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Theses and Dissertations

Theses/Dissertations

1998

Discipline
Institution
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Articles 1 - 30 of 43

Full-Text Articles in Business

Military Members Responses To Sexually Harassing Behavior: Response Types And Efficacies, Michael W. Braucher Sep 1998

Military Members Responses To Sexually Harassing Behavior: Response Types And Efficacies, Michael W. Braucher

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses four sexual harassment response constructs and evaluates the efficacy of the responses. The constructs are built based on individual or joint/collaboratory responses and whether or not the harasser is confronted with his or her behavior(s) perceived as harassing by the victim. The constructs are applied to the 1995 Department of Defense survey of Harassment. Results include each response's effect on the harassing behavior, whether the behavior is ceased or not. A second result is the victim's perception of improvement or worsening of the situation based on the response type used. Tests for proportional differences were used to …

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Effects Of Shiftwork On Air Force Aircraft Maintenance Personnel, Craig A. Campbell Sep 1998

Effects Of Shiftwork On Air Force Aircraft Maintenance Personnel, Craig A. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of converting a large aircraft maintenance squadron from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts. The squadron studied converted its 24- hour maintenance work force from three 8-hour work shifts to two 12-hour work shifts incrementally, with one section converting to 12-hour shifts in January, 1996, and the remaining section converting in July, 1996. Both sections remained on 12-hour shifts until September, 1997, when both sections converted back to a three shift 8-hour operation. Health and well being, on- and off-duty accident rates, day shift vs. night shift accident rates, and the effects of stress and fatigue …

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Computer-Based Decision Support System Use In Contracting's Source Selection Process, Matthew L. Decker Sep 1998

Computer-Based Decision Support System Use In Contracting's Source Selection Process, Matthew L. Decker

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the use of decision support system (DSS) technology within the U.S. Air Force's contracting source selection process. DSS technology has been shown to be an effective aid to complex decision processes such as source selection decisions and the possible effects of utilizing this technology are the focus of this study. Conclusions drawn from this thesis may guide the contracting community to readdress the possibility of implementing DSS technology within the source selection process. This study evaluated statistical data from a previous experiment to determine the effect of DSS use on time, confidence, and decision quality. This study …

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A Comparison Of Proposed Air Expeditionary Force Packages Using The Thunder Campaign Simulation Program, Brian M. Godfrey Sep 1998

A Comparison Of Proposed Air Expeditionary Force Packages Using The Thunder Campaign Simulation Program, Brian M. Godfrey

Theses and Dissertations

There are currently only two force packages under consideration for Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) deployment: the Eagle package and the Falcon package. This thesis examines these and three other force packages for operational feasibility. The comparisons made between the five packages were based on five operational measures and two which describe the logistics involved with deploying each package. The operational measures and one logistics measure are obtained from the THUNDER simulation software package. The other logistics measure, amount of short-tons of cargo required to support each package, was obtained from the Logistics Plans office at HQ ACC. The principal contribution …

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A Definition And Investigation Of Cooperative Acquisition Programs Using Multiple Case Studies, Robert T. Butz Sep 1998

A Definition And Investigation Of Cooperative Acquisition Programs Using Multiple Case Studies, Robert T. Butz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploratory study of the management of cooperative acquisition programs. The investigation focuses on defining the nature of a cooperative acquisition strategy, identifying potential problems associated with this approach, and evaluating the effectiveness of the current guidance and support structure for such programs. The desired outcome of this strategy is a common solution. The operational definition of cooperative acquisition builds on the Department of Defense definition of Joint Service Acquisition. A pilot study and literature review are used to develop a structured interview for three case studies. Analysis of these cases indicates that difficulty in resolving core …

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An Examination Of The United States Air Service's Logistics Operations, Andrew W. Hunt Sep 1998

An Examination Of The United States Air Service's Logistics Operations, Andrew W. Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

This historical study details the U.S. Air Service's logistics operations at home and abroad in an attempt to determine the relationship between the process and more recently established logistic principles. The information in the study was collected through an extensive review of both first hand accounts and historical compilations of the nature of World War I aviation logistics. Information regarding the production of the De Haviland DH-4 and Liberty Engine serve as the primary case examples of the operation of the logistics system. The established principles required for comparison were extracted from the writings of a number of expert military …

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An Assessment Of Factors That Affect The Performance Of Air Force O-3 (Captain) Logisticians Working In A Joint Operations Environment, Jeffrey C. Bergdolt, Ty K. Sills Sep 1998

An Assessment Of Factors That Affect The Performance Of Air Force O-3 (Captain) Logisticians Working In A Joint Operations Environment, Jeffrey C. Bergdolt, Ty K. Sills

Theses and Dissertations

Joint operations will likely continue to become more prevalent in the future due to defense spending cuts and the nature of modem warfare. Currently, Air Force O-3 (Captain) logisticians, working in the joint operations environment, receive little if any initial training. Exploratory research, by the authors, indicated that these members felt uncertain about their jobs and how they related to the organization, which has been described in the literature as role ambiguity. Consequently, this research project was designed to determine if AF O-3 logisticians serving in the joint operations environment experience more role ambiguity than their counterparts serving in the …

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An Exploratory Study Of The Use Of Parametric Estimating In Department Of Defense Contracting, Patricia Blakely, Rudolph Haynesworth Sep 1998

An Exploratory Study Of The Use Of Parametric Estimating In Department Of Defense Contracting, Patricia Blakely, Rudolph Haynesworth

Theses and Dissertations

An initiative to expand the use of parametric estimating in government contracting has enjoyed only marginal success. Some reasons for the slower pace of implementation are the lack of availability of historical data, training, acquisition rules, utility, and accuracy concerns. Those associated with the Parametric Cost Estimating Initiative (PCEI) have a higher perception of parametric utility and accuracy than those not associated with the initiative. The PCEI advocates using parametric techniques in any situation, not just the concept/development phases advocated by most literature. Parametric estimating is a catch all term for several different types of statistically based methodologies, ranging from …

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Full Integration Of Women In The Air Force: Myth Or Possibility?, Helen M. Newell Sep 1998

Full Integration Of Women In The Air Force: Myth Or Possibility?, Helen M. Newell

Theses and Dissertations

The full integration of women in the military, particularly the United States Air Force, has been an ongoing effort. Based on the definition of "full integration" as allowing all qualified military personnel the opportunity to hold any position and accomplish any mission, given that they are in possession of the required capabilities and training, without restriction, certain issues have arisen during the course of the integration process. These issues include sex, as defined by gender and function, the capability of women to accomplish the same tasks as men, and the combat issue. To support and establish the full integration of …

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A Forecasting Approach To Improve Logistics Planning In The Colombian Air Force, Daniel A. Melendez Sep 1998

A Forecasting Approach To Improve Logistics Planning In The Colombian Air Force, Daniel A. Melendez

Theses and Dissertations

The Colombian Air Force recently installed a logistics operating system to improve the logistics system. However, the inventory cost and turnover have not stopped growing; subsequently, the operational readiness has been affected. The purpose of the study was to compare the performance of several forecasting techniques to improve the current planning process of aircraft parts in the CAF. The research used five phases. The first phase identified the relevant factors and the forecasting techniques selected for the experiment. The factors were repairability, demandability and uniqueness. The forecasting methods were single and double exponential, moving average, autoregression and linear regression. The …

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Factors Influencing Utilization Of Air Cargo Containerization In The United States Air Force, Joel W. Gartner Sep 1998

Factors Influencing Utilization Of Air Cargo Containerization In The United States Air Force, Joel W. Gartner

Theses and Dissertations

As the Department of Defense budget continues to decrease, the growing requirement to meet national strategic mobility objectives with limited resources provides a major impetus for cost effective and credible transportation innovations. The commercial transportation industry has increasingly accepted cargo containerization as a method to take advantage of intermodal shipping efficiency and cost savings. The military implementation of these same shipping initiatives must be flexible, reliable, and compatible with the existing cargo handling systems already designed to deliver fighting forces to conflicts throughout the world. This thesis examines cost and container utilization factors among units familiar with the ISU bins …

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An Economic/Demographic Comparison Of Air Force And Other Service Families, John C. Glover Sep 1998

An Economic/Demographic Comparison Of Air Force And Other Service Families, John C. Glover

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to compare economic, attitudinal and demographic variables for families in all branches of service to see in which areas the Air Force is ranked/rated higher and lower than other services. Analysis is broken out by officers and enlisted personnel in all main branches of service (Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines). Two testing methods are employed to determine if there is a difference between the services: Tukey's multiple comparison procedure, and pair-wise comparisons of proportions for the different services. Results indicate that Air Force officers rate the Air Force higher for lower number of …

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Building A Conceptual Model To Define The F-22 Supply Support Decision Process, Steven P. James Sep 1998

Building A Conceptual Model To Define The F-22 Supply Support Decision Process, Steven P. James

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force requires a method to determine the most effective and efficient means of supply support for new weapon system acquisitions. This study is a qualitative research effort that examines this requirement in an environment that embraces interim contractor support for the F-22. A series of six propositions are suggested to incorporate in the supply support decision-making process. A conceptual model is developed from these propositions to describe the process for determining the optimal timeframe for making long term supply support decisions. A systems approach to project management is used as the vehicle for this process, and the F-22 …

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Measuring The Effect Of Rfid Technology On Movement Of U.S. Army Resupply Cargo, Leigh E. Method Sep 1998

Measuring The Effect Of Rfid Technology On Movement Of U.S. Army Resupply Cargo, Leigh E. Method

Theses and Dissertations

This research is an analysis of the effect that the added in-transit visibility (ITV) associated with applying Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to Army resupply cargo makes on total cycle time (from entry into to exit from the system) within the Air Mobility Command (AMC) portion of the Defense Transportation System. Although information technology applications are known to contribute to ITV, there has been no attempt to quantify it despite a perception held by at least part of the DoD community that ITV initiatives will reduce logistics response time by improving cycle time. This study was aimed at quantifying RFID …

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Outsourcing: An Historical Review For The Projection Of Future Savings, Leslee J. Saleck Sep 1998

Outsourcing: An Historical Review For The Projection Of Future Savings, Leslee J. Saleck

Theses and Dissertations

Because of continuing budget and personnel limitations and the need to fund weapons modernization, the Department of Defense has increased its emphasis on outsourcing support activities. Recent studies have suggested that aggressive outsourcing of support activities by the DoD could produce billions of dollars in savings. The overriding purpose behind this research was to determine to what extent projected savings can be substantiated. To explore the potential for savings, this thesis examines the evolution and impact of outsourcing and privatization in both the private and public sectors. Next it looks at the experiences of private and public sectors to identify …

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Evaluation Of The Performance Of The Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement For Rokaf, Mansik Hur Sep 1998

Evaluation Of The Performance Of The Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement For Rokaf, Mansik Hur

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the performance of the Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement (CLSSA) for Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). As one of the biggest FMS customer countries, ROKAF buys a substantial portion of its weapon systems from the U.S. Government and relies on the follow-on supply support from the source of acquisition. Because of the advantage of the CLSSA program for its timely support to foreign countries, the CLSSA has been the preferred method of follow-on supply support for FMS customer countries and its magnitude and coverage are being increased. To find out the level of supply support for …

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A Comparison Of 8-Hour Vs. 12-Hour Shifts On Performance, Health And Safety In A Usaf Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Kelly J. Scott Sep 1998

A Comparison Of 8-Hour Vs. 12-Hour Shifts On Performance, Health And Safety In A Usaf Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Kelly J. Scott

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of converting a large USAF aircraft maintenance squadron from an 8- hour shift system to a 12-hour shift system. In 1996, the squadron converted its 24-hour operations from three 8-hour work shifts, to two 12-hour work shifts with compressed work weeks. The squadron maintained 12-hour shifts for 19 consecutive months. A comparison was made of organizational performance, worker health and safety measures before, during and after 12-hour shift implementation. Findings indicated that changing from 8- to 12-hour shifts resulted in a slight increase in aircraft Mission Capability rates. However, this benefit appears to have come …

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An Analysis Of A-76 Study Effectiveness, Joshua M. Kovich Sep 1998

An Analysis Of A-76 Study Effectiveness, Joshua M. Kovich

Theses and Dissertations

As the Air Force budget continues to decrease, A-76 studies have become an increasingly popular method to cut costs. By cuffing costs, money is then freed up for other requirements such as force modernization. Care must be taken to ensure the process is working as designed and the actual savings are in line with projections. This thesis examines an A-76 study recently conducted at Wright Patterson AFB, OH. The focus is to evaluate the costs used in the decision and how the decision would have been affected by changes in these costs. The results indicate that some costs are incorrectly …

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An Examination Of Information Technology Valuation Models For The Air Force, Todd A. Peachey Sep 1998

An Examination Of Information Technology Valuation Models For The Air Force, Todd A. Peachey

Theses and Dissertations

Information technology investment has become a significant part of the Department of Defense's budget. The Information Technology Management Reform Act requires that government quantitatively evaluate future information technology investments. Quantitative evaluation of IT investments present special problems for agencies that do not generate incoming cash flows. This thesis is designed to examine models that are currently being used in the public and private sector of the economy to evaluate Information Technology investments to learn which ones might serve the needs of the United States Air Force. The methodology is an exploratory study based on Criterion based Congruence Analysis. This technique …

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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 …

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A Return On Investment Model For Air Force Technology Transfer, Bradley W. Mcdonald Sep 1998

A Return On Investment Model For Air Force Technology Transfer, Bradley W. Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force policy states the fundamental reason for participating in technology transfer is to maximize the return on investment (ROI) on research and development (R&D) funds. Public law dictates that federal agencies, including the Air Force, are to spend no less than 0.5% of their overall R&D budget in the pursuit of technology transfer. However, there is currently no ROI model available to the decision maker in the evaluation of alternative transfer opportunities. This research effort develops a model that measures the ROI of individual cooperative research and development agreements (CIWAs) on the basis of the objective and subjective benefits …

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An Investigation Of The Reliability Of The Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (Cpars), John C. Odum Sep 1998

An Investigation Of The Reliability Of The Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (Cpars), John C. Odum

Theses and Dissertations

An Industry trend is to establish long-term relationships with reliable suppliers. One of the criteria used to pick these "reliable suppliers" is past performance. The Department of Defense is also attempting to capitalize on this logical trend to the maximum extent possible by using past performance as an evaluation factor in source selections. Air Force Material Command (AFMC) employs the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). This thesis examines the reliability of the CPARS. This thesis found, despite the fact that policy mandates color ratings be based on period objective measures, the cost color ratings were more consistent with cumulative …

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A History Of The Developments Of Fraternization Policies, Jeffrey C. Russell Sep 1998

A History Of The Developments Of Fraternization Policies, Jeffrey C. Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Criticisms of the Air Force's fraternization policy predominantly conclude that the prohibition of fraternization is based upon a caste system, which evolved from the class divisions of the Middle Ages and is designed to maintain those social divisions. The Air Force maintains that fraternization policies are necessary because fraternization adversely affects morale and discipline. This study uses qualitative research methods, ethnography and grounded theory, to consider the impacts of military customs, military structure, and societal structure to analyze the evolution of fraternization policies through Western military history as they relate to the development of the current Air Force policy. This …

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An Exploratory Study On The Strategic Use Of Information Technology In The Source Selection Decision-Making Process, Kathy L. Spainhower Sep 1998

An Exploratory Study On The Strategic Use Of Information Technology In The Source Selection Decision-Making Process, Kathy L. Spainhower

Theses and Dissertations

The strategic use of Information Technology in the acquisition field can be very useful in the decision making process of evaluating alternative solutions during a Government source selection. Current implementation of information technology provides a more tactical approach to systems development. The use of Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange and the internet to electronically transfer information is only the beginning of the shift towards a more strategic design process for information systems within Government procurement agencies. A schematic model was designed to demonstrate how information technology, such as Decision Support Systems, Expert Systems, and Shared Data Warehousing could assist the SSA …

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Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, And Other Characteristics: An Examination Of Managerial Perceptions Of Effective Contracting Officers, Todd S. Joyner, Brian V. Ucciardi Sep 1998

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, And Other Characteristics: An Examination Of Managerial Perceptions Of Effective Contracting Officers, Todd S. Joyner, Brian V. Ucciardi

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the attributes contracting managers perceived to be most critical in effective contracting officers. Questionnaires were used to gather relevant data from managers in the operational, specialized, and systems contracting specialty areas. The resultant data was classified and weighted in accordance with the formula defined in the methodology. Additionally, some respondents provided comments via the follow-up interviews. The resultant data was analyzed qualitatively in order to determine the extent of concurrence in managerial perceptions. In addition, the researchers attempted to seek answers in three additional areas. First, they examined the degree to which critical attributes varied by specialty …

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Software Support Cost Estimating Models: A Comparative Study Of Model Content And Parameter Sensitivity, Kevin L. Brummert, Philip R. Mischler Jr. Sep 1998

Software Support Cost Estimating Models: A Comparative Study Of Model Content And Parameter Sensitivity, Kevin L. Brummert, Philip R. Mischler Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This research entailed a comparison of five software estimating models: PRICE-S, SEER-SEM, SoftCost-OO, SoftEst, and SPR KnowledgePLAN. The objective was to research the differences of the software models as related to software support cost. The following major question areas were addressed: (1) How do the differences between the models impact the resulting cost estimates? (2) To what degree can we explain and adjust for the differences between cost models? All items were for flight avionics of a manned aircraft. The differences between the models significantly impact the resulting estimates. Over the five models evaluated, a range of over $60 million …

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Material Requirements Planning In Air Force Depot-Level Maintenance, Kevin J. Gaudette Sep 1998

Material Requirements Planning In Air Force Depot-Level Maintenance, Kevin J. Gaudette

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense has historically relied on Wilson's Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model for consumable item management at all levels. With inventory practices under intense Congressional scrutiny over the past decade, the Air Force Materiel Command has searched for alternative systems to better manage its consumable inventory. Material Requirements Planning (MRP) is one such system, as is the MRP-based Repairability Forecast Model (RFM) developed by CACI. This thesis examines the wisdom of applying MRP logic in a remanufacturing environment. MRP has had some degree of success in environments where requirements are relatively certain and demand and lead time variability …

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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 …

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A Pilot Study Of Space/Missile Crews And Crew Resource Management, John E. Varljen Sep 1998

A Pilot Study Of Space/Missile Crews And Crew Resource Management, John E. Varljen

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a first step in formalizing CRM training as part of Undergraduate Space and Missile Training (USMT) and individual Unit Training thereby capitalizing on techniques already developed and in place for pilots. We evaluated the usefulness of two modified versions of existing CRM measures. Because an attitude measure is easier to implement, this study analyzes the use of an established flight crew attitude measure, the Cockpit Management Attitudes Questionnaire (CMAQ), and a modified version of the Air Force Mobility Command AMC Form 128, March 1995. We conducted the study in two phases. Phase 1 dealt only with Space …

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Determining The Characteristics Of The Air Force Telecommuting Program, Joseph L. Wolfkiel Sep 1998

Determining The Characteristics Of The Air Force Telecommuting Program, Joseph L. Wolfkiel

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores advantages and disadvantages to be realized from telecommuting, along with developing a linear regression model that identifies factors correlated with preference for telecommuting among Air Force personnel. This thesis uses a stated preference model derived from existing telecommuting research to characterize the factors impacting the preference for civilian, officer, and enlisted Air Force personnel. The regression models developed showed that factors affecting telecommuting preference were different among different sub-samples. Two factors were universal across the sample. Those were "Amount of Telecommuting Job Allows," and "Allow More Work Done." These two factors gave R-squared values of over .39 …

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