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Abstract. It is widely recognised that information technology will create a
case for changes in the structure and function of the
command chain. The most radical projections involve flattened command hierarchies
and drastic decentralisation of decision-making responsibility. Others have argued that
the special requirements of the military environment will continue to
necessitate commander-subordinate relations that are not much different from those
of today. This paper sheds light on the issue by
presenting a mathematical model of the relationships between information technology,
command centralisation, unity of purpose and operational complexity. It suggests
that the operational paradigm has been evolving in a consistent
direction over a period of many centuries, and that future
adaptations due to digitisation can be understood in the same
context. This involves a continuing emphasis, at each command layer,
on the human and moral function of leadership, but a
steady movement downwards of administrative and managerial activity.
Related topics:
command and control, art of war, command systems
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Papers by Widdowson
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