Intra-organizational environment of technological change: insights from the Navy's Energy Program

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5712807

Brown, M A; Jones, D W

In a case study of the adoption of energy-conserving technologies and behaviors at Naval shore facilities in the Southeastern United States, the internal organizational environment was found to exert as great an influence on investment decisions as market prices and apparent savings opportunities. This paper discusses relevant segments of the Navy's organizational environment and the behavior of decision makers within it. Results of site visits and a survey of decision makers at Naval shore facilities suggest that the most significant barrier to adoption of new energy-conserving technology is a shortage of personnel to install, operate, and maintain new equipment. This situation enforces energy use patterns which may appear excessive, but which may be appropriate choices when guided by conditions of local manpower scarcities combined with the ability to draw on additional funds to cover unpaid fuel bills. A contributing problem is that only a small proportion of energy consumption activities are metered and many existing meters go unread. The inability to identify excessive energy users and to verify energy savings inhibits effective modifications of behavioral patterns and the introduction of new equipment. We consider the implications of these findings for the technological change activities of other public and private organizations with multi-locational structures, in which internal ''shadow markets'' are important. 24 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5712807
• Report Number(s): CONF-8505146-1; ON: DE85012902
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
291000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320000* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization
DECISION MAKING
ENERGY CONSERVATION
MILITARY FACILITIES
ORGANIZING
PLANNING