketing Looks Inside Their Shopping Basket (2008, January 23). Retrieved January 28, 2009, from Reuters, http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS113019+23-Jan-2008+BW20080123

Greener Choices: Products for a Better Planet (n.d.) Retrieved January 28, 2009, from [|http://greenerchoices.org]

O'Brien, K. A. (1992). Green Marketing: Can it be harmful to your health? Industry Week, 241(8), 56-59. Retrieved January 26, 2009, from the FSU Libraries Business database.

Sorting Out “Green” Advertising Claims (1999). Retrieved January 28, 2009, from Federal Trade Commission, http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/general/gen02.shtm

Discussion How do my selected articles support framing the problem? My articles are focused on the negative side of this issue: the exploitation of the green consumer by the marketing industry. The articles show that people have a desire to be green, and that marketers have found they can capitalize on this desire by branding their products as "environmentally friendly". This problem has a name, greenwashing, and is so bad that the government has found it necessary to step in to protect consumers. If marketers are targeting green consumers, it only stands to reason that there are most likely consumers who think they are being green even though they purchase non-green products.

Do my articles provide evidence that my inquiry topic (problem) is important or has importance? Yes. The government has taken steps to educate the consumer on how to determine products are good for the environment because many have been duped by unscrupulous advertisers. This would indicate that consumers don't always buy green even if that is their intention.

Did I learning anything that I didn’t know? Explain. Yes. I didn't realize that there was a term for the sneaky green advertising.

Did I confirm anything that I already knew? Explain. Yes. I suspected that some advertisements for so-called green products were a bit misleading. However, I had no idea it was so widespread.

Did your search explain any new and/or divergent ways of thinking about the topic? No.

Did your search ground your ideas in current efforts by others? Yes. The advertising agencies seem to researching exactly how green consumers buying trends are tracking, and the federal government has some pretty aggressive methods against the greenwashing effect.

Are you proposing a study or methods that have already been carried out by others? If so, how unique are your efforts? Can you justify the need to conduct your study? Our study seems to be similar to other studies. Ours is different because we are looking at attitudes. We want to know if the consumer knows what green products are, and then even with that knowledge if they buy non-green products. I would like us to also investigate if some of the green consumers who purchase non-green products have been deceived by the greenwashing activities of the marketers.