Strategies that Logistics Leaders use for Achieving Successful Process Improvement

• Main Author: Childs, Henry Childs
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: ScholarWorks 2017
• Subjects: Leadership; Organizational Constraints; Organization Culture; Performance Management; Process Improvement; Strategic Management; Business
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3665; https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4768&context=dissertations

The successful implementation of process improvement (PI) could reduce operating costs of the Department of Defense, which could lessen the impact of budget reductions and the mounting costs of the expanding global mission requirements. Organizations fail to achieve the return on investment for PI and expected savings because of leaders' inabilities and experiences in integrating critical success factors into PI to improve processes. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that logistics leaders use to implement PI in the military aviation industry. Six purposively selected group and squadron civilian leaders with over 10 years of experience in successful implementation of PI, working with the Air Force in the military aviation industry in Georgia, participated in the study. The theory of constraints was the conceptual framework for the study. Data collection was through semistructured interviews using open-ended questions, review of organizational documents, and archival records. Seven themes emerged from using a modified version of Miles and Huberman's data analysis approach, including coding of transcribed interview data and grouping significant statements into larger units to form themes. Emerging themes included leadership, continuous PI, organizational culture, climate, strategic management, performance management, and resource. These finding may contribute to social change by providing the United States and allied leaders with strategies to improve aircraft availability to increase flight operations for enhanced safety and humanitarian efforts for their citizens and allies.