Dissertation
Air Force organizational change: Tracing the past, mapping the future
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
08/2010
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006080
Abstract
This research looks specifically at organizational change within the United States Air Force (USAF) and attempts to explain, assess, and predict future organizational change. Using the theoretically based independent variables of external events, internal culture, and organizational leadership, case studies are developed using process-tracing to analyze historical USAF organizational change. The first case study examines the period from 1907 to 1947 and effectively shows that the outlined theory informs and anticipates the major organizational change that occurred in 1947. The second case study begins in 1947 and further helps to show the effectiveness of the outlined theory to explain and anticipate the major organizational change that occurred in 1992. Armed with the validated theoretical guidance, the third case study examines the period from 1992 to 2030 and offers analysis and prediction for how, why, and when the USAF will experience another major organizational change. Using a mixed method approach that draws on case study analysis, quantitative measurement, survey data, and expert interviews, the three periods of analysis reveal that the USAF has evolved in each period from one dominant operational perspective to another with each operational perspective determining, in large part, the organizational structure of the service. In 1907 a ground-operations perspective dominated the organizational structure of airpower; however, by 1947 an organizational shift occurred that elevated a bomber-operations perspective into dominance. The bomber-operations perspective was eventually and formally replaced in 1992 by a fighter-operations perspective that influenced and dominated the organizational structure. Using the same theoretical guidance that explained these previous changes, it was determined that by the year 2030 the fighter-operations perspective will be replaced by a new and dominant synergistic-operations perspective. This research and predictive assessment provides important organizational explanation and considerations that can help USAF leadership better prepare for an uncertain future.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Air Force organizational change
- Creators
- Jeffrey J. Smith
- Contributors
- Thomas Preston (Chair)Martha L Cottam (Committee Member) - Washington State University, Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School ofTravis Nelson Ridout (Committee Member) - Washington State University, Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School of
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 536
- Identifiers
- 99901055124301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation