Business Commons^™

Job Competencies, Career Paths, And Educational Backgrounds Of "Fortune" 500 Training Directors, Rachael A. Shultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the job competencies, career paths, and educational backgrounds of training directors and also compared the responses of male and female training directors in an attempt to identify possible sources of justification for reported male/female salary differences. Data for the study were gathered through the use of two questionnaires. The first was based on a part of the American Society for Training and Development's (ASTD) 1987-1989 Competency and Standards Study. Additionally, a demographic questionnaire dealing with biographical, educational, and professional characteristics was self-developed. Both were mailed to training directors in all Fortune 500 companies. Major findings include: (1) …

Feletti And The U.S., Cristina Sirianni

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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Re-Engineering The Acquisition Process Of Manufactured On-Demand Only Spares, Mark E. Koesters

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore potential alternatives to the current Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition process for low demand, high dollar value, not commercially stocked, spare parts in order to better utilize diminishing resources, reduce cycle costs, and sustain the defense industrial base. Demand for these items is insufficient to justify maintaining inventory, while the buy on-demand alternative results in long lead- times and increased costs due to the labor intensiveness of the current process, lack of willing manufacturing sources, and higher prices paid for small quantities of material. An exploratory case study method was used to …

The Comparative Effectiveness Of Computer-Mediated Communication Supplemented Satellite Distance Education And Traditional Face-To-Face Education, Megan C. Block

Theses and Dissertations

Satellite distance education delivery typically has one main drawback -- limited student-to-student and student-to-instructor interaction. Telecommunications technology, more specifically computer-mediated communication (CMC), has made it possible for educational institutions to overcome this drawback. This research examines the comparative effectiveness of CMC supplemented satellite distance education delivery and traditional face-to-face education delivery. The three dependent variables that were measured to compare the two educational delivery methods included: performance, interaction, and attitude outcomes. Pre- and post-course instruments were administered in a non-equivalent quasi-experimental design to students enrolled in an Air Force Institute of Technology's School of Systems and Logistics software engineering Professional …

Development Of A Metric Evaluation Instrument For Use In Measuring Organizational Effectiveness, John J. Dunks

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has resulted in the development of instruments to measure organizational effectiveness. This thesis attempts to develop an instrument to measure how effective the organization's metrics are in relation to their organization effectiveness model, specifically, to the Competing Values Model of organization effectiveness developed by Quinn and Rohrbaugh. This should aid managers in determining whether or not they are measuring what they think they are measuring and how effective they are at measuring organizational effectiveness. The instrument developed can help determine the specific aspects of organizational effectiveness which metrics are measuring according to the Competing Values Model.

The Warehouse Information System (Wins): An Architectural Design For An Information System Employing The World Wide Web To Enhance Foreign Military Sales (Fms) Excess Inventory Management, Chad E. Lemaire

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Government has long provided security assistance to foreign countries. Each year, billions of dollars of military hardware and equipment are sold through a process known as Foreign Military Sales (FMS). Unfortunately, most countries are now reporting that they are holding many items, sometimes billions of dollars worth, that are excess for their needs. At the same time, there are many countries in need of these items. Countries currently have two options for getting rid of the items they can write them off or try to return them. Countries encounter problems with both of these choices. Naturally, if …

An Examination Of Business Process Reengineering Techniques And Their Contribution To Process Improvement, Thomas M. Mcdonnell

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense's Corporate Information Management Initiative is part of an effort to achieve savings through specified programs focused on business process improvement A major process improvement methodology being used by the DoD is Business Process Reengineering (BPR). BPR offers the possibility for a fundamental rethinking and radical redesigning of DoD business processes, but there has been little systematic study of the effectiveness of the various techniques used in BPR projects. This study evaluates whether organizations conducting BPR efforts using five specific techniques (strategic planning, activity modeling, activity based costing, benchmarking, and simulation) achieve improvement in critical process performance …

Building A Framework For Information Doctrine: A Significant Factor In Managing Air Force Information Resources, Kimberly C. Ullmann

Theses and Dissertations

The information revolution is sweeping through the mIlitary. At the same time, the Air Force has not fully addressed legal requirements to develop an agency-wide framework for managing information resources. This lack of foundation creates a void for Air Force information resources management practitioners. Since the Department of Defense and the Air Force are engaged in doctrinal revolution, the opportunity exists to consider developing Information Doctrine.This thesis explores the definition and role of doctrine in the Air Force, the doctrine development process, and practical examples of doctrine's use in the Air Force and Department of Defense. It also examines the …

The Relationship Between Environmental Attitudes And Environmental Behaviors Among Air Force Members, Daniel T. Holt

Theses and Dissertations

A questionnaire was distributed to nearly 2,000 randomly selected active duty Air Force members assigned to locations throughout the continental United States. The survey was designed to determine the extent to which Air Force members expressed support for environmental issues. In addition, the survey measured how frequently Air Force members engaged in specific behaviors that were deemed environmentally protective. Although the Air Force members expressed relatively strong support for environmental issues, they only occasionally engaged in activities that contribute to the preservation or protection of the environment. Correlation analysis revealed that the pro-environmental attitudes were positively linked to the environmentally …

Prediction Of Student Completion Of An Associate Degree Radiologic Technology Program, Donna R. Shehane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the admission/selection process of the Radiologic Technology Program at East Tennessee State University to ascertain predictive validity of the admission process and to identify specific indicators leading to program completion. The population for this investigation consisted of 510 students who had applied to East Tennessee State University and the Radiologic Technology Program from 1991 through 1993. Data were collected from institutional and program academic records. Correlation research was chosen to establish validity. One-way Analysis of Variance and t-test were applied to investigate different admission parameters and discriminate analysis was completed due …

The Effects Of Risk Management Program Implementation On Worker Safety Knowledge, John C. Donnelly

Community & Environmental Health Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the effect of the implementation of a risk management program tool on worker safety knowledge in a composite building material fabrication facility whose workers suffered from an increasingly high injury (incidence) rate in recent years. Risk assessment codes (RACs) and job safety analyses (JSAs) were the primary tools used to introduce workers to the concept of risk. Because employee involvement is a crucial element in JSA development. employee input was frequently solicited throughout JSA development.

The study instrument consisted of a pre-test and post-test survey, to which an experimental and control group were subjected. The instrument was …

Will A Women's Manufacturing Clothing Operation Be Feasible In La Paz, Bolivia?, Linda Mercado

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

More and more foreign companies have been looking to Bolivia, located in the heart of South America, as the ideal offshore production location to reduce operating costs. Investors are impressed to find very competitive labor rates, high productivity, low turnover and low absenteeism. The average wage for a factory worker is about 100 dollars per month.' Although the literacy rate is low, the work force has a tradition of manual dexterity, train ability and high work ethics.

The country's attractiveness as a manufacturing location is further increased because Bolivia does not have apparel quotas. In addition, special treaties and agreements …

A Feasibility Study On The Automation Of Domestic Airline Passenger Customer Service Check-In Procedures For Far Part 121 Carriers, Don Michael Trevor Bennett

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This study was conducted in an attempt to determine whether airlines can benefit from a fully automated customer service system which will be used by major, Part 121, operators for domestic travel purposes only. The proposed system will be designed to alleviate airport terminals check-in counter congestion and improve customer service personnel effectiveness and efficiency.

Domestic traffic is expected to increase by 50 percent by the year 2004. An Automatic Ticketing and Baggage (ATB) system will allow passengers to process all flight related transactions only once. A self checking-in system allows a passenger to obtain boarding passes and destination bag …

Ibm's Os/2 Warp And Its International Strategy, Manuel A. Matienzo

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

It is my intention, through the research in this thesis to present problems and solutions to normal business and marketing decisions that take place on a day-to-day basis in IBM Corporation. Also, OS/2 new version named Warp will be studied to an extent. OS/2 version 3 is not only a multitasking, multiprocessing operating system, but is also is IBM's most recent and advance piece of software they have ever produce.

It is a world of choices. Just as IBM hopes OS/2 warp will fulfill users operating systems needs, I will try to fulfill the needs of IBM to release a …

A Computer-Aided Software Engineering (Case) Approach To Business Process Reengineering (Bpr), Faiza I. Khan

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This thesis addresses the problem of lack of procedures by which managers can identify business processes that would benefit from reengineering and which could be used to guide the BPR activity to its successful conclusion. The purpose of this study is to analyze various Software Engineering (SE) principles to determine whether they could be used to support Business Process Reengineering (BPR) activities either directly or with some modification, and if so, whether available Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools might be applied to BPR in support of managers who wish to implement it. The principles of SE and BPR are discussed …

Non-United States Firms' Exchange Rate Exposure And The Pricing Of Exchange Rate Risk In Foreign Stock Markets, Patricia Hill Hamlin Hall

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This two part dissertation is an in depth study of the measurement of foreign currency economic exposure faced by foreign firms and whether or not this exposure is associated with significant risk premia within these firms' national equity markets. Firms from four foreign countries; Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada are classified as purely domestic firms, exporters with low (20%-39%) percentages of foreign sales to total sales, exporters with high (over 40%) percentages of foreign sales to total sales, or multinational corporations.

Essay I focuses on the economic exposure of these non-US firms. Foreign exchange rate volatility can impact …

Administrative Problems In The Implementation Of The Privatization Program In Egypt, Ayman Dahroug

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

How The Rapid Changes In The International Telecommunications Industry Are Impacting The Market For Callback Systems, E.K. Morice

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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Evaluation Of The Vehicle Out-Of-Commission Standard For Air Force Vehicle Maintenance Units, Christopher K. Arzberger, Lawrence F. Audet Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Because the Department of Defense is facing budget and manpower reductions, the importance of productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness in daily operations is being stressed. Unfortunately, the VOC performance measure does not adequately apply these concepts. By examining the concepts of productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness, the inadequacy of the VOC measure is highlighted. A review of research into performance measurement is conducted, with emphasis on USAF transportation squadrons, to examine perceptions about the VOC measure. Because the VOC measure is viewed as inadequate, a review of performance measurement indicators throughout the government is analyzed to determine the type of performance measurement …

Free Trade: The Way Of The Future, Kathleen Hanley

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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Using Customer Satisfaction For Measuring The Effectiveness Of Integrated Product Teams, Charles H. Embs, James N. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

In attempting to develop a performance measurement system for assessing the effectiveness of integrated Product Teams (iPTs), this research focused on the identification of those characteristics that were most important to the customers of Hyrs. Customer satisfaction was selected as the focal point because it is the foundation of the Integrated Weapon System Management (IWSM) philosophy which fostered the IPT approach to conducting business. The customer satisfaction data was gathered from the Quality Air Force self-assessments conducted by the B-1, B-2, F-15, F-16, F-22, and C-17 System Program Offices, as well as interviews conducted by Brigadier General Kenne with several …

Pharmaceutical Inventory Forecasting At The Wright-Patterson Medical Center, Patrick J. Reymann

Theses and Dissertations

This research was conducted to determine the accuracy of statistical forecasting techniques forecasting the inventory of pharmaceutical items. Because pharmaceutical items are subject to a degree of seasonality of demand, the Director of Medical Logistics at the Wright-Patterson Medical Center believed that the use of such techniques may provide a more accurate forecast for the items stocked by the Outpatient Pharmacy. In addition to the technique used by the Outpatient Pharmacy (the 12 month simple moving average) three statistical forecasting methods were employed: the 6 month simple moving average, simple exponential smoothing, and the Winter's exponential smoothing. These techniques were …

Strategic Planning, Performance Measurement, And The Government Performance And Results Act Of 1993: An Exploratory Study Of Aeronautical Systems Center, Miro Skrodzki

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates strategic planning and performance measurement within Aeronautical Systems Center (AS C) to determine if these processes are conducive to effective implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (OPRA). OPRA is a law that will soon affect every federal government agency, and is intended to redirect government attention from internal activities, processes, and products to external outcomes and results. A review of literature allowed the researcher to identify two elements of strategic planning and performance measurement that are critical to effective implementation of OPRA: measurable strategic goals and objectives related to outcomes; and measurement of …

An Air Force Guide For Effective Meeting Management, Zackery S. Belcher

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to improve the effectiveness of organizational meetings thereby reducing the waste from ineffective meetings. Specifically, this thesis sought to answer three research questions addressing the essential elements for effective meetings, the benefits from productive meetings, and the information and skills critical to conducting meetings. The research questions were essentially answered through a comprehensive literature review and the use of the Delphi Technique. However, the solicitation of meeting materials from 16 Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award winners and 90 Fortune 1,000 firms provided additional information. Seven experts, representing Air Force and industry, participated in two …

An Evaluation Of The Appropriateness Of The Defense Logistics Agency's Model Requirements Model, Harry A. Berry, Edward E. Tatge

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the appropriateness of the Defense Logistics Agency's (DLA) requirements model in managing consumable support for Air Force peculiar items. Currently, DLA uses a lot sizing technique referred to as the classic Economic Order Quantity, (EOQ) model. One of the key assumptions of this model is that demand is constant and continuous. Yet with Air Force bases using a lot sizing technique to place their demands for consumable items to DLA, it is apparent that the demand pattern that DLA faces, at least for Air Force peculiar items, is not constant and continuous. This study looks at the …

Measuring Behaviors Of Air Force Officers As Indicators Of Effective Performance And Leadership, Linda S. Hurry

Theses and Dissertations

It is clear that the officer corps will play a key role in improving the Air Force's efficiency, preserving its traditions, and ensuring it maintains the highest level of combat capability. Yet, surprisingly, there is little agreement about exactly which types of officer performance contribute the most to meeting the Air Force's objectives. Performance requirements for officers have not been defined in terms specific enough to guide training course development and performance evaluations. This study identified the types of performance behaviors Air Force supervisors view as most important for effective officership. It also tested a model of individual officer effectiveness …

An Investigation Into Aircraft Availability, Michael S. Kapitzke

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force currently uses an expected value model in the Aircraft Availability Model (AAM) to calculate aircraft availability. However, even with the application of Lean Logistics, the failure-demand rate and the depot repair time are not fixed and the mean value is still used in the model. This research looks at the effect of the magnitude of the variance of the distributions of failure-demand rate and depot repair time. Also, this research evaluates the effect of variable mean failure-demand rates on the variability of aircraft availability. A simulation model was developed which applied the variable failure-demand rates and depot …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Integrated Weapon System Management Concept Of Seamless Processes, Timothy H. Surabian

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the way four Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) single manager organizations operationalized the Integrated Weapon System Management (IWSM) concept of "seamless processes." In this thesis, the IWSM concept of "seamless processes" refers to the degree of integration between acquisition and sustainment organizations. Four SPO organizations were involved in six case studies. This research focused on the way "seamless processes" affect the shifting of the organizational "center of gravity" within or between single manager organizations. An interview questionnaire was administered to 13 Product Center managers and 6 Logistics Center managers. The interview questions focused on IWSM in general, …

An Analysis Of The Purpose And Development Of Management Reserve, Kevin T. Gould

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates both the purpose and development of management reserve budget as it pertains to the Cost-Schedule Control Systems Criteria outlined in DoD Instruction 5(X)O.2. With the Defense Department facing an environment of shrinking budgets, it is becoming increasingly critical for them to manage their acquisition programs as efficient and effective as possible. The objectives of this study were to gain insight, from both a government and commercial perspective, on both the purpose and the development of the contractor's management reserve budget. Contractor system descriptions and interviews of individuals associated with the government acquisition process were used to document …

A Study Of Cumulative Trauma Disorders Of The Upper Extremities And Occupation In Wright-Patterson Adir Force Base Civilian Personnel, Scott T. Hillstead

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a case-control methodology to describe and analyze the 115 cases of occupational illnesses reported by civilian employees of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB) between 1990 and 1995. Determining if a statistically significant association existed between age and duration of employment risk factors and cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) was a primary objective. The frequency of CTDs among the various organizations at Wright-Patterson AFB are also described. The research could not prove the existence of a significant association for the 44 subjects and 176 controls matched on occupational group. However, the demographic and other descriptive results may form a …