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Theses and Dissertations

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Full-Text Articles in Human Resources Management

Decision Analysis Using Value-Focused Thinking For Retention Of Long-Term Officers In The Korean Army, Jaebum Kim Mar 2012

Decision Analysis Using Value-Focused Thinking For Retention Of Long-Term Officers In The Korean Army, Jaebum Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The North Korean attacks on the South Korean naval vessel, the Cheonan, and on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in 2010 have resulted in the deterioration of the relationship between North and South Korea. The death of Kim Jong Il in December 2011 has raised serious concerns over the future of North Korea and political stability on the Korean Peninsula. Against this background, South Korea has continued its agenda of military reform to improve the retention and management of its military personnel. However, South Korea needs better methods and measures for evaluating its personnel to distinguish highly qualified officers …


The Effect Of Supply Chain Management Processes On Competitive Advantage And Organizational Performance, Ronald M. Salazar Mar 2012

The Effect Of Supply Chain Management Processes On Competitive Advantage And Organizational Performance, Ronald M. Salazar

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant changes in the paradigm of modern business management is that individual businesses no longer compete as solely autonomous entities, but rather as supply chains. In this emerging competitive environment, the ultimate success of the business will depend on management's ability to integrate the company's intricate network of business relationships. Effective supply chain management (SCM) has become a potentially valuable way of securing competitive advantage and improving organizational performance since competition is no longer between organizations, but among supply chains. This research conceptualizes and develops three dimensions of SCM practice (supplier relationship management, manufacturing flow management, …


An Analysis Of Turnover Intentions: A Reexamination Of Air Force Civil Engineering Company Grade Officers, Joshua D. Connell Mar 2012

An Analysis Of Turnover Intentions: A Reexamination Of Air Force Civil Engineering Company Grade Officers, Joshua D. Connell

Theses and Dissertations

A potential retention problem is facing company grade officers (CGOs) in the Air Force Civil Engineer (CE) career field. This is due to the stress caused by a demanding workload experienced during a prolonged period of conflict (Iraq and Afghanistan), which is compounded by a reduction in force. The possibility of reduced retention is thus a concern for CE leadership. Based on past research, and the prior study conducted by Riddel (2010), a new model of turnover intentions was developed. The new model expands on Riddel's simplified model of turnover and attempts to focus on key factors that may help …


Turnover Intentions: A Quantitative Analysis Of Comments From Air Force Civil Engineering Company Grade Officers, Tj E. Gabrielson Mar 2012

Turnover Intentions: A Quantitative Analysis Of Comments From Air Force Civil Engineering Company Grade Officers, Tj E. Gabrielson

Theses and Dissertations

Voluntary turnover is a concern for the military and many other organizations from a financial and performance standpoint. This study applied grounded theory to code and network comments provided by CE officers in 2010. The results of this study found the most influential construct that predicts turnover intentions to be the relationship of OPSTEMPO influencing interrole conflict. This conflict is increased by the workload at home station due to under manning within CE. OPSTEMPO is an important aspect of a military member's decision to stay or leave the service because it was found to interact with a multitude of other …


Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight Test Approval Process And Its Implications: A Methodological Approach To Capture And Evaluate Hidden Costs And Value In The Overall Process, Tuan U. Tran Mar 2012

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight Test Approval Process And Its Implications: A Methodological Approach To Capture And Evaluate Hidden Costs And Value In The Overall Process, Tuan U. Tran

Theses and Dissertations

The advancement in small unmanned aerial vehicle (SUAV) technology has brought a new revolution in the military domain. Their uses have become more synonymous with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. Concerns over their flight test safety and accountability have been addressed in multiple policies to mitigate mishaps and increase proper accountability. However, current DoD and FAA mandated regulations and policies concerning UAV flight tests are sometimes considered slow and time-consuming, which may lead to delays in UAV research and development. This study explores the quantitative and qualitative measure of benefits associated with an abbreviated flight test process for SUAVs. Specifically, …


The Moderating Effect Of Psychological Empowerment On The Relationship Between Network Centrality And Individual Job Performance, David A. Washington Mar 2012

The Moderating Effect Of Psychological Empowerment On The Relationship Between Network Centrality And Individual Job Performance, David A. Washington

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify the effect of psychological empowerment (PE) on social network location and individual performance. This study sought to test three hypotheses, which were introduced through a comprehensive literature review, regarding the relationships between social network centrality and individual job performance. Research has indicated a positive relationship between network centrality and performance; however, other research suggests performance can be better predicted by including motivation in the model. Therefore a moderation model was developed and tested to identify the relationships between network centrality, PE, and three categories of individual job performance: task performance, organizational citizenship …


High-Performance Work Practices: A Case Study Using The Phenomenological Approach, Aaron J. Zorn Mar 2012

High-Performance Work Practices: A Case Study Using The Phenomenological Approach, Aaron J. Zorn

Theses and Dissertations

The fast-paced work environment that exists today requires organizations to adapt quickly in order to sustain high performance. Research suggests that the use of high-performance work practices (HPWPs) in human resource management is a possible way to increase performance. As the United States Air Force continues to face decreasing budgets, possible fixes such as the use of HPWPs may be considered. This research used a phenomenological approach to collect data from civil engineer controllers throughout the Air Force about their experiences and perceptions. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether current human resource practices are potentially contributing to …


Personnel, The Class 0 Supply Item: A Logistics Management Approach To Supplying Combatant Commanders With Warfighters, William P. Beard Mar 2012

Personnel, The Class 0 Supply Item: A Logistics Management Approach To Supplying Combatant Commanders With Warfighters, William P. Beard

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force's end strength has drawn down from 530,000 to just over 332,000 in the past 20 years. All indications are that resources will continue to become more restricted in the future, including manpower. Meanwhile, studies indicate that the Air Force will likely continue to withdraw permanently stationed forces overseas and rely increasingly on the Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) construct for rapid mobility and force projection. With the AEF and efficient manpower utilization projected to become increasingly important, this study provides the first examination of the AEF as an overarching process for improvement opportunities. It proposes that the concept …


Architecture Based Workload Analysis Of Uas Multi-Aircraft Control: Implications Of Implementation On Mq-1b Predator, Jason D. Mcgrogan, Michael F. Schneider Mar 2011

Architecture Based Workload Analysis Of Uas Multi-Aircraft Control: Implications Of Implementation On Mq-1b Predator, Jason D. Mcgrogan, Michael F. Schneider

Theses and Dissertations

An increased demand for use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) without commensurate increases in pilot manpower has prompted proposals for simultaneous control of multiple aircraft by a single pilot or Multi-Aircraft Control (MAC). To understand the potential effects of MAC, an IMPRINT Pro, Multi-Resource Theory, pilot workload model was developed from pedigreed system architecture. Feedback from active UAS pilots was used to validate the model and establish a workload saturation threshold value of 60, above which pilots may experience performance degradation over extended periods of time. The model predicts that pilots experience low workload when operating one or two UASs …


Leadership Criteria Under Maximum Performance Conditions, Aaron J. Pauli Mar 2011

Leadership Criteria Under Maximum Performance Conditions, Aaron J. Pauli

Theses and Dissertations

Since the seminal work investigating the relationship between typical and maximum performance by Sackett, Zedeck, and Fogli in 1988, there has been a marked increase in research in this area. Although much research has furthered the relationship between typical and maximum performance, none have attempted to identify which leadership effectiveness criteria are considered most important to an individual’s maximum performance, or assessment of one’s potential. Thus, this empirical study seeks to identify the leadership effectiveness criteria under maximum performance conditions as it relates to entry and middle level managers. Using an exploratory factor analysis, the results suggest an interesting comparison …


The Positive Impact Of Negative Feedback, Mark B. Richey Mar 2011

The Positive Impact Of Negative Feedback, Mark B. Richey

Theses and Dissertations

While feedback is an essential element of performance, there is little theory explaining the effects of negative feedback. Disagreement exists as to whether negative feedback is good or bad and this impacts its use. Fortunately, control theory provides scholars with an opportunity to better understand negative feedback and the conditions necessary to support its intended function. This study examined the relationship between negative feedback and task performance in a leadership development environment. This work asserts that performance is contingent on perceived feedback usefulness, such that the relationship is stronger when feedback usefulness is high and weaker when it is low. …


A Linear Programming Approach For Determining Travel Cost Minimizing Ecss Training Locations, Jason S. Boerboom Mar 2010

A Linear Programming Approach For Determining Travel Cost Minimizing Ecss Training Locations, Jason S. Boerboom

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense is currently operating in a fiscally constrained environment, and Air Force leaders are pressured to minimize spending while pursuing mission critical objectives. Personnel travel usurps a significant portion of the Air Force’s annual operations and maintenance (O&M) budget each year, but receives little attention with respect to cost saving strategies. During the Air Force’s implementation of the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS), in which over 250,000 end-users will require training, it is vital that the Department determine the training locations that minimize costs incurred through personnel travel. This thesis seeks to determine which potential ECSS training …


Downside Risk Optimization Of The Thrift Savings Plan Lifecycle Fund Portfolios, Matthew C. Beck Mar 2010

Downside Risk Optimization Of The Thrift Savings Plan Lifecycle Fund Portfolios, Matthew C. Beck

Theses and Dissertations

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the defined benefit contribution plan for the US Government, introduced the asset allocation Lifecycle (L) Funds in August 2005. These funds seek to minimize risk and maximize expected portfolio return via mean-variance optimization (MVO). The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and examine the efficiency of the TSP L Funds and create alternative L Fund portfolios via downside risk optimization (DRO). Whereas MVO minimizes the portfolio variance (standard deviation), DRO seeks to minimize the risk below an investor’s minimal acceptable return in the market, defined as the Co-Lower Partial Moment (CLPM). The research team …


A Study Of Formal And Informal Mentoring In The United States Air Force, Russell H. Gheesling Mar 2010

A Study Of Formal And Informal Mentoring In The United States Air Force, Russell H. Gheesling

Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring has been identified as a significant contributor to employee performance and development. Debate has come about as result of implementation of formal mentoring programs where mentors are assigned to protégés as opposed to informal relationship formed out of mutual respect and liking. Secondary data, including measures of leader member exchange, similarity, contact time, and others, were used from a 1998 survey of company grade officers (protégés) and their formal and informal mentors. Analysis of Variance compared mean values between formally and informally mentored protégés. Additionally, a logistic regression was used to understand the impact that different measures had on …


Understanding The Effectiveness Of Performance Management Practices, Ross T. Johnston Mar 2010

Understanding The Effectiveness Of Performance Management Practices, Ross T. Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Effective employee management is an essential element for achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage. Through a variety of performance management practices organizations can translate competitive strategies into individual performance expectations and transform employee potential into desired organizational outcomes. Despite the promise of robust performance management practices, a significant research gap exists between the scientific research in Organizational Behavior (OB) and the performance management practices espoused by the “practitioners.” The purpose of this thesis research is to explore a set of performance management practices as an initial step toward providing direct, empirical support for the linkages between performance management practices, the …


Analysis Of The Military Medical Retirement System, Joseph M. Barnum Mar 2009

Analysis Of The Military Medical Retirement System, Joseph M. Barnum

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the 60 year old military medical retirement system. Specifically, this thesis answered three research questions regarding a comparison of pay between the current system and the societal standard for injury and illness, identification of current segments of the military population disproportionately affected by the current system, and establishment of a minimal standard for medical retirement compensation. Previous research established the societal standard for compensation as the Value of Statistical Life. This thesis compared the current military medical retirement system with the Value of Statistical Life and identified several segments of the military …


The Correlation Of Human Capital On Costs Of Air Force Acquisition Programs, Stephen E. Gray Mar 2009

The Correlation Of Human Capital On Costs Of Air Force Acquisition Programs, Stephen E. Gray

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have linked human capital with performance. The studies have shown performance, measured as output, of a firm can be increased by adding more personnel and/or increasing education levels. This research uses the Cobb-Douglas Production function to build upon that relationship of inputs to outputs. The output in this study is the average cost overrun of Aeronautical Systems Center research, development, test, and evaluation contracts managed from 1994 to 2008. The inputs are the numbers of military/government employee financial managers, program managers, engineers, rated personnel, and military/government employees in those career fields possessing a graduate degree or higher. A …


Modeling U.S. Occupational Health Costs, Joseph M. Bauer Mar 2009

Modeling U.S. Occupational Health Costs, Joseph M. Bauer

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this research was to improve the effectiveness of cost comparison analyses for the 75th Aerospace Medicine Group, Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Bioenvironmental engineers sought a more robust cost comparison tool, allowing engineers to quickly determine the viability of proposed occupational health-related expenditures. To justify the funding of potential projects, engineers must quantify the expected cost savings. Improved cost comparison analysis enables personnel to better justify worthy projects or filter out uneconomical solutions. A secondary purpose of this research was to validate Department of Defense (DoD) occupational illness cost factors. This research effort focused on cost …


Operations Tempo And Turnover Intentions: An Exploratory Study Of The Air Force's Explosive Ordinance Disposal (Eod) Career Field And Development Of The Air Force Civil Engineer Retention Questionnaire, Joseph A. Tortella Mar 2009

Operations Tempo And Turnover Intentions: An Exploratory Study Of The Air Force's Explosive Ordinance Disposal (Eod) Career Field And Development Of The Air Force Civil Engineer Retention Questionnaire, Joseph A. Tortella

Theses and Dissertations

From a managerial perspective, the attraction and retention of high-quality employees is more important today than ever before (Holtom, Mitchell, Lee, & Eberly, 2008). This continuing growth of importance with regards to retention has validated the efforts of many studies within the context of turnover to better understand the relationship between turnover and the factors that may influence the behavior. Employers want to know what the reasons are for employee turnover. However, more importantly is that once behaviors are identified the employers are then equipped with a better understanding of how this relationship can be controlled. This relationship also has …


Position Characteristics And Their Relationship To Selection For Promotion, Juan A. Kays Mar 2008

Position Characteristics And Their Relationship To Selection For Promotion, Juan A. Kays

Theses and Dissertations

It is clear that job characteristics are key selection criteria for upward mobility. However, there are questions as to what types of position details facilitate individual objective success within an organization like the United States Air Force that relies solely on an internal labor market. While it is an individual responsibility to develop an employment plan, there are particular duties that are more desirable for continuation. This thesis looked at the professional records of a sample of officers to assess what position characteristics led to more advancement opportunities. It examined what duty experiences fared well for one measure of career …


Assessment Of The Current Cultural Awareness And Training For The Air Force Contingency Contracting Officer, Reza A. Grigorian Mar 2008

Assessment Of The Current Cultural Awareness And Training For The Air Force Contingency Contracting Officer, Reza A. Grigorian

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the current cultural awareness of contracting officers and the effectiveness of cross-cultural training provided to contracting officers through the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), and their monthly training at the base level. Current training in culture is fairly limited - only 2 days of the 9 day course in contingency contracting is dedicated to cultural training. Nevertheless, a comparison of means of 38 students before and after the DAU CON 234 course showed a statistically significant increase in Cultural Intelligence (CQ) on the cognitive and behavioral dimensions, but not on the motivational dimension. In addition, more experienced contracting …


Blending The Battlefield: An Analysis Of Using Private Military Companies To Support Military Operations In Iraq, Heather L. Gallup Mar 2008

Blending The Battlefield: An Analysis Of Using Private Military Companies To Support Military Operations In Iraq, Heather L. Gallup

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past fifteen years, the Department of Defense has experienced an increasing trend in the outsourcing and privatization of military operations. Key factors contributing to the growth include declines in military budgets, reductions in active duty end-strength, increases in operational deployments, advancements in weapon system technology, and evolutions in the nature of warfare. However, the continued escalation of incorporating Private Military Companies (PMCs) on the battlefield creates unique challenges. The purpose of this exploratory and descriptive research is to identify utilization rates, describe the types of roles being fulfilled, and synthesize the challenges of augmenting military manpower with civilian …


An Analysis Of Competencies For Managing Science And Technology Programs, Sidney W. Goehring Mar 2008

An Analysis Of Competencies For Managing Science And Technology Programs, Sidney W. Goehring

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to analyze competencies needed for successful program management of Research and Development (R&D) programs -- also known as Science and Technology (S&T) programs -- within the Department of Defense (DoD). Current competency models are in development for the DoD Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (AT&L) functional areas. Using an interim competency model developed for the Program Manager career field comprised of 36 technical competencies and 27 professional competencies, the research compares competencies' criticality scores rated by traditional acquisition program managers (PMs) with those rated by S&T program managers. In 42 out of 63 instances (67%), …


The Effects Of Commercial Video Game Playing: A Comparison Of Skills And Abilities For The Predator Uav, Johnny E. Triplett Mar 2008

The Effects Of Commercial Video Game Playing: A Comparison Of Skills And Abilities For The Predator Uav, Johnny E. Triplett

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are operated by pilots and navigators experienced with manned combat aircraft. With a projected increase in UAVs, more combat pilots will be needed to operate these aircraft. Yet, if the current operational tempo continues, the supply of combat pilots may not be able to meet the demand. Perhaps alternative pools of Air Force personnel could be considered for UAV duty to meet operational requirements. Because the Predator UAV is a software-driven aircraft, video game players (VGPs) already possess and use many skills that may be similar to those of Predator UAV pilots. A variety …


An Analysis Of The Factors Affecting Training Transfer Within The Work Environment, Daniel J. Williams Mar 2008

An Analysis Of The Factors Affecting Training Transfer Within The Work Environment, Daniel J. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

A meta-analysis of 34 studies was performed to explore the magnitude in which work environment manipulates training transfer. The independent variables for this study included supervisor support, subordinate support, peer support, transfer climate, relapse prevention, goal setting, continuous learning culture, task constraints, and frequency of use. This study performed a moderator analysis to compare the effect these independent variables had on management and non-management training; and self-reporting versus supervisor or peer reporting; and training versus development. Results revealed that relapse prevention (.65) had the highest levels of correlation of all independent variables to training transfer. The results also showed that …


Assessing The Impact Of The Work Environment On Training Trasfer: An Investgation Of The Air Force Acquisition Management Course, Anita C. Springs Jun 2007

Assessing The Impact Of The Work Environment On Training Trasfer: An Investgation Of The Air Force Acquisition Management Course, Anita C. Springs

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to contribute to the body of knowledge as it pertains to our understanding of the relationship between work environment characteristics that influence training transfer. Specifically, this research will examine if training transfer is influenced by: top management support, supervisor support, peer support, organization learning culture, opportunity to perform, task difficulty, task constraints and acquisition category levels. The research is based on a 134 question survey completed by Air Force Acquisition Managers participating in the Air Force Fundamentals of Acquisition Management (AFFAM) course, and is designed to determine if knowledge, skills and attitudes learned in the instruction setting …


In Pursuit Of An Aptitude Test For Potential Cyberspace Warriors, Tiffiny S. Smith Mar 2007

In Pursuit Of An Aptitude Test For Potential Cyberspace Warriors, Tiffiny S. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force has officially assumed the cyberspace mission. To perform this mission well, it is important to employ personnel who have the necessary skill sets and motivation to work in a cyberspace environment. The first step in employing the right people is to screen all possible candidates and select those with an aptitude for acquiring the skill sets and with the motivation to perform this work. This thesis attempts to determine the necessary skills and motivations to perform the cyberspace mission and recommends a screening process to select the candidates with the highest probability for success. Since this mission …


An Analysis Of The Balance Of Management Technical And Leadership Progression Through The Three Usaf Officer Tiers, Matthew J. Heath Van Horn Mar 2007

An Analysis Of The Balance Of Management Technical And Leadership Progression Through The Three Usaf Officer Tiers, Matthew J. Heath Van Horn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify the balance of management, technical and leadership responsibilities learned at each of the three USAF officer tiers. Specifically, this thesis sought to answer research questions addressing the essential learning elements for developing leadership, technical and management knowledge and skills as well as the proportional emphasis of the three areas in each of the three officer tiers. The questions were answered through a comprehensive literature review and a review of current professional military education (PME) syllabi and educational profiles of USAF officers. The research identified that management training does not grow with the …


The Perveived Effectiveness Of Mentoring By Company Grade Officers In The United States Air Force, Jason B. Wolff Mar 2007

The Perveived Effectiveness Of Mentoring By Company Grade Officers In The United States Air Force, Jason B. Wolff

Theses and Dissertations

Businesses and organizations are continuously trying to make people more productive by using mentoring. The benefits of mentoring include higher levels of career satisfaction, incomes, promotions, self-efficacy and productivity. Past research has supported two general approaches referred to as informal and formal mentoring. Informal mentoring relationships are spontaneous and occur between two people without the involvement of the organization. Formal relationships are managed and sanctioned by the organization. The United States Air Force has a formal mentoring program. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the perceptions of mentoring effectiveness by company grade officers in the United States Air …


Work-Home Conflict: A Study Of The Impact Of Role Conflict On U.S. Air Force Company Grade Officer Turnover Intentions, Gavain M. Mcdonald Mar 2007

Work-Home Conflict: A Study Of The Impact Of Role Conflict On U.S. Air Force Company Grade Officer Turnover Intentions, Gavain M. Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force is currently undertaking one of the largest manpower transformations since its creation in 1947 through a program entitled Force Shaping. By separating 40,000 active duty members, to include 8,000 Company Grade Officers (CGOs), the Air Force intends to balance the skills of its personnel to meet the requirements of the Global War on Terror. Given these increasing operational commitments, issues impacting personnel retention decisions within a leaner force should command our attention. As personnel resources decrease and operational requirements increase, the likelihood of military members experiencing conflicts between work and home life may also increase. As such, …