Download or read book Air Force Core Identity and Its Impact On Retention written by and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past few years, retention has been an ongoing challenge to all military services and the United States Air Force is no exception Many have posited a strong economy as a reason for people exiting the Air Force, Others have asserted that it is because of the personnel drawdown along with an ever-increasing operations tempo Still others have pointed to a lack of core organizational identity that decreases the cohesiveness of the Air Force, This study describes the concepts of organizational identity and organizational culture, their importance, and their relevance to the USAF, This study also analyzes the foundations of Air Force core identity; defines current Air Force identity and pinpoints current threats to that identity, This paper reviews retention trends and current retention challenges in an attempt to draw a relationship between Air Force core identity and retention rates, Lastly, the study provides suggestions for enhancing Air Force core identity and subsequently combating the resultant retention problems.
Download or read book Retention of Scientists and Engineers in the Air Force A Modified Model for Interpreting Correlates of Career Intent written by and published by . This book was released on 1970 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of the research was to identify factors related to career intentions of Scientists and Engineers in the Air Force. The study examined the assumptions underlying general organizational retention research for relevance to Air Force retention studies. A literature review was conducted and a theoretical discussion of the typical assumptions in retention research was presented. Several of these assumptions were shown to be questionably applicable to Air Force retention research. A survey of Scientists and Engineers in the Air Force was then analyzed and interpreted using a modified model based on the theoretical discussion. Results of the survey suggested that career-oriented Scientists and Engineers may have a different need structure than their non-career-oriented counterparts. Needs for managing and applied research seemed to characterize the non-career-oriented Scientist. Career-oriented officers were generally more optimistic about satisfying important needs while in the Air Force, and they preferred a professional-officer identity to a professional-Scientist identity. Modest correlations between various aspects of active duty experience and career intent suggest that pre-commissioning attitudes, particularly their sources and relative impact on career decisions, should be investigated further. Career-oriented Scientists and Engineers may start out career-oriented and their active duty experiences simply sustain that orientation. Likewise, the non-career-oriented Scientists and Engineers may simply perceive active duty experiences as supporting their initial attitudes regarding a military career. (Author).
Download or read book Retention of Scientists and Engineers in the Air Force A Modified Model for Interpreting Correlates of Career Intent written by James M. Thomas and published by . This book was released on 1970 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of the research was to identify factors related to career intentions of Scientists and Engineers in the Air Force. The study examined the assumptions underlying general organizational retention research for relevance to Air Force retention studies. A literature review was conducted and a theoretical discussion of the typical assumptions in retention research was presented. Several of these assumptions were shown to be questionably applicable to Air Force retention research. A survey of Scientists and Engineers in the Air Force was then analyzed and interpreted using a modified model based on the theoretical discussion. Results of the survey suggested that career-oriented Scientists and Engineers may have a different need structure than their non-career-oriented counterparts. Needs for managing and applied research seemed to characterize the non-career-oriented Scientist. Career-oriented officers were generally more optimistic about satisfying important needs while in the Air Force, and they preferred a professional-officer identity to a professional-Scientist identity. Modest correlations between various aspects of active duty experience and career intent suggest that pre-commissioning attitudes, particularly their sources and relative impact on career decisions, should be investigated further. Career-oriented Scientists and Engineers may start out career-oriented and their active duty experiences simply sustain that orientation. Likewise, the non-career-oriented Scientists and Engineers may simply perceive active duty experiences as supporting their initial attitudes regarding a military career. (Author).
Download or read book Advancement and Retention Barriers in the U S Air Force Civilian White Collar Workforce written by Kirsten M. Keller and published by . This book was released on 2021-07-31 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Air Force experiences challenges in maintaining a demographically diverse civilian workforce. This report documents the results of a study designed to better understand the challenges that Air Force civilian women, racial/ethnic minorities, and individuals with disabilities in General Schedule (GS) (and equivalent) positions may face in advancing to higher pay grades as well as factors they consider when deciding whether to remain with the Air Force. The study analyzed Air Force personnel data to identify demographic differences in advancement and retention patterns and conducted focus groups and interviews with close to 300 participants to better understand potential advancement and retention barriers. The report describes key findings related to differences in advancement and retention and provides recommendations for potential changes to Air Force policies and practices to help grow and retain civilian talent from across all demographics.
Download or read book The Icarus Syndrome written by Carl H. Builder and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-12 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the end of the Reagan era, many in the U.S. Air Force began to express their concerns about the health of their institution. They questioned whether the Air Force had lost its sense of direction, its confidence, its values, even its future. For some, these concerns reflected nothing more than the maturation of the most youthful of America's military institutions. For others it was a crisis of spirit that threatened the hard-won independence of the Air Force. Although the diagnoses for this malaise are as numerous as its symptoms, The Icarus Syndrome points a finger at the abandonment of air power theory sometime in the late 1950s to early 1960s as the single, taproot cause of the problems. That provocative diagnosis is followed by an equally provocative prescription the Air Force must follow to regain its institutional health. Author Carl H. Builder begins with an overview of this crisis of values within the Air Force, along with a litany of concerns about what seems to have gone wrong within that institution. The history of the U.S. Air Force, along with the role played in it by air power theory, is explored and is used to support Builder's thesis. The remainder of the book is an analysis of what went wrong and when, how these wrongs might be corrected, and the challenges for Air Force leadership in the future. Now available in paperback, The Icarus Syndrome will be of great interest to U.S. Air Force professionals, military and aviation historians, and institutional psychologists.
Download or read book Changing Demographics and the Impact on Air Force Officer Retention written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Retention is a primary concern for the U.S. Air Force today, and the Air Force needs to explore all avenues of retention for its officers. The Air Force should carefully evaluate the impact of changing demographics on its officer retention. A review of the demographic studies performed by the Air Force Chaplain Office in the early 1980s and the National Families and Work Institute in 1997 reflect the trend towards an increasing concern for a work/life balance among both military members and their civilian counterparts. As the labor shortage for professional skills continues, the Air Force must look for innovative ways to retain its officers. The private sector leads the way with creative programs that are diversified enough to attract both the career professionals who aspire to be a CEO one day, and the career-family professionals who more highly value the balance of a strong family and successful career. Many of the programs begun by private industry are viable options for the Air Force; it only depends on how high a priority the Air Force places on retaining its professional corps. The Air Force should also consider adopting family support programs implemented by other armed forces, such as the Royal Australian Air Force. Improving family support programs is an important step in modifying the current career progression plan for officers. Implementing a dual-track career progression program will allow officers to choose options that provide a better career/family balance without sacrificing certain career success. This career flexibility, which has already proven successful in the private sector, will be one more strong factor in retaining quality officers.
Download or read book In Search of an Identity Air Force Core Competencies written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today, contact with the Air Force, no matter the affiliation, inevitably leads to exposure to Air Force core competencies. As a tourist visiting the Air Force Museum, a contractor working with Wright laboratories, on the Joint Staff, or Air Staff, core competencies will be part of the interaction. But, what are core competencies, where did they come from, why does the Air Force have them, and, more importantly, what are their implications? This paper tackles those questions. Additionally, it will offer an alternative framework to the present application of Air Force core competencies. First this paper introduces core competencies and explores the background information of their origin. This consists of a historical analysis, starting with the concepts incorporated in the documents published at the time the Air Force gained its independence, through significant documents up to the 1996 Global Engagement: A Vision for the 21 st Century Air Force. Second, this paper examines the purpose of core competencies. To do so, three probable explanations are evaluated using Graham T. Allison's decision making framework. Understanding why the Air Force has core competencies lends a great deal of insight in their role in shaping the future Air Force. Third, this paper looks at the implications of having core competencies. The approach here is to examine how core competencies are being applied in the Air Force. Coupled with the insight into why the Air Force has them, one can get an appreciation for their proper application and determine if the Air Force is using them wisely. Fourth, and last, this paper offers an alternative framework for identifying and working with core competencies. Using the insights attained through the previous analysis of core competencies, a clear, more straight forward approach was developed. This includes both an alternative set of core Core competencies have become a decision making framework for the
Download or read book Black Hats and White Hats the Effect of Organizational Culture and Institutional Identity on the Twenty Third Air Force written by Ioannis Koskinas and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2012-08-25 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a move to consolidate its Air Force special operations forces (AFSOF) and the Air Rescue and Recovery Service (ARRS), the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Military Airlift Command (MAC) activated the Twenty-third Air Force on March 1, 1983. When interviewed, the former ARRS commander and new Twenty-third Air Force commander, Maj Gen William J. Mall, offered a reason behind the creation of the new numbered air force: “We created [the] Twenty-Third AF [Air Force] primarily to enhance the special operations (SOF) mission. The move capitalized on the synergism that exists between SOF and the combat rescue forces because their mission, training and equipment [are] very similar … It makes sense to manage the training, tactics, maintenance, and supply from one headquarters. By equipping and training our forces under a common, event centered standard, we provide the military with the capability to move our forces from one mission area to another to best accomplish both tasks. This actually gives us more assets and greater flexibility if a contingency arises.” Although this merger lasted only until 1989, the Twenty third Air Force experience provides sufficient data for a thorough analysis of the internal effect of organizational culture and institutional agendas. This study seeks the answer to the following question: how did organizational culture affect the institutional growth of the Twenty-third Air Force? To answer the question, this study explores the impact of organizational culture on the evolution of the ARRS and AFSOF up to 1989. By exposing the reader to the effects of institutional agendas on the organizational growth of the Twenty-third Air Force, this research paper looks for hints into the future by studying the past. The significance of this research effort becomes evident considering the October 1, 2003 merger of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) and AFSOF under the auspices of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).The AFSOC commander, Lt Gen Paul V. Hester, in a message welcoming CSAR to AFSOC, offered the following explanation for the merger: “The history of teamwork [between AFSOF and CSAR professionals] is one of the powerful reasons behind the realignment. Our forces use similar weapon systems, training and operating concepts to conduct personnel recovery missions ....Our objective is to improve the mission, training, equipment and career opportunities for the entire AF CSAR community. Ultimately our goal is to enhance AF CSAR capabilities.” By analyzing the Twenty third Air Force experience, this paper seeks to provide a preview of how organizational culture may affect AFSOC's current endeavors to strengthen CSAR capabilities. Much of the evidence presented in this paper is derived from interviews and personal correspondence with some of the leaders who shaped the Twenty-third Air Force. Additionally, it draws on documents preserved at the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA) that were declassified specifically for this project. The research also utilizes previous School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS) thesis and other professional military education research projects. In presenting the evidence, the paper intends to structure the argument in a way that documents an important segment of the CSAR and AFSOF histories, codifies their institutional identities, and considers the influence of their cultural biases on the Twenty-third Air Force.
Download or read book Air Force Retention written by James E. Little and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reports on the 1986 retention problem in the United States Air Force and compares that problem with the retention problem experienced in 1979. Compares the casual factors of the 1986 problem with those of the 1979 problem and suggest that the leadership still must address those factors. During the retention problem of 1979, the Air Force accumulated a shortage of 1302 pilots which represented a loss of approximately $1.04 billion dollars. The primary reason for that severe loss was a general disatisfaction by aircrews with their job which was evidenced by indinvidual and organizational concerns. The 1986 problem is by no means as large in scope nor great in impact to the Air Force, but the casual factors are the sameas those identified in the 1979 crisis. This leads to the conclusion that the factors which caused the 1979 problem were never ' fixed' by the leadership. A recommended solution says the Air Force must maintaine efforts to eliminate career irritants and improved quality of life.
Download or read book Addressing Barriers to Female Officer Retention in the Air Force written by Kirsten M. Keller and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Women are underrepresented among the Air Force's senior leadership compared with their representation among the lower ranks. One factor contributing to this underrepresentation is that women tend to leave the active duty Air Force at higher rates than men. This report documents the results of a qualitative study designed to better understand the factors that female Air Force officers consider when deciding whether to remain in or separate from the active duty Air Force. The study conducted a total of 54 focus groups with 295 female Air Force officers in the spring of 2016 from across 12 different Air Force installations. The report describes the key retention factors identified through these focus groups and provides recommendations for improving Air Force policies and programs to help address potential barriers and improve female officer retention."--Publisher's description.
Download or read book Retention focused Talent Management in the Era of the Great Resignation Talent War written by Daria C. Awusah and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "For over two decades, the United States Air Force has met or exceeded its recruiting goal. However, during and following the COVID-19 global pandemic, all military branches, to include the Air Force, faced and continue to face the toughest recruiting market in over two decades. Recognizing the recruiting challenges brought upon by the pandemic, the Air Force lowered its accessions goal at the onset of the pandemic. Despite doing so, a RAND Corporation survey found that the Air Force (1) exceeded its end strength goal in FY 2020, (2) compared to FY 2019, its accession fell by 18 percent, and (3) its retention rose, most notably among retirementeligible members with at least 20 years of service. In short, the Air Force primarily met its end strength service goals as a result of the increased retention of service members currently serving. This finding highlights the ever-increasing importance of retaining members that the Air Force has trained while also evidencing the service’s need to focus on talent management and retention just as much as it focuses on talent acquisition and recruiting. The need to recruit and retain, in today’s military, the right number of personnel and individuals with the appropriate skillset in the era of The Great Resignation has led to an increasingly complex challenge that the military must meet head-on in order to retain its competitive edge and be prepared for future conflicts. This research paper aims to shed light into the challenges faced by the United States Air Force in the area of recruiting and retention and highlight on-going efforts by the service to combat these challenges. This article likewise offers retention-focused talent management solutions that the Air Force should adopt to ameliorate the retention of its skilled and trained officer corps. Among these recommendations are to (1) employ a talent management officer or team for each career field, (2) diversify assignment officers and development team, (3) enhance the leadership selection process and devote organizational resources to continuous leadership development, and (4) engage in continuous wholistic barrier analysis and execute a widespread strategic public relations campaign. While the needs of an officer’s family are often a driving factor affecting the decision to continue one’s service, this article focuses on individual considerations that the Air Force and its career field managers can work to influence."--Abstract.
Download or read book Black Hats and White Hats written by U. S. Military and published by . This book was released on 2018-03-24 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 1 March 1983, the United States Air Force activated the Twenty-third Air Force to consolidate the Air Force Special Operations Forces (AFSOF) and the Air Rescue and Recovery Service (ARRS). The Twenty-third Air Force's stewardship of AFSOF and rescue forces lasted until 1989, when the Military Airlift Command separated the two communities. Although brief, the Twenty-third Air Force's experience provides sufficient data for a thorough analysis of the effect of organizational culture and institutional agendas on the evolution of a nascent organization. The basic hypothesis explored in this paper is that organizational culture and institutional agendas significantly affected the rise and fall of the Twenty-third Air Force. The significance of this research effort is clear considering the 1 October 2003 merger of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) and AFSOF under the aegis of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). In light of recent events, this study's ultimate goal is to provide a preview of how culture may affect AFSOC's endeavors to strengthen CSAR capabilities. By studying the past, this paper looks for glimpses into the future. CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION * CHAPTER 2 - UNDERSTANDING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE * CHAPTER 3 - HERITAGE AND CULTURE OF AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES * CHAPTER 4 - HERITAGE AND CULTURE OF AIR RESCUE * CHAPTER 5 - ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE: THE RISE OF THE TWENTY-THIRD AIR FORCE * CHAPTER 6 - ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE: THE FALL OF THE TWENTY-THIRD AIR FORCE * CHAPTER 7 - FROM THE PAST, THE FUTURE * APPENDIX DESERT ONE ANALYSIS
Download or read book Preventing the Poaching of Personnel written by Sean M. Fazande and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This paper takes aim at the retention problem in the Air Force exploring the primarily pilots, but also cyberwarriors. As the Air Force adapts to societal influences, knowing how leaders affect commitment to service is key to retaining people in critically manned positions. Bolstering the US Air Forces ability to identify the key components that drive an individual to forgo their commitment to service will allow Air Force leaders to counter their impact. This paper used an evaluation method to determine how to improve organizational commitment. Throughout this paper the analysis highlighted intrinsic investments as the most powerful anchors to organizational commitment. This paper also explored the varying impacts of leadership styles on generational differences and how they influence individuals. This paper resulted in a recommendation for a culture shift in how leader career paths are managed in relation to their primary AFSC and the use of graduated benefits over time"--Abstract.
Download or read book The Armed Forces Officer written by Richard Moody Swain and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2017 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1950, when he commissioned the first edition of The Armed Forces Officer, Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall told its author, S.L.A. Marshall, that "American military officers, of whatever service, should share common ground ethically and morally." In this new edition, the authors methodically explore that common ground, reflecting on the basics of the Profession of Arms, and the officer's special place and distinctive obligations within that profession and especially to the Constitution.
Download or read book Breaking the Change Barrier written by Paul M. Kavanaugh and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 33 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Several times in Air Force history, the service endured large numbers of pilot separations directly affecting organizational readiness and thereby national defense. A problem/solution research methodology using the organizational management theory of path dependence explored the implications of the corrective leadership decisions. Exit survey data from the 1970s, 1990s, and 2017 and the subsequent documented Air Force efforts to stem the exodus, when linearly charted, showed evidence of organizational lock-in. Past strategic personnel decisions affected by organizational self-reinforcing mechanisms prevented leadership from taking truly innovative measures to change the course and break the cycle of pilot exodus. The identification of organizational lock-in provides leaders a larger temporal frame of reference with which to make strategic decisions. One recommendation to remedy pilot exodus is to start the incentive process earlier in the career and prior to the final decision to separate. Path dependent analysis indicates all prior Air Force retention actions were reactionary. Preemptive action, and not solely monetary action, provides several benefits to both the Air Force and the individual pilot. The pilot gains increased quality of life satisfaction because of a greater sense of stability from the guaranteed various incentive options and personal involvement in the overall process. The Air Force can annually budget and forecast incentive requirements and personnel movements based on the earlier decisions of pilots. Secondary effects of this innovative change include increased commitment from pilots, increased quality of life for pilots, predictability for the Air Force, and retention of critical experience."--Abstract.
Download or read book Black Hats and White Hats written by Ioannis Koskinas and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 1 March 1983, the United States Air Force activated the 23rd Air Force to consolidate the Air Force Special Operations Forces (AFSOF) and the Air Rescue and Recovery Service (ARRS). The 23rd Air Force stewardship of AFSOF and "Rescue" forces lasted until 1989, when the Military Airlift Command separated the two communities. Although brief, the 23rd Air Force experience provides sufficient data for a thorough analysis of the effect of organizational culture and institutional agendas on the evolution of a nascent organization. The basic hypothesis explored in this study is that organizational culture and institutional agendas significantly affected the rise and fall of the 23rd Air Force. This research paper asserts that, over time, the AFSOF and "Rescue" communities have developed certain patterns of basic assumptions that define their institutional identities. The evidence suggests that CSAR and AFSOF are but small entities in a loosely aligned federation of different tribes inside the USAF and an even smaller part of an inter-service struggle to advocate service-oriented agendas. Through the lens of organizational culture, the paper exposes the reader to the turbulent relationship between the dominant Air Force "tribes" and the secondary AFSOF and CSAR subcultures. The significance of this research effort is clear considering the 1 October 2003 merger of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) and AFSOF under the aegis of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). In light of recent events, this study's ultimate goal is to provide a preview of how culture may affect AFSOC's endeavors to strengthen CSAR capabilities. By studying the past, this study looks for glimpses into the future.
Download or read book An Analysis of Retention Issues of Scientists Engineers and Program Managers in the US Air Force written by Derek William Beck and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States Air Force is having a difficult time retaining their technical officers, who are critical to the success of their research, development, and acquisitions of major military and defense systems. A statistical analysis is conducted on survey data collected, and the analysis seeks to explain the reasons why officers, mostly junior in rank, leave the Air Force after only a short time on active duty. This retention problem leads to fewer higher-ranking officers, since the military only hires from the bottom up. Results of the research show that about 47% of junior officers have intent to leave the Air Force after their initial commitment, which is 4 to 5 years. With nearly half of the Air Force's incoming officer leaving after their initial commitment, the problem is very serious. Job satisfaction and the closely related Air Force assignment system are shown to be the primary problems for junior officer retention. The thesis concludes with recommendations to Air Force leadership on where to focus their retention efforts. Special emphasis is given on how the Air Force may address tangible components of job satisfaction. Policy change recommendations that affect satisfaction levels with the assignment system are also given.
