Recent radical changes in the application of military power and service patterns have triggered demands for a change in military identity. This article aimed to examine the ability of military identity to predict perceived military performance and attitudes beyond the contributions of personality traits and Hardiness in Norwegian military academy cadets (N ¼ 117). Military skills, general military competence, and organizational commitment were measured by self-report. Military Identity, in particular operational identity, was found to predict both perceived military competence and skills. Furthermore, Individualism negatively predicted organizational commitment. As the first investigation of the unique influence of Military Identity on perceived skills and competence in the Norwegian armed forces, this study identifies operational identity as an important predictor of military performance. Implications for training as well as leadership development programs are discussed.

Our purpose was to perform a psychometric evaluation of a new 33-item questionnaire developed in Norway. To evaluate it we assessed its internal consistency, performed an exploratory factor analysis, and investigated aspects of construct validity. We also examined test-retest reliability. A second purpose was to investigate whether or not individual level variables such as age, gender, or service were related to different military identities. In Study 1 we collected cross-sectional data from military personnel in the Norwegian Armed Forces (N = 317). In Study 2 we collected longitudinal data from students undertaking junior officer education (N = 238). We identified a 3-factor structure, comprising professionalism, individualism, and idealism. Internal consistency for the 3 subscales was acceptable ( = .60-.83). Test-retest reliability and construct validity were supported. We found professionalism to be significantly higher in the Army as compared to in the Navy and Air Force. We did not detect gender differences in terms of military identities, but we did detect small negative correlations between age and professionalism and between age and idealism.

This study investigated the relationship between academic self-concept, academic self-efficacy and the self-reported acquirement of certain specific military skills and abilities. Our sample consisted of 141 military cadets from the Norwegian Military Academy (Army), the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, and the Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy. Supporting our hypotheses, it was found that perceived academic self-concept related positively to self-efficacy, after controlling for initial levels of self-efficacy, and that self-efficacy relates positively to self-reported Individual Coping Capacity (ICC), Cooperation in Difficult Situations (CDS), and Motivation to Achievement (MA), this after controlling for the initial levels of these Military Skills and Abilities (MSA). We discuss the implications of these findings.

The present study examined the influence of military identity on work engagement and burnout among members in the Norwegian Army Rapid Reaction Forces (RRF). Hierarchical regression analyses found work engagement to be predicted by military identity (positively so by professionalism, and negatively by individualism), with individualism also predicting burnout. This is the first study to examine the unique influence of military identity on burnout and engagement among operational army personnel in the Norwegian ArmedForces.

A Joint Force Commander (JFC) leading military joint operations faces several complex challenges. The purpose of this article is to investigate some of the challenges a Joint Force Commander may face when a conflict changes character from being a high-intensity conflict to becoming a low-intensity conflict. Sources of evidence: In connection with command and control, especially issues concerning different cultures and the understanding of this can be the biggest challenge for a Joint Force Commander during the transition to a low intensity conflict as a peace support operation setting. Main argument: Being able to anticipate some of these problems will be essential to a Joint Force Commander's ability to exercise leadership and command and control. Conclusions: Furthermore, target selection and information operations have proven to be two factors that will have a greater importance in the planning and conduct of operations during a transition from a high-intensity conflict to a low-intensity conflict.