The Relationship Between Size and Performance of Mail Sorting Offices

Bibliographic Data

ID9890850
AuthorsD S Smyth (Australian Postal Commission, PO Box 302, Carlton South Vic. 3053, Australia.), Dustin Smyth (Australian Sports Commission, corresponding author)
Year1982
Volume35
Issue7
Pages567-586
Publication date1982-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Relations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-7267 • E-ISSN: 1741-282X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/001872678203500706
OpenAlexW2107158040
LanguageEN
References cited11

The paper gives the main results of studies on the size-performance relatio ship of mail sorting offices in two of the developed countries. A distinct optimum size was found at about 450 total operatives and the major factors causing the declining performance of larger offices were identified as deteriorating motivation, increasing specialization in work method, and a poorer industrial relations climate. The performance of small offices is believed to be adversely affected by the minimum number of operatives needed to guarantee service during periods of low demand but who cannot be fully occupied. Special attention was paid to the definition of terms and to statistical technique as these matters have been noted as weaknesses of some previous studies on the effects of size in organizations

Business · Service (business · Sorting · Work (physics · Computer Science · Engineering · Marketing · Organizational Management and Leadership

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