What drives organic food consumption in Lebanon?

To increase the sparse knowledge about what drives organic food consumers in developing markets, Lebanese consumers' reasons and motives for buying organic food are studied in the framework of means‐end chain theory. A sample of N = 180 Lebanese consumers was interviewed in several retail outlets using a hard laddering questionnaire. The data were subjected to frequency analysis, cluster analysis, and structural equation modelling. Hierarchal value maps constructed from the laddering interviews revealed that “quality of life,” “pleasure,” and “peace of mind” are the main values driving organic food consumption in Lebanon. Frequent organic consumers displayed higher concern for their family's health and for the environment, whereas occasional organic consumers cared more about their own pleasure and were more likely to perceive organic food as a traditional and nostalgic product. Structural equation modelling revealed that “care for nature” and “care for children's health” significantly affect consumers' (self‐reported) purchasing behaviour. The found means‐end chains are a useful basis for marketing campaigns for organic food products in the Lebanese market. One focus of marketing campaigns should be raising consumers' awareness on the environmental benefits of organic production and the fact that it does not allow the use of harmful chemical products.     

The Urban Geography of Low‐income Housing: Cairo (1947–96) Exemplifies a Model

No one has documented the changing geography of low‐income settlements in any city in the developing world over the entire postwar period. The most plausible model of this changing geography, first outlined by John F.C. Turner, indicates the existence of a dual concentration of the poor: in central slums and in informal settlements at the periphery. This dual pattern is associated, respectively, with the filtering‐down of older housing and with owner‐construction of new dwellings, sometimes on illegally‐occupied land. Some writers have suggested that central slums deteriorate, while fringe settlements may be improved over time, thereby distinguishing slums of despair from those of hope. Analysis of the Egyptian census from 1947 to 1996 shows that this suggestion is borne out by the postwar experience of Cairo. Evidence on literacy indicates that central and fringe areas have both contained a high proportion of low‐income households, but that over half a century the relative status of the central areas has slowly declined. Although it has helped to shape the experience of millions, this long‐term trend has not been obvious to close observers of the local scene. Similar historical surveys should be undertaken of low‐income settlements in other cities in the developing world. Personne n’a étudié la géographie évolutive des logements à faibles revenus dans quelque ville que ce soit du monde en développement durant tout l’après‐guerre. Le modèle le plus plausible de ce changement, esquisséà l’origine par John F.C. Turner, définit l’existence de deux concentrations de pauvres: dans les taudis du centre et dans des implantations informelles à la périphérie. Ce modèle dual est lié respectivement à un déclassement de l’habitat ancien et à la construction de nouvelles habitations par les propriétaires, parfois sur un terrain occupé illégalement. D’après certains auteurs, les quartiers centraux des pauvres se détériorent tandis que les installations périphériques sont susceptibles de s’améliorer avec le temps, établissant ainsi une distinction entre les taudis du désespoir et ceux de l’espoir. Une analyse du recensement égyptien de 1947 à 1996 confirme cette idée au vu de l’expérience du Caire depuis la guerre. Des données sur l’alphabétisation montrent que les zones centrales et périphériques ont abrité une forte proportion de ménages à faible revenu mais que, en un demi‐siècle, la condition sociale des quartiers du centre a connu un relatif déclin. Même si elle a influé sur l’expérience de millions de gens, cette tendance à long terme a échappéà des observateurs directs de la scène locale. Il conviendrait donc d’entreprendre des études historiques similaires dans les quartiers à bas revenus d’autres grandes villes du monde en développement.     

Exploring the Relationship Between Rework Projects and Risk Indicators

When projects fail to adequately meet requirements, organizations are forced to either abandon the project or to initiate a new project to address the original project requirements. Because the organization already has experience with and exposure to many project details, it is possible that the second attempt to address the original requirements (a rework project) will create different challenges for the project team. The purpose of this study was to examine risk indicators for rework projects and to determine whether or not risk indicators were the same or different for rework projects. A risk indicator is a factor that has predictive power about the likelihood of a risk occurring in the course of a project's life cycle. The projects studied for this research were undertaken by a large engineering design organization. The results show that there are some important differences in the types of risk indicators experienced by project managers and project teams in rework projects. Specifically, the risks associated with project urgency, quality, and technological changes were more common in rework projects. By understanding and attending to these differences in rework project risks, project managers will be better equipped to successfully guide rework projects to completion.