The network centric environment viewed through the lens of Activity Theory

A network centric (NC) environment has the potential to transform the ways in which people gather, share, and process information with connectivity achieved thorough technological and social networks. This is of relevance to the military environment which ischaracterised by constant change and uncertainty, and exposed to the vagaries of the political and economic climate. This chapter will analyse human activities in the military network centric contextthrough the lens of the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory. Based on current research findings it is proposed that the activity of sense-making is central to common awareness and decision making, through information sharing, in technology enabled NC environments. The chapter presents an analysis of sense-making activities at individual, group and organisational levels where the Activity Theoretical concept of the Internal Plane of Action is mediated by increasingly sophisticated information and ommunications technologies.