Understanding public agency communication: the case of the Swedish armed forces

Abstract

This article suggests a diagnostic framework of public communication intended to capture new communication strategies used by Armed Forces across Europe to legitimize new tasks and recruit new personnel. Three distinct communicative models that impact differently on democratic values and public support are suggested: an Old Public Administration (OPA) model influenced by bureaucratic values, a New Public Management (NPM) model fuelled by market values and a deliberative model labelled 'New Public Service' (NPS) that is largely influenced by proponents of 'e-democracy'. A case study of the communication of the Swedish Armed Forces identifies a lingering bureaucratic (OPA) ideal. The market ideal (NPM) however clearly dominates. The article concludes that communication along market purposes, principles and practices risks distancing Armed Forces further from society. Yet, an embryonic deliberative ideal (NPS)-much fuelled by the use of social media such as blogs-was also identified. This growing ideal holds the potential of infusing deliberative vigor into the organization and presumably facilitates the bridging of the gap to society.

How pressure for change challenge military organizational characteristics

“…Military organizations were increasingly subject to the same norms as the wider society; for instance regarding gender equality and the rights of homosexuals. In recent years, researchers have begun to re-direct attention towards the various expressions and consequences of what could be termed a demand for normalization of military organizations (Deverell et al 2015, Holmberg 2015, Alvinius et al 2016, Norheim-Martinsen 2016, Olsson et al 2016. This literature point to new administrative demands, relating in particular to: economic management, norms regarding equality, equal treatment, the labor market, communication and information.…”

The Russian national branding of innovations in defense industry complex as the answer to global challenges of the present

“…At the national level social media are used, for example, as the tool for recruiting, providing the social obligation to service in armed forces [48], being the effective instrument of recruiting [49], and public acceptance of army and its tasks [50]. Difficulties of recruitment in armed forces of generation of millennials in the USA it can be solved by work on creation of a strong military brand in consciousness of Americans, including due to military advertising (by analogy with advertising of corporate brands), advances of image of armed forces by means of thematic video games, clothes in military spirit of the American military The all brand founded in 2008 (is on sale in Sears shops, licensed by U.S. Army) [51].…”

“…Difficulties of recruitment in armed forces of generation of millennials in the USA it can be solved by work on creation of a strong military brand in consciousness of Americans, including due to military advertising (by analogy with advertising of corporate brands), advances of image of armed forces by means of thematic video games, clothes in military spirit of the American military The all brand founded in 2008 (is on sale in Sears shops, licensed by U.S. Army) [51]. Marketing of armed forces in internal practice could include the "office messages", a story about army life told by soldiers [48]. Marketing at the international level is similarly important from a point of rhenium of support of the general strategic story as way to strengthen international mission.…”

Recruiting the “enterprising soldier”: military recruitment discourses in Sweden and the United Kingdom

“…Several studies have been conducted on the topic of military recruitment. Some have mapped out modern recruitment techniques (Bailey 2007;Roderick 2009;Dandeker 2009;Deverell et al 2014;Tresch and Leuprecht 2010). Others have taken a normative stance and either aimed at improving the conditions for recruitment in an age of military transformations (Manigart 2005), or critically argued that contemporary recruitment practices communicate insufficient information about the risks inherent to a military career (Gee 2007(Gee , 2013 and, further, pointed to the unequal distribution of risk among different socio-economic groups (Ware 2012).…”

“…The recruitment of voluntary soldiers not only changes the very obligation of national citizenship by leaving it up to the individual whether he or she wants to serve the nation, but also forces the military to compete with other employers for personnel in private labour markets. Consequently, armed forces need to transform into "consumer brands" to become attractive employers in the eyes of young individuals (Bailey 2007, 48;Ware 2012, 5-6;Deverell et al 2014). In many cases, even in countries with longstanding AVFs, there has been an increasing focus on pro-active recruitment and, as Dandeker points out, many "volunteer forces" are essentially "recruited forces" (Dandeker 2009).…”