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Optimal Scheduling of a Flexible-Duration Rest Period for a Work Group

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen E. Bechtold

    (Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida)

  • Gary M. Thompson

    (University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah)

Abstract

All previous modeling research involving optimization of performance associated with work-rest cycles has focused upon individual employees working independently. We extend this earlier research by considering the choices of placement for and duration of a single rest period that must be taken simultaneously by all employees in a work group. Assuming linear work-rate decay and recovery functions for individual employees within the group, we show that an appropriate model can be formulated as a mixed-binary, cubic programming problem. We develop an efficient optimal solution procedure with a computational time that appears to be a linear function of the number of employees considered. We report on a preliminary simulation experiment that evaluates the productivity loss that occurs when the rest break policy is determined based on the work characteristics of a randomly selected subset of employees in the work group, and provides an initial exploration of the nature of optimal policy variables. Finally, we offer suggestions for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen E. Bechtold & Gary M. Thompson, 1993. "Optimal Scheduling of a Flexible-Duration Rest Period for a Work Group," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 41(6), pages 1046-1054, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:oropre:v:41:y:1993:i:6:p:1046-1054
    DOI: 10.1287/opre.41.6.1046
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    Cited by:

    1. Janiak, Adam & Kovalyov, Mikhail Y., 2006. "Scheduling in a contaminated area: A model and polynomial algorithms," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 173(1), pages 125-132, August.
    2. A Janiak & M Y Kovalyov, 2008. "Scheduling jobs in a contaminated area: a model and heuristic algorithms," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 59(7), pages 977-987, July.

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