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Full-Text Articles in Business

Corporate Venturing In The Media & Entertainment Industry: Contextual Factors That Influence Corporate Venture Decision Making, Graylind R. Wherry Jan 2021

Corporate Venturing In The Media & Entertainment Industry: Contextual Factors That Influence Corporate Venture Decision Making, Graylind R. Wherry

Theses and Dissertations

This research study focuses on Corporate Venturing (CV) within the Media and Entertainment(M&E) industry and investigates factors that influence CV decision-making. CV provides a viable strategy to facilitate innovation and organizational change within companies; however, this area is understudied within the M&E industry. Companies that make up the entertainment industry may not have specific insight into how best to exploit this opportunity. Specifically, this study looks at the influence of firm characteristics, industry characteristics, and other outside factors using the PESTLE strategy model characteristics impacting the parent or venture unit's CV decision-making within the M&E industry. In terms of this …


Operational Decision Making Under Uncertainty: Inferential, Sequential, And Adversarial Approaches, Andrew J. Keith Aug 2019

Operational Decision Making Under Uncertainty: Inferential, Sequential, And Adversarial Approaches, Andrew J. Keith

Theses and Dissertations

Modern security threats are characterized by a stochastic, dynamic, partially observable, and ambiguous operational environment. This dissertation addresses such complex security threats using operations research techniques for decision making under uncertainty in operations planning, analysis, and assessment. First, this research develops a new method for robust queue inference with partially observable, stochastic arrival and departure times, motivated by cybersecurity and terrorism applications. In the dynamic setting, this work develops a new variant of Markov decision processes and an algorithm for robust information collection in dynamic, partially observable and ambiguous environments, with an application to a cybersecurity detection problem. In the …


Band Of Brothers… And Sisters: Developing A Strategy For Integrating Women Into The Combat Rescue Officer Career Field, Samantha R. Bryan Mar 2018

Band Of Brothers… And Sisters: Developing A Strategy For Integrating Women Into The Combat Rescue Officer Career Field, Samantha R. Bryan

Theses and Dissertations

As of 1 January 2016, across the Department of Defense, every combat position was opened to females. Currently, the Combat Rescue Officer (CRO) career field has not had any women attempt the training requirements in order to become fully qualified. To prepare for this integration of women into an all-male career field, leadership needs to understand the current perception of the CROs that are in the field now. This paper presents a foundation for the development of an assimilation strategy, by triangulating the insights from a sample of CROs, historical documents and researcher observations to produce recommendations for success. The …


Developing A Cyberterrorism Policy: Incorporating Individual Values, Osama Bassam J. Rabie Jan 2018

Developing A Cyberterrorism Policy: Incorporating Individual Values, Osama Bassam J. Rabie

Theses and Dissertations

Preventing cyberterrorism is becoming a necessity for individuals, organizations, and governments. However, current policies focus on technical and managerial aspects without asking for experts and non-experts values and preferences for preventing cyberterrorism. This study employs value focused thinking and public value forum to bare strategic measures and alternatives for complex policy decisions for preventing cyberterrorism. The strategic measures and alternatives are per socio-technical process.


Assessing The Alignment Of Information Security With Strategic Business, And Strategic Information System Planning: A Department Of Defense Perspective, John H. Scanlan Iv Jun 2010

Assessing The Alignment Of Information Security With Strategic Business, And Strategic Information System Planning: A Department Of Defense Perspective, John H. Scanlan Iv

Theses and Dissertations

This research extends the Strategic Information Systems Plan (SISP) and Strategic Business Plan (SBP) alignment model construct by adding the Information Security Plan (ISP) as an additional component considered essential to the success of network centric organizations. Six hypotheses were considered to measure the two-way alignment among three components of the proposed model. The research was adapted for a public sector organization and analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test. A vertical, cross-sectional sample from the United States Marine Corps, a Department of Defense organization, was surveyed (n = 149). Results indicate a strong two-way alignment exists between SISP - SBP …


Value-Driven Enterprise Architecture Evaluation For The Joint Force Protection Advanced Security System, Craig E. Mills Mar 2009

Value-Driven Enterprise Architecture Evaluation For The Joint Force Protection Advanced Security System, Craig E. Mills

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. military has placed a strong focus on the importance of operating in a joint environment, where capabilities and missions are shared between service components. Protecting U.S. forces is a major consideration in the joint environment. The Joint Force Protection Advanced Security System (JFPASS) architecture has been created to fill a critical gap in Joint Force Protection guidance for systems acquisition. The systems engineering (SE) field has made wide use of system architectures to represent complex systems. As fundamental SE principles become more widespread, analysis tools provide an objective method for the evaluation of the resulting architectural products. This …


Strategic Planning To Conduct Joint Force Network Operations: A Content Analysis Of Netops Organizations Strategic Plans, Antonio J. Scurlock Mar 2007

Strategic Planning To Conduct Joint Force Network Operations: A Content Analysis Of Netops Organizations Strategic Plans, Antonio J. Scurlock

Theses and Dissertations

Within the Joint Force Network Operations (NETOPS) environment, war fighters will treat net-centric adversaries and global information grid defense-in-depth situations as complex, adaptive enclaves that are the product of the dynamic interactions between connected entities and processes. Because of net centricity, no entity or process of the enclave can be considered in isolation; no singular engagement methodology will accurately capture the enclave’s complexity, and an alignment of Department of Defense Combatant Commanders, Services, and Agencies (CC/S/A) strategic planning is pivotal. To achieve and maintain information dominance, Joint Network Operations (NETOPS) organizations need to be strategically aligned. Strategic alignment allows organizations …


Reducing Uncertainty In Effects-Based Operations, Wilburn B. Mclamb Mar 2006

Reducing Uncertainty In Effects-Based Operations, Wilburn B. Mclamb

Theses and Dissertations

Known as the fog of war, uncertainty has been prevalent in the conduct of military operations throughout human history. Intelligence collection efforts are tasked to reduce this uncertainty through the collection of information. Utilizing Shannon's entropy as a measure of the expected information gain due to an intelligence collection effort, a methodology is developed to prioritize and allocate intelligence assets in an efficient manner. Incorporated in this methodology are target priority and the requirement to reassess dynamic targets. The application area for the methodology is Effects-Based Operations. A generalized state model is developed to conduct adversary system-of-systems analysis. This model …


Application Of The Strategic Alignment Model And Information Technology Governance Concepts To Support Network Centric Warfare, Jennifer R. Valentine Mar 2006

Application Of The Strategic Alignment Model And Information Technology Governance Concepts To Support Network Centric Warfare, Jennifer R. Valentine

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the fields of E-Business and Network Centric Warfare (NCW) in order to identify gaps and overlaps within the two bodies of knowledge. Successful implementation of E-business is more than simply applying a technology to an existing business model. It is about evolving business processes and structures in order for the organization to accommodate for this new dynamic environment. This thesis proposes that while the two areas' success fundamentally resides in the implementation and exploitation of technology, it is only through sound IT Governance policies and strategic alignment practices that success can be measured. Technology has the ability …


Comparing F-16 Maintenance Scheduling Philosophies, Konstantinos Iakovidis Jun 2005

Comparing F-16 Maintenance Scheduling Philosophies, Konstantinos Iakovidis

Theses and Dissertations

In the F-16 fighter community it is believed that the flying schedule can make or break a wing's maintenance effort. Nevertheless, there is no published scientific support behind many commonly used maintenance scheduling philosophies. The problem is that a generally accepted overall scheduling philosophy to improve the long term health of the fleet does not exist. The purpose of this research is tri-fold: to identify the most important scheduling philosophies, to identify the most meaningful metrics that capture the long term health of the fleet and maintenance effectiveness, and to compare the various philosophies using the performance measures to help …


Output Analysis And Comparison Of Deployment Models With Varying Fidelity, Matthew M. Gill Mar 2005

Output Analysis And Comparison Of Deployment Models With Varying Fidelity, Matthew M. Gill

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the changes in insights that result from using different types of models to assess the capability of deploying the Stryker Brigade within specific timeline goals. The thesis uses as its primary base a study conducted in 2002 by USTRANSCOM to evaluate the ability of Stryker to meet stated deployment timeline goals. Specifically, the author compares the outputs from four different models as they change over three different deployment scenarios and 10 different routes. The study investigates the relationships among the outputs of spreadsheet models, spreadsheet models with elements of variability added, and low- and high-level discrete-event simulations. …


Evaluating Management Strategies For Automated Test Systems/Equipment (Ats/E): An F-15 Case Study, Jeremy A. Howe Mar 2005

Evaluating Management Strategies For Automated Test Systems/Equipment (Ats/E): An F-15 Case Study, Jeremy A. Howe

Theses and Dissertations

The management of United States Air Force ATS/E presents a variety of issues that affect the long-term capability and mission readiness of weapon systems. Traditional procurement processes suggest that individual aircraft platform System Program Offices (SPOs) developed, improved and replaced ATE on an "as-required" basis. Increased obsolescence, however, and a concern for maintaining longer-term viability provided the necessary inertia for a movement towards the procurement and development of consolidated, common test equipment that would support multiple weapon systems. In 1998, the Air Force Chief of Staff directed HQ AFMC to establish a Common Support Equipment office to facilitate the combination …


Air Force Materiel Command: A Survey Of Performance Measures, Marcia Leonard Mar 2004

Air Force Materiel Command: A Survey Of Performance Measures, Marcia Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

Performance measurement has long been a matter of debate in logistics. However, in the recent past, there has been a renewed emphasis as AF leaders continue to seek funding for weapon system spares despite marginal improvements in mission capability. The Chief's Logistics Review, Logistics Transformation Program, AFMC Constraints Assessment Program, the Spares Requirement Review Board, the Spares Campaign, and the Depot Maintenance Reengineering and Transformation all represent efforts to find and implement effective answers (RAND, 2003:ix). And, while there appears to be a consensus that better performance measures are needed, there is little agreement on exactly what should be measured, …


Analysis Of Air Force Civil Engineering Strategic Planning, Francis J. Mondo Jr. Mar 2003

Analysis Of Air Force Civil Engineering Strategic Planning, Francis J. Mondo Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Several organizations within the Department of Defense, including the Air Force Civil Engineer, are actively engaged in strategic planning in an effort to create a roadmap for future capabilities and performance. The objective of this research was to analyze the strategic planning process of the Air Force Civil Engineer (CE) as well as the effectiveness of the Civil Engineer Strategic Plan (CESP). The methodology used to complete this analysis was conducted in two distinct phases: 1) process modeling and evaluation, and 2) performance measure evaluation. The first phase compared the CE strategic planning process to a theoretical planning model developed …


Effects Of Group Support Systems On United States Air Force Strategic Planning Efforts, Bryan K. Hasty Sep 1998

Effects Of Group Support Systems On United States Air Force Strategic Planning Efforts, Bryan K. Hasty

Theses and Dissertations

Strategic planning at an Air Force wing is a team based activity that offers many advantages to the Air Force. But, it is clear there are still questions about how to properly conduct strategic planning to produce the highest quality plans in the most effective and efficient manner. To answer this question, the Air Force created a research project aimed at discovering new methods to improve strategic planning at Air Force wing levels using a computer-mediated communication system. The research project's goal is to apply collaborative processes and technologies, such as Group Support Systems (GSS), to improve the quality of …


Strategic Planning Within The Department Of Defense: A Focus On Strategic Hierarchical Consistency, Thomas E. Hartzell Sep 1998

Strategic Planning Within The Department Of Defense: A Focus On Strategic Hierarchical Consistency, Thomas E. Hartzell

Theses and Dissertations

Mandated within the Department of Defense (DoD) by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, strategic planning is a systematic process organizations employ to envision the future and direct actions to desired outcomes within that future. Unfortunately, strong evidence suggests DoD and United States Air Force (USAF) planning efforts to date have met with limited success. This research explores one reason for this limited success. Towards this end, it defines a strategic hierarchical consistency construct and proposes a scale to measure one component, the alignment of mission, vision, and goal statements among a hierarchy of organizational plans. It …


Meeting U.S. Defense Needs In Space: Effects Of A Shrinking Defense Industrial Base On The Satellite Industry, Ronald B. Cole Sep 1997

Meeting U.S. Defense Needs In Space: Effects Of A Shrinking Defense Industrial Base On The Satellite Industry, Ronald B. Cole

Theses and Dissertations

U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) deterioration and increased DOD interest in space exploitation highlights the U.S. satellite industry as one DIB sector requiring analysis. Despite DIB problems, this industry must maintain the capability to produce advanced satellites for the DOD. Commercial Military Integration (CMI) will, according to experts, eliminate problems inherent with a separate DIB. This research focused on investigating satellite industry capability to meet DOD space requirements. Through literature review, case study analysis and interviews, effects of a shrinking DIB on the satellite industry were determined. A model for DIB strength was developed and analyzed through literature review. General …


A Study Of The Structural Limitation Affecting Implementation Of The Government Performance And Results Act In Air Force Materiel Command Logistics, Darwina M. Liguori Sep 1995

A Study Of The Structural Limitation Affecting Implementation Of The Government Performance And Results Act In Air Force Materiel Command Logistics, Darwina M. Liguori

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides an in-depth discussion of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. The GPRA is a new law that mandates strategic management be conducted in all federal government agencies. Soon all federal government agencies will be directed to comply with the requirements of the law and implement strategic management within their organizations. This study selected Air Force Materiel Command Headquarters (AFMC) logistics organizations and subordinate units as the test organization. Interviews were conducted with headquarters AFMC logistics and strategic planning personnel, as well as 88th Logistics Group personnel to evaluate several issues within their organization: (1) …


Strategic Planning, Performance Measurement, And The Government Performance And Results Act Of 1993: An Exploratory Study Of Aeronautical Systems Center, Miro Skrodzki Sep 1995

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 …


Scenario Analysis: An Integrative Study And Guide To Implementation In The United States Air Force, Jamey B. Cihak, Steven A. Mozel Sep 1994

Scenario Analysis: An Integrative Study And Guide To Implementation In The United States Air Force, Jamey B. Cihak, Steven A. Mozel

Theses and Dissertations

With the uncertainties in the current Air Force environment, extrapolated forecasting methods are no longer sufficient for meeting the Air Forces strategic planning needs. The Air Force could benefit from using a more sophisticated method to determine the opportunities and obstacles it will face in the future. The key characteristics that distinguish scenario analysis from other forms of forecasting are the qualitative, contextual descriptions of the future environment, and the identification of several possible futures. This thesis discusses the concept of scenario analysis and its relevance to the Air Force as a strategic planning tool. It begins with an overview …


Strategic Planning Within Air Force Materiel Command: A Focus On External Stakeholders' Involvement, David B. Coomer, Mary E. Moynihan Sep 1994

Strategic Planning Within Air Force Materiel Command: A Focus On External Stakeholders' Involvement, David B. Coomer, Mary E. Moynihan

Theses and Dissertations

This research study used case and cross-case analyses to determine what Air Force Materiel Command can learn from leading business practices to produce maximum stakeholder involvement in their strategic planning process. A literature review revealed five essential elements of stakeholder involvement establishment of communication processes for multiple stakeholders, appropriate interaction policies, active CEO involvement, measurement processes, and balanced stakeholder strategies. These elements were incorporated into a model to provide a benchmark against which to evaluate AFMCs stakeholder awareness programs. The six stakeholder awareness programs selected for study were identified through a process of interviews with AFMCs senior-level strategic planners. The …