Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

This study examines the differences in perception between officers at unit level regarding personnel replacement in war. The army has reintroduced the ability to replace personnel in the manoeuvre units, which has been out of the organization since the 1990s. The officers currently serving at unit level have little to no experience of how the previous replacement system worked and the Armed Forces have not explained how the system is supposed to work. This means that especially the younger officers create their own understanding of the conceived system.

The study shows that there is basically a common opinion about the replacement system, but also that there are three areas with tensions (different perceptions of the system) between lower and higher unit levels. The difference lies in the fact that the lower level ascribes a different meaning to the categories of competence, experience and esprit de corps than the higher level. This could have been addressed through more active sensegiving from managers in the organization as they have the opportunity to create common meaning with the system.

The study was conducted to increase the understanding of the different perceptions the officers have and with sensemaking interpret the difference in perception there is in the officer corps, regarding personnel replacement. The study is inductive and qualitative and has used interview as a method for collecting data. The material has then been analysed using thematic analysis.

Key words:

Personnel replacement, Sensemaking, Sensegiving, inductive, qualitative, thematic analysis, Swedish Armed Forces.