The United States Armed Forces and Their “Bowl” Games From 1942 to 1967

Abstract

The collective information produced by this academic pursuit supports the goal of identifying the determinants of innovation and the process of intrafirm diffusion regarding organizational innovation. The U.S. military created 111 American football “bowl” games across six continents in 18 countries and 46 host cities from 1942 to 1967. Using the historical method through an ex post facto historical institutionalism interpretive lens, this study found the U.S. Armed Forces, through the dynamic capabilities of its top officers and officials, organized “bowl” games as product innovation and used football as process innovation to manage the massive mobilization and training of men for the various war efforts of that period. Within, we discovered (a) the resolution of crisis, (b) the emergence and recruitment of leaders, (c) the creation/use of novelty, and (d) the capacity to adapt revealed the military “bowl” game phenomenon and American football existed as critical ingredients for organizational innovation and that product innovation can emerge from process innovation and vice versa to support organizational innovation. Furthermore, novelty, although identified as a product innovation, must be supported, promoted, and adapted to create and sustain the goals associated with organizational process innovation. Next, intrafirm diffusion was shown to involve and compel job specialization, imitation/emulation, forged alliances, the creation of special service positions, and the development of newsletters and other internal/external media. Finally, this work supports and recognizes the utility of the “historic turn” with respect to the ability of how history can inform and improve today’s efforts toward innovation.