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ABSTRACT
Considering the current instability within the European security landscape, militaries are seeking new ways to grow and counter emergent threats. However, there is a rarity of armed forces addressing logistics growth within literature. Thus, this paper investigates growth concepts that can enable military forces develop, conduct, and grow logistics to achieve its operational objectives. The paper undertakes extant literature analysis of three relevant theories of growth as a means to review for comprehending organizational growth. The relationships between logistics and three growth theories as well as industry growth practices are analysed. Argues that the development of the concept of logistics growth in the military require support not just from established growth theories but also from long-standing industrial practice in order to fully develop the best strategic-fit growth concept for the military. Nine propositions reflecting antecedent relationships amongst theoretical variables for growth are developed. Study serves as a point of departure for further research on military growth in general and military logistics growth in particular and provides military leaders with disciplinary options for evaluating logistics growth strategies for achieving operational objectives and goals.
Acknowledgments
This research is funded by the Swedish Defence Forces and authors hereby acknowledge that an earlier version of this paper is contained in the report Antai, I., Hellberg, R. and Skoglund. P. (2021). The Straight Road to the Goal: Conceptual framework for Development of Logistics Activities Related to an Increased Defense Ambition. Research and Development. A preliminary draft of this article was presented and discussed at the 34th Annual NOFOMA Conference June 8–10, 2022, Reykjavík, Iceland. The current article has been significantly extended.
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Notes on contributors
Imoh Antai
Imoh Antai is a senior lecturer at the Swedish Defence University (SDU), Stockholm. His research interests include the growth phenomenon within the military forces, logistics and supply chain management more broadly, but he also retains interest in the application of geographical information systems (GIS) within business, environmental, as well as security issues that may lie at the intersection of unfolding climate and energy trends. He teaches Logistics, Project Management and Supply Chain Management.
Roland Hellberg
Roland Hellberg has been working with research on defence supply chains at the Swedish Defense University in Stockholm since 2021. Dr Hellberg received his doctorate in Linköping in 1992 on the topic of synchronized material supply/Japanese production philosophy.
Dr Hellberg has researched, taught, supervised and been course and program responsible at several academic institutions in Sweden and Norway (in total more than 20 years) in subjects related to master education programs in Industrial Engineering and Management. Hellberg has mainly worked within cross-disciplines and applied subjects such as supply chain management, sourcing, logistics, lean improvement, quality assurance/TQM, project management, inventory and production control, innovation and business development. In addition to the academic experience, Dr Hellberg has 20 years of business experience from various management positions in Swedish and Norwegian companies with logistics as their core business, e.g. the Swedish Post – International mail, Bonnier book distribution, Linjegods (transport company).
Per Skoglund
Per Skoglund is head of the Division for Functions and Perspectives at the Swedish Defence University. The position comprise the academic responsibility for the division’s education and research, and the head of Defence Logistics Group. He also has part-time employment as associate Professor at The Norwegian Defence University College. During the period 1990–2015, Per has held several different positions at Swedish Defence Headquarters and Swedish Defence Procurement Agency (FMV) including; Senior advisor in logistics, Director of Logistics, and project leader integrated logistics support for the Leopard2 and CV90 systems. Per started his military career as an officer at the artillery regiment A9 in Kristinehamn. Per has his PhD in Business administration from Jönköping International Business School. His dissertation has the title: Sourcing decisions for military logistics in Peace Support Operations. Per holds a Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology as well as exams from different military programs at the Swedish Defence University.