Establishing and Maintaining a Social Science Enterprise

Abstract

The author discusses his experience in building and maintaining an enterprise (group of people with a common purpose) in the for-profit, government-contracting arena on the topic of military decision making. The article draws insights from more than 25 years of experience and the creation of a dozen such enterprises, using this one effort to illustrate key concepts and important arenas. Success is found to depend on striking a proper balance between research activities, database development, knowledge base development and application, and educational activities. Key concepts for establishing a new enterprise include framing an appropriate question, finding a base client, creating a strong core team, designing the initial products to generate momentum, establishing strong quality control, and finding ways to make the enterprise and its successes visible, as well as recognizing and defeating external threats. The transition from establishing a new enterprise to ensuring it prospers over time is difficult and begins with a change in mind-set. Key concepts for maintaining a successful enterprise include enriching the client base, expanding the team while making it stronger, maintaining quality control, recognizing and defeating new threats, and maintaining positive visibility.

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