Ergonomics Organizational Ergonomics

QUESTION 4. DICUSS ERGONOMICS. HOW IS ERGONOMICS RELATED TO QUALITY? Ergonomics is also known as human factors engineering. It is the study concerned with the understanding of the interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theoretical principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well being and overall system performance. Ergonomics is the study of work in relation to the environment in which it is performed (the workplace) and those who perform it (workers).It is used to determine how the workplace can be designed or adapted to the worker in order to prevent a variety of health problems and to increase efficiency as well as quality of products and services. The study helps in understanding how work is done and how to work better towards quality improvement. Domains of Specialization Ergonomics denotes the science of work; it is a systems-oriented discipline, which now applies to all aspects of human activity.Ergonomi sts must have a broad understanding of the full scope of the discipline, taking into account the physical, cognitive, social, organizational, environmental and other relevant factors since domains of specialization represent deeper competencies in specific human attributes or characteristics of human interaction:- †¢Physical Ergonomics Physical ergonomics is concerned with human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical characteristics as they relate to physical activity.The relevant topics include working postures, materials handling, repetitive movements, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, workplace layout, safety and health. †¢Cognitive Ergonomics Cognitive ergonomics is concerned with mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response, as they affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system.The relevant topics include mental workload, decision-making, skilled performance, human-computer interaction, human reliability, work stress and training as these may relate to human-system design. †¢Organizational Ergonomics Organizational ergonomics is concerned with the optimization of sociotechnical systems, including their organizational structures, policies, and processes so as to id in quality improvement in every aspect of the organization. The relevant topics include communication amongst workers & departments, crew resource management, work design, design of working times, teamwork, participatory design, community ergonomics, cooperative work, new work paradigms, organizational culture, virtual organizations, tele-work, and quality management.?

Mittal Steel in 2006

Mittal Steal in 2006: Changing the Global Steel Game Industry Analysis Although steel was a highly demanded good, the industry as a whole was largely unprofitable. One reason for this was that the industry remained highly fragmented in contrast to their suppliers and even some of their buyers, who were considerably more consolidated. Aside from the increased competition that fragmentation contributed to, it also degraded the steal industry’s bargaining power to raw material suppliers and in some cases, such as the auto industry, the buyers.The resulting high fixed costs, volatile raw material prices, and intense price competition fueled unstable profitability. Adding to the fragmentation issues was a lack of differentiation in the market. For the longest time there were really only two production possibilities. One, being vertically integrated and producing higher-grade steel at a higher cost of operation, or two, de-verticalize and focus on low cost, low-grade steel productio n. Depending on the production selected, the resulting accessible customer base was limited.This lack of differentiation further fueled the limited bargaining power of steel manufacturers. As stated above, steel was highly demanded. The problem was that the growth of that demand remained quite stagnate for nearly 20 years. It wasn’t until the explosion of growth in the Chinese construction industry, attributing to 25% of total steel consumption, that the steel industry saw any profitability. In an industry where customers demand a low cost and a consistent product, being able to maintain a reliable supply while being as cost efficient as possible was key to a firms success.Though there was a spike in Chinese demand, only those strategically positioned could access the true value of the Chinese market. This was because the steel industry operated primarily on an intra-regional basis. Many factors attributed to this, but a firm’s dependence on raw material access, and tr ying to avoid high transportation and tariff costs, as well as delivery lags, were the primary reasons for high regional trade. In order to access the benefits of regional trade, firms had to expand their operations through high FDI in the form of M&A’s.This gained them access to highly profitable regions and it allowed firms to spread their risk over a larger area, reducing the impact of demand fluctuations in one particular region. The reason many of these M&A opportunities existed was because of a major shit from government owned steel plants to privatization. Through privatization, FDI opportunities became possible in many countries, thus make intra-regional trade more accessible and attractive. Consolidation & Integration Recognizing that the dynamics of the market were changing, LNM was quick to take advantage.He was steadfast in his belief that they only way to create sustained success was through consolidation and integration. With increased privatization opportunitie s available, LNM began a series of M&A’s that would gain him access to regions that were highly profitable, had lower labor costs, and would position him to have higher bargaining power with suppliers. LNM made the first moves in the industry toward consolidation, and was this strategic initiative that has since driven the evolution of the industry to where it is today.A major source of value creation was derived from their technological lead in DRI. LNM decided early on to focus their operations around â€Å"integrated minimills†, which was untraditional at the time. Through this structure he was able to capture the maximum value of his operation, using scrap in the minimills, then reverse integrating into DRI. Once unreliable, DRI technology had advanced so much that it’s output was now comparable to the quality of integrated steel plants.This technology stronghold provided them better quality steel at a cheaper cost of production, providing them with a huge c ompetitive advantage. Additionally, It was this technology, aided by a proven SWAT team and protocol, which supported their ability to transform underperforming government owned plants to profitable ones in a short period. LMN’s initial approach was to resurrect distressed government owed plants then breath new life into them through technology sharing and smart practices.He soon sought larger targets that would provide him not only economies of scale, but also provide competitive advantages through geographic scope. Starting with Karmet, he began to shift his targeting toward plants that were either highly integrated, possessed significant mineral rights, or supplied a strategic geographic advantage. Through designing their activity architecture in this way, Mittal steel became the world's largest and most integrated steelmaker; providing strong positions in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.The result of their strategic positioning, combined with their focus of coordi nation through KIP and KMP, made Mittal the first firm in the industry to operate as a transnational organization. Each plant provided its own uniqueness, providing different capabilities and skills that could be harnessed for the good of the whole organization. There was also a heavy flow of people, materials and finances between the interdependent plants, but at the center of it all was the Mittal Steel directing tight coordination and a shared strategic decision making process. On a regional level, they operated through regional hubs.This allows Mittal’s positioning of adjacent plants to source from the same suppliers, increasing their bargaining power and reliability of supply, while not jeopardizing cannibalism of sales as each plant’s customer base was unique to their location. Mittal’s vertical integration in mining and low cost position helps support profitability and helps to  reduce capital expenditure needs. They are the most diversified steel  co mpany in the world in terms of asset  location and market presence. They also have a diverse product range, including both flat and long steel.As such, Mittal is not overly dependent on any single  region, product, or end market. These benefits are somewhat mitigated however by the risks associated with Mittal’s rapid expansion through acquisitions. These include such things as institutional risks associated with emerging markets and uncertainties regarding the integration of newly acquired assets, although Mittal's  integration track record has been successful to date. Arcelor Acquisition In light of the above information, I believe that Mittal should pursue the Arcelor acquisition aggressively.Mittal Steel & Arcelor complement each other in terms of geographical coverage and product mix, as there is no significant overlap. Mittal has strong positions in the U. S. market; low-cost operations in Central and  Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa; and vertical raw-material i ntegration. Arcelor is the leader in higher value-added products with strongholds in Western Europe and Brazil, as well as a focus on Russia, India, and China. I believe that the positioning of Arcelor’s plants and resource capabilities would integrate nicely to Mittal’s activity architecture.There would be very minimal duplications of effort, and many of the regions that Arcelor operates are in prime locations to source raw materials. The addition will only strengthen Mittal’s integrated transnational value chain. Through acquisition, Mittal would produce nearly 110 million tonnes of steel per year, making them three times as large than their next competitor. Although this can lead to diseconomies of scale, in Mittal’s case, as the largest player in the steel industry both globally and in the key markets, the combined group would enjoy significant bargaining power.Additionally, through shared expertise, the combined entity would be in a better position t o develop the high growth region of China and South East Asia. Arcelor’s alliance with Nippon and Mittal’s acquisition of Karmet and stake in Valin will provide access to critical Asian markets. Regardless of the â€Å"synergies† the acquisition will create, caution still needs to be exercised by Mittal. There are evident signs that the acquisition will not be welcomed by Arcelor, assuming that Mr. Dolle’s canceled meeting and unreturned phone call was an indication to his temperature on the proposal.If the acquisition turned hostile there is a good chance Mittal would have to overpay for Arcelor, which could have adverse affects to it investment ratings. At the current bid price Mittal would already have to leverage â‚ ¬5 billion and would be in debt by â‚ ¬11. 5 billion. Although they have a good track record of ROI and the industry as a whole has seen a spike in ROIC, they do not want to spend more than they have to. Despite the favorable history and perceived synergies, Mittal should pay at a maximum â‚ ¬27. 1 billion for the deal. They should obviously try to pay as close to the current bid as possible, but at â‚ ¬27. billion they are still in a position where they could access the capital needed given their successful history. Also, at the mark of â‚ ¬27. 1 billion their debt would raise to â‚ ¬20 billion, but with an EBITDA of over â‚ ¬5. 5 billion annually, not to mention the added revenues from the acquisition, the debt could be confidently paid off in a reasonable timeframe. If the bidding exceeds the mark of â‚ ¬27. 1 billion, the negotiations should be ceased and Mittal should pursue other opportunities to continue their global footprint expansion.

Environmental Psychology Essay

Environmental psychology is likely to be a new field for you, although many of the concepts are probably familiar. Provide your own definition of the discipline. Discuss an important milestone or influence in the development of environmental psychology and provide reasoning as to why you chose this one. The definition of environmental psychology to Sharp is the focus or study of how environments influence and affect one’s life and actions. Thoughts behind this may be why a cold restaurant makes people eat faster and why retail shops play certain music. Some people drink more when they are out with friends at a bar or restaurant but drinks less at home. The point behind environmental psychology is to examine why people react in these ways. Environmental psychologists make small improvements in working areas to encourage more productivity from the employees, such as a more â€Å"homey† feel to a cubicle or better music choice for background noise. â€Å"Architectural psychology† is, in Sharp’s opinion, an important influence in environmental psychology. Architectural psychology gave importance to the physical environment of one’s area (Steg, 2013). This period led to the advancement of relief of the physical stressors in environments. It focused on how buildings could be better built and designed, inside and out. The design of rooms and buildings can drastically affect how people function in a given area, whether at work or at home. Many architects develop buildings that reflect the sun to reduce interior temperatures. They also focus on aesthetics of rooms and create rooms where crowding is lessened from a simple design change; for example, elevated ceilings and bigger windows open a room up to make it seem much larger (â€Å"Becoming an Environmental Psychologist,† 2012).

Exploratory Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Exploratory Narrative - Essay Example They even use hidden cameras to see pin numbers as they are typed in by cardholders and then later on they steal wallets and withdraw cash from ATM machines (Safdar). The ease of robbing others is making this crime popular amongst individuals with criminal minds and intentions. This crime is on the rise and the loss of wealth can be significant if this crime goes undetected. I therefore strongly feel that we can all become the next target of such criminals. I feel that this crime must be stopped by card issuing companies by changing the design of information storage on cards, which is possible if they use small chips for storing information. Moreover, on individual basis we can take certain precautions to prevent criminals from getting access to our private information. When using the cash machine I will surely look out for any signs of glue, hidden cameras, and even cover my hand when I type in my pin code. Only this way I can avoid being robbed and loose my hard earned

Benefits of Exercise Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benefits of Exercise - Research Paper Example In this essay, the various types of exercise and their effects on health will be discussed. Types of exercise There are different types of exercise and these can be categorized into 3 groups based on their intensity. They are the light exercise, moderate exercise and vigorous exercise. During light exercise, it is possible for the exerciser to talk. Walking is an example of light exercise. In moderate exercise, there is mild feeling of out of breath for the exerciser. Examples of moderate exercise include brisk walking, walking uphill and moderate cycling. During vigorous exercise, the exerciser experiences panting. Examples of this type of exercise include fast cycling, running and heavy weight training (Christian, Medical NewsToday). There are 2 types of exercise and they are aerobic and anaerobic exercises. In aerobic exercise, the aim of the exercise is to increase the oxygen consumption of the body. The exercises are usually of moderate intensity and involve large muscle groups. It involves warming up and exercise for 20 minutes, followed by cooling down. A simple example for aerobic exercise is running for 20 minutes and playing badminton for 30 minutes. On the other hand, in anaerobic exercise, the muscles are exercised at high intensities for short durations, which are less than 2 minutes. Oxygen is not used during these exercises and hence they use fewer calories than aerobic exercises (Christian, Medical NewsToday). Benefits of exercise on general health Benefits of aerobic exercise include, strengthening of respiratory muscles, thus facilitating improved inflow and outflow of air from the lungs, strengthening and enlargement of the heart muscle, thus causing lowering of heart rate during resting, toning of muscles, reduction in blood pressure, improvement in blood circulation, increase in the number of red blood cells, improvement in the quality of sleep and improvement in mental health. Other benefits include decrease in diseases like migraine, decr ease in the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases, improvement in survival rates in those with already established heart disease, stimulation of bone growth, thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis, increase in stamina and endurance, increased ability to store fat and glycogen within muscles, increased blood flow through muscles, increased ability of the muscles to use fats during exercise, thus enhancing preservation of intramuscular glycogen. Benefits of anaerobic exercises include increase in the strength and power of muscles. They also help in strengthening of bones, protection of joints and control of body weight. Examples of anaerobic exercises are sprinting, weight lifting, interval training, intensive and fast skipping, isometrics and rapid burst of hard exercise (Christian, Medical NewsToday). There are some exercises which include a combination of muscle strengthening, stretching and balancing. A good example of such combination exercise is Yoga. Most e xperts agree that stretching itself is a good form of exercise. Yoga improves balance, movements, posture and flexibility (Christian, Medical NewsToday). The best health effect of exercise is prevention and treatment of obesity. Obesity is prevalent all over the world, particularly in the developed nations. Approximately 7% of the estimated current world population is obese (Uwaifo, Emedicine). Obesity affects all races. It is prevalent equally in both the

The Development Information Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

The Development Information Security - Essay Example There are many well-known security standards available, for instance, ISO, NIST, and COBAT. However, most of the Security Frameworks stress more on compliance requirements and controls rather than effectiveness. Standards, procedures and practices provided to larger organization easily swamp the SMEs. Due to lack of resources, SMEs often spend minimum amount on security and scarcely utilize their resources to apply hundreds of good practices provided by security standards and frameworks. Furthermore, SMEs do not adapt to all the ISO security standards rather they define their own strategies in order to meet their specific security goals. It indicates the importance of providing SMEs a security framework that facilitates the task of identifying and applying security measures in accordance with their own needs and requirements. Therefore, we need to go back to square one and design a more suitable portfolio of solutions in order to cater a broader set of organizations and circumstances . There is no single industry security standard that provides all the answers. However, a good industry standard does provide a widely accepted and proven framework. It not only defines a particular security program in order to provide a foundation for security system but also satisfies particular needs of the organization. Such framework is derived from the development of a prioritized set of objectives and practices as suggested by literature and standards provided by ISO standards. This security framework provides steps to establish best suited Information Security Management System (ISMS) for SMEs. These ISMS are based on ISO standards which enable SMEs to see the value of security outside of technical constraints and regulatory compliance. Moreover, it helps SMEs to incorporate security  practices, controls and procedures to align business requirements with IT security requirements. Moreover, it provides support for effective use of technology, central management, adaptabilit y, flexibility, performance, interoperability and compliance on the forefront.

SNCC and the Rise of Black Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SNCC and the Rise of Black Power - Essay Example However, some key events over the years such as â€Å"Freedom Summer and Atlantic City National Democratic Convention† played a key role in the political radicalization and shift of ideology to â€Å"Black Power† (Davies ). Stokely Carmichael became the new radical leader of SNCC and was at the forefront of black power. He was infamous for advocating that African Americans should use self defence when attacked and agitating for revolutionary violence against oppression (Davies). Consequently, he further radicalized SNCC until his exit in 1967 to the Black Panther Party. The foremost tactics of the SNCC during its inception was aimed at protesting against the segregation culture that affected African Americans at the time. Later, in the mid 1960s, its involvement in fighting for political rights was majorly due to the denial of voter rights to African Americans in the South. The final metamorphosis to ‘Black Power’ in the late 60s was after the countless vio lent acts that African Americans were subjected to by the Southern racists. Moreover, the federal government had frustrated their quest for political liberalization from southern racist politicians. Consequently, the shift in ideology and strategies reflected the racial injustice, violence, and political intolerance that African Americans faced during the early 1960s to late