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Theses and Dissertations

Air Force Institute of Technology

2003

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An Analysis Of The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act And The Clinger-Cohen Act And Their Effect On Cost Overruns In Department Of Defense Contracts, Andrew K. Mosier Mar 2003

An Analysis Of The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act And The Clinger-Cohen Act And Their Effect On Cost Overruns In Department Of Defense Contracts, Andrew K. Mosier

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the impact of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994 and the Clinger-Cohen Act on cost overruns in Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. Many officials believe that we must change the way we do business to meet the new post-Cold War national security challenges Changing the way we do business means reforming the acquisition process to deliver weapons systems faster and cheaper. The FASA and the Clinger-Cohen Act made more changes to the acquisition process than any other policy had in the ten years preceding. This research effort studied 220 contracts completed between December 31, 1993 …

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An International Study Of Organizational Change: A Simultaneous Analysis Of Process, Context, And Individual Attributes, Hee-Hyung Jung Mar 2003

An International Study Of Organizational Change: A Simultaneous Analysis Of Process, Context, And Individual Attributes, Hee-Hyung Jung

Theses and Dissertations

Few studies in the organizational change literature have examined differences in the change process in different cultures. This cross-cultural study is designed to take a comprehensive view of change using a dynamic model that integrates content, process, context, and individual attribute factors simultaneously. The model is used to compare perceptions of organizational change held by members of military organizations in the United States and in Korea. The U.S. sample consisted of 264 employees who were members of Department of Defense organizations. There were two Korean samples: 280 employees of the Women's Military School and members of the Women's Battalion, and …

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Evaluation Of Personnel Parameters In Software Cost Estimating Models, Steven L. Quick Mar 2003

Evaluation Of Personnel Parameters In Software Cost Estimating Models, Steven L. Quick

Theses and Dissertations

Software capabilities have steadily increased over the last half century. The Department of Defense has seized this increased capability and used it to advance the warfighter's weapon systems However, this dependence on software capabilities has come with enormous cost. The risks of software development must be understood to develop an accurate cost estimate.

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A Simulation-Based Analysis Of The Impact Of In-Sourcing A Major Process Element On The Coast Guard Hh-601 Depot Maintenance Process, Steven E. Vigus Mar 2003

A Simulation-Based Analysis Of The Impact Of In-Sourcing A Major Process Element On The Coast Guard Hh-601 Depot Maintenance Process, Steven E. Vigus

Theses and Dissertations

Leaders at the United States Coast Guard's Aircraft Repair and Service Center (ARSC) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina recently formalized their planning and analysis functions by adding a dedicated branch to their command structure. The Planning and Analysis Branch intends to apply computer modeling and simulation to study the impact of process changes to the various Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) lines. This research considers the applicability of this type of modeling and simulation, using ARENA to study the current HH-6OJ PDM process. The contribution of this research is a methodology specific to ARSC needs, an analysis of methodology based on …

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Integrating Cost As An Independent Variable Analysis With Evolutionary Acquisition - A Multiattribute Design Evaluation Approach, Marc T. Lewis Mar 2003

Integrating Cost As An Independent Variable Analysis With Evolutionary Acquisition - A Multiattribute Design Evaluation Approach, Marc T. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Guidance from the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (USD(AT&L)) requires 100 percent of defense programs to incorporate cost as an independent variable (CAIV) and evolutionary acquisition (EA) plans within their management baselines. Historically, these two concepts have been implemented independent of one another. In reality, CAIV and EA are tightly coupled, Integration of these two initiatives enables warfighters and developers to better allocate constrained resources, respond to fluctuations in program funding, and plan for future development activities. This research creates a decision tool to assist the DoD acquisition community in satisfying the intent of the USD(AT&L) …

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Towards A Framework For Understanding Innovation Implementation In The Air Force, Howard E. Byrd Jr. Mar 2003

Towards A Framework For Understanding Innovation Implementation In The Air Force, Howard E. Byrd Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Innovation is a major way organizations deal with changes in their competitive environment. The Department of Defense (DoD) too is facing incredible changes and challenges within its competitive environments. This situation is requiring the adopting and implementing of many new innovations in an effort to transform the forces to meet the challenges. A key component of the DoD's efforts to transform is in Air Force acquisition and sustainment processes. Digital technical orders are an example of such a sustainment process. The Air Force has mandated it will transform from a paper based technical data environment to a digital one. The …

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Information Sharing And Interoperability In Law Enforcement: An Investigation Of Federal Criminal Justice Information Systems Use By State/Local Law Enforcement Organizations, David R. Dethlefs Mar 2003

Information Sharing And Interoperability In Law Enforcement: An Investigation Of Federal Criminal Justice Information Systems Use By State/Local Law Enforcement Organizations, David R. Dethlefs

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the frequency of use and perceptions of usefulness of federal criminal justice information systems among state and local law enforcement personnel and certain IS environmental factors that affect usage. The study is predicated by a demonstrated need for increased information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration among the three tiers of law enforcement as public safety threats within U.S. borders increase in complexity; e.g., the Murrah Federal Building bombing, Columbine High School shooting, 9/11 terrorist attacks, and D.C. sniper case. The results of this research indicate high usage and perceived usefulness of the National Crime Information Center Network (NCIC …

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An Analysis Of Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity Among Air Force Information Management Professionals, Michele E. Johnson Mar 2003

An Analysis Of Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity Among Air Force Information Management Professionals, Michele E. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The role of enlisted Air Force Information Management professionals has been expanded beyond traditional boundaries to include a new area of responsibility called workgroup management. Workgroup management duties include front-line support for the life-cycle management of information, maintenance of desktop computers and networks, development and management of web pages, performance of initial system diagnostics, and management of client workstation configuration and software. Anecdotal evidence suggested the new, broader role of workgroup manager, combined with the fact that the majority of these individuals are assigned to positions in non communications units, may promulgate role conflict and role ambiguity. Role theory literature …

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A Correlation Study Of Second Destination Transportation Funding And Vehicle Movement, Stephen D. Wier Mar 2003

A Correlation Study Of Second Destination Transportation Funding And Vehicle Movement, Stephen D. Wier

Theses and Dissertations

HQ AFMC has consistently experienced problems with the Second Destination Transportation budget being under funded. This under funding causes the command to implement control actions on how funds are allocated to ensure that enough funds are available. This research effort was intended to show the relationship between spending restrictions and how vehicles move between theaters. By identifying whether or not and how the control actions on Second Destination Transportation funding affects inter-theater vehicle movement capabilities, this research seeks to assist those decision makers in making fully informed decisions when allocating scare fiscal resources. The results of this research indicate that …

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Assessing Organization Culture Readiness For Knowledge Management Implementation: The Case Of Aeronautical Systems Center Directorate Of Contracting, Martin R. Trent Mar 2003

Assessing Organization Culture Readiness For Knowledge Management Implementation: The Case Of Aeronautical Systems Center Directorate Of Contracting, Martin R. Trent

Theses and Dissertations

The DoD is currently pursuing a wholesale transformation that impacts all facets of DoD operations and responsibilities. At the same time, the commercial sector has been experiencing significant changes that drive them to look for new ways of remaining competitive and profitable. Leveraging knowledge (intellectual capital) to increase efficiency and effectiveness within the organization has become a popular management technique that has been successful in many commercial firms. The DoD has noted the commercial sector successes and initiatives to better manage knowledge are being developed and implemented on an enterprise-wide basis as well as on a local- organizational basis. Previous …

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Factors Affecting Innovation Within Aeronautical Systems Center (Asc) Organizations - An Inductive Study, Eric D. Feil Mar 2003

Factors Affecting Innovation Within Aeronautical Systems Center (Asc) Organizations - An Inductive Study, Eric D. Feil

Theses and Dissertations

In response to the Air Force transformation movement there is currently a lot of high level interest in instilling cultures that promote innovation and intelligent risk taking in Air Force organizations. This thesis analyzed data collected during the 2002 Chief of Staff of the Air Force Organizational Climate Survey to identify factors that affect innovation within Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) organizations. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify current enablers or barriers to innovation within these organizations. The first part of the study utilized multiple linear regression to identify the factors within the survey that were most related …

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Combat Air Forces Campaign Level Modernization Planning-A Study In Group Decision Making, Ian L. Walker Mar 2003

Combat Air Forces Campaign Level Modernization Planning-A Study In Group Decision Making, Ian L. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Modernization is a critical component of the current transformation effort within the Department of Defense (DoD) Effective and efficient modernization planning will provide for the improved allocation of limited funding. The Air Force currently conducts capabilities based modernization planning to identify shortfalls. Air Combat Command (ACC) utilizes multi-objective decision analysis (MODA) techniques to support the modernization planning process (MPP). A MODA model has been created to identify and quantify capability shortfalls across a diverse range of mission areas. Groups of subject matter experts are utilized to provide model inputs improving the usefulness and credibility of the model. The intent of …

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An Investigation Of Air Force Communities Of Practice: A Descriptive Study Of Evolution Through Assessment Of People, Process, And Technology Capabilities, Jason R. May Mar 2003

An Investigation Of Air Force Communities Of Practice: A Descriptive Study Of Evolution Through Assessment Of People, Process, And Technology Capabilities, Jason R. May

Theses and Dissertations

A variety of theories state that communities of practice (CoPs) "evolve" or "mature" through various stages over time. Such theories posit that each stage is characterized by different people, process, and technology attributes/capabilities that ultimately necessitate differing strategies for achieving effectiveness (Gongla and Rizzuto, 2001). A primary goal of AFMC/DRW, AFMC Electronic Learning (eLearning) Knowledge Management Integrated Project Team, and the office of the Air Force Chief Information Officer is to increase CoP participation and effectiveness. This descriptive, cross-sectional research, surveyed all CoP managers of all CoPs "hosted" by AFMC/DRW with a quantitative/qualitative, 86 question, 5-point Likert, survey. This research …

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Analysis Of The Theoretical Relationships Between Work Exhaustion, Job Satisfaction, And Turnover Intention Of Air Force Information Systems Managers, Alfred D. Ray Mar 2003

Analysis Of The Theoretical Relationships Between Work Exhaustion, Job Satisfaction, And Turnover Intention Of Air Force Information Systems Managers, Alfred D. Ray

Theses and Dissertations

The use of information technology has increased exponentially over the last two decades (Cohen and Burton, 2001), Accordingly, the ability of organizations to retain their information systems staff has been a critical factor in the effort to achieve strategic goals (Moore, 2002), When IS professionals leave an organization, not only is the number of them available for assignment to projects depleted, the professionals themselves often take specialized skills, tacit knowledge, and understanding of specific business operations and information systems with them (Agarwal and Ferratt, 2002), Chief Executives have become increasingly interested in issues related to the recruitment, development, and retention …

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Participation's Effect On Organizational Readiness For Change: An Empirical Study, Jonathon F. Flanders Mar 2003

Participation's Effect On Organizational Readiness For Change: An Empirical Study, Jonathon F. Flanders

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational change management is a principal issue in virtually every organization. This cross sectional correlation study examined an array of variables (i.e., process, personality, and context -specific) that influence organizational readiness for change. Participation (process variable) was related to higher mean scores in each of the four distinct readiness for change scales and explained a significant amount of incremental variance in appropriateness, valence, and efficacy.

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A Service Life Analysis Of Coast Guard C-130 Aircraft, Jonathan B. Duff Mar 2003

A Service Life Analysis Of Coast Guard C-130 Aircraft, Jonathan B. Duff

Theses and Dissertations

The U. S. Coast Guard, much like the rest of the Armed Services, is facing a dramatic transformation of its forces to meet current and future service requirements. The Coast Guard has responded to this transformation by initiating the Deepwater System, a complete review of the offshore mission requirements and the modernization of its infrastructure. In particular, Deepwater will review and modernize the Coast Guard's aviation assets, improving aircraft systems, airborne sensors, and communications and information management systems. However, these capability advancements will take time and money to implement, and will require careful management of the current resources to ensure …

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Human Resource Slack As An Antecedent To Instilling The Entrepreneurial Mindset Within Department Of Defense Organizations, Jason A. Whittle Mar 2003

Human Resource Slack As An Antecedent To Instilling The Entrepreneurial Mindset Within Department Of Defense Organizations, Jason A. Whittle

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense has been called to transform the way it fights, thinks and operates to more effectively counter the changing threats to the United States. Private organizations have long been faced with a similar need to be flexible to meet the dynamic market which they serve. The Office of Force Transformation has been tasked to facilitate the mandated transformation of the DoD. Based on literature on slack resources, slack may be a necessary tool for proper transformation to a more innovative and effective military.

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An Analysis Of The Implementation Of Acquisition Reform Initiatives And Contract Cost Variance, Mark A. Holbrook Mar 2003

An Analysis Of The Implementation Of Acquisition Reform Initiatives And Contract Cost Variance, Mark A. Holbrook

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the impact of acquisition reform initiatives implemented since 1993 on contract cost performance. Many initiatives implemented during the 1990s focused on saving the government money in procuring weapon systems. For decades, cost overruns have plagued Department of Defense weapons systems development and procurement costing the government money. The passage of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994 and the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, marked significant congressional action on aiding the Department of Defense develop and procure systems cheaper. Conclusions drawn in this thesis may aid leadership in supporting current initiatives and drafting new changes.

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An Analysis Of The Air Force Working Capital Fund's Performance And The Pricing Strategy Of The Materiel Support Division, Lisa M. Stanley Mar 2003

An Analysis Of The Air Force Working Capital Fund's Performance And The Pricing Strategy Of The Materiel Support Division, Lisa M. Stanley

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Working Capital Fund (AFWCF), a revolving fund established to create a more business-like environment between the Air Force and its customers, is comprised of several divisions providing depot level repairs, supplies and inventory, information technology solutions and transportation services to military customers, Since its establishment, the AFWCF has been the source of much criticism due to its inability to meet its primary goal of operating on a break-even basis. Ideally, the Fund will generate enough revenue from the sale of goods or services to cover its expenses and break-even. Instead, there is either a surplus that must …

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Analyzing Differences Between Public And Private Sector Information Resource Management: Chief Information Officer Challenges And Critical Technologies, Scott M. Mitchell Mar 2003

Analyzing Differences Between Public And Private Sector Information Resource Management: Chief Information Officer Challenges And Critical Technologies, Scott M. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

The office of the Chief Information Officer is still new within public sector organizations. Further, the office of the CIO was hastily created by Federal laws that provide only broad direction for its implementation and practice while at the same time limiting each office's power and reach within Federal agencies. Presently, because of broadly defined scope and the newness of the office in the public sector, Federal CIOs now face many challenges and critical technologies in managing their agency's information resources. Private sector organizations have a valuable knowledge base from their CIO office implementation efforts and subsequent operations. This private …

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Text Manipulation Judgment Accuracy: An Exploratory Study, Randy S. Wardak Mar 2003

Text Manipulation Judgment Accuracy: An Exploratory Study, Randy S. Wardak

Theses and Dissertations

Deception aims to affect a decision-making process in a way that somehow benefits the deceiver. More knowledge is desired in the area of purely text-based scenarios. Thirty-seven graduate students at the Air Force Institute of Technology participated in an experiment in order to gain an initial understanding of how people determine whether text has been manipulated, and to identify specific areas that may be more closely investigated in future research. Excerpts were drawn from editions of a current-events newsletter that the participants receive on a weekly basis as part of their enrollment in the graduate program. Some of the excerpts …

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An Analysis Of Information Referenced Testing As An Air Force Assessment Tool, Eric D. Larson Mar 2003

An Analysis Of Information Referenced Testing As An Air Force Assessment Tool, Eric D. Larson

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense (DOD) has placed a great deal of importance on training and education, throughout all areas of infrastructure development and force implementation. A more knowledgeable operating unit, in any situation, is consistently the deciding factor for success. The United States Air Force, too, has emphasized this ideal and sought to employ those persons most qualified for the required task. Yet, problems within the classroom and various training venues are always present and should be continually marked for improvement. Existing assessment techniques should provide an accurate account of the quality of information learned by DOD personnel. This is …

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Visualization Of Career-Related Computer-Mediated Communication For Increased Knowledge Management, Marc A. Grayson Mar 2003

Visualization Of Career-Related Computer-Mediated Communication For Increased Knowledge Management, Marc A. Grayson

Theses and Dissertations

Retention and retrieval of organizational memory has been the concentration of many conceptualized models of an organizational memory information system (OMIS). This thesis presents an extended view for system development of an OMIS from a knowledge management perspective. The United States Air Force maintains various career-related mailing lists (listservs) for information technology (IT) specialists sponsored by the Air Force Communications Agency (AFCA). AFCA has realized the importance of monitoring the communication for patterns in content and behavior. This thesis details an experimental study, which includes a repository of computer-mediated communication (CMC) of IT specialists, analyzed by software created for this …

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An Analysis Of Engagement Of Those Who Telecommute Vs Those Who Do Not, Daniel J. Boeh Mar 2003

An Analysis Of Engagement Of Those Who Telecommute Vs Those Who Do Not, Daniel J. Boeh

Theses and Dissertations

Telecommuting is a program used by many of the successful companies in the private sector, both as a cost savings measure and as a way to recruit and retain quality personnel. Telecommuting has also been used by many companies to adhere to stricter environmental mandates. The public sector, however, has been slow to implement telecommuting programs. Buckingham and Coffman of the Gallup Organization have done extensive research into what they call "engagement," and as to what comprises an engaged employee. They also developed a twelve question survey (referred to as the Q12) to determine if an employee is engaged or …

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A Study Of The Efficacy Of Unit Contingency Contracting Training, Jesse A. Kirstein Mar 2003

A Study Of The Efficacy Of Unit Contingency Contracting Training, Jesse A. Kirstein

Theses and Dissertations

This research is a follow-on effort to Capt Pete Lasch's thesis, which examined the Air Force training needs of contingency contracting officers (CCOs). Through this study, Lasch (2002) identified a list of critical training tasks for CCO training. This study investigates how units currently conduct training and to what extent the recommended tasks are being addressed in training. Interviews, surveys, and archival training logs were used to capture data for the study. CCO demographic information and recommendations were collected through these interviews and surveys. Interviews were used as a pre-test and later were combined with the electronic survey responses. Surveys …

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The Development Of An Integrated Measure Of Readiness For Change Instrument And Its Application On Asc/Pk, Steven W. Clark Mar 2003

The Development Of An Integrated Measure Of Readiness For Change Instrument And Its Application On Asc/Pk, Steven W. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Organizations are continually forced to implement changes due to a myriad of external and internal influences, Despite the fact that organizations are predominantly in a perpetual state of change, recent research has shown that nearly 75% that have initiated large-scale change efforts have not realized the significant organizational improvements that were intended, As a preemptive measure, organizational managers are being encouraged to gauge their organization's readiness prior to implementing change initiatives, Unfortunately, over 40 unique instruments currently exist that purport to measure some aspect of readiness, Because of limited perspective, no one instrument has emerged as the standard and they …

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Developing Cost Per Flying Hour Factors For The Operations And Maintenance Phase Of The Satellite Life Cycle, Anthony K. Kimbrough Mar 2003

Developing Cost Per Flying Hour Factors For The Operations And Maintenance Phase Of The Satellite Life Cycle, Anthony K. Kimbrough

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to develop cost per flying hour factors for the operations and maintenance (O&M) phase of the satellite life cycle. At a time when space system platforms are becoming some of the most strategic weapons in the military arsenal, it is critical that accurate cost models and factors be developed to assist in budgeting for the O&M of these assets.

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Strategies Leaders Should Use To Respond To Hostile Questions Regarding Organizational Changes: An Empirical Investigation, Michael S. Gore Mar 2003

Strategies Leaders Should Use To Respond To Hostile Questions Regarding Organizational Changes: An Empirical Investigation, Michael S. Gore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop a tool, using Speech Act Theory, which will help leaders better handle hostile questions they face during organizational change. Specifically, speech act theory, which outlines five question-response strategies, was used to test the effectiveness of question responses to hostile questions encountered during organizational change.

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A Study Of Voluntary Turnover Of Air Force Officers In Critically-Manned Career Fields, Jeffrey H. S. Lin Mar 2003

A Study Of Voluntary Turnover Of Air Force Officers In Critically-Manned Career Fields, Jeffrey H. S. Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Turnover in the Air Force has always been a subject of importance. As the costs associated with losing an individual are high, it would be in the best interest of an organization to understand the main reasons for voluntary turnover in order to facilitate retention. Current research has yielded the Unfolding Model of Voluntary Turnover developed by Lee, Mitchell, Holtom, McDaniel and Hill (1999), which identified 5 different paths people take as they voluntary leave organizations. This research effort tested to see if this model held true for a group of former Air Force officers from career fields experiencing low …

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Deception Detection In A Computer-Mediated Environment: Gender, Trust, And Training Issues, Monica A. Dziubinski Mar 2003

Deception Detection In A Computer-Mediated Environment: Gender, Trust, And Training Issues, Monica A. Dziubinski

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense is increasingly relying on computer-mediated communications to conduct business. This reliance introduces an amplified vulnerability to strategic information manipulation, or deception. This research draws on communication and deception literature to develop a conceptual model proposing relationships between deception detection abilities in a computer-mediated environment, gender, trust, and training. An experiment was conducted with 119 communications personnel to test the proposed hypotheses. No relationship between gender or trust and deception detection accuracy was found. Partial support was found showing that training improves deception detection accuracy. The most significant finding was that individual’s deception detection abilities deteriorate in …

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