Should Entry-Level Maintenance Officers in Military Airlift Command be More Technically or Administratively Oriented

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Military Airlift Command MAC aircraft maintenance personnel prefer entry-level maintenance officers to possess more technical or administrative characteristics. The study had three primary objectives. First was to determine whether MAC maintenance personnel as a group prefer entry-level maintenance officers to possess more technical or administrative characteristics. The second objective was to determine if entry-level maintenance officers superiors and subordinates value different characteristics. The final objective was to determine if the preference for technical or administrative characteristics varied among several subgroups. Surveys were sent to DCMs, maintenance squadron commanders, maintenance supervisors, maintenance superintendents, branch chiefs, and shop flight chiefs. Analyses of the surveys led to conflicting conclusions. Problems with the survey instrument made the results somewhat questionable. The most reliable section of the survey showed there was no difference in the preferences of any groups. All groups favored maintenance officers who were slightly more technically that administratively oriented. Other survey sections indicated varying degrees of preference for technical characteristics between the groups with one group demonstrating no preference. Theses.