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Military organizational culture and crisis communication

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Lots of well-written crisis management plans have failed because they didn't consider how an organization's culture influences managing a crisis.

Does the unique organizational culture of the military enhance (or diminish) the planning, training and execution of crisis management plans? Is the military better at crisis communication than civilian organizations because of its culture?
Is this military culture transferable to civilian organizations and companies? Would what works for the military work outside a base?

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Solution Summary

Organizational culture of the military and crisis communication are discussed in a structured manner in this response. The related references are also provided

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The culture of military and crisis management
The unique organizational culture of the military enhances the planning, training, and execution of a crisis management plan. The military culture is characterized by a sense of community, strong adherence to rules, well-defined hierarchy, and strict discipline. Each of these characteristics is very important for the successful planning, training, and execution of a crisis management plan. In addition, the military culture supports values such as sacrifice, honor, and collective effort. These are very valuable during the execution of a crisis management plan. Moreover, the military culture values humility, and a strong desire to limit harm or risk to others.

To have a risk management plan in place it is necessary to objectively assess risk, evaluate the business impact, and list contingencies. After that, it is necessary to build the plan, familiarize the organization members, and revisit the plan regularly. A crisis management plan describes how the organization will act if a crisis occurs. Usually, the plan will identify who will take action and what their roles will be. The military is successful in risk management because it has developed a culture that enables it to successfully act in a crisis or a similar situation. A sudden or unexpected attack by an enemy is very similar to a crisis. It is because the military has to face such situations that it has developed a culture where it is required to achieve a distinct mission, has a budget that is approved by Congress on a year-by-year basis, and several related sets of personnel. Also, the hierarchy is established because of the fixed rank structure, the military cannot organize itself for collective bargaining, and the personnel serves fixed terms of enlistment. Moreover, merit pay or bonuses cannot be used as incentives or rewards. Recognition is provided through medals or awards. Since the military culture is developed to tackle crises or crises-like situations, such a culture is appropriate for crisis management plans.

During crises training, the military culture of following the rules, strict ...

Solution provided by:
Hatim Baxamusa, MBA
Education
  • BSc , University of Calcutta
  • MBA, Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management
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