Warfighting and Disruptive Technologies: Disguising Innovation (Strategy and History) [Hardcover]

Terry Pierce (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0714655473 | ISBN-13: 978-0714655475 | Publication Date: September 24, 2004 | Edition: 1

Occasionally, during times of peace, military forces achieve major warfighting innovations. Terry Pierce terms these developments 'disruptive innovations' and shows how senior leaders have often disguised them in order to ensure their innovations survived.

He shows how more common innovations however, have been those of integrating new technologies to help perform existing missions better and not change them radically. The author calls these 'sustaining innovations'. The recent innovation history suggests two interesting questions. First, how can senior military leaders achieve a disruptive innovation when they are heavily engaged around the world and they are managing sustaining innovations? Second, what have been the external sources of disruptive (and sustaining) innovations?

This book is essential reading for professionals and students interested in national security, military history and strategic issues.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Occassionally, militaries during times of peace achieve major warfighting innovations. Terry Pierce calls these disruptive innovations. The more common innovation phenomena, however, have been that of integrating new technologies to help perform existing missions better and to not change them radically. The author calls these 'sustaining innovation'. The central theme of this book is that senior leaders who successfully have managed disruptive innovations disguised them as sustaining to ensure their innovations survived. The recent innovation history suggests two interesting questions. First, how can senior military leaders achieve a disruptive innovation when they are heavily engaged around the world and they are managing sustaining innovations? Second, what have been the external sources of disruptive (and sustaining) innovations?

This book will be essential reading for professionals and students interested in national security, military innovation, organizational theory.

About the Author

Captain Terry Pierce serves with the US Navy and is Deputy Chief of Staff Amphibious Forces 7th Fleet. He holds a doctorate and a Master's degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also holds a Master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in National Security Affairs, Strategic Planning.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (September 24, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714655473
• ISBN-13: 978-0714655475
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,608,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Do We Get Beyond Machiavelli's Paradox?, November 30, 2004

By 

Scott C. Buchanan (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Warfighting and Disruptive Technologies: Disguising Innovation (Strategy and History) (Hardcover)

What is military innovation? Is it the slow, evolutionary process of change that occurs naturally, or is it the disruptive change that changes the character of warfare, and gets everyone excited? Furthermore, how do innovators bring their vision to fruition? When does the military categorically accept an innovation through organizational, doctrinal, or technological alignments? What is the route to success? These are substantial questions that Captain Terry Pierce, U.S. Navy, takes on in this groundbreaking work.

Captain Pierce thoughtfully constructs arguments based on case studies of military innovation that include Marine Corps helicopter warfare and maneuver warfare, to Navy continuous aim gunfire and carrier warfare. The study identifies and examines external and internal causes of disruptive and sustaining innovation, ranging from civilian intervention and inter (and intra!) service rivalry, to small groups and disguising processes.

He concludes that disruptive innovation theory explains why many innovations fail, despite well-meaning, and potentially revolutionary consequences for warfare. However, personalities are also consequential: the same personality that fights hard for a particular innovation may also fail to protect and promote subordinates likely to sustain the innovation.

Overall, this book rates well. Captain Pierce uses an engaging style to keep readers interested, while providing us with the benefit of his military experience and academic research. For readability, it is right up there with Hone, Friedman, and Mandeles' book on American & British Carrier Development. It evaluates, based on new research and case studies, the theories of those who have previously written on military innovation, including Barry Posen, Steve Rosen, and Wick Murray. Highly recommended for academics and military personnel interested in the process of force transformation.

4 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money..., August 1, 2007

By 

Naval Officer "Naval Officer" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Warfighting and Disruptive Technologies: Disguising Innovation (Strategy and History) (Hardcover)

This book's vacuous theories are from an academic who has never heard the sound of gunfire. This is "tasteless" frosting and no practical, experience-based cake. This review comes from the perspective of a special operations combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom Afghanistan and Enduring Freedom Philippines, working with and as a member of some of the most elite combat formation this nation has ever fielded. Terry Piece's claim to nautical fame is that he won the Arleigh Burke essay contest not once, but twice (and he will be sure to point this out fact to you within the first five minutes of meeting him). While this is a commendable peace-time academic achievement, it is functionally useless and operationally without merit in a time of war.

Despite his perceived expertise as the "Chief of Staff of the Amphibious Forces of the US 7th Fleet" (Largely a paper staff without a mission of consequence), where the metal hits meat, this book is crass. Terry Pierce bases his writing on future warfare abstracts and the excellent works of others in documenting the Battle History of the US Navy. I don't challenge the theories of Terry Pierce...I indict Terry Pierce as leader, and self proclaimed expert. Many of his perceived `advanced' theories are simply those...untested theories. The quality of his leadership and his approaches to doctrine other than his own were often downright ""Flintstonian". His own professional actions do not support his diatribe regarding the flaws of civilian intervention, inter (and intra) service rivalry, to small groups and disguising processes...for all of these flawed qualities embody the spirit and the character of the author.

This book evaluates "... based on new research and case studies, the theories of those who have previously written on military innovation, including Barry Posen, Steve Rosen, and Wick Murray. Highly recommended for academics and military personnel interested in the process of force transformation..." but brings little in the way truly workable innovation. Theory without practical solutions is useless when confronting the huge problems of transformation during wartime today's military faces. This book is more of a regurgitative history lesson rather than a way ahead in the sea of obstacles to true transformation.

Cloaked in his own self-aggrandizement, Terry Piece has applied his personality against many a well-meaning sailor and potentially excellent officers, suppressing the good to advance his subservient minions. "However, personalities are also consequential: the same personality that fights hard for a particular innovation may also fail to protect and promote subordinates likely to sustain the innovation." He did not protect or advance his subordinates; he reveled with self-bemusement as he tormented and picked at his staff until it was a gangrenous wound of ineffectiveness.

Since the author is known quantity to those who have served with him, it is impossible evaluate the work without an evaluation the personal industry that created it. In the end, all works mirror their creator and this one is no different...lofty in its intent, but shallow in its ultimate impact. Save your money...
Go to any of the myriad of other publications which address these same issues in a more thought provoking, profound and most importantly, complete way.