AN ASSESSMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE IN THE U.S. AIR FORCE’S 87 CONTRACTING SQUADRON UNIT

Collins and Garcia’s 2018 thesis, “A Thematic Assessment of The Organizational Climate in the Army’s Contracting Workforce,” explored the effects on retention and job satisfaction of contracting personnel. Their research suggested the analysis of other service organizational climates could yield a similar report to provide leaders with insights on improving current systemic issues concerning recruitment and retention goals. This thesis considers the culture at an Air Force contracting unit, explicitly focusing on the 87 Contracting Squadron (87CONS) and its 2020 organizational climate survey. The study found that organizational climate, culture, and job satisfaction significantly impacted how satisfied employees felt about their jobs and their willingness to stay with an organization. In addition, the data analyzed concluded that 87CONS’ leadership is focused on improving the organization’s climate and culture and consistently makes significant efforts to satisfy employee needs whenever possible. Last, the recommendations of this research circled around morale, environment, and organizational culture improvements by leadership, thereby providing a supplemental resource to leaders throughout, helping them formulate solutions on specific areas of concern within a particular organization.Civilian, Department of the Air ForceApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Assessing B2G Customer/Contractor Relationships Using Social Exchange Theory During the Search and Selection Stage

Social Exchange Theory (SET) is used widely to explain commercial business-to-business (B2B) relationship exchange. However, very little literature is dedicated to SET’s use in explaining business-to-government (B2G) relationship exchange. More specifically, little if any literature explores: How customer/contractor relationship is developed during the SET search and selection process The influence exerted by contractors to shape customer’s requirements and selection criteria (Positioning) Impact of contractors’ communication interchange on development of perceived customer relationship (trust and commitment) Success competing for contract award as measured by reputational trust and reputational performance satisfaction This ethnomethodology match pair study utilizes Wilson’s (1995) search and selection phase of the relationship development model of SET as a lens to evaluate Business Development (BD) personnel interaction with customers in the B2G business sector impact award decisions. This study looks at the development of perceived trust, perceived commitment, positioning, and communications interchange by the contractor\u27s BD personnel with government customers prior to the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) and how the customer\u27s evaluation of reputational trust and reputational performance satisfaction impacted the contract award decision following formal proposal evaluation. In this way, the match pair approach looks at the 1) contractors’ evaluation of the customer at the point of the RFP’s release and 2) the customer’s evaluation of the contractor’s post-proposal submission allowing the researcher to contrast the two viewpoints as compared to the results—award decision. This research expands the use of SETs to predict future contract awards based on the customer/contractor relationship exchange during the search and selection phase. Additionally, this research improves the understanding of how contractors influence the B2G customer’s requirements during the development process. A key finding in this research was that Contractors who engage in active Communications Interchange to develop customer Perceived Trust and Perceived Commitment and Position themselves for upcoming contract opportunities prior to solicitation release indicated a trend showing a statistically significant, positive impact on the award decision. Perceived Trust and Perceived Commitment in the absence of Communications Interchange indicated a trend showing a statistically significant, negative impact on the award decision. Additional key findings from the customer debriefs indicated a trend showing Reputational Trust was a reliable predictor of the awardee. However, Reputational Performance Satisfaction consisting of the customer\u27s overall rating of the contractor\u27s past performance, was not a reliable predictor of the contract awardee

A contribution to supply chain design under uncertainty

Dans le contexte actuel des chaînes logistiques, des processus d'affaires complexes et des partenaires étendus, plusieurs facteurs peuvent augmenter les chances de perturbations dans les chaînes logistiques, telles que les pertes de clients en raison de l'intensification de la concurrence, la pénurie de l'offre en raison de l'incertitude des approvisionnements, la gestion d'un grand nombre de partenaires, les défaillances et les pannes imprévisibles, etc. Prévoir et répondre aux changements qui touchent les chaînes logistiques exigent parfois de composer avec des incertitudes et des informations incomplètes. Chaque entité de la chaîne doit être choisie de façon efficace afin de réduire autant que possible les facteurs de perturbations. Configurer des chaînes logistiques efficientes peut garantir la continuité des activités de la chaîne en dépit de la présence d'événements perturbateurs. L'objectif principal de cette thèse est la conception de chaînes logistiques qui résistent aux perturbations par le biais de modèles de sélection d'acteurs fiables. Les modèles proposés permettent de réduire la vulnérabilité aux perturbations qui peuvent aV, oir un impact sur la continuité des opérations des entités de la chaîne, soient les fournisseurs, les sites de production et les sites de distribution. Le manuscrit de cette thèse s'articule autour de trois principaux chapitres: 1 - Construction d'un modèle multi-objectifs de sélection d'acteurs fiables pour la conception de chaînes logistiques en mesure de résister aux perturbations. 2 - Examen des différents concepts et des types de risques liés aux chaînes logistiques ainsi qu'une présentation d'une approche pour quantifier le risque. 3 - Développement d'un modèle d'optimisation de la fiabilité afin de réduire la vulnérabilité aux perturbations des chaînes logistiques sous l'incertitude de la sollicitation et de l'offre

Evaluating the preconstruction phase in a Construction Manager/General Contractor project

The Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC) project delivery method is an alternative delivery concept that many state highway agencies are interested in using in an effort to improve the deteriorating infrastructure in the United States. The CMGC method is encouraged by the Federal Highway Administration through the Every Day Counts 2 initiative which encourages better, faster, and smarter construction. However, many state agencies are just now obtaining the legal authority to use CMGC in their respective states. The main difference between the CMGC method and the traditional method of delivering projects is that the contractor is involved during the preconstruction phase. The main focus of this research is the preconstruction phase of the CMGC delivery method through three research objectives. First, an agency must want to use the CMGC method to deliver construction projects. Research on the benefits and challenges of implementing the method was conducted to give agencies the knowledge of the process to determine why they should implement the CMGC method into their program. Second, once an agency has decided to use the CMGC method, they need to determine the preconstruction services which will be required of the CMGC contractor during the preconstruction phase. Finally, research was performed for the first time on using an Independent Cost Estimate (ICE) consultant during preconstruction to validate the prices given to the agency by the CMGC contractor and to determine the extent to which the ICE consultant adds value to the CMGC process. Research for this thesis was performed using literature review, content analysis of presentations and solicitation documents, and case studies. This research found that the main benefit of the CMGC process was the ability to achieve accelerated design and construction schedules and the main challenge was training agency personnel to provide the necessary support to achieve that goal. Furthermore, highway and non-highway agencies alike, find that the design-related and cost-related aspects of the CMGC preconstruction phase add the most value to the process. Finally, it was determined that even though the agency incurs an added cost by involving an ICE consultant, the value added to the project by the knowledge brought by the ICE consultant outweighs the added cost

Bringing Candor to Charitable Solicitations

The American public donates a staggering amount of money to nonprofit charities. These charities routinely solicit and receive money from donors for specific, earmarked purposes. Often, however, charities ignore their obligations to use money for these designated uses. In many circumstances, even a seemingly benign redirection of earmarked gifts for other charitable purposes could constitute fraud and misrepresentation. Breaking the implicit or explicit promise to use money in a designated manner harms donors, charities, and the public. Prospective donors assess the value of charitable donations in a manner similar to the way they value consumer goods and services and can be swayed by false claims. Accordingly, allowing distortions of perceived value misleads donors when they are directing their charity. In light of detailed examinations of charitable-organization spending practices, this Article will propose that charities should adhere to a new, higher level of candor in their public communications. Maintaining a renewed, scrupulous approach to disclosure would, in Chief Justice John Marshall’s parlance in Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward, ensure “that the charity will flow . . . in the channel” that the donors expressly choose

AN EXPLORATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL BUYING BEHAVIOR IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

This dissertation begins with a comprehensive examination of the current state of research regarding organizational buying behavior. Through this review we identify a significant gap in our existing knowledge regarding organizational buying behavior in the public sector. Due to the high level of impact that government purchasing has on the economy, and the nuances that differentiate public from private sector purchasing practices, I further explore organizational buying behavior in the public sector to make the following contributions. First, I highlight the common practice in business-to-government (B2G) and business-to-business (B2B) transactions where buyers limit suppliers’ access to them during the buying process. This research terms these buyers “barricaded buyers.” Despite their prominence in practice, research related to barricaded buyers remains virtually non-existent. Therefore, the present research draws on insights gleaned from eight case studies over a period of approximately eighteen months to shed light on this important topic. Second, this dissertation advances a conceptual framework highlighting competitive actions a focal supplier can take to improve its selection likelihood when selling to barricaded buyers. The framework identifies novel ways suppliers can gain advantage by reducing competitive intensity in the pre-barricade phase (e.g., by peacocking) and by enhancing their RFP response quality in the post-barricade phase (e.g., by offering consummate solutions). Importantly, the framework invokes the notion of strategic information disclosure whereby a focal supplier may gain advantage by knowing when to convey what types of information in barricaded buying environments

The Application of Value Focused Thinking to Utilities Privatization Source Selection

The Department of Defense\u27s utility systems have suffered from under-funding and lack of technology investment, thereby creating a service gap between these DoD systems and systems operated by commercial providers. In order to overcome this gap and refurbish their systems, the DoD has focused its efforts on privatization of these systems. The utilities privatization decision is extremely vital and permanent and thus warrants backup source selection methodologies. Since awarding contracts in the utilities privatization arena requires a decision considering tradeoffs between multiple competing objectives, a value-focused thinking approach was used to create a structured, standardized value model taking into account the values of the United States Air Force with regard to utilities privatization. This model was then used to evaluate a set of randomly generated contractor proposals for leasing an Air Force owned electrical system and perform deterministic and sensitivity analysis on the recommended decision generated by the model. The results of this research provide a quantitative, objective, reliable, and defendable tool for a utilities privatization source selection decision. The value model is generic enough for evaluating the source selection decision of any utility system, but is able to accommodate changes in guidance, decision makers, and other factors

An Exploratory Study on the Strategic Use of Information Technology in the Source Selection Decision-Making Process

The strategic use of Information Technology in the acquisition field can be very useful in the decision making process of evaluating alternative solutions during a Government source selection. Current implementation of information technology provides a more tactical approach to systems development. The use of Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange and the internet to electronically transfer information is only the beginning of the shift towards a more strategic design process for information systems within Government procurement agencies. A schematic model was designed to demonstrate how information technology, such as Decision Support Systems, Expert Systems, and Shared Data Warehousing could assist the SSA in selecting the optimal, or best value solution. In addition, three source selection evaluation models using management science techniques were designed and developed using Microsoft Excel software. The Sealed Bidding, FAR Part 14, and Competitive Proposal, FAR Part 15 models implemented Integer Linear Programming through Microsoft Excel\u27s SOLVER option. The AFFARS Appendix AA/BB model implemented the use of the multi-criteria Analytical Hierarchy Process

Geotechnical risk decision tools for alternative project delivery method selection

Design-build (DB) geotechnical risk mitigation is an important concern for state departments of transportation (DOT), especially they seek to accelerate project delivery schedules. The nature of the DB delivery requires that projects are awarded before a complete subsurface has been done. Hence, projects are awarded without a comprehensive geotechnical scope, nor completed geotechnical design. DOTs are responsible for how mitigate the geotechnical risk during the procurement stage. Preliminary geotechnical investigation and geotechnical requirements are included in the request for proposals (RFP), and the goal of geotechnical risk allocation is to manage these risks. Based on the DOTs’ position, design-builders’ geotechnical risk perception is affected, and is reflected in their geotechnical risk contingency at the time of bidding the project. The worst scenario is when the DOT cannot award DB projects because projects are over budget. The purpose of this study is to identify tools to manage geotechnical risk in DB projects by analyzing what types of geotechnical information should be included in DB solicitation documents. The study found a difference in the perception of geotechnical risk between DOTs when agencies were classified based on the level of their DB experience (those who have delivered more than 10 DB projects versus those that who delivered less than 10). Based on this classification, agency approaches in managing geotechnical risk were found to be different. As a result, the study proposes mitigation tools to assist DOTs to have a better geotechnical risk approach. Furthermore, the study found 27 geotechnical risks factors. These were identified based on an importance index whose purpose was to identify those factors that are more crucial in DB projects. The study benchmarked the perception of these geotechnical factors between DOTs and DB industry. Results showed that there is a significant difference between these two perceptions. In addition to this analysis, the study also found geotechnical factors that potentially could disqualify a project from being an ideal candidate for DB delivery. The study was based on a comprehensive literature review; surveys of U.S. DOTs; case studies where potential geotechnical factors where identified; structure interviews of DOTs and a survey of DB industry. The results make it a useful document that records the tools to manage geotechnical risk in DB projects