A Systems View of an Air Force Program Office.
Abstract
This report identifies and analyzes the major elements of an Air Force Program Office from a systems view. First the existing regulations and documentation of program management were reviewed. Then, using the analysis approach suggested by Kast and Rosenzweig in 'Organization and Management', the program management world was divided into elements for analysis. To facilitate analysis, a boundary about the program office was constructed which separated the program office elements from their environment. The environment was analyzed from the general (societal) and task basis depending on how directly the program office was affected by the element. As an open system, the program office must interact with its environment. This is done with boundary spanning documents, products, and organizations. The program office itself was analyzed in terms of its major subsystems: goals and values, technical, structural, psychosocial, and managerial. The emphasis in the analysis was on people with various leadership styles. Finally some projections to the future were made by examining current changes in the environment--which is a moderated variable. The two most significant are: (1) an increasing trend toward matrix management rather than a vertical, monolithic organization; and (2) the new controlled OER resulting in increased personnel management issues particularly in recruiting and job appraisals.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA032602
Entities
People
- Dalton N. Wirtanen
Organizations
- Defense Systems Management College