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CHAPTER 13
A Swedish programme for phasing out older employees based on consent and social responsibility 253

13.5. Discussion

The career switching project has met different reactions in different parts of
the organisation. In some units – particularly those engaged in the test phase
and close to the supreme commander – intentions have been implemented,
and several persons joined the project successfully. In other units activity was
very low, or completely absent, even with firm directives from the supreme
commander.

13.5.1. Organisational barriers: role of commanding officers
Commanding officers in units have voiced opinions such as: ʻwe donʼt have
this problem with the age structure in our unit. There are many other things to
prioritise here than to worry about the future age profileʼ; ʻif we lose officers in
the career switching project we may have difficulties to be allowed to find
substitutesʼ.
There are good reasons to reflect on these types of reaction. Career
switching is part of current reform of the Swedish Armed Forces and its way
to relate to officersʼ obligations, responsibilities, terms of employment and
career planning in the future. All employees will be affected. These are facts
that commanding officers must be aware of.
The armed forces may be described in part as a mechanistic organisation
(Burns and Stalker, 1961). Such an organisation is characterised by, for
example, existence of clear rules for what needs to be done, thoroughly
specified responsibilities, and vertical communication. It is a form of
organisation that can work well under stable conditions. However, a
mechanistic organisation has drawbacks, in particular in times of change
(Börnfelt, 2009). Units are organised by function. They all strive for more
resources; their first priority is for the unit to survive and even grow. Political
conflicts tend to develop, in particular when the organisation is facing
overriding changes.
Some aspects related to the relationship between central management and
units in the armed forces organisation can be described according to the
mechanistic organisation model. The impact of the career switching project is
very different in different parts of the organisation. It is evident that there is
reluctance in parts of the organisation to accept overriding political and
strategic realities, manifested in the career switching project. The analysis is
questioned: ʻthe age structure is not a problem, at least not in my unit, and
not now; there is no reason to prioritise the measures asked for by central
management at this timeʼ. Managers tend to feel solidarity in the first place