Essay --

1) What is Six Sigma (6S) ? 1.1 The concept The sigma’s concept comes from the Greek letter ‘ÏÆ'’ which the statisticians use to describe the â€Å"the standard deviation of a population†. So, Sigma represents the variability within a population. A high quality level of Sigma demonstrates the possibility of defective products. The higher the Sigma’s level, the lower the rate of the defective. Hence, the use of Six Sigma helps to reduce the variation, achieving small standard deviations and improving the product’s quality.(Pande et al 2002, Breyfogle 1999, Breyfogle et al 2001, Oakland 1999) 1.2 The background Six Sigma was developed by Motorola in the late 1980s with a view to improving the quality (Bhote 2002). In 1990s, General Electric and Allied Signal implied Six Sigma successfully. After that, more and more organisations firstly in United States and after worldwide developed 6S and it won the attention of the business world. The strategy of Six Sigma includes the use of statistical tools within a structured methodology for obtaining of knowledge needed to achieve faster, better and cheaper products and services from the competitors. The disciplined and the repeated implementation of the main strategy are the key of the 6S. (Breyfogle 1999, Urdhwareshe 2000) 1.3 Definition of Six Sigma Six sigma has many definitions depending on the authors, it can be defined as a strategy, an operational initiative, a statistic method, a tool for measurement, a target, a comparative performance’s measure, a vision, a philosophy and other. Breyfogle (1999) supports that Six Sigma is considered an operational strategy that uses a well-structured continuous improvement methodology. The aim is to reduce the variability of processes and the c... ...Six Sigma is not a technique or a method, according to the definition of Mario Perez-Wilson (1999), the 6S targets an optimized performance level with almost zero defects in a process that produces products, services or transactions. It indicates an achievement and maintenance of a world-class performance. Six Sigma is the result, not the journey. Accordingly, Perez-Wilson does not consider the Six Sigma as a methodology, but as a target. Consequently, according Knowles (2011), as output of the different views, Six Sigma has three aspects and it is: 1) A measure: How far is the organisation from the target and the perfect quality ? 2) A target: 3.4 defects per one million opportunities. 3) A philosophy: It focuses on sustainability and on a long term strategy which targets on the reduction of expenses, decreasing the variability in the process and the products.

Romania Essay -- Sociology, Romanian Culture

Romanian Culture Introduction Culture can be defined as the way of life associated with a community or a group of people, including their beliefs, traditions, rituals, art, behavior, and thoughts. It describes the â€Å"shared patterns of belief, feeling, and adaptation, which people carry in their minds† (Storey 45). Thus, culture can be conceptualized as an organized set of ideas, habits, as well as conditioned responses shared by members of a given society. This paper discusses the concept of culture by focusing on the Romanian culture. The physical geography of Romania, its weather pattern, contributions and civil considerations will also be discussed by evaluating the factors of ASCOPE. Characteristics that Define Culture A typical culture has the following characteristics. Firstly, culture may be learned and acquired over time (Storey 56). The various beliefs, values, or traditions shared by the population can only be considered cultural, if they can be learned and shared. Culture can be learned or acquired through imitation, indoctrination, and conditioning. Secondly, culture may be transmitted in the society over time. This means that it must be passed on to future generations through communication and understanding. Thirdly, culture is a social phenomenon (Storey 61). It may be normally developed through the interaction of individuals within a large group, such as a society. Fourthly, culture can be developed through ideology. Ideas and symbols are indispensable tools that may be used to give meaning to individuals’ experiences and their environment in various cultures. Thus, individuals tend to perceive their world in accordance with the stand-point of their culture. Fifthly, culture faci litates the satisfaction of hu... ...omanian. The other common language is Hungarian, which is spoken by seven percent of the population. About 1.5 percent of the population speaks German and Romanian. Conclusion From the above discussion, culture can be described as an organized set of ideas, habits, as well as conditioned responses that are shared by members of a given society. Every community or country has a culture that is unique to it. The Romanian culture is characterized by rich tradition, ethnical artifacts, and folklore (Brace 24). The interactions between Romanians and the tribes that invaded the region helped in developing and shaping the Romanian culture. Despite the effect of such interactions, the main elements of Romanian culture, such as traditions and folklore should be preserved. Today, young Romanians, especially those living in the cities, tend to adopt the western lifestyle.

Gender Stereotypes in Military Essay

In the non traditional occupations, also called non domestic jobs, women in the work place including its attitude about women’s roles are being studied by some professionals. Gender stereotypes are prone into this kind of scenarios. In the military communities for example, there is still a widely held gender stereotypes. Men and women in the military are being approached and treated differently. Military communities in the past were often integrated with men. Women’s participation in the military and in war throughout history has been limited due to those common gender stereotypes. Women can not be good soldiers allegedly because they are innately weak physically and emotionally. Generally men were believed to possess a higher level of motivation, initiative and leadership qualities necessary for effective military performance. Whereas women, primarily considering their physiological aspects, possess more feminine attributes that hinders them to achieve an excellent military performance. But given that the â€Å"physical barriers to military participation have been gradually eroded due to the advent of highly technological weaponry and the improve fitness of women but the emotional barriers remain strong† (DeGroot 24). It is believed that women are genetically programmed for the softer and caring roles and therefore can not apply aggressive impulses necessary for effective soldiering to defend military interests in future conflicts. To recruit women therefore considering this belief means giving into the risks to lose future wars. This perceived reality hinders the military setting to recruit more women for an aggressive physical war. Many points of arguments have put forward by those against the idea of putting women into hand to hand combat. One of the obvious concerns regarding women in combat is the given fact that women do not possess as much physical strength as their male counterparts. The female body structure is not as adept and enduring at handling high g-forces activities needed for actual combats. â€Å"Female soldiers who are, on average, shorter and smaller than men, with 45-50% less upper body strength and 25-30% less aerobic capacity, which is essential for endurance† (Willens 1996). Psychologically, mixed gender accommodations in a small space can be very intimidating and can provoke sexual anxieties towards men which might affect their focus in combats. Moreover there is a greater possibility for acts of rape, sexual harassment and molestation. Romantic relationships between men and women is somehow inevitable especially that war is a depressing situation. This can disrupt a unit’s fighting capability. Many women might be forced to get pregnant as well in order to escape combat duties. Moreover pregnancy may intimidate military readiness that will greatly affect the military combats. Placing women in combat may also mean putting the fighting unit into risks. Female are truly exposed to the risk of capture, psychological and sexual abuses. The opposing parties may use women to intimidate their enemies through using them as prisoners. Meanwhile another interesting argument to keep women out of combat is the fact that female might disrupt the military cohesive unit and might undermine the soldiers’ sense of esprit de corps. The effectiveness of the military hinges on a cohesion — every member must completely trust and respect one another. Many argue men would not be able to trust women to be capable of accomplishing the physical demands of combat, which could lead to serious problems.. A standard must be maintained to make every member feel as if he/she is part of one single unit, not separated by gender (Willens 1996). These gender differences and given the reality of war, the opposing parties who want to keep women out of combat believe that it is safe to put men in actual combats because they guarantee a greater percentage of military effectiveness. In the military, each party needs to have the most capable military power. In United States during World War 1 â€Å"with the creation of U. S. Army Nurse Corps in 1901 and the U. S. Army Nurse Corps in 1908, women were relied on primarily to provide nursing care† Worell 772). Nursing the wounded soldiers was the most visible role played by women during early wars until World War 1. Marriage, pregnancy and motherhood however could be main legitimate basis for voluntary discharge. The â€Å"Army Nurse Corps in 1901 expressly prohibited nurses from marrying and being mothers† because these will hinder their social and governmental service and responsibilities (Worell 774). In World War II however â€Å"historians documented the more informal participation of women in active combat, in artillery units, as disguised enlisted men, in militia units, and in frontier warfare during the early years of U. S. history and as spies and scouts during Civil War† (Worell 776). The start of World War II apparently expanded non nursing roles of women provided their identity will not be boldly exposed so not to create public misinterpretations. War setting has been redefined however in the beginning of 1950s. Women were openly admit for military service. There is an apparent changing nature and role in the modern military. Military now not only participates in physical combats. Their role has changed â€Å"with peacemaking and disaster relief becoming the most common reason for deployment† (DeGroot 25). In this reason, military integrated a wider women’s participation these past years. Women’s gentle nature, their ability to control aggression and their conciliatory attitude are now perceived positively in the military setting. Women’s nature can make a significant contribution for peacemaking. Women are often integrated into combat support roles and services depending on their capabilities. The discrepancy between the stereotypic attributes of female apparently has variety of emotional effects on the experiences of women in the military. In terms of performance evaluation, people readily give a lower standards and expectations to women. They readily recognize and accept the fact that women has weaker physical and emotional attributes. Therefore as a result, they integrate women’s role into the domestic and traditional jobs inside the military. Work Cited Page: DeGroot, Gerard J. A Few Good Women: Gender Stereotypes, the Military and Peacemaking. Olsson, Louise. Tryggestad, Torunn. Women and International peacemaking. Great Britain: Routledge 2001 Willens, Jake. â€Å"Women in the Military†. CDI Center for Defense Information (1972). August 1996. Retrieved on 25, June 2009 from http://www. cdi. org/issues/women/combat. html Worell, Judith. Encyclopedia of women and gender: sex similarities and differences and the impact of society on gender. Elsevier, 2001

Educating the Re-Educated Essay

During China’s Cultural Revolution young intellectuals, who were described as men and women that graduated from high school, were sent to the countryside to be re-educated and learn about hard labor. During their re-education men and women were pushed to their limits to endure hard labor. These men and women were also prohibited to have anything reactionary because it was against their Chairman Mao. In Dai Sijie’s Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Luo and Ma, the main characters, are sent to Mountain of the Phoenix of the Sky to be â€Å"re-educated by the poor peasants,† but to their surprise they end up educating the peasants and the daughter of the local tailor, the Little Seamstress. Luo and Ma were two of the young men that were sent to the countryside and learn about labor. Although, these two young men only had a middle school education, it can be argued that their presence at Mountain Phoenix was contrary to their re-education. Instead of Ma and Luo being the students they became the educators and made a big difference in one of the characters life. Luo and Ma served not only as workers, but as educators. Although Luo and Ma only had a middle school education they were sent to re-education because their doctor parents were seen as enemies of the state. During their stay at Phoenix Mountain they befriended Four Eyes who was a young intellectual getting re-educated. Four eyes plays an important role in Luo’s and Ma’s education of the people. Four eyes possess a treasure trove of forbidden reactionary Western novels, which Luo and Ma desired and eventually stole. Ma and Luo stole the novels when Four Eyes was about to leave the mountain, they take the novels with them and fall in love. Another, person that plays an important role in Luo and Ma’s education of the people is the Headman. He sends Ma and Luo on trips to the city to watch movies. Luo and Ma are sent to watch the movies, but have to return and tell the movie to the people of the mountain. One of the most important characters is the Little Chinese Seamstress. Luo and Ma fall in love with her, but Luo stereotypes her and says she is â€Å"not civilized† enough for him. With this being said when Luo and Ma come across Four Eyes books they have the idea of educating the Little Seamstress and teaching her how to read. The books that the boys take from four eyes help them take their mind of where they are and what they are going through, but also help them improve the mentality of the Little Seamstress. The Little Seamstress has lived her whole life in the mountain and doesn’t clearly know what is outside of that area. When the boys read her the stories she imagines a completely different world than the one she is used to. The reader is able to see the impact the novels have on the Seamstress when she starts to make her clothes differently and starts d ressing differently. The Little Seamstress begins to wonder more what is outside of the mountains. She wants to know about other places and different people. When the Headman sends Luo and Ma to the city to watch a movie he does it with an intention of having them fail when they return to explain the movie to the people. To his surprise the boys come back and explain the movie better than anyone and the Headman sends them back every time so they can tell the movie. The boys go so many times that every time they come back they tell the movie better each time. They make the people feel as if they are right their watching the movie. The people become emotional and start crying at times, but that is just a sign that they are entertained by what they are hearing. The way they tell the story helps the people imagine what’s happening and feel the emotion of what’s happening to the characters. The movie telling becomes a way of entertainment for the people it’s a way of getting their minds out of their everyday tasks. The boys help the people think of new and different things every time they tell a movie. The Luo and Ma made a difference in the other people’s lives without realizing that they did anything. They changed the lives of the people listening to their movies and they changed the life of the little Seamstress. They educated the people listening ot their movies in the sense that they opened their mind to new things, to things that are outside of their surroundings. Luo and Ma may not have taught them how to read or how write but they opened their mind to new things. As the Etymology dictionary explains, to educate means to â€Å"bring forth and have a formative effect on the mind.† Luo and Ma made an effect in the people’s minds by telling them stories that they were able to visualize and feel. The biggest person they had an impact on was the Little Seamstress, they left a big effect on her that it made her want to change and become a new person. Without knowing what they did to her, they opened her mind to new things. The stories left her wanting more, in the sense that she wanted to see what’s out in the world without having to read about it. She not only wanted to read about it but wanted to experience it on her own. The knowledge they gave to her is most noticeable in the end of the novel, when she leaves. Without having the intention of making an impact on her mind they realized that they gave her more than just short stories and novels. Readers may argue that Ma and Luo did nothing other than what they were told which was to tell the movie, but Ma and Luo did more than just explain what happened in a movie. Ma and Luo acted out a lot of the scenes and tried to be as explanatory as possible. They even went a step farther and made â€Å"snow† appear in one of their scenes. Even though they acted out the scenes, people may still argue that one cannot educate others from just acting out a movie. It is true Luo and Ma didn’t teach the people any of the basic skills like reading, writing, and math, but they taught them how to visualize and how to explore a new world outside of theirs. Also, people may argue that they did not educate the Little Seamstress, that they only read her novels. Luo and Ma opened up a door to the Little Seamstress that she has never witnessed before. Reading her the novels let her imagine images from the novels that she would have never seen before or thought about. They let her imagine and wonder about new things. The Little Seamstress learned about other people, their lives, and what they think about. To her it was something new and out of the ordinary. Luo and Ma taught the people and the Little Seamstress to imagine and feel new things. They were like parents reading a story to their children before bed. In the end when the Little Seamstress leaves she takes notice that she learned something, but she doesn’t acknowledge she learned because of Ma and Luo. She says, â€Å"She had learnt one thing from Balzac,† in this moment she is acknowledging she learned something and that’s the reason she is leaving. If she had not learned anything she wouldn’t be leaving. The Little Seamstress acknowledgement of learning something goes to show that the Ma and Luo did not only go to Phoenix Mountain to get re-educated, but to educate the re-educated. Without acknowledging that their movie and storytelling would make a difference, the Little Seamstress leaving shows that they did more than just telling stories. They helped the Seamstress gain confidence in her and knowledge, enough to want to leave and explore what is outside of the mountain. As for the people they would tell the movies to they learned that there is more outside their mountain and they learned how to grow their imagination. Luo and Ma were sent to the mountain to gain new knowledge on hard labor, once they were their they did not just learn they taught. Bibliography * Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary. N.p., Jan. 2001. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. * Sijie, Dai. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. New York: Anchor Books, 2001. Print. Outline Thesis: * Luo and Ma were sent to Mountain of the Phoenix of the Sky to be â€Å"re-educated by the poor peasants,† but ended up education the some of the peasents especially the little seamstress. Argument: * Describe what happens in the countryside like why the boys were sent their, how they got a hold of the books, how they met little seamstress and how they decided to educate her. * How the books help the boys with educating the seamstress * How the movie telling helps the boys educate the people * They made a difference without realizing they did anything Refutation: * People may argue that they didn’t do anything that all they did was follow orders of watching the movie and how does reading to a young lady educate her? Conclusion: * They educated the people without realizing they opened their eyes and imagination to a new place. It is most convincing that they did anything when the little seamstress leaves and says that what she learned is that a woman’s beauty is a treasure beyond price.

The Devil and Tom Walker

â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker† was an Early Romanticism written by Washington Irving. Irving was a reluctant lawyer who preferred writing and is now mostly known for â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hallow†. Irving was the first American to achieve international reputation. In 1815 Irving traveled through Europe, remaining there for 17 years. Although when â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker† was first published in 1824 it was not well received and even caused Irving to stop writing fiction all together, today it is considered an illustrious Early Romantic.Irving retuned to America in 1832 to live with his brother. Irving died at the age of 76 and was buried near the haunting ground of his famous horseman-in New York’s Sleepy Hallow Cemetery. Elements of Romanticism pervade all of Irving’s writings. His love of scenes of nature, his sense of wonder, and his optimism all show through, even in his early work; these elements became progressively more pronounced as the freedom of expression which that era had fostered took root. Ultimately, Irving’s work has come to be viewed as emblematic of the Romantic era.Romanticism did not always end with a happy ending. In fact, the originals of the romanticism stories were about the evil of human nature. The work of early American writers like Irving show the influence of European Romanticism. ?Washington Irving would use an emphasis on nature, the supernatural, and superstitions in his stories. â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker† pictures nature as mysterious. Tom walked through a swamp that was so thick that when it was noon it would still be very dark. At times, water logs would look like alligators floating in the water.The supernatural area also played an essential role in the story. The devil, being the supernatural being, seemed to have the ability to trade riches for a person's soul. Tom, having sold his soul, wanted to outsmart the devil by recruiting the help of another supernatu ral power, God, by carrying a bible. Greed is one of the most important themes of â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker† Tom is approached by Old Scratch and offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. Initially, Tom is so greedy that he declines because he would have to share the fortune with his wife.Eventually, however, Tom is duped by the false kindness of Old Scratch and blinded by his own greed. As Irving writes, Tom â€Å"was not a man to stick at trifles when money was in view. † Once established as a moneylender in Boston, Tom is described ironically as a â€Å"universal friend of the needy,† even though â€Å"In proportion to the distress of the applicant was the hardness of his terms. † Though he becomes wealthy, Tom still remains stingy: he refuses to furnish his mansion or feed his horses properly.Still, he denies his greed. When accused by a customer of taking advantage of his misfortune, Tom answers â€Å"The devil take me if I have made a farthing ! † Of course, immediately Old Scratch appears at the door. Irving’s moral is clear: â€Å"Such was the end of Tom Walker and his ill-gotten wealth. Let all griping money-brokers lay this story to heart. † In conclusion, â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker†, by Washington Irving portrays a man set in New England in the 1720’s who allowed greed and selfishness to control him.Tom Walker, protagonist of the story, pledged both himself and his morals to the devil for the sake of riches and wealth. A landslide of deceit swept the main character into the pit of emptiness, selfishness, and greed. Disappointment haunted Tom in the end. The end resulted in complete moral decadence as selfishness consumed him. These unattractive traits took time to develop before really injuring Tom. In this story Irving not only gives you an entertaining story but also gives you lesson on greediness.

Impure public goods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Impure public goods - Essay Example For example, people can pay to enter a showground to witness fireworks but the ones who failed to pay can still watch the fireworks being launched through their windows. Alternatively, people pay for cable television services however some may decide not to pay but still watch the same programs from free to air channels (Bulte, Van Kooten and Timmothy, 2003). Non- rival condition applies in the context that an individual’s consumption of a product does not affect another person’s opportunity to utilize the same product. For instance, a person watching a football match on his/her television will not deny another person in a different setting who wants to watch the same game. The needs of both people can be satisfied simultaneously without any form of competition. However, the company managing the cable television can decide not to connect homesteads that do not pay for its services thus discontinue provision of those services to those people hence being referred to impure public goods (Arriagada and Charles, 2011). An externality is the impact of a monetary movement felt by those not straightforwardly included in the financial action. Externalities are regularly more negative, and thus it is the negative externalities that catch our consideration. Positive externalities are frequently depicted as overflow impacts to propose their belongings, and are felt by customers who were not specifically expected by their makers. The business sector trade, presumes that brokers have aggregate control over every part of their item, the costs and expenses they charge elaborate to the full cost of generation in addition to benefit, and that they can be considered responsible through the instalment of fines and different punishments for the harm brought on by their items (Arriagada and Charles, 2011). In any case, the way that their items may have positive externalities implies that the

Citizen Kane Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Citizen Kane - Essay Example The key aspect of Kane's character contribution to the tragedy plot lies in his character flaw. This is of pivotal significance in the plot propagation as it triggers the cause and effect set of events that will evoke pity and fear in the audience. Kane’s tragic flaw lies in his failure to grow and mature into a responsible man. The elements of his flaw are embodied in his failure to manipulate his charm and panache to materialise into something feasible in his quest for happiness. His flaw is also heightened in his selfishness reflected in his insatiable desire for women. He collects wives, possessions and animals in his pleasure dome but never gets the satisfaction that he longs for. The protagonist character flaw is one fundamental of the Aristotelian philosophy of tragedy.This aspect on Kane is well enunciated by Peter J Pullicino ( Critically Appraise Citizen Kane as Cinema:2008 ). â€Å"Even a cursory summary of the fragments leads us to an imposing list of contradictio ns: Kane is the dashing hero and a grotesque tyrant, an idealist and a cynic, and egotist and a defender of the common man, a child who never grew up, and a man who never had a childhood†¦".