Exploring Evidence-Based Management in Military Planning Processes as a Critically Appraised Topic

Abstract

This study uses a critically appraised topic (CAT) to explore the potential of integrating evidence-based management (EBMgt) and military judgment and decision-making (MJDM). The study uses the five focus areas of the Commandant’s Planning Guidance: 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps to search scholarly databases such as the ABI/INFORM Collection from ProQuest and Business Source Premier from EBSCO. The search process was conducted using a research question variable synthesis (RQVS), introduced specifically for this study by the author. The RQVS applied to each of the Commandant’s five priority focus areas in separate inquiries, producing five separate data sets. The RQVS is a search enhancement methodology developed by the author. This methodology improves the linkage between the search process and the research question (RQ) and enhances rigor and transparency of the overall study. The key findings are that there is sufficient scholarship to address problem areas in each of the Commandant’s five priority focus areas. This study demonstrates that an integration of EBMgt and MJDM is both feasible and pragmatic.