AN ANALYSIS OF THE MARINE CORPS’ ORGANIZATIONAL FITNESS FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE IN THE FUTURE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

The future operating environment, as discussed in the Marine Corps Operating concept, is characterized by friction, uncertainty, and information warfare at all levels. The Marine Corps conducted an initial reorganization of the Marine Expeditionary Force Command Element (MEF CE) to adapt to this change. This research analyzes whether the MEF CE is now organized properly to operate with peak performance in the future operating environment. To determine this, the research includes an analysis of Marine Corps doctrine and concepts and a survey and semi-structured interviews of Marine Corps personnel, which serve to provide input into two tools used for further analysis: Organizational Consultant (ORGCON) and the Star Model. Both tools assist with a rigorous analysis of the MEF CE’s organizational fitness and led to the conclusion that while the initial reorganization of the MEF CE is positive, it requires further refinement. This thesis recommends six organizational design adjustments at both the MEF CE and Marine Corps levels. These recommendations are meant to focus and inform future research and experimentation as the MEF CE and Marine Corps continue to adapt the force to its future operating environment.http://archive.org/details/ananalysisofthem1094559635Outstanding ThesisMajor, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited