Service operations that utilize cross-trained employees face complex workforce staffing decisions that have important implications for both cost and productivity. These decisions are further complicated when cross-trained employees have different productivity levels in multiple work activity categories. A method for policy analysis in such environments can be beneficial in determining low-cost staffing plans with appropriate Cross-training configurations.In this paper, we present an integer linear programming model for evaluating cross-training configurations at the policy level. The objective of the model is to minimize workforce staffing costs subject to the satisfaction of minimum labor requirements across a planning horizon of a single work shift. The model was used to evaluate eight cross-training structures (consisting of 36 unique cross-training configurations) across 512 labor requirement patterns. These structures, as well as the labor requirement patterns, were established based on data collected from maintenance operations at a large paper mill in the United States. The results indicate that asymmetric cross-training structures that permit chaining of employee skill classes across work activity categories are particularly useful. Subject Areas: Emplbyee Cross-training, Labor and Staff Planning, Mathematical Programming, and Operations Management.

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Abstract. This study investigates the Kahn et al. (1964) measure of job-related stressors, and the Everly et al. (1989) measure of stress (i.e., cognitive-affective) arousal to ascertain whether the scales are measuring two distinct constructs. Data gathered from a sample of 1,618 members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants are analyzed to measure the psychometric properties of both instruments. Results from intemal consistency, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and item analyses indicate that both scales are reliable measures and the two scales are measuring different constructs. This study also examines the mediating effect of stress arousal on the relationship between sources of job stress, and resultant coping behaviors and psychological stress symptoms by means of structural modeling analyses. The results indicate that stress arousal is indeed a significant mediator in the stressor-to-ilhiess process.Risumi. Les auteurs analysent l'instrument de mesure utilise par Kahn et al. (1964) pour evaluer les facteurs de stress lies au travail ainsi que la mesure de la manifestation (cognitive-affective) du stress proposee par Everly et al. (1989) pour confirmer si les ^chelles utilisees circonscrivent deux concepts distincts. Ils analysent les donnees colUgees a partir d'un Echantillon de 1 618 membres de I'American Institute of Certified Public Accountants afin d'evaluer les propriEtes psychom^triques des deux instruments de mesure. Les resultats tirfis des analyses des facteurs de coherence interne, des facteurs exploratoires et des facteurs de corroboration, ainsi que les analyses des elements indiquent que les deux ^helles de mesure sont fiables et qu'elles circonscrivent des concepts differents. Les auteurs examinent Egalement l'effet de mediation de la manifestation du stress sur la relation entre les sources de stress au travail et les comportements d'adaptation qui en resultent et les sympt6mes de stress psychologique, au moyen d'analyses de mod^lisation des structures. Les resultats de I'etude indiquent que la manifestation du stress est, de fait, un mediateur d'importance dans le processus qui conduit du facteur de stress k la maladie.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to better understand the main effects of agent conscientiousness and reciprocity norm and the interaction effect of these two factors on contract adjustment decisions in buyer-supplier relationships. Design/methodology/approach – Two scenario-based experiments with college students and business professionals were conducted. Three regression models were run to test three hypotheses proposed in the paper. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this study are the use of single-agent decision scenarios and the specific focus on one aspect of agent personality – i.e. conscientiousness and its collective influence on contract adjustment decisions. In a broader picture, the results of this study support the cross-level analytical approach to investigating marketing channel relationships, in which individual-level and organizational-level factors interact and determine decision outcomes in business exchanges. Practical implications – Recruiting and promoting managers who exhibit high levels of conscientiousness, coupled with proactively cultivating the norm of reciprocity with suppliers, are critical to a firm's thrust in attaining and sustaining marketing channel management practices with the emphasis on reciprocity-based exchange relationships. Originality/value – While the extant literature focuses largely on interfirm governance and contract enforcement, this study examines what actually influences decision-making agents' contract adjustment decisions. This study expands the marketing literature by investigating the impacts of agent conscientiousness and reciprocity norm on contract adjustment decisions.

IntroductionMany service delivery systems operate with a workforce that is partitioned into two or more work categories (skills). In this context, cross-utilization may be perceived as the use of workers to satisfy labour requirements outside their primary skill. Cross-training may then be perceived as the human resources program that enables a service organization to deploy cross-utilization. Crossutilization and cross-training have received significant attention in a variety of service operating environments including insurance companies (

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Labour scheduling heuristic methods have been applied in service operating environments using both actual and synthetic demand patterns. Two important characteristics of these demand patterns are (1) demand smoothness and (2) mean demand. Investigates the effects of demand smoothness and mean demand on the solution quality associated with four prominent heuristic methods. Indicates that both characteristics can affect the performance of the heuristic methods. An especially important finding is that the two methods which use information from linear programming solutions are far more robust to changes in the degree of demand smoothness. Concludes that managers should consider linear programming methods as an alternative or supplement for making their scheduling decisions. Also recommends that labour scheduling researchers use multiple levels of mean demand and demand smoothness when evaluating new heuristic methods.