DTIC ADA332893: New Opportunities for Military Women Effects Upon Readiness, Cohesion, and Morale.

189 Pages·6.5 MB·English

by  Defense Technical Information Center

New
pportunities for
Military Women
Effects Upon Readiness,
Cohesion, and Morale
RAND
Margaret C. Harrell
Laura L. Miller [\K-%%-{&)
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19971217 080
National Defense Research Institute
The research described in this report was sponsored by the Office of
the Secretary of Defense (OSD), under RAND's National Defense
Research Institute, a federally funded research and development
center supported by the OSD, the Joint Staff, and the defense
agencies, Contract DASW01-95-C-0059.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Harrell, Margaret C.
New opportunities for military women : effects upon readiness,
cohesion, and morale / Margaret C. Harrell, Laura L. Miller.
p. _ cm.
"Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense by RAND's
National Defense Research Institute."
"MR-896-0SD."
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-8330-2558-9.
1. United States—Armed Forces—Women. 2. United States —
Armed Forces—Operational readiness. 3. United States—
Armed Forces—Unit cohesion. 4. Morale. I. Miller, Laura L.,
1967- . II. United States. Dept. of Defense. Office of the
Secretary of Defense. HI. National Defense Research Institute
(U.S.). IV Title.
UB418.W65H37 1997
355 ' .0082—dc21 97-32067
CIP
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New
Opportunities for
Military Women
Effects Upon Readiness,
Cohesion, and Morale
Margaret C. Harrell
Laura L. Miller
Prepared for the
Office of the Secretary of Defense
National Defense Research Institute
DTIC QUALFT7 BJEIPSUTJSD 3 RAN D
Approved for public release; distribution unlimited
PREFACE
RAND's National Defense Research Institute was asked to assess the
performance of each military service in integrating women into pre-
viously closed military occupations and military units and the effects
of this integration on defense readiness and morale. This study
resulted from an item of special interest in the House Report for the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997. Our study is
a short analytical effort to evaluate the progress of these changes and
the effect of this integration on selected units.
This study was sponsored by the Under Secretary of Defense for Per-
sonnel and Readiness, and it was carried out in the Forces and
Resources Policy Center of RAND's National Defense Research
Institute, a federally funded research and development center spon-
sored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, and
the defense agencies.
Preceding Page Blank
CONTENTS
Preface in
Tables ix
Summary xv
Acknowledgments xxiii
Abbreviations xxv
Chapter One ^
INTRODUCTION 1
Background 1
Purpose of Study 4
Scope and Methodology 5
Research Methods 5
Military Units Selected for Field Research 8
Organization of This Document 10
Chapter Two
POLICY INTERPRETATION AND CURRENT STATUS
OF OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO MILITARY
WOMEN 11
Summary of Service Changes 11
Overall Evaluation of Services' Progress Integrating
Women into Newly Opened Occupations
and Units 13
Policy Interpretation and Actions by Each of
the Services 14
Air Force 14
Army 17
Preceding Page Blank
New Opportunities for Women
Navy 21
Marine Corps 25
Limitations to Women's Opportunities in the Military ... 29
Chapter Three
EFFECTS OF GENDER INTEGRATION ON READINESS . . 33
Defining Readiness 33
Overall Issues That Affect Individual and Unit
Readiness 34
Individual Readiness Survey Results 35
Unit Readiness Survey Results 35
Open-Ended Readiness Survey Results 35
The Effects of Gender on Personnel Readiness
Attributes 38
Availability 38
Pregnancy 39
Single Mothers 41
Sickness or Injury 41
Qualification 43
Experience 50
Stability 50
Conclusion *. 51
Chapter Four
EFFECTS OF GENDER INTEGRATION ON COHESION ... 53
Defining Cohesion 53
Research Findings on Unit Cohesion 54
Open-Ended Cohesion Survey Results 56
Specific Issues Related to Cohesion 56
Respondents' Explanations Behind High, Medium,
or Low Unit Cohesion 59
Very Cohesive Units 59
Loosely Cohesive Units 60
Units Divided into Conflicting Groups 61
Preferences About the Mix of Men and Women in the
WorkGroup 66
Conclusion 66
Chapter Five
EFFECTS OF GENDER INTEGRATION ON MORALE 69
Overall Issues That Affect Morale 69
Gender Issues That Affect Morale 71
Contents vii
Sexual Harassment 73
Is There a Double Standard? 77
Romantic Relationships Affect Morale 81
Conclusion 82
Chapter Six
ADDITIONAL ISSUES 85
Generational Differences Sometimes Mistaken for
Gender Differences in the Military 85
Integration in Basic Training 86
Gender-Blind Assignment 86
Establishing a Female Chain of Complaint 88
Attitudes Toward the Combat-Exclusion Policy 89
Resistance to Repeated Studies on Gender in the
Military 93
Chapter Seven
CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS 97
The Critical Nature of a Multimethod Approach 97
Results 98
Effects on Readiness, Cohesion, and Morale 99
Other Findings Related to Gender 100
Policy Implications 101
Appendix
A. METHODOLOGY 103
B. ADDITIONAL DATA REGARDING THE STATUS OF
WOMEN'S OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SERVICE Ill
C. DEMOGRAPHICS OF POPULATION STUDIED 131
D. MEN'S QUESTIONNAIRE 133
E. WOMEN'S QUESTIONNAIRE 145
Bibliography 157
TABLES
S.l. Positions Opened to Women by Law and Policy
Since April 1993 xvii
1.1. Individuals Represented by Written Survey 9
1.2. Percentage of Unit That Participated in Focus
Groups and/or Written Survey 10
2.1. Positions Opened to Women by Law and Policy
Since April 1993 12
2.2. Representation of Women in Newly Opened
Occupations 12
2.3. Women in the Navy 25
2.4. Current and Projected Female Marine Corps
Officers 29
3.1. Responses to the Question: "How Would You Rate
Your Readiness for a Combat Mission?" 36
3.2. Responses to the Question: "How Would You Rate
Your Unit's Readiness for a Combat Mission?" 36
3.3. Written Comments in Response to "Why Do You
Think Your Readiness and Your Unit's Readiness
Is the Way It Is?" 37
3.4. Answers to the Question: "How Would You Rank
the (Other) Women in Your Unit?" 43
Preceding Page Blank
New Opportunities for Women
3.5. Responses of Men to the Questions: "How Do You
Rank Your Overall Work Performance Compared
to the Others That You Work With?" and "How Do
You Think Your Peers Would Rank Your Overall
Work Performance?" 45
3.6. Responses of Women to the Questions "How Do
You Rank Your Overall Work Performance
Compared to the Others That You Work With?"
and "How Do You Think Your Peers Would Rank
Your Overall Work Performance?" 46
3.7. Men's Responses to the Question: "Do You Think
Women Should Be Allowed to Serve in Your
Occupation/Career Field?" 48
3.8. Men's Responses to the Question: "Do You Think
Women Should Be Allowed to Serve in Your
Occupation/Career Field?" 49
3.9. Women's Responses to the Question: "Do Your
Male Coworkers Seem to Think That Women
Should Be Allowed to Serve in Your
Occupation/Career Field?" 49
4.1. Responses to the Question: "How Would You
Describe the Cohesiveness of Your Unit?" 55
4.2. Written Comments in Response to "Why Do You
Think Your Unit's Cohesion Is the Way It Is?" 57
4.3. Responses to the Statement: "I Believe My
Coworkers and I Work Well Together" 57
4.4. Responses to the Statement: "I Believe that My
Coworkers and I Communicate Well" 58
4.5. Answers to the Question: "Does the Proportion of
Women to Men at Work Matter to You?" 67
5.1. Responses to the Question "How Would You Rate
the Morale ofYour Unit?" 70
5.2. Attitude Toward Unit 70
Tables xi
5.3. Written Comments in Response to "Why Do You
Think Your Morale and Your Unit's Morale Is [Are]
theWayltls [Are]?" 72
5.4. Are the Women in Your Unit (Are You) Being
Sexually Harassed? 75
5.5. DoD Study "Have You Been Sexually Harassed in
Any Way Within the Past Year?" 75
5.6. Percentage of Women Who Reported that Their
Coworkers Treated Them Differently 78
5.7. How Are Women Treated Differently? 79
5.8. Are Women Treated Differently? 79
5.9. Responses to the Question: "Has Serving in This
Unit Made You More or Less Interested in Staying
in the Military?" 83
6.1. Responses to the Question: "Do You Think Men
and Women Should Be Segregated During Basic
Training, or Integrated?" 87
6.2. Answers to the Question: "When Women Are
Integrated Into Previously All-Male Units, How
Should They Be Assigned?" 87
6.3. Responses to the Question: "If You Were Being
Sexually Harassed, Who Would You Be More
Comfortable Reporting It to?" 88
6.4. Men's Attitudes Regarding the Combat-Exclusion
Policy 90
6.5. Women's Attitudes Regarding the Combat-
Exclusive Policy 91
6.6. Army Attitudes Regarding Combat Arms Career
Opportunities for Women 91
6.7. Navy Attitudes Regarding Combat Arms Career
Opportunities for Women 92