Organizing for Innovation: Does AFWERX Answer DoD's Call?

Abstract

The 2018 National Defense Strategy directs the DoD to organize for innovation in order to maintain a competitive advantage in today's strategic environment. Utilizing organization design theory and historical case studies, this monograph develops a hypothesis that identifies a structural design allowing large, competitive organizations to adopt disruptive technological innovation and the factors that enable the design's success. Through these lenses, the monograph will then evaluate the suitability of AFWERX as a response to the DoD's mandate. Ultimately, the author concludes that because the DoD leverages an ambidextrous design enabled by insulation from bureaucratic processes, senior-level support, clear vision, and a deliberate technology transfer strategy, the creation of AFWERX is an apt organizational adaptation to a changing strategic landscape.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 21, 2020
Accession Number
AD1160092

Entities

People

  • Angela M. Polsinelli

Organizations

  • School of Advanced Military Studies

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • C4I
  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Defense Systems
  • Department Of Defense
  • Disruptive Technology
  • Environment
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Human Behavior
  • Information Operations
  • Intellectual Property
  • Law
  • Military Research
  • Multi-Domain Operations
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Radar
  • Reconnaissance Satellites
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Warfare
  • Warning Systems

Readers

  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics