OTD Assignment 2

Alina Edward (29583)

Quaratelin

Submitted to: Sania Usmani

23-07-18

Monday-Wednesday 6:30 pm
Q1) Compare and contrast the elements of centralization and formalization within the Arab Alliance
and the IDF. Explain how those inherent differences may have affected the outcome of the war.

Ans) Based on the span of control, IDF was highly decentralized and informal. It exercised flexibility of
control that even allowed junior officers to make crucial decisions. Their structure was to improve speed
and improvise by giving certain autonomy to their officers which resulted in a mere fighting force and
emphasized the spirit of volunteerism among the people of Israel.

Whereas, on the other hand, the Arab Alliance focused on strict centralization methods, where the
commanding officer had little to no authority to give orders, even in crucial situations they had to rely
on instructions from the Head Quarters. This bureaucratic model also led to a lack of coordination
among the fighting allies.

These inherent differences have a huge impact on the outcome of the war, the Israelis had autonomy to
make decisions according to the situations which reflects the trust and strong belief in their command
and control structure.

Q2) Do you think the structure and design of Arab armies accurately reflected the principles of the
Type 1 theorists, particularly Max Weber, in all respects?

Ans) Yes! The structure and design of the Arab armies completely reflect the idea of Type 1 theorists,
particularly Max Weber. His theory of structure was based solely on a bureaucratic and centralized
system that did not allow individuals the freedom to experiment or innovate. The army clearly idealized
the three factors Weber’s theory is based upon; Status, class, and power.

The selection of army personnel was done on the basis of one’s perceived loyalty rather than their
professional competency. This reduced the importance of the positions they were placed at and also left
a negative impression on the morale of other personnel’s.

Q3) Do you think the element of complexity was higher in the Arab Alliance as compared to IDF? If
yes, which type(s) of differentiation was/were causing that complexity, and what was the missing key
for coming to terms with that complexity and actually using it as an advantage?

Ans) Yes! The Arab Alliance significantly experienced vertical differentiation. The lack of communication
and coordination between the GHQ (General Head Quarters) and the officers led to their poor
performance in the six days war. The name itself is a representation of the delay caused by the Arab
army in making decisions. All this was also observed among the other three allies, Jordan, Syria, and
Egypt.

They could easily overcome this complexity by converting their centralized structure to a decentralized
structure.