Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Attitudes Towards Quality In The Design And Construction Of Nuclear Power Plants, Daniel L. Babcock, Larry G. Harmon

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Adequate regulation of construction (and operation) of nuclear power plants has become a matter of growing national concern. Published statements by individuals speaking from two viewpoints, those of the regulatory agencies and the nuclear power industry, suggest divergent attitudes. Nineteen statements from these two points of view were evaluated for agreement or disagreement by 38 knowledgeable persons from both industry and government (of 50 solicited in a mail survey). Survey results showed a general appreciation of the need for some level of regulation and also for the possibility of over-regulation. Differences existed within as well as between the two groups, …

A Systems Study Of Our Energy Problems, S. C. Lee

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The diminishing supply of petroleum and natural gas has induced many concerned citizens as well as many interest groups to study energy problems. Based on different sources of information and various degrees of economical consideration, conflicting conclusions have been reached. To help resolve this situation, a systems study was conducted. The available statistics on the supply and demand of energy were examined. The resources of nuclear energy, fossil fuel, and renewable energy sources were analyzed. Considerations were weighted equally on energy content, resource availability, existing technology, and consumer economics as well as on the impact of ecology and sociology. The …

An Evaluation Of Productivity And Efficiency In Work Scheduling In A Public Works Department, Kraig L. Gordon

Masters Theses

“Managers throughout the world frequently associate the meanings of productivity and efficiency with the capabilities and performance of employees. This approach is limited since productivity entails far more than the output of the labor force. The factors affecting productivity need evaluating to determine the significance they plan in the overall process.

Industry has attempted to improve its productivity posture by utilizing a multitude of concepts. Some of these concepts are time and motion studies and process planning. However, in the public sector, literature shows that little has been attempted to improve the productivity in public organizations.

The greatest portion of …

3rd Annual Umr-Mec Conference On Energy -- Entire Proceedings, University Of Missouri--Rolla

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

No abstract provided.

Non-Cash Incentives And Worker Motivation, Daniel Franklin Cole

Masters Theses

"A problem of growing concern in the United States deals with the poor results of the nation's businesses in terms of productivity. The U.S. is now suffering the worst decline in productivity in a generation. While part of this decline can be attributed to economic conditions, data indicates that the labor force could be more productive if it wanted to do so. A study has shown that 52% of all workers feel they aren't producing at full capacity. Alienation of the American worker is identified as one of the most important contributors to this problem.

Because it is often difficult …

2nd Annual Umr-Mec Conference On Energy -- Entire Proceedings, University Of Missouri--Rolla

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

No abstract provided.

Coal Conversion Technology, Karen A. Dollar, Henry Allen Wiebe

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Energy consumption is rapidly increasing throughout the world and the United States is no exception. Efforts to reduce the dependence on oil imports have focused on utilization of our coal resources. This paper examines various coal conversion processes and presents a method for evaluating their contribution to energy production.

An Analysis Of The Role And Effectiveness Of The Contract Manager In Government Contracting., Daniel Martin Wilson

Masters Theses

"The contract manager in carrying out the contract management function of government contracting represents a vital element of the procurement process. He is charged with responsibilities for assuring that a product or service is delivered in a timely manner and is of specified quality, quantity and price. However, research and a survey of his role reveal that he is regarded a s a functional specialist, guided by a mass of procedural requirements, and he is not included in the managerial hierarchy of contracting.

Because his role does not accord him the status or authority commensurate with the importance of the …

An Investigation Into The Extent Of Implementation Of Operations Research Techniques For Inventory Control In Industry., Edward Allen Scarff

Masters Theses

"The object of this research is to investigate the techniques currently utilized for controlling inventories in industry. The various significant methods of inventory control in use today are presented and the strengths and weaknesses of these methods are assessed.

A survey of the Fortune 500 companies was conducted to determine the methods of inventory control in use today by industry. In addition, selected production personnel of representative companies were interviewed to determine the advantages and disadvantages of certain inventory control methods they use.

The results of the survey and the interviews are presented, and an analysis is made. Conclusions are …

Project Program Evaluation Technique For Real Property Maintenance Activities., Richard Walter Graumann

Masters Theses

"Managers of Real Property Maintenance Activities often only consider workmanship and customer satisfaction when evaluating the overall effectiveness of their contracted maintenance and construction projects. For multi-functional organizations where top management is responsible for the execution of several hundred concurrent, unrelated, unique, and widely dispersed projects, these subjective factors are not adequate to conduct a meaningful evaluation.

Top management must continually assess not only the progress of contracted work, but also the engineering design and contract administration functions. Published material has given little attention to the need for aggregating project data in a multi-project environment to provide management with the …

A Strategic Planning Model For Implementing Community Development Block Grant Programs., John M. Lang

Masters Theses

"As problems of metropolitan areas have multiplied, the federal government has been drawn into an ever-increasing intimate funding association with city governments. Although federal funding for ii urban problems may have been considered a panacea by some, most local government agencies have now discovered that their problem has shifted in emphasis from where to find funds to that of meeting federal standards and requirements of application in order to get the funds.

The impact of federal programs on local government management is evident in the recently enacted federal Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. Title I of the act …

Universality Of Management Principles And Applicability Of American Management Know-How In Less Developed Countries., Minas Lessanu

Masters Theses

"The title is the Universality of management principle through the history and development of management thoughts. It illustrates the gradual education of management principles. Then it goes on to discuss certain problems of the field of management, in particular the problems associated with semetics.

The thesis then discloses the different management principles in the different managerial functions of planning, organizing staffing and controlling. It then shows these principles to be universal and finally discloses the different environmental constraints that evolved and concludes that they are universal, but their applicability is to a certain extent possible and highly dependent on the …

An Organizational Structure For A Highway Agency., Frank L. Carroll

Masters Theses

"Highway agencies in the past have been organized to give primary consideration to economic factors. Th e National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 changed this concept by requiring all states to reevaluate their highway organizations in order to ensure that social and environmental factors, as well as economic factors, are considered.

Various state highway organizations are analyzed to determine the way in which consideration is given to the social, economic and environmental effects of design, and a model organizational structure for a highway agency is developed.

Because considerable difference exists in the ways in which the states have approached the …

An Experimental Model For Predicting The Commodity Futures Market., C. E. Roy Francis

Masters Theses

"Trading of· commodity futures contracts is one of the purest forms of speculation available today. Inherent is the risk of substantial losses. In an effort to reduce these risks, this research was undertaken.

As a result, a computer program was developed to forecast the prices of commodity future contracts on a daily basis. The program employs the Monte Carlo Technique of simulation and provides expected values for the next trading day.

During the development and testing of the prediction model. various trading techniques were also tested. A trading technique utilizing the difference between the forecasted price and the actual price …

The Availability And Development Of An Automated Accounting System For Small Businesses., Margy Rice Beckmeyer

Masters Theses

"A good accounting system is a very essential part of the successful operation of a small business but is often lacking. Therefore, the objective of this research is to furnish a general automated accounting system suitable for use by the small business firm.

To determine the feasibility, a statistical survey was made to evaluate the availability of automated accounting systems now available to small business. The results of the survey suggest that computer systems are presently available to small business firms at economical prices, but to minimize cost the small firm may need to supply its own accounting program.

The …

The Development Of A Selection Model For Coal Conversion Processes., Karen Aldridge Dollar

Masters Theses

"Present research endeavors involving coal conversion technology have encompassed comparisons of the processes on the basis of economics or efficiency. These comparisons lack completeness because many intangible factors pertinent to the evaluations of the processes have been ignored.

A model has been developed to aid in the selection of the optimum coal conversion process for a given situation. The model includes a method for the evaluation of quantifiable factors which affect the decision-making procedure, and also includes methods by which the non-quantifiable factors which are important to the situation may be evaluated. This is a more complete form of decision-making …

Minorities Are Not Prepared For Accepting Jobs In The Petroleum And Petrochemical Industries., Freddie Lorace Thompson

Masters Theses

"A survey has been made from nine petroleum and petrochemical companies in the Houston area to get recommendations on the training required for minorities to secure jobs and advance in these industries. Information gathered through this survey consist of the following; (1) recommendations on careers minorities should concentrate their training to secure jobs in these industries; (2) the demand for qualified technical minority graduates far exceeds the supply; (3) a vehicle whereby minorities can be trained and inducted into the petroleum and petrochemical industries; and (4) the companies surveyed are putting forth an honest effort to increase their job mix …

Bidding And Negotiation Of Government Funded Contracts With Inflationary Considerations., David Thurman Hearst

Masters Theses

"The traditional government contract type has played an important role in the economy of the United States. In its most used type, that of fixed price, it represents a stabilizing factor in the cycles of the business world. However, recently this type of contract has been affected by the nation's most recent plague, double-digit inflation.

Inflation attacks almost all phases of stability in the economy and in contract negotiations and bidding techniques. It erodes the monetary unit of the economy, distorts forecasting models, and creates potential ruin for contractors due to uncertainty in costs.

Research pertaining to government funded contracts …

A Computerized Simulation Of A Personal Rapid Transit System., James Richard Cromer

Masters Theses

"The movement of people from an origin to a destination has become a complex and sometimes severe problem, The present modes of transportation available, which include the rapid rail systems, bus transit service, and the personal automobile, have proven quite ineffective in dealing with the situation, A new concept in the transportation area is that of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT). This concept offers a promising solution to many of our people and goods movement difficulties. Before this new system can be implemented it is necessary that various design, construction, and operational criteria be evaluated to determine the optimal system to …

A Training Simulation For Rural Electric Cooperative Staff., David F. Larcker

Masters Theses

"The simulation described in this thesis can be applied as a training tool to teach the management personnel of rural electric cooperatives the elements of decision making in a dynamically interreacting business environment. Initially, the major managerial problem areas of a typical rural electric cooperative were identified. These stimulated the development of a training simulation which realistically embodied the alternatives available to management personnel during the various stages of decision making. The final simulation design was a board type of game able to provide the feedback necessary for a learning experience" -- Abstract, p. ii

A Systems Approach To Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Training Programs, Jesse Michael Haverstick

Masters Theses

"The evaluation of the effectiveness of training programs has long been recognized as a necessity in determining the allocation of investment. However, much of industry, today, still does not use an easily administered, systematic, and reliable method for determining training program effectiveness for their salaried (managerial) personnel. It is easily seen that determining training program effectiveness is not a one-shot, one-time event, but a continual process, whose aim, ultimately, is increased productivity. For the effectiveness of a training program to be adequately monitored, these four areas should be measured: (1) trainee attitude, (2) learning, (3) behavior change, and (4) productivity …

The Simulation Of A Production Control System, Steven Craig Weis

Masters Theses

"In an attempt to simulate a production system a typical company was assumed, and mathematical models of its functions were structured to form a total model. This model was programmed into an IBM 360/50 computer. A program which included seasonal trends and random requirements for various departments was designed that would evaluate all the available alternatives and output the two best production schedules such that operating costs would be minimized and the company labor force would remain nearly constant. These schedules detail the manpower requirements by week, department, line, job and shift.

To accommodate the seasonal trends, various forms of …

Management Of Passive Countersurveillance In The R & D Environment, James Ronald Carney

Masters Theses

"Existing management procedures that are pertinent to research and development activities within the Government are presented. The main focus of this effort is on the Mobility Equipment Research and Development Center’s Countersurveillance and Topographic Division, and highlights the relevant plans, documents, programs, and reporting systems utilized by the Army and the Department of Defense. An in-depth examination is made on the need for Countersurveillance in the Army. The Army’s existing Countersurveillance research and development missions and programs are reviewed.

A detailed investigation and analysis is performed on current management concepts and techniques that are utilized in research and development endeavors. …

An Investigation Into The Degree Of Correlation Between Air Flow Rates, Bacteria In The Air And Post-Operative Infections In Hospitals, Carl Eugene Intag

Masters Theses

"Post-operative infections are a recognized problem in the medical and hospital professions. Annual costs and deaths due to infections in the U.S.A. have been estimated at $8-$9 billion and 10,000 lives respectively. The air lS one potential path in transporting contaminants that may cause an infection. Yet, the degree of influence airborne contaminants have in causing infections is a topic of much debate. As a result of the need for more information in this area, this investigation was undertaken to determine the degree of correlation between post-operative infection rates, bacteria in the air, and air flow rates.

Data for the …

Managerial Performance Appraisal, Benildus Wai-Young Lau

Masters Theses

"Questionnaire surveys were sent out to two hundred medium-sized companies in industry. The study is an attempt to find the main cause for the unsatisfactory results in most appraisal programs and to make recommendations concerning the implementation of an effective performance appraisal program. Human factors play an utmost important role in the success of the entire appraisal program. An atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust should be established between the well trained supervisor and his subordinate so that the rapport between them can be brought to the highest possible level. Performance appraisal should be considered as an integral part of …

Assumptions In Forrester's Urban Dynamics Model And Their Implications, Daniel L. Babcock

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Forrester's Urban Dynamics model is examined in terms of 1) his assumptions about complex dynamic systems, 2) the a priori bias revealed using a "normalized" model, 3) equilibrium changes when the model is modified to fit urban data, and 4) policy predictions of such a modified model. Copyright © 1972 by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.

Managerial Appraisals - A Systems View, James Thomas Hatlan

Masters Theses

"In the past decade much has been written concerning the performance appraisal which can be defined as the systematic analysis of the individual with respect to his performance on the job. The appraisal's importance lies in the fact that its impact is felt in the areas of control, promotion, and managerial development all of which are essential for the progressive firm. This study is an attempt to offer something new and something different. The author offers a systematic study of industry in general with specific help from key corporations and utilities. His investigations encompass the three elements of appraising and …

A Computerized Decision Model For Making Quantitative Decisions With Regards To The Department Of Army's Equipment Improvement Recommendations, Lewis Neri

Masters Theses

"The management decision technique, currently in use, of determining priority of EIR evaluation is basically that of "feel and experience" along with the "most pressure" applied from outside the responsible organization. The feasibility of a computerized management decision concept has been studied at the lowest system with the objective of applying this to the next higher systems and finally arriving at an overall system value to obtain system priority. This study develops the technology of operations research and the associated computer techniques, delineates the problem and develops a mathematical model to simulate this management decision technique. Furthermore, it utilizes logical …

Minimum Cost Data Collection Techniques For Circulation Control At The University Of Missouri At Rolla Library, John Peter Shewchuk Sr.

Masters Theses

"Data collection is beginning to assume increased importance in the field of data processing. This thesis investigates a method for quantitatively selecting a portion of the library to place on an automated circulation control system that uses data collection as an entry into a data processing system.

The circulation function of the library was considered to be an inventory problem. Titles were considered as items of inventory and circulation of that title was considered to be a "sale" of that item. The IMPACT method was used to distribute items (titles) in a sample by age. Various ages were found to …