AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

Executive development in the United States Air Force (USAF) is essential to effectively manage this gigantic organization with a global mission. This study replicates and extends a 1962 dissertation entitled An Analysis of the Use of Selected Methods of Executive Development in the U.S. Air Force (Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol. 31, November 1970, page 1937-A). The 1962 survey, of 114 Air Force officers enrolled in the Air Force Institute of Technology\u27s School of Engineering, concluded that USAF didn\u27t have an integrated program of executive development. A large majority of the officers surveyed were not exposed to management development techniques (dependent variables), i.e., counseling, coaching, job rotation, understudy training, and self-development. Independent variables were rank, organization, rating, and longevity. The 1981 questionnaire, containing 59 items from the 1962 survey, was administered to officers attending the same institution, with an 80% response rate (259 usable returns). The chi-square technique was used to compare 1962 and 1981 data at the .05 level of significance. Chapter I contained an overview, six objectives, and seven hypotheses. Chapters II and III reviewed academic, business, and military management development literature and USAF directives. Chapter IV outlined research design and methodology. Chapter V reported 1981 survey results, while Chapter VI compared and analyzed the 1962 and 1981 data. Chapter VII contained a summary, presented 36 findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The 1981 survey found no specific program to integrate USAF in-house and off-the-job management development. Fifty-six percent of the respondents were not counseled on job performance, and 53% were not counseled concerning strengths and weaknesses. Thirty-one percent didn\u27t receive coaching, 58% received no understudy training, 24% never experienced job rotation to develop executive abilities, 23% weren\u27t encouraged to pursue self-development programs, and 73% weren\u27t exposed to Management by Objectives as a method of performance evaluation. Major recommendations were that Air Force Manual 25-1, USAF Management Processes, be updated and reinstated, a consolidated directive containing in-house and off-the-job management development programs and guidance be published, and Officer Evaluation Reports and Inspector General checklists insure management development performance by supervisors