Benefits of Developing Integrated Global Strategies

Benefits of Developing Integrated Global Strategies â€Å"As multinationals mature, they become aware of the opportunities to be gained from integrating and creating a single strategy on a global scale.† Discuss, with reference to theories regarding economies of scale, scope and global competitiveness, drawing on real world organisation to illustrate your answer. â€Å"Clearly, a substantial challenge for multinational corporations (MNCs), in the current environment of intensified competition and rapid industry consolidation, is one of much greater worldwide integration. Necessitated by intense competitive pressures, MNCs are integrating their disparate country operations in order to achieve economies across markets and operating units. Preliminary results from a pilot study of the characteristics of common global practices among a sample of MNCs†¦explore the benefits MNCs derive from the implementation of common practices across their worldwide operations, in pursuit of a global strategy.† (Cavusgil, Yeniyurt and Townsend, 2004) It is clear from this most recent piece of research into the worldwide integration of multinational corporations that there are immense potential benefits to multinationals from pursuing a strategy of integration across markets and regions. However, expanding internationally requires managerial adaptation due to differences between national cultures, and these dynamics have not necessarily been used to represent the cultural diversity that may hinder efforts to integrate and coordinate efforts as required by global strategies. Tempering popular perspectives that extol the benefits of diversity, some theories claim that cultural diversity among international divisions of a global firm may actually impede efforts to merge activities and expertise between those units. Specifically, direct, such as market, production and technology, and indirect: knowledge-based benefits are more difficult to exploit when cultural diversity makes activity sharing and expertise transfer less efficient. Pa rallel to established product relatedness theory, this postulates that culturally related international firms will enjoy greater efficiencies than culturally diverse multinationals. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) Nowhere is this better seen than in the strategies of Novotel, a strategic business unit of the Accor group, and one of the worlds major hotel chains, occupying a leading place in Europe and with locations globally. Calori, Baden-Fuller and Hunt (2000) interpreted Novotels change management programme in the 1990s, summarising the actions that managers took in terms of strategy and organization, also carefully considering the sequence and timing of events, and how this resulted in rapid transformation in an organisation employing more than 30,000 people. They also strongly emphasised the dialectical nature of the change processes: an element often ignored in the literature, observing both deliberation and experimentation; both integration and differentiation. They found that, Novotel was careful to offer different offerings in each nation it operates, dependent upon the local customs, culture and expectations for a hotel. However they also found that, in line with several of Morriseyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s (1996) theories on long range strategic planning, the managers were careful to always ensure that the company’s global direction and overall strategy were clear and consistent in the minds of staff, and were strongly projected to the customers. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than on Novotel’s website, with its headline: â€Å"412 Hotels Resort in 56 countries. Novotel guarantees you the best price†, showing that no matter where in the world you go, Novotel always aims to offer you a budget hotel room. Such clear positioning and marketing is one of the main reasons the company has been so successful for so long. Another important consideration in integrating a strategy is that competitive advantage can be gained through quality, even in mature commodity industries, but that a quality-based competitive strategy will be successful only if managers understand both how quality is perceived by their customers and their company s level of quality performance. As such, the critical issue of many modern strategies is the importance of gaining customer attention: the underlying view that a global business strategy can be simply programmed and customers merely involved in the activity as rational agents ignores the value of seasoned judgment and, ultimately, critical thinking. The essential objective is clearly to engage in producing a value- added customer relationship, and therefore, gaining customer attention is equally, or indeed, more important than a simple focus on customer relationship management. What is required is a strategic focus on the real complexity of the relationship which organizati ons are initially able to establish with customers. (Pearson, 1999) Nowhere is this more apparent than in the UKs food and beverage sector, which remains the countrys single largest manufacturing sector, thanks in part to a general economic recovery and its world-renowned high quality and innovative products. In recent years, the economic performance of the UK has been robust, owing to low inflation, resilient growth, strong job creation and increases in consumer spending: â€Å"According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UKs GDP rose 3.1% in 2004, compared with 2.2% in 2003. As a result, household spending on food has been increasing over the past few years. Merger and acquisiton activity in the UK is on the rise. According to the Office of National Statistics, the number of MA in the food industry increased 14.4% in 2004 to 278 deals from 243 in 2003.† (Mergent Industry Reports, 2005) There is a significant foreign investor interest in UK companies, which shows a general confidence in the UK economy. In addition, the increase in convenience stores and hypermarkets: which sell groceries and offer a much wider choice of brand products, along with intense competition, has had a large impact on the food industry. As a result, many food companies are looking to consolidate their business to maximize competitiveness in terms of price, innovation and coverage. As companies seek to improve corporate profitability in a competitive market environment, further consolidation is expected. The growth of convenience stores and hypermarkets is likely to be the main force in the food and drink sector over the next few years. (Mergent Industry Reports, 2005) Judith Bevan (2005) examines the battle between the supermarkets in a recent book: â€Å"Trolley Wars†, where the ‘wars’ in question are not just price wars; they are space and strategy wars. With UK retail being the most competitive sector in one of the most competitive countries in the world, supermarkets desperate for supremacy fight over prices, squeeze suppliers and grab land in order to win. Each of the players has brought the industry forward at a crucial time: â€Å"Whether it was Sainsbury for quality, MS for innovation or Tesco for value, one message is clear: the winners, and today this is Tesco by a long way, never forget that the customer is king and that only by constantly listening, anticipating and reacting can they survive in todays market.† (Bevan 2005) UK supermarket customers are in search of quality, price and value, and are among the savviest in the world. The lesson is clear: complacency kills, and a fragmented, unclear, strategy, as witnessed in Sainsbury’s recent advertising campaigns, which have driven away some of the chains traditionally loyal customers. (Finch, 1999) However, it is also vitally important for firms to consider that any strategy they formulate should not only offer customers what they want and expect from the overall corporation, but should also be financially and commercially viable. In particular, managerial considerations, desires, priorities and egos should not override the need to remain profitable and fulfil shareholder, and other stakeholder, goals and expectations. This is covered quite clearly in the managerially theory of the firm, developed by Stoelhorst and van Raaij (2004) as a meaningful alternative to the neoclassical theory of the firm. Their paper argues that the main use of a managerial theory of the firm is explaining performance differentials between firms, especially in the area of marketing strategy, which we have already seen is of great import to multinational corporations. Indeed, the authors explicitly state that: â€Å"Marketing shares an interest in explaining performance differentials with strategic ma nagement and organizational economics.† (Stoelhorst and van Raaij, 2004) Likewise, they show that a generic understanding of the sources of performance differentials is emerging across these three disciplines, and incorporate this understanding in a unifying conceptual framework that is both managerially relevant and embedded in economic theory. The lessons from this paper would be well learnt by easyGroup ltd. director, and well known entrepreneur, Stelios Haji-Ioannou. In 2003, Haji-Ioannou announced that easyCinema would open in Milton Keynes, England, with the introductory cinema chain aimed at providing an addition to the existing easyGroup architecture, which at the time encompassed rental cars, internet cafà ©s and an airline. (Ritson, 2003) Haji-Ioannou has frequently admitted that price elasticities are ‘the core’ of the easy brand, and is careful to always select markets where consumers will make differential trade-offs between time and price. â€Å"For example, if one is a price-sensitive European student flying home to spend holidays, he is likely to book months in advance and will probably accept an early morning departure.† (Ritson, 2003) By using technology and just-in-time inventory systems, easyGroup allows its component firms to flexibly set prices and automatically respond to market el asticities. However, just two months after Ritson’s article, Haji-Ioannou was forced to admit, in June 2003, that he may have to close the easyCinema in Milton Keynes by the end of the year. EasyGroup companies, excluding the publicly owned easyJet, in fact lost about  £120m over the past four years, with EasyInternetCafe forming the bulk of this, turning in about  £90m in losses between 1999 and 2003. However, in the same time period, easyCar lost about  £20m, the Internet shopping portal easyValue lost  £5m and the easyMoney credit card  £2.7m. The basis for these losses can be seen in the fate of easyCinema, a good model for the management style of Stelios Haji-Ioannou and â€Å"his declining empire, EasyGroup.† (Kroll, 2004) Kroll’s article recalls the earlier giveaway of airplane tickets on the steps of an Athens courthouse, where he was being sued by travel agents, but focuses on his ‘potshot’ at U.S. film distributors, which initially refused to give EasyCinema first runs because his ticket prices were too low to offer them a decent cut. The US film distributors’ move was mirrored by distributors in Britain, which meant that, although Stelios had found another price elastic market: in its first week, easyCinema filled 56% of its seats, patronage has dropped steadily since. (Wylie, 2003) The main reason for this is the lack of recent release, as traditionally distributors make money by creaming a high percentage of box-office revenue in the first weeks of a films run, a percentage that easyCinema was unwilling and unable to provide. Stelios tried to persuade Britains Office of Fair Trading to investigate what he alleges is illegal collusion and resale price maintenance among distributors (Wylie, 2003); but this appeared to be yet another publicity stunt from the self-styled ‘consumer’s champion’, who had yet again failed to address the concerns of some of the most powerful stakeholders in one of his ventures. Of course, a single, integrated strategy pursued to it’s fullest: by integrating the strategy of a multinational corporation involved in just one market, can reap the highest rewards of all. Research into this was recently conducted by Kim and Lee (2001), who admit to being â€Å"motivated by an empirical observation that two Korean carmakers, Daewoo and Hyundai, have pursued very different globalisation strategies despite their structural similarities.† Using in-depth case studies and extensive interviews with top managers, they explained several lessons that can be drawn from these strategies. Being direct competitors in the Korean automobile industry has affected the firms globalisation strategies to a great extent: each company took into account its competitive position, vis-à  -vis the other’s, when forging its global strategy. For instance, Daewoo focused on achieving economies of scale by targeting the East European markets for its overseas capacity expan sion, as a way of overcoming its manufacturing cost disadvantage in the domestic market vis-à  -vis Hyundais. Likewise, Hyundais globalisation strategy: exporting supported by technological advancement; was driven by an implicit assumption of its competitive advantage vis-à  -vis Daewoos. This initial observed pattern of decisions was formed mostly by such determining factors as top managements commitment to specific strategic decisions and resources, both managerial and financial, from each companys parent business group. It is vital to note here that, unlike easyGroup’s strategy, driven largely by the ego and self-image of it’s director, was in fact driven by the core competencies of each company: developing and exploiting new markets to obtain economies of scale, and maintaining a technological advantage. Subsequently, these integrated strategies were altered or reinforced as each company accumulated different learning experiences, demonstrating that unless the learning process is well managed, it can do as much harm as good to a company. (Kim and Lee, 2001) Indeed, Hamid (2002) has shown that leading companies around the world are developing integrated global compensation and benefit strategies in order to help them stay ahead of the competition. â€Å"These companies are finding that their human resource strategy can be structured using similar philosophies to reward people regardless of their geographic boundaries.† (Hamid, 2002) The need to develop more consistent global strategies in concert with reward practices worldwide, is driven by companies finding that global compensation and benefit strategies can also, in fact, achieve cost savings through economies of scale. The ability to shed the costs of communicating, administering and coordinating several compensation strategies is proof positive that multinational corporations can derive benefits from integrating their global strategies in almost any area of their operations. An excellent example of this is Ryanair, which in August of this year (2005) shrugged off â€Å"soaring fuel charges, fierce competition and an ongoing row with pilots, to announce record pre-tax profits of â‚ ¬76.9m for the three months to July. Despite increasing capacity by 30pc, the airline managed to increase its yield per seat by 3pc, while simultaneously cutting costs per passenger by 6pc. Yesterday, by way of an encore, it released figures which showed that it carried a record 3,198,977 passengers in July, breaking the 3m barrier for the first time, and taking the number of passengers it has carried over the past 12 months to just over 30m. But, according to Michael Cawley, Ryanairs chief operating officer, whether you are talking about expansion, cost cutting or alternative revenues, the airline, which now operates on 250 routes across 21 countries, is only just beginning.† (McEnaney, 2005) One of the key messages from the latest results is that Ryanair has no trouble cutting costs and generating economies of scale: both vital advantages in the global budget air travel market. In fact, when you factor out fuel costs, over which the company has only limited control, Ryanair managed to reduce costs by 11pc in the last quarter. This is despite the fact that Ryanair is now unable to significantly reduce costs by cutting back on the trimmings: with no trimming left to cut, the company has been forced to take a ‘big-picture approach’, through a single intergrated global strategy: take as many passengers as cheaply as possible. According to Mr Cawley, much of the current cost reduction is due to the replacement of the companys 737-200 airplanes, which carry 130 passengers, with new 737-800 aircraft, which carry 189. â€Å"The 737-800 has boosted passenger numbers per plane by 45pc. As we get more and more of them in the fleet, our costs per passenger go down. Als o, newer aircraft have lower costs.† (McEnaney, 2005) There seems to be no end to the expansion of Ryanair, which also recently announced that it would fly eight routes to Poland by November, and recently made Pisa in Italy its fourteenth European base. In the coming months, the airline is expected to announce two new European bases. One of these will most likely be Beauvais in France, which is the only major European country where Ryanair does not yet have a base. The second is likely to be either in Spain or in Scandinavia. According to Cawley, this expansion also helps to lower costs: â€Å"We enjoy significant economies of scale. We used to have three routes from Pisa. Now we have eight, but there is no increase in our Italian advertising costs.† (McEnaney, 2005) Thus, the potential opportunities gained by multinationals that develop integrated global strategies are almost too large to measure, with economies of scope and scale, and large technological and consumer based advantages However, it is also extremely important that, as well as aim for these advantages, and the associated global competitiveness benefits, that MNC’s ensure that they are not pursuing a single integrated strategy for the wrong reasons, as easyGroup has done recently. They must also continue to monitor and analyse the needs and demands of all shareholders and stakeholders, especially the major ones, and remember that the most important stakeholders in many markets, regions, cultures and industries may not be the customers, as is usually believed. This task is far from easy, but for a multinational with the required knowledge, capabilities and learning capacity, the benefits cannot be overstated, and the potential to grow, diversify and consolidate, as Ryannair ha s recently shown, can be huge. References: Bevan, J (2005) Trolley Wars. Profile Books. Calori, R. Baden-Fuller, C. and Hunt, B. (2000) Managing Change at Novotel: Back to the Future. Long Range Planning; Vol. 33, Issue 6, p. 779. Cavusgil, S. T. Yeniyurt, S. and Townsend, D. (2004) The framework of a global company: A conceptualization and preliminary validation. Industrial Marketing Management; Vol. 33, Issue 8, p. 711. Finch, J. (1999) Rivals maul Sainsbury GM ad. The Guardian. Authors: Hamid, H. (2002) Global convergence in remuneration patterns. Business Times (Malaysia). Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy; Sixth Edition. FT Prentice Hall. Kim, B. and Lee, Y. (2001) Global Capacity Expansion Strategies: Lessons Learned from Two Korean Carmakers. Long Range Planning; Vol. 34, Issue 3, p. 309. Kroll, L. (2004) Easy.com, Easy Go. Forbes; Vol. 174, Issue 12, p. 138. McEnaney, T. (2005) Man with a mission, airline with a future. Irish Independent. Mergent Industry Reports (2005) Food Beverage – Europe. Morrisey G. (1996) A Guide to Long-Range Planning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Pearson, G. (1999) Strategy in Action. Prentice Hall. Ritson, M. (2003) Stelios shows theres an easy way to a smart pricing strategy. Marketing (UK); p. 16. Rogers, D. (2003) Not So Easy After All. Marketing (UK); p. 20. Stoelhorst, J.W. and van Raaij, E. M. (2004) On explaining performance differentials: Marketing and the managerial theory of the firm. Journal of Business Research; Vol. 57, Issue 5, p. 462. Wylie, I. (2003) In Movieland Not So Easy. Fast Company; Issue 75, p. 35.

Appreciation Due to Death :: Life Dying Essays

Appreciation due to Death Since the day the first man was created and then destroyed, a theory about life has been made. Everyday people take their lives for granted. But after they have faced mortal loss or life-threatening situations, their attitude towards life changes. They soon come to understand that the gift of life is to be appreciated and not taken for granted. Yulisa Amadu Maddy and T.S. Eliot are two writers who through their literature prove that death can change a person’s outlook on life. Both of these authors, however, express this theory differently. For instance Maddy, author of No Past, No Present, No Future, portrays this theory through the life stories of three very different African boys. Whether it is someone they care for or themselves, each one of these boys, throughout their life, is confronted or threatened by death. The story of Joe Bengoh’s life is one example of how Maddy shows that death can teach a person to appreciate life. Maddy begins Joe’s life story by showing readers his attitude towards life. He portrays it as an unappreciative and non-caring attitude. A reader knows this because in the beginning of the book Maddy describes how Joe’s drunken parents died in a house fire. When Joe finds out about this tragic event, he reacts by stating that "My father destroyed my mother; my mother inveighed against my father. Thank God they are dead"(4). By reading this, a reader can come to the conclusion that Joe despises his parents, doe s not care that they are gone, and has no appreciation for his life or anyone else’s. If he appreciated life, then he either would have felt sorry that the parents he hates lost their lives or he would have been thankful for not being in the fire. But Joe did not express any of these emotions; therefore meaning that he does not appreciate life. This ungrateful and unappreciative attitude of his, however, does not last. A number of life-threatening and mortal loss events happen to him. All of these events are the beginning stages to changing Joe’s outlook on life. They leave strong emotional and mental impacts on him, and force him to understand how to appreciate the life he is granted with. For example, it begins with the Mary incident. One summer Joe stayed at Ade John’s house and there they met a young, innocent girl named Mary. Appreciation Due to Death :: Life Dying Essays Appreciation due to Death Since the day the first man was created and then destroyed, a theory about life has been made. Everyday people take their lives for granted. But after they have faced mortal loss or life-threatening situations, their attitude towards life changes. They soon come to understand that the gift of life is to be appreciated and not taken for granted. Yulisa Amadu Maddy and T.S. Eliot are two writers who through their literature prove that death can change a person’s outlook on life. Both of these authors, however, express this theory differently. For instance Maddy, author of No Past, No Present, No Future, portrays this theory through the life stories of three very different African boys. Whether it is someone they care for or themselves, each one of these boys, throughout their life, is confronted or threatened by death. The story of Joe Bengoh’s life is one example of how Maddy shows that death can teach a person to appreciate life. Maddy begins Joe’s life story by showing readers his attitude towards life. He portrays it as an unappreciative and non-caring attitude. A reader knows this because in the beginning of the book Maddy describes how Joe’s drunken parents died in a house fire. When Joe finds out about this tragic event, he reacts by stating that "My father destroyed my mother; my mother inveighed against my father. Thank God they are dead"(4). By reading this, a reader can come to the conclusion that Joe despises his parents, doe s not care that they are gone, and has no appreciation for his life or anyone else’s. If he appreciated life, then he either would have felt sorry that the parents he hates lost their lives or he would have been thankful for not being in the fire. But Joe did not express any of these emotions; therefore meaning that he does not appreciate life. This ungrateful and unappreciative attitude of his, however, does not last. A number of life-threatening and mortal loss events happen to him. All of these events are the beginning stages to changing Joe’s outlook on life. They leave strong emotional and mental impacts on him, and force him to understand how to appreciate the life he is granted with. For example, it begins with the Mary incident. One summer Joe stayed at Ade John’s house and there they met a young, innocent girl named Mary.

Are Mobile Phones a Health Risk? Essay

Abstract In this report I aim to determine whether or not mobile phones pose a risk to our health. I will explain how mobile phone electromagnetic radiation can be perceived as dangerous, with reference to the EM spectrum. I will cite scientific sources of evidence which support both sides of the dispute, and will come to a reasoned conclusion as to how likely it is that mobile phones are a health risk. I will also evaluate the credibility of the sources used to support my conclusions, and list all the sources used throughout in a detailed bibliography. Introduction Mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular in today’s world; with around 80 million handsets in Britain, there are now more mobiles than people [1]. They’ve become an essential part of our existence, in business, in our daily lives and in keeping in touch with our loved ones – however, there is growing concern that this technology is causing serious health problems throughout the population, such as lasting brain damage and cancer. The Media consistently tends to portray mobile phones negatively, fuelling the public’s fears and misgivings: this study aims to determine from the scientific evidence whether or not mobile phones present a risk to our health. Main Points How might Mobile Phones be Hazardous to our Health? After studying numerous publications, I have found that if there are concerns about how mobile phones may pose a risk to the health of their users, they can be divided into two categories: The first is Electromagnetic Radiation from the phone damaging human cells and cause cancers and tumours. The second is that the EM radiation from the handset creates a heating effect. What is EM Radiation? EM radiation is something we are exposed to all the time: TVs, radios, satellite communications, etc all use EM waves to transmit information. Light is a form of EM radiation, as are the UV rays from the sun. The danger is that EM waves with a high frequency (UV rays, X-rays and gamma rays) are forms of ionizing radiation. This means that they have enough energy to damage cells and their DNA by stripping electrons from, or in very high energy radiation, even break apart the nucleus of atoms [2] and as such can cause genetic malfunctions which can lead to cancers. What are the Possible Dangers of Mobile Phone EM Radiation? Cancer-Inducing Effects of Radiation Mobile phones use microwaves in order to transmit their information, and not UV, X or gamma rays. Microwaves are not ionizing, and so are not as dangerous as the higher frequency EM waves. However, mobile phones are still relatively new technology, and the effects of prolonged exposure to non-ionizing radiation are still unknown, as is whether prolonged exposure to the microwaves of a mobile phone handset, especially so close to the brain, will cause any serious health damage. The Heating Effect of Radiation When EM radiation reaches an object, the photons’ energy causes the molecules of the surface they collide with to vibrate, creating thermal energy and warming the surface they collide with slightly. We use this everyday with infrared (another EM radiation) heaters etc. The concern here is that as handsets are held so close to the brain, this heating effect could warm the sensitive brain tissues, causing permanent damage. This, as well as the concerns about the possibly cancer-inducing radiation of handsets, is thought to be more of a risk in children, who have thinner skulls and a still-developing nervous system [4]. Physiological Effects of EM Radiation Effects of Low-Frequency (Non-Ionizing) EM Radiation In General It is important to remember that Mobile Phones utilise Microwave radiation, a non-ionizing form of radiation, so in my research I have also looked at the effects of low-frequency EM radiation in general; not just in the application of mobile phone technology. I have frequently found that concern for children specifically is raised as a common fear, and in the course of my research discovered an interesting study published by the Institute of Physics Publishing, which explored the effects of low-frequency electric and magnetic fields (i.e. those caused by EM radiation) on the foetus. The study concluded that the foetus was not exposed to electric and magnetic fields, though these fields were confirmed within the mother’s spinal chord. [5] Cancers and Brain Tumours due to Mobile Phone Radiation? The vast majority of recent publications agree that current evidence suggests that mobile phones (both the handsets and broadcasting/receiving masts) do not cause cancers or brain tumours – two very recent sources, one a joint-statement from the Nordic Radiation Safety Authorities, the other a Mobile Phone Fact-Sheet published by the Heath Physics Society, both agree that there is no evidence for mobile phones causing adverse health effects [6] [7]. However, the joint-statement goes on to acknowledge that the technology which uses radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation is still relatively new – only two decades old – and so active research must continue into finding out whether or not there are health dangers presented by radiofrequency radiation – this is a view agreed upon by the World Health Organization (WHO), which state the available evidence does not point towards any increased health risks attributable to mobile phone exposure, though further res earch and risk analysis should continue. [8] This said, the argument for mobile phones causing brain tumours still persists: the WHO also mentions that recent studies seem to suggest an increased risk of acoustic neuroma and certain brain tumours in users of analogue mobile phones for a time period greater than 10 years – A point corroborated by a 14 months study conducted by Dr Vini Gautam Khurana. Khurana’s study concludes that â€Å"Malignant brain tumours may take several years to develop, and the incidence of malignant brain tumours is increasing.† This suggests that mobile phones may have been causing brain tumours for several years previously, but due to the development period of these tumours, the effects would only just be becoming recognizable – and indeed the number of tumours is increasing. Khurana also goes on to address the point introduced by the WHO, that â€Å"There is a growing and statistically significant body of evidence reporting that brain tumours such as vestibular Schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) and astrocytoma are associated with â€Å"heavy† and â€Å"prolonged† mobile phone use, particularly on the same side as the â€Å"preferred ear† for telephony.† [9] In addition to Dr Khurana’s study, there are many older sources of information conjecturing about the issue – but most have been either outdated or discredited since their publication. Finally, it is worth noting that the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), one of the main bodies who set international non-ionising radiation safety limits, set these limits based only on the thermal effects (i.e. tissue heating) of mobile phone radiation [10], due to the fact that this is the only scientifically substantiated risk to humans from non-ionising radiation in large quantities – possible risks of cancer-inducement by the low-frequency radiation are not taken into account due to a lack of internationally accepted proof. Discussion After studying the scientific publications and evidence above, I am of the opinion that the EM radiation of mobile phones cannot cause brain tumours or cancer because of the effects of ionizing radiation, as the microwaves emitted by mobile phones are simply too low-frequency to have the energy required; however, I do agree with the views of the NRSA [6] and the WHO [8], that as the utilisation of radiofrequency EM radiation is still a relatively new technology, it cannot fully be known at present whether or not it can still pose a health risk in the form of causing tumours by some other factor, and so research must continue – until conclusive evidence is found, I believe we should adopt a precautionary approach, minimising our use of mobile phones for extended periods of time. I think that Dr Khurana [9] raises a very interesting point about the period of time needed for tumours to develop and their increasing incidence. This seems to me a plausible explanation for the current increases in tumour incidence; however, I believe it important to acknowledge that the apparent correlation between mobile phone usage and brain tumour incidence does not necessarily represent a causal link: the increase in tumour incidence comes at a time when improvements in diagnostic techniques are constantly being made, and also at a time when the world’s population is increasing dramatically, and so the incidence of tumours could be expected to likewise rise. Conclusion After considering the scientific evidence on both sides of the dispute, Are mobile phones a Health Risk? I personally have come to the conclusion that mobile phones are unlikely to cause brain tumours or cancers because of the EM radiation emitted by either the handsets or their base stations. I believe this because, firstly, mobile phones use microwave radiation to transmit data, and microwave radiation does not have enough energy to be ionizing – it is my opinion that the media has demonised radiation in all forms by highlighting the dangers of ionizing radiation (e.g. Gamma rays – which have been proven to cause cancers) and from this the fears about mobile phone EM radiation have spawned. Secondly, I believe this as the overwhelming majority of recent studies have not found concrete evidence to suggest that mobile phones can cause tumours. As to the danger of the heating effect EM radiation from mobile phones warming sensitive brain tissues and causing lasting damage, I believe that this is much more likely to present a potential health risk of mobile phones as, firstly, the scientific theory behind it seems sound to me – it is an established fact that colliding photons from EM waves imparts to the molecules of the surface collided with energy, which causes said molecules to vibrate and heat up, and secondly, in my opinion the fact that the ICRINP sets the international radiation safety levels based solely on this heating effect adds great weight to the plausibility of the argument that the heating effect of mobile phones could pose a health risk (although the EM emissions of mobile phones are well below these levels). Overall therefore, I believe that there is some possibility that prolonged use of mobile phones (and so prolonged exposure to the heating effect of the EM radiation) could amount to a potential health risk and could cause lasting brain damage. I agree with the recommendation of the WHO to adopt a precautionary approach to mobile phone use; to only use them for extended periods of time when absolutely necessary. Evaluation of Credibility of References * [6] The Joint-statement from the NRSA – one of the most recent sources available, meaning that its content is highly likely to be up-to-date. The combined expertise of the NRSA greatly increases the sources reliability, as does the reputation of providing accurate and honest information that these authorities have to uphold. However, it could be argued that some vested interest may exist as mobile phone giants Nokia and Erikson are based in Finland and Sweden respectively, and so the authorities may have been trying to protect their countries’ economies in the downturn by presenting mobile phones in a positive light. * [7] The HPS Mobile Phones Fact-sheet – this factsheet is again a very recent source, and again the HPS has a lot of expertise in matters of health-related physics; both of these factors increase the source’s credibility considerably. * [8] The WHO – although this source is quite old, which gives scope for it being outdated, the WHO is a very reputable source looked to internationally for recommendations for policy etc. due to its wealth of expertise and independence. These three factors all increase its credibility, and in my view outweigh the age of the source (and in any case, the WHO would have updated its information if required). * [9] Dr Khurana PhD, FRACS’s study – Dr Khurana is a highly qualified individual with great expertise in the field, and furthermore included in his study a period of over 14 months of his own research, meaning that he had a great ability to see the effects of radiation on health, both of which strengthen the source’s credibility. Bibliography of References * [1] Number of Mobile Phones in the UK statistic from: The Daily Mail – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1224827/As-new-evidence-links-mobile-phones-greater-risk-tumours-using-cost-child-life.html Last Updated: 3/11/09 * [2]The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/understand/ionize_nonionize.html Last Updated: 22/10/09 * [3] Image of EM spectrum from: The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency – http://www.arpansa.gov.au/mobilephones/mobiles1.cfm#1 * [4] Prof Kjell Mild, of Orbero University, Sweden – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1565477/Mobile-phone-cancer-risk-higher-for-children.html Published: 8/10/07 * [5] The Institute of Physics Publishing – http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/0031-9155/52/4/001/pmb7_4_001.pdf?request-id=2266623f-5097-4aa8-a71d-fa1e83b6a0fc Published: 17/1/07 * [6] Joint-statement from the NRSA – http://www.stuk.fi/stuk/tiedotteet/fi_FI/news_578/_files/82468261251448918/default/Nordic_Statement-EMF161109.pdf Published 19/11/09 * [7] HPS Mobile Phones Fact-Sheet – http://hps.org/documents/mobiletelephonefactsheet.pdf Adopted: September 2009 * [8] WHO – http://www.euro.who.int/HEN/Syntheses/MobilePhones/20061017_10 Last Updated 13/11/06 * [9] Dr Vini Khurana’s study – http://www.brain-surgery.us/mobph.pdf Copyrighted to G.Khurana 2008 * [10] The Human Ecological Social Economical Project – http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/niemr/icnirp.php Accessed 13/12/09 * [11] Image of Ionizing Radiation from: radiation, Science and Health inc. – http://www.radscihealth.org/RSH/docs/Pollycove98_Ottawa.html

Thomas Keightleys 1852 Mythology