Date of Award

6-19-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Operational Sciences

First Advisor

Michael R. Grimaila, PhD.

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine and understand how Records Management (RM) is implemented in United States Air Force (USAF) environments to determine if the underlying principles and objectives of RM are actually being achieved. To accomplish this research, exploratory case studies were performed on two representative USAF organizations: an intelligence organization and an educational organization. These case studies provide insight into how RM regulations and guidance are interpreted, implemented, and evaluated in typical USAF environments. This research revealed that in highly constrained operating environments, with regard to stringent policies, programs are limited by resources, thus becoming compartmentalized. Unless RM provides value to stakeholders, it is unlikely to be adopted on an enterprise-level. Many of the overarching theories and ideas involved in RM are highly romanticized; leaders must change their perspective to embody RM less as a set of instructions or expensive mandates and more as a focus on the spirit of the regulations. This new perspective should ultimately shift the focus of RM away from rigid rules to a focus on the guiding principles especially amidst the ever-changing information and communication environment.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENS-T-14-J-15

DTIC Accession Number

ADA602972

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