Returning to Centerline: How the Air Force Could Better Leverage Human Behavior and Motivation Theories to Increase Retention

Abstract

The Air Force is facing a severe retention challenge that is affecting the health of the force. One stark example is pilot manning: As of November 2017, the Air Force was short 2,000 pilots. This shortfall has prompted Congress to insist top Air Force leaders find ways to reverse the trend. A common starting point in past retention efforts has been to evaluate compensation. Many people may think in terms of monetary benefits when discussing compensation; however, the DOD also routinely uses non-monetary incentives as part of their comprehensive compensation packages. Surprisingly, however, the DOD has not assessed the effectiveness of non-monetary measures with regard to incentivizing behavior. This thesis explores the effectiveness and limitations of monetary and non-monetary incentives by integrating extant theories to create a new, proposed model of behavior and motivation. Insight gained will provide Air Force leaders recommendations to inform decisions on incentives available to reduce personnel compensation costs and increase retention.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2018
Accession Number
AD1079467

Entities

People

  • Gregory M. Blom

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Administrative Personnel
  • Air Force
  • Business Administration
  • Employment
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Financial Management
  • Human Behavior
  • Literature Surveys
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Pilots
  • Organization Theory
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • United States Government

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Naval Personnel Management