IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormnsc/v50y2004i8p1095-1105.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Throughput in Serial Lines with State-Dependent Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen G. Powell

    (Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755)

  • Kenneth L. Schultz

    (Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853)

Abstract

Experimental evidence suggests that production-line workers adjust their work rates in certain situations to prevent idle time. We refer to this as state-dependent behavior, in contrast to the state-independent behavior of machines. In this paper, we develop several models for the state-dependent behavior of production workers. We then use these models to analyze the relation of line length to throughput in these systems. We find that state-dependent behavior makes serial lines more efficient and reduces the detrimental effects that longer line lengths have on throughput. In some cases, line efficiency can actually increase with length. This is a result of a higher percentage of workers having two buffers to provide feedback on the state of the line. Further, we show that workers who both speed up when they are likely to cause idle time for others and slow down when they are likely to become idle themselves improve the overall efficiency of the line.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen G. Powell & Kenneth L. Schultz, 2004. "Throughput in Serial Lines with State-Dependent Behavior," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(8), pages 1095-1105, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:50:y:2004:i:8:p:1095-1105
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1040.0233
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1040.0233
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mnsc.1040.0233?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kenneth L. Schultz & David C. Juran & John W. Boudreau & John O. McClain & L. Joseph Thomas, 1998. "Modeling and Worker Motivation in JIT Production Systems," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(12-Part-1), pages 1595-1607, December.
    2. Gordon C. Hunt, 1956. "Sequential Arrays of Waiting Lines," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 4(6), pages 674-683, December.
    3. Leslie C. Edie, 1954. "Traffic Delays at Toll Booths," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 2(2), pages 107-138, May.
    4. Kevin B. Hendricks & John O. McClain, 1993. "The Output Process of Serial Production Lines of General Machines with Finite Buffers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(10), pages 1194-1201, October.
    5. Kenneth L. Schultz & David C. Juran & John W. Boudreau, 1999. "The Effects of Low Inventory on the Development of Productivity Norms," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(12), pages 1664-1678, December.
    6. Latham, Gary P. & Locke, Edwin A., 1991. "Self-regulation through goal setting," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 212-247, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kenneth L. Schultz & Tobias Schoenherr & David Nembhard, 2010. "An Example and a Proposal Concerning the Correlation of Worker Processing Times in Parallel Tasks," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(1), pages 176-191, January.
    2. Diwas Singh KC, 2014. "Does Multitasking Improve Performance? Evidence from the Emergency Department," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 16(2), pages 168-183, May.
    3. Siyuan Yi & Qiguo Gong & Feng Dong & Hui Wang, 2020. "The Effect of Planned Breaks on Worker Productivity and the Moderate Role of Workload in a Manufacturing Environment," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 10(12), pages 1366-1383, December.
    4. Diwas S. Kc & Christian Terwiesch, 2009. "Impact of Workload on Service Time and Patient Safety: An Econometric Analysis of Hospital Operations," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(9), pages 1486-1498, September.
    5. Masha Shunko & Julie Niederhoff & Yaroslav Rosokha, 2018. "Humans Are Not Machines: The Behavioral Impact of Queueing Design on Service Time," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(1), pages 453-473, January.
    6. Matusiak, Marek & de Koster, René & Saarinen, Jari, 2017. "Utilizing individual picker skills to improve order batching in a warehouse," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 263(3), pages 888-899.
    7. Linda V. Green & Sergei Savin & Nicos Savva, 2013. "“Nursevendor Problem”: Personnel Staffing in the Presence of Endogenous Absenteeism," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(10), pages 2237-2256, October.
    8. Galit B. Yom-Tov & Carri W. Chan, 2021. "Balancing admission control, speedup, and waiting in service systems," Queueing Systems: Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 97(1), pages 163-219, February.
    9. Mohammad Delasay & Armann Ingolfsson & Bora Kolfal, 2016. "Modeling Load and Overwork Effects in Queueing Systems with Adaptive Service Rates," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 64(4), pages 867-885, August.
    10. Matthias Thürer & Mark Stevenson & James Aitken & Cristovao Silva, 2020. "State-dependent service rates in make-to-order shops: an assessment by simulation," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 70-84, June.
    11. Matusiak, M. & de Koster, M.B.M. & Saarinen, J., 2015. "Data-driven warehouse optimization," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2015-008-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    12. Diwas Singh KC & Christian Terwiesch, 2012. "An Econometric Analysis of Patient Flows in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 14(1), pages 50-65, January.
    13. Carri W. Chan & Galit Yom-Tov & Gabriel Escobar, 2014. "When to Use Speedup: An Examination of Service Systems with Returns," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 62(2), pages 462-482, April.
    14. Carri W. Chan & Vivek F. Farias & Gabriel J. Escobar, 2017. "The Impact of Delays on Service Times in the Intensive Care Unit," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(7), pages 2049-2072, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Masha Shunko & Julie Niederhoff & Yaroslav Rosokha, 2018. "Humans Are Not Machines: The Behavioral Impact of Queueing Design on Service Time," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(1), pages 453-473, January.
    2. Jingqi Wang & Yong-Pin Zhou, 2018. "Impact of Queue Configuration on Service Time: Evidence from a Supermarket," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(7), pages 3055-3075, July.
    3. Kenneth L. Schultz & Tobias Schoenherr & David Nembhard, 2010. "An Example and a Proposal Concerning the Correlation of Worker Processing Times in Parallel Tasks," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(1), pages 176-191, January.
    4. Mirko Kremer & Francis de Véricourt, 2022. "Mismanaging diagnostic accuracy under congestion," ESMT Research Working Papers ESMT-22-01, ESMT European School of Management and Technology.
    5. Delasay, Mohammad & Ingolfsson, Armann & Kolfal, Bora & Schultz, Kenneth, 2019. "Load effect on service times," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 279(3), pages 673-686.
    6. Tom Fangyun Tan & Serguei Netessine, 2014. "When Does the Devil Make Work? An Empirical Study of the Impact of Workload on Worker Productivity," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(6), pages 1574-1593, June.
    7. Lutz, Christian M. & Roscoe Davis, K. & Sun, Minghe, 1998. "Determining buffer location and size in production lines using tabu search," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 106(2-3), pages 301-316, April.
    8. Atkinson, Mariam K. & Saghafian, Soroush, 2019. "Who Should See the Patient? On Discretionary Patient-Provider Assignments in Hospitals," Working Paper Series rwp19-037, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    9. Karen Donohue & Özalp Özer, 2020. "Behavioral Operations: Past, Present, and Future," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 22(1), pages 191-202, January.
    10. Maria R. Ibanez & Jonathan R. Clark & Robert S. Huckman & Bradley R. Staats, 2018. "Discretionary Task Ordering: Queue Management in Radiological Services," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(9), pages 4389-4407, September.
    11. Diwas S. Kc & Christian Terwiesch, 2009. "Impact of Workload on Service Time and Patient Safety: An Econometric Analysis of Hospital Operations," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(9), pages 1486-1498, September.
    12. John Boudreau & Wallace Hopp & John O. McClain & L. Joseph Thomas, 2003. "On the Interface Between Operations and Human Resources Management," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 5(3), pages 179-202, September.
    13. Diwas S. KC & Bradley R. Staats & Maryam Kouchaki & Francesca Gino, 2020. "Task Selection and Workload: A Focus on Completing Easy Tasks Hurts Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(10), pages 4397-4416, October.
    14. XiaoLi Zhang & Jelle de Vries & René de Koster & ChenGuang Liu, 2022. "Fast and Faultless? Quantity and Quality Feedback in Order Picking," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 31(4), pages 1536-1559, April.
    15. Sameer Hasija & Edieal Pinker & Robert A. Shumsky, 2010. "OM Practice--Work Expands to Fill the Time Available: Capacity Estimation and Staffing Under Parkinson's Law," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, September.
    16. Onay, Anita & Stampfer, Christina & Missbauer, Hubert, 2023. "A behavioral perspective on workload control concepts: The influence of order release on operators’ reaction behavior," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    17. Jillian A. Berry Jaeker & Anita L. Tucker, 2017. "Past the Point of Speeding Up: The Negative Effects of Workload Saturation on Efficiency and Patient Severity," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(4), pages 1042-1062, April.
    18. John O. McClain & Kenneth L. Schultz & L. Joseph Thomas, 2000. "Management of Worksharing Systems," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 49-67, July.
    19. Kenneth L. Schultz & David C. Juran & John W. Boudreau, 1999. "The Effects of Low Inventory on the Development of Productivity Norms," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(12), pages 1664-1678, December.
    20. Diwas Singh KC & Christian Terwiesch, 2012. "An Econometric Analysis of Patient Flows in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 14(1), pages 50-65, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:50:y:2004:i:8:p:1095-1105. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.