My thesis questions common assumptions that mass production and distribution diminishes the spiritual power of objects. The rice scoop (shamoji) provides a case study of a material form which functions as a vehicle of spiritual power in Japan. The shamoji is much more than a mere kitchen utensil.It is also a recognised national symbol linked with chancing ideas concerning rice, feminine gender roles and spirituality. Moreover, as an idiom the shamoji has many unrecognised consequences. Seventy percent of all Shamoj in Japan are distributed via Miyajima,a small island located Southwest of Hiroshima in the Japanese Inland Sea. An ethnographic investigation, firstly, explores the ramifications of shamoji for different groups involved in its production, distribution and consymption on the island. Secondly, an analysis of consumption of shamoji among various segments of urban Japanese provides insights into religious and social practices in the domestic and public domains of life. I argue that the commodification of shamoji and their increased distribution to major cities via multiple distribution networks does not diminish their spiritual power. Instead, this process enhances their spirituality, spreading the fame of Miyajima and its shamoji. My work addresses issues such as the impact of commercialisation upon religious form,the way spirituality is embodied in material culture and the link between formal religion and the everyday life of the household. The core contribution of this study is to rethink the embodiment of spirituality in the context of modernity and mass consumption and the role industrially produced and commercially distributed commodities play in the democratic distribution of spiritual power. Unlike previous studies, my thesis presents a more comprehensive example directly entering the world of 'the tourist trade of souvenirs' and 'the arena of women and everyday domestic consumption'. Within these contexts assumptions about the dissipation of spirituality are much more entrenched.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bern.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-144).

In a competitive manufacturing environment a firm must be able to simultaneously produce multiple and diverse products, upgrade and redesign its products in short life cycles, and execute efficient production changeovers. This implies that the firm's manufacturing facilities should be capable of efficiently responding to the changes associated with the above abilities. These capabilities are a key requirement for building an agile manufacturing enterprise. To successfully attain these capabilities a firm must evaluate and build flexibility in its manufacturing operations. Success in manufacturing requires the adoption of methods in customer acquisition and order fulfilment processes that can manage anticipated change with precision while providing a fast and flexible response to unanticipated changes. A review of the related literature reveals that though there has been considerable research on the subject of flexible manufacturing, insufficient attention has been devoted to the development of a comprehensive method for designing and building flexible manufacturing (FM) solutions. A significant portion of the FM research and the ensuing industrial applications have focused on highly automated metal working facilities, commonly referred to as flexible manufacturing system or FMS. The objective of this research was to understand what the general understanding of FMS is in the automotive component supplying industry as well as to develop a strategy based on world class principles on how to implement such a strategy. The established strategy will then be used to implement a FMS at Shatterprufe a division of the PFG group. A comprehensive literature study was conducted on Flexible Manufacturing to get a good idea on what it is all about. A questionnaire was designed based on the guidelines in the literature study in order to establish the understanding of FMS within companies in the automotive component supplying industries. Twenty five companies were selected, based on their employee numbers and potential high complexity in the parts that they manufacture. Participating companies must also be part of National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) and supplying directly to all of the local Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s). Eighteen out of the twenty five companies selected did participate and return the questionnaires. Three companies replied stating that they do not have a FMS in place and thus do not want to participate in the research. The completed questionnaires were processed and analysed using Microsoft Office Excel 2003, running on the Windows XP suite of computer packages. The opinions of the various respondents were compared with the guidelines provided in the literature survey, in order to identify how to answer the main questions the author wanted to use as part of selecting an appropriate implementation approach for FMS at Shatterprufe. The following were the main recommendations and conclusions: • It is essential that the executive team at Shatterprufe realises the need of a FM programme. Based on the analysis from the theoretical research as well as from the questionnaire it should not be difficult for them to realise this; • It is recommended that the knowledge gained from the research theory and that of the research questionnaire be used as a guideline for introduction and implementation; • It is recommended that the employees that will be required to implement the FMS are properly trained in the basics of WCM and FMS and that they receive the necessary tools to perform their tasks; • It is essential that everyone throughout the entire organisation is involved from the start in the development, improvement and maintenance of the system; • It is critical that the barriers to implementation be taken seriously at the start of the whole implementation process and plans be put in place to overcome them. Make sure that there is: • proper understanding of the total effort required; • complete management support; • union buy-in; • enough training carried out; • change of priorities; • full commitment and persistence; • development of a good installation strategy; and • insurance of choosing the right approach.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2011. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-146). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Uppsatsen är grundad på två aktuella mattrender. Den första är Slow Food som grundades av Carlo Petrini i strävan efter att alla råvaror skall framställas på ett sätt som inte skadar naturen, djurens välmående samt människans egen hälsa. Den andra är Fast Food, en bransch som istället handlar om den världsliga ekonomin där man vill producera olika produkter snabbare och billigare. Syftet med denna studie är att ge läsaren en inblick i Slow Food rörelsen kontra Fast Food branschen och ställa dem mot varandra ur ett miljöperspektiv. Uppsatsen är en litteraturbaserad studie där fyra artiklar utgör grunden för resultatet. Artiklarna visar de två trenderna på ett mer djupgående sätt genom positiva samt negativa aspekter utifrån ett miljöperspektiv. Massproduktionen av matvaror är något som idag tar över världen allt mer. Varor som odlas lokalt och på ett sätt som inte skadar djur och natur är något som Slow Food rörelsen försöker få in bland hemmen. Baksidan av Slow Food är att det inte finns ekonomiska resurser för att kunna föda världens befolkning på detta sätt. Fast Food är något som idag anses vara det bestående sättet att i framtiden odla och framställa mat, fast det på lång sikt kommer att förstöra vår miljö genom odlingstekniker och transporter. / B-uppsatser

Through increasingly efficient mass-production techniques, car-ownership has been made affordable to a large segment of the world's population, beginning in Europe and North America in the first decades of this century and recently extending rapidly throughout all other continents. The industry, however, is running out of major new opportunities for growth, and automotive markets in the Western World have entered the phase of maturity; this is typified by slowing growth and intensifying competition. These factors are driving fundamental change in the economics of the industry, and are forcing rationalisation and consolidation across the world. In a drive to remain competitive, the major Vehicle Manufacturers are relying more and more on the capabilities of their first-tier suppliers, and are pushing design and development responsibility further down the supply chain; suppliers are taking on a new role within the automotive industry and are increasingly becoming involved in the design and development of new products in collaboration with their major customers. The core theme throughout this research enquiry has been to investigate such practices (which have been termed co development), with particular emphasis placed on the European automotive industry. The literature within the areas of customer-supplier relationships and product development is wide and varying, and both bodies of knowledge are beginning to stress the importance of co-development in a number of industries. However, even though academics and industrialists are suggesting co development is necessary in today's marketplace, research into this area remains scarce and few insights into the improvement of such relationships can be found. This research has begun to close this gap by identifying those factors that can influence the successful transformation of co development. Through a series of focus groups, fifty-two concepts were identified that were seen to influence the success of co-development improvement activity - due to the nature of the focus group methodology, these concepts were wide-ranging and covered all aspects of the cross-company relationship, highlighting many -areas for further investigation. These concepts were reviewed and grouped, and four concepts plus sixteen sub-concepts chosen for additional analysis - these include a preparation phase, in which both organisations recognise the need for improvement and commit to enhance their existing relationship, the nature of communication across organisational boundaries, the alignment of working practices at all levels of the business, and an implementation phase in which actual improvements are realised and further sustained. These have been represented in an initial conceptual model that simply depicts the interdependencies that exist between the four high-level concepts. This conceptual model has been further tested and expanded through seven case studies; six cases were conducted at first-tier suppliers, whilst one was completed within a European-based VM. The major data collection tool used during these studies was the semi-structured interview, providing deep insights into co-development improvement from both sides of the relationship. The case studies only reiterated the importance of the concepts and sub-concepts within a co-development environment, and provided insights into the 'who, what, where, when, and how' of the topics under consideration. Finally. the concepts have been validated through a twelve-month action-research study, involving the actual implementation of the conceptual model in an industrial setting. The researcher gained first hand experience of co-development improvement, and observed an organisation struggling with the complexities of the cross-company environment. The knowledge gained throughout this period has not only emphasised the importance of the concepts and sub-concepts to co-development improvement, but has provided future implementers with insights into how one organisation has successfully transformed forty of their co-development relationships.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-154). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

Thesis (doctoral)--Rechts- und Staatswissenschaftliche Fakultät der Universität Zürich, 1918. / Cover title. Includes bibliographical references (p. 108-111).

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1984 M34 / Master of Science