Using Simulation to Model Time Utilization of Army Recruiters

It is a well-known fact Army recruiters work very long hours in a demanding environment. In many cases, recruiting stations are geographically isolated from military bases, with recruiters often tolerating a high cost of living, crime, and other such adverse conditions that characterize the communities they work in. The job itself demands self-starting, motivated individuals with a wide range of skills, from street-savvy to salesmanship, in order to succeed. A number of factors in recent years have made military recruiting more difficult, which include scandals involving highly-placed soldiers and changes in attitudes towards military service among eligible men and women. A recent mission increase has exacerbated this problem even further for the many recruiters who must shoulder this burden. Unlike previous studies which have concentrated on the effects of advertisements and other determinants of enlistments in the Army, this study instead focuses on the individual recruiters themselves, with the ultimate purpose of defining the relationship between the various recruiter tasks and the end product - qualified Army recruits. The key step towards the accomplishment of this goal was the determination of which factors influence recruiter effectiveness. In the course of developing a model and subsequent computer simulation of the recruiting process, a thorough process flow description of the major recruiter tasks was generated. Task completion times were estimated on the basis of empirical studies of actual recruiting stations in anticipation of their use as model input parameters. All of this information was then incorporated into working Simprocess and ModSim computer simulations of a single recruiting station with an arbitrary number of recruiters

The Economic Costs of the Iraq War: An Appraisal Three Years After the Beginning of the Conflict

This paper attempts to provide a more complete reckoning of the costs of the Iraq War, using standard economic and accounting/ budgetary frameworks. As of December 30, 2005, total spending for combat and support operations in Iraq is $251bn, and the CBO's estimates put the projected total direct costs at around$500bn. These figures, however, greatly underestimate the War's true costs. We estimate a range of present and future costs, by including expenditures not in the $500bn CBO projection, such as lifetime healthcare and disability payments to returning veterans, replenishment of military hardware, and increased recruitment costs. We then make adjustments to reflect the social costs of the resources deployed, (e.g. reserve pay is less than the opportunity wage and disability pay is less than forgone earnings). Finally, we estimate the effects of the war on the overall performance of the economy. Even taking a conservative approach and assuming all US troops return by 2010, we believe the true costs exceed a trillion dollars. Using the CBO's projection of maintaining troops in Iraq through 2015, the true costs may exceed$2 trillion. In either case, the cost is much larger than the administration's original estimate of $50-$60bn. The costs estimated do not include those borne by other countries, either directly (military expenditures) or indirectly (the increased price of oil). Most importantly, we have not included the costs to Iraq, either in terms of destruction of infrastructure or the loss of lives. These would all clearly raise the costs significantly.

Militarization And Modern Gaming: An Analysis Of The Relationship Of The Military And The Video Game Industry

This paper examines the influence of militarism and the military itself in modern video gaming. The military\u27s involvement includes developing its own, free of charge, video game title used as a recruitment tool, and training games used to desensitize new soldiers. Surrounding this direct involvement is a massive gaming industry that markets war and killing in the execution of the former in a realistic yet intensely glorified manner. The macro-cultural and societal implications of this phenomenon are explored

Aerospace management techniques: Commercial and governmental applications

A guidebook for managers and administrators is presented as a source of useful information on new management methods in business, industry, and government. The major topics discussed include: actual and potential applications of aerospace management techniques to commercial and governmental organizations; aerospace management techniques and their use within the aerospace sector; and the aerospace sector's application of innovative management techniques

Revision of a Nurse Residency Program

The organization that served as the study site for this project has two nurse residency programs that compete for resource allocation, space, informational materials, and human resources. The DNP project was conducted to combine the programs to eliminate waste and ensure the combined program met the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education standards for accreditation of entry-to-practice nurse residency programs. A literature review was used to evaluate practice themes for a formal residency program, and Benner’s novice to expert theory was chosen to guide the program development. A team of nurse educators and managers met via teleconferencing to review the curricula of both programs and compare these to the best practice literature. The teams met over several weeks and achieved consensus on the structure and process for a single best practice nurse residency program. The project had the potential to provide a developmental framework for advanced practice residency and interprofessional trainee programs. Aligning the two programs assured best evidence-based practice and conservation of resources. The goal was to improve new graduate retention within an extensive federal system. Keywords: new nurse satisfaction, BSN residency program recruitment and retention, baccalaureate nurse satisfaction, new nurse shortage, new nurse satisfaction, nurse turnove

The Use of Personality Testing in Personnel Selection

Research has shown that more than 45% of American companies are opting to integrate personality tests in their recruitment processes. Given this surge in personality testing, this thesis examines whether personality testing is a valid predictor of job-fit and performance in the context of personnel selection. A large proportion of this paper is focused upon the Big-Five factor model, its limitations, and derivative tests of the model. The impact of technology upon personality testing is also discussed as an emerging field. By tracing and examining the history of personality testing to current day, I have found that personality tests are best administered when they provide incremental validity over other tools and are matched to specific job-criteria

The Pedagogical And Institutional Impact Of Disruptive Innovations In Distance Business Education

The use of distance learning methods by universities has experienced significant growth over the past two decades.  While this growth has been witnessed nearly equally across the various academic disciplines, it represents unique opportunities in business education.  In this article we will profile how technological innovations in distance learning have historically caused disruptive changes in business education.  The article then profiles three specific distance learning technologies that are emerging as revolutionary forces in changing business education.  The impact of these technologies will be examined from both a pedagogical perspective and an institutional perspective.  The influence of these educational technologies in addressing the unique needs of business students will also be discussed.

Achieving maximum unit Mission capability: an impact study of system availability, proficiency, cost, and OPTEMPO

MBA Professional ReportThe highest level of Unit Mission Capability is the ultimate goal of any unit commander. Members of the user community, especially unit commanders, must be aware of the factors that influence their war fighting capability. Understanding these factors and their relationships, coupled with the implementation of specific strategies, can facilitate maximizing Unit Mission Capability. This is the primary focus of this project. This report will provide aviation unit commanders and user representatives with a clear explanation and demonstration of the variables that influence a commanderb2ss ability to improve Unit Mission Capability. The tool demonstrated in this report is the Availability, Proficiency, Cost, and Operational Tempo (OPTEMPO) model for assessing and maximizing Unit Mission Capability. The user community must understand how competing funding requirements influences their ability to train and maintain a strong fighting force. Current DOD funding levels will decline in the near future. It will become more and more difficult to achieve the desired state of Unit Mission Capability. Users must implement strategic cost saving initiatives to preserve our war fighting capability. .http://archive.org/details/achievingmaximum1094510000US Army (USA) author.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

The Militarization of Video Games

The militarization of video games is a topic that has not previously received a lot of attention despite being a controversial and important topic to discuss as it pertains to the future of society’s youth, advancement of military technology, and the military’s economic relationships. Previous research on the topic had not explored the relationship between the military and the video game industry in depth. In using studies from different areas, such as the impact that video games have on individuals, the use of technology in the military, and economic relationships that the military has, this paper seeks to explore the relationship between the gaming industry and the military. While there is not a lot of concrete evidence to claim that the military is directly benefitting from young people playing video games, there certainly appears to be a link. In researching this topic, it is obvious that the relationship between the military and the video game industry is only going to grow closer and stronger