A Comparison of Air Force Field and Company Grade Officer Leadership

<p>Although leadership development is important the Air Force does not appear to have a comprehensive empirical model for leadership development. For several years the US Army has had a service-specific leadership model (DAP 600-80) derived from empirical studies on hierarchical leadership (Harris 1994) indicating that empirical development of a similar model for the USAF should be feasible. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in importance of leadership behaviors between AF company grade officers (CGOs) majors (O-4s) and lieutenant colonels (O-5s) thereby contributing to the establishment of an empirical leadership development model for USAF officers. The Managerial Practices Survey (Yukl 1990) was administered to over 1000 officers at the USAF Air University. Analysis indicated the survey's eleven leadership behaviors are relevant to all officers but become even more important as officers rise in rank. It also supported that the USAF can be divided into domains-levels containing several ranks having only minor differences in leadership requirements-and that CGOs O-4s and O-5s are in the same domain. In addition domains appeared to be further divided into strata: sub-levels containing ranks with the same leadership requirements. O-4s and O-5s seemed to belong to the same strata and CGOs to another. Based on these findings recommendations were made to ensure the leadership curricula at the USAF officer Professional Military Education schools are formed around this core of leadership behaviors with increasing emphasis on the behaviors that become more important to officers as they rise through the ranks.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>