Memorandum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memorandum - Essay Example ... Many of these kinds of procedures can be done in ambulatory facilities entirely separate from the surgical department†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 160). Many of the procedures that are done with the help of the adjoining outpatient procedures facility are minor procedures—and surgeries can range anywhere from patients having pacemaker batteries replaced to removal of skin cancers and other minor surgeries. Usually, the outpatient procedures facility is much like an office, where family members can wait while their loved one is getting a medical procedure performed. The policy change itself would involve updating the computer systems in our particular hospital so that patient records are no longer kept on an MS-DOS system. DOS is a computer operating system that is very outdated, and the hospital would like to incorporate a Windows operating system into the current manner of functioning with regard to how it is going to continue on in the future. Because the outpatient procedures fac ility is so overwhelmed with work on a daily basis—and since computers are used daily—it is hoped that the switchover to the new computer system could be done sometime overnight when there are no patients scheduled to come in.

Risk of Disease due to Heredity and Lifestyle Term Paper Essay

Risk of Disease due to Heredity and Lifestyle Term Paper - Essay Example That while both grew up under almost similar conditions, eating more or less similar foods, and with both developing affinity for basketball at early ages, the latters’ injury that left him with a broken leg during his second year in college would latter change his fortunes forever. Though Johnson remained focused on his studies, the loss of his basketball career was but a painful experience that pushed him into a partying spree that included heavy drinking, with beer alongside buffalo chicken wings and pizza finding way much into his daily diet. Despite the unforeseen circumstance that befell his brother, Lida never lost hope, spending hours conditioning his weight both in the gym and through sports in order to scale up the heights that they both started together. Unknown to Lida was the very fact that Johnson has gone extreme, eating convenience foods, heavy in protein, in effect avoiding the strenuous, time consuming fresh food preparation that are usually much healthier. At his graduation, Johnson weighed over 400 pounds, increasing even further after securing a job in one of the reputed auditing firms in the country. He, Jonson, would soon be diagnosed with hypertension, type 2 diabetes and mild kidney disease, all of which can be traced within the family lineage. More than anything else, he has more than worsened obesity statistics that the state is fighting so hard to reduce. It is more of a fact that obesity is a threat to a healthy lifestyle. The above diseases are more related to poor eating habits and inadequate physical exercises to help in the burning of excess fats within the body systems, and that more than ever, I am determined to pursue nutritional information as much possible, ensure the availability of nutrient-rich snacks, model healthy eating habits, and more than anything else, make tremendous efforts in practicing such healthy

Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 11

Reflection Paper - Essay Example He compares the softness of the moving ship over the water surface to a soft and beautiful skin. However, other characters such as Ahab consider the ocean as deceptive because, under the smooth waters, there lain death in waiting. Ahab acknowledges the fact that the sea in reality is a tiger under the surface. The ocean is, therefore, more dangerous than the land. According to Ahab, the sea is a mirror of God, and it represents Him as hidden and terrible, whose nature is deadly. Starbuck looks at the ocean and God as a bride at her wedding. The professor got me thinking of the reason for Christmas was a new beginning, yet inverted. For instance, Ahab thinks of the sea as a revenge because that is what he was up to during the journey for religious quest. The sea is therefore a revenge, not healing as quoted in line 536 (Melville 450). â€Å"†¦..Loveliness unfathomable, as ever lover saw in his young bride’s eye!—Tell me not of thy teeth tiered sharks, and thy kidnapping cannibal ways. Let faith oust fact; let fancy oust memory; I look deep down and do believe.†(Melville 451). Ahab asserts that the sea is too ambiguous and vicious for coherent faith, with our attraction to it infinite and unexplored. There are two things I noted out of these words, first the fact that God is inexplicable and second that religion is a faithful expression. For this case, the people at sea are trading a religious journey in which everything is a duality. Death lingers in lives of individuals, which kept me thinking about the whiteness of the whale. After a reflection on the readings, I discovered that such a question would be a distinction between good and evil according to our perception. Why were the whales both white and black? Why use the sea and not land? The answer lies in the nature of duality of religion. Sometime before birth, in the beginning, there is always the light that is the blinding light representing the

Leadership Development Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership Development Report - Essay Example 134). Leadership development entails the entire process of expanding the capability of an organization to generate potential leaders in an organization to accomplish the set goals and objectives (Tichy and Devanna, 2007, p. 79). Leadership development entails the complete leaders’ interaction with political, social, and cultural environment within their area of jurisdiction (Avolio, and Gardner 2005, p.315). Leadership development models forms a key pillar for professional development in various manufacturing organizations (Northouse 2007, p. 91). Models expound on the standards prerequisite for an effective leader in an organization. Leadership development models defines some of the universal behavioural expectation of effective leaders including the leaders ability to develop external focus, the capability to achieve the expected results with people, implementation of the organizational plans with quality value and speed, prediction and execution of changes in an organizatio n as well as enhancement of quality evaluation and action. Leadership competency models are ideal for availing the three basic leadership requirements, connectivity, consistency, and clarity. Competencies aid in the formation of comprehensible and most effective expectations on the type of capabilities, behaviours, values, and mindsets that are fundamental in the organization leadership role (Jay and Douglas 2004, p. 2). In its consistency role, competency models offer an exceptional language and framework for communication and implementation of an organization’s leadership development plans. In its connectivity responsibility, competency models offer basic metric in organizations leadership development process. It is the driving force for performance management, feedback procedure, identification, rewards, and successful management Competency Model The study will focus on the competency model of core competencies for self management. Referring to this model, an effective lea der should understand their weaknesses, values, and strengths. Productive leaders should as well develop the capability of managing their weaknesses and strengths through engaging in consistent learning. They should also be committed and willing to seek aid from other professionals (George and Morgan 2006, p. 399). Leaders should be enthusiastic in accepting their mistakes and make the needed rectifications. Effective leaders should also have the capability of adapting with dynamic and stressful situations as well as having the ability of enhancing a practical balance between their social and working lives. However, the model is criticized for over relying on individual traits in describing the development and effectiveness of an excellent leader. The model is also condemned for overlying on a single personality in the success of an organization. The model also faces criticism for disregarding the issues of role overload, consistent errors, increasing frustrating situations, and rol e conflict. My Personal Strengths and Weaknesses as A Leader Current Strength In the course of my involvement in broad range of organizational situation, I have developed the leadership strength of a valuable and reliable leader in criticism situations. I have the capability of relishing the emerging challenges and standing strong for what I believe is correct and right. I have also developed a considerable degree of self awareness. As a

Module Summaries Essay Example for Free

Module Summaries Essay Module 1 introduced the concept of evidence-based practice by describing how research reports are adapted and incorporated into healthcare practices. Research plays an essential role in identifying the best methods in diagnosing, treating and caring for patients with particular medical disorders. Evidence-based practice is based on the testing of experimental treatment regimens to a study population and determining its effect on the patient. It is therefore important that the investigators of a clinical trial be highly analytical and cautious with regards to the design, implementation and assessment of research programs and results. The module also instructs its reader on methods in identifying investigations that are of good quality. The significance and credibility of the research study is also important in any medical investigation. The process of appraising a medical investigation should thus always include screening a research design based on the feasibility, credibility and repeatability of the study. Module 2 describes the impact of research on shaping healthcare practices based on evidence-based research. In addition, the module provides methods on how to conduct a thorough analysis of a research report based on an assessment tool. The criteria of evaluating research studies is generally based on the employment of a rating scale which looks into different aspects of a study, including the aims, hypotheses and methodology of the research. The ethical issues of the clinical study are also important aspects to consider in any health-related investigation. It is thus important to review the reasons why particular investigators conducted a study, without inflicting any additional harm on the study subjects and still continuing in promoting excellence in healthcare delivery to the public. Evidence-based research thus forms an integral part of healthcare because it provides scientific proof that a certain procedure or treatment is indeed effective and beneficial to the target patient population.

Analysis of Mobile Telecommunications Industry

Analysis of Mobile Telecommunications Industry Contents Market Analysis and Research Plan (Word Count: 912) Marketing Research Plan Competitors Market trends STEP Analysis Strategic Analysis and Recommendations (Word Count: 1117) 2.1 SWOT 2.2 Portfolio analysis 2.3 Growth Strategy Recommendations Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Bibliography Appendices Marketing Analysis and Research Plan Marketing research plan The brief is to conduct an analytical survey into the Mobile telecommunications industry as a service/network provider in order to judge feasibility. After recent developments of Tescos entering the Mobile phone industry as a service/network provider, Asda are also keen to explore and keep up with Tescos in this respect also. Using secondary research we will first look into the Mobile telecommunications industry. This information will then be analysed from a company perspective, followed by recommendations. 1.2 Competitors Information cited in this section has been adapted from MarketLine (2005). In appendix 1 (section 6), I have elaborated on the information given in this section. O2 O2 is a mobile communications service provider operating in the UK, Ireland and Europe. O2 have 19 million customers within some of the biggest consumer markets for mobile services. SWOT analysis Strengths Strong presence in the UK market. Weaknesses Small scale European operations competitors are better placed. Over reliance on UK market. Opportunities Well placed for 3G expansion. Threats Declining penetration and saturation of voice services. Overexposure to UK market adverse effect of unforeseen market challenges. Impact of regulation. O2 operates in highly regulated markets. Hutchinson (3G) UK 3G is a mobile multimedia company focused mainly on the providing 3G (third-generation) mobile communication services in the UK. Strengths First mover advantage. Alliance with key brands. Parent company support. Weaknesses Low presence in the wireless market. Low average revenues per user. Opportunities Focus on content. Booming mobile gaming market. Improving 3G market. Threats Rapid technological change. Increasing competition. Threat from other technological products. Orange Orange is a mobile telecoms service provider with over 44 million customers in 22 countries worldwide. Orange is one of the worlds, and is UKs, largest mobile communications companies. Strengths Global brand strength. Launch of OrangeWorld/Signature phones. Large subscriber base and strong subscription growth. Weaknesses Reliant on data for growth. France Telecom buyout. Cost cutting could damage reputation. Opportunities WAP capability Investment in new technology. 3G and Push to talk. Increase average annual revenue per user. Threats Strong competition. Health risks and government legislation. Market saturation in Europe. T-Mobile T-Mobile is a market leader in mobile communication technology operating largely in Europe and US. The company is now realizing large profits, and at the end of year end of 2004 achieved record revenue of E25 billion. Strengths Strong backing of parent company. Strong alliances. Strong financial growth. Weaknesses Decreasing average revenue per user. Lack of presence in high growth markets. Opportunities Most of T-Mobiles opportunities lye global markets, such as the growth in worldwide mobile subscriptions and the freemove alliance. Rise in demand for 3G/UMTS technology. Threats Slowdown in the UK economy Growing consolidation and competition. Vodafone Vodafone is a communications company with business interests in 42 countries worldwide. The company made a net loss of  £7,540 million during fiscal year 2005, compared to  £9,015 million net loss in 2004. Strengths Leadership position. Global brand strength. Growth of Vodafone Live! Weaknesses High debt. Opportunities Growth through 3G. Increase ARPU. Threats Increased competition. Market saturation in Europe. Health risks and government legislation. 1.3 Market Trends All the information cited below, unless mentioned otherwise, has been taken from Datamonitor, Wireless Telecommunications Services in the United Kingdom, July 2005. Market Value UKs wireless communications market reached a value of  £9.8 billion in 2004. Although the value of the market has increased, the growth of the market hasnt been so capitalizing on the previous years. I think this is due to the highly competitive nature of the market, and saturation. Also, this high market value is on the back of some very strong economic performance by the UK. Market Volume The market exudes high market penetration. Linking this to the Market Value, it can be seen that Market Value fell in 2003 and 2004 due to fewer subscribers. One striking thing about this statistic is that the UKs population is 59.2 million (Mintel; Telecommunications Retailing UK May 2004). This indicates that most of the UK population already subscribe to mobile services. Hence a near fully saturated market. Market Segmentation Market Share by Network In order to view the above table more clearly, I have extrapolated the information into a pie chart below: The industry is extremely competitive. The market share (by volume) is very equal. It seems that the market is at an equilibrium. Market share by Value Call revenues (consumer expenditure on calls etc) by mobile network, 2003 Source: Mintel; Telecommunications Retailing UK May 2004 Again, the whole industry is at more or less at an equilibrium albeit very competitive. 1.4 STEP analysis of Mobile telecommunications industry Social According to Mintel, Telecommunications Retailing UK May 2004 research, overall population of 15-24 year olds is set to reduce. This means that the scope of potential new customers is extremely low. Focus will have to be mainly on customer retention, and prizing customers away from competitors. However the younger consumer does now see a mobile phone as essential in every day life. Technological 3G technology is the main source of change in this market. The younger market does however seem to embrace new technologies. It is now hoped that new technologies will further stimulate demand. Economic Due to the recent boom economy, Mintel reports that the population as a whole is becoming more affluent and more affluent phone users spend more on mobile phone services. The below table illustrates this: UK socio-economic groupings of adults, 1998, 2003 and 2007 (proj) 1998 2003 2007 (proj) % change 000 % 000 % 000 % 1998-2007 AB 9,773 20.8 11,883 24.6 13,370 27.1 +36.8 C1 12,990 27.6 13,371 27.7 14,062 28.5 +8.2 C2 10,305 21.9 9,849 20.4 9,241 18.7 -10.3 D 8,437 17.9 8,365 17.3 8,280 16.8 -1.9 E 5,504 11.7 4,791 9.9 4,344 8.8 -21.1 Total 47,010 100.0 48,260 100.0 49,297 100.0 +4.9 SOURCE: National Statistics/Mintel UK has been on in an economic boom period since 1998 with low inflation and interest rates. This has meant that mortgage and loan costs will be cheap, hence consumers have higher disposable income. The economy now however seems to be slowing down, this means that new services and technologies being offered to consumers will be less accepted. Political/legal Mobile handsets give off radiation and various electronic/micro waves. The health implications of this is not quite clear. The mobile phone and service providers have strict international guidelines to adhere to because of this. There are also concerns in regards to mobile phone masts being erected close to residential areas, as the effects of these to locals and the environment is also not clear. These issues and the market being very competitive, saturated and an oligopoly, may lead to further regulation and government involvement in the future. Strategic Analysis and recommendations SWOT Analysis Strengths Despite picking up sales in the past 4 years, Asda have faced slower sales in 2005. Nevertheless, Asda enjoys a firm customer base that has seen Asda overtake Sainsburys in the ranking of leading supermarkets in the U.K. Asda in essence is a multinational company through Wal-marts ventures in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada. As one of the first businesses to recognise the importance of cutting edge systems and economies of scale, which have allowed them to keep prices low, from which consumers have gained greatly. However, Asda has managed to keep its distinct identity separate from its parent company. Asda have been gradually expanding their stores demonstrating their plans to provide consumers with the biggest choice of goods ranging from everyday groceries, to non-food products such as clothing, and small electricals. Unlike many other supermarket brands, Asda have focused their efforts in stand-alone non-food formats. At group level, Wal-Marts performance over the past five years has been consistently outstanding. With sales growing by 46.8% over the period. , The growth comes on the back of 19.9% increase in store numbers, suggesting healthy underlying performance. The companys price-competitiveness has undoubtedly been driving sales. Another important factor, highlighted by Asda in 2004 is the expansion to non-foods, including the well-received clothing label George. Weaknesses Asda has seen an unusually high number of changes at the top management level. This has caused uncertainty over how the company is run which in turn has had an effect on its sales. However, it should be noted that in the case of Asda, most of the top men had been with the company for a number of years before taking the lead, which should have helped the transition. The companys much publicised price promise has not helped the companys revenues. Increased competition has created downward pressure on the supermarket industry. The price war between Tesco and Asda has impacted heavily on both companies, however, it would appear Asda have felt the effects of this much more than Tesco. In more recent times, and perhaps more seriously, the company have failed to meet sales expectation in the three-month period ending in October, when its market share had also failed to improve. Opportunities The company has faced criticism for its destructive seafood policies of all the UK supermarkets. Report published by Greenpeace states thats Asda sells 13 species of threatened fish. This does not help the companys image in todays environment, where consumers are more environmentally conscious and healthy lifestyle society. In terms of the mobile industry and the possibility of entering the mobile telecommunications market, the spare capacity that has resulted from huge infrastructure investment has created opportunities for companies wishing to set up as virtual network operators (MVNOs). The market leading operators can sell their spare capacity to MVNOs, whom maybe in a better position to win over certain customer sectors. It is better for an operator to lose customers to MVNO that is using its network than to a market-leading rival. The wide range of content and service made possible by 3G technology and converging technologies has created excellent opportunities for operators to put together compelling propositions tailored for different customer sectors, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all approach. Threats Rise in demand for organically grown produce has resulted in loss of revenues for all of the supermarkets, losing their custom to smaller independent grocers and farm shops. Wireless fidelity (WiFi) and its successor WiMax pose dangers for 3G operators as they are able to capture a significant part of the wireless broadband market by enabling users to download data at faster speeds and provide a much cheaper service than existing products. Going into an industry, which has yet to settle, would be a risk that has to be taken under consideration. As the market has become more saturated it has become more difficult for the main operators to achieve revenue growth from voice calls. Increased competition and the additional capacity created by the 3G networks have raised the prospect of a damaging price war on voice minutes. Operators must attract new customers to 3G however, this will lead to alienating users of 2G mobile phones, and cutting revenue obtained from this. The MVNOs that are differentiating themselves on price and offering a no-frills service are vulnerable when the major operators cut the cost of voice calls in order to gain market share in the 3G environment. Portfolio Analysis Much of Asdas estate development is concentrated towards expanding in the non-foods offer. The company introduced optician centres, pharmacies photo centres and jewellery departments in its stores as recorded in march 2005. Asda clothing range George currently has 6 stand-alone stores, which have been introduced since 2003. A full-service Asda Superstore typically carries some 30,000 products. Of these some 60% are food items. In addition to the usual branded goods, Asda stocks a strong own-brand offer. However, sales of organic food are booming and shoppers are increasingly spurning supermarkets to buy produce directly from growers and independent retailers. The company has also introduced a finance service in order diversify into other industries. The services include home, motor and pet insurance, along with trust funds and credit card facility also available. BCG matrix for the food industry 10 * Non-foods * Organic foods Market growth * Asda living * Store Clothing range Financial Services * 0 2.0 0 Relative market share Growth Strategy and Recommendations Ansoffs Matrix Product Present New Present Organic foods Market New Non-foods Mobile communications operator From the BCG matrix, we can see that there are 2 groups of products, which have room to be developed in order to generate more revenues. With the increase in demand for organic foods, Asda is in a position to be able to introduce a larger selection of organic foods. Much greater promotion of organic needs to take place if the company is to bring back lost consumers from local and independent food producers. Asda can also promote its non-foods range to a greater extent, however, it maybe possible for the company to promote its non-food products to a different market, perhaps to rival Ikea in the home products market. In light of Tescos entry in to the mobile communications market, diversifying to a different market may also help improve Asda revenue. With Asdas main focus on its non-foods range, moving into the mobile communications market maybe more suited to Asda policy of expanding its non-food section. Asda already has experience in moving in to industry to which is not initially been related, as we have seen Asda clothing range George, has enjoyed relative success despite strong competition from more established high street retailers. The mobile communications market will however pose very different problem, as this is a fast moving industry, with technological innovations leading the way. In a saturated industry, it will be difficult for Asda to be competitive against the more established network operators, but network space available through virtual networks, now is likely to be the best time to enter the mobile communications industry. In addition, it maybe more viable for Asda, if more resources are concentrated on attracting consumers to a 3G service which will provide a more level playing field as the 3G services are still relatively new to the market. Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Market segmentation, targeting and positioning Vodafone The Vodafone group has the largest share of the corporate mobile communications market with around 15 million customers. The company offers a wide range of voice and data communications. The Vodafone 2G/2.5G covers 99% of the population. Vodafone was the first mobile operator to introduce international roaming service. Key segments The mobile communications industry has two main types of customers. These are consumers and business users. The majority of the mobile phones costs are met by users themselves, mainly using the mobile phone service for personal calls. With the existence of a number of leading companies with in the market, the market place has become saturated. The trend now is to concentrate their efforts on retaining their most valued customers. Vodafone along with other leading operators, require consumers to spend more money on non-voice services and have become increasingly engrossed with levels of average revenue per user. There are several areas within the consumer group, which accounts for a large share of the revenue generated by Vodafone. Mintel have reported that the group of 15-24 year old mobile phone users are set to rise. Mobile phones are particularly popular among 15-24-year-olds, and Mintels consumer research section demonstrates that consumers in this age band are motivated by style. These younger consumers are familiar with mobile phone technology and are willing to adapt to new skills and habits as the new technology appears. Their social lives tend to be very active, making the mobile phone a necessity for them and they are also viewed as a necessary fashion accessory. The ownership of mobile phones demonstrates the areas in which Vodafone should be looking to concentrate their efforts in order to generate revenues from voice and data transmissions. Ownership of mobile phones, by gender and age, 7-19s, 2003  [1]   Base: youths aged 7-19 All Males Females 7 to 10 11 to 14 15 to 19 % % % % % % Own mobile 66 63 69 25 77 91 Shared mobile 4 4 4 7 4 1 None 30 34 27 68 20 8 Text messaging 66 63 70 26 77 91 Games 57 53 61 22 64 79 Taken from the TGI Youth survey of 5859 youths aged 7-19 Income generated from voice and data transmission services delivered to companies and other organisations is an increasingly vital revenue stream for Vodafone and most mobile operators in general. Vodafone has recognised that in present day climate of highly competitive business environment, efficient communication is a key factor, which must be developed in order for a mobile operator to gain a competitive edge over its rivals. The importance of business customers can be demonstrated by looking at the levels of expenditure on business advertising. In the year ending September 2004, around  £14.4m was spent  [2]  . Even though this is nothing when compared to the amount spent on consumer advertising, the big players such as Vodafone and O2 have gradually increased their spending to attract business customers while Orange and T-Mobile are slowly following suit. Targeting strategies Currently, the market leaders in the mobile communications are all competing for the same customers, employing similar tariffs and services so as not to fall behind its rivals. With the introduction of the 3G networks, many of the mobile operators have also introduced 3G tariffs on to their respective networks. Even though new technology is continuously being developed, the targets for each of the mobile operators remain as it is. In general, there are no specialist tariffs which concentrate on a particular area of the market with the exception of the business tariffs which are designed to provide efficient and reliable communication service to businesses. Some mobile operators provide tariffs, which can be considered, for a particular group, however, this is not an area, which can be considered as a specialist group. T-mobile for example have recently introduced the Best of Both Worlds tariff, and even though this may seem ideal for younger users of mobile phones, the tariff is appealing to many who desire more complete control over the cost of the service they use. Positioning With the majority of mobile phone operators providing a similar service with similar tariffs, it is reasonably difficult to evaluate the positioning of the respective brands in the market. Regardless of this, there are factors, which influence consumers when deciding which network to choose. A list of the factors influencing the choice of networks is shown below: Most important factors when choosing a mobile phone network (% of adults), 2004  [3]   Tariffs 31.9 Network Coverage 21.1 Reception 17.2 Personal experience 9.8 Special offers 8.3 Company reputation 7.5 Recommendation 6.6 Additional services offered 4.4 Advertising 0.8 Using the lowest price plan and the service available on that plan offered by each of the leading mobile operator companies, we are able to look at the brand positioning of the Vodafone in comparison to its major rivals. Perceptual map for mobile operator market High price * Orange * O2 High service Low service * T-mobile * Vodafone Low price Although the position of Vodafone at a glance does not appear to be desirable, Vodafone boasts an extremely high level of network coverage, reception, and a level of customer service, which is rivalled only by Orange. Vodafone has a reputation as a global company, and is the worlds largest telecommunications company, which provide a whole range of services. Vodafone was the first of the four largest networks to launch its 3G consumer services in November 2004 and continues to be one of the leading innovators in terms of providing the latest products, which are accessible to a large sector of the market. The Vodafone brand is recognised through out the developed world and has since enjoyed a reputation for representing quality of product and service. The Vodafone shops all trade under the same corporate brand and logo. Its chain of some 350 stores has remained roughly the same size for the last two years, although many of the smaller shop units have been abandoned in favour of larger premises. The stores have a strong corporate identity, featuring the red and white livery of the brand. Vodafone has strong and consistent retail branding and in Mintels research Vodafone was mentioned by 8% of consumers as a source of their last mobile phone, placing them just behind Orange. Vodafone is the only retailer to achieve significantly higher penetration among 15-19s than for other age bands, probably connected to its high profile role in sports sponsorship. The companys long-standing in the market means that it is well used by a wide range of consumers from a broad spread of age and social groups. The Vodafone shops sell handsets that can only operate on Vodafone tariffs. Vodafone are in general up to date with the latest technology and handsets accompanied by a large range of accessories. Market Segments According to a market report on Mobile Phones by Key Notes in 2005, the Mobile telecommunications industry can be separated into two main sectors, which can be then further segmented; Type of revenue, and Type of customer. Type of Revenue This relates to how a customer uses a mobile phone. This can be calls and fixed charges, text and picture messaging, or interconnection fees (for when a call is made from one service provider to another). The below table illustrates the revenue of each segment. Mobile operators are now expanding and looking to earn more from the text and picture messaging sector in particular, with the advent of 3G. The UK Cellular Telecommunications Market by Revenue Source by value ( £m)    1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 Value ( £m)                Retail Revenues                                  Calls and fixed Charges 5,049 6,253 7,041 7,991 9,185 Text and picture messaging 126 553 1,073 1,529 1,854 Connection fees 76 56 64 24 5                   Total retail revenues 5,251 6,862 8,178 9,544 11,044 Source: The UK Telecommunications industry Market Information, Office of Telecommunications (oftel)/ Key Note Mraket Report 2005, Mobile Phones Type of customer Customer type can be of 2 kinds; Business user or Consumer. Business users primarily use voice calls, and have to pay fixed charges. Consumers on the other hand are a lot more varied, they contribute to all 3 of the segments mentioned above. Buyer Behavior Survey by BMRB Internationals Target Group Index (TGI) 2004, suggests that Mobile phones are primarily owned by younger consumers, with more than 80% of under 55 year olds owning mobile phones. It is also reported that Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) is the more popular than pay-monthly or contract services, especially among the lower income earners (those below social grade C2). Males are more likely to have fixed monthly contract phones, and the reverse in true for PAYG. The below table indicates that the type, value or content of the tariff mainly affects consumers choice of network, followed by network coverage and signal/reception. 1st 2nd most important factors when chosing a Mobile Phone Network (% of adults), 2004    Most important 2nd Most important Addittional service offered 4.4 5.4 Advertising 0.8 5.3 Company reputation 7.5 6.7 Network coverage 21.1 10.8 Personal experience 9.8 6.8 Reception 17.2 13.5 Recommendation 6.6 8 Special offers 8.3 9 Tariffs 31.9 14.2 Source: Target Group Index (TGI), BMRB International Ltd, 2004 Again, BMRB Internationals Target Group Index (TGI) 2004, suggests that phones are mainly used for text messaging, and games. Competitor Strategy and Positioning of 02 (mm02 PLC) O2 O2 is a mobile communications service provider operating in the UK, Ireland and Europe, who generated  £4.8 billion of revenue in 2003. Business Description: O2 have 19 million customers within some of the biggest consumer markets for mobile services. 02 is now a well-established and profitable business. They are now looking to expand their product portfolio horizontally, exploiting existing distribution channels and new product opportunities. This could well prove to take investment and focus off/away from its main business which is the mobile services provider. Revenue analysis: O2s turnover increased by 22% from 2003 to 2004. The main reason for the increase was the overall rise in subscriber numbers and the increased usage of the Groups services by subscribers. Competitor Strategy O2 have reduced there employee base by 3000 to 12000 employees through restructuring. And achieved an increase of one million customers in the 2003/04 financial year. In 2004/05 O2 have developed and moved into 3G network services, which enables them to offer high-speed streaming of videos and other multi media. O2s strategy has focused on three key areas improved operating performance; managing businesses cohesively and leading in mobile data services. Within the market, 02 are expected to continue to look to acquire and retain high value customers. Companies are forever trying to increase the ARPU (average revenue per user). This has led to heavier targeting and strategies, creating more services and getting consumers to use them, i.e. OrangeWorld and VodafoneLive! Positioning All the mobile phone networks look to offer a wide range of services, and position themselves in the market to cater for all. Companies need to maximize their revenue potential in a highly competitive and ever saturating market. The below tables will help me position the mobile phone companies in a perceptual map. 1st 2nd most important factors when chosing a Mobile Phone Network (% of adults), 2004    Most important 2nd Most important Addittional service offered 4.4 5.4 Advertising 0.8 5.3 Company reputation 7.5 6.7 Network coverage 21.1 10.8 Personal experience 9.8 6.8 Reception 17.2 13.5 Recommendation 6.6 8 Special offers 8.3 9 Tariffs 31.9 14.2 Source: Target Group Index (TGI), BMRB International Ltd, 2004 The above table shows what consumers look for in a network. Mobile phone users, year to April 1999-2003 and Q1 2004 Year to April 1999 2001 2003 Q1 2003/04 % change m % m % M % m % 1999-2004 Vodafone 7.9 32.9 13.2 28.0 12.1 2

Memory :: essays research papers

â€Å"Can our memories be described as accurate? Why or why not? What important implications might this have for our lives?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Memory is the tool we use to learn and think. We all use memory in our everyday lives. Memory is the mental faculty of retaining and recalling past experiences. We all reassure ourselves that our memories are accurate and precise. Many people believe that they would be able to remember anything from the event and the different features of the situation. Yet, people don’t realize the fact that the more you think about a situation the more likely the story will change. Our memories are not a camcorder or a camera. Our memory tends to be very selective and reconstructive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eyewitness testimony is especially vulnerable to error when the question is misleading or when there’s a difference in ethnicity. However, using an eyewitness as a source of evidence can be risky and is rarely 100% accurate. This can be proven by the theory of the possibility of false memory formation and the question of whether or not a memory can lie. For instance, a group of students saw the face of a young man with straight hair, then heard a description of the face supposedly written by another witness, one that wrongly mentioned light, curly hair. When they reconstructed the face using a kit of facial features, a third of their reconstructions contained the misleading detail, whereas only 5 percent contained it when curly hair was not mentioned (Page 359). This situation shows how misleading information from other sources can be profoundly altered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children’s memories are easier to confuse as those of adults. For many years most adults believed that children’s memories could not be trusted because children tend to confuse reality with their fantasies. Children just as adults can be accurate in what they report and they also like adult can distort, forget, fantasize, and be misled. As research show, their memories processes are only human. All I know is that I wouldn’t like to be accused by a group of children or students. It’s not quite as reliable as you may have hoped a memory would be.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Explicit memory is a conscious, recollection of an event or an item of information. It is usually measured using recall or recognition methods. Recalling has the ability to retrieve and reproduce information. Recognizing has the ability to identify information you have previously learned, read, or heard about.