The author of the article argues the effectiveness of a future network-centric warfare system. She presents a number of valid points of view that lead the reader to a deeper understanding of possible problems that might occur as the result of such implementation. The new age of information technology and creative personnel has brought great changes into the business world; Scarborough however provides evidence that questions the effectiveness of such a system in the future Navy.
According to the author the Navy is a unique environment in which a strict wire-like hierarchy is a main way of communication and information flow. Network on the other hand is a new and widely adopted way of interaction in many businesses nowadays. Scarborough uses e-commerce as an example to compare it and network-centric warfare. She says that today’s business world is not a game that people play using technology it is a way of building relationships and partnership. Navy however is far from accepting partnership as a way of communication with their staff across the border. People in charge are used to being in control rather than being questioned as to whether some things can be done in a more efficient manner. Wire structure will simply fail to recognize the opportunity for the change and will stick with the old ways for it has proved to work in the past.
The Navy is a clearly structured and categorized system of order and command and it has been perceived as such by generations. Sheila Scarborough says that fulfilling organizational roles and being a disciplined problem solver was a major characteristic of a military official in the past. These days a trend that Navy is looking to adopt in the future will require a completely different perception of the tasks and command system. The author claims that thinking differently is a great thing, but only when it is taken into consideration by people able to make a positive change out of it. Higher ranked officials taking advice from a lower positioned personnel is a drastic change in the military world that might takes years to be fully adapted in the minds of those who are now in charge. The striking truth can be retrieved from this argument: the system will not change unless changes are intentionally implemented. People are never ready for it thus it should be maid a priority to seek for new opportunities and making progress without being forced by a critical situation.
Thinking outside the box and bringing in creativity in everyday routine is a key to success of managing time and people better. For decades the Navy only accepted those with a technical degree and Scarborough correctly points out that it was a definite flaw of the system. The mindset of the newly recruited was already predetermined to follow instructions, do what they were told and be like others. Nonlinear analysis and perceiving reality differently was not in the picture until recently. The author visibly depicts the importance of differently educated people in the modern Navy, as the world is evolving from the traditional base into a creative on. While technical education is undoubtedly a critical skill there are numerous instances in which other professions would serve better. Thus the changing organization should focus in pulling people of different backgrounds into the same environment and creating an effective way of information exchange. In the perfect world it would benefit everyone but in real life as the author points out there are traditions and values hard to break.
Scarbourough notes that there is a drifting notion toward new values such as "people first", still there remains a huge gap between the actual implementation of those vales and the reality today. As was observed earlier the Navy is a complex mechanism that was built on the idea of obedience and conscription. Therefore it will take longer than a few bright thoughts by the new generation to destroy this castle of order and discipline. Moreover the majority of those in charge will not be able to just tune into a completely new mode of thinking. They might not be able to simply recognize someone who is more creative and intelligent than they are. This leads us to another significant aspect of the new organizational structure in today’s business world: identifying opportunity at all times, whether is comes from a newcomer or a senior officer. Such attitude sounds great and could bring a positive change to the Navy, although we realize that Scarborough is completely right when claiming that senior officers might not be willing to give up their power by letting others make decisions.
Admitting that the old system is becoming inefficient means that we have been investing in the wrong things for many generations and now it is time to move on to a new value system. Change is never easily accepted and quickly implemented especially if it associated with letting go of the power and employing free thinking as a major weapon against the enemy. According to the author once a network-centric warfare is accepted, ships, aircraft and submarines will not play an essential role in winning wars anymore. The bad news however is that the Navy does not yet possess a different platform other than ships and submarines for fighting wars. It has not transitioned to a new level and the need to hold on to the metal carcass and buying more of it is essential for the system, as Scarborough points out it has worked for so long that there is no apparent need to change it.
Military culture and technological change in the world, authoritative manner of command and free-thinkers are the notions that somehow need to mingle and work together under the common base of the Navy system. Looking back at Scarborough’s facts and suggestions it becomes obvious that all of those things would create a perfectly balanced organization where creative ideas are being implemented in orderly manner. In reality, the transformative change is only going to happen in the face of urgent need or disaster unless deliberately instigated. Overcoming difficulties associated with the change in the chain of command and educational preferences will bring the Navy closer to a flexible network structure. The logical organization of the article demonstrated that the present Navy is not ready for a drastic change. The need for the transformation is evident however as the rest of the world is already living it and now it is a matter of time and a consequent action.
Jeff Stats is a staff writer at
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