Departement Gesondheidswetenskappe  Faculty of Health Sciences THE UNFOLDING LANDSCAPE OF SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY CULTURE: The views of officers from within Prof Lindy Heinecken Presentation at 2011 Strategy Conference on Military Culture, Stellenbosch University, 23 September 2011 Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

2 OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION AIM What factors influence military culture in South Africa from outside and within? SCOPE The nature of the military task (warfighting, peacekeeping, constabulary) The nature of military organisation (discipline, cohesion, selfless service) Societal forces and effect on military culture (trade union rights, gender equality) CONCLUSIONS

3 POP SURVEY AMONG SANDF OFFICERS METHODOLOGY PROFILE OF OFFICERS RESPONDING TO POP SURVEY Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

4 POP SURVEY AMONG SANDF OFFICERS Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Race Black/African 747 (52.6%) Coloured 106 (7.5%) Asian 32 (7.5%) White 536 (37.7%) Arm of service Army 877 (63.8%) Air Force 211 (15.3%) Navy 146 (10.6%) SAHMS 141 (10.3%) Rank Lt/Captain (SAN) 10 (0.9%) Maj/Lt Cdr 302 (21.9%) Lt Col/Cdr 570 (41,3%) Col/Capt 452 (32.8%) Brig Gen/ 46 (3.3%) Gender Male 1259 (85.8%) Female 201 (13.8%) Profile of respondents to POP survey ( )

5 NATURE OF MILTIARY TASK Warfighting vs peacekeeping roles AgreeUnsureDisagree The Department of Defence should focus its current programmes on conventional military training rather than supportive roles or external peacekeeping 33%15%52% The Department of Defence should provide peacekeeping forces to African countries.78%9%11% The present Department of Defence should play supportive roles such as policing support, humanitarian support and election support rather than conventional military roles. 46%12%42%

6 NATURE OF MILTIARY TASK DOD current training should focus on conventional training

7 NATURE OF MILTIARY TASK Constabulary roles rather than conventional roles

8 NATURE OF MILTIARY TASK As Frost (2000:38) states, where the task of an organisation is redefined, so the culture of the organisation changes and this in turn impacts on the functioning of an organisation.

9 NATURE OF MILITARY ORGANISATION MILITARY DISCIPLINE AND AUTHORITY As Buckingham (1999:8) states, “failure to consistently enforce even minor standards or the failure to respect the legitimate authority of the leader may escalate quickly to insubordination that spreads throughout the entire organization”. For members of the military to show respect for authority there must be firstly trust in military leadership and secondly, faith in the chain of command. Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

10 NATURE OF MILITARY ORGANISATION Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Trust in chain of command AgreeUnsureDisagree The respective headquarters and staff divisions looks after the interests of individual members of the Department of Defence well 16%27%57% I am opposed to the idea of a representative association bypassing the existing chain of command to negotiate on my behalf 51%18%31%

11 Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences NATURE OF MILITARY ORGANISATION Opposed to representative association bypassing the existing chain of command to negotiate on my behalf

12 NATURE OF MILITARY ORGANISATION COHESION AND ESPRIT DE CORPS In this regard Seibold (2011:463) warns: “… regardless of shared goals, trust can be destroyed or much reduced among the team members due to favoritism being perceived as shown to certain members, perceived lack of fair play, or perceived aberrant behaviour which is perceived to be inimical to formal or informal group norms and standards. Lack of trust in turn can inhibit teamwork substantially and decrease support for pertinent otherwise accepted goals”. Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

13 NATURE OF MILITARY ORGANISATION Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Factors affecting cohesionAgreeUnsureDisagree Integration led to close cooperation between the former statutory and non-statutory forces 41%26%33% Affirmative action during the promotion of officers does not undermine the competency of the Department of Defence 37%16%47%

14 Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences NATURE OF MILITARY ORGANISATION Integration led to closer cooperation between former forces

15 NATURE OF MILITARY ORGANISATION Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Affirmative action does not undermine competency level of DOD

16 NATURE OF MILITARY ORGANISATION Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Institutional/Occupational indicators AgreeUnsureDisagree I prefer the military way of life to the civilian way of life 68%15%17% Job satisfaction is more important than a high income and good fringe benefits 62%17%21% Even if I would receive a financially better civilian job, I will still not resign from the DOD 34%27%40%

17 SOCIETAL FORCES Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences James Burk (1999:458) states that on of the most profound influences (apart from the move towards all- volunteer force) is the expanding circle of citizenship and the push to institutionalize practices of equality of rights and opportunity. In South Africa, two issues which have a fundamental influence on military culture and which emanate from pressures from broader society are the demand for “worker rights” and “gender equality”.

18 SOCIETAL FORCES Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Agree Disagree Unsure Support for collective bargaining and trade unions

19 SOCIETAL FORCES Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Support for women in frontline combat roles

20 SOCIETAL FORCES Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Similar to the findings by Miller (1995) on women serving in the military in the United States, SANDF military women and ‘men’ feel that women should be allowed to serve in combat roles only if they can meet the standards required. Women generally resent being pushed into these positions and prefer policies where their choices are matched with their skills and abilities. The issue of gender integration and the effect on military culture, stretches beyond issues of combat inclusion and masculinity. Of greater concern are matters of sexuality and sexual harassment. Webb (1997) states, for example that sexual jealousies, courtships and favouritism affect authority relations and drive a wedge into issues of fairness and discrimination. This is a matter of greater concern.

21 CONCLUSIONS Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology ● Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Statement by Sun Tzu, quoted in Buckingham, (1999:8). “When the General is morally weak and his discipline not strict, when his instructions and guidance are not enlightened, where there are no consistent rules to guide the officers and men and when the formations are slovenly, the Army is in disorder and self-induced chaos”.

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