Science of Microwave Heating :: microwave oven

The microwave oven, a tool that we use often in our busy lives to heat up foods when we just don't have the time or patience for a conventional oven to do its work. How does this device work? It's pretty simple if we use the basics of physics to explain it. Vibrations from the high frequency radio waves cause the water and fat cells in food to generate heat through friction of the molecules. An example of this using a turkey shows the molecules positive and negative particles acting through these vibrations to cause friction. J. Carlton Gallawa -- http://www.gallawa.com/microtech/howcook.html "In microwave cooking, the radio waves penetrate the food and excite water and fat molecules pretty much evenly throughout the food. There is no "heat having to migrate toward the interior by conduction". There is heat everywhere all at once because the molecules are all excited together. There are limits of course. Radio waves penetrate unevenly in thick pieces of food (they don't make it all the way to the middle), and there are also "hot spots" caused by wave interference, but you get the idea. The whole heating process is different because you are "exciting atoms" rather than "conducting heat"." -- Howstuffworks.com From Wikipedia.org: "Microwaves, also known as Super High Frequency (SHF) signals, have wavelengths approximately in the range of 30 cm (1 GHz) to 1 mm (300 GHz)." and "A microwave oven uses a magnetron microwave generator to produce microwaves at a frequency of approximately 2.4 GHz for the purpose of cooking food. Microwaves cook food by causing molecules of water and other compounds to vibrate. The vibration creates heat which warms the food. Since organic matter is made up primarily of water, food is easily cooked by this method." From http://www.gallawa.com/microtech/howcook.html: "Microwaves possess three basic characteristics: * Just as sunlight shines through a window, microwaves pass right through some materials. Materials such as glass, paper, and plastic are transparent to and generally unaffected by microwaves. * Microwaves are reflected by metal surfaces, much as a ball would bounce off a wall. The metal walls of the cooking space actually form a cavity resonator. In other words, the enclosure is designed to resonate the microwaves as they are radiated from the magnetron tube. The principle of resonance may be illustrated using sound waves. When a piano key is struck, it produces sound vibrations or sound waves. Sometimes a note is played on a piano, and an object across the room, perhaps a wineglass, can be heard vibrating and producing the same sound.

Europe’s Interaction with Africa, Asia Essay

In the mid-15th century, European nations started sending merchants, explorers, colonizers and missionaries to various parts of the world. Historians often referred to this phenomenon as the Age of Discovery, an era in which unknown seas were traversed, new lands and peoples were discovered and an astounding new phase in global encounters was initiated (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). The Age of Discovery played an important role in the political and economic development of Western Europe. Some of its key legacies included colonization, the development of large-scale horticultural industries and the spread of Christianity. The Age of Discovery, however, is usually portrayed as exclusively European and historically unique. It must be made clear that such a description is misleading and incomplete. Exploration and expansion are not historical novelties, and neither are they uniquely European. Furthermore, they have other motivations, attitudes and cross-cultural perceptions apart from the desire to discover other lands (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). Muslim and Chinese explorers and traders have been traveling across Asia, Arabia and Africa centuries before Christopher Columbus set out from Spain in 1492. The journeys of Ibn Battuta in the mid-14th century, for instance, took him through the vast extent of the Islamic world. Zheng He, a fleet admiral who lived during the Ming Dynasty, sailed as far as the coast of east Africa in the mid-15th century (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). Tunisian philosopher and historian Ibn Khaldun traveled as far as Spain in the 14th century (Ahmed 102). But European and non-European explorers differed in terms of the motives behind their respective journeys. Non-European explorers traveled primarily to create extensive religious and trade networks. Muslims were partially bound by religion and commerce as a form of compensation for the near-absence of political unity in the Islamic world. Despite ethnic and regional differences, their adherence to Islamic laws and values provided them with a sense of unity and shared identity. The establishment of long-distance trading networks, meanwhile, allowed Muslim producers and consumers from different regions to communicate with one another, as well as with peoples of different religions (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). Muslim traders therefore organized camel caravans to the frontiers of India and across the Sahara in Africa. They likewise established equally profitable trade routes by sea across the Indian Ocean. By the late 15th century, the commercial activity in most of the regions surrounding the Indian Ocean was almost under their control. Furthermore, certain localities in the Islamic world were gaining recognition for their excellence in specific industries. Persia, for example, was renowned in the 14th century for its exquisite glassware, jewelry and pottery (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). Extensive trade and industry, in turn, provided the Islamic world with urbanized and cosmopolitan societies. Sophisticated commercial centers such as Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, Timbuktu and Zanzibar attracted residents from distant regions that eventually converted to Islam. These new converts subsequently spread Islam and elements of Islamic culture to their respective homelands. The Delhi Sultanate of India and the West African kingdom of Mali are some examples of regions that were not originally Islamic but were later Islamized (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). In sharp contrast, the motive behind most European explorations was the pseudo-revival of the Reconquista (the struggle of the Spanish and Portuguese Christians to expel the Moors from their respective countries). In the 14th and 15th centuries, anti-Moor sentiment was still strong in Spain and Portugal – it was during these periods that Spanish and Portuguese Christians successfully expelled the Moors from Iberia. But this victory soon left many knights idle and looking for new adventures. Many knights thus joined overseas expeditions, viewing these as new opportunities to vanquish the hated Moors (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). Certain economic conditions in Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries were also responsible for the xenophobic attitude that many European explorers had during the Age of Discovery. In these eras, most European economies were still small, largely agrarian and geared towards meeting local needs. Muslim merchants and middlemen were the sole sources of spices and other luxury goods. In addition, Europe was politically fragmented – the continent’s monarchs wasted scarce resources and manpower in the numerous wars and conflicts that they waged against each other. Lastly, the Black Death (bubonic plague) killed millions and further weakened economies, adding to the pervasive atmosphere of dread and xenophobia (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). Given the insular, backward and unsophisticated nature of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries, it was no longer surprising that the expeditions from the continent had mostly detrimental effects. Many explorers viewed the natives that they encountered in foreign lands as â€Å"barbarians† that must be â€Å"civilized† by being subjugated to them. By the 16th and 17th centuries, therefore, many countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas ended up being the colonies of Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain and France (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). In addition, the transatlantic slave trade occurred from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Mainstream historians had indeed painted a misleading and incomplete picture of the Age of Discovery. By claiming that the Age of Discovery was an exclusively European and historically unique phenomenon, they are implying that it was an event that was born out of Europe’s benevolent desire to discover other lands. But the truth is that the Age of Discovery should not be glorified. Exploration and expansion have already been taking place long before it happened – proof that the inhabitants of the regions outside of Europe are not savages. The Age of Discovery occurred at a time when Europe was still insular, backward and unsophisticated. Thus, many of the continent’s explorers exhibited a fearful and xenophobic attitude when it came to dealing with people not of their own race. This paranoia, in turn, led to the colonization of several nations in Africa, Asia and the Americas. In addition, slavery became a centuries-old practice. Works Cited Ahmed, Akbar S. Discovering Islam: Making Sense of Muslim History and Society. New York: Routledge, 1989. Sanders, Thomas, Stephen Morillo, and Samuel H. Nelson. Encounters in World History: Sources and Themes from the Global Past, Volume II: From 1500. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.

Concept of Self

The Concept of the Self in the Social World University Of Phoenix Understanding What Self Concept is Self Concept is the gathering of information about self, including ones personality, character, capabilities, and values. Self concept begins as an early as infancy, during this time the individual begins to formulate information about themselves. This process allows them to prepare and began to understand how they are related to others in their social world. Individuals’ going through this process of development is an exact reaction that is a result of their relationship with their peers and family members. A child’s self concept is less likely to be as defined but more set on things like physical looks, skills, and what materialistic things that they have in common. As the individual gets older the self concept becomes more compound and defined. The individual takes into consideration the social comparison. This paper will discuss self concept in the social world according to Myers, examples of how self concept is related to me and two social experiences that have had an effect on my development personally. Self Concept in the Social World The most essential aspect of you is you (Myers 2010). Self concept is a combination of various things that an individual feels contributes to who they are. Self concept involves what gender or gender role you play, how smart or not smart an individual sees themselves, even their sexuality. The components of an individual’s self concept and those exact things that an individual believes makes them who they are called self schemas (Myers 2010). Self schemas is the mental way that we classify ourselves, tall or short, big or small, rich poor. Self schemas also help the way the we perceive others and ourselves. An individual’s self concept also helps the way we perceive ourselves in the present form and the way we perceive ourselves in the future (Myers 2010). Our social behavior is also affected by our self concept. In the social world we are often placed into new roles in our life. These new roles help us to discover things that may not have been considered before, leadership or teaching are some examples. Social Comparison The way we view ourselves as being smart, lazy, or rich have to do with the way we compare ourselves to our social world. The majority of our life is based off of social comparison (Myers 2010). We often times view ourselves differently than what we view others. When people are doing better than us we tend to compare ourselves in hopes that we will reach their level of greatness (Myers 2010). The way that others view us are also a part of what affects our social concept. If people in the social world view us smart or pretty, dumb or ugly then there is a chance that we will view ourselves the same way. Charles H. Cooley developed the looking glass self which states that we use how we think people perceive us as the way we perceive ourselves. George Herbert Mead came and filtered Cooley’s theory by saying that it doesn’t matter how others see us but how we think they see us. Applying Self to My Life Self Concept When I consider what self concept is exactly, how I view myself, (Myers 2010) I think back to my social surroundings. Prior to this class I never considered how big of a part my up bring affected the way that I view myself. There may have been a time when I viewed myself as dumb instead of not comprehending something. When in actuality it doesn’t mean that I am dumb but that I just didn’t grasp an understanding of the problem. As an adult and having younger people looking at me I try to create a sense of positivity around them, so that they can see past the current situations that they may be facing. I never considered this to be a part of me having an impact on their self concept. Self Esteem Self esteem is a part of self concept. I believe my self esteem plays a big part in my personal worth and the way that I value myself. Studies show that low self esteem can result in violence (Roy & Smart & Boden). I think that my self esteem affects the way that I dress, the compared to hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslow, hierarchy of needs, suggests that we not only need the esteem from others but also the respect that I have for myself. For myself my self esteem has helped me have pride in myself and hold my head high in different situations. Personally I believe that my self esteem has helped me make some of the choices I’ve made about my body and mind. Esteem set to highly in high school can lead to poor achievements (Purkey). Although my self esteem has been good for the most part people that I’ve surrounded myself with have kept me humble. Self Efficacy My self efficacy like my self concept and self esteem started when I was younger. I was always told to reach for my dreams and set my mind to whatever it is I wanted out of life I go for it. Similar to my self esteem I think my self efficacy has had an effect on my motivation and the way that I behave. I think that life throws curve balls but because of my self efficacy even though I don’t succeed in the beginning I don’t allow those things to let me give up. I also believe that because of my self efficacy when I am very interested in something I usually dedicate myself to it 100 percent. Two Social Experiences Growing Up I kind of grew up with the good vs. vil lifestyle. Although both my parents grew up in the same neighborhood they were raised differently. My mother grew up in a very religious house, my father grew up on the slightly criminal and drug environment. I grew up with my father being on drugs and an alcoholic. It actually started right after I was born. This left me feeling like I was the cause for a long time even though in reality I ha d nothing to do with it. My mother was forced to work a lot of jobs, as many as four at one time. I can’t remember being told I was pretty from my parents but I had 3 brothers who did. I also had my grandparents who influenced my life for the better, I think instead of taking the negative I tried to use it as a positive. Instead of me judging or hating my mother because she was never around I looked at her as having a lot of strength. I learned that no matter the situation you have to keep pushing. In return I don’t think I show emotions a lot of times. My father’s situation made me stay away from drugs for the most part minus my experimenting with weed. Being Helpful My grandparents for as long as I can remember gave whatever they had to help even though they didn’t have a lot. I’ve always been the type of child who always wanted to make sure those older than me where okay. As I grew older I in a way it was by chance that I walked into my career choice. In the beginning it was because I needed a job, but my desire and passion to help others has kept me there for as long as it has. I have always wanted to help people no matter the age, gender, or circumstance. I also believe that this is the reason I have stuck with psychology. I have had many setbacks since I began the quest for this degree in 2000, but I feel like this is my life’s calling and I have to graduate. Conclusion The concept of the self I a social world is really amazing. It’s very interesting how your social surroundings as small as infants can carry on to adulthood and play a big part in the individual that you become. I believe if more people realized the importunacy of self concept, self esteem, and self efficacy then individuals could possibly have a better life and an outlook on life. Work Cited Baumeister, Roy F. ; Smart, Laura; Boden, Joseph M. (1996). Relation of threatened egotism to violence and aggression: The dark side of high self esteem. Psychological Review, 103 (1) 5-33 Bracken, Bruce A. Ed), (1996). Handbook of self-concept: Developmental, social, and clinical considerations, (pp. 38-90). Marsh, W. Herbert, Shavelson, Richard (2010). Self Concept: Its Multifaceted, Hierarchical Structure. 107-123 Mcleod, S. A. (2008). Simply Psychology; The Self Concept in Psychology. Retrieved 19 December 2011, from http://www. simplypsychology. org/self-concept. html Myers, D. (2010 ). Social Psychology (10th ed. ). New York: McGraw Hill. Pajares, Frank; Miller, M. David. (1994) Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 86(2), 193-203. Purkey, William Watson. (1970). Self Consept and School Achievment.

Why, according to Lee Kuan Yew, are Western democratic systems unsuited to East Asia?

Lee Kuan Yew, prime minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and now Senior Minister of his country, commands much respect and influence in both the East and the West. This respect and influence reaches to the highest echelons of world leaders, to the vast multitude of academics, commentators and development strategists, and to the millions of people who live in East Asia. Regardless of whether or not this esteem is justified and deserved, ti is real, and therefore must be analysed, interpreted, criticised or praised while not forgetting the importance and effect his beliefs and proclamations have had, and will have. Any discussion of world politics, especially in East Asia, cannot ignore the hows, whys and wherefores of the current situation and the influence that current ideas and thought may have on the future. Lee's views have undoubtedly shaped his own country, certainly have influenced other governments in the region, and will definitely bear their markon the short- to mid-term future of East Asian politics. This explains the reasons why this essay solely deals with him. The essay is divided into three main sections. Firstly, I will discuss Lee's ideas and policies, and why he believes in an ‘Asian values' view of the politics of the region. Secondly, I will explore some of the responses that have been made in opposition to his views, and thirdly, I will present some observations and conclusions of my own. These observations will draw on some other problems and inconsistencies with Lee's ideas. Let us turn then to the man and his ideas. The central theme running through any study or discussion of his political ideas and actions is the importance that culture has on shaping the society and its structures. The shared history, traditions, make-up, worldview and social relationships are the key factors that determine how a state should be organised and governed. Thus, if the culture is different between two sets of peoples, then the resulting state structure and government type will also be different. Culture is the driver, the basis of society and the legitimacy used by those in power to decree what is best for their people. This viewpoint is often referred to as the ‘Asian values' system (Ng, 1997, Theodore de Bary, 1999, Hague & Harrop, 2001) and is summed up succinctly by the title of a famous interview with Lee which appeared in a 1994 edition of Foreign Affairs – ‘Culture is Destiny' (Zakiria, 1994). The importance that Lee places on the cultural aspect of a society does not mean that what is right for his country is also right for other countries. Whilst consistently dismissing Western-, and in particular, US-style democratic systems as valid models for Singapore, he does not suggest that the US-style system is neccessarily wrong for the US. It is not my business to tell people what's wrong with their system. It is my business to tell people not to foist their system indiscrimately on societies in which it will not work (Zakiria quoting Lee, 1994, p. 110). This can be seen as a statement recognising the particularity of political systems depending on the society / culture in question. Whilst Lee has been described as being authoritarian, semi-, or soft-authoritarian, he certainly doesn't make claims for the world to be based on an Asian values system. It appears that his position is more concerned about keeping hold of power in Singapore rather than exporting it around the world. The main, fundamental as Lee calls it, cultural reason why Western democratic systems are unsuited to East Asia is the difference between the place and status of the individual in those societies. The fundamental difference between Western concepts of society and government and East Asian concepts†¦ is that Eastern societies believe that the individual exists in the context of his family. He is not pristine and separate. The family is part of the extended family, and the friends and the wider society. The ruler or government does not try to provide for a person what the family best provides (Zakiria quoting Lee, 1994, p. 113). This focus on the moral and virtuous notion of society is stongly linked to Confucianism, so often portrayed as being fundamentally East Asian and always compared with Western systems. Lee's manifestation of this doctrine is used by him to legitimate and promote an East Asian society based on strong hierarchical structures to bring about social and political stability. In the East the main object is to have a well-ordered society so that everybody can have maximum enjoyment of his freedoms. This freedom can only exist in an ordered state and not in a natural state of contention and anarchy (Zakiria quoting Le, 1994, p. 111). These three main features of Lee's take on East Asia's political and social climate – culture, the place in society of the individual, and a well-ordered society – are admittedly affected and influenced by the West over time, and are not seen as developing without the impact of colonial rule and imperialism. †¦ ur Confucianism has been attenuated by 120 years of British rule and education in British and other English-speaking universities (IHT, 2001). But, despite this impact Lee steadfastly denies any further infusion of Western democracy into East Asia, especially Singapore. †¦ this doesn't mean we are going to be like a Western society. The values are different (de Borch, 2001). Lee is not the torch-h older for everyone though. Whilst he receives praise from his counterparts around the world, there are many in the academic and development strategist world that strongly disagree with him. Of course, it is not just a simple case of disagreeing over a matter of opinion, there are many valid and strong arguments against Lee's ideas. From this myriad of arguments, I have identified three main strands of contestation – historical arguments against Lee's ‘Asian values', the theoretical arguments concerning discussions of what democracy should be and how it should be followed in East Asia, and the problems and criticisms of the actually existing governing style of Lee. First then, arguments against Lee taken from history. There are two key aspects to this – the relevance of Confucianism to East Asia today, and evidence of a democratic tradition throughout East Asia's past. Famously, Max Weber theorised about the particular contribution to advanced capitalism of the ‘Protestant ethic'. This, in turn, explained how other cultures, including Confucian cultures, were not suited to advanced capitalism. Clearly this can now be questionned, especially if, as many commentators have said, that East Asia is economically dynamic. If Confucianism explains the economic boom in East Asia today, does it not also explain that region's stagnation for four centuries? Zakiria, 1994, p. 125). Kin Dae Jung, writing in response to the ‘Culture is Destiny' interview, identifies a strong tradition and history of democratic ideals and institutions in East Asia's past. This suggests that an argument could be made for ‘Asian values' actually referring to a much more democratic system than the Confucian-based one that Lee propagates. A thorough anaylsis makes it clear that Asia has a rich heritage of democracy-oriented philosophies and traditions. Asia has already made great strides toward democratisation and possesses the necessary conditions to develop democracy even beyond the level of the West (Jung, 1994, p. 91). The second major criticism of Lee comes from studies of the theoretical nature of democracy and what it means, shuold mean, or can mean to East Asia. The basic premise is that why should democracy only be relevant to particular cultures and why should particular cultures have to follow other political paths? This highlights the argument for democracy's universality. There is nothing special about torturing the Asian way†¦ human rights are human rights (Vatikiotis cited by Hague & Harrop, 2001, p. 29). The rejection of Western-style democracy by East Asian leaders is also seen by some as merely an excuse for not moving beyond ‘soft-authoritarianism' and into democracy. This is strongly tied up with the observation that this is simply the most effective way for leaders such as Lee to rule their countries. The biggest obstacle is not its cultural heritage but the resistance of authoritarian rulers and their apologists (Jung, 1994, p. 194). The third area of opposition to Lee's ideas that can be identified is that of problems with the actually exisitng state and society structures and institutions. For some, just observing Lee's form of rule is enough to reject his notions of what is the correct way to govern. These doubts stem chiefly from the Singapore government's undeniably harsh treatment of the opposition, as evidenced in its most recent elections (Ng, 1997, p. 21) Also, there appears to be two threats to the whole ‘Asian values' theory. Firstly, we have on the one hand Lee purporting to leave the individual's private matters to the individual, whilst on the other it can be observed that his government is actually intruding into the private sphere more than ever (Jung, 1994, p. 90). Secondly, an external threat is apparent from the global spread of modernisation. †¦ as an inevitable consequence of industrialisation, the family-centred East Asian societies are also rapidly moving toward self-centred individualism. Nothing in human history is permanent (Jun, 1994, p. 21). In conclusion it must be said that Lee's position in East Asia, and his reverance amongst Western opinion-formers should not distract us from dissecting and criticising his ideas. It is not good enough to assume that cultural traits should determine, worse still, justify the actions of governments, particularly Lee's. There should be certain aspects to a government and society that are unacceptable no matter what setting. Lee makes much of the need for a ‘well-ordered' society. The heavy-handed way this society is brought about blatantly contradicts Lee's notions of freedom. He talks of East Asians being able to have â€Å"maximum enjoyment of his freedoms† but Lee's notion of what is behaving and what is misbehaving sets a Singaporean's realm of freedom for him. This is certainly not the freedom that John Stuart Mill wrote about. It could be argued that it is better to have a society that is not so ‘well-ordered' but democratic, than it is to live in a society such as one that Lee envisages; faith must be placed with society to check its members' activities rather than have all aspects of life limited by an all-seeing government. Lee's ways may also only be suited to a small state such as Singapore. Even he admits that, within that small population, total control is practically impossible. This for me leads to the heart of the importance placed by Lee on ‘Asian values' and why Western ideas of democracy are unsuited to East Asia. It is very hard to escape the conclusion that the justification of ‘Asian values' is solely a political smokescreen to maintain power. It is even harder to escape this conclusion when the man himself proclaims: So when Americans tell me: you ought to govern in this way, I say thank you very much, I have listened to you very carefully, if I don't think we are ready for that, I have to do it my way (IHT, 2001, my emphasis).

The Channel Tunnel Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Channel Tunnel Project - Essay Example The tunnel cost almost $16 billion which was more than twice of the initial cost estimates. The primary focus of the project was to ensure that safety, defence, security and environmental issues do not go unnoticed. The key finding of the assignment is that the entire channel tunnel project was inaccurately scheduled and thus led to all the issues. Therefore the most challenging task of the project was to complete it within the stipulated time frame. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Project Background 4 Project Management Issues 5 7 Discussion and Analysis 8 Conclusion 10 References 11 Introduction The channel tunnel project was carried out to create a link between France and England through underground tunnels. The channel tunnel also referred to as the Euro tunnel is basically a railway link between United Kingdom and France under the English Channel (7wonders, n.d.). The purpose of the report is to highlight on the areas such as backdrop of the project, the iss ues pertaining to the project and some of the risks which are associated with the project. In other words the report will try to illustrate the exact happenings about and will provide all the relevant details regarding management of the project. Apart from this the report will also highlight on some of issues pertaining to the operation management of the project. The issues will relate to the designing phase, approval phase and the manufacturing phase. However the dissertation will also try to analyse the case and based on which some propositions and recommendations will be also presented. The recommendation and the propositions will be strictly based on governance and management of the project. The report will try to minimize and solve the business management challenges and risks associated with the project. In order to do so some of the operation management tools and techniques such as work breakdown structure, risk management will be consulted. Project Background The project of c hannel tunnel was undertaken in order to link United Kingdom and France through Railways. The project was supposed to be carried out beneath the English Channel between Folkestone of United Kingdom and Calais of France (Construct my future, n.d.). In the context of its development process the project was simply divided into the design phase, manufacturing phase and testing phase. Eurotunnel was chosen as the organization to carry out the entire operation of developing the project. Eurotunnel has contracted the project to Transmachine Link (TML) that has again sub contracted other manufacturers for manufacturing the shuttle wagons. The core reason which has been cited for its outsourcing was the tight timescale factor and companies having to bear heavy liquidity damages. Therefore it minimizes the chances of penalty and risk gets shared. Now to initiate the project there were requirements of a large number of approvals from the Intergovernmental commission (IGC) in the context of des ign, construction and operational phase. Intergovernmental commission was established or recognized under the article 10 of the agreement for managing all the operational activities of the channel tunnel on behalf of the French and UK government (Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords: European Union Committee, 2011, p.20). The major focus of the project was on safety, security,

Marketing Strategy of Vodafone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Marketing Strategy of Vodafone - Research Paper Example Strategies of an organization should well be able to detail themselves as per the needs of the environment while planning for the future. A framework for any program can well be preferred if it is deeply affinitive to the generalization of a venture or enterprise keeping in mind the quality of methodizing. The one concept firmly oriented towards the creation of values for its customers will conclude with excellence in the target market. Vodafone uses its familiar red logo and retains themes of togetherness, fashion joy, and enjoyment throughout its marketing communications. The same uniformity is maintained and followed by Fanta, Microsoft, Nike, Sony and host of other companies. What should be the rationale behind this Is it for fun Integrated marketing communications see the elements of the communications mix 'integrated' into a coherent whole. As the fight of market shares and a quest for product success continue, marketers are employing all the necessary tactics, and methods to g ive their product a breakthrough, or remain competitive (Brennan, Baines, and Garneau, 2003, Rowley J 2004). One way of doing this is through differentiation, making your product outstanding, by having your values and image (Zineldin M., and Philipson S., 2007). This is known as the marketing communications mix and forms the basis of marketing (Pelsmacher& Kitchen., 2005) This paper examined the importance of marketing to Vodafone, it current and future market challenges using certain analytical tools and models. Part one of the paper lay emphasis on these models while part three looks at the resources and capabilities that distinguished Vodafone from its competitors.     The PESTEL framework can only be used to look at the future impact of environmental factors and that this impact might be different from the past. Thus an understanding of how the factors in the above framework may drive change is only a starting point1.There is a need for an understanding of the key change dri vers and this will be explained below. Looking at the PESTEL framework shown above one can observe that the Vodafone is affected by all the environmental factors in the framework. Under political factors, Vodafone is affected by both taxation and social welfare policies.

Marketing Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing Concept - Essay Example The marketing concept is different from all the others, which include product, selling production and holistic marketing. This is because it involves coming up with products according to the needs of the customers. The others may involve the advertisements of the products after they are ready made. Therefore, it is more of the customer finding out about the firm. In the marketing concept, market research is thoroughly conducted. The firm takes an interest in finding out the needs of consumers. This concept exhibits some intrinsic qualities. It shows consideration of tastes and preferences of consumers, as opposed motivation by profit maximization. It also shows that the firm upholds ethics unconditionally. The reason behind this is that even the thing that matters the most does not stop the firm from doing what is right.The marketing concept is both advantageous to the firm and the consumers. People tend to think that the profits of a firm are only maximized by the most direct method s whose effects are immediately felt. However, this is never the case. There is a need to look at the future. The conduction of research on consumers might seem less expensive for a small firm. However, this is an extremely expensive undertaking for a larger firm. This is because large firms may be serving a wide geographical market. It may call for the use of most of the modern technologies. Therefore, this may seem like a method that is less advantageous to the firm.... People tend to think that the profits of a firm are only maximized by the most direct methods whose effects are immediately felt. However, this is never the case. There is a need to look at the future. The conduction of research on consumers might seem less expensive for a small firm. However, this is an extremely expensive undertaking for a larger firm. This is because large firms may be serving a wide geographical market. It may call for the use of most of the modern technologies. Therefore, this may seem like a method that is less advantageous to the firm. However, the exact opposite is true. First, this kind of marketing attracts more customers. This is when they realize that their interests are considered by the firm. The other advantage is long term. The firm is able to establish the wants and needs of consumers. Therefore, they come up with products that have the ability to satisfy the consumers for a long time. This ensures profit maximization. Introduction of the chosen busi ness. The principal aim of this essay is to discuss the application of the marketing concept in the real world. This can only be achieved using a live example of a firm in the real world. Therefore, it was essential to consider a company that has had a long history with this concept. For this reason, Standard Life was the ideal choice. This is an investment and long term saving business. It mainly deals with life assurance. The head quarters of this company is in Edinburgh. However, its operations occur all around the globe. Standard Life has been the principal topic of controversy for a long time. This is due to some of its policies, as well as acts. However, this company has exhibited continuous success over the years. This is