The Different Soldiers: A Look at Diversity and Inclusion in Military Organizations

Under the influence of various factors, Western military organizations have become more diverse. In this chapter, we will analyze the various challenges posed by diversity for today’s armed forces. Those effects are complex: Although a greater organizational diversity potentially increases the likelihood of conflicts within the organization with a higher degree of dissatisfaction among highly represented groups, it nevertheless offers advantages in terms of performance, out-of-the-box thinking, legitimacy and recruitment. After having described the major advantages offered by a greater organizational diversity, we will discuss the acceptance of it within military organizations and will use the Belgian Defense as a case study. Despite its benefits for organizations operating in culturally complex societies, diversity remains not well accepted or, at least, valued. Its real acceptance remains a challenge nowadays and will undoubtedly require a profound cultural shift. It will also necessitate an inclusive leadership that gives a voice to people with creative ideas and perspectives so that military personnel will not just “tolerate” diversity but include “the different soldiers” and learn from them in order to increase the organizational effectiveness.