Date of Award

2005

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) is being used to solve technology and engineering problems. The goal of theDissertation was to conduct a study to determine the applicability of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) on the technology management for an e-business call center. The variables selected for the research were the Average Calls per 10,000 Subscribers (ACPS) and the Unburdened Billable Hours (UBH). The applicability was determined through the research hypotheses and research questions constructed for the study. The research null hypotheses were tested using a time-series quasi-experiment to determine if four TRIZ-based solutions introduced into the call center's technology system would not change the ACPS and UBH. The research questions were answered with the professional insights of the Panel of Experts who have over seventy-nine years of technology management experience. They addressed the research questions and recorded their insights regarding the applicability of TRIZ during the Post-Study Interview. The initial analysis of the data at the end of the time-period indicated that both the ACPS and UBH had seen an overall reduction. A log of the experiment's interventions recorded over 1400 contacts that potentially accounted for the reduction in both variables. Further review discovered that another dynamic identified during the conduct of the experiment could also have contributed to the reduction. This anomaly could not be overlooked; therefore, the null hypotheses were stated as inconclusive. The Panel of Experts found TRIZ to be easy to comprehend, valuable for focusing on the problem, and a tool applicable for both the technology management of an e-business call center and technology management in general.

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