Theses Doctoral

Understanding the Organizational Culture and Oversight Factors That Foster Unethical Behavior in Army Senior Leaders: An Embedded Case Study

Hickman, Jamie

Sexual misconduct in the Army can range from inappropriate behavior to criminal assault. Despite shared Army values, rigorous ethics training, and oversight mechanisms, cases of Army general officers (senior leaders) perpetuating and/or enabling sexual misconduct to continue. In fact, research and statistics indicate that the frequency and severity of sexual misconduct has not decreased over time (Acosta et al., 2021; Office of People Analytics, Department of Defense, 2021). Existing literature suggests several possible contributing factors, including male-dominated, hyper-masculine military culture (Pang et al., 2021) and senior leaders and oversight committees’ failure to observe and/or enforce standards of ethical behavior (O’Keefe et al., 2020; Pang et al., 2021).

This qualitative, embedded case study sought to identify and more deeply understand the organizational culture and oversight factors that foster or contribute to senior leaders’ unethical behavior and sexual misconduct in the Army, despite high levels of discipline and training (Whetham, 2021). The study also explored how female officers navigate the risks of victimization. The study included the following methods and sources: publicly available archival documents, individual interviews with retired senior Army leaders, and individual interviews with active and retired Army soldiers.

The study’s findings identified the following as organizational culture and oversight factors: institutional dysfunction and ethical deterioration; discrimination against women, and fear of retaliation; inability of senior leaders to balance professional and personal life; ethical dilemmas and abuse of power; challenges in accountability; corruption and military cover ups; and impunity and injustice in the face of misconduct. The study’s findings identified the following as ways in which female officers attempt to cope and navigate risks: by empowering women in a male-dominated environment; supporting survivors of sexual trauma and ensuring justice.

Overall, the findings provide insight into why sexual misconduct thrives and oversight fails in the Army and concludes that more research and advocacy are needed to achieve a new model of oversight that promotes ethical leadership guided by Army values.

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More About This Work

Academic Units
Organization and Leadership
Thesis Advisors
Yorks, Lyle
Faller, Pierre
Degree
Ed.D., Teachers College, Columbia University
Published Here
October 30, 2024