Conceptualizing Unit Culture: Analyzing Data from Soldiers Interviews
Abstract
The Army has framed its understanding of culture comparatively, training Soldiers on the enduring values, beliefs, and norms of groups that they might engage with outside the United States during deployment or missions. What remains to be known is what the enduring values, beliefs, and norms of Army units themselves are and how consistent or different this culture is across Army units. The Army Research Institute established a multidisciplinary research team and used grounded theory to develop protocols used to conduct 504 inductive, semi-structured interviews representing nine active component brigade-sized units at installations throughout the continental US. Initial analysis included a sub-sample of 48 of the interviews which were stratified by sub-unit and unit member rank. Twelve researchers either coded or analyzed data. A model was constructed that approximates what broad categories have universal importance for unit culture. In a companion analysis, two paired infantry brigades were analyzed for their unit cultures uniqueness and commonality. Researchers then coded and analyzed all interview transcripts and condensed them into narratives that represented the culture of both units. The two infantry units were found to have values, beliefs and norms that were in common as well as distinct. Findings from this work can guide unit leaders and members can instigate actions to sustain positive, efficient, and effective unit cultures and enact change or mitigation of negative and dysfunctional culture components.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 11, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1168712
Entities
People
- Chelsey Jackson
- Gregory A. Ruark
- Jennifer Mcleer
- Matthew D. Mcdonough
- Steven N. Aude
Organizations
- ICF International
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences