Date of Award

3-2005

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Systems Engineering and Management

First Advisor

Ross T. McNutt, PhD

Abstract

Transformation will become vital as senior military leaders prepare to fight tomorrow's battles. The pervasiveness of the entrepreneurial mind set within Department of Defense (DoD) organizations and the ability of senior leaders to foster that mind set will be vital. This research effort tested an integrated model of the entrepreneurial mind set and produced a framework that senior leaders can implement to ignite their organizations' innovative potential and ability to transform. The research used a questionnaire to gather data regarding three entrepreneurial mind set antecedents -- individual characteristics, process, and context -- to determine the level of influence each has on three entrepreneurial outcomes: job performance, job satisfaction, and affective commitment. The questionnaire was administered to an anonymous sample of DoD military and civilian personnel from three Air Force organizations. Results showed that the entrepreneurial mind set was mildly present in DoD, and that all three antecedents together are positively correlated to the entrepreneurial mind set and its outcomes. Further, it showed that process, which is arguably the easiest antecedent for a leader to influence, had the greatest positive impact on the entrepreneurial mind set and its outcomes.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GSP-ENV-05M-06

DTIC Accession Number

ADA434305

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