Work Standards, Productivity, and Quality

Abstract

Public reporting burden for this cc1Xection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, search ing existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other a-oect of this oollection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and Approved for public release; distribution is un!imi!td. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)W. Edwards Deming claims that standards should be eliminated because they focus on the quantity of work produced to the detriment of work quality. The present study examined the effects of production standards on work quantity and quality. Thirty-seven employees were hired to perform a "database management" task in a simulated work environment. The first week was the baseline period for productivity (keystrokes per hour) and work quality (percent key entry errors). During the second week, the workers were divided into two control groups and four experimental groups. The control groups differed only in that one group received feedback on its productivity and the other group received no feedback. The four experimental groups represented four levels of work standards (80%, 90%, 110%, and 120% of baseline). The workers were divided into underachievers and overachievers. The underachievers showed a marked increase in keystrokes per hour as the standards increased. Key entry errors for underachievers and overachievers were unaffected by the standards, except that the overachievers made more errors than the underachievers for the moderately high (110%) standard. In general, there was no evidence that productivity increases were related to declines in work quality. Responses to job satisfaction and stress questions revealed no differences between any of the groups. Specific task strategies were identified that might explain how workers were able to increase production without sacrificing quality. FOREWORDThe project reported here investigated the effect of production standards on work quantity and quality. The project was conducted in the Navy Personnel Research and Development Center's Organizational Systems Simulation Laboratory (OSSLAB). The project was originally an Exploratory Development Program entitled "Improving Individual and Unit Productivity" (PE0602233, Project RM33M20, Task 8) and was later sponsored under the Independent Research/ Independent Exploratory Development (IR/IED) Work Unit 0602936N-RV36120.This report is one in a series of publications investigating the relationships of incentives, standards, and feedback to job performance and satisfaction in a simulated organizational setting. Technical reports have been published on the relationships between performance, incentives, job satisfaction, and stress (NPRDC-TR-87-29 and NPRDC...

Does H Advocate the Centralization of Worship?

“…His radical action, however, did not stem from H, but was most likely motivated by socio-economic and, chiefly, political considerations, namely, in preparation for the invasion of Sennacherib, 705-701 BeE (cf. Oesterley and Robinson 1930: I, 393;Rowley 1962;Miller and Hayes 1986: 353, 357;Tatum 1991;Ben Zvi 1991;Halpern 1991: 41-49;Borowski 1995). Even David initiated the construction of a centralized sanctuary more out of political and economic considerations than religious ones (Heltzer 1989).…”