EVALUATING THE COMMAND CLIMATE IN MILITARY UNITS

Abstract

Military units are principally concerned with training and preparing for operations when they are not deployed on missions. During these periods when they are predominantly stationed in barracks, they are also occupied with a host of administrative and domestic tasks assigned by their higher formation. Despite the varied nature of day-today activities, heads of these units or commanders have the challenge of ensuring a suitable organisational climate (referred to as command climate) as this would inevitably contribute towards operational effectiveness.Unlike organisational climate, command climate is impacted by variables peculiar to military units. Existing literature indicates various psychological dimensions of operational effectiveness that includesmorale, group cohesion, confidence in leadership and job satisfaction. These variables have to be further verified through a systematic process i.e. scouring existing literature and conducting in-depth interviews with experienced commanders. Underlying theories impacting the various constructs will be identified to provide the necessary grounding. Subsequently,these intangible factors will be empirically measured. This research has its main objective of developing and validating a reliable and easy to use measurement tool, which would eventually enable military unit commanders to evaluate command climate as and when required.Higher formations will also be able to determine the ability of units to perform in the event they are deployed to undertake missions under stressful conditions.