THE KEY FACTORS THAT DRIVE DOWNSIZING IN MULTICULTURAL MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS

摘要

Downsizing has been described as a reduction in the infrastructure of an organization that might be realized as organizational restructuring, reduction in equipment, facilities or personnel. Although downsizing has long been a topic of research in traditional organizations, there are very few studies in military contexts. As a result, we have little understanding of the key factors that drive downsizing in military settings. This study will contribute to our understanding of some key factors that drive downsizing in military organizations and how those factors may differ across cultural clusters. The theoretical framework for this study was built from studies in non-military contexts and adapted to fit the military environment. This research will rely on historical data from one of the largest multinational coalition forces worldwide. Data from over 23 years will be gathered and will include the following variables: total active duty personnel, military expenditure as a percentage of GDP, turnover in the Chief of General Staff and modification of the National Military Strategy Directive. This study will measure downsizing as a percentage of a reduction in the total active duty personnel of a military organization. A statistical model to predict downsizing based on the variables of interest will be developed and tested. Data will be retrieved from 28 NATO countries between the years 1989-2011. The findings will contribute to the discipline of engineering management by providing a model to help military staff understand the key factors that drive downsizing and how those factors may differ across cultural clusters.