Influencing Factors In The Military

Influencing Factors in the Military

Working in any organization around the world one can assume there will be internal and external factors that will play a vital role in the success or failure of an organization. The military is no different with technology changing the military has to become more diverse and use innovation to stay one step ahead of the game.

One of the benefits that the military has gained from technology was a high-tech simulator exercising. In planning strategy, after the military specifies the goals to be achieved, the military uses high-tech simulator exercising as "War games" that is called Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRE). This program was developed for the U.S. military to enhance the fighting abilities and skills for the soldiers before they head for combat or peacekeeping missions.

Technology was introduced in to the military to improve the organization and to add new concepts in accomplish tasks in a teamwork. For example, if a fighter plane is going on a mission to hit a target, one can imagine how much technology has been created to assist with that mission and how specific job responsibilities have become. Before the take off, and by using the computer, the pilot knows how to get to the target and what to hit. Technology has made other people become involved in this mission such as the controlling tower that uses advanced communication tools to monitor and keep in touch with the pilots and their weapons. Technology made all these people work together as a team and perform their tasks in a coordinative way to achieve the same goal and helped to produce leadership.

Technology in the military is something important. I believe that the most advanced organizations in the world are militaries. The concerns of injury and death made motivation in leading one of the hardest functions in the past; however, technology has made it much easier now. With all these advanced airplanes, ships, and vehicles, many people started to dream about working in positions that deals with these technologies. They became creative and well skilled when they accomplish their tasks. Technology has helped them overcome their fear of injury and death. There are many types of equipment in the military that have been improved. High quality and well designed for personal protection such as helmets and armors which have reduced the chances of injury and death. Individual and units communication tools such as radio and Global Positioning System (GPS) made the units feel they are connected to each other giving the soldiers confidence he or she needs while conducting operations. Using all these key factors has had a positive impact on the military.

Technology has enhanced the controlling function and made it easy to monitor operations, missions, and forces in the military. It uses satellites to locate and watch targets. The United States Department of Defense has designed the Global Positioning System (GPS) for determining one's location with highly accurate time reference nearly any where on earth. Since 1978, more than 50 GPS satellites have been launched. The main purpose of GPS in the military is to improve the control of forces and give them more awareness of their location. It also assists targeting the smart bombs and cruise missiles. Radar has also helped the controlling function in the military. Air forces, air basis, and tankers use radars to monitor their or their enemy's planes and vehicles.

Day by day technology makes positive impacts in the four functions of management (Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling) in the military.

The military takes major steps to ensure diversity in its ranks while removing diversity in values and attitudes. While these two faces of military diversity seem to be at odds with each other, values and attitudes ensure the military's success.

From the moment a civilian arrives at Recruit Training, everything possible is done to strip away his or her individual identity. Recruits are not allowed to function as individuals but must act as part of a team at all times. Some services even go so far as to forbid first person references such as "I" or "me" to break a recruit's identity as an individual. In place of individual identity, the military instills service values and group identity. The excising of individuality is essential to the military's application of the functions of management. Senior leaders must be able to plan, lead and control people whose actions in extreme circumstances can be accurately predicted. Military members infused with institutional values and the belief of team over self becomes a known quantity that can be incorporated into the organizations plans.

While the military strives to reduce individual diversity, the recruiting goal is to create one of the most diverse organizations in the country. An example of the military's dedication to diversity can be seen in the composition of eligible Marines considered during a recent promotion selection board. Of the 2152 Marines considered for promotion, 59% were White, 23% Black and 11% Hispanic. (United States Marine Corps, 2006). These numbers show a greater organizational diversity than is found in the general population. The civilian and military leadership understand the importance of recruiting from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds and know that diversity is essential to the organization's success. The Institute of Management and Administration agrees with the military's opinion. According to them, "If organizations