Information Technology In The United States Marine Corps: A Case Study Of Innovation And Change Using A System Dynamics Perspective

Abstract

The Department of Defense lacks case studies that investigate and detail the innovation and adoption of information technology systems. This qualitative study develops a case study to explore the factors that contributed to the United States Marine Corps innovation and adoption of Ripper Academy, a video-streaming platform that allows Marines to create, share, and view user-generated video content. This research addresses the research question: How can the United States Marine Corps successfully employ the principles of change management and system dynamics to innovate and ensure the adoption of information technology systems? Using the change formula, John Kotters eight-stage process, and the ADKAR change model, an analysis of the Ripper Academy case study highlights the importance of internal and external champions, a vision for the future, actual data, the support of a guiding coalition, bottom-up and top-down support, and individual abilities when implementing an organizational change. Referencing the limits to growth archetype and Bass diffusion model, the case study identifies incentives, advertising, word-of-mouth, inaccessibility, and dissatisfaction as possible variables impacting the adoption of Ripper Academy. This research provides a teaching case study that examines the innovation and adoption of an information technology system in the United States Marine Corps.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2018
Accession Number
AD1059759

Entities

People

  • Rebecca Bolz

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Case Studies
  • Combat Operations
  • Combat Readiness
  • Complex Systems
  • Computers
  • Data Analysis
  • Distance Learning
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Human Behavior
  • Information Operations
  • Information Systems
  • Management Personnel
  • Marine Corps
  • Military Education
  • Military Science
  • Mobile Devices
  • Mobile Phones
  • Motivation
  • Personal Computers
  • Personnel Management
  • Streaming Media
  • Students
  • United States
  • User Interface Engineering

Readers

  • Agent-Based Social Robotics and Mobile-Assisted Learning in Virtual Environments.
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).