Military adaptation and organisational convergence in war: Insurgents and international forces in Afghanistan

Authors

Theo G. Farrell, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

143710

Publication Details

Farrell, T. (2020). Military adaptation and organisational convergence in war: Insurgents and international forces in Afghanistan. Journal of Strategic Studies,

Abstract

© 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Existing studies focus on explaining how militaries adapt in different ways to the challenges of war. However, organisation theory suggests that competition and normative pressure will lead overtime to convergence within particular business and policy sectors, as optimal ways of organizing and operating are learned and emulated. I examine this dynamic in the context of the conflict between the Afghan Taliban and the British Army. That there should be convergence in modes of operation or organizational form between these two very different opponents seems most improbable. Yet, as this article shows, convergence did occur as the conflict wore on.