Cultures in Combat: Mission Command in the Arctic

NATO countries and partners such as Sweden have adopted mission command as their leadership philosophy. All nations pretty much describe mission command the same way; however, they practice it differently.

Everyone belongs to several cultures, which can be based on where you live, what organization you work for etc. One's national culture is believed to be more salient than any other of these cultures. As leadership is quite culturally contingent, it is not surprising that mission command would be understood and practiced differently in different nations.

The project wants to increase our understanding of how these cultural differences impact multinational military teamwork when it comes to mission command. This knowledge can be used to inform leaders and team members about how they can leverage the opportunities diversity offers and avoid potential disruptive effects.

The project will focus on nations that are believed to be key participants in any Arctic campaign involving Norway. The primary nations of interest are Finland, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Studying Canada, Belgium Denmark, France, Germany, and the Netherlands is also of interest.