The purpose of this study was to find whether cross training could improve male adolescent rugby skills. Three major sports (soccer, basketball and wrestling) were selected to form the base of the cross training intervention program. Pre- and post-tests were performed with the entire rugby squad (24 participants) prior to and at the conclusion of the intervention program. After pre-testing, the participants were grouped into either the intervention (12) or the control group (12). Supervised cross training sessions were performed twice a week for 10 weeks as well as traditional rugby training twice a week for 10 weeks with the intervention group. The control group performed supervised conventional rugby training twice a week for 10 weeks. All participants (24) played in a rugby match once a week during the 10 week period of the study.

The purpose of this study was to find whether cross training could improve male adolescent rugby skills. Three major sports (soccer, basketball and wrestling) were selected to form the base of the cross training intervention program. Pre- and post-tests were performed with the entire rugby squad (24 participants) prior to and at the conclusion of the intervention program. After pre-testing, the participants were grouped into either the intervention (12) or the control group (12). Supervised cross training sessions were performed twice a week for 10 weeks as well as traditional rugby training twice a week for 10 weeks with the intervention group. The control group performed supervised conventional rugby training twice a week for 10 weeks. All participants (24) played in a rugby match once a week during the 10 week period of the study.

The purpose of this study was to find whether cross training could improve male adolescent rugby skills. Three major sports (soccer, basketball and wrestling) were selected to form the base of the cross training intervention program. Pre- and post-tests were performed with the entire rugby squad (24 participants) prior to and at the conclusion of the intervention program. After pre-testing, the participants were grouped into either the intervention (12) or the control group (12). Supervised cross training sessions were performed twice a week for 10 weeks as well as traditional rugby training twice a week for 10 weeks with the intervention group. The control group performed supervised conventional rugby training twice a week for 10 weeks. All participants (24) played in a rugby match once a week during the 10 week period of the study.

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Lean production prescribes training workers on all tasks within the cell to adapt to changes in customer demand. Multi-skilling of workers can be achieved by cross-training. Cross-training can be improved and reinforced by implementing job rotation. Lean production also prescribes using job rotation to improve worker flexibility, worker satisfaction, and to increase worker knowledge in how their work affects the rest of the cell. Currently, there is minimal research on how to assign multi-skilled workers to tasks within a lean production cell while considering multi-skilling and job rotation. In this research, a new mathematical model was developed that assigns workers to tasks, while ensuring job rotation, and determines the levels of skill, and thus training, necessary to meet customer demand, quality requirements, and training objectives. The model is solved using sequential goal programming to incorporate three objectives: overproduction, cost of poor quality, and cost of training. The results of the model include an assignment of workers to tasks, a determination of the training necessary for the workers, and a job rotation schedule. To evaluate the results on a cost basis, the costs associated with overproduction, defects, and training were used to calculate the net present cost for one year. The solutions from the model were further analyzed using a simulation model of the cell to determine the impact of job rotation and multi-skilling levels on production line performance. The measures of performance include average flowtime, work-in-process (WIP) level, and monthly shipments (number produced). Using the model, the impact of alternative levels of multi-skilling and job rotation on the performance of cellular manufacturing systems is investigated. Understanding the effect of multi-skilling and job rotation can aid both production managers and human resources managers in determining which workers need training and how often workers should be rotated to improve the performance of the cell. The lean production literature prescribes training workers on all tasks within a cell and developing a rotation schedule to reinforce the cross-training. Four levels of multi-skilling and three levels of job rotation frequency are evaluated for both a hypothetical cell and a case application in a relatively mature actual production cell. The results of this investigation provide insight on how multi-skilling and job rotation frequency influence production line performance and provide guidance on training policies. The results show that there is an interaction effect between multi-skilling and job rotation for flowtime, work-in-process, in both the hypothetical cell and the case application and monthly shipments in the case application. Therefore, the effect of job rotation on performance measures is not the same at all levels of multi-skilling thus indicating that inferences about the effect of changing multi-skilling, for example, should not be made without considering the job rotation level. The results also indicate that the net present cost is heavily influenced by the cost of poor quality. The results for the case application indicated that the maturity level of the cell influences the benefits derived from increased multi-skilling and affects several key characteristics of the cell. As a cell becomes more mature, it is expected that the quality levels increase and that the skill levels on tasks normally performed increase. Because workers in the case application already have a high skill level on some tasks, the return on training is not as significant. Additionally, the mature cell has relatively high quality levels from the beginning and any improvements in quality would be in small increments rather than in large breakthroughs. The primary contribution of this research is the development of a sequential goal programming worker assignment model that addresses overproduction, poor quality, cross-training, and job rotation in order to meet the prescription in the lean production literature of only producing to customer demand while utilizing multi-skilled workers. Further contributions are analysis of how multi-skilling level and job rotation frequency impact the performance of the cell. Lastly, a contribution is the application of optimization and simulation methods for comprehensively analyzing the impact of worker assignment on performance measures. / Ph. D.

This research investigated the determinants and outcomes of shared mental models of skill use in autonomous work teams. A model of the determinants and outcomes (team task behaviors) of shared mental models of skill use was tested. Three components of shared mental models of skill use were investigated: shared knowledge pertaining to skill use in task performance (i.e., knowledge about the task, equipment, team, and team interaction), shared expectations for skill use in task performance in both routine and non-routine situations, and shared attitudes relevant to skill use in task performance (i.e., collective orientation and collective efficacy). The model included the interdependence, uncertainty, and complexity of the technology; the degree to which the team is cross-trained and its membership stable; and the level of prior experience team members have had with teamwork as the determinants of overlap in a team's mental model of skill use. The beneficial outcomes of a high degree of overlap in the team's mental model of skill use were four team task behaviors: flexibility, quality, verbal communication, and time required in task planning. The flexibility construct was defined as the degree to which a team allocated and used the multiple competencies/skills of each of its members in pursuit of team goals. A model of the development of flexibility was developed as was a theory of the role of shared mental models in flexible skill use. / Ph. D.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Jason Bergtold / Company managers continually face challenges in the market, such as increased demand for their services and variability in the types of service requested. In addition, managers may face internal challenges during periods adjustment such as moving the company forward through a hiring freeze. In these situations, a manager must be able to allocate their scarce resources in a way to continue to perform. For employees, this could mean specializing in tasks or increasing crosstraining to improve work schedule flexibility. The objective of this research is to determine the optimal allocation of employees to tasks, given resource constraints and the need for staff flexibility, to satisfy alternative management strategies. The setting is the service industry, in particular a laboratory setting providing testing and consulting services. An optimization model was developed to incorporate key aspects of a company’s operation, and determine labor allocation among tasks, and for how many hours, to satisfy the manager’s objective. The model estimates the optimal allocation of labor and how much production and net revenues would be generated, with more specialized employees. A sensitivity analysis was employed to determine the impact of cross-training current staff. Results indicate that cross-training affords flexibility; however, the impact on overall production varies depending on the employee trained. The highest benefit is derived from training a lower-producing employee into a high value task at a high productivity rate. Specialization can help to improve productivity in net returns for higher valued tasks, but may limit flexibility, as employees cannot switch between tasks as readily.

The determination of the right number of servers in a multi-server queueing system is one of the most important problems in applied queueing theory. The problem becomes more complex in a system that consists of both cross-trained and specialized servers. Such queueing systems are readily found in the call centres (also called contact centres) of financial institutions, telemarketing companies and other organizations that provide services to customers in multiple languages. They are also found in computer network systems where some servers are dedicated and others are flexible enough to handle various clients' requests. Over-staffing of these systems causes increased labour costs for the underutilized pool of agents on duty, while under-staffing results in reduced revenue from lost customers and an increase in queue times. The efficient design and analysis of these systems helps management in making better staffing decisions. This thesis aims to develop models for establishing agent staffing levels in organizations with cross-trained and specialized staff with a view to minimizing cost and maintaining a desirable customer satisfaction. The work investigates the effect of various traffic loads on the number of agents required and the cost. It also considers how using specialized agents, flexible agents and a combination of both categories of agents affects the system. It uses a contact centre that has agents with monolingual, bilingual and trilingual (English, French and Spanish) capabilities to do the study.

The determination of the right number of servers in a multi-server queueing system is one of the most important problems in applied queueing theory. The problem becomes more complex in a system that consists of both cross-trained and specialized servers. Such queueing systems are readily found in the call centres (also called contact centres) of financial institutions, telemarketing companies and other organizations that provide services to customers in multiple languages. They are also found in computer network systems where some servers are dedicated and others are flexible enough to handle various clients' requests. Over-staffing of these systems causes increased labour costs for the underutilized pool of agents on duty, while under-staffing results in reduced revenue from lost customers and an increase in queue times. The efficient design and analysis of these systems helps management in making better staffing decisions. This thesis aims to develop models for establishing agent staffing levels in organizations with cross-trained and specialized staff with a view to minimizing cost and maintaining a desirable customer satisfaction. The work investigates the effect of various traffic loads on the number of agents required and the cost. It also considers how using specialized agents, flexible agents and a combination of both categories of agents affects the system. It uses a contact centre that has agents with monolingual, bilingual and trilingual (English, French and Spanish) capabilities to do the study.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a school-based cross-training program on body mass index (BMI), attitudes toward physical activity (ATPA), and physical activity (PA) levels of children in the 4th and 5th grades. Children (N = 118) were divided into control (n = 60) and experimental (n = 58) groups based on class availability. While the control group continued academic classes as usual, the experimental group participated in cross-training involving resistance training (RT), calisthenics, and stretching twice a week for 10 weeks. Pre- and post-intervention measures included height, mass, ATPA, and PA. BMI was calculated and ATPA and PA levels were assessed via questionnaire. The groups did not differ significantly (p > .05) for either pre- or post-intervention regarding BMI, ATPA, and PA. However, BMI and PA levels significantly increased over time for both groups (p ≤ .05). Overall, cross-training in a school setting may be a safe and enjoyable option for physical activity participation. BMI and PA increases were likely the result of the natural growth process and seasonal weather pattern changes, respectively. Nevertheless, the cross-training did not detract from PA levels and may have led to an overall increase in PA levels. As subdomain analyses revealed decreased attitude toward health and fitness in the experimental group, shorter programs involving RT with various protocols are recommended.