Assessment of Personality as a Requirement for Next Generation Ship Optimal Manning.

摘要

In an effort to reduce next-generation naval vessel total operational costs, significant manpower reductions have been incorporated into their overall design strategy. Despite these reductions, mission and performance capabilities are expected to be maintained. This reduced manpower availability can be mitigated through advanced technology integration and increased systems automation. However, little research exits on how personnel requirements have shifted with changes in ship design. This study examines the potential use of personality traits in recruiting and determining crew assignments. Two focus groups were conducted with Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) attending the Naval Postgraduate School. The data gathered from the focus groups was used to develop a survey tool. The survey was administered to subject matter experts (SMEs) to elicit their professional opinions on the importance of personality traits (i.e., openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) in staffing crews for surface combatant ships. The SMEs also were asked about selecting, assigning, training, and motivating enlisted sailors to assess the relevance of personality traits in the detailing process. A population of SWOs answered an on-line survey to provide comparative data on personality traits vs. knowledge, skills, and abilities believed to directly affect performance on current traditionally manned ships and future optimally manned vessels. The survey was designed to obtain SWO feedback on the successful personality traits of the sailors who served under them. The results of the survey indicate that personality traits are ranked second in importance in all operational tempo levels and across both ship types. The findings suggest that personality traits should be considered in staffing the next generation of U.S. Navy ships.