The Yin-Yang Military: Ambidextrous Perspectives on Change in Military Organizations - Hardcover

by Jacqueline Heeren-Bogers (Editor), René Moelker (Editor), Esmeralda Kleinreesink (Editor)

This book examines change processes and the challenge of ambidexterity in military organizations. It discusses how military organizations can better adapt to the complex, and at times chaotic, environments they operate in by developing organizational ambidexterity. The authors identify various multiple tasks and functions of military organizations that require multi-dimensional and often contradictory operational, technological, cultural, and social skills. In analogy to the often-opposed functions performed by the right and left hand of the body, modern military organizations are no longer one-dimensional fighting machines, but characterized by a duality of tasks, such as fighting and peacekeeping which often make part and parcel of one and the same mission. The military is both a "hot" and a "cold" organization (a crisis management organization and a bureaucracy). As such, the book argues that these dualities are not necessarily opposed but can serve as complementary forces, like the yin and yang, to better the overall performance of these organizations. As a consequence, ambidextrous organizations excel at complex tasking and are adaptable to new challenges. Divided into four parts: 1) structures and networks; 2) cultural issues; 3) tasks and roles; 4) nations and allies, it appeals to scholars of military studies and organization studies as well as professionals working for governmental or military organizations.

Back Jacket

This book examines change processes and the challenge of ambidexterity in military organizations. It discusses how military organizations can better adapt to the complex, and at times chaotic, environments they operate in by developing organizational ambidexterity. The authors identify various multiple tasks and functions of military organizations that require multi-dimensional and often contradictory operational, technological, cultural, and social skills. In analogy to the often-opposed functions performed by the right and left hand of the body, modern military organizations are no longer one-dimensional fighting machines, but characterized by a duality of tasks, such as fighting and peacekeeping which often make part and parcel of one and the same mission. The military is both a "hot" and a "cold" organization (a crisis management organization and a bureaucracy). As such, the book argues that these dualities are not necessarily opposed but can serve as complementary forces, like the yin and yang, to better the overall performance of these organizations. As a consequence, ambidextrous organizations excel at complex tasking and are adaptable to new challenges. Divided into four parts: 1) structures and networks; 2) cultural issues; 3) tasks and roles; 4) nations and allies, it appeals to scholars of military studies and organization studies as well as professionals working for governmental or military organizations.

Author Biography

Jacqueline Heeren-Bogers is an assistant professor of Defense Accounting Control and Economics at the Faculty of Military Sciences of the Netherlands Defense Academy. Her research focuses on the impact of so-called hard controls that relate to formal instruments like rules and segregation of duties and so-called soft controls linked to the culture, ethical climate and leadership within the organization.

René Moelker is an associate professor of sociology at the Royal Military Academy, the Netherlands. He holds a doctorate from the Erasmus University, Rotterdam. His work in military sociology concentrates on the sociology of military families, military technology, military profession, the military sociology of Norbert Elias, military education, conflict in Chechnya, and the media. His latest project focuses on veterans and veteran care.

Esmeralda Kleinreesink is a lieutenant-colonel with the Royal Netherlands Air force. She is specialized in international comparative research in the field of military veterans, in particular research into military autobiographies.

Jan van der Meulen is a sociologist. His research and publications focus on civil-military relations. Until his retirement he was associate professor at the Netherlands Defense Academy and professor by special appointment at Leiden University.

Joseph Soeters is a professor of organization studies at the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, the Netherlands. His work focuses on the interconnection of sociology and management on one side and military studies on the other side.

Robert Beeres is a professor of defense economics, Department of Military Management Studies at the Faculty of Military Sciences, the Netherlands Defense Academy.