The Failed Thermostat: The Illusion of Control in an Information-Rich Age
Abstract
The concept of command and control is central to modern warfare. Command is a legal and behavioral term referring to a designated individual leader's responsibility and accountability for everything the leader's unit of command does and does not do. Control is a regulatory and scientific term denoting the ability to manage that which is commanded. This paper investigates the use of certain types of control with operating environments that overwhelm commanders abilities to do their job -- lead and succeed in battle. It describes and applies the ideas of a disparate group of sociologists, psychologists, mathematicians, statisticians, and combat leaders to critique the idea of control in contemporary and future military settings and operations. Finally, the paper presents the conclusion that current and future operating environments condemn the idea and language of control to obsolescence. In its place, the paper recommends possible alternative terms that fit and work in those environments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA486855
Entities
People
- Jonathan E. Czarnecki
Organizations
- Naval War College