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Air Force Institute of Technology

2010

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Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

An Analysis Of How Education, Age, Overseas Assignments, And Mavenism Impact Use Of New Media Technology, Thomas E. Enright Jr. Dec 2010

An Analysis Of How Education, Age, Overseas Assignments, And Mavenism Impact Use Of New Media Technology, Thomas E. Enright Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research into new media technology usage has typically been limited to young adults ages 18-24. However this study will include age, education, overseas assignments, presence of mavenism, and information security concerns as variables impacting new media usage. For the purpose of this study, new media is defined by devices, activities, and social arrangements (Lievrouw & Livingstone, 2006). While dozens of new media technology are available, the scope of this research examined individual’s use of blogs, online social networks, and downloadable content. Data about new media was gathered through a literature review and by conducting interviews with people that are …

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Contract Over Target Baseline (Otb) Effect On Earned Value Management's Cost Performance Index (Cpi), Dennis E. Jack Jun 2010

Contract Over Target Baseline (Otb) Effect On Earned Value Management's Cost Performance Index (Cpi), Dennis E. Jack

Theses and Dissertations

Cost growth is a problem in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) acquisitions. A particular component of cost growth is a cost overrun or Over Target Baseline (OTB). In 2009, Trahan found that the Gompertz growth curve better predicted program Estimates at Completion (EAC) for OTB contracts. In 2010, Thickstun studied “the relationships between overruns and a variety of factors,” but found OTB occurrences “random” and questioned the benefit of the OTB process (Thickstun, 2010). In this research, we study OTB‟s ability to effect improved program cost performance; we examine OTB‟s effect on the cumulative Cost Performance Index (CPI) slope after …

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Cyber This, Cyber That...So What?, Eric D. Trias, Bryan Bell [*] Apr 2010

Cyber This, Cyber That...So What?, Eric D. Trias, Bryan Bell [*]

Faculty Publications

This article endorses the idea that cyber operations may be conducted in all war-fighting domains: air, space, cyberspace, land, and sea. In addition, despite the immaturity of cyberspace operational doctrines, the doctrines from air and space remain relevant and applicable to the cyberspace domain. Cyber operations are just another set of tools in the commander's toolbox. Although cyber operations have distinct ways of achieving effects, from an Air Force perspective they are similar too the air and space operations that support air and space (and cyberspace) functions. Known and established cyber operations provide war fighters with viable options to kinetic …

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Design Of A Monocular Multi-Spectral Skin Detection, Melanin Estimation, And False-Alarm Suppression System, Keith R. Peskosky Mar 2010

Design Of A Monocular Multi-Spectral Skin Detection, Melanin Estimation, And False-Alarm Suppression System, Keith R. Peskosky

Theses and Dissertations

A real-time skin detection, false-alarm reduction, and melanin estimation system is designed targeting search and rescue (SAR) with application to special operations for manhunting and human measurement and signatures intelligence. A mathematical model of the system is developed and used to determine how the physical system performs under illumination, target-to-sensor distance, and target-type scenarios. This aspect is important to the SAR community to gain an understanding of the deployability in different operating environments. A multi-spectral approach is developed and consists of two short-wave infrared cameras and two visible cameras. Through an optical chain of lenses, custom designed and fabricated dichroic …

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Personality Measures As Predictors Of Long-Term Employment In Air Force Officers, Levi N. Davis Mar 2010

Personality Measures As Predictors Of Long-Term Employment In Air Force Officers, Levi N. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

High degrees of organizational turnover have been associated with decreased customer satisfaction, increased customer turnover, decreased employee productivity, decreased organizational performance, and decreased profitability. As such, more than 1,500 studies have been performed in the past 50 years on the topics of retention and turnover. This study aimed to examine possible relationships between the personality make up of Air Force officers and their retention within the United States Air Force. If present, such relationships might offer avenues for improving recruitment and retention efforts within the Air Force. Between 1996 and 1997, 318 officer candidates attending the United States Air Force …

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The Development Of A Leadership Self-Efficacy Measure, Seth D. Platt Mar 2010

The Development Of A Leadership Self-Efficacy Measure, Seth D. Platt

Theses and Dissertations

The construct of self-efficacy has been used extensively to analyze and predict what motivates human behavior, to include leadership behaviors. The connection between self-efficacy and leader effectiveness may be critical to finding new ways of selecting and developing leadership in organizations. The efficacy of individuals at the general and specific levels was studied with data collected from officer training school graduates and their post-training supervisors. With this data a new leadership self-efficacy (LSE) framework was created and validated, and this framework was used to compare the predictability of the previously validated general self-efficacy (GSE) measure to distal performance measures. GSE …

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The Development Of A Tactical-Level Full Range Leadership Measurement Instrument, Rebecca Thurrell Mar 2010

The Development Of A Tactical-Level Full Range Leadership Measurement Instrument, Rebecca Thurrell

Theses and Dissertations

Since the emergence of transformational and charismatic leadership models in the mid-1980s, full range leadership theory has become established as the predominant and most widely researched theory on leadership. The most commonly used survey instrument to assess full range leadership theory is the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, originally developed by Bass in 1985. Although much research has supported the strength of the psychometric properties of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, some researchers have suggested that contextual factors such as a leader’s hierarchical level can lead to conflicting results. This research effort involved an extensive review of existing literature to develop a new …

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Method Of Measuring The Economic Impact Of A Radiological Dispersal Event Within An Urban Environment, Antoine N. Munfakh Mar 2010

Method Of Measuring The Economic Impact Of A Radiological Dispersal Event Within An Urban Environment, Antoine N. Munfakh

Theses and Dissertations

A radiological dispersal event (RDE) is the result of a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) or a dirty bomb. An RDD is a low‐yield conventional bomb surrounded by radiological material (RM) such as Cesium‐137 or Cobalt‐60. Upon detonation, the blast of the conventional explosive is designed to spread the RM over a wide area. The RM will then be inhaled or ingested by people, or otherwise absorbed into the environment. An RDD is an affordable, feasible, and economically devastating option for terrorist groups. Possible RM could be stolen or acquired cheaply from the millions of radioactive sources used worldwide in industry, …

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An Analysis Of The Elements Of Collaboration Associated With Top Collaborative Tools, Kristopher C. Nagy Mar 2010

An Analysis Of The Elements Of Collaboration Associated With Top Collaborative Tools, Kristopher C. Nagy

Theses and Dissertations

United States government agencies have historically experienced problems with inter-agency information sharing and collaboration. In fact, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United Stated recommended that the U.S. government “increase information sharing” and “improve collaboration across government agencies.” To this day, no collaborative tools are being used to fully address that recommendation. In fact, there is little agreement as to what collaboration necessarily means and what characteristics or capabilities are best suited for the design and use of collaborative tools. Before we can improve collaboration across agencies, we need to better understand the nature of collaboration itself, and …

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Generational Differences In Knowledge Markets, Anthony B. Paulson Mar 2010

Generational Differences In Knowledge Markets, Anthony B. Paulson

Theses and Dissertations

The US workforce faces an impending mass exodus of experienced workers as the Baby Boomer Generation prepares to retire. Generation X is entering upper management positions but their numbers are small—approximately half the Baby Boomer population—and they’ll be leading Generation Y which is three times their size. This ‘age wave’ phenomenon has unsettling implications for organizations. Will organizations lose knowledge as their most experienced workers depart? Can that knowledge be captured before they leave? This study examines the differences between the ways members of each generation in the workforce transfer knowledge using semi-structured interviews to understand and diagnose challenges to …

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An Analysis Of Factors That Influence Air Force Civil Engineer Company Grade Officer Turnover Intentions, Kevin C. Riddel Mar 2010

An Analysis Of Factors That Influence Air Force Civil Engineer Company Grade Officer Turnover Intentions, Kevin C. Riddel

Theses and Dissertations

Increased operational pace in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, combined with a reduction in the number of service members, has required military members to work longer and harder. Civil engineer company grade officers are among the most heavily deployed members of the Air Force. Because of this, Air Force leaders are concerned that they will encounter retention challenges with these members. To address this issue, a questionnaire designed to capture several key attitudes individuals have about the Air Force and the civil engineer career field was administered to 364 Air Force civil engineer company grade officers. Results …

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Predicting Over Target Baseline (Otb) Acquisition Contracts, Kristine E. Thickstun Mar 2010

Predicting Over Target Baseline (Otb) Acquisition Contracts, Kristine E. Thickstun

Theses and Dissertations

Cost estimators use a variety of methods to develop estimates at completion (EACs) and new methods continue to be developed. Research has shown there is no best method for computing EACs for all acquisition contracts. However, some methods perform better under specific circumstances. In 2009, Captain Trahan investigated the use of a Gompertz growth model for developing EACs. She found that this method is more reliable for Over Target Baseline (OTB) contracts than the standard indexed based approaches. Captain Trahan’s model is an excellent model to use for OTB contracts or contracts with a high likelihood of becoming an OTB …

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