Mobile Phone Companies Analysis

Nokia is a leading mobile device manufacturer globally and has a high market share. Maximum population in India prefers using Nokia handsets as it is user friendly. It can use its customer’s goodwill and loyalty to diversify in the mobile network market in India. The communications sector in India has transformed into a multi-player and multi-product market that has diverse market size and segments. In order to diversify in to new market, Nokia needs to develop a marketing plan which will give them the idea what factors to be considered before entering the mobile network sector. The marketing plan includes all the factors that need to be undertaken. They are market analysis, competitor analysis, and environmental analysis, and customer analysis, internal and external factors.The mobile network market is growing rapidly and has good opportunities for new entrants to enter market and gain market share. Though there is much opportunity in this market, there are some threats such as threat from existing competitor, high customer churn rates, etc. After conducting a Porter's 5 forces model on Nokia, I felt a PESTLE analysis would analyse the macro environment of Nokia.These are all the external forces that are out of Nokias' control but have a significant effect on how the company operates and the strategic decision they make. This model looks at the Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental factors relating to Nokia and the industry they operate in. To understand the macro environment more this article will study each section in depth. After the completion of planning stage of marketing plan, an organization has to go through next stage which is strategic options. It deals with various key issues that a firm needs to look at. They are marketing objectives, Strategic objectives, Marketing mix, STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning) process, Distribution process and Value chain. Nokia was founded over 140 years ago in Finland, a nd since then has become a global organisation that operates in over 120 countries worldwide.Nokia has also become a market leader in the mobile telecommunications industry and is most known for their mobile phones and Smartphone’s. Although recent competition has affected the market share that Nokia has in the telecommunication industry they still hold a strong  29%(2011) of the market share in a forever changing industry The micro environment is the internal factors that are affected by the customers, staff, shareholders and competitors. The best model for evaluating the micro environment of Nokia is Porter’s 5 forces as this takes into consideration the competitors, customers, suppliers and new entrants.Company Overview:The company was founded in 1865 by Frederick Idestam. The company began a paper mill in Tammerkoski in southern Finland. Frederick Idestam then built another mill by the Nokiavirta River where he gave the name Nokia to the mill in 1871. Originally, the Nokianvirta River was named after a dark furry animal, locally known as the Nokia – a type of marten. Following a major industrial force, the company merges with a cable company (founded by Eduard Polon) and a rubber firm (founded by Arvid Wickstrom) which sets Nokia on the new path of electronics. Nokia’s first electronic device was a pulse analyzer designed for use in nuclear power plants in 1962.Their interest in telecommunication systems began in 1963 when they started developing radio telephones for the army and the emergency services, prior to the manufacturing of televisions, radio phones, data transfer equipment, radio link, analyzers and digital telephone exchange. Nokia will change its production and focus on the telecommunication expertise until it becomes the core of its future work.To move to mobile: In 1979 Mobira Oy was the first phone maker. They begin life as a joint venture between Nokia and leading Finnish television Salora. The Mobile phone rev olution started in 1981 with the launch of the first Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) service. The phone industry began to expand rapidly and Nokia introduces its first car phones followed by the portable in 1986.Mobile revolution: In 1992, Nokia decides to focus on its telecommunications business. This happens when Jorma Ollila becomes CEO of Nokia and he chooses to concentrate on telecommunication industry. In the 1990’s, the rubber, cable, and  consumer electronics divisions, were therefore sold. Nokia’s only business turned towards the manufacturing of mobile phones and telecommunications systems. The strategy of Jorma Ollila was to create a new era of telecommunication on a long term vision.1. PESTLE Analysis of NokiaPolitical:The Political factors relates to the factors which the government also affects such as government instability or rules and regulations which the business must follow. Nokia have recently moved one of its manufacturing facilities to India, and because of this it is important that Nokia follow the rules and regulations that are set in India, so that they can operate as efficiently as possible.The types of things they will have to be aware of is the minimum wage, the maximum hours a week employees can work and especially the Health and Safety regulations; this is to avoid any bad press or revolt from employees that will ultimately damage the reputation of Nokia both short term and long term. As well as foreign government it is vital that Nokia have a good relationship with their government in Finland, as any political instability such as a change in government or coalition may result in new laws being implemented, which will affect Nokia a lotEconomical:Nokia are vital to the Economy in Finland as it currently occupies a third of the market on the Helsinki stock exchange. The organisation is so important to the economy of Finland that the government had to step in when the business, earlier this year Nokia planned job cuts in Finland and with fears of what that would do to the economy the Finnish government stated they were prepared to help find jobs for those who are sacked (Reuters, 2011).Nokia will also have to be aware of changes in exchange rates, as they operate on a global scale and drastic changes in rates can have a devastating effect on the financial operations of the company if the business do not take appropriate steps to ensure the effects are minimum. The threat of recession  on western economy has also had an effect on the interest rates in banks, which means the cost of borrowing money for business activities has increased and Nokia will need to be aware of the changes in interest rate.SocialWith Nokia mainly operating in the Western market it is important for them to fully understand the social factors in these markets and the main factor they need to understand is the culture of the society; which is to have the latest and most up to date phone, is considered a key fashion icon. C onsumers are always after the most innovative and best looking Smartphone because in today’s culture people are judge on how fashionable they are by their choice of mobile phone. The increasing trend in Smartphone means when consumers purchase new mobile phones less and less consumers are choosing the standard mobiles phones over Smartphone because of the social trend in today’s society. Nokia will be aware of this and may now spend the majority of their efforts developing a Smartphone that can compete with their rivals’ products, in order to keep up with the trends of their consumers.Technological:The technological advances in the industry are vital to the success of any new Smartphone in the market that is continually growing, as the level of competition rises Nokia must ensure that their Smartphones are at the highest level of innovation. With functions such as camera, internet, social networking and email all necessities on Smartphones Nokia will have to thi nk of other functions to help differentiate and stand out from its rivals.As well as function more and more consumers are looking at the software running all the functions as a key indicator of the success and quality of the Smartphone, so Nokia’s alliance with Microsoft for their latest Smartphones seems a very good move as everyone are aware of the technological capabilities of Microsoft and the value they can add to any technological product. In the past Nokia were the market leaders in innovation in the mobile phone industry, however in recent times they have seemed well off the mark and struggle to compete with their rivals. This is why Nokia must consider their position in the industry and attempt to once again become the  market leader by offering a new innovative capability and get to the market before its rivals.Environmental:In today’s culture it is very important for organisations to be seen as environmentally friendly and ethical with its manufacturing, b ecause of the global effect it has on global warming so Nokia must ensure that they operate in an appropriate manner. With mobile phone recycling organisations becoming more and more popular, this demonstrates how important people are regarding it. The main issue with mobile recycling is the disposal of the batteries in the phones as these can become dangerous if not disposed of appropriately.Legal:Intellectual property is the key to any technological business and must be cared for and protected to the fullest amount to ensure the business does not lose out to rivals. Nokia operate in an industry where it is very difficult to have a product that is different to its competitors, when they do release a product with an innovative capability it is vital to protect the rights to it through patents, copyright, trademarks or design to ensure they are not â€Å"stolen† by their competitors.Not only are competitors a threat of intellectual, but Nokia must ensure they do not fall victi m to counterfeiters who claim to be a Nokia products but are cheap knock-offs. As Nokia have manufacturing plants in a various countries it is extremely important that they abide by the laws and regulations set by the different countries as the laws will differ depending on the country, these can be employments laws, Health and Safety or even trade restrictions.2. Marketing strategy of NokiaNokia is a leading mobile device manufacturer globally and has a high market share. Maximum population in India prefers using Nokia handsets as it is user friendly. It can use its customer’s goodwill and loyalty to diversify  in the mobile network market in India.The communications sector in India has transformed into a multi-player and multi-product market that has diverse market size and segments. In order to diversify in to new market, Nokia needs to develop a marketing plan which will give them the idea what factors to be considered before entering the mobile network sector. The mark eting plan includes all the factors that need to be undertaken. They are market analysis, competitor analysis, and environmental analysis, and customer analysis, internal and external factors.The mobile network market is growing rapidly and has good opportunities for new entrants to enter market and gain market share. Though there is much opportunity in this market, there are some threats such as threat from existing competitor, high customer churn rates, etc.MARKETING OBJECTIVES It is defined as, ‘marketing goals that the business must achieve in order to meet its wider business objectives’. Some of the main marketing objectives of an organization are to increase its market share, differentiate its products from competitors, develop brand value among its customers, and introducing new products or services in the market. The strategic objectives of an organization can be measured with the help of BCG matrix. BCG matrix helps to measure an organizations business units or product lines.CUSTOMER ANALYSIS At present, almost everyone uses cell phone. Therefore, the target segment for this market cannot be specific. Nokia needs to target population according to their usage by providing customize service plans so that the customer can select the plan which meets their requirements. They can also segment customers regionally as the usage is much more in urban market.MARKETING MIXIt is the most famous marketing term and is used by all organization to target its customers. The elements of marketing mix are the basis of a marketing plan. It includes 4 P’s for products and 7 P’s for services. They are Product, Price, Place, Promotion and extended P’s i.e. Physical evidence, People and Process for services.ProductA product is a tangible thing that is sold by an organization to its customers in order to gain market share. To gain market share a firm needs to differentiate its products from competitors, be innovative, and eliminate the produ cts which are not doing well in the market. In case of Nokia, it is a market leader in cell phone market. To gain market share and increase its customer base, Nokia is diversifying into SIM cards market. To differentiate its product from the competitors it has to use various strategies such as mass marketing. The product offered by Nokia i.e. SIM cards can be described with the service that they can offer.PricePrice refers to the amount a customer is willing to spend. It is determined by a number of factors such as market share, growth rate, competitor pricing, etc. Nokia has to keep its SIM card prices low in order to penetrate into the mobile network market. They need to offer service plans as per the usage of the customers. While pricing, Nokia needs to keep in mind different segments that they are targeting. For instance, different plan for youngsters, corporate, businesses, SBUs. They also need to constantly update its pricing in order to compete with its competitors.PlaceIt re fers to geographical area where the product is placed. It also includes outlets, distribution channel. Nokia needs to make available its SIM cards both in rural and urban areas. It can also use its geographical reach to untap the rural markets which is still not properly covered by the existing competitors. Nokia can also use its customer care centres to sell its SIM cards. Apart from this, they can provide its SIM cards to retailers and dealers.PromotionIt represents all the marketing activities that are carried to promote a product in the market. There are various mediums to promote products such as advertisements, hoardings, etc. Nokia can use various mediums to promote its SIM cards. It can use celebrities, advertisements, hoardings, sponsoring events, etc. They can also spread awareness about its SIM cards by using canopies outside colleges.SWOT ANALYSISStrengths: Huge market share: Nokia has huge market share in the cell phone sector and therefore can use its image to be succe ssful in the service provider market. World-class technology: Nokia can make use of its world class research and development team to design better network coverage for its sim-cards. Geographical Reach: As Nokia is one of the renowned brands globally, its presence in the market is very high and can use this to provide its sim-cards service to majority of population.Weakness:New in the market: As Nokia is new in the service provider market, it will be difficult to attract customers towards its sim-cards and service plans. High customer churn rate: Due to many competitors in the market and less margin to differentiate the service from competitors, customers switch from one service provider to other if they are not satisfied with its service.Opportunities:Untapped Market: Nokia is new to the service provider market and has an opportunity to explore the market. High market growth rate: As the number of people using mobile phones is increasing rapidly. There is high growth rate in the ma rket. Increase Market Share: Nokia can increase its market share by untapping the service provider market and increasing its customer base.Threats:Competitors threat: Nokia face competitors threat from market leaders such as Airtel, Vodafone and also from new entrant Aircel which has been successful to gain market share within a short period. Global recession: It led to less  amount of disposable income with the customers. Hence, customers think twice before investing his money. Market Saturation: It poses as another threat if the service provider market saturates due to financial crisis caused by recession.3. Porter’s AnalysisI. Threat of new entrants:ââ€"  The mobile phone industry is already a well established market and the threat of a new entrant is quite low, as the technology needed to rival the devices already available is quite advance if they want to differentiate from them.ââ€"  The barriers to entry in the mobile phone industry is high because any new entran ts will need high investments in R&D, technology and marketing in order to compete with the established organizations. ââ€"  New entrants want to take market share from the larger organisations but Nokia hold 29% of the market share in the industry, the highest market share in the industry. (BBC News, 2011) The threat of new entrants into the mobile phone industry is very unlikely as the start up cost of entering into the market at a high level needs a lot of investments and time to be considered a respectable competitor of the already established organisations.Nokia currently hold a 29% of the entire mobile phone market worldwide and for a new competitor to obtain some of their market will take either a very long term plan or something that is truly innovative and unseen before. This is because realistically the new entrant will need very high investment for R&D and marketing, and would not be able to publish positive result for a long time as they try to build a customer base an d a name for itself in an established market. In conclusion the threat of new entrants is very low and not a factor which Nokia will have to worry about in the near future.II. Power of suppliers: ââ€"  Although Nokia rely on its suppliers to supply equipment for their advanced mobile phones there are actually a number of large equipment makers, which Nokia could switch to. ââ€"  The software suppliers for their Smartphones are  now Microsoft, who will have a very high bargaining power. ââ€"  As the leading mobile phone company in the industry they are in a very strong position when bargaining with their suppliers. Nokia are in the position where they can bargain and negotiate with any mobile phone hardware maker because there is a high number of equipment suppliers that are readily available to them should their current suppliers attempt to bargain for more money with them.Nokia’s main argument would be the fact that they are a global organisation that has the highest market share in the industry, so the suppliers would not want to lose such an illustrious organisation. On the other hand, Nokia have recently created an alliance with Microsoft for their software which would be considered a major coup for Nokia more than Microsoft. As a result, Microsoft will have a lot of power when negotiating a price and share because the deal is more beneficial to Nokia than Microsoft. In conclusion, there is a moderate threat from the powers of suppliers because although the hardware suppliers have a very low power, Microsoft’s power over the software is very high because they’re very few other organisations who have the expertise and skills to rival Microsoft.III. Powers of buyers: ââ€"  The power that customers have is rising because of the increasing number of choices in the mobile telecommunication industry. ââ€"  With a lot of the Nokia competitors all offering similar packages (e.g. unlimited texts and calls) the industry is very price sensitive with customers seeking out the best value for money. ââ€"  Many of the consumers will also be tied into long term contracts so switching from one handset to another will be difficult and expensive for the consumer, as a result they may not want to change until the contract is finished.The mobile phone industry is a competitive market where the number of choices is very wide, resulting in the consumer having a lot of power because they can choose to go to one of Nokia’s many rivals if they feel Nokia are not good enough. As Nokia do not have a direct store to sell to their consumers, intermediaries such as Carphone warehouse or network stores such as Orange also have other handsets readily available for the consumers, which makes it difficult for Nokia to have a direct impact on the selling of their handsets. As a result this has created a very price sensitive market because consumers will always be on the lookout for the  best deals. In conclusion, the buyers h ave a high amount of power because of the other handsets they can purchase instead of Nokia.IV. Threats of substitute’s products:ââ€"  Mobile phones are an everyday essential in people’s lives today and people would find it hard to replace, as customers would not be able to be in constant contact when away from the house. ââ€"  On the other hand, it could be said that customers would be able to contact people through others types of media such as social networking websites, email and home telephones. Although staying in constant contact would be hard in customers’ day to day life. ââ€"  However, smart phones are capable of a lot of functions so there are many substitutes if the substitute focuses on one of the functions, e.g. digital camera can take better photos then smart phones, notebooks can surf the web just as effectively and PDAs can plan a day the same way a smart phone can. Mobile phones have become an everyday necessity in peoples’ lives b ecause of the important functions that they can do and are all available in just one handset.No other product has the ability to make phone calls, send messages, surf the web and many more in one device. The idea of being in constant communication with someone at anytime and anywhere makes the mobile phone a very important device to people. On the other hand, a mobile phone can be dissected into the key function where there are substitutes for the functions, such as the camera function on a mobile phone can be substituted for a digital camera which can do a better job than the camera in a mobile phone.In conclusion, the threat of a substitute product is very low due to the fact a mobile phone is no longer just for making calls but for all the other function as well are expected on all mobile phones. So, the only real substitute is to buy all the functions of a mobile phone in the individual products which would not be plausible to carry all around on a person at the same time. Witho ut mobile phones consumers would find it very difficult to replace, as it can offer so much to the consumers all in one device, no matter what the needs of the consumer are. Consumers rely on mobile phones a lot and would not be able to find a substitute that has all the function of a mobile phone.V. Competitive rivalry:ââ€"  Nokia rivals have moved to smart phones and androids while Nokia have only just recently released their first smart phones leaving them trailing their rivals such as Apple and HTC. ââ€"  There is also very little differentiation between the competitors which means any new smart phones in the market, like Nokia Lumia, will find it difficult to tempt existing iphone and HTC customers to switch. ââ€"  Intense competition from large companies such as; Apple, HTC, Blackberry, Sony Ericcson and LG, ect. Nokia operate in an industry where the competition is extremely fierce with high investment in R&B and marketing to compete with some of the biggest organisatio ns in the world. This year Nokia’s market share has dropped to 29% and it is forecast to continue to fall because of the rising popularity of the Apple Iphone.After Nokia’s slow move into the Smartphone market it has left them trailing their rivals, and has just released their Lumia range which will find it difficult to compete and win over consumers from their Iphones. In conclusion, competitive rivalry is very high and Nokia must be aware of the threat that competitors have on their business especially with the growing popularity of the Apple iphone and RIM blackberry. The competitive rivalry is the biggest threat to Nokia because in the Smartphone market they are considerably behind and to increase their market share will take a lot of work in a market where some of the biggest names in business operate in such as Apple and Sony.Competitive environments of Nokia For more than a decade, Nokia has been the iconic leader in the industry. However, the iPhone revolution (as well as the growth of a fully vertically integrated and higher next important step in this process of assessing the external environment will be to show the current picture of Nokia’s competitors. Hardware:  hly diverse group like Samsung) has disturbed the industry.The latest data clearly highlighted several crucial points: Firstly, Nokia reported smartphone sales of about US$ 3.4 billion for Q2 2011, while Apple’s iPhone revenue totaled US$ 13.3 billion; this makes Apple the leader  of the industry as it shipped 20 million iPhones. It is also important to understand that the average sale price (ASP) of an iPhone is more than US$ 600, while Nokia reports a smartphone ASP of around US$ 200. Secondly, Nokia was previously the market share leader, having more than one-third of the worldwide smartphone market in Q2 2010. However, one year later, this figure has decreased to only 15.7% and Nokia is the only brand that has lost market share, reporting a negative gro wth of 30%.The chart above shows the operating profits from the sale of mobile phones among the main vendors. During the second quarter of 2011, Nokia, Motorola, Sony-Ericsson and LG saw losses and did not manage to generate a profit by selling phones. During the same period, RIM and Samsung saw their shares slightly decrease but Apple grew substantially and this company now represents two-thirds of the industry with operating profit of 66.3%.From the same graph, we can also confirm that Motorola and LG are frequently making losses; this may explain why Google bought Motorola last month and why LG is considering exiting the industry before the end of 2011. The chart above clearly confirms that Nokia’s problems are not recent; it shows the change in profit share over a four-year period and we can see that Nokia has slowly lost profits and market shares to Apple. As of September 2011, Apple is currently taking 84% of the profits generated by modern smartphones; this means that Nokia’s main source of revenue is the low-end classic mobile phone.Software: The OSThe previous section highlighted the fact that Nokia saw its market share and profits decrease over the last four years, and during the same period, Apple and the iPhone took 84% of the overall profits. By studying the operating system (OS), as well as the applications that are developed by the industry, we will be able to understand how its new competitor, Apple, surpassed the previously successful Nokia. SymbianSymbian v9 was launched in 2005 and in December 2008, Nokia bought Symbian Ltd., the company behind Symbian OS and made it an open source system. Nokia’s Symbian platform market share increased to 47% but in 2010 it started to plateau and is now declining sharply, currently representing less  than 16% of new mobile phone operating systems. Symbian was mostly used by the Nokia Group and other manufacturers like LG, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.Symbian remains the most us ed OS due to its very large installed based (more than 500 million mobile phones). However, Google’s Android has emerged as a significant challenger to the superiority of Symbian by providing a developer-friendly OS combined with better innovative functionalities, a better user interface and coming from a consumer-friendly brand (Android by Google). AndroidGoogle’s Android was launched as a free and open source operating system in 2008 and within two years, it grew from having 0% to 21% of the market share. As of 2011, Google’s Android operating system is installed on 130 million devices and it is used extensively by leading smartphone manufactures like Samsung, Motorola and HTC.Windows Phone 7The Windows Phone 7 was showcased at the beginning of 2010 and represented a significant upgrade to the struggling Windows Mobile 6 OS. Early signs were mixed but the OS was generally well received and Microsoft also created important new features like Zune, Bing, Xbox Liv e and Windows Marketplace. However, the Windows Phone arrived late on the market in comparison to the Apple iOS or Android and the OS was not free and fully open source.In August 2011, during his keynote speech at the 2011 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admitted that Microsoft simply hasn't gained any traction and that Microsoft has failed. Based on the latest figures from Nielsen, Windows Phone 7 sales only represent 9% of the market, compared to 38% for Android and 27% for the iPhone. In order to picture this incredible landscape modification in terms of the OS, both graphs below show how the top smartphone platform has moved from Symbian to Android in fewer than 4 years.Mobile applications: The previous sections described how the Nokia ecosystem Symbian failed to compete with Apple or Google. In this section, we will see how this issue also affected the developer community and therefore the applications available on Nokia’s mobile phone s and smartphones. Firstly, by analysing  the number of applications available in the Nokia application store (called OVI) we can see from the graph below that OVI has only 46,000 applications when Android or Apple have over 300,000 applications. However, we can also see from the same graph that the trend is slowly growing, confirming the idea that some developers remain interested in developing applications on Nokia’s Symbian platform, even though this platform is less competitive than Android or Windows Phone 7.Conclusion:Nokia’s strategy to diversify from cell phone manufacture to Nokia mobile network will be a great success. Moreover, it can use its goodwill and loyalty of people towards Nokia cell phone to use its sim-cards. As majority of service provider’s focus on urban areas, Nokia can use its geographical reach to uncap the rural market.In order to diversify its business in to mobile network market, Nokia needs to make use of its leading mobile phone s manufacturer image. As Nokia has build loyalty among its mobile phone users, it can use this for attracting customers towards its SIM cards and thereby gain market share. Also with its world class R & D department, it can offer many services to its customers which will help them to differentiate in their service offering from its competitors. For instance, video calling, free roaming, outgoing call restriction, etc.By focusing more on rural market which is untap to a certain extent, Nokia can satisfy its customers in rural areas which most of the existing players are not successful. Also by offering customize service plans to its customers such as offering SmS package, unlimited internet package, Free Hello tune, and so on with minimum price. Nokia can also make tie-ups with existing players such as Airtel, Vodafone, Aircel in order to gain larger market share.It can also offer better deals to customers who are buying Nokia handsets on its SIM cards which will increase its sales a s well as customer base. This will help them to develop loyalty among its customers. In order to diversify in to SIM cards segment, Nokia needs to use mass marketing by implementing various promotion strategies such as Advertisements, Hoardings, Sponsoring events, canopies outside colleges and  so on. Nokia also needs to plan its distribution strategy in order to reach to maximum people. They can also use their ‘Connecting People’ tagline in its SIM card, thereby giving additional meaning to it.Thus, to diversify in to SIM card market is a better option for Nokia to increase its market share and revenue. Also this will help them to build larger customer base which will ultimately result in one of the leading brands in the telecommunications industry.

Describe and Evaluate the Evolutionary Theory of Food Preferences

Describe and evaluate the evolutionary theory of food preferences According to an evolutionary approach current human behaviour can be understood in terms of how it may have been adaptive in our ancestral past. Evolutionary theorists are concerned with behaviour which is adaptive and having survival value, these researchers look for ultimate explanations. Current behaviours may be maladaptive and dysfunctional but can be understood as having been adaptive and functional in some way.To undertake this type of analysis they draw on the theory of natural selection and suggest that all species including humans, evolve through a process of natural selection and that only those characteristics that confer advantage or at least do not confer disadvantage survive as the species evolve. This is an interactionist approach, as an individual’s genetic predisposition is assumed to interact with their environment. In terms of eating behaviour, an evolutionary psychologist is interested in th e following questions: â€Å"Are there innate preferences for certain foods? †, â€Å"How would these preferences have been adaptive in the past? and â€Å"How do these preferences function now? † Early research by Davis investigated the eating behaviour of infants and young children. Davis observed the kinds of choice children living in a paediatric unit made in relation to their diet. Based on her data, Davis concluded that young children have an innate, regulatory mechanism and are able to select a healthy diet. However she emphasized that they could only do this if healthy food was available and suggested that the children’s food preferences changed over time and ere modified by experience. Subsequent research has provided further support for some form of innate regulatory mechanisms.For example, there is consistent evidence that newborn babies demonstrate innate food preferences. Using facial expressions and sucking behaviour as an index of preference, bab ies have been shown to prefer sweet tasting substances and to reject bitter tastes. There is also some evidence for an innate preference for salt, based on animal research, although this has been controversial together, these studies suggest that some food preferences are innate. Beauchamp and Moran (1982) reported however that six month old babies who were accustomed to drinking sweetened water drank more sweetened water than those babies who were not.So although innate food preferences may exist, these may be modified very quickly by learning and familiarity. Our early human ancestors lived in hunter-gatherer communities in which the men were responsible for hunting and the women were responsible for gathering. Their diets consisted mainly of fruits, berries, vegetables and some meat. Our innate food preferences can be explained in different forms. An innate preference for sweet foods would have encouraged people to eat fruit with its natural fructose content. Sweet foods in natur e provide important calories which are needed for energy.Natural avoidance of bitter foods would have helped to protect people from eating food that was poisonous. This would also have been helped by neophobia. A preference for salt is less easy to explain, although we do know that salt is essential for the sodium balance in our bodies. Sheep manage their sodium levels by licking naturally occurring minerals that contain salt because grass has very low sodium content. Human beings on the other hand have very little need for additional salt, particularly if they eat meat.The innate preference for salt may therefore have originally functioned by encouraging people to eat meat. In our ancestral past the main challenge facing people would have been avoiding malnutrition by eating enough food to support a physically active lifestyle. Our innate food preferences may have helped us to survive. However for much of the modern world, food is no longer scarce and our lives are no longer as phy sically active. Nowadays a preference for sweet foods may no longer encourage a person to eat berries, but rather to eat highly calorific, energy-dense foods, such as chocolate bars.Furthermore a preference for salty foods may facilitate the consumption of high-fat foods flavoured with salt, such as chips and processed foods. An evolutionary explanation for obesity has been put forward based on biological preferences for foods which cause overeating and problems with weight in our modern world, which has been called an â€Å"obesongenic environment†. There are many factors in our environment, such as fast food outlets and cars, which encourage an unhealthy lifestyle and may contribute to higher levels of obesity.Like biological explanations, evolutionary explanations of eating might be regarded as an oversimplification by suggesting that adaptiveness is the single, guiding principle. Such explanations are also determinists as they propose that eating behaviour is determined b y past environments, thereby overlooking the notion of free will and the fact that human behaviour is affected by many other factors such as thought, emotions and social factors. Evolutionary drives are moderated and modified by social drives. Evolutionary approaches can explain innate food preferences that were important for our ancestor’s survival.An innate preference for sweet foods may lead us to consume energy-dense foods, such as chocolate bars, which are longer needed in the current obesogenic environment of the Western world, and can help to explain the recent upsurge in obesity. Innate preferences for food can be used to demonstrate the wisdom of the body, the existence of biological drives and also the importance of the environment. It is also difficult to measure eating behaviour accurately in a research context. The central concept of adaptiveness can be applied to many behaviours, including eating and is difficult to demonstrate empirically or disapprove.This mea ns that we have no means of establishing the validity of the explanation. A strength of evolutionary explanations is that they consider ultimate causes and so may lead to more valid ways of treating seemingly maladaptive behaviours by taking account of their adaptive significance and not merely focusing on the proximate problem. Evolutionary explanations appear to suggest that we are no longer adapting to changing environmental conditions. Some scientists believe that humans are continuing to evolve both physically and psychological and are doing so at a faster rate that any other close species.

Welle

What was the most significant conclusion that Gregor Mendel drew from his experiments with pea plants? A) There is considerable genetic variation in garden peas. B) Traits are inherited in discrete units, and are not the results of â€Å"blending. † C) Recessive genes occur more frequently in the Fl generation than do dominant ones. D) Genes are composed of DNA. E) An organism that is homozygous for many recessive traits is at a disadvantage. 2) How many unique gametes could be produced through independent assortment by an Individual with the genotype AaBbCCDdEE? rite down the gametes ) Why did Mendel continue some of his experiments to the F2 or F3 generation? A) to obtain a larger number of offspring on which to base statistics 8) to observe whether or not a recessive trait would reappear C) to observe whether or not the dominant trait would reappear D) to distinguish which alleles were segregating E) to be able to describe the frequency of recombination 4)Two plants are cro ssed, resulting in offspring with a 3:1 ratio for a particular trait.What does this suggest? 5) The fact that all seven of the pea plant traits studied by Mendel obeyed the rinciple of Independent assortment. What does this suggest about the seven traits studied by Mendel? 6) In the cross AaBbCc x AaBbCc, what Is the probability of producing the genotype AABBCC 7) Given the parents AABBCc x AabbCc, assume simple dominance for each trait and Independent assortment. What proportion of the progeny will be expected to phenotypically resemble the first parent? ) Which of the following is the best statement of the use of the addition rule of probability? A) the probability that two or more independent events will both occur B) the probability that two or more ndependent events will both occur in the offspring of one set of parents C) the probability that either one of two Independent events will occur D) the probability of producing two or more heterozygous offspring E) the likelihood tha t a trait is due to two or more meiotic events 9) Radish flowers may be red, purple, or white.A cross between a red-flowered plant and a white-flowered plant yields all-purple offspring. The part of the radish we eat may be oval or long, with long being the dominant characteristic. *** If true-breeding red long radishes are crossed with true-breeding white oval radishes, what will the Fl phenotype? flower color trait in radishes Is an example of which of the B) sex linkage C) codominance D) incomplete dominance E) epistasis 10) Gene S controls the sharpness of spines in a type of cactus.Cactuses with the dominant allele, S, have sharp spines, whereas homozygous recessive ss cactuses have dull spines. At the same time, a second gene, N, determines whether or not cactuses have spines. Homozygous recessive nn cactuses have no spines at all. *** The relationship between genes S and N is an example of A) incomplete dominance. B) epistasis. C) complete dominance. D) pleiotropy. E) codomin ance. 1) Women (and all female mammals) have one active X chromosome per cell instead of two. What causes this?A) modification of the XIST gene so that it is active only on one X chromosome, which then becomes inactive B) activation of the Barr gene on one of the two X chromosomes that then inactivates C) crossover between the XIST gene on one X chromosome and a related gene on an autosome D) inactivation of the XIST gene on the X chromosome derived from the male parent E) the removal of methyl (CH3) groups from the X chromosome that will remain active 12) Which of the following statements is true of linkage? A) The closer two genes are on a chromosome, the lower the probability that a crossover will occur between them.B) The observed frequency of recombination of two genes that are far apart from each other has a maximum value of 100%. C) All of the traits that Mendel studied-seed color, pod shape, flower color, and others-are due to genes linked on the same chromosome. D) Linked g enes are found on different chromosomes. E) Crossing over occurs during prophase II of meiosis. 13) What does a frequency of recombination of 50% indicate? A) The two genes are likely to be located on different chromosomes. B) All of the offspring have combinations of traits that match one of the two parents.C) The genes are located on sex chromosomes. D) Abnormal meiosis has occurred. E) Independent assortment is hindered. 14) Map units on a linkage map cannot be relied upon to calculate physical distances on a chromosome for which of the following reasons? A) The frequency of crossing over varies along the length of the chromosome. B) The relationship between recombination frequency and map units is different in every individual. C) Physical order on the chromosomes is slightly different in every individual. E) Linkage map istances are identical between males and females. 5) Which of the following is known as a Philadelphia chromosome? A) a human chromosome 22 that has had a speci fic translocation B) a human chromosome 9 that is found only in one type of cancer C) an animal chromosome found primarily in the mid-Atlantic area of the United States D) an imprinted chromosome that always comes from the mother E) a chromosome found not in the nucleus but in mitochondria 16) The following is a map of four genes on a chromosome. Figure 1 Between which two genes would you expect the highest frequency of recombination? A) A and WB) w and E C) E and G D) A and E E) A and G 17) How do we describe transformation in bacteria? A) the creation of a strand of DNA from an RNA molecule B) the creation of a strand of RNA from a DNA molecule C) the infection of cells by a phage DNA molecule D) the type of semiconservative replication shown by DNA E) assimilation of external DNA into a cell 18) Cytosine makes up 42% of the nucleotides in a sample of DNA from an organism. Approximately what percentage of the nucleotides in this sample will be thymine? 19) What is meant by the des cription â€Å"antiparallel† regarding the strands that make p DNA?A) The twisting nature of DNA creates nonparallel strands. B) The 5†² to 3†² direction of one strand runs counter to the 5†² to 3†² direction of the other strand. C) Base pairings create unequal spacing between the two DNA strands. D) One strand is positively charged and the other is negatively charged. E) One strand contains only purines and the other contains only pyrimidines. 20)An Okazaki fragment has which of the following arrangements? A) primase, polymerase, ligase B) 3†² RNA nucleotides, DNA nucleotides 5†² C) 5†² RNA nucleotides, DNA nucleotides 3†² D) DNA polymerase l, DNA polymerase.

Soda Drinks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Soda Drinks - Essay Example Soda drinks can be considered as refreshment drinks that one takes for the purpose of refreshment, acquisition of balance diet and for the purpose of easing fatigue. However, soda drinks undergoes reaction processes that can be well explained using chemical compositions and compounds. Important stage in the manufacture of carbonated drink process is the essence of high-pressure CO2 gas facilitation, which fills the cavities in the structure of liquids. This high pressure produces a hissing sound when cans as well as bottles carrying soda drinks are opened justifying the availability of carbonation processes. Carbon dioxide presence from the drink usually escapes forms a molecule called the nucleus with an aim of resisting fluids hence forming bubbles. The delicious sensation on the tongue is brought out by the existence of nucleus (Nivaldo 1 2-16). Shaking carbonated beverages accelerates the process of bubbles formation of the soft drink. However, we have got several factors that in fluences the process of carbon dioxide loss in water. This includes the surrounding temperature. When the temperature is low, the carbonation process is more effective and vice versa hence the gas is less dissolved under high temperature level (Maniatis 12-15).However, it is found that soft drinks are not compounds in nature but they are mixtures of various substances hence they do not have definite compound structure as well as definite composition structure. Substances such as carbon dioxide exhibits kinetic energy proportional to the temperature especially when in Free State just in air. Common ingredients in a soft drink include but are not partial to Water (H2O), Sucrose (C12H22O11), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbonic acid (H2CO3), phosphoric acid (H3PO4), aspartame (C14H18N2O5), and artificial flavoring, which itself would be a list of several dozen and different chemicals as well. Meanwhile, during the processing of soft drinks reactions, we encounter exothermic reaction, which p roduces energy for stimulating and speeding up of carbon dioxide reactions. The exothermic chemical composition is represented as follows; C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6H2O + 6CO2. This leads to a respiration chemical formula of C6 H12 O6 + 6 H20 + 6 CO2 + Energy to produce soda drinks reaction norm (Nivaldo 23-39). By lowering the kinetic energy level and through acquisition of low temperature, the carbon dioxide gets to dissolves in water at a stable state. If the temperature is raised, the carbon dioxide usually tend to fall off and that is the main reason as to why it is recommended to take carbonated beverages during cold condition or at cold state. Soda drink exhibits sour taste, which is generated by the existence of carbon dioxide giving it a pH value of around 3.2 to 3.7. Being carbonated makes the soda drinks becomes free from bacterial contamination. Carbon dioxide plays a vital role in provision of specific flavor, which functions as an antibacterial preservative adhesive with natu ral beverage dissolvent (Maniatis 21-26) The content of carbon dioxide found in soft drinks majorly depends on the type of the drink availed on the market. Those beverages characterized by the fruit flavors, they contains high level of sugar with low carbon dioxide. The gylceryl abietate also known as brominated vegetable oil majorly is found in orange soft drinks. These help keep fatty flavors suspended in the liquid (density balancers and

What makes managers effective with people in the workplace today Essay

What makes managers effective with people in the workplace today - Essay Example In this regard, effective managers are team players who function in an environment that is characterized by changing economic circumstances, rapid technological advances as well as changes in politics which are often challenges to conducting business (Gordon, 2002 as cited in Shultz 2005, p. 10). It can be noted that the 21st century workplace is undergoing immense and permanent changes hence efficiency and flexibility are demanded of organisations, teams have become important whereas participative management and empowerment have become central to effective management of people (Swanepoel, 1998). As such, this report seeks to explore the factors that make managers effective with people in the workplace every day. The report is divided into four sections which include the following: The first part addresses the challenges to managers of managing people during the contemporary business environment. ... This will also include practical examples of effective problem evaluation and resolution through the use of ‘people management’ skills in action. The fourth section specifically deals with evaluating the practical value of management self development. This includes an evaluation of personal ‘people skills’ strengths and weaknesses based on ELLI, the skills evaluation and development questionnaire, the emotional intelligence questionnaire, The Belbin teamwork, on-line questionnaire as well as a critical reflection of interpersonal/teamwork skills in class. The fifth section will deal with conclusions and a brief reflective summary highlighting the lessons learnt from writing the report. 2.0 Evaluation of ‘managing people’ challenges facing managers during the contemporary business environment During the contemporary period, it can be noted that one of the most challenging roles faced by the managers is to manage an organisation that is undergoing a major change process. The business environment in which the organisations are operating is dynamic and constantly changing hence the need for the managers to identify different ways of managing change (Swanepoel, 1998). The way these organisational changes are managed will play a crucial role in the extent to which organisations remain competitive and successful. In this case, the leader plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the organisation undergoing a change process. As such, it is important to highlight some of the roles played by the manager as well as the challenges that may be encountered in managing change. Change is about transition by the organisation from its current strategy and operations in order to move the

This is a Strategic Management subject. The assessment is Strategic Assignment

This is a Strategic Management subject. The assessment is Strategic Audit. The Assignnment brief, example and marking guide will - Assignment Example In addition the business level strategies and the entry strategy that Thales will be adopting in China is also explained. Thales’ Business Thales Group is a French business group engaged in defense, aerospace, transportation and security markets. A small portion of Thales’ investments also go into its electrical systems building unit. Thales Group is present in more than 50 countries of the world having workforce of around 70,000 employees. Thales’ business’ size can be gauged by the fact that the company makes billion of Euros in revenues and is considered 475th largest business group amongst Fortune500 and is the 11th largest defense contractor (Thales Group, 2011). Competitive Landscape of Railway Transportation Industry in France Major railway transport operators in France are: Thalys Lyria Eurostar Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais Resear Ferre de France (State Owned) Environmental Scan of Railway Transportation Industry in China To carry out the scanning of an external environment in China’s railway transportation industry, Porter’s Five Forces Model will be used. This model assists in scanning the external environment for: Identifying rivalry within the industry. ... In this paper, Porter’s Five Forces model will be used to examine the external environment of China’s Railway Transportation Industry. Threat of New Entrants In China’s railway transportation industry, the threat of new entrant is low due to the high entry barriers. Usually it requires a mammoth amount of money to acquire license and enter into a railway transportation business (Wan & Liu, 2006). Not everyone can start a railway transportation business because it is a capital extensive decision which includes capital investments in fixed assets like machinery, railway tracks, platforms, engines, rail-cars, and land and auto-mechanic shops. Although, there is still need for railway tracks and transportation services in China due to its huge geography and increased travelers’ pressure, but the acquisition of license and cost of starting this business in the country is still very expensive. Moreover, the railway transport industry largely operates on economie s of scale where the average cost of taking passengers from one station to another decreases as the incoming number of passengers increase (Today Online, 2013). Threat from Substitutes China is amongst those nations of the world who believes on working hard and saving money for the future. The saving trend compels people in China to spend less on luxuries. But in recent 4 to 5 years, it has been noticed that this trend is on shift and Chinese people are looking for quicker travelling options. But still, the traditional Chinese still believes on travelling with cheaper and less time consuming travelling means (Wan & Liu, 2006). Due to the rapid development and financial strength of the Chinese families, they tend to buy cars.

Computer Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Computer Security - Essay Example To understand the corporate motivations of the creative industry players to invest fully into DRM we must look at the implications of these technical protective measures. With the growing and wide spread advent of new digital video recording, distribution technologies, and the widespread availability of internet piracy measures of technology having a direct impact on the distribution channels and sales of these industries the critical concern faced by these corporations is the fact that they cannot compete with freely available copies of their content. The movie studios are particularly effected as competing with free is concerning for them mainly because their content is more prone to single use consumption than the other industries such as music. A range of industry wide efforts have been undertaken that have build up to the adoption of DRM. Such as Serial Management System for digital audio tape that was authorized by the Congress which aimed to make difficult the task of making f aithful copies of copies; a measure that was made obsolete after the proliferation of other digital mediums.