Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Leading To Effectiveness And Satisfaction In Civil Engineer Information Systems, Donald C. Crabtree

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency (AFCESA) has developed information systems in support of civil engineer operations. Over the last decade, the number of systems has grown to support the breadth of civil engineer functions. At this time, numerous (900+) decentralized systems support civil engineer functions around the world. Due to budget constraints, AFCESA is transforming civil engineer business processes to leverage the workforce in an optimized fashion. In support of this transition, AFCESA is posturing to acquire new information systems in support of civil engineer business processes. To help AFCESA improve upon its suite of information systems development …

A Multi-Objective Linear Program Model To Test Hub-And-Spoke Networks As A Potential Air Force Deployment Alternative, Andrew J. Cullen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to develop a multiple-objective mixed-integer linear programming model that determines the feasibility of a new deployment paradigm, which offers greater flexibility to home station and deployed location civil engineers (CE) by applying hub-and-spoke networking. The research covers the histories of CE and Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF), current CE deployment needs, multiple-objective decision analysis, hub-and-spoke networking, and organizational behavior benefits of the new paradigm. The methodology section provides details on each objective, explains the model, defines weights, and explains the objective function’s calculation. Next, an analysis of the model’s resulting scenarios helps determine …

Understanding The Emergence Of Disruptive Innovation In The Air Force Science And Technology Organizations, David E. Shahady

Theses and Dissertations

Although innovation is widely discussed in both military and industry venues, many organizations continue to struggle with what it means to be creative as well as maintain a competitive advantage. The United States Air Force has specifically struggled with the balance between improving existing technologies and employing revolutionary technologies. The purpose of this thesis was to study the motivation, focus, barriers, and culture needed to foster disruptive innovation in Air Force Science and Technology (S&T) and to investigate how industry innovation strategies could improve breakthrough Air Force technology emergence. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the primary organization responsible for …

Aircraft Maintenance Organizational Structure Changes An Antecedent Model, Jeffrey M. Durand

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force leadership has ordered the development of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system called the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS). Many current jobs and positions will be streamlined, restructured or removed, while some will certainly be created to handle the new requirements associated with ECSS. The structure of the Air Force is certain to change with the implementation of ECSS. The Air Force has used many maintenance organizational structures since its inception in 1947. The focus of this research is to analyze past organizational structures to define key factors that affect organizational change. A case study style methodology was …

Governance Structure Transforemation During Erp Implementations, Elise V. Strachan

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force (USAF) has a number of initiatives underway to better support tomorrow’s Warfighter. As part of the Expeditionary Logistics for the 21st Century (eLog21) campaign, one of the most critical initiatives is the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS). ECSS is the world’s largest enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation and will completely transform USAF logistics operations. The benefits of an ERP include centrally-managed and integrated information sharing, while the many challenges include training future state operations and employing change management. An effective governance structure is essential in order for the USAF to realize the full benefits of …

How A Multidimensional View Of Perceived Organizational Support Impacts Self-Efficacy And Task Understanding During Training For Boundary Spanning Tasks, R. Scott Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Perceived organizational support (POS), defined as how much employees feel the organization they work for cares for them and assists them in their needs, has been traditionally characterized in a single dimension. This study examines the implications of a multidimensional view of POS. POS was separated into three different dimensions based on the organizational level from which support can be viewed to originate: corporate headquarters, the home office, or the training environment. These dimensions of POS were tested to discover their effect on the self-efficacy and task understanding of individuals training for boundary-spanning tasks. These tasks are those that place …

Multicultural Training In A Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program: A Template For Conducting A Cultural Audit, Angela F. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the multicultural training practices within Pepperdine University's PsyD program in clinical psychology and provided a template for other training programs attempting to conduct a cultural audit. Utilizing a bounded case study design, the current investigation gathered data from faculty in the PsyD program, currently enrolled doctoral students, course syllabi and prospective student recruitment materials. Research questions were: How do faculty members, full-time, adjunct and visiting, self-rate their overall competence in integrating multicultural issues in the classroom?; 2.) How do faculty members rate the multicultural training offered in Pepperdine's PsyD program?; 3.) How frequently are multicultural issues addressed …

Co-Creating A Change-Adept Organizational Culture, Janet Mccollum

Theses and Dissertations

Organizations are experiencing accelerated rates of change while at the same time organizational change initiatives are experiencing high rates of failure. If organizations are to be successful now and in the future, they must develop the capacity to become change-adept while maintaining business performance. This retrospective case study explores how an emergent change process influenced an organization's movement toward a change-adept culture while continuing to perform its normal operations. Using a mixed method approach, the researcher analyzed artifact qualitative data by applying Kanter's 3 dimensions of a change-adept culture--professionalism to perform, imagination to innovate, and openness to collaborate. The researcher …

A Grounded Theory Study Of The Leadership Characteristics Of John F. Kennedy: A Leadership Model For Educational Leaders, Kanika D. Colvin-White

Theses and Dissertations

Adverse challenges in schools that distract from student learning have necessitated effective leadership more than ever before. These challenges include, but are not limited to, budget cuts, standardized testing, poorly trained teachers, poverty, and low parent participation. Every school year academic administrators approach the aforementioned challenges with the hope of improving student achievement. However, without effective practices to foster and sustain student achievement, often, their efforts are in vain. As school districts recruit and deploy leaders, it is critical to select those who have passion to foster positive change. It is equally important to hire administrators who possess those characteristics …

Power Relationships In Information Systems Security Policy Formulation And Implementation, Michael Stephen Lapke

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that organizational power impacts the development and implementation of Information Systems (IS) Security policy. The motivation for this research stems from the continuing concern of ineffective security in organizations, leading to significant monetary losses. IS researchers have contended that ineffective IS Security policy is a precursor to ineffective IS Security (Loch et al. 1992; Whitman et al. 2001; David 2002; Solms and Solms 2004). Beyond this pragmatic aspect, there is a gap in the literature concerning power relationships and IS Security policy. This research intends to bridge the gap. The dissertation is a two phased study whereby …

A Study Of Innovation In Collegiate Business Education, Clair Don St.

Theses and Dissertations

Innovation and the creation of innovative organizations have become increasingly important in virtually every professional endeavor. The pressure to create new products and services, new business processes, and new approaches to solving old problems is immense. This study explores the dynamics of innovation in accredited schools of business, focusing upon sources of innovation, systems to support innovation, and obstacles to innovation. For the purposes of the study, innovation was defined in the broadest term. The concept of business concept innovation, innovation in any phase of a business model, serves as the foundation for defining innovation. Relatively little study has been …

Teacher Perceptions Related To Technology Tools For Curriculum Alignment: A Survey Of Teachers' Response To A Curriculum Mapping Tool, Julie A. Mathiesen

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this descriptive study was to build understanding about the tools, methods and theory behind teacher use of a technology-based tool and process to align K-12 curriculum with state standards. A shift to a standards-driven education policy has created conditions in which teachers are encouraged to align classroom instruction to designated content standards but currently educators lack methods, guidance and appropriate strategies to accomplish this task. Curriculum mapping software is one tool that has been developed to aid in this endeavor. Data from an existing survey instrument was utilized to analyze subsets of teacher perception data and to …

The Influence Of Environmental Factors And Organizational Characteristics On Innovations In Family Medicine Practices In Virginia, Debora Goetz Goldberg

Theses and Dissertations

Family medicine practices are currently threatened by factors such as poor reimbursement, physician stress, shortage of providers, and difficulties in providing prompt access and reliable continuity of care. The external environment faced by family medicine practices is extremely complex and characterized by high pressure from regulatory sources, decreasing reimbursement levels, an increasing rate of change in technologies and care delivery processes, and increasing patient and community expectations. Over the last several years there have been many efforts in family medicine to respond to the challenges presented by the external environment. The majority of these efforts focus on redesigning the delivery …

Pioneers In Twentieth Century Mormon Media: Oral Histories Of Latter-Day Saint Electronic And Public Relations Professionals, Jonice L. Hubbard

Theses and Dissertations

The project consists of three parts: a summary of the research, a collection of sixteen oral histories of Latter-day Saint Electronic Media and Public Relations professionals who contributed to the development and growth of media in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a one-hour documentary film, Pioneers in Mormon Media, which gives a brief history of the development of modern mass communications and its use by the Church. This qualitative study investigates who has been involved in Church media, what projects have been accomplished and provides some explanation as to why the Church uses media. The oral …

Servant Leadership Characteristics Of High School Principals, Organizational Culter, And Student Performance: A Correlational Study, Joseph Richard Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to investigate school leadership vis-a-vis school culture and student achievement outcomes to ascertain whether there were correlations between servant leadership behaviors and attitudes of high school principals and the overall success of their schools, as measured by student achievement on norm- referenced tests. The correlations between school leaders’ attributes and overall school culture also was examined. Secondary school principals and their faculty drawn from Minnesota school districts were surveyed and the results were analyzed, both as a whole and factoring for academic performance as well when considering demographic features.

Analysis of the data revealed a significant …

Evidence Of Heterarchical Planning Within Higher Education Institutions: Learning Garden Planning And Development At Rowan University, Sheri K. Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes during the early stages of planning for an educational garden at Rowan University. This study also attempted to fill the gap in the literature that exists between garden planning and development and planning at higher education institutions. The investigator surveyed 20 committee members involved in this large-scale project, in addition to interviewing six committee members who were considered key stakeholders and have displayed high levels of involvement during the initial stages of the project. Participants were administered a Likert-scale survey that looked for the emergence of heterarchical practices during the development …

Characteristics Of Leadership: How To Develop Leadership Skills In Young Adults, Jamie L. Macioch

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Burnout And Hopelessness Among Nurses Working On Midwest Community Psychiatric Hospital Units, Gina M. Cook

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative descriptive study was undertaken to examine burnout and hopelessness in a sample of nurses working on Midwest co mmunity psychiatric hospital units. The literature identifies nursing as a stressful occupation; however, a very limited number of studies have examined stress in psychiatric nursing. In spite of the limited research to date, there is evidence in the literature to suggest a relationship between burnout and hopelessness in the nursing profession. The lack of consensus in the literature creates a difficulty in defining burnout; however, essential elements of burnout are consistent and clear throughout the nursing literature, including a sense …

Predicting Group Performance Using Cohesion And Social Network Density: A Comparative Analysis, Frederick W. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Group performance has been an important topic as evidenced by an extensive literature review that has supports a positive relationship between group cohesion and performance. Social network researchers have also found similar relationships between cohesion and group performance using social network density as a proxy for cohesion. The traditional cohesion construct is measured using an attitudinal instrument that relies on member perceptions that are aggregated at the group level. The density construct, on the other hand, is based on social network relations which are based on behaviors and actual member interactions and relationships. Considering these differences, although both cohesion measures …

Refinement Of An Instrument To Assess Readiness For Knowledge Management, Landon C. Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

Academics and practitioners have described knowledge as a primary source for competitive advantage for organizations; however, many attempts at instituting knowledge management programs to increase organizational competitiveness do not succeed. Instituting knowledge management programs generally requires organizations to make significant changes and the concept of readiness has long been believed to be an important precondition for successful organizational change. By linking previous research in enablers for knowledge management and organizational change, it is possible to adapt an established organizational change readiness instrument to measure readiness for knowledge management. This study culminates in the development and field-testing of the resultant knowledge …

Information Management Principles Applied To The Ballistic Missile Defense System, John M. Koehler Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Information systems (IS) have evolved over the last 50 plus years from individual components with single functionality to grand architectures that integrate multiple individual business functions into global organizational enterprises. Similarly several military systems with the single mission of missile defense have evolved in service stovepipes, and are now being integrated into a national and global missile defense architecture. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is currently tasked with developing an integrated Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) capable of defending against all ranges of ballistic missiles in all phases of flight in defense of the homeland, our deployed forces, and our …

Mapping Change Management: A Co-Citation Analysis, Brian R. Low

Theses and Dissertations

Today's organizations are continually undergoing changes to make improvements in their efficiency and effectiveness. The ability of organizations to effectively implement and sustain successful change, however, has been limited, with most change initiatives failing to attain the desired success. To counter this trend, researchers across several disciplines have worked to provide practitioners better insight into how to facilitate change within their organizations. This research has resulted in many theories as to what constitutes change and how best to implement it, but it lacks a unifying theory that encompasses all aspects of change research. This effort takes a step toward a …

A Project Manager's Personal Attributes As Predictors For Success, Vhance V. Valencia

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine what personal attributes project managers (PMs) possess which leads them to project management success. Numerous attributes are identified in the literature through a variety of methods, but very few studies relate specific qualities to success. The traits identified in the literature were compiled and condensed into seven distinct skills and attributes: leadership ability, communication skill, decision making skill, administrative skill, coping ability, analytical thinking, and technical competence. A survey method was developed which involved the PM, to measure levels of each attribute, and the PM’s supervisor and project data, to provide a …

Achieving High Performance In Local Government: Linking Government Outcomes With Human Resource Management Practices, Richard F. Huff

Theses and Dissertations

Historically public sector personnel policies and practices have been targets of reform. These reforms consisted of transferring private sector techniques to a public sector perceived to be more bureaucratic and less efficient. Private sector research is replete with evidence of a connection between "superior" human resource management (HRM) practices and the performance outcome of profitability. Public sector outcomes are more difficult to connect directly to management practices. As a result, the focus of public sector reform has become one of improving the processes of management rather than improving the outcomes of government. The linkage between reform and outcome is assumed.This …

User Involvement And Perceived Usefulness Of Information Technology, Sanabel El-Hakeem El-Attar

Theses and Dissertations

The present research investigated the extent to which users? perceived usefulness of IT was related to: (1) the user involvement in its design and implementation; (2) the user hierarchical position in the organization; (3) user years of service in the bank; and (4) user years of experience in banking business. In addition, the researcher examined the differences between males and females regarding the user involvement in design, involvement in implementation, and perception of usefulness of Information Technology (IT). The fifty-two bank users who participated in the study were volunteers from a major bank in the State of Mississippi. Seven research …

Factors And Interactions That Affect Air Force C-17 Aircraft Mission Capable Rates, Scotty A. Pendley

Theses and Dissertations

Given the high demand for mission capable airlift aircraft and considering increasing budget pressures, Air Mobility Command decision makers need a better understanding of mission capable (MC) rate-related factors and their interactions for mobility aircraft. This is needed to comprehend how issues such as airlift funding, current and future force reductions, and manning and experience levels may impact future MC rates for air mobility assets. Existing tools do not incorporate several key variables that the literature suggests are related to MC rates. Using a longitudinal approach, this thesis combines C-17 aircraft data with a structural equations modeling approach to evaluate …

Critical Leadership Traits And Characteristics Of Rural Mississippi Community College Presidents For The 21st Century, Jan Reid-Bunch

Theses and Dissertations

The development of effective and well prepared leaders is vital to the continued success of community colleges and their students. The community college movement boomed in the 1960s and 1970s, and it is now faced with massive numbers of retirements across the nation. Throughout its history, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has made leadership development a priority and a central portion of its mission. Leadership roles are changing in the 21st century in America?s community colleges; therefore, we must reflect on our past to assist in directing our future. According to Young and Ewing (1978), a vast majority …

Understanding The Role And Organizational Value Of Employing An Interim University Of President During Presidential Transitions, Cameron Keith Martin

Theses and Dissertations

A common method for colleges and universities experiencing a transition between permanent presidents is to employ an interim president. A dominant perspective in related literature discussing the role, organizational value, and practices regarding the employment of an interim president has been based upon specific experiences of an institution or individual who had endured or fulfilled an interim presidency; absent, have been the insights of experienced interim presidents-individuals who have been a permanent president at least once and interim president multiple times at different institutions. Therefore, this research answers the following two questions: (a) what are the perspectives and insights of …

The Impact Of Economic Factors And Acquisition Reforms On The Cost Of Defense Weapon Systems, James P. Smirnoff

Theses and Dissertations

Cost overruns in weapon system purchases have plagued the Department of Defense (DoD) throughout its history and have resulted in schedule delays and potentially reduced combat capability. This thesis created an empirical model that begins to explain those cost overruns. The model describes how changes in defense budgets, consolidation of the defense industry, acquisition reform, war, and cost estimating error are related to cost overruns. The cost performance of 186 major weapon system programs managed by the Air Force, Army, and Navy from 1970 to 2002 was described using a panel regression model. This research found that funding instability resulting …

Exploring Cultural Competence In The Lived Experience Of Instructional Designers, Paul Clinton Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

There has been a limited amount of research concerning culture and online education. Although human beings have the ability to transcend past and current environments, helping professions are recognizing the influence of cultural epistemologies on themselves and those they intend to serve. The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of additional challenges and concerns present when designing online instruction in a cross-cultural context. The data collected in this study stands as preliminary work to creating a substantive theory regarding the importance of cultural influences in the thinking, practice and lived experience of instructional designers, specifically those who …