1996 NASA Agencywide Employee & Customer Satisfaction Survey Results: NASA Headquarters
1996 NASA Agencywide Employee & Customer Satisfaction Survey Results: NASA Headquarters
Total Response: 310
Last update 2 November 1996.
Note: The following questionnaire was distributed to NASA employees on/around 22 August 1996 as an enclosure to a letter from Acting Deputy Administrator Jack Dailey.
We have highlighted what we feel are the particularly poignant results of this survey in red.
1) To your knowledge, does NASA have formal, integrated mission
and goal statements?
Yes | No |
---|---|
[96.0 ] | 4.0] |
How Familiar are you with NASA’s Mission and goal statements?
Very Familiar | Familiar | Not Very Familiar | Not At All Familiar |
---|---|---|---|
23.2 | 58.6 | 17.5 | 0.7 |
2) To your knowledge, does your installation (or Headquarters
single-letter code) have formal, integrated mission and goal
statements?
Yes | No |
---|---|
74.7 | 25.3 |
How Familiar are you with your installation’s Mission and goal
statements?
Very Familiar | Familiar | Not Very Familiar | Not At All Familiar |
---|---|---|---|
37.8 | 47.3 | 14.4 | 0.5 |
3) To your knowledge, does your division/work unit have formal,
integrated mission and goal statements?
Yes | No |
---|---|
56.8 | 43.2 |
How Familiar are you with your division/work unit’s mission and
goal statements?
Very Familiar | Familiar | Not Very Familiar | Not At All Familiar |
---|---|---|---|
59.0 | 33.7 | 6.6 | 0.6 |
4) How clear is it to you what your role is in achieving the
goals of…
Organization | Very Clear | Pretty Clear | Not Too Clear | Not At All Clear |
---|---|---|---|---|
NASA | 33.2 | 40.3 | 16.3 | 10.2 |
Your Installation (HQ Code) | 42.8 | 30.4 | 16.6 | 10.2 |
Your Division/Work Unit | 54.7 | 25.9 | 10.4 | 9.1 |
5) How familiar are you with the following documents?
I’ve read this and I understand how it applies to my work | I’ve read this | I’ve seen this | I’ve heard of, but haven’t seen this | I’ve never heard of this | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
NASA Strategic Plan | 35.0 | 43.6 | 16.6 | 3.8 | 1.0 |
Installation (HQ Code) Strategic Plan | 26.5 | 18.4 | 10.6 | 12.3 | 32.3 |
NASA Customer Service Plan | 6.5 | 6.8 | 12.7 | 23.1 | 51.0 |
Government Performance & Results Act | 13.8 | 13.8 | 16.0 | 28.8 | 27.6 |
6) Do you believe NASA is implementing its programs in
accordance with the Strategic Plan?
Yes | No | Not Sure/Don’t Know |
---|---|---|
43.3 | 20.2 | 36.5 |
7) How consistent does NASA operate in accordance with the following values from the strategic plan?
Very Consistent | Somewhat Consistent | Neither Consistent Nor Inconsistent | Somewhat Inconsistent | Very Inconsistent | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Our greatest strength is our workforce | 4.2 | 13.3 | 7.8 | 27.3 | 47.4 |
We empower our employees | 1.9 | 21.0 | 9.1 | 34.6 | 33.3 |
We encourage and reward creativity | 4.6 | 25.1 | 17.9 | 28.0 | 24.4 |
We encourage and reward teamwork | 6.5 | 29.3 | 20.2 | 22.8 | 21.2 |
We foster a culture built on trust | 0.7 | 8.8 | 11.1 | 26.1 | 53.4 |
We foster a culture built upon respect | 2.6 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 25.8 | 43.1 |
We build a team representative of America’s diversity | 10.5 | 40.5 | 19.9 | 14.4 | 14.7 |
We cooperate across organizations | 3.3 | 28.7 | 17.6 | 30.0 | 20.5 |
We are open and honest with one another | 1.3 | 14.9 | 17.5 | 32.7 | 33.7 |
We are open and honest with our customers | 5.8 | 34.7 | 20.8 | 21.4 | 17.2 |
We are accountable for our performance | 14.6 | 35.9 | 17.5 | 16.8 | 14.9 |
8) Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statements:
Agree Completely | Agree Somewhat | Neither Agree nor Disagree | Disagree Somewhat | Disagree Completely | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I am optimistic about NASA’s future | 9.6 | 30.4 | 7.7 | 31.0 | 21.4 |
Agency senior management can be expected to do the right thing | 2.6 | 18.2 | 11.5 | 37.5 | 30.4 |
Once a decision is made, management communicates the results and rationale to employees | 2.2 | 17.6 | 15.1 | 38.8 | 26.3 |
Innovation in NASA is appreciated and supported | 6.1 | 32.9 | 23.3 | 21.1 | 16.6 |
There is a willingness to accept responsibility for failure | 1.6 | 24.1 | 20.6 | 30.2 | 23.5 |
NASA centers work effectively together to accomplish NASA’s mission | 1.9 | 17.4 | 19.3 | 37.0 | 24.4 |
Trust is the norm across work units | 1.0 | 15.3 | 21.3 | 36.6 | 25.8 |
Trust is the norm within work units | 7.4 | 41.2 | 17.7 | 19.6 | 14.1 |
Employees can say what is right without fear of reprimand from management | 3.8 | 13.8 | 16.3 | 29.5 | 36.5 |
I feel free to speak my mind | 16.6 | 22.0 | 12.5 | 25.2 | 23.6 |
9) On average, what percentage of your time do you spend on work
involving NASA’s external customers?
0-25% | 26-50% | 51-75% | 76-100% |
---|---|---|---|
47.9 | 24.3 | 17.6 | 10.2 |
10) On average, how frequently do you interact with
external customers?
Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Less than once a Month | Never |
---|---|---|---|---|
34.7 | 28.7 | 16.2 | 16.2 | 4.1 |
11) Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statements:
My organization is open to new ideas and best practices from:
Agree Completely | Agree Somewhat | Neither Agree Nor Disagree | Disagree Somewhat | Disagree Completely | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other organizations within my installation | 25.2 | 40.3 | 18.8 | 12.3 | 6.1 |
Other installations | 22.0 | 40.8 | 18.8 | 12.3 | 6.1 |
Headquarters | 23.8 | 40.7 | 19.9 | 5.9 | 6.6 |
Other government agencies | 17.1 | 38.4 | 26.8 | 11.6 | 6.1 |
The space and aeronautics community | 18.7 | 39.7 | 27.5 | 9.5 | 4.6 |
Outside the space and aeronautics community | 14.9 | 33.1 | 37.3 | 8.8 | 5.8 |
12) On average, what percentage of your time do you spend on work
involving NASA’s internal customers?
0-25% | 26-50% | 51-75% | 76-100% |
---|---|---|---|
10.9 | 27.5 | 26.2 | 35.5 |
13) On average, how frequently do you interact with internal
customers?
Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Less than once a Month | Never |
---|---|---|---|---|
86.3 | 12.1 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
14) Does your division/work unit set customer service standards?
Yes | No | Don’t Know |
---|---|---|
44.7 | 47.9 | 7.4 |
If yes, does your division/work unit measure output against the
established customer service standards?
Yes | No | Don’t Know |
---|---|---|
70.7 | 15.0 | 14.3 |
15) Does your division/work unit collect customer satisfaction
data?
Yes | No (Skip to question 17) | Don’t Know (Skip to question 17) |
---|---|---|
49.7 | 42.0 | 8.3 |
If yes, what methods does your division/work unit use to gather
these data from its customers? (Mark all that apply.)
Informal phone calls/visits | 80.6 |
Formal meetings | 56.8 |
Written surveys/questionnaires | 58.7 |
Phone surveys | 9.7 |
Focus groups | 20.0 |
Advisory groups/subcommittees | 47.1 |
Customer response cards | 23.9 |
Integrated product work teams | 21.3 |
Other | 21.3 |
Don’t know | 0.6 |
16) Are the customer satisfaction data collected by your
division/work unit used to improve its products/services?
Yes | No | Don’t Know | Does not Apply |
---|---|---|---|
90.9 | 2.6 | 11.0 | 6.5 |
17) How confident are you that your division/work unit is fully
satisfying its customers?
Very Confident | Confident | Not very confident | Not at all confident | Don’t Know |
---|---|---|---|---|
11.5 | 54.8 | 19.9 | 5.4 | 8.3 |
18) Are there NASA employees or activities who deliver products or
services to you for use in your work (i.e., you are
their customer)?
Yes | No |
---|---|
97.4 | 2.6 |
If yes, how satisfied are you with the services and products you
receive as a customer? Mark Not Applicable for those services you
do not receive, and indicate your satisfaction with those you do
receive.
Not Applicable Do not Receive | Very Satisfied | Somewhat Satisfied | Somewhat Dissatisfied | Very Dissatisfied | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial data/management | [ – ] | 25.1 | 46.8 | 16.9 | 11.3 |
Training products/programs | [ – ] | 35.6 | 51.6 | 11.0 | 1.8 |
Legal assistance | [ – ] | 52.1 | 36.5 | 8.2 | 3.2 |
Basic supplies/services | [ – ] | 36.7 | 49.6 | 9.4 | 4.3 |
Personnel administration services | [ – ] | 29.3 | 47.8 | 16.7 | 6.3 |
Payroll administration | [ – ] | 54.6 | 38.7 | 4.8 | 1.8 |
Computer software/hardware support services | [ – ] | 38.1 | 41.5 | 13.5 | 6.9 |
Procurement support | [ – ] | 26.7 | 46.7 | 17.11 | 9.5 |
Public affairs support | [ – ] | 42.9 | 38.7 | 15.2 | 3.1 |
Security services | [ – ] | 48.8 | 39.8 | 8.7 | 2.8 |
Technical support services | [ – ] | 31.3 | 59.7 | 5.7 | 3.3 |
19) Have you been asked to provide feedback to your work unit’s
suppliers concerning your satisfaction with the services/products
they supply you?
No | Yes, but only rarely | Yes, occasionally | Yes, frequently | Yes, too often |
---|---|---|---|---|
32.4 | 26.9 | 29.8 | 10.3 | 0.6 |
20) Listed below are potential barriers that may prevent your work
unit from providing the best in customer service. For each item,
indicate how much of a problem this is for your work unit in
performing its job.
Not a problem | A Minor Problem | A Major Problem | |
---|---|---|---|
Lack of skilled personnel | 43.6 | 33.7 | 22.8 |
Lack of financial resources | 37.9 | 28.4 | 8.0 |
Lack of physical resources | 63.6 | 28.4 | 8.0 |
Inflexible management | 40.7 | 37.5 | 21.8 |
Inconsistent management | 27.0 | 37.0 | 36.0 |
Lack of staff involvement in decision making | 35.7 | 36.0 | 28.3 |
Unreasonable customer demands | 49.5 | 41.8 | 8.7 |
Lack of day-to-day employee recognition | 44.6 | 34.6 | 20.8 |
Overly bureaucratic laws, systems, and practices | 26.3 | 45.2 | 28.5 |
Lack of information from management officials | 22.8 | 47.1 | 30.1 |
Over dependence on contractors | 73.0 | 16.7 | 10.3 |
Lack of teamwork within organizational units | 41.9 | 40.6 | 17.6 |
Lack of teamwork among organizational units | 23.5 | 50.8 | 25.7 |
Lack of control over suppliers | 71.4 | 23.2 | 5.5 |
Limited opportunities for education & training | 64.5 | 25.9 | 9.6 |
Inability to market programs and/or services | 65.9 | 27.6 | 6.5 |
Organizational instability | 14.7 | 30.7 | 54.6 |
Lack of customer satisfaction data | 57.7 | 32.1 | 10.3 |
Lack of customer service standards | 57.4 | 31.0 | 11.6 |
Lack of time | 24.7 | 44.6 | 30.8 |
Questions 21 and 22 are concerned with your current work
environment; these follow-up on previous internal surveys.
21) How satisfied are you with the following aspects of your
current work environment?
Very Satisfied | Somewhat Satisfied | Neither Satisfied Nor Dissatisfied | Somewhat Dissatisfied | Very Dissatisfied | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amount of paperwork | 8.9 | 20.8 | 30.4 | 29.1 | 10.9 |
Opportunities for advancement | 10.9 | 9.3 | 19.9 | 24.4 | 35.6 |
Job fulfillment/challenge | 28.5 | 25.6 | 9.9 | 20.8 | 15.1 |
Recognition | 20.8 | 26.5 | 14.4 | 20.1 | 18.2 |
Use of your skills on the job | 30.4 | 31.0 | 7.0 | 17.3 | 14.4 |
Amount of independence | 44.1 | 28.1 | 11.8 | 9.3 | 6.7 |
Fairness of evaluation/ promotion system | 23.0 | 21.4 | 13.1 | 14.4 | 28.1 |
Feedback on your work | 25.6 | 29.7 | 17.3 | 14.4 | 28.1 |
Physical work environment | 37.7 | 31.9 | 12.5 | 11.5 | 6.4 |
Coworkers | 38.1 | 39.4 | 14.4 | 5.4 | 2.6 |
Morale | 3.9 | 15.8 | 10.9 | 28.3 | 41.2 |
Salary | 23.6 | 35.1 | 17.6 | 15.3 | 8.3 |
Benefits (e.g., health, retirement) | 39.1 | 34.3 | 16.3 | 8.7 | 1.6 |
Focus on customers | 24.3 | 32.9 | 30.7 | 8.3 | 3.8 |
Your direct supervisor | 41.9 | 25.2 | 10.5 | 12.8 | 9.6 |
Installation management | 10.0 | 22.8 | 19.6 | 23.2 | 24.4 |
Communications within work unit | 21.1 | 33.5 | 15.7 | 17.9 | 11.8 |
Communications within the Agency | 4.2 | 16.9 | 16.6 | 32.9 | 29.4 |
22) Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the
following statements.
Agree completely | Agree somewhat | Neither Agree Nor Disagree | Disagree Somewhat | Disagree Completely | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The members of my division/work unit have sufficient clarity about what is expected of them | 29.9 | 39.5 | 8.0 | 15.0 | 7.6 |
My managers actively seek innovative ideas | 26.8 | 31.5 | 10.5 | 18.8 | 12.4 |
Recognition and awards are nice, but the real reward is the work itself | 20.8 | 32.3 | 19.2 | 16.9 | 10.9 |
NASA employees are treated fairly and equitably | 5.4 | 18.5 | 16.6 | 33.5 | 25.6 |
Supervisors and managers take time to discuss career planning with their people | 4.5 | 20.8 | 13.8 | 27.2 | 33.7 |
I am proud to work for NASA | 47.8 | 29.6 | 10.8 | 7.6 | 4.1 |
People outside NASA have an accurate view of what the Agency is all about | 3.2 | 19.1 | 17.5 | 40.4 | 19.7 |
NASA management communicates a consistent and clear strategic direction | 2.9 | 16.0 | 14.7 | 32.6 | 33.9 |
The members of my division/work unit understand how their efforts fit into the Agency’s cascading Strategic Plan | 9.9 | 28.8 | 20.8 | 26.2 | 14.4 |
23) Of which occupational group are you a member?
Engineering: includes professional engineering positions engaged in aerospace research, technical program management, development, operations, professional engineering support, mathematics support, computer science and related work. | 21.9 |
Scientific: includes professional scientific positions engaged in aerospace research, technical program management, development and operations, including professional physical science and mathematics support and related work. | 3.9 |
Life Science Support: includes life science professional positions such as medical officers and other positions performing professional work in psychology, the biological sciences, and professions that support the science of medicine such as nursing and medical technology. | 1.0 |
Technical Support: includes scientific and engineering aides, technicians, photographers, illustrators, quality assurance specialists, etc. | 1.9 |
Secretarial/Clerical/Non-professional Administrative: includes secretarial, clerical and administrative support positions. | 8.7 |
Professional Administrative: includes professional/management positions in areas such as financial management, procurement, personnel, security, administration, law, public affairs, etc. | 62.6 |
Wage System: includes trade, craft, and general labor positions. | 0.0 |
24) In column one, please indicate the NASA strategic enterprise or
strategic function with which your work is most associated
(check only one). In column two, mark all of those enterprises or
functions with which your work is associated (mark all that
apply).
This is the enterprise/ function with which my work is… | …most associated | …also associated |
---|---|---|
Aeronautics Enterprise | 8.2 | 58.3 |
Space Technology Enterprise | 7.5 | 71.9 |
Scientific Research Enterprise | 7.8 | 66.1 |
Human Exploration & Development of Space Enterprise | 19.6 | 56.6 |
Mission to Planet Earth Enterprise | 5.3 | 64.9 |
Space Communications Function | 2.5 | 57.9 |
Human Resources Function | 21.4 | 42.1 |
Physical Resources Function | 15.3 | 36.0 |
I don’t know | 12.5 | 8.3 |
25) Do you directly supervise other employees?
Yes | No |
---|---|
37.4 | 62.6 |
26) Please indicate your age range.
Less than 25 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65 or older |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.3 | 5.4 | 24.3 | 48.2 | 20.8 | 1.0 |
27) What is your highest level of education?
Less than high school | 0.0 |
High school diploma | 4.2 |
Some college, no degree | 10.3 |
Associates (2-year) degree | 3.8 |
Bachelor’s (4-year) degree | 12.2 |
Post-Bachelor’s courses, no graduate degree | 17.0 |
Master’s degree | 40.4 |
Doctorate | 12.2 |
28) How long have you worked for NASA?
Less than 1 year | 0.0 |
1-5 years | 15.3 |
6-10 years | 27.2 |
11-15 years | 13.7 |
16-20 years | 15.0 |
21-25 years | 11.8 |
26-30 years | 7.7 |
More than 30 years | 9.3 |
29) At which center or installation do you work?
Ames Research Center | [ – ] |
Dryden Flight Research Center | [ – ] |
Goddard Space Flight Center | [ – ] |
Headquarters | 100.0 |
Johnson Space Center | [ – ] |
KennedySpace Center | [ – ] |
Langley Research Center | [ – ] |
Lewis Research Center | [ – ] |
Marshall Space Flight Center | [ – ] |
Stennis Space Center | [ – ] |
30) Please indicate your current grade level.
Wage grade | 0.0 |
GS1 – GS4 | 0.0 |
GS5 – GS8 | 5.8 |
GS9 – GS12 | 9.9 |
GS13 – GS15 | 58.3 |
SES or equivalent | 26.0 |
31) Are you a graduate of any of the following programs?
(Check all that you have completed.)
MEP/MIP | 38.9 |
SEP | 10.8 |
PM/APM | 9.2 |
PDP | 7.6 |
Center sponsored administrative/clerical training | 6.7 |
Center sponsored management training | 19.7 |
Continual improvement training | 29.6 |
Customer Service Training | 8.9 |
32) If you could make one change, major or minor, to NASA’s current structure, programs, operations, etc. that you think would be most beneficial to the Agency in terms of delivering products and services to its customers, what would that be?