The "global marketplace" has been a driving force for change, resulting in a dramatic increase in competition and expectations of consumers. With more mailing options available, consumers are scrutinizing service and cost performance at a level never-before experienced by the United States Postal Service. For an organization that has operated as a relatively stable government agency for 224 years, the environmental changes are severe, and necessitating the need for change. This thesis studied the impact of a management intervention on performance at a USPS processing and distribution center. The intervention installed a performance measurement system. A quasi-experimental methodology utilizing a nonequivalent comparison group was utilized to evaluate the impact of this intervention on both management process variables and operational performance indicators. The framework for the management process variables originated from the sociotechnical literature. There was evidence to support that operational performance improved and several process management variables changed following the intervention. / Graduation date: 1999

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