I’m planning on doing a case study (MBA Thesis) on differences in civilian and military leadership styles (if any) in a specific organisation. I’m therefore interested in previous research/reviews regarding civilian and military leadership and also on stereotypes regarding military leadership. I’m grateful for any input connected to this.
I can't give you a study/review such as you are asking for but I wonder if the comparison is fair. Many, presumably all, military organizations have what might be called the Code of Service Conduct which establishes expectations, punishable if transgressed, of behaviour and response to leaders. This creates a different sort of context, in my opinion, of leadership. This difference might invalidate comparisons between the two populations. I don't know if that is helpful but I thought that I'd share it with you.
cheers, randy
Hi Randy,
I agree that context and organisational circumstances as you mention are important factors that most likely affect the leadership style. In this case I am planning to do a case study on one specific civilian governmental agency supporting the Armed Forces where most of the employees have no military background, while a larger proportion of the managers have a military background (approx 15 percent). My idea is to investigate if one can find any systematic differences in leadership behaviour comparing managers with and without military background within the same organisation.
Ahh, OK, I see your point. To that extent it makes sense to do what you are doing. What I can tell you is that, in the Canadian Forces Health Services, 15-20 years ago, civilian leadership models (eg servant leader) were used by military personnel to enhance their leadership capabilities. This is a different context compared to what you are proposing.
All the best,
randy
Hi Mikael,
Do you have any specific institutions in mind? Professional Military Education versus academia, military versus civilian logistics? combat units versus law enforcement? etc. In some cases, there will be notable differences while in other cases similarities may prevail.
Best regards
Eugeniusz
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1143835.pdf
https://www.govexec.com/defense/2007/03/study-highlights-differences-between-military-civilian-leaders/23921/
Unfortunately, the link to the report does not work
https://my.vanderbilt.edu/davidlewis/files/2018/07/ohlewis2008.pdf
I was in the US Army for 26 years. There is a distinct difference between American military leadership and American civilian (politicians) leadership. The US Military is held to a much higher standard as one can be court-martialed and imprisoned for lying, cheating, stealing, murder, or even committing adultery -- yet these behaviors are "routine" for the likes of American politicians. Nonetheless, I transitioned from the US military to "Project Management" and I wrote a paper that you may find interesting as I used a BE-KNOW-DO construct:
Baker, B. (2020). Power, Leadership, and Culture as Drivers of Project Management. American Journal of Management, 20(1), 9–30. https://articlegateway.com/index.php/AJM/article/view/2750/2615
The basic assumption is that Leadership is a characteristic for someone in such a situation where he / she has potent to take decision. There will be difference in circumstances but characteristics are always same in measurements or analysis.
Mikael
Eu não tenho um trabalho específico sobre esse tema. Entretanto, a questão pode ser resumida na seguinte observação: - formação. A exceto a Igreja não existe outra formação que persiga liderança como as escolas militares. Nelas os alunos tem ensinamento sobre o tema e a possibilidade de praticá-la todo o tempo. Verifique artigos sobre formação militar, principalmente nos EUA.
The differences between military and civilian leadership have been studied and debated in various contexts. One key difference is that the military places a greater emphasis on the cultivation of leaders, while civilian organizations tend to focus more on organizational performance. However, some argue that there is no justifiable distinction between military and civilian leadership, as leadership is leadership regardless of the context. Other studies have identified differences in leadership styles between military and civilian leaders, with military leaders tending to be more directive and task-oriented, while civilian leaders tend to be more participative and relationship-oriented. Additionally, there may be differences in the challenges faced by military and civilian leaders, with military leaders facing unique challenges related to the nature of military operations and the need to balance mission requirements with the welfare of their troops. Overall, while there may be some differences between military and civilian leadership, it is important to recognize that effective leadership requires a combination of skills, traits, and behaviors that are applicable in any context
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