The market and the military profession: competition and change in the case of Sweden

Abstract

The rise of private military and security companies (PMSCs) challenges our notion of military professionals. PMSCs bring new claims to professional status and legitimacy outside military institutions and represent an increasing diffusion of-and competition over-military and security expertise. In light of this development, understanding the formation of professional identities in military and private security organisations is as an important undertaking. This paper contributes to this endeavour by analysing professional self-images in the Swedish Armed Forces and how these relate to PMSCs. The study is based on data collected from official documents, semi-structured interviews and a small-scale survey among senior military officers. Focusing on military understandings of PMSCs and contractors, the analysis provides much-needed insight into relational aspects of professional identity formation outside the US context. Furthermore, it points to discrepancies in organisational and group levels in understandings of commercial security actors, and paves the way for future research.

Sweden and Our Military Profession: Building a Common Identity or Creating Friction?

“…In terms of methods and sources, this chapter draws on a previous study on professional competition between the military and private security actors in Sweden (Berndtsson, 2019). The study collected data on several aspects of professional identity but focused chiefly on external, relational aspects of identity formation.…”

“…Thirdly, relational comparisons refer to the issue of defining the group in relation to what it is not. This is a key aspect and includes self-perceptions and ideas about expert knowledge and legitimate professional status among officers, especially in relation to significant "others" such as civilian employees or military contractors (Berndtsson, 2019;Dunigan, 2011). Finally, a cognitive model refers to a "worldview" or a framework that "allows members of a group to make sense of social, political, and economic conditions" (Abdelal et al, 2006, p. 699).…”

“…1 Data collection for this study was conducted in 2016-2018 and formed part of a project on relational aspects of professional identities and professional competition between the armed forces and the private security industry. This part of the project was published open access in Defense & Security Analysis (Berndtsson 2019). The present paper draws on a similar theoretical framework and design, but uses mainly previously unpublished data in the analysis.…”

“…Seven of the students were women; ages spanned between 36 and 48. 3 For a more detailed description and analysis of the survey data (not used here), seeBerndtsson, 2019.…”

Organizational Changes and their Presumptive Effect on the Military Families

“…Employees form an increasingly crucial asset to the organization (Jacobsen & Thorsvik, 2014), which makes it important to recruit the best. This is just as important for the Swedish Armed Forces (Österberg, 2018), especially when the civilian sector and the private security sector attract military personnel (Berndtsson, 2019;Strand & Berndtsson, 2015). Backhaus and Tikoo (2004) believe that attractiveness, or employer branding, creates two important processes for the organization.…”