Decision Making Type Classifications of Operational Commanders

Abstract

In establishing an operations plan or order, an operational commander can be classified as either hard or soft in terms of their a priori assumptions that the operation will unfold as planned once the enemy is engaged. Furthermore, the operational commander can be classified as either permeable or impermeable in terms of his ability to process new information that either supports or does not support the initial operation plan and his beliefs. An operational commander can then be classified as HP (hard-permeable), SP (soft-permeable), HI (hard-impermeable) or SI (soft-impermeable). Recent historical examples of operational commanders possessing these classifications are presented. In a network-centric environment, an operational commander with SP characteristics is best suited for agile and adaptable decision making. Experience, coupled with formal and informal education, can assist the operational commander in understanding his classification type and improving his decision making.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 16, 2006
Accession Number
ADA463427

Entities

People

  • Thomas M. Cioppa

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Classification
  • Climate Change
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Information Operations
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • Judgment
  • Mental Processes
  • Military Education
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Perception
  • Psychology
  • Thinking
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Team-Based Human-Centered Cognitive Task Decision Making and Information Performance.