Is the Culture of the British Army Conducive to the Successful Execution of Mission Command
Abstract
The British Army formally adopted Mission Command into doctrine in 1989. This command philosophy espouses centralized intent and decentralized execution, encouraging freedom of action and initiative, elements vital to the successful employment of the Manoeuvrist Approach. To guide commanders in the pursuit of Mission Command, doctrine prescribes one guiding principle, four enduring tenets and five essential elements. Moreover, trust and mutual understanding are also fundamentally important for Mission Command enactment. Such requirements necessitate an organizational culture which facilitates the successful execution of Mission Command and therefore maximizes operational effectiveness. A literature review identified a British culture supportive of Mission Command, yet a British Army culture unsupportive of Mission Command. Nationally, Hofstede's dimensions identified Britain's culture as individualist, masculine, and indulgent, with weak uncertainty avoidance, low power distance and intermediate short- versus long-term orientation. The associated cultural traits generally supported Mission Command. Organizationally, using Schein's model, analysis of Army culture identified a core of espoused values that, with the exception of heroes, supported Mission Command. However, identified obstructive artifacts and some misalignments between espoused values and exhibited behaviors undermined Mission Command. These included a propensity for oversized headquarters, prevalence of a management culture, risk-aversion, micromanagement and a zero-defect mentality.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 10, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1019913
Entities
People
- Oliver D. Burwell
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College