A discussion about transformation: perspectives for military transformation from the organizational culture

Abstract

This article aims to examine some of the theories concerning the transformation from the perspective of organizational culture. Such analysis was obtained by reviewing the fundamentally military theory (COVARRUBIAS, 2007), and a theory-oriented to a private company (Motta, 2001), in such a way to check if both were applicable to the military phenomenon of the Armed Forces transformation. From the theoretical analysis of the transformation and its component elements, it can be deduced that the organizational culture in the military environment is fundamentally nurtured by the doctrine. Being in the doctrine, where values are reflected, principles and how to proceed the employment of military capabilities, which account all the Armed Forces and, consequently, should be the design goals of every process of transformation. Fundamentally, this transformation supports itself and projects on cultural background. Therefore, if the culture is unable to accept the transformation, this can only occur partially, i.e., a modification and not a true transformation. Organizational culture, thus, should be the initial and essential focus to initiate and sustain any transformation process, in particular those involving the armed institutions, as they have training, tradition and customs of deep and historical basis as the Chilean Army.