Development of a Quality Decision-Making Scenario to Measure How Employees Handle Out-of-Condition Grain

Abstract

Quality management systems have been shown to improve inventory management, increase internal efficiencies, and enhance the ability of businesses to meet customer specifications, but little work has explored the role of employee decisions in the success of such systems. This work used the methodology of processtracing to examine the decision-making process of grain elevator employees (n=164) as they determined how to handle out-of-condition corn. Employees overwhelmingly chose to either follow management orders or to make a non-choice rather than to make a decision which would preserve the quality of the grain. Employees equally emphasized decision-making dimensions of storage risk and company policy in their decision process, suggesting a conflict in how employees approach the quality decision task.

Factors that Influence Farm Safety Decisions of Young Adults when Entering Agricultural Grain Bins

“…The theory of cognitive dissonance explains the relationship between contradicting cognitions, which causes an uncomfortable state of mind (Festinger, 1957). An individual will typically attempt to quickly resolve contradicting cognitions to reduce the mind's discomfort (Mosher et al, 2013). There are three ways employees can address this internal conflict: (1) ignore their judgment and obey their leadership, (2) ignore their leadership and follow their judgment, or (3) delay the decision until forced to act (Das et al, 2008).…”

Integrated mycotoxin risk management strategies for grain handling and feed manufacturing industries

“…An assumption was made that when samples are collected, the sampling and testing completed by the employee is checked and validated by a supervisor or preventive controls qualified individual (PCQI). Based on these results for AFL, employees and/or PCQI are faced with a secondary decision of accepting or rejecting a load of corn into the facility resulting in another operator decision (Mosher et al, 2013).…”