Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

Although the last few decades have witnessed a shift from conscription to all-volunteer forces in many European countries, recent changes in the European security environment have raised new concerns and prompted several countries to reconsider conscription. However, modern conscription systems have also had to adapt to changing societies and an increasing emphasis on individualistic and neoliberal values. This study aims to examine the various forms of military conscription and illuminate the continuing viability of the conscription model in six European countries: Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Four of these countries have consistently maintained conscription (Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Switzerland), while Lithuania and Sweden have recently reinstated conscription. Although conscription systems differ among these countries, there is overall an increasing emphasis on conscript motivation and female participation. Three key aspects are identified to describe different conscription systems: the proportion of conscripted individuals in the birth cohort, motivation to serve, and the approach to female conscripts. Combining these aspects, the study identifies three types of conscription system in these six countries. This article demonstrates that conscription has evolved and adapted to changing societies and security situations instead of merely retaining its traditional form.

Background:

The Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) have had difficulties in recruiting a sufficient amount of cadets to the officer program during the period with an all-volunteer force.

Participants and procedure:

Data were collected from different officer programs. 318 respondents fostered in the all-volunteer force (AVF) system completed the questionnaire and a cross-sectional design was used where cadets received a questionnaire at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of their training.

Results:

The results show that the informants perceived a clear distinction between leadership challenges in the short and long term. The cadets rate their practical knowledge/experience and gaining trust as most challenging in the short term, and personnel supply and reorganization in the long term. Younger cadets rate leadership challenges higher than older cadets do, which is in line with maturing as a human being and gaining more experience. Results based on personality were consistent with previous studies. Two of the future challenges for cadets, short-term leadership and knowledge challenges, showed associations with extraversion and neuroticism.

Conclusions:

The results illustrate important topics to be stressed during the three year long officer program, in order to prepare cadets both with knowledge and skills but also with confidence and trust. This is of particular importance as the need to increase the number of cadets graduating from the academic officer program is growing. It implies that more and more cadets will be recruited directly from the basic military training, i.e., being young with relatively low military and leadership experience.

This study aimed to explore how facilitators of group dynamic and structured leadership courses cope with difficult situations during the course, and to relate their coping strategies to general individual characteristics and situation-specific appraisals. The study group consisted of facilitators of two of the most widespread leadership courses in Sweden: 110 facilitators of the course Understanding Group and Leader (UGL) and 111 facilitators of Developmental leadership (DL). A web-based questionnaire included descriptions of two difficult interpersonal course situations and questions on personality, general leadership style as well as situation-specific appraisal and coping. Three coping strategies were identified (factor analyses): Focus on course structure, Focus on psychological safety and Focus on own reflection. These factors were positively correlated. Weak associations were observed between the coping strategies and personality and general leadership style. Situation-specific appraisals covaried more strongly with the coping strategies. The findings suggest that reflection based on these coping strategies can lead to increased self-awareness and self-confidence on part of the facilitator. The findings may also help leadership course facilitators to cope more effectively, which in turn creates trust in the group that they are leading. The study contributes to the understanding of a limited research area; how leadership course facilitators cope with difficult course situations. The results provide guidance on how to cope more effectively. Practical implications include aspects to focus on in the training of leadership course facilitators.

Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva och analysera utvecklingen av rekryteringsunderlaget, kvantitativt och kvalitativt. I rekryteringsunderlaget 2022 ingår pliktade och frivilligt sökande. De pliktade 2022 består av svarande på mönstringsunderlaget vilket är individer som är födda 2004. De frivilligt sökande består av individer som har besvarat prövningsunderlaget under januari – december 2022. Resultat från mönstringen har kopplats samman med respektive individ och inrymmer tidsperioden januari 2022 till april 2023.

Rekryteringsunderlaget 2022 består av 114 577 individer, av vilka huvuddelen (89 %) är pliktade. Av de nomineringsbara är andelen pliktade också 89 procent, vilket är högre än tidigare år. Den könsneutrala plikten innebär att 46 procent av det totala underlaget består av kvinnor; 49 procent av de pliktade och 20 procent av de frivilligt sökande. Genom antagningsprocessen minskar andelen kvinnor till 20 procent av de nomineringsbara. Andelen är något högre än 2018-2019 men något lägre än 2021.

Jämfört med pliktåren 2018-2021 är kvaliteten bland de mönstrande och nomineringsbara något lägre i de psykologiska variablerna. De mönstrades värden i pliktförmåga och befälslämplighet är de lägsta sedan värnpliktens återinförande, medan värdet i fysisk kapacitet är det högsta under dessa fem år. Ökningen i generell begåvning och minskningen i muskelkapacitet har avtagit.

Generellt sett presterar de mönstrade och nomineringsbara individerna i rekryteringsunderlaget 2022 lägre värden på mönstringen än åren med endast frivilligt sökande, med undantag för de nomineringsbaras generella begåvning som är högre. Resultatet ses som en konsekvens av att fler kallas till mönstring, vilket bör innebära att värdena mer bör avspegla en normalpopulation.