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The Context of Military Environments: An Agenda for Basic Research on Social and Organizational Factors Relevant to Small Units


The U.S. Army faces a variety of challenges to maintain a ready and capable force into the future. Its missions are diverse, following a con- tinuum from peace to war that includes combat and counterinsurgency operations as well as negotiation, reconstruction, and stability operations that require a variety of personnel and skill sets to execute. Missions often demand rapid decision making and coordination with others in novel ways, so that personnel are not simply following a specific set of tactical orders but, rather, carrying out mission command through an understanding of broader strategic goals in order to develop and choose among courses of action. Like any workforce, the Army is diverse in terms of demographic characteristics, such as gender and race, with a commitment of its leader- ship to ensure equal opportunities across all demographic parties. With these challenges comes the urgent need to better understand how contextual factors influence soldier and small unit behavior and mission performance. Soldiers are embedded in several different contexts, each of which includes social and organizational factors. First is the context of their small unit: the team, squad, and platoon to which they are assigned. Second is the context of the larger Army organization, such as their battalion. Third is the context of their physical location and environment. They can be stationed with family (either in the United States or outside). They can be stationed on or off a military facility. They can be stationed in combat or noncombat environments. All these contexts can influence on how a soldier and his or her small unit operate.
978-0-309-30684-3
NONE
Social Science
English
2014
1-165
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