Revised+Supporting+Questions

=Revised Supporting Questions= Revised question, supporting questions and expanation based on brainstorming notes below as of 2/14/09: __Main Research Question:__ Do consumers in the XXXX area who desire to practice a green lifestyle choose environmentally friendly cleaning products?

__Supporting Questions:__ 1) What factors contribute to consumers purchasing environmentally friendly cleaning products? 2) Do consumers purchase non-green cleaning products because they are tricked by greenwashing? I think #2 is a contributing factor and we either need to revise #1 to either be another factor, or delete #2 altogether. My vote would be for us to decide what we're trying to prove and spell out what we think the contributing reasons are. (LG)  How about: do factors such as cost or greenwashing contribute to decisions to purchase environmentally friendly cleaning products? (GM) Are you proposing that what you stated be the sole supporting question? (LG) I added question 1 because that was one that Robyn suggested as a supporting question in our chat with her. Having said that...I don't know if I like that question or not. It seems like it would lead to different factors than what inhibit people from buying green (i.e. money or lack of knowledge vs. status or pressure). (SC)


 __Explanation__    Sustainable living refers to a lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of the Earth’s natural resources. This philosophy of living revolves around the concept that the Earth’s resources shouldn’t be depleted faster than they can be replenished. Sustainable living includes reducing energy consumption and reducing unnecessary waste. Sustainable living is also used interchangeably with the terms “living green” and “environmentally friendly” living. Many manufacturers produce products that are “green” to offer consumers environmentally friendly options to suit their lifestyle. The practice of “greenwashing” refers to companies who use deceptive advertising to falsely showcase their products or policies as “environmentally friendly.” The research shows that there is a gap between the number of consumers who say they purchase “green” products and the number of consumers who actually do. Our supporting questions focus on what factors contribute to this gap and whether the practice of “greenwashing” affects consumers purchasing decisions. The literature review showed that in addition to the US government taking a role to help protect consumers from false “green” advertising, large corporations and retailers are working to become more environmentally friendly. This shows the importance society has placed on the “green lifestyle.” The attempts to protect the environment are something that affects everyone down to family, friends and coworkers.

I made one edit, but I like this alot. Nice job! Should we add it to what we are submitting? The reason I ask is I think its important whoever grades the proposal understands we have refined our research question. )GM) The other contributing factor, cost, should also be addressed in the explanation. (LG)

Here's what we submitted... Are American consumers really "Living Green?" Do consumers in the greater Boston area who desire to practice a green lifestyle choose environmentally friendly products to clean their homes? (GM) Gina, I made a list of people I know that live in the city of Tallahassee that I could get to fill out the survey and I counted 25. They include people I work with, and other residents, age range from college age to 60s. We could ask their age as a demographic question and make some comparisons based on their age. What do you think? (LG) <**/span>** <span style="color: rgb(181,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(58,25,184);">I think we will have to narrow to one of the areas where we live. I just hate to put all the surveying on one person. (LE) I think we can narrow it to one location, and still do it online. The person in the one location will be responsible for executing whatever marketing strategy we come up with for the survey. I can get at //least// 10 people, so I can do the survey or I can do the support role, either way. (GM)
 * Main Research Question**

**Supporting questions** 1) What factors contribute to the lack of environmentally-friendly consumers? 2) What are Americans doing to "live green?" 3) Do Americans feel that they are "living green?" <span style="color: rgb(62,15,240);"><span style="color: rgb(85,10,219);"> <span style="color: rgb(111,70,246);"><span style="background-color: rgb(75,0,255);"><span style="color: rgb(62,15,240);"><span style="color: rgb(64,22,212);"><span style="color: rgb(85,10,219);"><span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">If we go with my suggested main (GM): 1) Do consumers by non-green cleaning products because they are tricked by greenwashing? 2) Do prices of green products prevent consumers from purchasing them?    The research shows that there is a gap between the number of consumers who say they purchase “green” products and the number of consumers who actually do. Our supporting questions focus on what factors contribute to this gap and what American’s think they are doing to “live green.” The literature review showed that the government is taking a role to help protect consumers from false “green” advertising and large corporations and retailers are working to become more environmentally friendly. This shows the importance society has placed on the “green lifestyle.” The attempts to protect the environment are something that affects everyone down to family, friends and coworkers.
 * Explanation**

=== Revised Supporting Questions:=== <span style="color: rgb(10,189,26);">Do we want to narrow things down some like Gina's email suggested? Such as focusing on green cleaning products. Then one of our supporting questions could be "What factors contribute to consumers purchasing environmentally friendly cleaning products?" (SC)

<span style="color: rgb(27,0,255);">We also need to narrow it to one city apparently. (GM) I added suggestions - we can change the city to wherever, but I think if we narrow down the scope this way we can start really focusing what needs to happen. We can redo the explanation to include definitions of green lifestyle, greenwashing, and environmentally friendly. We should probably include in our plan lists of cleaning products that are green, and lists of what are greenwashed. Most of the big stores up here are online, if that helps -- do you guys have Whole Foods down there? (GM) <span style="color: rgb(229,38,11);">How do we determine which are greenwashed? (LG) <span style="color: rgb(24,38,191);">The research will define it - Swiffer is one of the things id'd by the papers I had..(GM)

<span style="color: rgb(239,22,6);">We have a local organic store, New Leaf Market. I wish we had a Whole Foods here! :-) Do we need to need to specify the products at this point? I would think that would come with the survey questions, I may be wrong. (LG) <span style="color: rgb(59,26,219);">I agree it will come up in the questions, just trying to think ahead a bit. (GM)

<span style="color: rgb(172,0,255);">**I have been thinking about our research question all day and the only thing I can come up with is that we go with a local focus and pick just one of our areas to survey (kinda like what Robyn did with her neighborhood) I did find another site that has some interesting info that we might be able to use in our research** [|**http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/greendex/market_basket.html**] **(LE)**