No Mission Too Difficult: Army Units within Exponentially Complex Multiteam Systems ^☆

The view, opinions, and/or findings contained in this report (chapter) are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy, or decision.

Abstract

Purpose

In this chapter, we raise awareness of the larger network in which multiteam systems (MTSs) are situated. We posit that in the complex operations conducted by military units, MTSs are not isolated entities, but rather exist in exponentially complex systems that include additional challenges for both research and practice.

Approach

An operational example involving an Army Brigade Combat Team Headquarters is presented to explain the details of the exponentially complex MTSs inherent in military operations, raise awareness about challenges that plague successful mission accomplishment, and discuss the way forward for research and practice.

Findings

The Army Brigade Combat Team Headquarters is characterized as a traditional MTS, embedded in a system of hierarchical MTSs, further embedded within a parallel structure of MTSs. Challenges inherent in these organizational structures provide direction for research and practice to address the exponentially complex meta-systems that are prevalent throughout the military.

Value

While researchers have begun to address teams existing in larger networks, or MTSs (Mathieu, Marks, & Zaccaro, 2001), much of the existing research is based on small or isolated systems. As a result, our understanding of the meta-systems in which many of these MTSs exist is limited. This chapter provides concrete examples of an exponentially complex MTS within a military environment and highlights challenges to be addressed in both research and practice.

Citation

DeCostanza, A.H., DiRosa, G.A., Jiménez-Rodríguez, M. and Cianciolo, A.T. (2014), "No Mission Too Difficult: Army Units within Exponentially Complex Multiteam Systems ^☆

The view, opinions, and/or findings contained in this report (chapter) are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy, or decision.

", Pushing the Boundaries: Multiteam Systems in Research and Practice (Research on Managing Groups and Teams, Vol. 16), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 61-76. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1534-085620140000016003