Net Assessment Strategy

1.5-3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Business strategists have long looked to the experience of the military for insights on successful long-term competition in a global market. Indeed, business school syllabi frequently highlight the work of such luminaries as the early 19th century Prussian strategist Carl von Clausewitz (On War) and his ancient Chinese counterpart, Sun Tzu (The Art of War). Curiously absent, however, is a focus on net assessment, one of the U.S. military’s most powerful analytic strategy development tools, one which holds great promise for developing strategy in the business world. The importance of net assessment lies in its multi-­?disciplinary, compensatory approach to strategic analysis, which requires the integration of classic strategic thinking with reference to economic methods, historical exploration, organizational behavior, business literature, cultural anthropology, and technological forecasting. This 1.5 credit intensive learning experience (ILE) introduces students to net assessment and the range of methodologies (such as alternative futures and wargaming) employed to identify—and to deeply diagnose—the strategic character of long-­?term, multi-­?phased competitions unfolding in opaque and realistically complex conditions. The ILE examines how net assessment not only considers both competitors (the “net” in net assessment), but also their interactions at various levels, such as strategic motivations, economic growth, doctrine, operational experience, organizational and strategic culture, technological sophistication, and the capability and capacity of key forces.