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Air Force Institute of Technology

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Articles 61 - 90 of 124

Full-Text Articles in Business Administration, Management, and Operations

Mapping Change Management: A Co-Citation Analysis, Brian R. Low Mar 2007

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 …

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Real Options As A Stragetic Management Framework: A Case Study Of The Operationally Responsive Space Initiative, Robert H. Mitchell Jr. Mar 2007

Real Options As A Stragetic Management Framework: A Case Study Of The Operationally Responsive Space Initiative, Robert H. Mitchell Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the potential for applying the concept of real options to the DoD acquisition system. The key premise of real options is the application of strategic decision making and flexibility in the face of future uncertainties. This thesis sought to answer three research questions, how could real options be applied to the acquisition system, how could the acquisition system benefit, and what are the potential challenges to implementation within the acquisition system. These research questions were addressed through a comprehensive literature and a case study of the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) initiative. The …

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Informal Influences In The Process Of Idiq Contractor Selection For Task Award, Jason E. Blevins Mar 2005

Informal Influences In The Process Of Idiq Contractor Selection For Task Award, Jason E. Blevins

Theses and Dissertations

The selection of a contractor for task award using the Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract often involves dynamics and relationships that are difficult to understand. There are unanswered questions that relate to how government agents define "best value" to the government. The selection decisions often differ between government agents. The government streamlined the acquisition process by creating the multiple award IDIQ contract. Government agents are relied upon to make sound business judgments in determining which contractor represents the best value to the government. Informal influences can impact the determination of the final selection of a contractor. This thesis attempts …

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Assessing The Usefulness Of The Decision Framework For Identifying And Selecting Knowledge Management Projects, Kevin G. Budai Mar 2005

Assessing The Usefulness Of The Decision Framework For Identifying And Selecting Knowledge Management Projects, Kevin G. Budai

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge management (KM) is becoming recognized as a valuable tool for the Department of Defense (DoD) in its effort to maintain a competitive, strategic advantage against its enemies in a new threat environment. Decision superiority is the ultimate end result and is only possible through the effective and efficient use of its chief key resource--knowledge. As the Air Force seeks to transform the way it does business the concept of knowledge management has made its way to the forefront of both the Air Force's Information Strategy and Information Resource Flight Plan. This research assesses the usefulness of a knowledge management …

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Establishing A Framework For The Oversight Of Major Defense Acquisition Programs - A Historical Analysis, Diane I. K. Kuderik Mar 2004

Establishing A Framework For The Oversight Of Major Defense Acquisition Programs - A Historical Analysis, Diane I. K. Kuderik

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense (DoD) has budgeted over $134.5 billion for Fiscal Year 2004 for Acquisition, yet little is written about the personnel responsible for managing and evaluating Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) -- those who perform Acquisition Oversight (AO). The AO process has not been studied in a disciplined manner during its 40-year history. Congress, past Administrations, and the DoD Inspector General have commissioned several studies on the AO Process. Recommendations were considered and implemented such that the process evolved to where it stands today. Over 40 years separate the first iteration with the latest version. Commission reports, countless …

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An Analysis Of Generational Differences Among Active Duty Members, Stephanie M. Skibo Mar 2004

An Analysis Of Generational Differences Among Active Duty Members, Stephanie M. Skibo

Theses and Dissertations

There seems to be a widely held belief that different generations have different attitudes toward work, organizations, and co-workers. Clearly, these observed differences have implications for managers and leaders. Actions taken by leaders might be misunderstood by junior organizational members, leading to undesirable outcomes. Considering that many generational groups are represented within the Air Force, there is a need to analyze and understand potential generational differences. With the exception of the Smola and Sutton (2002) study, little empirical research has explored the extent to which these differences actually exist and whether differences exist among Air Force members. This research explores …

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An Analysis Of Generational Differences Among Civil Servants, Stacey L. Williams Mar 2004

An Analysis Of Generational Differences Among Civil Servants, Stacey L. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

There seems to be a wide held belief that different generations have different attitudes toward work, organizations, and co-workers. Clearly, these observed differences have implications for managers and leaders. Actions taken by leaders (who are often older) might be misunderstood by junior organizational members (who are often younger), leading to undesirable outcomes (i.e., turnover). Considering that many generational groups are represented within government service, there is a need to analyze and understand potential generational differences. With the notable exception of the Smola and Sutton (2002) study, little empirical research has explored the extent to which these differences actually exist and …

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Six Years After Its Passage, What Has Been The Impact Of The Clinger-Cohen Act On The U.S. Air Force, Edward H. Drollette Mar 2002

Six Years After Its Passage, What Has Been The Impact Of The Clinger-Cohen Act On The U.S. Air Force, Edward H. Drollette

Theses and Dissertations

Information systems are often inundated with thousands of attack alerts to distinguish novice hacker probes from genuine threats. Pattern classification can help filter relatively benign attacks from alerts generated by anomaly detectors, limited the numbers of alerts to requiring attention. This research investigates the feasibility of using pattern classification algorithms on network packed header information to classify network attacks. Both liner discrimination and radial basis function algorithms are trained using flood and scan attacks. The classifiers are then tested with unknown floods and scans to determine how well they categorize previously unseen attacks.

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The Effects Of Variability In Demand And Time Parameters For Multi-Item, Multi-Echelon, Multi-Indenture Reparable Inventory Systems, Roberto C. De Abreu Mar 2002

The Effects Of Variability In Demand And Time Parameters For Multi-Item, Multi-Echelon, Multi-Indenture Reparable Inventory Systems, Roberto C. De Abreu

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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Integer Approximation Of Real Valued Preference Curves, Richard M. Antoine May 2001

Integer Approximation Of Real Valued Preference Curves, Richard M. Antoine

Theses and Dissertations

A primary challenge of the AFIT Mission Resource Value Assessment Tool is to approximate a given preference curve with integer valued mission ready resources. This thesis evaluated four candidate methods of accomplishing this approximation. The thesis evaluated the implementation of the integer estimation approximation from a purely mathematical perspective. The models were measured against six quality and error measurement standards: convergence on an endpoint, convergence on any interior integer points, characterization of the overall error between the sequence of integer coordinates and the real valued linear function and characterization of the error in each individual dimension of the problem space. …

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Analysis And Evaluation Of The Macroscopic Organizational Structure Of Red Horse, Lance D. Clark Mar 2001

Analysis And Evaluation Of The Macroscopic Organizational Structure Of Red Horse, Lance D. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The primary contingency engineering capability within the United States Air Force is provided by Rapid Engineer Deployable, Heavy Operations Readiness Squadron, Engineer (RED HORSE). This thesis examines the macroscopic organizational structure of RED HORSE; that is, the manner in which RED HORSE resources (personnel and equipment) are organized collectively, above the unit (squadron or flight) level. It builds on the findings of the Air Combat Command - sponsored RED HORSE 2010 Strategic Study, and focuses on issues of geographic location and chain of command above the unit level, as the study found these two topics were found to be vital …

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Predicting Software Development Cost For Command And Control Systems, Anthony W. Fife Mar 2001

Predicting Software Development Cost For Command And Control Systems, Anthony W. Fife

Theses and Dissertations

In the past, the Department of Defense (DoD) has relied upon commercial software estimating tools. However, these tools are somewhat unreliable when it comes to estimating military systems, particularly Command and Control Systems. The purpose of this study was to develop a parametric model using linear regression to estimate software development costs for DoD Command and Control systems. The developed model is unique in a few ways. First, the model is derived from Department of Defense command and control data. Second, while traditional models require volumes of variables to create estimates, the developed model only requires a few key variables …

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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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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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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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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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Impact Of Facilitator Co-Location And Alignment On The Efficacy Of Group Support Systems Employed In A Distributed Setting, Jeffrey A. Lea Sep 1998

Impact Of Facilitator Co-Location And Alignment On The Efficacy Of Group Support Systems Employed In A Distributed Setting, Jeffrey A. Lea

Theses and Dissertations

Group Support Systems (GSSs) are a combination of hardware, software, and human facilitation designed and employed to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of decision making groups. Engineers at the Sustainment Logistics Branch of the Air Force Research Laboratory have recently proposed employing the technology in a distributed setting to conjoin geographically separated members of decision making groups in order to facilitate the reengineering of logistics processes in an any place/any time environment To date GSSs have been studied and employed primarily in the same time/same place setting. Consequently, little is known or understood of the effects that use of these …

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Development Of Activity Based Costing (Abc) Optimization Tool For An Environmental Organization, Anthony J. Gutterman Dec 1997

Development Of Activity Based Costing (Abc) Optimization Tool For An Environmental Organization, Anthony J. Gutterman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to develop a tool that would allow the user the ability to determine the activities an organization should track using Activity Based Costing (ABC). This was accomplished through the assignment of costs to the maintenance of ABC data and the determination of the benefit received as a result of using ABC. While obtaining the information pertinent to the cost of ABC was relatively straightforward and well documented, the information regarding the value of the benefit of ABC was not available. Therefore, using information provided in the literature concerning savings resulting from making the polluter …

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The Influence Of Foreign Culture On Air Force Contingency Contracting Operations, Christian M. Ruefer Sep 1997

The Influence Of Foreign Culture On Air Force Contingency Contracting Operations, Christian M. Ruefer

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Contingency Contracting Officers (CCOs) are increasingly finding themselves an integral part of overseas deployments, purchasing in theater whatever the combat forces cannot bring with them. As a result, CCOs must deal directly with businesses and the individuals who operate them in the deployed location. Cultural differences between the CCO and suppliers can become an issue not encountered in stateside operations. This thesis was designed to explore the possible impact of culture on the deployed CCO's ability to do their job. There were four objectives of this study. First, those tasks CCOs must accomplish in order to perform their job …

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Factors Affecting The Unit Cost Of Weapon Systems, Mark W. Glenn Sep 1997

Factors Affecting The Unit Cost Of Weapon Systems, Mark W. Glenn

Theses and Dissertations

This research identifies variables and specifies equations that can be used to estimate the unit production cost of a weapon system. It is concerned with both explanation and prediction. Three major variables identified are cumulative quantity, production rate, and change in regime. Cumulative quantity is used in learning curve theory. Production rate is found in the U-shaped short and long-run cost curves of economic theory. This study uses the term regime to refer to any major change in the production environment of a weapon system. This research attempts to integrate the use of these three variables. A change in regime …

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A Comparison Of Contracts Involving The Privatization Of Newark Afb And The Naval Air Warfare Center-Indianapolis, James P. Valley Sep 1997

A Comparison Of Contracts Involving The Privatization Of Newark Afb And The Naval Air Warfare Center-Indianapolis, James P. Valley

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the contract types and incentives involved in the privatization of Newark AFB and the Naval Air Warfare Center-Indianapolis. Newark AFB was slated to close by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) in 1993. The Air Force decided to utilize an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, and utilize an award fee to incentivize the contractor. In 1995, the BRAC commission decided to close the Naval Air Warfare Center-Indianapolis. The Navy also decided to utilize an IDIQ contract and has mostly utilized the Fixed Price Level of Effort contract to obtain its requirements. Through interviews and a …

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The Effects Of The New Commercial Marketplace Emphasis On United States Air Force Contract Negotiators, Bryan J. Hudgens Sep 1997

The Effects Of The New Commercial Marketplace Emphasis On United States Air Force Contract Negotiators, Bryan J. Hudgens

Theses and Dissertations

Acquisition Reform is changing the way the government contracts for needed goods and services. The commercial marketplace is becoming a significant source not only of goods and services, but also of ideas as to how the government can improve its contracting and acquisition functions. This research investigates the impact of this change of focus (to the commercial marketplace) on the GS-1102 series government contract negotiator. This thesis examines whether two theories-boundary spanning and supply management-can help understand the changing the role of the government contract negotiator. This research effort also reviews a list of commercial practices recommended by experts as …

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A Qualitative Analysis Of The Elements Required For The Successful Implementation Of The 'Rolling Down-Select Strategy', Brent A. Kelly Sep 1997

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Elements Required For The Successful Implementation Of The 'Rolling Down-Select Strategy', Brent A. Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored the elements required for the successful implementation of the 'rolling down-select strategy' Inspired by Lightning Bolt 10, this study investigated five acquisitions which have or are in the process of implementing the 'rolling down-select strategy' The results suggest several elements which appear to contribute to the successful use of the 'rolling down- select strategy' These findings can be used by acquisition planners to aid in determining whether or not the 'rolling down-select strategy' is a viable strategy for their particular acquisition.

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The Impact Of The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act Of 1994 On Post-Award Protest Frequency, Eric C. Duncan Sep 1997

The Impact Of The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act Of 1994 On Post-Award Protest Frequency, Eric C. Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

The protest process is a means of ensuring that the Government conducts procurements in accordance with statutory and regulatory procedures. Additionally, protests serve a vital role in assuring full and open competition in the federal acquisition process. Protests can be costly in many aspects, including the direct costs of taking the action as well as more indirect costs such as program delays and damaged business relationships. The Government recognizes the negative impact protests have on the procurement process and has enacted several laws and regulations in an effort to reduce protest frequency and streamline procurement procedures. While it appears that …

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Relationships Between Crda Elements And Benefits To The Government In Technology Transfer, Mark J. Davis Sep 1997

Relationships Between Crda Elements And Benefits To The Government In Technology Transfer, Mark J. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Technology transfer has become an increasingly important mission of federal laboratories over the past decade, with results that benefit the government, private companies, and the nation's economy. Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRDAs) are the most used mechanism to perform technology transfer from our nation's federal laboratories to the private sector. The main objective of this research is to determine important CRDA elements that are associated with higher benefits to the government. Recommendations are provided for technology transfer managers to improve CRDAs by identifying the CRDA elements that are associated with higher or lower benefits to the government. Key findings …

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An Examination Of Defense Acquisition Management In The Republic Of China: Comparison With The United States, Ching-Tsung Jen Jun 1997

An Examination Of Defense Acquisition Management In The Republic Of China: Comparison With The United States, Ching-Tsung Jen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis has explored the current issues of defense acquisition management in the Republic of China (ROC). The purpose of this research was to examine the managerial functions in defense acquisition systems and provide recommendations for further acquisition reform in the ROC. Using the exploratory case study approach, this research took a broad look at the ROC defense acquisition system by comparing it with the U.S. acquisition system. To analyze the difference, five functional indicators were selected. These five indicators which represent the managerial functions during the acquisition process include Policy and Statutes, Acquisition Process, Acquisition Organization, Acquisition Workforce Training …

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A Preliminary Study Of Using The Sei's Capability Maturity Model To Set Statistical Control Bounds On Dod Contractor Cost And Schedule Performance, Jeffrey A. Schaefer Dec 1996

A Preliminary Study Of Using The Sei's Capability Maturity Model To Set Statistical Control Bounds On Dod Contractor Cost And Schedule Performance, Jeffrey A. Schaefer

Theses and Dissertations

Current methods for monitoring the performance of Department of Defense (DOD) software development contractors have not been successful in reversing the current trend of over budget and behind schedule software development. The DOD has adopted the Software Engineering Institute's (SEI's) Capability Maturity Model (CMM) as a method of determining the process maturity of a software developer with the idea that a more mature process will lead to improved cost and schedule performance. The goal of this research was to determine if a model based on the CMM rating level of a contractor could be developed and used in conjunction with …

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The Implementation Of An Enhanced Activity-Based Costing Model At The Defense Supply Center Columbus, James A. Neice Jr., Vernon L. Scribner Sep 1996

The Implementation Of An Enhanced Activity-Based Costing Model At The Defense Supply Center Columbus, James A. Neice Jr., Vernon L. Scribner

Theses and Dissertations

This research explored the problems with ABC implementation at a government service organization. ABC implementation efforts within other government organizations were examined to determine what caused different organizations to implement ABC. Next a case study analysis was performed, following the implementation of an expanded ABC model within a government service organization. The research used unstructured open-ended interviews, on-site visits, and archival analysis to conduct the case study. The study examined how the organization developed its initial model and subsequently introduced an enhanced model. The enhanced ABC Model had not been implemented at DSCC as of the conclusion of this case …

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A Survey Of Activity-Based Costing (Abc) Practices Within The Department Of The Army, Seon-Mook Lee, David S. Ryder Sep 1996

A Survey Of Activity-Based Costing (Abc) Practices Within The Department Of The Army, Seon-Mook Lee, David S. Ryder

Theses and Dissertations

Activity-Based Costing (ABC) does not appear to have been as readily accepted within the Department of the Army as within private industry (Kehoe et al., 1995). Barely able to accomplish their missions at current resource levels, military resource managers know historically that identified efficiencies and savings often are translated into self inflicted budget and manpower cuts. Yet, it is almost universally accepted that the benefits of using Activity-Based Costing are real and obtainable, but not yet worth the effort required with the perceived risk being taken. Current conventional wisdom is for Army Resource Managers to wait and see what benefits …

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An Exploratory Study Of The Benefits Received By Wright Laboratory (Wl) From Technology Transfer Activities, Clinton J. Braun Sep 1996

An Exploratory Study Of The Benefits Received By Wright Laboratory (Wl) From Technology Transfer Activities, Clinton J. Braun

Theses and Dissertations

The allocation of resources should be a rational decision making process where alternatives can be compared based on their estimated costs and benefits to the organization. In order to justify technology transfer activities, a sound methodology must be developed that will document the benefits derived from transfer activities. The risks or uncertainties associated with those benefits must also be estimated and analyzed. By detailing the costs, benefits, and uncertainties associated with technology transfer activities, decision makers will have a logical framework that can be used to determine the cost effectiveness of technology transfer. Leaders within the technology transfer arena are …

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