Development of a Quality Decision-Making Scenario to Measure How Employees Handle Out-of-Condition Grain
Date
Authors
Major Professor
Advisor
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Authors
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Since 1905, the Department of Agricultural Engineering, now the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), has been a leader in providing engineering solutions to agricultural problems in the United States and the world. The department’s original mission was to mechanize agriculture. That mission has evolved to encompass a global view of the entire food production system–the wise management of natural resources in the production, processing, storage, handling, and use of food fiber and other biological products.
History
In 1905 Agricultural Engineering was recognized as a subdivision of the Department of Agronomy, and in 1907 it was recognized as a unique department. It was renamed the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in 1990. The department merged with the Department of Industrial Education and Technology in 2004.
Dates of Existence
1905–present
Historical Names
- Department of Agricultural Engineering (1907–1990)
Related Units
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (parent college)
- College of Engineering (parent college)
- Department of Industrial Education and Technology, (merged, 2004)
Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
Department
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 process-tracing 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.
Comments
This article is from Applied Engineering in Agriculture 29 (2013): 807–814, doi:10.13031/aea.29.9795. Posted with permission.