Productivity Improvement Techniques

These twelve productivity improvement techniques are explained as follows:- 1. Value Engineering (VE) : Value Engineering (VE) is the process of improving the value of a product at every stage of the product life cycle. At the development stage, VE improves the value of a product by reducing the cost without reducing quality. At the maturity stage, VE reduces the cost by replacing the costly components (parts) by cheaper components. VE also tries to improve the value and quality of the product. Value is the satisfaction which the consumer gets by using the product.VE tries to give maximum value for a lowest price. 2. Quality Circles (QC) : The concept of Quality Circles (QC) was introduced in 1960 in Japan. QC is a small group of employees who meet regularly to identify, analyse, and solve problems in their department. The QC members advise the management to implement new methods to solve work-related problems. QC increases the productivity. 3. Financial and Non-Financial Incentives : The organisation must motivate the employees by providing financial and non-financial incentives.The financial incentives include better wages and salaries, bonus, etc. The non-financial incentives include better working conditions, welfare facilities, worker's participation in management, etc. 4. Operations Research (OR) : Operations Research (OR) uses mathematical and scientific methods to solve management problems, including problems of productivity. QR technique uses a scientific method to study the alternative courses of actions and to select the best alternative. OR uses techniques such as linear programming, game theory, etc. to make the right decision. Thus, QR helps to improve productivity. 5. Training : Training is a process of increasing the knowledge and skills of the employees. Training is a must, for new employees and experienced employees. Training increases the efficiency of the employee. Thus, training results in high productivity. 6. Job Enlargement : Job Enlarge ment is a horizontal expansion of a job. It is done to make jobs more interesting and satisfying. It involves increasing the variety of duties. For e. g. typist may be given the job of accounts writing in addition to the typing work. This technique is used for lower level jobs. 7. Job Enrichment : Job Enrichment is a vertical expansion of a job. It makes routine jobs more meaningful and satisfying. It involves providing more challenging tasks, and responsibilities. For e. g. a manager who prepares performance reports is asked to make plans for his department. Job Enrichment technique is used for higher-level jobs. 8. Inventory Control : There must be a proper level of inventory.Overstocking and under stocking of inventories must be avoided. Overstocking of inventories will result in blocking of funds and there are chances of spoilage or misuse of materials. Under stocking of inventories will result in shortages. This will block the smooth flow of production, and so the delivery sche dules will be affected. 9. Materials' management : Materials' management deals with optimum utilisation of materials in the manufacturing process. It involves scientific purchasing, systematic store keeping, proper inventory control, etc.The main objective of materials' management is to purchase the right quantity and quality materials, at the right prices, at the right time, to maintain favourable relations with suppliers, to reduce the cost of production, etc. 10. Quality Control : The main objective of quality control is to produce good quality goods at reasonable prices, to reduce wastages, to locate causes of quality deviation and to correct such deviations, to make the employees quality conscious, etc. 11. Job Evaluation : Job Evaluation is a process of fixing the value of each job in the organisation.It is done to fix the wage rate for each job. A proper job evaluation increases the moral of the employees. This increases the productivity. 12. Human factor engineering : Human factor engineering refers to the man-machine relationship. It is designed to match the technology to a human requirement. The term Ergonomics has originated from the Greek word ‘ergos' meaning ‘Work' and ‘nomikos' meaning ‘Law'. So, it means ‘Law of Work'. It tells us how to fit a job to a man's psychological and physiological characteristics to increase human efficiency and well-being.

Evaluation of Supporting Programmes of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme of India Essay

The National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) was launched in 1983 with the objective to arrest the disease in all known areas. It was formed from the National Leprosy Control Programme (MLCP) which was also started by the government of India in 1955. It utilizes multi-drug therapy (MDT) which was discovered in the 1970s and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) study group in October 1981. By the progress achieved through use of MDT, in 1991 the world health organization assembly was motivated to set a target of eliminating leprosy at a global level by the year 2000 which eventually led to World Bank-supported NLEPs in endemic nations (including India). In year 2001, the NLEP put together the following strategy towards leprosy elimination in India: Decentralization of NLEPs to states and districts, Integration of leprosy services with General Healthcare System (GHS), Leprosy training and GHS functionaries, Surveillance for early diagnosis and prompt MDT through routine and special efforts, Intensified IEC using local and manmade approaches, and Prevention of disability and care. In addition, the strategies were also modified as the programme continued. For example, in the strategic plan of action (2004-05) programme focus was shifted from states to high and medium endemic districts and blocks. Also, in the Focus Leprosy Eradication Plan (FLEP2005) and in the intensified supervision and monitoring that marked the end of the programme in the year 2005. The programme was conducted through different phases of World Bank supported NLEP. Through planning and well execution of activities, leprosy was eliminated as a public health problem at the national level in the month of December 2005. This brought the prevalence rate in the country to 0. 95/10000 population. References Dr. G. P. S. Dhillon and Dr. B. N. Barkakaty. NATIONAL LEPROSY ERADICATION PROGRAMME IN INDIA: ACHIEVEMENTS AND DEFICIENCIES. National Leprosy Eradication Programme of India (NLEP) India government. (2005). National Leprosy Eradication Programme. retrieved may 4 2010 from http://india. gov. in/sectors/health_family/national_programme. php. World Health Organization (WHO). Initiatives in the National Leprosy Eradication Program of India. Rtrieved may 4 2010 from http://www. whoindia. org/EN/Section3/Section122_1215. htm. Mittal BN. (2006) The national leprosy eradication programme in India.

The Theory of Management Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Theory of Management Fashion - Essay Example The essay "The Theory of Management Fashion" concerns the theory of fashion management. In view of this, the theory of management fashion states that management fashion is in principal a cultural happening structured by the rule of rationality. This means that the management must be perceived to be always looking for perfection. The primary belief in management is that over a given span of time, a particular management fashion will be out of trend, and a newer one will replace it. Based on this school of thought, certain management fashions last for a short time while other stay for a long period and attain widespread acceptance. In various management segments, several successions of management creativity are seen whereby as one goes out of trend and declines in popularity, the trendsetter initiates a novel innovation, thus resulting into a graphical representation of the trend as a rising and declining curve.Management fashion has been studied over the years through an examination o f two comparable life patterns. The first parallel is the discourse life pattern, which is an approach employed to study the volume as well as the natural world of disclosure concerning a particular trend over time. It employs bibliographic and subject matter breakdown, separating the assorted forms of discourse such as the Internet, business book, journal and magazines as well as the mass media. The dissemination life cycle is the second parallel. This strategy is employed to determine the level. to which management creativity is taken up by organizations, which follow fashion and the extent of use over a given period. Based on the innovation form and type, the analysis can be executed through case study surveys or the scrutiny of secondary facts such a sales figures and services supplies among other market indicators. Literature review Across generations, social science scholars have been captivated by fashion and fads. However, it is only recently that theories and schools studyi ng these two aspects in management emerged with scholars like Abrahamson (1996) pioneering in the field of study in addition to other scholars like Fairchild (1999) following suit. These scholars and their studies among others attend to the hype centered on organizational management models and tools namely knowledge management and quality circles among others (Herzhoff 2010). In view of this, four themes have been identified which are applicable to the study of management fashion. Fads and fashion in academic research There has been a divergence in view points concerning management fashion with scholars like Cole (1999) observing management fashion studies as an expensive pastime while Abrahamson (1996) acknowledges the importance of examining fashion, claiming that publicized themes of management should not just be disregarded. In view of this, other scholars like Collins (2000), support Abrahamson’s viewpoint. Abrahamson, who is a supporter of the management fashion theory, contends that philosophers and academicians ought not to be indifferent to trends, since they are not only restricted to aesthetics. Abrahamson (1996), further states that there exist two clear differences between trends and aesthetics. Trends in aesthetics necessitate only to be recent and attractive, whereas trends in management need to be not only logic but also progressive. Secondly, the demand for aesthetic fashion is influenced by social

Review of a Research Document about Physical Education Literature

Of a Research Document about Physical Education - Literature review Example Review of a Research Document about Physical Education In this regard, a database search was carried out using the keywords / phrase, â€Å"assessment† â€Å"motivation† and â€Å"physical education† using the Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC), where a direct link was provided. The link, however, contained only an abstract similar with the one provided at ERIC and not a full-text paper. Another search was conducted with Google Scholar using the same keywords / phrase. The second phase of the search yielded the full-text article by Standage, Duda and Ntoumanis (2006) in portable document format (PDF). 2. Description of paper Standage, et al (2006) ventured to evaluate the association between the motivational processes among secondary school students of physical education (PE) and their teachers’ ratings of their effort and persistence. Some 394 British students of a secondary school and nine PE teachers voluntarily participated in the study. The study addressed the following research problems: 1. In vestigation of a model of motivational processes predicated on the self determination theory; 2. Verification of the adequacy of confirmatory factor analysis of the measurement model; and 3. Performance of structural equation modelling on the following hypotheses: (a) perceptions of an autonomy supportive environment would positively predict autonomy, competence and relatedness; (b) autonomy, competence and relatedness would positively predict self-determined motivation; and (c) self determined motivation would positively predict positive teacher ratings of student effort and persistence.... theory (SDT) of human motivation in the individual – level, which asserts that â€Å"humans are innately oriented toward growth and health† (Deci and Ryan, as cited in Fortier, Williams, Sweet, and Patrick, 2009, p.156; Deci and Ryan, 2007). SDT impinges on the assumption that the social context influences individual outcomes, including motivation (Weiss and Amorose, 2008; Standage, et al., 2006). In this regard, the social environment can either nurture or hinder an individual’s active, integrating nature as a human being. One such component of the social environment in this study is the PE teacher. Data was gathered from two different state schools in southeast England after ethical requirements have been complied with, based on the standards set by the British Psychological Society. This includes the use of students (i.e., human subjects) in the study, and consent from the high school principals in their capacity as in loco parentis, among others. A multi-sect ion inventory was administered to the student-participants after the researcher has discussed, among others that: responses in the inventory are neither correct nor wrong; the PE teacher will not be able to view their responses to the inventory; and the respondents’ anonymity and the confidentiality of their responses will be safeguarded. Teachers provided their ratings for each student’s motivated behaviour in the PE class in terms of effort and persistence. Self-reported responses were compared with the teacher ratings through a coding system devised by the researchers. The multi-section inventory measured the following variables: autonomy support, autonomy, competence, relatedness, motivational regulations (i.e., intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation,

Determination of Protein using Biuret Reagent Lab Report

Determination of Protein using Biuret Reagent - Lab Report Example The methods used are all optical methods. This means that the level of protein concentration depends on optical characteristics (turbidity or absorption). These optical properties are measured using a tool called colorimeter or spectrophotometer. Other useful methods are volumetric, gravimetric, among others (Slater, 1986, 12). After the reaction between the reagents and the protein substrate, the peptide bond turns purple or violet for positive results. We cannot conclude that there is the presence of protein by candid colorimetric methods. This is because proteins are colorless. However, absolute estimations can be made to analyze the protein in the solution (Slater, 1986, 12). A stable color is achieved. It is always advisable to take all reading within the first 10mins for the purpose of clarity. In many experiments, biuret can be scaled using smaller sized cuvette, which consumes less protein. Proteins with abnormal low or high percentage of amino acids and aromatic side groups always gives low or high readings, respectively (Robinson, and Hogden, 1940, 32) In the case of bovine serum, albumin will obviously develop a linear relationship between the amount of protein and absorbance over a range of 0.5 to 20mg protein. However, analysis show assay below 0.5 mg is not reliable. In other cases, the upper limit may increase depending with the reagents. A straight line graph is achieved after plotting the relationship between protein concentration and absorbance. This means that there is a tremendous increase in absorbance with an increase in protein concentration (Layne, 1957, 23). The reagent is made up of potassium hydroxide. It also has traces of hydrated copper (II) sulphate and potassium sodium titrate. The blue color appears as a result of presence of proteins, pink and blue may also arise in the presence of short chained polypeptides. A biuret reagent is not required in all protein tests. It is

The Pros and Cons and Military Draft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Pros and Cons and Military Draft - Essay Example The pros and cons and military draft – within different political and social conditions – are presented and analyzed in this paper. Emphasis is given on the identification of the characteristics of the relevant decision – i.e. whether it promotes freedom or not. The examination of the existing literature led to the assumption that military draft is not necessarily an indication of freedom; it is rather related with the political framework of each country reflecting the thoughts of the governors rather than the willingness of the citizens to participate in military initiatives. In other words, it has been proved that freedom can cost; moreover, it is made clear that citizens are not free to decide on their participation in initiatives that aim to protect the freedom of their nation. This fact does not necessarily indicate the lack of their willingness for participating in the relevant schemes. In any case, the terms under which the military draft is currently deve loped lead to a series of positive and negative effects – as analytically explained below. The Military Draft has been developed in order to serve specific needs: the number of the citizens participating in the military corps had to be estimated and evaluated – taking into consideration the military needs of each country – at least this is the initial role of the Military Draft as part of a country’s political framework. At the next level, the Military Draft can serve a series of additional needs, for instance, the need of a country to improve its position in the international community – by showing a well structured and highly populated army.  

Analysis of US to cut 'lost pleasure' analysis from public health Essay

Analysis of US to cut 'lost pleasure' analysis from public health approach - Essay Example In particular, the article seeks to weigh the effects of the proposed regulations on tobacco and the lives of the consumers. The article makes various remarks on the benefits associated with the government’s intentions on tobacco consumption. The regulations will have indirect health benefits in terms of dollars. For example, reduced tobacco consumption will bring down the chronic illnesses associated with smoking. The United States’ government incurs billions of dollars in treating cancer-related diseases associated with smoking. It therefore, shows that the government’s move that will bring a â€Å"lost consumer surplus† is vital to the public. Government officials claim that the economy can grow bigger even without the revenues from tobacco trade. They claim that smoking brings an expenditure burden of curing the smoking-related illnesses. Doing away with the expenditures is far more important that earning the revenues from tobacco trade. Health care economists argue that the government seeks to benefit from its move as well as secure the public from harm (Begley & Toni, 201 5). The article points out that economic growth can only be realized by a healthy and stable public. Cracking down on tobacco consumption goes far in building a stable nation focused on economic growth. The Congress mentions that tobacco-related issues cost the government more that the revenues earned from the tobacco business. Health related issues have been a major issue that affects the government’s pace of economic growth (Zeller, 2009). The overall demand will face a downward trend once the government’s regulations are put in place. The authorities claim that shifting the consumers’ utility towards a healthier diet is beneficial to the nation. The government will face fewer challenges in the health sector. Consumer pleasure also faces uncertain future with the proposed regulations on tobacco consumption. Additionally, the