19Components of military organizational culture inuencing individual...
Elitsa STOYANOVA-PETROVA
Vasil Levski National Military University, Veliko Tarnovo
Bulgaria
ORCID: 0000-0002-8291-7108
elitsasd@abv.bg
COMPONENTS OF MILITARY ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE INFLUENCING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
IN THE TRAINING PROCESS
KOMPONENTY WOJSKOWEJ KULTURY ORGANIZACYJNEJ
WPŁYWAJĄCE NA WYNIKI INDYWIDUALNE W PROCESIE
SZKOLENIA
Abstract: The article presents the impact of military organizational culture on the individual
performance of learners. Its aim is to identify some components of military organizational cul-
ture that inuence individual performance in the training process, which is especially related to
motivation for training and military activity. Specic subjects of empirical research are trainees
in the Military Science professional eld, specialising in Organisation and Management of
Military Units at a Tactical Level at the National Military University in Bulgaria.
Zarys treści: W artykule przedstawiono wpływ wojskowej kultury organizacyjnej na indywi-
dualne wyniki uczniów. Przedmiotem artykułu jest identykacja niektórych elementów woj-
skowej kultury organizacyjnej, które wpływają na indywidualne wyniki w procesie szkolenia,
co jest szczególnie związane z motywacją do szkolenia i działalności wojskowej. Szczególnym
przedmiotem badań empirycznych są stażyści w dziedzinie nauk wojskowych, specjalizujący
się w organizacji i zarządzaniu jednostkami wojskowymi na poziomie taktycznym w Narodo-
wym Uniwersytecie Wojskowym w Bułgarii.
Key words: military organizational culture, individual performance, cadets
Słowa kluczowe: wojskowa kultura organizacyjna, wyniki indywidualne, kadeci, studenci
cywilni
Introduction
The article constitutes a small part of a larger study, carried out by the author in
the period 2012–2019, relating to motivational salience and satisfaction with trai-
ning in the eld of security and defence, following the example of higher education
19
19gl;;
Nr 6 ss. 19–27 2021
ISSN 2543–7321 Przyjęto: 10.02.2022
© Instytut Bezpieczeństwa i Zarządzania, Akademia Pomorska w Słupsku Zaakceptowano: 10.02.2022
Oryginalna praca badawcza DOI: 10.34858/SNB.6.2021.002
STUDIA NAD BEZPIECZEŃSTWEM
20 Elitsa Stoyanova-Petrova
institutions in Europe. The study was supported by 19 educational institutions in the
eld of security and defence in Europe. The larger study in its entirety has not been
the subject of publication so far, as only individual elements have been presented.
Therefore, we hope that interest will be aroused in scientic audiences. The oce
of the rector of the Vasil Levski National Military University has received letters of
recommendation, highly appreciating the scientic achievements, teaching practice,
academicism, publishing activity and work presented by Associate Professor Elitsa
Petrova on motivational expression and satisfaction in education, following the exam-
ple of higher education institutions in Europe in the eld of security and defence, on
the behalf of:
1. Brigadier General Tsvetan Harizanov, Bulgaria.
2. Major General Vasile Roman, Romania.
3. Coordinator of the Distance Learning NATO portal – Prof. Piotr Gawlicek,
PhD.
4. Director of the Centre for Security and Military Strategic Studies, University
of Defence, Czech Republic, Brno – Associate Professor Josef Prohazka, PhD.
5. University of Manchester, United Kingdom – Professor Leonidas Koutsoregas.
6. Military Technical University, Warsaw, Poland – from the whole academic
community, signed by Colonel Marius Gontarchik, PhD.
7. Military Technical University, Warsaw, Poland – Associate Professor Dr. Bog-
dan Cwik, Head of the Department of Economic and Social Sciences.
8. Military Technical University, Warsaw, Poland – Katarzyna Swierszcs, PhD
from the Institute of Security and Defence, Faculty of Logistics.
9. Academy of Public Security, Lithuania – Vice Dean for Academic and Scienti-
c Aairs – Associate Professor Aurelia Puraite, PhD.
10. University of Chechanow, Poland – Head of the Department of Internal Secu-
rity – Associate Professor Rafal Panl, PhD.
11. Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania – Professor Roxana Stefanescu,
PhD.
12. Colonel, Professor Dumitru Iancu, PhD – Vice dean for Scientic Research,
Faculty of Military Management, “Nicolae Balcescu” Land Forces Academy.
13. University of Defence, Czech Republic, Brno – Colonel David Ullrich, PhD.
14. Associate Professor Lubomir Belan, PhD – Chief of the Department of Logi-
stics, Armed Forces Academy in L. Mikuláš, Slovakia.
15. Associate Professor Nikorowicz-Zatorska, PhD – Polish Air Defence Acade-
my, Poland, Faculty of National Security and Logistics.
The formation of organizational culture is a consequence of the creation of a com-
mon human, national and individual culture. Hofstede dened several dimensions of
culture that characterize the impact of national cultures. The dimensions are: ranging
distance – the extent to which society expects and accepts dierences in levels of po-
wer, avoiding uncertainty – this dimension reects the extent to which society accepts
or does not accept uncertainty and risk, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity
21Components of military organizational culture inuencing individual...
vs. femininity as traditionally men consider competitiveness, self-condence, autono-
my, dominance, ambition, accumulation of wealth and material benets as priorities
in their work and personal life, and women’s priorities are security, the creation of
sustainable relationships, communication, family and love.
1
Johnson’s cultural web is probably the most well-known and used concept of or-
ganizational culture. It denes the elements that include organizational culture. These
are: norms; rituals and practices; symbols; stories, myths, and legends; power struc-
tures; organizational structures and control systems.
2
Norms are the required way in
which members of the organization relate to one another. Rituals are all those activi-
ties that indicate the organizational values and point out acceptable behaviour as kinds
of celebrations, training programmes, rituals for transfer of workers from one job
to another, rituals of employee achievements recognition, rituals of social structures
improvement, conict resolution and dispute resolution rituals, rituals for integration
between members of the organization, etc. The logo of the organization, signs with the
names of people and departments, parking spaces, etc. are one of the many symbols
that organizations have. The stories that members of the organization tell each other
are important sources of information about what is valued, how to succeed and how
to punish mistakes. Often, legends about successful people and the path of their pro-
fessional growth give additional motivation to the sta. Structures of authority, orga-
nizational structures and control systems are also included as elements of the cultural
web. The combination of all these elements forms the paradigm of the organization,
which can be dened as its character or its way of behaving, its perceptions of the
surrounding world and its perceptions of itself.
Various components of military organizational culture are subject to scientic re-
search. Atanasova-Krasteva and Ştefănescu look at change-oriented leadership,
3
the
importance of power and the key presence in leadership,
4
as well as building leader-
ship
5
and establishing leadership.
6
Doncheva writes on a new way of thinking abo-
ut training and educating trainees
7
while Stoyanova focuses on managing groups
8
and working with specic groups, including those at risk.
9
Sotirov and Stoyanov
1
G. Hofstede, Culture’s Consequences: International Dierences in Work Related Values, Beverly
Hills, CA, Sage Publications 1980.
2
G. Johnson, Rethinking Incrementalism, “Strategic Management Journal” 1988, Vol. 9, p. 75–91.
3
R. Ştefănescu, Change oriented leadership, “Revew of General Management” 2008, issue no. 1,
edited by Spiru Haret University, Faculty of Management, Brasov, Romania, ISSN 1841-818X.
4
R. Ştefănescu, Power and its key role in leadership, “Metalurgia International Review” 2010,
special issue no 4, Scienting Editing house F.M.R., Bucharest, Romania, ISSN 1582-2214.
5
N. Atanasova-Krasteva, Some Theories and Views on Leadership, “Annual University Confer-
ence National Military University” 2011, Publishing complex of Vasil Levski National Military
University, Veliko Tarnovo.
6
N. Atanasova-Krasteva, Leadership Establishment of Cadets, “Publishing complex of Vasil
Levski National Military University”, Veliko Tarnovo 2012.
7
J. Doncheva, Principles of training in line with the new thinking and action, SEA – Conf.,
3 International Conference, Naval Academy, Constanta 2017, No 3, pp. 74, ISSN 2457-144X.
8
S. Stoyanova, Group Management, University Publishing House St. Cyril and Methodius,
VT, 2013.
9
S. Stoyanova, Groups – Dynamics and Risks, Publisher: A & B, VT, 2013.
22 Elitsa Stoyanova-Petrova
examine the National Military University’s methodology for the quality of education
in dierent specialities,
10
which is directly related to the impact of military organiza-
tional culture on learners. Świerszcz
11
and Ćwik examine national security in modern
times in terms of subjective-axiological challenges and build the concept of the model
of security threats in logistics systems.
12
Stoykov and Marinov’s approach to training
and education in the sphere of security and defence
13
as well as a number of Stoykov’s
important developments in the eld of security and defence
14
are also of major scien-
tic interest. Manolov works on the issues of training and education in a military
environment, and discusses the topics of pedagogical practices, combined with the
topics of curricula and possibilities of the situational approach in training in security
Logistics.
15
At the same time, we cannot ignore the adequacy of the statistical proces-
sing of information, which is extremely important for the conduct of each experiment
and the specic processing of the data to obtain accurate results. For this purpose, we
have studied and used the Lectures on Statistical Methods in Psychology
16
and Stati-
stical Methods in Psychology
17
by Tsvetkov, which we recommend in the processing
of data from social, economic, and psychological research.
Military organizational culture and its inuence on individual performances
of trainees at the Vasil Levski National Military University
The paper examines the impact of military organizational culture on the individual
performance of learners as a very important part of the above mentioned research
work. The aim of the paper is to identify some components of military organizatio-
nal culture that inuence individual performance in the training process, which is
10
D. Sotirov, Y. Stoyanov, A Methodology for Evaluation of the Quality of Education in the Spe-
cialities at the Vasil Levski National Military University, Scientic Papers from the Scientic
Conference at the Vasil Levski National Military University – The Bulgarian Way to NATO
– Perspectives and Challenges 2003, vol. II, p.156–165, Publishing complex of Vasil Levski
National Military University, VT, ISSN 0861-0312.
11
K. Świerszcz, Bezpieczeństwo państwa w czasach współczesnych w ujęciu podmiotowo-aksjo-
logicznych wyzwań, “Przegląd Nauk o Obronności” 2016, WAT, nr 1–2, s. 65–82.
12
B. Ćwik, The Concept of Threat Model in the Aspect of Safety in Logistic Systems, “Systemy
Logistyczne Wojsk” 2017, nr 47, Wydawnictwo WAT, p. 44–58.
13
S. Stoykov, R. Marinov, A comprehensive approach to education and management in the sy-
stem of security, International conference Knowledge-based organization-Land Forces Academy,
‘Nicolae Balcescu’, Volume 24: Issue 1, pp. 329–334, Sibiu-Romania 2018, ISSN 1843-682X.
14
S. Stoykov, Scientic knowledge – source of a competitive advantage in security, International
conference on High Technology for Sustainable Development HiTECH 2018, ISBN: 978-1-
5386-7039-2.
15
D. Manolov, Possibilities of the situational approach in the training in security logistics, Confer-
ence proceedings of the Annual University Scientic Conference of the Vasil Levski National
Military University, Veliko Tarnovo 2016.
16
D. Tsvetkov, Lectures on Statistical Methods in Psychology, IVIS 2015, Veliko Tarnovo, ISBN
978-619-205-003-0.
17
D. Tsvetkov, Statistical Methods in Psychology, “Collection of Reports – May Readings”, Pub-
lisher: Union of Bulgarian Scientists, Veliko Tarnovo 2008.
23Components of military organizational culture inuencing individual...
especially related to the motivation for training and military activity. Specic subjects
of empirical research are trainees in the Military Science professional eld, specia-
lising in Organisation and Management of Military Units at a Tactical Level at the
National Military University in Bulgaria. On the basis of permission from the rector
of the Vasil Levski National Military University, Bulgaria, in 2012 a study on the mo-
tivational expression in the training process and its relation with the satisfaction of the
subjects from the National Military University was carried out. Students and cadets
in their rst year of training are included as control groups for comparison. The study
goes through several phases – diagnostic, basic and nal. This paper presents some
parts of the research conducted in the basic stage.
During the basic stage of the study the following were examined:
– Basic groups – cadets who graduated in the academic years 2013/2014,
2014/2015, 2015/2016, and 2016/2017 – a total 155 respondents. In the aca-
demic year 2013/2014 the general population consisted of 60 people, of whom
53 people took part in the study. In the academic year 2014/2015, the general
population was 39 people, of whom 33 were surveyed. In the 2015/2016 acade-
mic year, the general population was 46 people, of whom 38 were surveyed. In
the academic year 2016/2017, the general population was 35 people, of whom
31 were involved in the study.
– Control group for comparison included rst-year cadets who started their trai-
ning in 2013/2014 – 77 respondents.
– Control group for comparison included rst-year civilian students who started
their training in 2013/2014 – 88 respondents.
Fig. 1. How does the military organizational culture, including values, norms, symbols, rules,
and traditions aect your individual performance? Alumni 2013/2014 academic year
Source: own study.
17%
68%
7%
8%
0%
Strongly positive
Positive
Not influence
Negative
Strongly negative
24 Elitsa Stoyanova-Petrova
Fig. 2. How does the military organizational culture, including values, norms, symbols, rules
and traditions aect your individual performance? Alumni 2014/2015 academic year
Source: own study.
The distribution from 2013/2014 academic year shows that a signicant number
of the trainees consider that the military organizational culture has a positive impact
on their individual performance in the process of training at the university as 17% of
respondents believe that military organizational culture has a strong positive impact
on individual performance and 68% of respondents reported that the military organi-
zational culture has a positive inuence (Fig. 1).
The distribution from 2014/2015 academic year shows that a signicant number
of the trainees consider that the military organizational culture has a positive impact
on their individual performance in the process of training at the university as 24% of
respondents believe that military organizational culture has a strong positive impact
on individual performance and 40% of respondents reported that the military organi-
zational culture has a positive inuence (Fig. 2).
The distribution from 2015/2016 academic year shows that a signicant number
of the trainees consider that the military organizational culture has a positive impact
on their individual performance in the process of training at the university as 3%
of respondents consider that the military organizational culture has a strong positive
impact on individual performance, and 74% reported that the military organizational
culture has a positive inuence (Fig. 3).
The distribution from 2016/2017 academic year shows some dierences as 16% of
respondents believe that military organizational culture has a strong positive impact
on individual performance and 29% of learners reported that the military organizatio-
nal culture has a positive eect. (Fig. 4) Most of the results categorically indicate that
military organizational culture has a positive impact on the individual performance of
learners in the learning process.
24%
40%
15%
18%
3%
Strongly positive
Positive
Not influence
Negative
Strongly negative
25Components of military organizational culture inuencing individual...
Fig. 3. How does the military organizational culture, including values, norms, symbols, rules
and traditions aect your individual performance? Alumni 2015/2016 academic year
Source: own study.
Fig. 4. How does the military organizational culture, including values, norms, symbols, rules
and traditions aect your individual performance? Alumni 2016/2017 academic year
Source: own study.
Conclusions
The mission of the Vasil Levski National Military University, Bulgaria is to build
its students morally, mentally and physically, to inculcate the ideals of patriotism,
duty and honour, to form them as individual military and civilian leaders capable of
developing and applying scientic knowledge, to prepare them to manage public and
special structures in peacetime and crises, to participate in national and multinational
projects, to maintain security and peacekeeping and community development. The
core values and virtues, adopted by the Vasil Levski National Military University,
which are the basis of its organizational culture, and which are respected by all the
trainee students and the whole academic, command and administrative sta are: duty
towards the fatherland, national feeling and national pride, courage, patience, self-
-control, initiative, honour, dignity, fellowship, love and devotion to the state and
nation, respect to laws, faith, leadership, transparency in work, criticism and self-
-criticism, labour and continuous improvement in performance.
2%
74%
21%
3%
0%
Strongly positive
Positive
Not influence
Negative
Strongly negative
16%
29%
36%
19%
0%
Strongly positive
Positive
Not influence
Negative
Strongly negative
26 Elitsa Stoyanova-Petrova
In pursuance of its mission, the university has built up a highly positive military
organizational culture that is considered to have a positive impact on the individual
performance of learners in the learning process and which is considered positive by
the trainees, both students and cadets. We believe that in this way the university is an
example of good practice in the eld of military training and education, as evidenced
by the conducted research. However, there are always problems that we will seek to
solve, and we should pay attention to new achievements and new methods in impro-
ving our performance.
Bibliography
Atanasova-Krasteva N., Leadership Establishment of Cadets, Publishing complex of Vasil
Levski National Military University, Veliko Tarnovo 2012.
Atanasova-Krasteva N., Some Theories and Views on Leadership, “Annual University Confe-
rence National Military University”, Publishing complex of Vasil Levski National Military
University, Veliko Tarnovo 2011.
Ćwik B., The Concept of Threat Model in the Aspect of Safety in Logistic Systems, “Systemy
Logistyczne Wojsk” 2017, nr 47, Wydawnictwo WAT.
Doncheva J., Principles of training in line with the new thinking and action, SEA – Conf.,
3 International Conference, Naval Academy, Constanta 2017, No 3, ISSN 2457-144X.
Hofstede G., Culture’s Consequences: International Dierences in Work Related Values,
Beverly Hills, CA, Sage Publications 1980.
Johnson, G., Rethinking Incrementalism, “Strategic Management Journal” 1988, Vol 9.
Manolov D., Possibilities of the situational approach in the training in security logistics, Con-
ference proceedings of the Annual University Scientic Conference of the Vasil Levski
National Military University, Veliko Tarnovo 2016.
Sotirov D., Stoyanov Y., A Methodology for Evaluation of the Quality of Education in the
Specialties at the Vasil Levski National Military University, Scientic Papers from the
Scientic Conference at the Vasil Levski National Military University – The Bulgarian
Way to NATO – Perspectives and Challenges, 2003, vol. II, Publishing complex of Vasil
Levski National Military University, VT, ISSN 0861-0312.
Stefanescu R., Change oriented leadership, “Revew of General Management” 2008, issue
no.1, edited by Spiru Haret University, Faculty of Management, Brasov, Romania, ISSN
1841 -818X.
Stefanescu R., Power and its key role in leadership, “Metalurgia International Review” 2010,
special issue no 4, Scienting Editing house F.M.R., Bucharest, Romania, ISSN 1582-
2214.
Stoyanova S., Group Management, University Publishing House St. Cyril and Methodius,
VT, 2013.
Stoyanova S., Groups – Dynamics and Risks, A & B, VT, 2013.
Stoykov S., Marinov R., A comprehensive approach to education and management in the sy-
stem of security, International conference Knowledge-based organization-Land Forces
Academy, ‘Nicolae Balcescu’, Volume 24: Issue 1, Sibiu-Romania 2018, ISSN 1843-
682X.
Stoykov S., Scientic knowledge – source of a competitive advantage in security, International
conference on High Technology for Sustainable Development HiTECH 2018, ISBN: 978-
1-5386-7039-2.
27Components of military organizational culture inuencing individual...
Świerszcz K., Bezpieczeństwo państwa w czasach współczesnych w ujęciu podmiotowo-aksjo-
logicznych wyzwań, “Przegląd Nauk o Obronności” 2016, WAT, nr 1–2.
Tsvetkov D., Lectures on Statistical Methods in Psychology, IVIS, Veliko Tarnovo 2015, ISBN
978-619-205-003-0.
Tsvetkov D., Statistical Methods in Psychology, Collection of Reports – May Readings, Pub-
lisher: Union of Bulgarian Scientists, Veliko Tarnovo 2008.
Summary
The article describes the inuence of military organizational culture on individual student per-
formance. The subject of the article is the identication of some elements of military organi-
zational culture that aect individual performance in the training process, which is particularly
related to the motivation for training and military activities. A special subject of empirical
research are trainees in the eld of military science, specializing in the organization and ma-
nagement of military units at the tactical level at the National Military University of Bulgaria.
