Search

Knowledge is key to competitive advantage, and organization leaders and managers are called to implement, maintain and enhance key knowledge management systems and processes. However, knowledge is inherently invisible, intangible, indefinite and resistant to quantification. Hence assessing investments in such systems and processes remains fundamentally challenging. The research described in this article builds upon a growing stream of knowledge visualization, measurement and dynamics work to develop a method for assessing knowledge flow efficiency, cost and performance in the organization. Results from application to archetypical organization systems and processes are highly promising, and they elucidate a novel decision support capability.

Engineering Duty Officers (EDOs) perform critical duties to support the entire sequence of ship building and maintenance for the U.S. Navy. The desire for cost savings, timely execution, and increased efficiency in ship maintenance has warranted the need to evaluate the current fundamental leadership and professional development for EDOs. Several alternatives are available; however, each generates a direct net financial burden. To support decision-makers on shaping the education, training, and development of EDOs, this thesis examines net direct costs on two hypothetical adjustments of the current typical EDO development path to ensure successful command: expanded business acumen and improved talent management. Specifically, using a cost-effectiveness analysis framework and a set of financial management tools, this thesis estimates direct net costs associated with adding business acumen training at Naval Postgraduate School, EDO Basic School, and EDO Senior Course/Advanced Management Program. In addition, this thesis estimates direct net costs associated with adding an additional detailer and adding a retention bonus like the Surface Warfare Officer bonus into the EDO development path., Lieutenant, United States Navy, Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

The purpose of this inquiry is to evaluate several leadership traits and their impact on future naval warfare. The Navy recognizes the continuing need to develop warfighters’ ability to lead effectively in a dynamic, changing environment. This study conducts a comparative analysis of the key leadership traits associated in the literature with successful leadership, the place of traits such as integrity, accountability, and humility and the leadership traits currently emphasized in the Navy Desired Leadership Attributes (NDLA) and Navy’s Division Officer Leadership Course (DIVOLC). The objective is to help leaders understand what key leadership traits are associated with successful leadership and to identify the strengths and any potential gaps in the current DIVOLC., Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy, Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy, Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

NPS NRP Technical Report, The Navy needs to play a vital role in JADC2 and to serve as a central pillar. Leveraging extensive knowledge of agile C2 and rapid organization reconfiguration, along with experience with mission command and C2 knowledge flow integration, this project seeks to address questions regarding how the Navy should prepare for this role; how naval fires and assets should cross COCOMs; how the Navy Tactical Grid should integrate into the Joint Grid; and how Service unique knowledge needs and capabilities should balance with important goals of convergence, commonality and interoperability., N2/N6 - Information Warfare, This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

This project aims to identify protective and risk factors that contribute to a healthy command environment and the effects of those factors on Sailor behavior. To examine which factors were most impactful for building a healthy command environment, we developed and asked our participants a series of Likert scale questions and open-ended questions. Using their answers, we analyzed any perceived effects upon Sailor behavior. We compared responses from sea vs. shore command experiences as well as responses from different communities within the Navy. Our research shows which command practices, policies, procedures, and processes (P4) contributed to healthier environments. Our research shows that trust, leadership, and communication significantly influence a command’s environment. Our findings indicate that these themes can manifest through a variety of programs, policies, practices, and procedures. As a result, we recommend expanding the current leadership curriculum to include organizational behavior to improve implementation of the P4 throughout the military. We also recommend expanding the data collection effort throughout the Navy to gain a more complete understanding of healthy environments in the fleet and to enhance readiness, foster healthier Sailor behaviors, and encourage higher retention., N17, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Captain, United States Marine Corps, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

This thesis develops surveys using Likert scales and open-ended questions to measure inclusive behaviors in the Navy. We compared responses across gender and racial/ethnic groups as well as between sailors stationed on the East Coast vs. the West Coast. The survey we created can be used to assess inclusive and exclusive behaviors in the fleet. We examined what inclusion and exclusion behaviors look like among sailors and showed which inclusion and diversity (I&D) competencies, when demonstrated correctly, are most impactful for building an inclusive environment. Our research also shows which command practices and policies contribute to greater acceptance for inclusion. Based on our results, our research shows that underrepresented racial/ethnic groups and females feel less included overall. We then validated that East Coast sailors feel less included compared to West Coast sailors. Based on our findings, we recommend more general military training and utilizing pilot programs to improve emotional intelligence throughout the military. We also recommend distributing the survey throughout the Navy to gain a more complete understanding of diversity and inclusion in the fleet. We believe these findings will improve Navy leadership and help minimize exclusion based on racial, gender, and minority status, thus enhancing our military’s strength., Lieutenant, United States Navy, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Approved for public release. distribution is unlimited

This dissertation explores knowledge friction. The concept knowledge flow is defined by many researchers as the transfer of actionable information between individuals, groups and organizations. Knowledge Flow Theory (KFT) frames and offers tools for conceptualizing, analyzing, visualizing, and measuring knowledge flows. Recently, Nissen conceptualized explicitness-based resistance to knowledge transfer; he referred to it as knowledge friction. This study addresses additional factors that inhibit knowledge transfer through an empirical look at Defense Acquisition University student surveys. These factors are clarity, near and longer-term relevance, certification level, and experience. The data was analyzed through descriptive statistics, multiple-regression analysis models, and a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model. The key findings: Clarity and near-term and longer-term relevance are quantitatively the largest contributing knowledge friction factors. These new factors interact with, but are also additive, to explicitness. Also discovered: The certification level and experience factors independently contribute little directly, but do increase the impact of longer-term relevance on knowledge transfer. Near-term relevance's impact is not affected by certification level and experience. These findings significantly contribute to KFT by extending and quantifying the factors that contribute to knowledge friction., Civilian, Department of the Navy, Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

The purpose of this inquiry is to evaluate several leadership traits and their impact on future naval warfare. The Navy recognizes the continuing need to develop warfighters’ ability to lead effectively in a dynamic, changing environment. This study conducts a comparative analysis of the key leadership traits associated in the literature with successful leadership, the place of traits such as integrity, accountability, and humility and the leadership traits currently emphasized in the Navy Desired Leadership Attributes (NDLA) and Navy’s Division Officer Leadership Course (DIVOLC). The objective is to help leaders understand what key leadership traits are associated with successful leadership and to identify the strengths and any potential gaps in the current DIVOLC.

Organization tacit and explicit knowledge are required for high performance, and it is imperative for such knowledge to be managed to ensure that it flows rapidly, reliably and energetically. The Navy N1 organization has yet to develop a formal process for knowledge management (KM). This places N1 in a position of competitive disadvantage, particularly as thousands of people change jobs every day, often taking their hard earned job knowledge out the door with them and leaving their replacements with the need to learn such knowledge anew. Building upon initial efforts to engage with industry and conceptualize a Navy KM strategy, the research described in this study employs a combination of Congruence Model analysis, Knowledge Flow Theory, and qualitative methods to outline an approach for embedding a formal Navy KM process. This work involves surveying best tools and practices in the industry, government and nonprofit sectors, augmented by in depth field research to examine two specific Navy organizations in detail. Results are highly promising, and they serve to illuminate a path toward improving Navy knowledge flows as well as continued research along these lines.

The Navy recognizes the continuing need to develop warfighters able to lead using critical problem solving skills while fostering an environment of trust throughout the command. Recent research suggests that leaders must be fluent in skills like humility, empathy and perspective taking. However, there are very few tools available to help leaders improve their effectiveness in these areas. This study focuses on understanding the elements of humility and how they interrelate with, complement and supplant other important leadership traits required for future warfare. The research method includes four steps: 1) qualitative review of soft skills assessment tools to understand humility and other leadership traits; 2) develop a model of how humility interrelates with, complements and supplants other important leadership traits required for future warfare; 3) interact with sponsors for feedback; and 4) conceptualize an approach to humility assessment. Deliverables include a journal quality technical report, briefing materials and frequent interactions.

This project supports the Navy’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion (D&I), which are recognized as strategic imperatives that give the Navy a warfighting advantage against our adversaries. The study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative approaches to understand the major contributing factors to an inclusive and diverse command, accomplishing four research objectives: (1) developing metrics to assess behaviors of inclusion within the fleet; (2) assessing inclusion behaviors within the fleet using the developed metrics; (3) determining the most impactful D&I competencies for building inclusion; and (4) identifying command practices that contribute to greater acceptance of diversity. We develop and introduce a survey instrument to assess Personal Inclusion Factors (individuals’ feelings of being personally included within their command) and Command Core Inclusion Competencies (individuals’ beliefs about how their commands demonstrate practices that promote diversity and inclusion) suitable for a Navy context. The instrument captures best practices and validated metrics for promoting and assessing D&I in organizations and tailors them to the Navy and Sailors’ work. We fielded this survey to 489 active-duty Navy personnel (enlisted and officers) asking them to report on both their current and past commands. We find that females across all race/ethnicities on average report lower feelings of inclusion and rate commands lower on Core Command Inclusion Competencies than their male counterparts. This gender difference is stronger for sea versus shore commands. Participants also answered open-ended questions about the competencies that they believed were most important for promoting D&I in the fleet. "Inclusive leadership" emerged as a dominant theme; in particular, participants felt most included in commands where leadership valued their perspectives and ideas and where Sailors felt heard on a day-in, day-out basis.

The Navy recognizes the continuing need to develop warfighters able to lead using critical problem solving skills while fostering an environment of trust throughout the command. Recent research suggests that leaders must be fluent in skills like humility, empathy and perspective taking. However, there are very few tools available to help leaders improve their effectiveness in these areas. This study focuses on understanding the elements of humility and how they interrelate with, complement and supplant other important leadership traits required for future warfare. We examine in particular the Navy Desired Leadership Attributes and Division Officer training for correspondence and coherence. Results highlight opportunities for alignment and improvement.

This project aims to identify protective and risk factors that contribute to a healthy command environment and the effects of those factors on Sailor behavior. To examine which factors were most impactful for building a healthy command environment, we developed and asked our participants a series of Likert scale questions and open-ended questions. Using their answers, we analyzed any perceived effects upon Sailor behavior. We compared responses from sea vs. shore command experiences as well as responses from different communities within the Navy. Our research shows which command practices, policies, procedures, and processes (P4) contributed to healthier environments. Our research shows that trust, leadership, and communication significantly influence a command’s environment. Our findings indicate that these themes can manifest through a variety of programs, policies, practices, and procedures. As a result, we recommend expanding the current leadership curriculum to include organizational behavior to improve implementation of the P4 throughout the military. We also recommend expanding the data collection effort throughout the Navy to gain a more complete understanding of healthy environments in the fleet and to enhance readiness, foster healthier Sailor behaviors, and encourage higher retention.

The technologic capabilities of autonomous systems continue to accelerate, and teams of autonomous systems and people (TASP) are becoming increasingly important, particularly where distributed maritime operations (DMO) are concerned. Computational experimentation offers unmatched yet largely unexplored potential to address DMO research questions, and we employ the POWer computational environment to model and simulate DMO organizations and phenomena. We begin by building upon prior research to establish a baseline model for comparison. Then we adapt such model to represent DMO, and we compare key results to elucidate important insights into both the potential and difficulty associated with DMO.