Hypothesis Testing of Edge Organizations: Specifying Computational C2 Models for Experimentation
Abstract
The Edge represents a fresh approach to organizational design, moving knowledge and power to the edges of organizations. But this raises issues in terms of comparative performance with respect to alternate organizational designs (esp. military C2). The research described in this article represents the first stage of a multi-disciplinary, multi-year investigation into the design and efficacy of Edge organizations for current and future, military, mission-environmental contexts. Specifically, we employ methods and tools of computational experimentation to compare empirically the performance of current and competing organizational forms. This first study begins by specifying computational models of Hierarchy and Edge organizations in the C2 domain. Rooted firmly in Organization Theory, yet cognizant of military operations, in this article we report the bases and results of such specification in considerable detail. We also design an experiment to compare explicitly the performance of both Hierarchy and Edge organizations across two, contrasting, mission-environmental contexts: Industrial Age and 21st Century. Preliminary, experimental results reveal insightful dynamic patterns and differential performance capabilities of Hierarchy and Edge C2 organizations. This work suggests immediate results amenable to practical application in the Military. And it suggests also an exciting agenda for continued research along the lines of this investigation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA462259
Entities
People
- Mark E. Nissen
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School