Public Administration ETDs

Publication Date

5-18-1971

Abstract

This study is concerned with the impact of recent Department of Defense funding cutbacks on the technical staffs of selected research and development laboratories in Government and private industry. The six Government laboratories selected were the Army Electronics Laboratory, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; Army Missile Command Laboratories, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Rome Air Development Center, Griffis A.F.B., New York; Air Force Cambridge Laboratory, Bedford, Massachusetts; Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, California; and the Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The six industrial firms selected were the General Dynamics Corporation, Fort Worth, Texas; Lockheed Corpora­tion, Sunnyvale, California; General Electric Co., Utica, New York; McDonnell-Douglas Corporation, Huntington Beach, California; Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington; and the North American Rockwell Corporation, Anaheim, California. The study was accomplished by using response data from questionnaires completed by ten of the twelve organizations. These data were supplemented by information obtained in a literature survey. Questionnaire design included analysis of such factors as technical staff levels, R&D fund appropriations, turnover rates, promotion rates, technical staff quality, training, and morale. The findings revealed a substantial correlation between the negative aspects of technical staff impacts and the down-turn in defense spending over the last three years (1968-1971). Conclusions drawn were that cutbacks have had a very significant effect generally on technical staffs and that characteristics are identifiable and, for the most part, measurable. Another significant finding was that Government laboratories are able to minimize the effects of these cutbacks in funding much more easily than industrial firms. Shortcomings were discovered in a few of the questions on the inquiry, but they did not prevent validation of the two hypotheses. Some questions were also raised relative to future trends, suggesting possible future study.

Degree Name

Public Administration

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

School of Public Administration

First Committee Member (Chair)

John Mace Hunger

Second Committee Member

Daniel H. Henning

Third Committee Member

David R. Jones

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

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