Oklahoma aerospace intellectual capital/educational recommendations: An inquiry of Oklahoma aerospace executives

Scope and Method of Study. The purpose of this qualitative study was to conduct detailed personal interviews with aerospace industry executives/managers from both the private and military sectors from across Oklahoma to determine their perceptions of intellectual capital needs of the industry. Interviews with industry executives regarding intellectual capital needs of the aerospace industry could identify potential gaps in existing aerospace curriculum; and obtain recommendations for future curriculum as well as address issues related to academic-industry collaboration. The general methodology used was that of a qualitative field study. A small sample of nine executives from the Oklahoma aerospace industry was interviewed and asked a specific set of open-ended questions. This method of gathering data was appropriate due to the nature of the study and the precise documentation required for identifying industry intellectual capital requirements.;Findings and Conclusions. Consistent with the purpose of the study, the findings in this research provided a snapshot of the perceptions of Oklahoma aerospace executives and managers related to their assessment of the intellectual capital needs within aerospace industry, the gaps in the educational system between what is needed and what is currently being provided, their recommendations for specific curriculum to address those gaps; as well as how industry and academia can work together to address those needs and feed the pipeline of intellectual capital in the state. The long-term ability to recruit and retain a professional workforce with the needed skills will determine the viability of the industry for the remainder of this century and beyond. The challenges are real and they are growing. Continued research on the growing challenges is imperative to the aerospace industry.