Air Force Institute of Technology AFIT Scholar Theses and Dissertations Student Graduate Works 3-2007 Developing Advanced Academic Degree Educational Profiles for Career Fields Katherine J. Gentil Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.afit.edu/etd Part of the Training and Development Commons, and the Vocational Education Commons Recommended Citation Gentil, Katherine J., "Developing Advanced Academic Degree Educational Profiles for Career Fields" (2007). Theses and Dissertations. 3080. https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/3080 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Graduate Works at AFIT Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AFIT Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DEVELOPING ADVANCED ACADEMIC DEGREE EDUCATIONAL PROFILES FOR CAREER FIELDS THESIS Katherine J. Gentil, Major, USAF AFIT/GOR/ENS/07-08 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AIR UNIVERSITY AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE ; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the United States Government. AFIT/GOR/ENS/07-08 DEVELOPING ADVANCED ACADEMIC DEGREE EDUCATIONAL PROFILES FOR CAREER FIELDS THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Operational Sciences Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air Force Institute of Technology Air University Air Education and Training Command In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Operations Research Katherine J. Gentil, BS, MEd Major, USAF March 2007 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. AFIT/GOR/ENS/07-08 DEVELOPING ADVANCED ACADEMIC DEGREE EDUCATIONAL PROFILES FOR CAREER FIELDS Katherine J. Gentil, BS, MEd Major, USAF Approved: ____________________________________ ___ Shane A. Knighton, Major, USAF (Chairman) date ____________________________________ ___ James T. Moore, PhD (Reader) date AFIT/GOR/ENS/07-08 Abstract This research develops a career field’s educational profile through use of the decision analysis approach of value-focused thinking (VFT). VFT is used to solicit the capabilities that the career field manager (CFM) desires its officers obtain from an advanced academic program. This process generates a value hierarchy and a focused set of alternatives (degree programs). The academic programs’ content are evaluated against the hierarchy to determine how well it meets the values of the functional area. A rank- ordered list of degrees is produced and a portfolio of degrees is selected through the use of CFM-approved goal-setting criteria. The specific breakdown of the portfolio into percentages of the force that should attain each degree is then determined through the CFM’s specified relative value increments of the goal-setting criteria. The resulting effort creates a guide for CFMs to communicate to their corps on the types of degrees to earn and provides justification for fully-funded degree slots. iv AFIT/GOR/ENS/07-08 DEDICATION To my husband, daughter, and son. You are my life. v Acknowledgments Above all, I would like to thank God for carrying me through one of the most challenging situations in my life as I tried to juggle the demands of the program along with caring for and enjoying time with my family. Next, I would not have been able to complete this program without the love and support from my husband who stepped in and folded more laundry and did more dishes than any husband in history, all while simultaneously maintaining and excelling in his own career and being a great dad to our children. And to my children, you were the reason for ensuring I kept a balance in my life while pursuing this degree. Thank you for enduring my altered personality at times, providing me the proper perspective on what really matters, and giving me hugs through it all. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my faculty advisor, Maj Shane Knighton, for his guidance and support throughout the course of this thesis effort. His insight and expertise were instrumental in directing me down the right path. Thanks to Dr. Moore for his seasoned experience, expertise, and wise eye for making my thesis a polished product. I would also like to thank my sponsor, Col Michael Gamble, Chief, Strategic Plans Division, Headquarters, United States Air Force, Directorate of Manpower and Personnel, for both the support and latitude provided to me in this endeavor. I only hope that my efforts can make a positive impact. And for my classmates, thanks for all the help on homework assignments and being a sounding board for my thoughts and cynical outlook. You all are a great bunch of officers whom I wish all the best in your future careers. Katherine J. Gentil vi Table of Contents Page Abstract .................................................................................................................. iv Dedication ....................................................................................................................v Acknowledgments........................................................................................................... vi List of Figures.................................................................................................................ix List of Tables ..................................................................................................................xi I. Introduction .............................................................................................................1 Background..............................................................................................................1 Force Development..................................................................................................2 Current Practices......................................................................................................3 Problem Statement...................................................................................................5 Research Objective ..................................................................................................5 Research Scope........................................................................................................6 II. Literature Review.....................................................................................................8 Overview..................................................................................................................8 Past Studies on Advanced Academic Degree Programs........................................10 Decision Analysis..................................................................................................17 Value-Focused Thinking........................................................................................20 Portfolio Selection – Multiple Criteria Goal Setting .............................................23 Summary................................................................................................................25 III. Methodology..........................................................................................................26 Overview................................................................................................................26 Value-Focused Thinking Model Development......................................................26 Step 1: Identify the Problem ...........................................................................27 Step 2: Develop the Hierarchy........................................................................28 Step 3: Develop Evaluation Measures ............................................................36 Step 4: Create Value Functions.......................................................................39 Step 5: Determine Hierarchy Weights ............................................................42 Step 6: Generate Alternatives .........................................................................46 Step 7: Score Alternatives...............................................................................50 Step 8: Deterministic Analysis........................................................................52 Step 9a: Multiple Criteria Determination and Portfolio Selection..................52 Step 9b: Sensitivity Analysis ..........................................................................57 vii Page IV. Results and Analysis..............................................................................................59 Overview................................................................................................................59 Results of Alternative Analysis .............................................................................59 Sensitivity Analysis for Rank-ordered Listing ......................................................64 Portfolio Selection Results.....................................................................................69 Sensitivity on Criteria for Portfolio Selection .......................................................72 Sensitivity on Means Objectives............................................................................73 V. Conclusions and Recommendations ......................................................................88 Summary of Analysis.............................................................................................88