Identifying Promising Approaches To U.S. Army Institutional Change: A Review Of The Literature On Organizational Culture And Climate
Abstract
The U.S. Army is confronting a number of challenges. It has relatively well-established organizations and procedures for some challenges, such as force strength reductions. Other challenges are more difficult. These include combat stress and family issues that crop up as a result of repeated deployments. Some soldiers perceptions that seeking help for stress is a sign of weakness complicate these challenges. Other difficult issues pertain to the workplace, including sexual harassment and assault. Qualitative research has characterized the current Armys culture as high-stress and hypermasculine in that it has strong norms that discourage disclosures or seek- ing help for emotional concerns, coupled with norms for unhealthy behaviors, such as substance use and violence among personnel. Long-term solutions to such challenges very likely require changes in Army organizational culture and climate. Because many of these challenges are intertwined (e.g., sexual harassment incidents might also involve substance use or abuse), a comprehensive approach is necessary. Change at the institutional level in large organizations, however, is typically very difficult. In recognition of this difficulty, the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) asked the RAND Arroyo Center to review the literature on organizational culture and climate to identify promising approaches that the Army might adopt in confronting some of these challenges, especially in the areas of behavioral health stigma and negative workplace behaviors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 15, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1054034
Entities
People
- Adeyemi Okunogbe
- Benjamin S. Batorsky
- Brittany L. Bannon
- Carra S. Sims
- Craig A Myatt
- Lisa S. Meredith
Organizations
- RAND Corporation