Research for Job Proficiency

The productivity of enlisted personnel aboard ships is estimated as a function of their personal characteristics. Ship readiness is measured by the material condition of shipboard equipment. Up to now, little has been known about the relative value of different kinds of personnel. The goal of this study is to improve on the assumptions underlying Navy personnel policies. Casualty reports from 91 cruisers, frigates, and destroyers are used to study how the productivity of enlisted personnel varies systematically with high school graduation, entry test scores, paygrade, experience, Navy training, race and marital status. Six occupations and three subsystems are examined separately. Equipment complexity, ship age, and overhaul frequency are accounted for. Implications are drawn for Navy policies regarding recruitment, retention, manning, rotation, and pay.