Joseph Soeters

Towards cultural integration in multinational peace operations

Taylor and Francis FDEF_A_415690.sgm 10.1080/1 702430903155175 Defence Studies 470-2436 (pr nt)/1743-9698 (online) Original Article 2 09 & F ancis 930 002009 JosephSoeters jmml.soete s@ lda.nl Multinational cooperation in military action is not really new. During the Napoleonic Wars as well as World Wars I and II, allied forces from various countries fought their way side by side against the enemy. The liberation of the western half of the European continent in World War II was the result of a common effort by American, British, Canadian, French and Polish troops, who followed their own route through the old continent, hence separately but coordinated in one joint mission. 1 Throughout history there have been other examples of multinational military action such as the the relief of the Western hostages in Bejing during the so-called Boxer Rebellion, almost 110 years ago. In this short but decisive action, US, British, French, German and Austrian troops joined forces with Japanese and Russian units. The aims set out for this action were reached rapidly, but serious tensions between the allied forces of that mission arose during the march on Bejing. 2

Interpreters at work: Experiences from Dutch and Belgian peace operations

This research note examines the work of interpreters in the Dutch and Belgian contributions to peace operations in Bosnia and Afghanistan. We distinguish between two sorts of interpreters, locally hired people and interpreters who come along with the troops, and we focus on the way that interpreters behave in their interaction with both the military peacekeepers and the local population. It shows that interpreters are capable of offering more than just their translation skills; they are clearly more than ‘translation machines’. Almost all of them play a supporting, if not diplomatic, role as language mediator in the interaction between the peacekeepers and the locals, and consequently develop a role of their own in the peacekeeping process. But they also find themselves poised between trust and distrust in relation to the military force that hires them and – though less frequently – in relation to the local population and their own colleagues.

Public management in developing countries : Some notes on Eritrea

A system of adequately performing public bureaucracies is a basic requirement for developing countries to progress and prosper. However, public management in developing countries is often threatened by politicization and ineffective human resource management policies. In this article, we analyse public management in Eritrea, one of the world’s poorest countries that gained independence in the early 1990s. In this analysis, we use general (western) theoretical frames of reference, including pre-modern, weberian and new public management lines of thinking. It will show that, in current Eritrea, all known styles of public management concur and collide and that this situation is related to the cultural, educational and political background of the various population groups that strive for job opportunities in the public sector’s strategic apex. This collision of styles may lead to frustration and ineffectiveness among the people involved. Only a managerial policy stressing practical wisdom and intelligence may satisfy all the groups of people engaged in Eritrea’s public management, in fact in all developing countries’ public organizations.

Diversity in the armed forces

For armed forces, the pace of change since the end of the Cold War in 1989 has been extraordinary. Even though a major world war no longer seems to pose a serious threat to international peace and stability, militaries find themselves operating in more diverse envi-ronments than ever before. In the past, military astuteness and a clear picture of the enemy were sufficient. Today members of the military must-in diffuse political constellations- negotiate with belligerents from all sides of a conflict and remain neutral, at the same time remaining able to defend themselves against aggression. They also have to deal with a host of international actors in the theater of operations, including representatives of multilateral organizations, the media, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). And they must do this in a foreign cultural environment, in a country devastated by war, far removed from family and friends. Such conditions demand a high level of intercultural competence.

Global Business, Global Responsibilities: Corporate Social Responsibility Orientations Within a Multinational Bank

This study examines the effects of culture, gender, and function on orientation toward corporate social responsibility (CSR) among 416 employees of an international financial service organization. The main objective of the study is to investigate the variation of corporate social responsibility orientation (CSRO) across national cultures. The authors draw on a theory of cultural value orientations to identify three culturally distinct transnational clusters: West Europe, the English speaking countries, and South Asia. These clusters coincide with the business units (BUs) and markets of the organization under investigation. By employing a framework of CSRO, the study reveals substantial differences across clusters within one single internationally operating organization. The English-speaking and the South Asia clusters were found to be most concerned with legal regulations and economic performance. In contrast, the West Europe continental cluster was found to be more concerned about business conforming to ethical norms than achieving high levels of economic performance or conforming to legal regulations. Furthermore, the study reveals gender differences in CSRO and differences among random employees and employees who are professionally active in the area of CSR. This article concludes by discussing implications of these findings for internationally operating organizations in the light of the recent global financial crisis.

Decentralization of HR Functions: Lessons From the Singapore Civil Service

In the past two decades, nearly every country in the world has felt the urge to decentralize some of its human resource (HR) functions. This article uses Singapore as a case study to illustrate how this urge has been addressed in civil service reforms during the past two decades. In so doing, the article also highlights the necessity as well as the theoretical and practical implications of the decentralization process to the organizational arrangement of HR functions in the civil service of Singapore. The article concludes that, as countries seek to decentralize HR functions in the civil service, understanding how this process works is cardinal to enhancing coordination and the efficient delivery of public services. For without this understanding, it is not possible to determine which functions must be decentralized and which ones must not be. Some popular myths and misconceptions about decentralization are also explored.

International Collaboration under Threat: A Field Study in Kabul

This report examines Dutch military personnels attitudes toward international cooperation, while these attitudes were expressed under threatening (during the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan) or nonthreatening circumstances (in Europe). Findings indicate that concerns about death were significantly more present in Afghanistan relative to Europe, and in Afghanistan, concerns about death were found to be negatively correlated with willingness to collaborate internationally. These findings provide support for terror management processes in vivo, and have a number of important implications for international policy.

Managing Values and Ethics in an International Bank

Multinational companies face serious problems when personnel in their national subsidiaries are not acting in accordance with basic principles of ‘proper behavior’ and moral standards. In this article a description is given of the way in which an internationally operating bank has formulated four company values, in order to implement basic standards in their organization on a worldwide scale. These values (integrity, respect, teamwork and professionalism) have subsequently been diffused among the bank’s subsidiaries by means of a rollout program. This article focuses on this rollout program and the way it has been received in the national subsidiaries of the bank. Data from a comparative survey in 19 countries help to understand the dynamics of this process of formulating, diffusion and reception. The article closes with some points of discussion.

Peaceweaving Jane Addams, Positive Peace, and Public Administration

Beginning with the odd finding that “peace research is just the study of war,” this article explores “positive peace” as an important yet neglected notion in public administration. It does this by examining the ideas of Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jane Addams, a pioneer in public administration and peace theory. More than 100 years ago, Addams refined an expansive notion of peace that incorporated social justice and social equity. Addams’s feminist, pragmatist ideas of peace, which we call peaceweaving, emerged from her critique of municipal government and her experience as a settlement worker in Chicago. Her ideas are placed in historical context, and applied to an essential problem facing contemporary peace operations, which is how to prepare troops and other state agents for the seemingly contradictory demands that come along with today’s security problems, both intra- and internationally.Beginning with the odd finding that “peace research is just the study of war,” this article explores “positive peace” as an important yet neglected notion in public administration. It does this by examining the ideas of Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jane Addams, a pioneer in public administration and peace theory. More than 100 years ago, Addams refined an expansive notion of peace that incorporated social justice and social equity. Addams’s feminist, pragmatist ideas of peace, which we call peaceweaving, emerged from her critique of municipal government and her experience as a settlement worker in Chicago. Her ideas are placed in historical context, and applied to an essential problem facing contemporary peace operations, which is how to prepare troops and other state agents for the seemingly contradictory demands that come along with today’s security problems, both intra- and internationally.

Considering Casualties : Risk and Loss during Peacekeeping and Warmaking

WHAT COSTS WILL DEMOCRACIES BEAR? A REVIEW OF POPULAR THEORIES OF CASUALTY AVERSION Can democracies any longer tolerate casualties? The question has important implications for national decision-making and for international politics. This article examines how and why governments take casualties into account in decisions about military commitments—the casualty factor. This is a phenomenon that goes beyond the normal military desire to reduce losses. The article explores the wide range of popular theories put forward to explain why the casualty factor appears to have become casualty aversion or even casualty phobia in democratic nations. Explanations are classified under four headings: national interest, strategic calculus, internal politics, and long-term social change. Each type of explanation has strengths and weaknesses. Finally, an assessment is made of the overall influence of casualty aversion in democratic decision-making.