Introduction
The modern global issue that captivates my interest in researching it further regarding the capstone assignment regards the rising role of emerging technologies in causing change within the Military, mostly emanating from leadership and workforce development. The ever-increasing pace at which technological advancements are taking place means that militaries need to adapt and change ways of doing things to ensure relevance and efficiency in whatever they are engaged in. This has prompted the introduction of revolutionary leaders and workforce development programs that may help military personnel gain skills and knowledge prerequisite to working within highly technological surroundings. In addition, ethical concerns will emanate from using emerging technologies in military operations. This is to be studied and examined to guarantee the proper integration of technology into military operations as well as unsureness.
This capstone project will address intricate and multifaceted issues integrating emerging technologies into military leadership and workforce development. This is in line with the critical thinking, communication, diversity, and ethics learning objectives of SMC to make this assignment designed to evaluate the current situation of technology in the Military, identify emerging challenges and opportunities from emerging technologies and strategize on methods to promote effective leadership and workforce development in technological environments. We will learn more about how technologies can be responsibly and effectively embraced in military force composition and applied to enhance strategic, operational, and tactical military operations and how to tailor leadership and workforce development programs to benefit military personnel.
Research Proposal Statement
The problem that this proposed research would attempt to address is the effects of emerging technologies in transformational leadership and workforce development coupled with broadening experiences in the Military. Since technology continues to advance at a wholly unknown and unprecedented rate, the Military has no choice but to adapt to adaptive technologies and approaches to remain effective and efficient in what it is tasked to do (Barno et al., 2020). On the other hand, upcoming technologies bring challenges and opportunities that need to be analyzed and understood so that technology integration into military operations is done responsibly and effectively. The following research question is discussed within this research proposal: How can the leadership and workforce development programs be specifically designed to support and enhance the capacities of military personnel in highly technological environments? Mixed methods of research design will be used in this study to provide an in-depth analysis of the issue.
The problem in the Military has presented the challenge of integrating emerging technologies into operations and training the military personnel on how to manoeuvre in these highly technological environments. This poses a particular problem to leadership and workforce development programs since they must identify ways military personnel shall be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively utilize these emerging technologies (Fox et al., 2020). Failure to do so could result in severe consequences, such as loss of life or damage to critical infrastructure. This problem affects the military population because if they do not adapt to emerging technologies by utilizing them effectively, this might result in subpar mission performance, putting civilians and military personnel at risk. The research would substantiate the results through quantifiable data that includes reports of mission success rates reported before to compare with those reported after the implementation development of new technologies. Thus, the literature to be reviewed would give a historical overview of how emerging technologies in the past have been integrated into military operations, its current trend of integration, what currently has been effective, and the challenges. Resources will be found through academic databases, review of peer-reviewed articles, and consultation with industry experts in that field.
Literature Review
One of the topics that has attracted scholars’ interest in consideration for the past number of years is the influence of emerging technologies on leadership and workforce development within the Military. Recent years have witnessed a massive shift in military tactics, and significant importance is currently on integrating technologies associated with military operations (Raska 2022). A literature review related to the topic of integrating emerging technologies into military leadership and workforce development shall be presented in this section. Incorporating new technological advancements in military leadership and workforce development, the effectiveness of training efforts is one of the significant challenges. Researchers from the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) note that classroom training on emerging technologies is practical only when classroom instructions, hands-on exercises, and simulations are combined (Ahir et al., 2022). Additionally, these training programs must be scalable and adaptable to individual soldier needs and unit demands.
More importantly, incorporating emerging technologies in military operations requires sound leadership strategies. Indeed, several research studies have indicated that leadership that is successful in environments of technological orientation and applications necessitates the application of technical know-how and interpersonal considerations. Leaders should be effective communicators, able to work in tandem with others and adaptable towards changing environments for technologies (Holbeche 2019).
Other than the programs that are aimed at their training and methods of leadership, there is an acute need for effective policies and rules governing the use of emerging technologies in the Military. Different studies indicate that adopting new technologies for incorporation within military operations can create ethical and legal implications such as privacy, security, and accountability threats. Moreover, incorporating emerging technologies into military operations can imply, for example, that labour will not be profitable but rather mean broader sociological consequences. For example, research predicts that the use of artificial intelligence and the increase in automation used in the Military will cause human job loss.
Diversity
Diversity remains essential in the Military, particularly in leadership and workforce development, from the perspective of technological innovations. Culturally-based perspectives and views of perceived inequities have to be considered when designing leadership and development programs for every military community member to have equal opportunities to succeed. This involves analyzing competing entities comprising disenfranchised and vulnerable groups. However, in-group favouritism and intergroup bias are significant barriers to diversity realization. Hence, to harness the benefit of diversity, the Military must develop policies and programs that address these while encouraging inclusive practices. As a senior enlisted leader, my recommendations would call for the utmost emphasis on diversity and inclusivity in all facets of leadership and workforce development, solicitation of input from diverse groups, cultural awareness and educative opportunities presented to our people, and holding individuals accountable for their discriminating behaviours.
Besides these challenges of diversity, leadership, and workforce development programs, they should further be proactive in promoting programs that are designed to be viewed as addressing inequities by then offering steps for adjusting cultural perspectives. This may include enforcing policies and programs in recruiting and retaining individuals from underrepresented groups and promoting them on the ladder of their careers. The Military must develop a holistic understanding of how emerging technologies could hit different cultural groups and proactively take measures in the same direction (Righi et al., 2021). Emerging technology, for example, could have a greater effect on disabilities demographically, and the Military would need to ensure that such leaders are not disproportionately excluded from leadership and workforce development efforts.
In dealing with these challenges, new policies should be developed or current policies formulated to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusivity are promoted in the workforce and leadership development. This might mean increasing even more inclusive and diverse programs, setting metrics to quantify progress and holding leaders responsible for attaining diversity. Equally important, this will imply that the Military aggressively solicits and addresses appropriate cultural perspectives or their perceptions of inequity. This involves partnering with local community organizations and academic institutions that can aid in signalling the diverse needs of the underrepresented groups and filling those voids with designated leadership and workforce training programs.
As a senior enlisted leader, I recommend focusing on every area of leadership and workforce development with diversity, equity, and inclusion. These may include educating the leaders concerning the importance of a diverse workforce, creating awareness in terms of cultural issues, as well as actualizing opportunities necessary for participation in leadership and workforce development programs by various groups. Leaders must also hold themselves and other leaders accountable for such discriminating behaviour while seeking insight from different groups of people to ensure that their requirements and perspectives are all-inclusive within leadership and workforce development mechanisms. Thus, the military service should embrace diversification and continue to create a powerful and effective workforce, especially in the era when technologies are getting more advanced.
Synthesis
The Military needs to proactively address cultural paradigms and visible inequities equally, with commanders accountable for making a case for diversity and anti-discrimination conduct. In so doing, the Military will pull on its diversity of constituency even as it continues building a solid and effective workforce in the wake of ever-evolving technologies. Substantiation of that position must be done by using sources comprised of academic databases, academic and government reports and studies and NGO reports and studies (Grill 2021). This will help understand the opportunities and challenges of emerging technologies within a military context, policy prescriptions, and best practices for diversity and inclusivity in leadership and workforce development programs.
In future, the Military needs to make developing and adopting policies and programs that would support responsible and effective employment of new technologies in the conduct of military operations an imperative. Continuous evaluation and assessment of the training programs and the leadership strategies will be paramount to ensure that such initiatives are impactful enough to meet the needs and demands of these technological environments. In so doing, the Military shall achieve its mission of safeguarding the country by creating a unified culture that accepts diversity and promotes inclusivity to all force members.
Conclusion
This problem of integrating these emerging technologies in military operations poses a complex and multi-dimensional issue; it has to be addressed from various angles. In order to achieve responsible usage of the new technologies in military operations, there is a need for effective training programs, leadership strategies, policies and regulations, ethical concerns, and the involvement of industry and academic partners. The most crucial aspect that needs to be realized is that diversity and inclusion are crucial elements that must be considered so that every member of the military community gathers and attains evenhanded opportunities. The analysis is through this research proposal and offers insights into how to design leadership and workforce development programs that facilitate and enhance the capabilities of military personnel in technological environments while looking into ethical and diversity considerations. It is imperative to review the relevant literature regarding policy and program development in addressing challenges that face the integration of emerging technologies.
References
Ahir, K., Govani, K., Gajera, R., & Shah, M. (2020). Application on virtual reality for enhanced education learning, military training and sports. Augmented Human Research, 5, 1-9.
Arslan, A., Cooper, C., Khan, Z., Golgeci, I., & Ali, I. (2022). Artificial intelligence and human workers interaction at the team level: a conceptual assessment of the challenges and potential HRM strategies. International Journal of Manpower, 43(1), 75-88.
Barno, D., & Bensahel, N. (2020). Adaptation under fire: How militaries change in wartime. They are bridging the Gap.
De Ágreda, Á. G. (2020). Ethics of autonomous weapons systems and their applicability to any AI systems. Telecommunications Policy, 44(6), 101953.
Fox, M. F., Zwickl, B. M., & Lewandowski, H. J. (2020). Preparing for the quantum revolution: What is the role of higher education? Physical Review Physics Education Research, 16(2), 020131.
Grill, G. (2021). The future protest made risky: Examining social media-based civil unrest prediction research and products. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 30(5-6), 811-839.
Holbeche, L. (2019). Designing sustainably agile and resilient organizations. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 36(5), 668-677.
Parker, S. K., & Grote, G. (2022). Automation, algorithms, and beyond Why work design matters more than ever in a digital world. Applied Psychology, 71(4), 1171-1204.
Raska, M. (2022). The sixth RMA wave: Disruption in military affairs? In Defence Innovation and the 4th Industrial Revolution (pp. 6-29). Routledge.
Righi, E., Lauriola, P., Ghinoi, A., Giovannetti, E., & Soldati, M. (2021). Disaster risk reduction and interdisciplinary education and training. Progress in Disaster Science, 10, 100165.
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