Initiation, Adoption, and Implementation of Administrative Innovation in the Air Force: A Case Study
Abstract
Department of Defense maintenance (DOD) budgets are expected to decline, while maintenance requirements are expected to rise. Innovation is one means of achieving the increased quality and productivity, necessary to meet DOD maintenance requirements in a decreased funding environment. This research is a study of a recent Air Force innovation, QP4- Quality for People, Process, Product and Performance. A case study approach was chosen. QP4 was judged to be a successful innovation. QP4's success was due in part to the way that AFLC nurtures innovation. Factors that were found to be important to innovation within the Air Force setting include: the balance between administrative and technical innovation, the presence of boundary spanning activities, the presence of innovation champions, and advanced analysis of the existing organizational culture. Since this was an exploratory study, there are several recommendations for future research. The recommendations for future research are: 1) development of a method for determining the success of innovations, 2) investigation of the role that feedback and control mechanisms have in the innovation process, 3) investigation of the effect of organizational culture on innovations, 4) further investigation of how AFLC encourages innovation, 5) investigation of the role of innovation champions, and 6) longitudinal studies of the process of innovation. Keywords: Productivity, Quality assurance, Feedback, Control, Innovation, Theses.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA202654
Entities
People
- David A. Jacobs
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology