Centralization or decentralization?: a case study of the Military Sealift Command's Special Mission Program

Abstract

This thesis asks the question: Should the Military Sealift Commmand's (MSC's) Special Mission Program be decentralized or kept centralized? The special mission ships support a combination of service unique non-transportation and non-fleet ship missions for a variety of sponsors. This thesis seeks to determine why the centralizatiori/decentralization question is being asked by both MSC and the ships' sponsors. The thesis also examines whether the economies of scale and scope justify MSC maintaining the Special Mission Program

or if not

the ships would operate more efficiently and effectively under the cognizance of their sponsors. The analysis incorporates the current re-engineering changes being made within MSC. The findings suggest that the economies of scale and scope achieved from centralizing the special mission ships, with some additional modifications, are greater than the benefits which would be derived from decentralizing the ships' operations.