A military agency’s interaction with the cultural and technological sectors is roughly the same as for business organizations. There is, however, a distinct difference in the
competitive sector of the environment. Military agencies do
not typically compete with other agencies in the marketplace. Still, there are exceptions to even that rule. The United
States Air Force and Navy have certainly been competing to
see which will provide the major follow-on strategic weapons for the future. The Air Force wants the stealth bomber,
and the Navy is advocating the Trident. Further, DOD has to
compete for national priorities with Medicare and Social
Security.
Therefore, business firms and military agencies do have
much in common but they also have some unique differ-
ences. Both facets are best summarized by the following
points: