INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS: A CASE STUDY OF INNOVATION AND CHANGE USING A SYSTEM DYNAMICS PERSPECTIVE

The Department of Defense lacks case studies that investigate and detail the innovation and adoption of information technology systems. This qualitative study develops a case study to explore the factors that contributed to the United States Marine Corps’ innovation and adoption of Ripper Academy, a video-streaming platform that allows Marines to create, share, and view user-generated video content. This research addresses the research question: How can the United States Marine Corps successfully employ the principles of change management and system dynamics to innovate and ensure the adoption of information technology systems? Using the change formula, John Kotter’s eight-stage process, and the ADKAR change model, an analysis of the Ripper Academy case study highlights the importance of internal and external champions, a vision for the future, actual data, the support of a guiding coalition, bottom-up and top-down support, and individual abilities when implementing an organizational change. Referencing the limits to growth archetype and Bass diffusion model, the case study identifies incentives, advertising, word-of-mouth, inaccessibility, and dissatisfaction as possible variables impacting the adoption of Ripper Academy. This research provides a teaching case study that examines the innovation and adoption of an information technology system in the United States Marine Corps.