Forcing Strategic Evolution : The SAF As An Adaptive Organization
Choy Yong Cong
Articles
Total copies: 1
Abstract: he evolution of warfare is analogous to the evolution of natural populations. The idea of Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW) and its evolution was fi rst pioneered by William S. Lind and his co-authors in 1989, and has since gained prominence in describing the current state of asymmetrical warfare prevalent around the world. Akin to natural populations adapting to the changing environment and therefore evolving, there are societal factors driving the evolution of how organizations conduct warfare. In a fl at, networked world where information is exchanged freely, the change in societal factors will be accelerated, resulting in an increasingly fast-changing and unpredictable environment. It is this environment that all militaries, including the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), will fi nd themselves conducting business in. If the SAF operates in an environment of accelerated unpredictability, strategy must become adaptive—there is no other viable option. Thus the SAF should not plan to fi ght 4GW or any other predicted future state of war, because if the military environment changes faster than any strategic assessment or doctrinal implementation, it will always fi nd itself fi ghting “the last war.” Instead, the SAF should re-engineer itself as an adaptive organization— one that can continuously and systemically reinvent itself to stay relevant and achieve its fundamental goal of enhancing Singapore’s peace and security. Keywords: Adaptive Organisation; Fourth Generation Warfare; Future War; Knowledge Management
Source:
Pointer Vol. 38, No. 1 2012
Series:
Pointer Article ; Vol. 38, No. 1
Language:
English
BRN:
129652