Managing Military Organisations

Managing Military Organisations PDF

Author: Joseph Soeters

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2010-02-02

Total Pages: 299

ISBN-13: 1135154821

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This book deals with the processes and theories involved in managing military organisations in both peacetime and crisis conditions. Examining the challenges faced by policymakers and military commanders in conducting military operations, this book considers the benefits of conventional management and organisation theory for the military. At the same time, these essays recognise that the military should be considered as a highly individual organisation, operating in exceptional circumstances. This awareness of the differences between the military and other organisations generates important lessons not only for the military but also for general organisations as it teaches them how to cope in exceptional, ‘hyper’ conditions. These theoretical lessons are illustrated by case studies and experiences from recent military operations, such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan. This book will be of great interest to students of military studies, security studies and organizational studies. Joseph Soeters chairs the department of management and organization studies and defence economy at the Netherlands Defense Academy and he is a professor in organizational sociology at Tilburg University. Paul. C. van Fenema is an associate professor of organization studies at the Netherlands Defence Academy and Tilburg University. Robert Beeres is an associate professor in the field of defence accounting and control (business administration) at the Netherlands Defence Academy and at Nyenrode Business School.

Management and Military Studies

Management and Military Studies PDF

Author: Joseph Soeters

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-03-24

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 0429534191

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This book connects findings and insights authored by famous scholars in management and organization studies with challenges the military is facing today. One assumes that management and organization studies is only about the rational, predictable, and manageable, and that military action is predominately irrational, unpredictable, and unmanageable; both assumptions are wrong. This book argues that the discipline of management and organization studies is highly relevant for the military in both peace- and wartime conditions, and for any situation in between. In all conditions, the giant and complex military organization needs to be structured, processed, administrated, led, and accounted for. Each chapter presented in this volume focuses on the contributions of founding thinkers in management and organization studies, with their work translated and applied to the military setting. These scholars are drawn from a variety of backgrounds, including organizational sociology, economics, political science, psychology, and engineering. Although the work of only a few explicitly refers to the military, the contributions of all these scholars are relevant in order to come to grips with security and military affairs. Together with many other academics’ work, the contributions of these 18 scholars constitute the core of the field of management and organization studies. This book will be of much interest to students of military studies, management studies, and organization studies.

Operations Research for Military Organizations

Operations Research for Military Organizations PDF

Author: Tozan, Hakan

Publisher: IGI Global

Published: 2018-07-27

Total Pages: 445

ISBN-13: 1522555145

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The study of operations research arose during World War II to enhance the effectiveness of weapons and equipment used on the battlefield. Since then, operations research techniques have also been used to solve several sophisticated and complex defense-related problems. Operations Research for Military Organizations is a critical scholarly resource that examines the issues that have an impact on aspects of contemporary quantitative applications of operations research methods in the military. It also addresses innovative applications, techniques, and methodologies to assist in solving defense and military-related problems. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as combat planning, tactical decision aids, and weapon system simulations, this book is geared towards defense contractors, military consultants, military personnel, policy makers, and government departments seeking current research on defense methodologies.

The Culture of Military Organizations

The Culture of Military Organizations PDF

Author: Peter R. Mansoor

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2019-10-17

Total Pages: 485

ISBN-13: 1108485731

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Examines how military culture forms and changes, as well as its impact on the effectiveness of military organizations.

Managing Diversity in the Military

Managing Diversity in the Military PDF

Author: Daniel P. McDonald

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-07-23

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13: 1136618961

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This edited book examines the management of diversity and inclusion in the military. Owing to the rise of asymmetric warfare, a shift in demographics and labor shortfalls, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has prioritized diversity and inclusion in its workforce management philosophy. In pursuing this objective, it must ensure the attractiveness of a military career by providing an inclusive environment for all personnel (active and reserve military, civilian, and contractors) to reach their potential and maximize their contributions to the organization. Research and practice alike provide substantial evidence of the benefits associated with diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Diversity and inclusion programs are more strategic in focus than equal opportunity programs and strive to capitalize on the strengths of the workforce, while minimizing the weaknesses that inhibit optimal organizational performance. This new book provides vital clarification on these distinct concepts, in addition to offering concrete best practices for the successful management of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Written by scholars and practitioners, each chapter addresses major areas, raises crucial issues, and comments on future trends concerning diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The book will be of great interest to students of military studies, war and conflict studies, business management/HRM, psychology and politics in general, as well as to military professionals and leaders.

Enhancing Organizational Performance

Enhancing Organizational Performance PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1997-04-02

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 0309175828

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Total quality management (TQM), reengineering, the workplace of the twenty-first centuryâ€"the 1990s have brought a sense of urgency to organizations to change or face stagnation and decline, according to Enhancing Organizational Performance. Organizations are adopting popular management techniques, some scientific, some faddish, often without introducing them properly or adequately measuring the outcome. Enhancing Organizational Performance reviews the most popular current approaches to organizational changeâ€"total quality management, reengineering, and downsizingâ€"in terms of how they affect organizations and people, how performance improvements can be measured, and what questions remain to be answered by researchers. The committee explores how theory, doctrine, accepted wisdom, and personal experience have all served as sources for organization design. Alternative organization structures such as teams, specialist networks, associations, and virtual organizations are examined. Enhancing Organizational Performance looks at the influence of the organization's norms, values, and beliefsâ€"its cultureâ€"on people and their performance, identifying cultural "levers" available to organization leaders. And what is leadership? The committee sorts through a wealth of research to identify behaviors and skills related to leadership effectiveness. The volume examines techniques for developing these skills and suggests new competencies that will become required with globalization and other trends. Mergers, networks, alliances, coalitionsâ€"organizations are increasingly turning to new intra- and inter-organizational structures. Enhancing Organizational Performance discusses how organizations cooperate to maximize outcomes. The committee explores the changing missions of the U.S. Army as a case study that has relevance to any organization. Noting that a musical greeting card contains more computing power than existed in the entire world before 1950, the committee addresses the impact of new technologies on performance. With examples, insights, and practical criteria, Enhancing Organizational Performance clarifies the nature of organizations and the prospects for performance improvement. This book will be important to corporate leaders, executives, and managers; faculty and students in organizational performance and the social sciences; business journalists; researchers; and interested individuals.

Leading Change in Military Organizations

Leading Change in Military Organizations PDF

Author: Thomas Galvin

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2018-10-11

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 9781727835298

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Senior leaders are told in doctrine that they must lead and manage change. But apart from some popular models for the process of change, there are few how-to guides for leading change in the unique context of military organizations. Moreover, popular change management texts focus on initiating change, and less about inheriting and sustaining change efforts already happening in the unit. This how-to guide draws from a wide range of organizational literature to provide a comprehensive set of questions and guidelines that senior leaders should answer as they navigate change efforts and work to improve their organizations.

Managing Diversity in the Military

Managing Diversity in the Military PDF

Author: Mickey R. Dansby

Publisher: Transaction Publishers

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 591

ISBN-13: 1412846056

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Although diversity is a twentieth-century term, as the United States continues through the twenty-first century, the issue of diversity in society and in organizations is becoming more complex. Managing Diversity in the Military addresses current equal opportunity and diversity issues and explores how the military is attempting to resolve them. The research presented reflects interests of scholars from various backgrounds who use different models, approaches, and methodologies, many of which are adapted from the study of civilian institutions. The work is divided into five sections “Contemporary Approaches to Managing Diversity,” “Diversifying Leadership: Equity in Evaluation and Promotion,” “Gender Integration and Sexual Harassment,” “Military Discipline and Race,” and “Where Do We Go from Here?” which proposes future research directions for equal opportunity and diversity management in the armed forces. All of the areas explored in this accessibly written volume have counterparts in the civilian sector. The book offers insights, practical methodologies, and effective management guidelines for commanders, civilian-sector executives, and human resource practitioners responsible for equal opportunity programs and outcomes. This is now the standard social research tool in an area of profound practical concerns.

Information Technology and Military Power

Information Technology and Military Power PDF

Author: Jon R. Lindsay

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2020-07-15

Total Pages: 366

ISBN-13: 1501749579

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Militaries with state-of-the-art information technology sometimes bog down in confusing conflicts. To understand why, it is important to understand the micro-foundations of military power in the information age, and this is exactly what Jon R. Lindsay's Information Technology and Military Power gives us. As Lindsay shows, digital systems now mediate almost every effort to gather, store, display, analyze, and communicate information in military organizations. He highlights how personnel now struggle with their own information systems as much as with the enemy. Throughout this foray into networked technology in military operations, we see how information practice—the ways in which practitioners use technology in actual operations—shapes the effectiveness of military performance. The quality of information practice depends on the interaction between strategic problems and organizational solutions. Information Technology and Military Power explores information practice through a series of detailed historical cases and ethnographic studies of military organizations at war. Lindsay explains why the US military, despite all its technological advantages, has struggled for so long in unconventional conflicts against weaker adversaries. This same perspective suggests that the US retains important advantages against advanced competitors like China that are less prepared to cope with the complexity of information systems in wartime. Lindsay argues convincingly that a better understanding of how personnel actually use technology can inform the design of command and control, improve the net assessment of military power, and promote reforms to improve military performance. Warfighting problems and technical solutions keep on changing, but information practice is always stuck in between.