A Phenomenological Exploration into the Effect of Intra-Organizational Professional Development on an Air Force Field Operating Agency's Novice Company Grade Officers Leadership Self-Efficacy
Commencing in approximately 2021, an Air Force Field Operating Agency headquartered in the National Capital Region became aware some of their novice Company Grade Officers expressed feeling unprepared to command an operational military unit. Consequently, this caused some to either separate from the military, contemplate it, or make alternate career choices to deliberately avoid and/or delay a command assignment. Social science research suggests the phenomenon some of these novice Air Force Company Grade Officers are likely experiencing is low leadership self-efficacy. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological research was to better understand the intra-organizational social context in which they were learning, what was explicitly being taught, and how it impacted their leadership self-efficacy. Fourteen of this Air Force Field Operating Agency’s novice Company Grade Officers were interviewed to garner their lived experiences and the effect it had on their leadership self-efficacy. Additionally, focus group discussions of this Field Operating Agency’s current and/or former detachment commanders & Senior Enlisted Leaders helped validate the phenomenon’s existence and better understand some ways to address it. The findings of this study helped inform the following four proposed solutions: codify, train, and assess on detachment commander competencies; concurrent technical and leadership training; deliberate feedback; and develop an emerging leader’s course. This study contributes to the body of social science research on observational learning. The results contribute to the Field Operating Agency’s limited body of academic research on leadership self-efficacy. Keywords: field operating agency, company grade officers, leadership self-efficacy
Air Force, Company Grade Officers, Field Operating Agency, Leadership Self-Efficacy, Professional Development, Social Cognitive Theory
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