TED Case Studies
Cellular Phones:
A Need Or A Threat?
I.
Identification
1. The Issue
People concerned
about the revolution in the world of Tele communications, wireless communications
specifically, pay close attention to the color and weight along with several
other functions, when they consider purchasing a cellular phone. Cellular
phones throughout a short period of time were able to become among the
leading selling products in the market worldwide. Owning one of these phones
is no longer a need only, but has also become a matter of fashion when
we consider all the luxurious accessories associated with the models of
any cellular phone. However, is the market of these phones threatened by
the recent studies regarding the negative effects of using them on the
user's health? Will the day come when purchasers ignore asking about the
color and weight of the phone, while concentrating on the health effects
of it? Or is it possible to create a market for products ensuring safe
use of cellular phones, besides the markets for the phones themselves and
their accessories?
2. Description
What
is the case about?
The case of
cellular phones and their possible threats on the health of the users,
is only a potential trade case. The reason for describing it as a potential
case is that there is no specific country, organization, or committee of
any sort that took any actions regarding the trade in these controversial
phones. However, researchers could be considered as the leading players
in this case. Since we mentioned them, let us divide the researchers into
two groups. The first group consists of the researchers believing and proving
that the cellular phones have negative effects on users' health. Whereas,
the opposing group consider these phones to be safe for humans' use. Looking
at the case from a different view, the first group can be described as
the attackers, while the opposing group could be called the defenders.
Certainly, their case would be the cellular phones case.
So,
why choose it?
-
The cellular phone
industry was able to grow rapidly in a short period of time. Increase in
the sales of these phones along with sales of their accessories could be
described as a phenomenon in the business world. The demand is continuously
increasing, and different manufacturers are keeping up with this demand
by offering new models with advanced features.
-
A group of researchers
from all around the world are claiming that their studies show that the
use of these cellular phones can badly affect the health of their user.
These bad effects vary according to the researchers involved. However,
most researchers agree that they can cause cancer.
-
If these claims
were proved to be true, then cellular phones will be for the second time
in their history a phenomenon. Either their markets will face a decline,
or their manufacturers will find protective tools that can be used along
with the cellular phones, hence saving their products from distinction.
-
Until a final
decision is made about the health effects of cellular phones, let us consider
the case of cellular phones in the United Arab Emirates.
Why
the United Arab Emirates?
I mentioned
earlier that the trade in cellular phones was a phenomenon in the business
world. Since we are talking about a phenomenon, then it would be appropriate
to talk about it in a country facing a sub phenomenon caused by the trade
in these cellular phones. In a rapidly developing country as the United
Arab Emirates, a typical view would be seeing business men holding their
cases in one hand, and a cellular phone in the other hand. In the last
years, the United Arab Emirates was able to attract international companies
to open their Middle East offices in it. The low cost of cellular phones
services offered by Etisalat,
along with the effectiveness and efficiency achieved by managers through
the use of cellular phones caused an increase in the demand for these phones.
This is usual, and not strange, because managers need these phones to help
them enhance their performance and accomplish their tasks. However, the
phenomenon is to see students holding the latest models of cellular phones.
Schools and Universities were obliged to set rules banning the use of cellular
phones during classes and lectures. It is odd to see a teenager without
his / her soul, the cellular phone. cellular phones has become a part in
every teenagers life in the United Arab Emirates. They follow the latest
models and their accessories. I had a tour in a number of cellular phones
show rooms, and interviewed a number of sales persons working their. All
of
them assured that their frequent shoppers are teenagers and youth people
in their twenties. Furthermore, they added that they are interested in
the new models that are coming out every now and then. Besides the interviews
I made with these sales persons, I am a student in the American University
of Sharjah, and a former school student two years ago, and I know how teenagers
are interested in these cellular phones. In conclusion, the point I want
to make is that in a country like the United Arab Emirates, in which there
is a high demand for cellular phones, could you imagine the impact on trade
that will happen if the researchers prove the negative health effects of
cellular phones? Certainly there will be a major decline in trade as -at
least- parent concerned about their children's health will stop them from
purchasing this "toy".
3. Related
Cases:
4. Draft Author:
Khalid
Ibrahim Abu Kobe
II.
Legal Clusters
5. Discourse and Status:
This case is in
its allegation stage, since it is only a potential trade case that does
not exist yet.
6. Forum and Scope:
The best forum
for this case is the WTO. The scope for it -for the time being- is unilateral
in the United Arab Emirates.
7. Decision Breadth:
The parties affected
in this case are:
-
United Arab Emirates.
In it, people using and trading in cellular phones will be affected.
-
Countries near
the United Arab Emirates, as the gulf countries and countries of the Arab
world in the Middle East.
-
Manufacturers
exporting cellular phones to the United Arab Emirates, and their countries
are to be affected.
8. Legal Standing:
No legal standing for this case, since as we mentioned earlier it is still
in the stage of allegation.
III.
Geographic Clusters
9. Geographic Locations:
|
Continental domain
|
Asia
|
|
Geographic site
|
The Arabian Gulf in the Middle East
|
|
Geographic impact
|
United Arab Emirates
|
10. Sub-National Factors:
No sub-national
factors to be applied in this case.
11. Type of Habitat:
Dry.
IV.
Trade Clusters
12. Type of Measure:
Not applicable,
yet.
13. Direct v. Indirect Impacts:
Obviously, the
impact of this trade case will be direct for the following reasons.
-
The impacts of
using cellular phones are serious. Their use can lead to major health diseases
as cancer. Therefore, this gives the case a deep impact that will affect
the trade in cellular phones.
-
In this case,
we mentioned the high demand for cellular phones from the younger generation.
This gives the case additional dimension to be considered, which increases
the expected direct impacts the case will have on cellular phone trade.
14. Relation of Trade Measure
to Environmental Impact:
|
Directly related to a product
|
Yes, cellular phones.
|
|
Indirectly related to a product
|
Yes, accessories of cellular phones models.
|
|
Not related to a product
|
No.
|
|
Related to a process
|
No.
|
15. Trade Product Identification:
The product type
here is the cellular phones, mainly. Under this broad category falls their
accessories, that will be affected by the changes in the trade patterns
of cellular phones.
16. Economic Data:
17. Impact of Trade Restriction:
18. Industry Sector:
The industry sector
can be said to be the services sector - communications or wireless communications.
19. Exporters and Importers:
Exporters are
developed countries producing cellular phones. For instance, the United
States (Motorola), France (Al Catel), Finland (Nokia), and Sweden (Ericsson).
Whereas, the importers are most countries of the worlds, in which there
is technological advancements in the communication sector of services.
More specifically, in our case the importer is the United arab emirates.
V.
Environment Clusters
20. Environmental Problem
Type:
The environmental
problem is the loss of land species.
21. Name, Type, and Diversity
of Species
The species endangered
are all humans using cellular phones, because it is the use of cellular
phones which eventually leads to severe health problems.
22. Resource Impact and
Effect:
The impact of
this case can be said to be high, because claims are made that the use
of cellular phones leads to cancer along with other serious health problems.
This impact is a result of a product effect, this product is the cellular
phone.
23. Urgency and Lifetime:
Difficult to measure,
in the case of humans, especially because of the recent life styles of
people. Polluted air and water, smoking, canned foods, and "junk foods"
are all a cause of cancer and other health problems. Therefore, it is difficult
if not impossible to measure the effect of cellular phones -only- on the
life time of any human, because we can not isolate him / her from the previously
mentioned factors.
24. Substitutes:
Although technology
is always changing the features of our world, through introducing new ways
of living and accomplishing tasks, still it would be difficult to find
a substitute for cellular phones. The cellular phones transmission is dependent
on the radiation it emits and receives. This radiation is not only the
way through which cellular phones operate, but it is also the debateful
part in them. The claims made about the risks of cellular phones all suggest
that the radiation emitted and received is the cause of this risk and threat.
Without radiation, no cellular phone can operate. Until now, there is no
other product that can fully substitute a cellular phone. Cellular phones
are easy to use, and at the same time makes people get connected with each
other at any time, and directly, unlike other means of connections and
communication as e-mail.
VI.
Other Factors
25. Culture:
No, culture has
nothing to do with the cellular phones case.
26. Trans-Boundary Issues:
No, there is no
trans-boundary issues included in this case study.
27. Rights:
To decide whether
or not human rights have a role to play in this case, we need to consider
the issue discussed in this case. Mainly, we discussed the issue of health
effects that researchers claim that cellular phones cause or lead to, as
cancer and brain damage. Therefore, it is apparent that this case can be
directly related and influencing humans. As a result, human rights are
certainly an issue to be included for discussion. More specifically, it
is the right of humans to maintain their health and preserve it, that comes
into action in the forum of this case.
28. Relevant Literature:
