On The Semiosphere by Juri Lotman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

On The Semiosphere by Juri Lotman - Essay Example Here, Lotman has successfully put forth an example which could make his complex arguments very clear to even a lay person, through the use of analogy. The allegory is easy to understand for the reader. The overall conclusion that this essay arrives at is that, â€Å"the levels of the semiosphere comprise an inter-connected group of semiospheres, each of them being simultaneously both participant in the dialogue (as part of the semiosphere) and the space of dialogue (the semiosphere as a whole)† (Lotman, 205). Lotman has started his essay by referring to the two major schools of thought in semiotics, one the Saussurian school which focuses on the ‘act of communication’ and the Piercean school which stresses on the ‘sign’, the basic, coded, element of communication (205). Then he moves ahead to point out that both these schools have some thing in common, which is the stress that they give either to a single communication act or a single sign, ie; a sing le, atomic element (Lotman, 206). By describing this background, Lotman starts a logical reasoning process by giving chronological data and putting it as a block in the very beginning of the essay.   He has argued that, in this way, â€Å"the individual act of sign exchange has come to be regarded as a model of natural language [†¦] -as universal semiotic models† (Lotman, 206).In the next step of his rhetoric, Lotman has contested this conventional thought. He has opined that, this kind of reasoning is part of the traditional and flawed scientific thinking., where one is tempted always to move â€Å"from the simple to the complex’, and whereby one gets trapped into attributing a character to the object of study, just because it provided some convenience to make an analysis (Lotman, 206). In this way, Lotman has been applying the method of logos which says that the study of communication, or

In Defense of Globalization - International Trade and Free Markets Essay - 1

In Defense of Globalization - International Trade and Free Markets - Essay Example One of the most important provisions under neoliberalism has been international trade and free markets. This concept of free and market-based economies can be traced back to more than 200 years back when the idea was born during the years of the Industrial Revolution. Evidence of the emergence of this idea can be traced to the discussion of such ideas in a book titled The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith in 1776, which professed that in order to attain maximum efficiency, any form of intervention into the working of the market had to be withheld by the government and all kinds of taxes and surcharges on manufacturing and commerce had to be done away with. Given the old practices of the olden days, such new and innovative ideas were immediately opposed, due to which, free markets had to be introduced by force. The introduction of free markets led to a strong growth of the economies of the countries (especially the ones in Europe) that were undergoing the industrial revolution. However, the booming trade and the discovery of new lands prompted these nations to promote trade overseas, which did not go according to what Free market theory had professed. The mercantilist system helped the imperial powers in carrying out unfair trade practices, which helped them to get richer at the expense of the overseas territories, which became poorer and poorer. This led to the creation of a financial imbalance in the world order, which saw some nations getting very prosperous at the behest of other nations, whose people were forced to remain poor. The trend in this direction continued to persist until the Second World War, whose culmination witnessed a reduction in the economic might of the empires. This reduction of strength prompted the colonized countries to break free one after another. However, the massive changes in the world geopolitical system saw the evolution of different forms of government in various countries, such as democracy in India and Communism in the Soviet Union and Russia.     

Sports Essay On The Importance Of Health Essay Example for Free

Sports Essay On The Importance Of Health Essay For maximum realization of human potential, interplay between health, wellness, and fitness is essential. Health refers to a state of complete mental, physical, and social well-being, and not just in absence of infirmity or diseases. Wellness refers to condition of physical and mental health. Fitness refers to a quality that enables someone to carry out a certain role or task. The topic will be essential in exploring the importance carried by the interaction between health, wellness, and fitness in people. The paper will start by discussing health, its dimensions, and the factors influencing it. After health, wellness will be discussed in regards to the descriptions, the dimensions of wellness, and the factors influencing it. Physical fitness will also be discussed, and then lastly the value of having health, wellness, and physical fitness. Health Health, according to World Health Organization, refers to a state of complete mental, physical, and social well-being, and not just in absence of infirmity or diseases. The dimensions of health include physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and social. I think physical health refers to the state the body is in regarding its compositions, functions, development, and maintenance. The intellectual dimension is the ability to come up with skills and knowledge essential in enhancing our life. The emotional dimension means one’s ability in accepting and coping with their situation, and the feelings of others. Social dimension refers to the ability in building and maintaining relationships that satisfy our needs naturally. This is vital because we are social beings. Spiritual dimension refers to our ability to search for the purpose, and meaning of life (MD-Health.com, 2013). Factors influencing our health include the economic and social environment, our individual behaviors and characteristics, and the physical environment. The economic factors affect our choices regarding health. The rich can easily access vital services that can help transform health status. Issues explored regarding the physical environment include clean water and air, healthy work environments, good roads, and safe houses with favorable  neighborhoods. The individual behaviors for instance social networks are associated with good health. The genetic aspect, as well as the gender aspect are associated with our making, and are essential in determining our health. Accessibility to health services also influences our health in the sense that information and services regarding our health are readily available (MD-Health.com, 2013). Wellness Wellness is defined as the condition or state of being in good mental and physical health. Every aspect of our wellness is affected by stress. The dimensions of wellness include social, spiritual, emotional, occupational, environmental, physical wellness, and intellectual well being. Social wellness refers to our ability in relating and connecting with the other people in our places. Emotional fulcrum is our ability to understand ourselves, and cope with challenges brought by life. Our ability to establish peace with ourselves is categorized as spiritual wellness. Recognizing our own responsibility regarding the quality of air, water, and land is entailed in environmental well being. Occupational wellness is our ability to get fulfillment from jobs or in the careers we choose. The ability to open our own minds to ideas that are new is inclusive in intellectual wellness. Physical wellness refers to our ability to maintain healthy quality of life that permits us to go on with our daily activities (University-of-California, 2012). Factors influencing wellness include the health habits, family history, environment, access to health services, attitude, and media and technology. Health habits for instance smoking can lead to heart disease. Our daily health choices affect our level of health. The family history plays a role in pre disposition to a wide variety of conditions that affect our wellness. Examples of these conditions include heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. The physical environment refers to the things that we get exposed to in our work places, schools, and the general environment. They include air, radiation, water, sounds, crime, and recreational facilities. Our access to health services for instance vaccination, screening, and early treatment is essential in improving our quality of life. Our attitude, for instance optimism affects wellness by interacting with our decisions (University-of-California, 2012). Physical Fitness Physical fitness refers to being in good physical condition sometimes referred to as being in condition or in shape. The health related factors to physical fitness include muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, flexibly, and body composition. Muscular strength is the ability of our muscles to exert maximal force in a given motion range. Muscular endurance is the ability of muscles to exert sub maximal force through a certain range of motion, or at a certain point over a specified period of time. Cardiovascular endurance refers to the ability to go on with training of the system over a longer period of time. The ability of a joint to move through full motion range is called flexibility. Body composition is the ratio of lean mass of body to the fat body mass. The skills related factors to physical fitness include speed, agility, power, co ordination, balance, and reaction times (Hoeger Sharon, 2011). The Value of Having Health, Wellness, and Physical Fitness The interaction between health wellness is quite essential in our lives because of many benefits that encapsulate. They include reduced risk of premature death, reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, decrease in resting heart rate, regulation of normal blood pressure, decrease in body fat, increase in HDL and decrease in LDL, and reduced risk of diabetes. Other benefits we gain include joint stability, strengthened bones, increase in muscle mass, increase in resting metabolism, improved core strength, improved balance and coordination, improved body image and self-esteem, reduced depression, and stress management (Sharkey Gaskill, 2006). How to Maintain Your Body Healthy, Well and Fit It is of crucial importance that we maintain our bodies healthy, well, and fit. Measures in maintaining our bodies healthy, well, and fit include engagement in aerobic exercise daily. The exercises increase our stamina and heart health. Another measure is choosing nutritious foods that offer minerals, vitamins, and elements to the body for optimal running. Lifting weight also offers us a way of trimming fat, increasing muscle mass, and boosting the immune system. Reducing stress is also an important option in  shaping the health of our minds. Stress leads us to eat for comfort, overeat, sink onto depression, and avoid exercise. These attributes are not favorable to good health. It is vital for us to meet with friends or join community groups in order to maintain good health (Hoeger Sharon, 2011). For maximum realization of human potential, interplay between health, wellness, and fitness is essential. Several factors as explored here above are important in determining health, wellness, and fitness in our lives. There seems to be a closer relation between wellness and health, as well as the factors that affect the components. There is also an enormous value in maintaining fitness in regards to the health status attained. Stress needs to be avoided for attainment of highest level of wellness, health, and physical activity . http://collegepapersamples.com/essay-samples/the-importance-of-health-wellness-and-fitness

Mainstream Literature Does this Worsen the Text?

Mainstream Literature Does this Worsen the Text? How far does conceding to the popular mainstream strip a text of its literariness? (Explore the ways in which your chosen essay texts negotiate competing demands of literary and the popular) William Faulkner said of Ernest Hemingway: He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary (UOI, 1947) attempting to demean the literariness of his works. Hemingway responded; Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use. (Ross, 1950) His response to Faulkners elitism suggests that a text does not have to adhere to the implicit, often judgemental rules that define a piece of work as literary in order to be worthy of such a title. Using the poems of Linton Kwesi Johnson and The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins, I will analyse how both authors navigate the fine line between what is popular and what is literary, and whether this affects the overall impact of their work or its integrity as literary fiction. I intend to argue that a text does not have to present itself in a literary fashion in order to be considered worthy of the te rm literary, and similarly, literary texts can exist without conforming to the demands of mainstream culture whilst still being appreciated by modern society. In its simplest definition, literature is simply a written work; it is only when we place the boundaries of what is considered intellectual, or art, upon it that there becomes any kind of speculation as to whether a writers work is literary or not. In contrast, popular culture is a term associated with primarily Western entertainment, news, technology and sports. In its initial conception, the idea of popular was one associated with the uneducated working class, in comparison to the literary culture of the upper classes. Pop culture was the culture of those outside the power establishment; it was entirely separate from scorned and excluded by those in power, who had their own official culture (Berrong, 1986). As a result, there is an ongoing elitism toward popular culture, with many labelling it trite or unintelligent, or suggesting that low culture stress substance, form and being totally subservient; there is no explicit concern with abstract ideas or even with fictional forms of contemporary social problems and issues content to depict traditional working class values. (Gans, 2008) As a result, creators and audiences of popular culture are by association considered to be superficial or lacking in intellect. Popular fiction is defined as plot-driven fictional works, written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre, (French, 2010) so as to appeal to mainstream readers who buy into the pre-existing format because it is familiar, recognisable and easily digested. These so-called conventions of popular fiction are specific settings, roles, events and values that define individual genres and their subgenres (McKee, 1997) and often, publishing houses are known to present obligatory guidelines for authors to follow in order to have their works considered for publication. Any literature in fitting with these conventions is usually considered separate from literary fiction by critics for being stereotypical and poorly written; those texts are created solely to provide escapism to its readership as opposed to meaningful, carefully crafted prose that might incite thought or action. Literary fiction refers to works that hold so-called literary merit, which here means that they compr ise of political commentary, comments on societal hegemonic ideologies and the human condition. Like its popular counterpart, literary fiction is written purposely with its own set of conventions in mind, with the difference being that the focus of the works involved lingers more on themes than on fast-paced plot progression or audience appeal. It is arguable that pop culture is the easiest way to appease the mainstream, an audience fundamentally made up of young people; technology has transformed culture, especially popular culture, into the primary educational site in which youth learn about themselves and the larger world (Giroux, 2000). There has always been contentious debate regarding the discrepancies between high art, a category into which literature falls, and popular culture. However, it is arguable that this debate is obsolete; the distinction between the two is blurred just because a piece of work is easily accessible and appeals to the masses, does not necessarily sacr ifice its credibility or deem it an unintelligent piece of work that is lacking in thought. A televised adaptation of Austens Pride and Prejudice, or Baz Luhrmans modern reimagining of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, for instance, could be considered literary in an intertextual manner, being as their origins hail from classic literature. For instance, author John Storey would argue that the quantitative definition of culture has the problem that much high culture is also popular (Storey, 2014), making the two difficult to separate into distinguishable categories. It also could be said that pop culture is more intrinsic to society than so called high art, because it wields so much influence over the general public and which media they do or do not consume; in the struggle over the symbolic order that characterizes our times, popular culture developed by name brands and various forms of media, including the Hollywood film industry is crucial in creating the identities and representat ions that our youth embrace (Reynolds 2006). Linton Kwesi Johnson is a Jamaican writer based in the United Kingdom the second living poet, and the only poet of colour, to be immortalised in the Penguin Modern Classics collection. Johnson is a dub poet a genre that is, according to him, overcompensation for deprecation and as a writer, refuses to conform to English standards of poetry; he uses Creole patois as a political statement, defying the expectations society holds for poets. This phonetic, unstandardized transcription of his own language is certainly not that of great literary figures Jane Austen, George Orwell or Charles Dickens, and yet, he has been awarded the Golden PEN award in 2012 for a Lifetimes Distinguished Service to Literature. His idea of poetry has been passed through generations, and did not simply consist of standard Received Pronunciation English or what was deemed publishable but included traditional slave songs. Johnsons poetry is heavily inspired by the Black Panther movement, a group in which he be came active during his school years; their belief being that violence in the face of constant racism is necessary, using militant revolutionary force against the racist police and segregation of 1960s London. He himself describes his writing as a political act [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] poetry was a cultural weapon (Wroe, 2008). It was during Johnsons childhood that the SAS law, or the 1824 vagrancy act, was reintroduced, which enabled the police to arrest someone they suspected had intentions of committing a crime, allowing police to exploit and arrest people of colour in London without any evidence. The subject matter of his poetry is usually political, depicting his experiences as an African-Carribean living in Britain, but has also focused on foreign policies and police brutality. Johnsons poem If I woz a tap natch poet serves not only as an example of his subversion from the conventions of literary work but simultaneously describes his rejection of the canon, and his interstitial position between musician and poet, between high art and popular culture, between politics and aesthetics (McGill 2003). For instance, he begins if I waz a tap-natch poet, like Chris Okigbo, Derek Walcot ar T.S Eliot (Johnson, 2004); the opening challenges any predispositions suggesting that canons operate according to transparent principles of coherency or homogeneity. Chris Okigbo signals an alternative to the Western Canon advocated by critics. In contrast, Derek Walcott is a Nobel laureate, and his appearance suggests a movement back towards conservative tastes. However, the inclusion of T.S. Eliot demonstrates that the canon Johnson is crafting is unfortunately one made up entirely of people of colour. He continues by saying if he were top-notch himself, he would write a poem so h dyam deep/dat it bittah-sweet (Johnson, 2004), implying that the works of Okigbo, Walcott and Eliot create work that is deep or poses intellectual questions, a prerequisite of literariness. Moreover, the poem appears to carry another irony when analysed more thoroughly in that T. S Eliot appears as a token white poet, which is reflective of the way in which right-wing institutions that anthologise the zeitgeist of the times, such as anthologies, are known for including very few people of colour, sometimes just a single person, to demonstrate supposed diversity and avoid criticism or backlash from minorities. On perhaps the other end of the literary spectrum to Johnson is Suzanne Collins, an American writer, renowned for her young adult dystopian trilogy The Hunger Games. She was born in Harvard, Connecticut but being the daughter of a military officer, consistently moved across America. Consequently, inspired by her fathers career in the Air Force, her work tackles themes of war and its effects on the world, including poverty, starvation and innocent civilian death. The Hunger Games is set in Panem, a post-apocalyptic America made up of the Capitol and 12 surrounding districts; every year, two children from each district, male and female, are chosen to take part in an obligatory, televised fight to the death, known as the Hunger Games. The staggering popularity of her work resulted in her being named one of Time magazines most influential people of 2010 and as of March 2012, became the best-selling Kindle author of all time. It is not unusual for creators of literature to use so called p op culture tropes and appropriate them into high culture works; with the blurred lines of literary and popular first identifiable in the Romantic period where romance fiction became a substantial influence on future literature, despite having been previously disparaged. More recent examples include Andy Warhols use of the Campbell soup can in his pop art, as well as artist Jeff Koons conceptualising kitsch and pornography, subject matters often vilified for lacking in culture or finesse, to create new work which is supposedly worthier of the label high art. This same technique of intertextuality and the idea that any one piece of literature is created by combining several others is arguably evidenced in Collins dystopian novel; on the surface, it is a young adult romance implementing the typical formulaic conventions and character archetypes evidenced in the majority of mainstream pop culture, arguably inspired by the critical success of Stephanie Meyers Twilight saga. However, when discussing the origin of The Hunger Games, Collins cites the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur as the most significant inspiration for her book a classic Greek tale wherein Minos forces the people of Athens to sacrifice 14 women and children to be slaughtered by the Minotaur in the never-ending labyrinth. She also interweaved the concept of the Roman gladiator games; an all-powerful and ruthless government, people forced to fight to the death, and the games role as a source of popular information (Scholastic, 2010) and in doing so, she successfully brings re nowned, classic Greek literature to the mainstream audiences, albeit in a more easily digestible fashion, by reimagining the stories in a fashion that appeals to pop culture fans. Contrastingly, Johnsons poetry focuses not on fabled morality tales, but on real life issues of racism, segregation and police brutality, particularly in London, where he grew up. It can be assumed that, as this is not a topic to which popular culture utilise for its audiences, he does not concern himself with the opinions of critics, or of his audience for that matter, on his work. It is my understanding that it is more important for Johnson to promote anti-racial messages and protest against the mistreatment of people of colour. Johnson himself said that writing anti-establishment poetry during the Race Riots could be considered an act of protest, an act that could have been to his great detriment as a result of the United Kingdoms fervent racism. This shows Johnson to have integrity he is writing about what he believes is important and worth saying; one way to perform a test of literary merit must be, first, the sincerity of the writer. I would be willing, I think, even to add t he seriousness of purpose of the writer (Peters, 2006). From this, one can argue that Johnsons sincerity in his writing of his experiences, and his determination to express anger and encourage reactions to political issues makes his work literary. In If I waz a tap-natch poet, he purposely distinguishes himself from any of the other writers he mentions; he seems to exist in a liminal space, and it is difficult to discern where he sees himself within the hierarchy of literary and popular. It is arguable that he doesnt consider himself a part of either category, because neither of them serve any importance to him. However, whether a text is deemed literary or popular is very rarely a decision made by its own creator; Johnson is simply distancing himself from the process, as he feels it is unnecessary. Although his work holds no evidence of popular culture references, it is certainly popular amongst a specific minority group; people of colour. They have experienced many of the atrociti es he writes of, and can relate to them in a way that the white Western mainstream cannot. As a result, I would argue that Johnsons writing is certainly popular amongst a niche audience, and that appealing to the mass market is not the only category that makes a text worthy of the title. Johnson first became active in the poet community in school, but he was not published until 1974, in the journal Race Today. In the same year, Harper Lees controversial bildungsroman To Kill a Mockingbird was also released. Both Johnson and Lee tackle the subject matter of racism, albeit in different areas of the world, and Lees novel is regarded as one of the greatest of our generation. The difference between Harper Lee and Linton Kwesi Johnson is that one is a privileged white woman, and the other a Jamaican man of working-class background, whose poetry is not isnt carefully pre-packaged in the standard Oxford Dictionary English, the mainstream being young white heterosexual teenagers, who of cour se, prefer to access literature in this way. Johnson is angry about his mistreatment, and that of so many other people of colour, at the hands of white policemen and politicians and civilians. When declaring a text worthy of literary merit, critics significantly consider the moral or messages the story is trying to create, usually through the medium of symbolism or allegory. The metonymic concept of bread and circuses becomes particularly apt when looking at The Hunger Games, as the Latin translation Panem et circenses served as inspiration for the name of the novels fictional setting, Panem. The phrase, first used by Juvenal, who was degrading the sheep-like nature of common people, their selfishness and obliviousness to wider concerns and civic duty, alludes to an appeasement with a lack of substance. It refers to the way in which supposedly democratic governments make use of superficial distractions to satisfy the immediate, shallow requirements of a populace in order to continue to manipulate them for hegemonic gain. Although this could make reference to the Capitols attempts to placate the districts so they cannot overthrow their regime and dismantle their hierarchy, it could also be an allegory for the way in which popular culture works in the real world. When taking a Marxist reading of the novel, it is arguable that Collins was inspired by the Industrial Revolution, most noticeably the living conditions in 19th century Europe. Katniss illustrates this by saying What must it be like, I wonder, to live in world where food appears at the press of a button? How would I spend the hours I now commit to combing the woods for sustenance if it were so easy to come by (Collins, 2008). Collins plot coincides with Marxs socialist philosophy; Panem is comprised of two groups, the proletariat, or the people of the districts, and the bourgeoisie, or the Capitol. This highlights what is a fundamentally unfair system wherein the majority of wealth is held by the minority whilst the general public struggle to maintain a living. This is further evidenced by President Snows hosting of the Hunger Games, themselves, wherein his government hold complete power over the Districts and their people, who have absolutely no hope of ascending to higher status. Katniss, the protagonist of the novel, lives in the district that is hardest hit by the Capitols regime. She represents the lowest of the proletariat, whereas the closer the districts are to the Capitol, the more advantageous; Its tempting, so tempting, when I see the bounty waiting there before me. And I know that if I dont get it, someone else will. That the Career Tributes who survive the bloodbath will divide up most of these life-sustaining spoils. (Collins, 2008) Here, Katniss describes the Career tributes are more likely to survive, having received training for their entire lives to prepare for the games. Whilst Districts One and Two still have to supply children for the games, this is a mere faà §ade, bread and circuses; Snow makes the districts think everything is equal, but in actuality, the Career tributes are much likelier to survive and win the Games, thus maintaining the bourgeo isie whilst slowly killing off the poor. However, Katniss follows the Marxist ideology and seizes the means of production. Collins writes Without a victor, the whole thing would blow up in the Gamemakers faces. Theyd have failed the Capitol. Might possibly even be executed slowly and painfully, while the cameras broadcast it to every screen in the country (Collins, 2008) By refusing to conform, rejecting the role of victor and encouraging Peeta to do the same, this forces the Gamemakers to change the rules and allow both to win. Katniss is still aware, though, that the Capitol would have the power to make an example of the Gamemakers to restore order. These allusions to Marxism and communist theory imply that there is a lot more depth to Collins work than it at first seems; by incorporating themes of real life class issues, she is commenting on societal problems and posing a moral question regarding Americas modern class system. When asked how he would define literariness, critic Walter Van Tilburg Clark declared the final test of literary merit, is the power to endure obviously such a test cannot be applied to a new or recent work, and one cannot, I think, offer soundly an opinion on the probability of endurance (Peters, 2006). Here, he is arguing that the most significant criterion of the definition is that if a text can endure, it can be considered worthy of literary merit. It is not, then, necessary for a text to follow the other rules regarding context, connotations or conveying a higher meaning; if a text is popular, it is likely to endure. The Hunger Games Trilogy spent 50 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated to the screen as a multi-million dollar film series. Such a lengthy stay at the top of a highly-regarded rating system is suggestive of endurance, and therefore, regardless of the issues the trilogy presents in terms of stereotypical pop-culture tropes and character moulds, it can be defined as literary. In addition, the concept of literariness is one that is inherently subjective; particularly because aesthetic value is entirely based in personal preference. It is, according to critics, a relic of a scholarly elite.Similarly, the predispositions regarding popular texts and its dismissal as uncultured also seem to be outdated views stemming from old-fashioned beliefs. The examination and understanding of popular culture, therefore, is necessary to understanding ourselves, our identities and the world that surrounds us. A text that is considered brilliant by one, will be terrible to another; we each have different interests and tastes, and there is never going to be unanimity when defining literary and popular and the difference between them. The study of popular culture enables us to consider literature in a less judgemental, more open-minded fashion, voiding the inherent laws of what makes a text literary or fundamentally good. Popular cultur e does not exclusively lend itself only to companies to churn out poorly-written prose lacking in value and increase financial revenue, although it is manipulated by those in power to detract from real life issues; just because this is the case some of the time, it doesnt define all literature that falls into the category of popular as unworthy of also being literary. The two terms are not mutually exclusive, and a text does not give up its right to being one by adhering to some characteristics of the other. The spectrum of defining literary and popular categories, albeit arbitrary in nature, which are not binary opposites in terms of literature, is, in my opinion, one that is entirely personal, and each individual will hold opinion on where any given text falls; that does not make them true, as there are no correct answers. Word Count: 3496 _____________________________________________________________________ References Johnson, L. K (2002) If I Woz a Nap-Natch Poet, Mi Revalueshanary Fren: Selected Poems London: Penguin Collins, Suzanne (2008) The Hunger Games New York, Scholastic University of Iowa (1967) An Interview With William Faulkner The Western Review: A Literary Quarterly, Volume 15, Number 4 Ross, Lillian (1950) Profiles: How Do You Like It Now, Gentlemen? The New Yorker, F. R. Publishing Corporation, New York. Berrong, R.M (1986) Rabelais and Bakhtin: Popular Culture in Gargantua and Pantagruel University of Nebraska Press Gans, Herbert J (2008) Popular culture and high culture Basic Books. pp. 8-10 Storey, J (2014) From Popular Culture to Everyday Life Routledge French, C.T Literary Fiction vs Genre Fiction[online] http://www.authorsden.com/categories/article_top.asp?catid=10id=18884 (accessed December 2016) McKee, R (1997) Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting New York: HarperCollins. p. 87 Giroux, Henry (2000) Stealing Innocence: Youth, Corporate Power and the Politics of Culture, New York, St. Martins Press Reynolds, W (2006) Cultural curriculum studies, multiplicity and cinematic-machines Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, Caddo Gap Press Wroe, N (2008) I did my own thing [online] https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/mar/08/featuresreviews.guardianreview11 (accessed December 2016) McGill, R (2003) Goon poets of the black Atlantic: Linton Kwesi Johnsons imagined canon Textual Practice, Vol. 17, Issue 3 Scholastic (2010) Video: Classical Inspiration, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins [online] http://ww(w.scholastic.com/thehungergames/videos/classical-inspiration.htm (accessed December 2016) Bill, M; Peters, N (2006) Howl on Trial: The Battle for Free Expression City Lights Books. p. 224. Poland as a Potential Market: Environmental Analysis Poland as a Potential Market: Environmental Analysis 1.  INTRODUCTION Servcorp is an Australian-owned services company that specialises in the provision of business solutions. Its main offerings include fully-serviced office packages (office space bundled with IT and communications infrastructure and accompanied by IT and administrative staff), virtual office products such as communications and address services, and meeting rooms for hire (Servcorp, n.d.). Servcorp has expanded its operations into New Zealand, the U.S., Asia, and Europe. While the company operates in the UK, Belgium, and France, it does not currently operate in Poland. In this report, I will analyse five environmental factors relevant to the consideration of Poland as a potential market for Servcorp. These are the country’s political and legal environment, economic environment, trade and financial environment, social and cultural environment, and infrastructure. The ensuing discussion will integrate these findings and provide an overall outlook for Poland. Finally, based on these analyses, a number of recommendations will be put forward regarding Servcorp’s potential expansion into Poland. 3.  ANALYSIS OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT 3.1.  Political and legal environment Poland has become one of the most politically stable European countries since it joined the European Union (EU) in 2004 (Bujnicki, 2013). In 2012, Poland ranked below the OECD average on the FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index (where a lower score indicates fewer restrictions on FDI) (OECD, 2012). Poland also has a number of state aid measures in place to attract foreign investment. For example, the country has 14 Special Economic Zones; these areas have relaxed income taxation rules and have the appropriate infrastructure in place for starting a business, though businesses require a license to operate in these zones (Lex Mundi, 2013). In Poland, then, Servcorp would find political environment that actively encourages FDI with the view that it is vital to developing the country’s economy. While Poland has few restrictions on FDI, its overall regulatory environment is somewhat complex. The World Bank (2013) ranked Poland 45 of 189 countries on the ease of doing business in 2013, though pointed out that the country’s tax system remains complex and outdated. It takes an average of 685 days to enforce contracts in Poland compared to the OECD average of 529 days, and a number of other bureaucratic hurdles remain (World Bank, 2013). For Servcorp, these factors mean that the company might have to do substantial research into Poland’s tax system, as it contains intricacies not present in Australia’s taxation laws. Property registration is a vital consideration for Servcorp, as the nature of the business means that they must acquire office space to hire out to clients as well as a building for their own use. The World Bank (2013) ranked Poland 54 on the ease of registering property. This is compared with a rank of 40 for Australia; however, there is only one more procedure involved in registering property in Poland than there is in Australia, so red tape in this arena is only slightly more pronounced. 3.2.  Economic environment Real GDP growth in Poland ranged from 1.6% to 6.8% during the period 2005-2012; Poland was the only country in the EU to experience a growth in GDP during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis (OECD, 2013). Real GDP in Poland is expected to grow by 2.7% in 2014 and 3.3% in 2015 (OECD, 2013). However, Poland experienced a small slump in economic growth in 2013; recent changes in fiscal policy have been aimed at encouraging economic growth through expanding the budget deficit and eliminating restrictions on fiscal stimulus measures (Onoszko Krasuski, 2013). Overall, demand for the modern services provided by Servcorp may increase as Poland’s citizens experience an increase in wealth and the economy continues to grow at a healthy rate as a result of these fiscal measures. The slight downturn in real GDP growth in 2013 has been accompanied by low inflation (Eglitis, 2013). This is promising for Servcorp, as it means that the business may be in a better position to make long-term plans with the knowledge that their purchasing power will not decline, and borrowing costs may be lower. With the Polish government’s planned relaxation of fiscal policy, however, Servcorp must continue to track changes in inflation given that these measures may work to raise inflation. 3.3.  Trade and financial environment Relevant bilateral agreements between Australia and Poland include the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement and the Double Taxation Agreement (DFAT, 2013). These agreements ensure that the interests of foreign investors are protected in Poland, and in the case of the latter agreement, that foreign businesses do not have to pay taxes on their business profits in each of the two countries. In short, both agreements are conducive to Servcorp doing business in Poland. A discussion regarding tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in Poland will not take place here as Servcorp is not seeking to export to or import from Poland—rather, this report considers the risks and opportunities Servcorp faces in establishing operations in Poland. For similar reasons, free trade agreements that Poland has with other European countries will not be discussed here. In 2012, Poland ranked 37 on the Financial Development Index, which along with other factors, considers a country’s financial stability (World Economic Forum, 2012). Specifically, the WEF found that Poland performed particularly well in terms of the stability of its exchange rate and banking system. The leniency with which currency transactions are treated in Poland depends heavily upon the nature of the relationship between the transactor’s home country and Poland (Lex Mundi, 2013). Because Australia has a tax treaty with Poland (ATO, 2012), Australians can expect to face minimal problems when engaging in currency transactions in Poland. It appears that Servcorp would face little financial risk in the country. 3.4.  Social and cultural environment In Poland, 60.9% of the total population live in urban areas (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013). This is compared to 80% in the UK, 97% in Belgium, and 85% in France. Poland’s comparatively low rate of urbanisation suggests that there may be less of a demand for the services that Servcorp offers (office space, IT and communications infrastructure for businesses) in Poland compared with the other European countries in which the company operates. Religion plays a prominent role in Poland, with 89.8% of the population identifying as Roman Catholic (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013). Servcorp must recognise and close business on religious occasions that are not recognised as national holidays in Australia, such as Corpus Christi. Poland also tends to score highly on uncertainty avoidance, meaning that citizens may reject unorthodox or innovative ideas put forward by some businesses (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). This poses a small risk to Servcorp given that much of their product offering rests on their â€Å"virtual office† innovation; Poles may be wary of this unfamiliar idea. In terms of corruption, Poland’s score on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in 2013 was 60 of a possible 100 (where 100 indicates no corruption whatsoever), above the world average (Transparency International, 2013). However, there is some concern that Poland does not have the appropriate frameworks in place to manage the growing risk of foreign bribery that comes with its expanding economy (OECD, 2013). Servcorp must be aware of this risk while simultaneously recognising that bribery is not an endemic part of Polish culture. 3.5.  Infrastructure Poland’s score on the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) in 2012 was 3.10 (where the maximum possible score is 5) (World Bank, 2012). This is substantially lower than the 2012 scores received by the European countries in which Servcorp currently operates (the UK, Belgium, and France, which received scores of 3.95, 4.12, and 3.96 respectively). The OECD (2013) remarked that the quality of Poland’s transport and communications infrastructure â€Å"are among the lowest in the OECD† (p. 217). A finding of particular concern is that Poland’s fixed broadband coverage is the lowest in the EU, at only 69.1% (Point Topic, 2012). Poland’s relatively low fixed broadband coverage may prove problematic for Servcorp given that a substantial portion of their business model rests on their provision of modern IT and communications infrastructure to organisations. When acquiring office space for company use as well as for hiring out to clients, a constant concern may be whether or not there is broadband access at that location. Though this is an issue, things may be set to improve: a joint venture between Hawe and TP Teltech is aimed at substantially improving Poland’s broadband infrastructure (van Blommestein, 2012). 5.  REFERENCES Australian Taxation Office. (2012). Countries that have a tax treaty with Australia. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www.ato.gov.au/General/International-tax-agreements/In-detail/Tax-treaties/Countries-that-have-a-tax-treaty-with-Australia/ Bujnicki, P. (2013, February 23). Zloty climbs as Fitch revises Poland rating outlook to positive. Bloomberg News. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-22/zloty-climbs-as-fitch-revises-poland-rating-outlook-to-positive.html Central Intelligence Agency (2013). The World Factbook: Poland. Retrieved January 7, 2014, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pl.html DFAT. (2013). Poland country brief. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/poland/poland_brief.html Eglitis, A. (2013, November 15). Polish October inflation rate drops to lowest in four months. Bloomberg News. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-14/polish-october-inflation-rate-drops-to-lowest-in-four-months.html Lex Mundi. (2013). Doing business in Poland. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www.lexmundi.com/lexmundi/Guides_To_Doing_Business.asp Ministry of Treasury (2012). Fast growth of business services sector in Poland and prospects of its continuation – business services centers are becoming Polish specialty. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://msp.gov.pl/en/polish-economy/economic-news/3641,Fast-growth-of-business-services-sector-in-Poland-and-prospects-of-its-continuat.html OECD (2012). FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www.oecd.org/investment/fdiindex.htm OECD. (2013a). Country statistical profile: Poland. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/country-statistical-profile-poland_20752288-table-pol OECD. (2013b). Poland – Economic forecast summary. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www.oecd.org/eco/outlook/polandeconomicforecastsummary.htm OECD. (2013a). Poland needs strategy to meet growing risk of foreign bribery. Retrieved January 7, 2014, from http://www.oecd.org/daf/anti-bribery/polandneedsstrategytomeetgrowingriskofforeignbribery.htm OECD. (2013b). Economic policy reforms: Going for growth 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2014, from http://www.oecd.org/inclusive-growth/Economic%20Policy%20Reforms%202013%20Going%20for%20Growth.pdf Onoszko, M., Krasuski, K. (2013, July 17). Poland to relax budget and fiscal rules to stimulate economy. Bloomberg News. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-16/polish-government-relaxes-budget-fiscal-rules-to-boost-economy.html Point Topic. (2012). Broadband coverage in Europe in 2012: Mapping progress towards the coverage objectives of the Digital Agenda. Retrieved January 7, 2014, from http://point-topic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Point-Topic-Broadband-Coverage-in-Europe-in-2012-Final-Report-20130813.pdf Servcorp. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved January 6, 2014, from http://www.servcorp.com.au/en/about-us/ The Hofstede Center. (n.d.). Poland. Retrieved January 7, 2014, from http://geert-hofstede.com/poland.html Transparency International. (2013). Corruption Perceptions Index 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2014, from http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2013/results/#myAnchor1 van Blommestein. (2012). Is Poland finally getting out of the broadband slow lane? Retrieved January 7, 2014, from http://www.zdnet.com/is-poland-finally-getting-out-of-the-broadband-slow-lane-7000003129/ World Bank. (2012). Logistics performance index: Quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure [Data set]. Retrieved January 7, 2014, from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/LP.LPI.INFR.XQ World Bank. (2013). Doing business 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www.doingbusiness.org/~/media/GIAWB/Doing%20Business/Documents/Annual-Reports/English/DB14-Full-Report.pdf World Economic Forum. (2012). The Financial Development Report 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2014, from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_FinancialDevelopmentReport_2012.pdf

Views On Slavery :: Slavery Essays

There are many perceptions as to how people view slavery. When people talk about slavery, the first thing that comes to their mind will be African American Slaves in the United States. They will also think of how they were brought to the United States against their own will and unequally exploited. However, according to Stephen F. Austin, during the eighteen-twenty’s and thirty’s Mexicans also had slaves. He compares American Slaves and Cruz Arocha as a Mexican Slave. Although there are many differences between Cruz Arocha and the American slaves, especially in the ways they are treated. First of all Americans brought their slaves to the United States chained up and against their own will. They would fit over one hundred of them in small rooms in ships for a trip across the Atlantic Ocean, with out giving them an adequate supply of food and water to live off of. According to the book, Out of Many second edition, they were stowed so close that they were not allowed one foot and a half in each breadth. Although most of the slaves died on the trip and were thrown over board, those that did survive were the best equipped for the harsh conditions awaiting them. The trip itself got rid of all the slaves that would not last long in harsh conditions. Those that survived were what the Americans needed. Upon arrival in the United States the slaves would se either sold or traded for goods, land or other slaves. They were always chained up when they were not working and when they were, there was always someone watching over them with a gun and a whip. Slaves who did not obey the ir masters were whipped. According to the book even the most broad-minded plantation owners of the eighteenth century thought nothing about floggings of fifty or seventy slashes. Mexicans viewed slavery as having people mistreated and never treated as equals. Not showing any type of moral value towards a real person. Mexicans on the other hand had what Stephen F. Austin called slaves helping them out in anything needed. Even though these so-called slaves were not chained up and whipped like American slaves, they were still slaves to Austin. This was because they were not paid for the job that they did and had no say so in family decisions. These so-called slaves were given, in return for their services good food and shelter.

Personal Growth Experience :: essays research papers

Personal Growth Experience   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a mother I have cared and tried to push my son’s education so that he can succeed in his life. I came from a large family in Brazil. I wasn’t the only child; I learned to share, how provide for myself, and for my 3 sisters, and 3 brothers. My father was a serious man; he had a job, and still came home to provide for all of us. During dinnertime he insisted that everyone had to be home and had to sit down at the table and talk about their day. This was a must in my family too. The reason why he had that rule was because he was a religious man, and meals should be shared with the family as well as conversations. No one had any choice of not sitting at the table, unless we didn’t want to eat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I had a child, I waited for the right time to have one. I didn’t want to rush into motherhood responsibility until I had everything in order to support my child. My husband had to find a job, and so did I. We had a house, a car, and jobs to support my child; we were ready. When my child was born, I chose to go to the United States of America, so that my child can have a better life. In Brazil, the education is not challenging, and not recognized in other parts of the world as a higher education. For him to have a better education, a better standard of living, and for him to have what we never had, we had to give up our lives in Brazil. As the years went by I was always there for my son. Through my eyes as he grows older, he is still the little boy that I held in my arms for the first time. In his teenage years I have seen him grow further away from me. Every day when he gets home he goes to his room without talking to me, or saying anything about his da y. I guess that is what all kids go through in these years, because of the stage of exploration of new things in life. Like driving, video games, girls, and puberty. I still love my son, and even if he doesn’t want to talk to me then I guess he has everything in order in his life.

Goal Write Up

Alex used the concept of â€Å"theory of constraints (TCO)† and new set of measurements and goals with the help of his mentor, Joana, to find constraints or bottlenecks in his plant. Joana defined bottleneck as any resource whose capacity is equal to or less then the demand placed upon it. This paper analyzes Argon's actions in The Goal with respect to the changes and tools that are available today and how the availability of newer tools in the manufacturing area might have affected the choices and priorities on which Ergo is focused.An integrated framework with TCO, Lean, and Six Sigma can maximize Argon's goals after evaluation of his goals, challenges, and application of the present day tools. New Tools Technological and operations management theory developments over the sat three decades provided new tools to Ergo if he faces his choices and priorities today. The most prominent of these are Lean operations, Six-sigma, internet, and various other software tools for operatio ns management effectiveness. ) Lean Operations: Lean operations theory focuses on smooth flow by removing the mud, a Japanese term for waste in the operations processes. Sources of waste are (GAG, 2009): over production, waiting, transportation, inventory, motion, over-processing defects, and not leveraging creativity of the employees. The five principles of Lean thin king are Woman & Jones, 1 996): Specify value from customer point of view, identify steps in the value stream, create smooth flow, customer pulls value, and pursue perfection.Thorough understanding and identification of the various wastes in the operations process can help Ergo to target improvement initiatives. B) Six-sigma: The main objective of Six-sigma DYNAMIC (Define- Measure-Analyze-lampooner-Control) methodology is improving processes and quality through reduction of defects to the extent of 3. 4 defects per million, reduce cycle time, increase throughput, and increase customer satisfaction by educing variation in products and processes, thus giving an organization a competitive advantage (GAG, 2009).Jack Welch emphasizes by calling variation as â€Å"evil† (III, 2014). â€Å"The methodology looks at a statistical number to determine whether or not to make a change in a company manufacturing process† (Stephen, 2009). Availability of Six-sigma methodologies would have helped Alex increase throughput while improving the quality and reducing variation in the products and processes. C) Internet and Software: Internet provided many tools for the operations manager over the past two decades.These tools increased efficiencies of the production processes by finding the information in minutes, tracking people, and running complex operations management software on the internet. They range from communications and search engine tools, to the more recent cloud based hosted MM applications on the internet such as customer relationship management SW such as Salesrooms etc. Sophisticated so ftware packages and simulation tools also include enterprise resource planning (ERP) which is an evolved version Of the material resource planning (MR.) that include other departments such as insane and order management packages.These tools would have helped Ergo to find Joana quickly, communicate with him on Keep, and conduct net meetings with divisional headquarters, track inventory and customer orders with ERP rather than the archaic homegrown information system. D) New MM Techniques: There are several new operations management techniques such as just-in-time (KIT) partnership with suppliers, Toyota production system (T AS), total quality management (TXT), supply chain management (SCM), and total productive maintenance (TAMP). . KIT focuses on continuous improvement through continuous and forced problem solving via focus on increasing through put and red icing inventory. KIT partnership between suppliers and purchasers reduce waste and drive down costs by removing unnecessary act ivities, in-plant and in-transit inventory, improve quality and reliability (Hazier & Render, 201 1). Ii. T AS three core components are continuous improvement, respect for people, and standard work practice (Hazier & Render, 201 1). Iii.Although KIT and Six-sigma are key components of the TXT, TXT provides other concepts and tools such as continuous improvement, employee empowerment, bench marking, Attaching concepts, and TXT tools to generate ideas (check sheets, scatter diagram, and cause- and-effect diagram), organizing data (Parent chart and flow chart), and identifying problems (histograms and statistical process control charts) (Hazier & Render, 201 1). Iv. The objective of SCM is to build a sequence of suppliers that focuses on maximizing value to the end customer (Hazier and Render, 2011).SCM process technique takes an integrated approach to procuring, producing, and delivering products and services to customers, veering the management of material, information and financial flows (Venerates, Hachure, & Caulker, 2007). V. TAMP is a manufacturing program designed primarily to maximize equipment life effectiveness through the participation and motivation of the entire work force (Ca, McKeon & Schroeder, 2001 Alex could make good use of these new MM techniques to increase effectiveness of his operations. Argon's Goals and New Tools The goal of any organization in general is to make money.Joana asks Ergo to change his plant measurements to the following measurements that express the goal of making money in a different way. These measurements are throughput, inventory, and operational expense. According to The Goal, definition of throughput is the rate at which the system generates money through sales. Inventory is all the money that the system has invested in purchasing things which the organization intends to sell, and operational expense is all the money the system spends in order to turn inventory into throughput.Then that the real goal of an organizati on is to increase throughput while simultaneously reducing both inventory and operating expense. Joana introduces Ergo to the TCO to help him achieve his goals and loving problems in his plant in terms of the measurements that express the goal of making money. TCO approach includes the following five steps to improve the plant performance: C] Step 1. Identify the system's constraint(s) C] Step 2. Decide how to exploit the system's constraint(s) C] Step 3. Subordinate everything else to exploit the constraint(s) CLC Step 4. Elevate the system's constraint(s) 0 Step 5.If in the previous steps, a constraint has been broken, go back to step 1, but do not allow inertia to cause a system's constraint. TCO primarily focuses on increasing throughput. When the current system constraint or bottleneck is resolved, a new system constraint is then identified creating a continuous cycle, which drives performance improvement forever. Because of this continuous improvement and focus on throughput, Argon's goal will remain the same in light Of the availability of the new tools. Several Of the new tools from these modern concepts can be applied to solve or improve the challenges faced by Ergo in the 1 ass's.New Tools Application to Ale's Challenges Ergo can bring several of the new tools to the challenges he faced at Unaware in the 1 9805. Some of these tools to improve the goals are: a) Lean production ass checklist: sort/segregate, simplify/straighten, shine/sweep, standardize, and sustain/self-discipline. This will help to address waste. B) pull system: This is a standard tool in KIT system to increase throughput and it is used with both suppliers and within the immediate production process (Hazier & Render, 201 1).Pulling the needed materials through the system in very small lots eliminates waste and inventory. C) Continuous Improvement: As a core component of T AS, continuous improvement builds an organization ultra that processes can be improved and that improvement is pa rt of every employee's responsibility (Hazier & Render, 201 1 Kamikaze is the formal process for this component believing that perfection is achieved through many incremental changes. Operations manager plays a key role in building kamikaze culture. ) Respecting and empowering people: TIPS empowers employees to stop process or machines when quality problems surface. TIPS respects employees by empowering them to enrich their jobs and lives. E) Scheduling: KIT scheduling tactics include communicate schedules to appliers, eliminate waste, produce in small lots, use Kansas, and make each operation produce perfect part. F) Inventory Management Systems: Ergo can establish these systems using BBC classification of all types of inventory and maintaining accurate records of the inventory. G) Forecasting: Forecasting demand has been a challenge for Ergo.He can make use of qualitative methods such as Delphi method as well as qualitative methods such as time- series forecasting to predict the d emand. Demand forecasts impacts plant capacity, human resources, and SCM (Hazier & Render, 201 1). Integrated Framework of TCO, Lean, and Six-Sigma Ergo and his team had to work with long established archaic management processes in the sass's setting. If The Goal were set in 2014, Ergo and his team would likely find management more willing to embark on a process of ongoing improvement including the new methodologies such as Lean and Six-sigma.However, these methodologies are not competing strategies, as each has significant value and applied differently with an integrated framework comprising of TCO, Lean, and Six-sigma. Ergo can make use of this integrated framework to maximize his goals. The integrated framework uses the synergy of TCO, Lean, and Six-Sigma to consistently achieve a concentrated system improvement beyond what might be accomplished by applying each method individually with a traditional continuous process improvement approach. The most efficient way to integrate TCO , Lean, and Six-Sigma starts with strategy as a first step (GAG, 2009).The strategy provides the strategic roadman to improve business performance. The strategic roadman provides the direction for the areas of the organization that maximizes benefit for the total system by applying improvements first. This continuous business success framework has two major parts: the constraint based system architecture and the TCO-Lean-Six-Sigma based continuous improvement architecture. A) Strategy- the output of a good strategy is a clear, agreed upon, roadman to improve business results.The focus is on optimizing the performance of the total system versus improving the individual functions in isolation. B) Design: This step determines the correct alignment of the business processes including changing any policies, measurements, roles and responsibilities, and information systems. C) Activate: During this step, the newly defined business processes are implemented. D) Improve: Improvements are ev aluated based on their ability to increase throughput, and to reduce inventory and operating expense and improve overall system performance. Jacob, Berglund & Cox 2009). Key performance indicators (Kepi's) are used to identify gaps between present and desired performance levels. Some useful improve techniques include AS system, TAMP, point of use storage (POLIS), Mistake proofing (Poke yoke), SSP, Capability Studies, Design of Experiments, etc. E) Sustain: As for the last step, Ergo should continuously review key measurement results to assess, address and institutionalize the policies, measurements and behaviors to guarantee that the results are sustained and do not degrade.Ergo can utilize the full integration of TCO, Lean and Six Sigma in order to obtain focused system improvement that achieves real, sustainable breakthrough performance. Although internet and internet based tools and sophisticated software packages certainly improve Argon's operations, they will not have direct im pact on the choices and priorities that Ergo has focused. With respect to the other lolls to help Ergo, the principles and techniques of KIT can be shifted to an entire SCM to strengthen Argon's SCM strategy in pursuit of improved organizational performance.