The impact of technology on u.s. army aviation’s organizational culture: a qualitative exploratory case study

The U.S. Army Aviation’s budget cuts on science and technology have shifted the organization’s focus from modernization to readiness. Due to the shrinking budget and the change in focus of Army Aviation, it was imperative to investigate the influence of technology on Army Aviation’s organizational culture to ascertain its impact on Army Aviation’s readiness. The specific problem that was investigated in this qualitative exploratory case study was the impact of technology on the implementation and outcome of the Army Aviation’s 2009 cultural change initiative. Three different data sources were used for this research, which included: (a) interview data from enlisted personnel, (b) interview data from warrant and commissioned officers, and (c) data from Army Aviation Publications. The main findings and conclusions of the research were as follow: (a) technology plays a significant role in the implementation and outcome of the culture change initiative, (b) Army Aviation leaders are responsible for the implementation of technology, and (c) technology can positively increase motivation, performance and productivity of Army Aviation, (d) the most valuable asset leaders have in Army Aviation are people and not technology.