Effects of worker self-efficacy on paired workstations in the two-dimensional TASEP model

This study explores the challenge of balancing productivity and stability in paired work environments, especially in complex production environments. Different work configurations are compared to determine their impact on productivity and system uncertainty. The Totally Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process (TASEP) is extended to two dimensions (2D) to simulate workers working within four cells, where each cell serves as both a work post and a waiting area. In contrast, the simpler one-dimensional (1D) model includes only work post areas. Worker self-efficacy is assessed by quantifying the relationship between work performance and uncertainty using Shannon entropy. The results showed that the 2D model achieved 2.89 times higher productivity than the 1D model. However, Shannon entropy was 1.48 times higher for the 2D model, indicating increased uncertainty. These results suggest that while the 2D model is suitable for complex tasks requiring high productivity, it introduces more uncertainty and may affect the stability of the system; the 1D model, while less productive, is more stable and suitable for simpler tasks. This study provides a quantitative analytical framework to assist in selecting the optimal work configuration based on the complexity of the task and the need to balance productivity and operational stability.