Toward a Unified Theory of Work: Organizational Simulations and Policy Analyses
Abstract
The military environment is constantly changing and restructuring. Manpower, personnel, and training (MPT) planning and management is increasingly crucial to maintaining the mission readiness of the forces. The Department of Defense needs an integrated MPT planning and management system. We believe that a unified theory of work is needed to provide a framework and to guide and focus related research and development. This unified theory of work will connect theories of human traits and states, theories of task and job characteristics, theories of job/task performance, and perhaps theories of organizational behavior. For example, Mitchell and Driskill (1986, August), in Optimizing Integrated Personnel System Training Decisions and Development, presented at the State-of-the-Art Applications of Job Analysis: Integrated Personnel Systems, a symposium conducted at the American Psychological Association convention, in Washington, DC, proposed a theory that relates training to task performance, via a series of intervening and exogenous variables. Such a theory could be extended to encompass individual differences among workers and tasks, as well as key organizational and environmental variables. This paper explores key issues associated with a unified theory approach to MPT modeling and decision making. Further, basic research and development needs required for such an integrated approach are highlighted and discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA414497
Entities
People
- David S. Vaughan
- Winston Bennett Jr.
Organizations
- McDonnell Douglas