The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Non-standard workweek scheduling technique selection
Author:	Oak, John Alexander
View Online:	njit-etd1976-010 (193 pages ~ 7.8 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Industrial and Management Engineering
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Management Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Mihalasky, John (Committee chair)
Date:	1976
Keywords:	Work design Hours of labor, Flexible
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	This thesis presents a description of non-standard work scheduling techniques and a comparison method which enables decision-makers to differentiate between available work-scheduling alternatives with the purpose in mind of selecting the most appropriate and suitable arrangement. The method developed calls for the decision-maker to follow a five-step sequential process to obtain final results. The ingredients necessary to achieve such final results are obtained in a manner similar to that demanded by decision-making-under-uncertainty conditions commonly followed in actual industrial settings. Since the primary objective of business management is the achievement of a profit through the manipulation of available resources, initial sections of the thesis define the term "profit" from both an economic and a social viewpoint. Further, the executive decision-maker is urged to look upon individual workers and the management of these worker's time as a vital resource factor playing a substantial role in the degree of ultimate profit generated. The presentation then leads to a discussion of forces involved in the maximized use of the time resource, and eventually to a thorough descriptive evaluation of available non-standard work scheduling techniques which in turn provides the basis for the application of a detailed systematic evaluation procedure and method. Those general concepts involved in the systematic analysis of presented alternatives would in most instances be applicable to general decision-making tasks where a number of different and distinct alternatives existed. This type of analysis technique was employed as it was found that the work-scheduling techniques explored were multivariable, i.e. they were not uniformly beneficial when applied under different criteria conditions potentially selectable by the decision-maker. In addition, this technique allows the decision-maker to incorporate personal knowledge and feelings systematically to reach a final decision. Finally, the thesis guides the decision-maker by forthrightly stating that an appropriate decision-choice rule should be employed at the termination of the analysis procedure. As an aid in this regard, various possible decision-choice rules are presented for consideration. Information on work scheduling alternatives was taken from current literature. This information was blended with the author's general knowledge of business operations and management problem-solving methods, supported by Engineering Management reference texts, to form results which delineate a conclusive decision-making means for profitable work-schedule alternative selection.