Loyal to the End (?): Examining the Meaning of Loyalty among High-Ranking Military Officers

Engelkes, TorbjörnStockholms universitet,Arbets- och organisationspsykologi (author)

Loyal to the End (?) : Examining the Meaning of Loyalty among High-Ranking Military Officers

Loyalty is a desirable but possibly destructive virtue which is seen as an important trait in many contexts. In strongly vocational professions, loyalty to certain core values seems especially important. As senior leadership within an organization set the expectations of organizational behaviour, it is important to explore their perception of loyalty. The overall purpose of this study is to broaden understanding of the meaning of loyalty within the military by exploring how high-ranking officers in the Swedish Armed Forces give meaning to their own personal experiences of loyalty. Data was collected through nine interviews with senior military generals and admirals and was analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The results describe a strong normative virtue, creating a strong professional identity which at the same time gives rise to dilemmas and ambiguous choices. The most dilemmatic experience raised was between the norms of, on the one hand, being compliant and adaptable, and on the other, of questioning irrational decisions or opinions. The results were discussed in terms of contradictions or dilemmas concerning the individual´s choice of loyalties. This study contributes to a greater understanding of personal experiences concerning loyalty within a profession characterized by strong professional norms.

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