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Management for excellence in a nuclear power plant environment
Abstract
During the last decade, American businesses have responded to a variety of pressures by placing an increasing emphasis on the pursuit of excellence in their operations. The basic problem proposed for research and analysis was the adaptation of generally accepted principles of management for excellence to the particular environment of a nuclear power plant. The basic objectives were to develop a set of recommendations to assist a particular utility in its quest for excellence in its nuclear operation and then to expand these recommendations to the nuclear utility industry in general. In order to consider the pursuit of excellence, it was first necessary to build a definition of excellence which transcends normal definitions of the term. The need for excellence was then considered in general terms. This was followed by an examination of the technical and regulatory environments of a nuclear power plant. A survey of current management literature regarding the pursuit of excellence was performed in order to synthesize a set of general principles of management for excellence. This synthesis resulted in the creation of a business and management model which emphasizes an organization's people, its programs and its commitment to a common purpose. This model was then extended to the nuclear power industry. An assessment of a particular nuclear power plant was then developed in terms of the model. This assessment considered the recent evaluations performed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, the utility and its contractor. The author's assessment adds an additional perspective to these evaluations to show the need for additional improvements to balance the three aspects of the model--people, programs and purpose (management). The utility's current improvement programs were then evaluated in terms of the business and management model. Both strengths and shortcomings were identified, and a set of recommendations which will add to and strengthen the improvement programs was developed. These recommendations have been provided to the utility's nuclear management. This work was concluded by considering the future of nuclear power in the United States and by generalizing the recommendations discussed above to the entire industry in order to support the continued and future use of nuclear power.
Subject Area
Industrial engineering|Nuclear physics|Management
Recommended Citation
McIvor, Timothy James, "Management for excellence in a nuclear power plant environment" (1989). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9013613.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9013613