A Tale of Two Organizations: A Qualitative Comparative Study of Contracting Organizations

The Department of Defense has long focused on reform for increased performance, decreased cost, and decreased schedule. The author investigated the differences between those within the acquisition contracting community exercising the new authorities provided in the Adaptive Acquisition Framework and those operating in a traditional acquisition environment through qualitative comparative analysis surrounding the characteristics of bureaucracy. Using the established framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior, the author evaluated interview responses to gain a deeper understanding of participants’ lived experiences, thereby discovering those attitudes, perceived behavioral controls, and social pressures most prevalent and influential in evaluating behavior for the two types of organizations. Results indicated significant differences between the two types of organizations, with a strong alignment of traditional contracting organizations with the characteristics of bureaucracy and practical implications for leaders seeking to drive innovation within their organizations.