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What is Joint Interdependence Anyway

2004; The MIT Press; Volume: 84; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

0026-4148

Christopher R. Paparone, James A. Crupi,

Innovation, Sustainability, Human-Machine Systems

THERE IS MUCH ADO lately about the concept of in future military operations. More than one four-star general has praised Operation Desert Storm's joint deconfliction; that is, the conduct of relatively independent service operations orchestrated in space and time so as not to interfere with each other, as in air operations deconflicted with ground operations. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, U.S. forces achieved more joint interoperability with a variety of forces working together to a greater degree because processes were clear, such as using U.S. Air Force close air support in lieu of U.S. Army artillery. But, generals say the future of jointness is interdependence, with no service operating independently and all relying on each other's capabilities to be successful. We are not completely satisfied with this vision of future joint interdependence. We are concerned that military leaders might inadvertently miss the leadership and organizational implications associated with interdependence. Instead of the discussion oriented on deconfliction, interoperability, and interdependence, we propose a more meaningful way to talk about the continuum of interdependence. We believe there are varying degrees of interdependence, each of which affects differently how the military organizes, leads, and achieves. The concept of interdependence might be best understood as a metaphor taken from the biological sciences. In biology, interdependence describes relationships for survival of an organism. Biology also describes complex or recursive variables that mutually affect each other. For example, human organs are interdependent--the liver cleanses the blood that the heart pumps. Other organisms and features of the environment are also interdependent. Animals breathe out carbon dioxide, which trees transform into oxygen. People use similar metaphors in theology to indicate similar social meanings, such as, No man is an island, which is derived from John Donne's famous Christian meditation: All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated.... As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come. (1) Students of organizations have adapted these metaphors of interdependence and applied them to open social systems. In Organization in Action, James D. Thompson describes three types of interdependence (from the least to the most complicated): 1. Pooled interdependence, where separate organizations, which perform adequately on their own, might fail if one or more of the others fail. Failure threatens all. 2. Sequential interdependence, which is linear like a supply chain or assembly line. One unit in the chain produces something necessary for the next unit, and so forth. 3. Reciprocal interdependence, where the output of one organization becomes the input for others and vice versa. (2) Organizations become less distinguishable from each other and their combined performance requires complex forms of coordination. The services have always faced problems in which each member's competencies and skills did not provide the most desirable solution. Using Thompson's terminology, we best describe how the services organized for Operation Desert Storm primarily as pooled interdependence, not deconfliction. Geographical boundaries separated air operations from ground operations, but sequential interdependence dominated during Operation Desert Shield. The Air Force and Navy delivered Army forces to ports of debarkation. The coalition's air forces conducted air operations. Ground forces then conducted operations on the ground. Reciprocal interdependence occurred as well. The Army and Marines secured ports for the Navy and Air Force to conduct future missions and sustainment operations in Kuwait and southern Iraq. …