Business has much to learn from the armed forces
The army has done a fine job of training more generally. It has always grappled with one of the most difficult jobs imaginable: training people to kill and risk being killed. Today, in the West at least, it has to do this in a looking-glass world where teenagers know their “rights”, health-and-safety officials inspect shooting ranges and politicians are constantly squeezing resources. Yet still it turns out soldiers who can handle technology, who work well in teams and who never quit to join a competitor.
Read more in the Economist
justice / February 22, 2013
The Economist article is applicable to armies which beleive in “Duty,Honor,Country” – the motto of US armed forces.
It does not apply to armies of recruits with 6th to 8th Standard education,who joined because of unemployment and poverty and not to serve the nation – the ‘whole’ nation & not an ethnic segment of it, or,to serve/glorify/bodyguard politicians, and certainly not to view civilians as inferior persons to be treated with contempt,or,not to engage in pursuits to enrich themselves.
The article applies to armies whose lowest ranks are intelligent,literate and able to learn.
Not,to armies whose members abuse female civilians when on a Peacekeeping Mission.
/
solomon mendis / February 23, 2013
you educated mob in west, read about jimmy savile the rapist of BBC
/
Mahen / February 23, 2013
Jimmy saville was caught even posthumously. Here the murders and rapists sit in the cabinet and protected by bodyguards at tax payers expense. That is the difference in the systems! What we call in common sense language ACCOUNTABILITY.
/
Lester / February 22, 2013
I’m surprised this particular article was put out by “The Economist.” Then again, war is generally good for an already industrialized economy, and it has positive Malthusian implications as well. But I do not think businesses have much to learn from the armed forces. In particular, blind obediance is not useful in a business; for one thing, it deters innovation. What about competition? Market competition is “good.” Competition certainly benefits the consumer. Competition also encourages firms to innovate. The same is not true of an army, where the whole point is to “wipe out” the competition. In general, we should keep in mind that an army destroys, while a business (at least ideally) creates.
/
solomon mendis / February 23, 2013
go and tell it to birds. we live in west know their education standards. most high school graduates (so called graduates) cant perform basic multiplication and cant read their own language.
for your information education req to US military is
Individuals who are not attending high school and are neither high school graduates nor alternative credential holders
/