Using Tree Rewiring to Study “Edge” Organisations for C2

In recent times, there has been considerable interest in the potential advantages of decentralised “Edge” organisations. In order to investigate the potential costs and benefits of such organisational structures for Command and Control (C2), we have combined organisational simulation with a novel tree rewiring process that creates a spectrum of organisational structures ranging from a pure hierarchy to a pure “Edge” organisation. This paper discusses our simulation framework, presents experimental results, and discusses possible implications for C2 in military forces. The tree rewiring process allows us to analyse organisational structures which are intermediate between a pure hierarchy and a pure “Edge” organisation, and is controlled by a rewiring parameter between 0 and 1. For small values of the parameter, the rewiring process adds informal cross-links to the hierarchy, while for large values of the parameter, the original hierarchical structure is also broken down. The experimental results show that performance is best for completely random “Edge” networks, but that when we take into account link costs and differences in perceived information usefulness for different parts of the organisation, the optimal structures are intermediate between a hierarchy and a pure “Edge” organisation. However, social and technical mechanisms to increase the flow of information will improve this relatively poor optimum, and move it in the direction of greater “Edge” orientation. Classic hierarchical organisations have: