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Toxic Twentieth Century, What Can We Do?

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Jul 232021
 

Polluted Human Body
The human body becomes toxic or polluted from both external
(exogenous) sources and internal (endogenous) sources. The most
common external pathways of toxicity are from inhalation (smoking, air
pollution, dental amalgam fillings, sick buildings), ingestion (chemical
residues on food, chemicals in water, drugs) injection (vaccinations, flu
shots, tattoos), absorption from chemicals from synthetic fabrics, paints,
plastics, pesticides and chemical fertilizers sprayed on lawns, and
irradiation from medical x-rays, nuclear power plants, bomb testing,
uranium mine tailings, cell phones and towers, computer monitors and
televisions, microwave ovens, and power grid and radio and satellite
transmissions. The modern way of life has not only made our life easier,
but has also put our very existence in danger, danger from radiation and
pollution.

Damage To Our Immune Systems
The internal sources of toxicity are from fermentation, putrification, and
rancidity from undigested foods consumed, and from dehydration,
malnutrition, and toxic thoughts and emotions. This endogenous toxicity
can also be caused from the effects of exogenous toxins contributing to
malnutrition, and inhibition of digestion through damage to the nervous
system, immune system, and enzyme systems. With that, we have to take
all measures to detoxify.

What is Detoxification?
Detoxification is the process of clearing toxins from the body or neutralizing
or transforming them, and clearing excess mucus and congestion. Many of
these toxins come from our diet, drug use, and environmental exposure,
both acute and chronic. Internally, fats, especially oxidized fats and
cholesterol, free radicals, and other irritating molecules act as toxins. Poor
digestion, colon sluggishness and dysfunction, reduced liver function, and
poor elimination through the kidneys, respiratory tract, and skin all add to
increased toxicity. However the most efficient detoxification organ we have
is our skin. Our skin contains millions of pores which are equipped to flush
out toxins. Flushing out toxins has never been easier with Sauna Therapy!

Symptoms of Being Too Toxic
Constipation and diarrhea, are also indications of foul matter in your
intestines. Furthermore, the much more serious problems of cancer and
immune system dysfunctions begin with a toxic bowel. Go ahead, purge
those foul matter out of your body!

Once we truly understand that the “single greatest challenge our bodies
face is the effective removal of wastes and toxins”, we will never again
undermine the importance of frequent bowel movements. Do consult with
your doctor if you do decide to take any form of laxatives.

Toxic Twentieth Century
Toxicity is of much greater concern in the twentieth century than ever
before. There are many new and stronger chemicals, air and water
pollution, radiation and nuclear power. We ingest new chemicals, use more
drugs of all kinds, eat more sugar and refined foods, and daily abuse
ourselves with various stimulants and sedatives. The incidence of many
toxicity diseases has increased as well. Cancer and cardiovascular disease
are two of the main ones. Our body just can no longer cope with all the
toxins around us any longer!

Arthritis, allergies, obesity, and many skin problems are others. In addition,
a wide range of symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, pains, coughs,
gastrointestinal problems, and problems from immune weakness, can all
be related to toxicity.

Flushing Out Toxins
However, we now have a great way of detoxifying by using our main detox
organ, which is our skin. Yes, sweating has proven to release more toxins
than frequent bowel movement! Your sweat contains more toxins, urea and
heavy metal than urine itself. One great way of sweating out all the toxins is
by going through sauna therapy. The heat from the sauna forces your body
to pump out all the toxins stored within into your sweat system and thus
flushes out all the toxins from your body!

So what are you waiting for? Head to your nearest Sauna! Or better yet, get
your very own personal sauna. For more information on How to Build your
very own home sauna, do visit our site at
http://HomeSauna.saunadetox.info. For more information on Sauna Detox,
do visit http://www.saunadetox.info.

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Are Rechargeable Batteries Worth It? Which Type is Best?

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Jul 212021
 

Q、Are Rechargeable Batteries Worth It? Which Type is Best?
——————————————————————————–

A、f you’re trying to figure out what type of batteries to get for junior’s new Game-A-Tron or if you’re trying to decide whether you should buy the Epi-Torture Leg Shaver with the built-in battery or not, the subject of rechargeable batteries may be buzzing around in your head. The bottom-line question is: Are rechargeable batteries worth the extra up-front cost, and if so, which type is best?

Because there are many different types of batteries and battery uses, there is no one answer to those questions. But we can make a few recommendations that will help you. This article focuses on standard consumer batteries—the AA, AAA, C, and D batteries you typically put in your portable devices and toys. There are three main considerations:

We’re going to give you a bunch of important “battery answers” right up front:

Yes, rechargeable batteries make economic sense in most cases.
Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) are the best rechargeable batteries you can get from several standpoints, including performance and low toxicity for the environment.

Although today’s disposable alkaline batteries can be thrown in the trash, all rechargeable batteries should be recycled.
But there’s a little more to rechargeable batteries than that, so we hope you’ll read on. We want you to get the most possible benefit from your new rechargeable batteries, and there are a few pieces of information that will help you do that.

COST – ARE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES WORTH IT?Rechargeable batteries almost always make economic sense. The upfront cost of setting yourself up with rechargeable batteries and the charger may seem off-putting at first, especially when you realize that you’ll want to have some extra batteries that can be recharging while you’re running devices like your Walkman, wireless computer mouse, and battery-powered toys.

Let’s walk through a cost analysis by considering the following scenario. Say you have a few different devices that use AA batteries, and you want to be able to have a total of eight batteries to power them at any given time. You also want four spares that can be charging while the other batteries are in use.

The total cost for this scenario—12 rechargeable batteries plus the charger—will be about $75.00. That may sound like a lot of up-front spending when you consider that you can buy an 8-pack of disposable AA batteries for about five bucks. But if you’re like most households and it seems like every other trip to the store finds you buying another 8-pack of throw-aways, then rechargeables will definitely be the better deal.

For instance, under the scenario above, if you’re now buying a five-dollar 8-pack of batteries every month, that’s a yearly cost of $60. After a little more than a year, your $75 initial investment in the rechargeable setup will be paid for, and the next 10 years of battery use will be free. Over that period, you would save $600! And it will be 1,000 fewer disposable batteries going into your nearby landfill or incinerator.

If you don’t use that many batteries—say a couple of 8-packs per year—you could still actually save money over the long run with rechargeables, though that would depend on the types of uses. But rechargeable batteries make the most sense for devices that get heavy to moderate use and have a high to medium current draw. These are the devices you find yourself changing batteries for at least once a month, or every couple of months at a minimum.

There are some uses where rechargeable batteries simply do not make economic sense:

low-draw devices like battery-powered wall clocks, smoke detectors, and remote controls;
devices that have long idle times (measured in months), like emergency flashlights—unless you’re willing to shell out the extra dough it takes to buy lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. (More on those below.)
TYPES OF RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES – WHICH ARE BEST?There are several types of rechargeable-battery chemistries:

Nickel-Cadmium (Nicad) batteries—usually pronounced “ny-cad”—are a primary form of rechargeable battery, though they are being used less these days because of the toxicity of cadmium.

Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries are probably the most common form of rechargeable now, at least in the standard consumer sizes of rechargeables. Early versions of NiMH rechargeables had problems with too-rapid discharge, but those problems have been solved in current models. Because NiMH rechargeable batteries now perform better than Nicads and are free of toxic heavy metals, Nicads are being abandoned by some manufacturers in favor of NiMHs. In any event, NiMHs are usually going to be the best all-around choice for most applications in the heavy to moderate usage range.

Rechargeable alkaline batteries are different than the “normal” alkaline batteries you buy in 4-packs and 8-packs at the store in standard “consumer sizes” like AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt. Rechargeable alkaline batteries have poorer long-term performance and recharge characteristics compared to Nicads and NiMHs, and unless you’re looking for an inexpensive rechargeable battery that is ready to use right out of the package (without recharging), we suggest you avoid them. And in case you run across an ad for a device that says it can recharge normal alkaline batteries, forget it—it’s a scam.

Lithium-ion batteries are very good and have excellent shelf life—i.e. their charge does not go down when they’re just sitting around not being used—but they’re more expensive than other types of rechargeable batteries. That means they’re usually only a good choice for occasionally used emergency devices or high-drain devices like portable televisions, digital cameras, laptops, and cell phones. If you use such devices often and you have the option to buy them with a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery, it’s worth doing.

You should be able to get hundreds of recharging cycles out of all of these types of batteries—except alkaline rechargeables.

more info : www.good-battery.com

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Tinea

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Jul 202021
 

Tinea is the Latin word for worm so it is understandable that tinea and ringworm are the same condition. They are a fungal infection that affects skin on different parts of the body.



Dermatophytes cause Tinea

Dermatophytes are fungi that invade the dead cell component of the skin, nails and hair. They do not live on living cells so tinea will only affect the upper dead layers of the skin known as keratin. The presence of the fungi on the skin may lead to an inflammatory or allergic reaction.


Under normal circumstances people are quite resistant to fungal infection. However when the body becomes weakened due to chronic illness, long term antibiotic use, genetic factors or damaged skin their resistance is reduced and they become more vulnerable to developing a fungal infection.



Fungi thrive in warm, moist places

Tinea is more likely to develop if the conditions are right. Fungi thrive in warm, moist places so the presence of fungi is common in areas of the body that become hot and sweaty – between the toes, under the breasts, in the groin.


There are various types of fungi that can cause tinea however it is not the fungi that tinea is defined by but rather its location on the body.



Tinea pedis a common form of tinea

One of the most common forms of tinea is Tinea Pedis, also known as athletes foot. Tinea pedis is a common condition that presents as softening and whitening of the skin in the webbing between the toes.


If untreated tinea pedis may spread to the nails creating a condition known as Tinea unguium (simply meaning tinea of the nails). Tinea of the nails typically starts at the tip of one or more nails and if left untreated will cause the nail to become soft and soggy. The free edges of the nail will thicken and become yellow tinged.



Jock itch most common in males

Tinea may also form in the groin area where it is called tinea cruris or more commonly jock itch. This form of tinea is most common in males and presents as raised, sharply defined lesions that may expend to the buttocks, inner thighs and external genitalia. The condition is usually very itchy.


The beard area on males is also vulnerable to the development of tinea (tinea barbae) as is the scalp of both men and women (tinea capitas). In both, small lesions will appear that may become inflamed. Patchy loss of hair is also possible.



Children more prone to develop tinea on flat body parts

Any tinea developing on other parts of the body is known as tinea corporis and is more common in children. It presents as a flat skin lesion that is either dry and scaly or moist and crusty. As the lesion grows its center will heal leaving the characteristic ring shaped lesion common to ringworm.



Treat tinea with anti-fungal cream

Most tinea can be treated with over the counter anti-fungal creams that are rubbed onto the affected areas. In some instances oral anti-fungal medications will also be required.
Ensuring the skin is kept clean and dry is also important. Avoid allowing skin layers to lie together when they are wet or sweaty.



Tinea is a very contagious condition

Tinea is a very contagious condition and can be easily passed from person to person. Contaminated articles like shoes, towels and brushes should not be shared and when showering in communal showers waterproof footwear should always be worn.

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10 Tips To Improve Your Credit Score

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Jul 192021
 

These days most of us avail loans to buy a house, set up a business, or buy a car. Many students take loans to further their education. How soon the loan is sanctioned, the rate of interest, and the amount sanctioned will all depend on your credit score which is based on your credit report. People with scores of 700 and more are the beneficiaries of lower interest rates and quick sanctions. Imagine if your score is greater than 700 and another person has a score of 698 then the person with score 698 will have to pay interest that is higher by one-half percentage point. And, this means over a year a person with a lower score will pay USD 19,000 and more as interest on a loan of say USD 165,000.

A credit score takes into consideration: payment history, current earnings, current debt, length of credit history, types of credit utilized, and your new credit. If two or more members of your family are earning then apply for a loan jointly.

You can take a few simple steps and ensure that your credit score is higher than 700.

• Maintain a long healthy credit history. Keep alive your oldest credit card and be sure to pay all bills in time. Never keep bills pending over a 30 day period. If in a crunch at least pay the minimum charges due.

• Do not have too many credit cards. Learn to say “NO,” to offers of free credit cards. And, maintain a good credit limit. Avoid using all the available credit on the cards.

• Ensure that the credit report you have is accurate and that there are no errors clerical or otherwise.

• Plan your finance such that it is healthy. Consider debt consolidation.

• Never suddenly close or open accounts. This leads to suspicion that you are trying to manipulate your credit report.

• If you are having problems speak to your creditors well in advance and work out a stage wise repayment. Request the creditor to refrain from reporting the late payment.

• Late or delayed payments drive your score down so always pay bills dead on time. Keep a tab on due dates and ensure that all bills are paid.

Learn all you can about credit reports and scores and keep the criteria in mind while managing your finances. Maintain the debt-to-credit limit ratio and, if need be take the help of a finance planner. A useful source to learn about managing credit is: http://www.balancepro.net/services/index.html they provide in depth coverage on money management, debt management, and credit report review.

Even if advised refrain from filing for bankruptcy. All you need to do is to sit down and curtail expenses, plan you income-expenditure , and avoid spending what you have not earned.

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Globalization – Economic Dimension

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Jul 182021
 

In simple terms, the phenomenon of ‘globalization’ is perceived as increased inter-connectedness of the world (Papers4you.com, 2006). However there are three primary defining pillars of globalization that includes cultural, political and economic dimensions (Potter, 2002). It was argued that ‘cultural globalization’ is increasing convergence of cultural styles on a global norm, with that norm being codified and defined by the global capitalist system. Now cultural values and norms are shared and adopted among people in a way where we are giving rise to one global culture. Similarly it was asserted that ‘political globalization’ is regarding as erosion of the former role and power of the nation-state.

On the other hand, Potter (2002:192) defines ‘economic globalization’ as economy where “distance has become less important to economic activities, so that large countries sub-contract to branchplants in far distant regions, effectively operating within a ‘borderless’ world”. However Inoguchi (2001) attempted to differentiate between international and global economy. International economy suggests importance of national economies working as units under national states as a result the international economy concerns activities that take place among various ‘national economies’. However global economy describes unity of globe where geographical distance is no longer obstacle to economic activities. It also implies aggregation of the movement of goods and services worldwide together with their concomitant activities including movement of technology information and currencies without ‘tyranny of distance’.

The economic globalization was flourished in 1990s and many examples can be taken to validate this argument (Papers4you.com, 2006). For instance Western European integration was first step towards economic globalization by European countries through signing Maastricht Treaty in 1991 that lead to creation of single market in 1992 and set base for European Union that was on full operation in 1999. Similarly 12 members of European Community and seven members of EFTA formed European Economic Area for free trade including 380 million people and accounted for 40% of world trade (Meredith & Dyster, 1999).

How ever it was the signature on First Act Embodying the Results of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations in April, 1994 that developed the official foundation of first real concept of borderless global economy (LeQuesene, 1996). The primary aim of Uruguay Round was finalizing ways to reduce tariff barriers in developed countries as well as reduce non tariff barriers like elimination of safeguarding, antidumping restrictions and voluntary export restraint (Meredith & Dyster, 1999:291). Currently, WTO is a body looking after ensuring economic globalization primarily through trade liberalization.

These attempts resulted in boom of what is known as ‘global economic convergence’, that is ‘global integration of product’ (through world’s top manufacturing companies’ global operations by conducting planning, production and joint research with companies of myriad nationalities and outside their home countries) and financial markets through currency trading, baking and loans and investment in bonds and equity leading towards global homogenization (Kenworthy, 1997).

References

Inoguchi, T., (2001), ‘The World Economy’, in Inoguchi, T., (eds) (2001), Global Change- A Japanese Perspective, Hampshire: Palgrave.

Kneworthy, L., (1997), ‘Globalisation and Economic Convergence’, Competition and Change, 1997, Vol 2

LeQuesne, C., (1996), ‘The Uruguay Round’, in LeQuesne, C., (eds) (1996), Reforming World Trade, the Social and Environmental Priorities, Oxford: Oxfam

Meredith, D., & Dyster, B., (1999), ‘International Economic Impacts on Australia in the 1990s’, in Meredith, D., & Dyster, B., (eds) (1999), Australia In The Global Economy- Continuity and Change, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Papers For You (2006) “P/B/653. Negative effects of globalisation”, Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtbus18.htm [19/06/2006]

Papers For You (2006) “S/M/81. IN THE MIST OF GLOBALISATION: CLASSICAL STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY-IS IT WORKING?”, Available from Papers4you.com [19/06/2006]

Potter, C (2002), ‘Global Convergence, Divergence and Development’, in Desai V and Potter, R. (eds) (2002), The Companion to Development Studies, London: Arnold.

Business Ethics and Unethical Practices

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Jul 172021
 

The study of business ethics and its implications for different stakeholders have seen tremendous growth in the past few decades. There has also been a rise in the use and development of codes of ethics and announcements for ethical practices by many firms; however companies are still criticized for their unethical practices at different levels (Papers4you.com, 2006). Business ethics, according to the literature has been entrenched with the philosophical details of Ethics (Trevino & Nelson, 1999). Ethics has been defined as ‘the activity of examining the moral standards of a society, and asking how these standards apply to ones life and whether these standards are reasonable’ (Velasquez, 1998; p. 11).

The literature on business ethics is divided on its views about the motivation and reason for businesses to have an ethical dimension. Drawing upon Harrison (2001), there are two major schools of thoughts, firstly those who suggest that firms are profit generating institutions and therefore business ethics is yet another way to attract customers, secondly those who support corporate conscience and intrinsic motivation for the adoption of business ethics.

Business ethics has been considered very subjective in nature and according to Paul (2001) is considered a function of time and culture. It has been established that with the passage of time business ethics have evolved and also that the cultural values and norms drive business ethics within national and regional boundaries. One of the major studies regarding the national values has been conducted by Hofstede (1983). According to this research, which was only based on four indicators i.e. individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity, there is a great deal of differences among values across different nations and consequently the business ethics. Globalization combined with standardization has made businesses financially efficient but at the same time poses questions regarding the standardized codes of business ethics across national boundaries.

Vinten (1991) has divided the business ethical issues at different levels i.e. international business, domestic business and professional ethics. At the international level ethical issues include free-masonry and socialism versus capitalism; at domestic level these include religious dimensions, social marketing and ethical education; and lastly at the individual level these include bribery, corruption and data protection (Papers4you.com, 2006).

There are many reasons and criticisms for the failure of adoption of ethics in the business world. Firstly, the concept is considered to be overly theoretical and it also negates the basic purpose of any business i.e. to create shareholder’s wealth. Secondly, it has lack of direction and unanimity across different cultures and academic groups. Lastly, it has many inherent unresolved dichotomies that according to Sternberg (1994) make it a case of rejected relativism.

References:

Harrison, J. (2001), Ethics for Australian Business, Prentice-Hall, French’s Forest

Hofstede, G. (1983), The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practices and Theories, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp.75-89

Papers For You (2006) “S/B/92. What distinguishes ethical from unethical business activity and how significant are the principles of business ethics in modern business?”, Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtbus21.htm [17/06/2006]

Papers For You (2006) “S/B/49. ‘Should businesses strive to be ethical?’ Critically Discuss”, Available from Papers4you.com [18/06/2006]

Paul, S. (2001), Cultural and Business Ethics, Cross Cultural Management: An international Journal, Volume 8 No. 1, pp 22-35

Sternberg, E. (1994), Relativism rejected: the possibility of transnational business ethics, in Hoffman, W.M., Kamm, J.B., Frederick, R.E., Petry, E.S. Jr (Eds), National Conference on Business Ethics. Proceedings from the 9th Conference on Business Ethics Sponsored by the Centre for Business Ethics at Bentley College, Quorum Books, New York, NY, pp.143-50

Trevino, L.K., Nelson, K.A. (1999), Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk about How to Do It Right, 2nd ed., J. Wiley & Sons, New York, NY

Velasquez, M.G. (1998), Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases, 4th ed., Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Vinten, G. (1991), Business Ethics: Busybody or Corporate Conscience?, Managerial Auditing Journal, Volume 5, Number 2, pp. 123-144

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How effective can Financial Performance Analysis be?

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Jul 162021
 

With heightened competition, market concentration and regulation, British Telecom (BT) has employed a number of tactics to maintain profitability, market share and overall financial performance. As leaders of info-communications and worldwide ventures, BT have been contracting part of their operations, services and transferring responsibility to specialist branches, thereby achieving economic efficiency.
Manoj Kumar, a supply chain consultant claimed, “Most of the outsourcing that’s happening has been triggered by cost, and if you want to minimize cost, it’s mainly going offshore” (www.industryweek.com). For example, in India the IT workforce is estimated to rise to 2.2 million worker by 2008 from a mere 280,000 today (McKinsey Report, Ethicalcorp Magazine, www.ethicalcorp.com). BT have been fortunate to benefit from economies of scale in terms of purchasing, financial, marketing, technical and managerial improvements. Reducing costs simultaneously reduce risks helping to free financial resources. Instead of tying up resources in non-core areas they can be contracted at operational expenses. Contracting part of BTs services has been a viable choice rather than building functions from scratch. In doing so, BT have increased their customer base and re-attracted customers who left in the first place due to inherent inefficiencies. BT have benefited from 25% increase in its most recent financial quarter (www.cbronline.com/article_news). Likewise, many banking services from Barclays to HSBC as well as I.T. companies including Microsoft have followed the same suit indicating a rising market trend. In 2005, BT derived 91% of its revenue in the UK by providing communication solutions for homes and business helped by rising demand for broadband internet services. Financial statistics reveal: profits up by 32% in 2005 – a clear indication of improved market performance. In the Global market BT have experienced immense growth and promises to continue ‘develop[ing) our acquisition strategy, invest in our people, our skills and our global capabilities and unlock the value of our acquisitions and partnerships’. BT remains one of the market leaders in telecommunications. It started its journey as a state-owned enterprise. Following its privatisation in the 1990s shows a gradual shift in restructuring operations and management in achieving economic efficiency thereby improving financial profitability and performance with an entrepreneurial flair. It seems that BT have found their ground transforming its unstable performance to an innovative and booming market performer.

References:

http://www.btplc.com/Sharesandperformance/Annualreportandreview/Annualreports/Annualreportsarchive.htm

BT’s quarterly newsletter for industry analysts, Issue 4, June 2006
https://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/Industryanalysts/Newsletter/ANALYST4_5.pdf

McKinsey Report Ethicalcorp Magazine, www.ethicalcorp.com

Papers For You (2006) ” P/F/461. Operating and Financial Review”, Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtfina45.htm [22/06/2006]

Papers For You (2006) “P/F/455. Report on business and financial performance of BT”, Available from Papers4you.com [21/06/2006]

www.cbronline.com/article_new

www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle

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The essence of kaizen and its role in operations

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Jul 152021
 

The present article discusses the notion of kaizen and its role as the integral part of TQM philosophy. The major points of interests are the core of the kaizen philosophy and what can be learnt from it, implementation requirements and the importance of corporate culture as one of the most important determinant of successful integration of kaizen (Papers4you.com, 2006).

According to Imai (1997) kaizen is the philosophy of incremental continuous improvement with involvement of everyone. At first glance everything is pretty clear and simple – what you need to do is to improve the processes around to make things more efficient. However the first barrier which appear on the way to improvement are few questions: what to improve, why to improve, who shall improve, where to improve, how far to improve, far how much it will cost. All these questions are answered by kaizen. This philosophy stresses the high importance of working environment as the actual place of improvement and the source of information regarding improvement areas (Imai calls is gemba). Everything what creates wastes of resources – time, emotions, financial resources, raw materials, unnecessary steps – might be improved (muda elimination – Imai (1997).
The real life advantages of this approach were observed by Shigeo and Dillon (1989) with the case of Toyota Motor Corporation. The company sought to maximize the waste elimination and error-free production by introducing real time alert system on the operations level. This system allowed ground floor employees to stop the production line if problems occurred (Papers4you.com, 2006).
The major message of Imai about kaizen is that continuous improvements cost nothing but might significantly improve the overall process. However, prior to rushing to improving found drawbacks an individual shall evaluate the consequences of change as well as the degree of its urgency and its usefulness for the work process.
One of the main questions which arise is why various firms have not yet benefited from integrating kaizen. In practice, certain organisations restrain the capability of employees to amend the set operational procedures. The set organisational culture prevents ground floor employees from involvement in decision making what becomes one of the major obstacles. As the result people do not feel being involved or important and are not ready to seek the improvements. As the result the principle of kaizen – involving everyone can not be matched.
Various analysts warn against blind use of kaizen as the blueprint for an organisation to become competitive and successful. Thus, Peters (1997) and Hammer & Stanton (1996) claim that under certain conditions continuous improvement is useless, unless the whole process is radically changed. As Hammer & Stanton (1996) put it “unless we change the outdated rules and the fundamental assumptions that underline operations, we are merely rearranging the deck chair on the Titanic”

References

Hammer M. & Stanton S. (1996) The reengineering revolution, Handbook. London: Hammersmith.

Imai M. (1997) Gemba Kaizen : A Commonsense Low-cost Approach to Management, New York: McGraw-Hill Professional

Papers For You (2006) “C/OM/28. What are the characteristics of total quality management?”, Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtopem7.htm [22/06/2006]

Papers For You (2006) “S/OM/23. Total Quality Management”, Available from Papers4you.com [21/06/2006]

Peters T. J. (1997) The circle of innovation: you can’t shrink your way to greatness, London: Hodder & Stoughton

Shigeo S. and Dillon A. P. (1989) A Study of the Toyota Production System from an Industrial Engineering Viewpoint – Norwalk, Conn: Productivity Press

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