Factors Affecting the Motivation of Skilled Craftsmen in the United States Air Force.

With the current defense spending cuts in the Department of Defense it is becoming increasingly important to get the most productivity out of all remaining personnel. Most United States Air Force installations are maintained by crews of military and civil service civilian skilled craftsmen. These craftsmen perform work ranging from maintenance to minor construction and serve a vital role in keeping the Air Force running. The motivation of these workers is a key ingredient to make them as productive as possible. This thesis attempts to find out from the workers what factors affect their motivation and offer some recommendations to managers. Data was collected through 23 in depth field interviews with skilled craftsmen at three different Air Force Bases. Interview results were analyzed for trends and conclusions and recommendations were related to the literature review on motivation theories.