Affiliations: The Aerospace Corporation., CA, USA | United States Air Force., CA, USA
Abstract: The acquisition of systems is as much an art as a science, a premise
that is underscored by the limited understanding of the variables found in
complex systems-of-systems. Moreover, the art and science associated with
acquiring systems has been steadily increasing in complexity as the various
technologies being acquired have made huge advances in capabilities. One of the
most challenging types of acquisition to execute well is that requiring the
development of an unprecedented systemof- systems or an ultra large scale
system. The challenges to the acquisition staff range the spectrum of those
faced at all levels in the acquiring organization. Multiple challenges exist
from the most senior leadership and management, through those architecting the
system, down to the individual engineer executing technical tasks as a part of
the concept, design, development, fielding, and sustainment of such
systems-of-systems. Leadership theory based on transformational and
transactional leadership styles assists in highlighting leadership problems in
unprecedented acquisitions. Coupled to these challenges are the clearly
demonstrable requirements for ever closer linkages between each of the discrete
functional levels within the acquiring organization. The study of the essential
nature of theses linkages, and how their performance can severely impact the
probability of success and effectiveness of the acquisition, is examined
through the evaluation of a number of exemplar case studies. Using analytical
insight derived from these case studies, combined with the application of
current theories on leadership and management, this paper evolves the
transdisciplinary premise by articulating that leadership and technical
execution must be tightly linked especially when developing unprecedented
systems-of-systems.
Keywords: precedented, unprecedented, acquisition, system-of-systems, architecture, management, leadership, transactional, transformational, case study
