Developing U.S. Space Force Organizational Culture with Future-Facing Intention : RAND Corporation , December 12 , 2023
Developing U.S. Space Force Organizational Culture with Future-Facing Intention : RAND Corporation , December 12 , 2023
From the report: "When the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 was passed in December 2019, the U.S. Air Force Space Command was mandated to transform from a command within the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to a separate service within the Department of the Air Force. The U.S. Space Force (USSF) became the first new U.S. military service since the Air Force was established in 1947 and, before that, the U.S. Coast Guard in 1790, 157 years prior. Clearly, standing up a new U.S. military service is a rare event, and one with undisputedly long-lasting effects. In this paper, we spotlight how the Space Force’s organizational culture—embodied by its de facto beliefs, values, and practices—will affect its outcomes. Whether fostered deliberately with intention or left to grow haphazardly, this organizational culture will drive the service’s performance, operational effectiveness, and long-term success.
In its earliest stages, the Space Force carried over numerous values and practices from the Air Force, enabling continuity while a cadre of senior leaders developed new doctrine, structures, processes, values, and goals tailored to its space-centered warfighting mission. Now, just a few years in, the Space Force faces both opportunities and challenges in continuing to develop all of those things, along with its own space-centric identity and culture.
In this paper, we offer a framework to operationalize the concept of a Space Force organizational culture and give examples of how selected factors can shape it and have cascade effects on performance and organizational effectiveness. We close with thoughts on how the Space Force’s senior leaders and all guardians, regardless of job or rank, can build a culture that best positions the service to fulfill its vision and mission."
Authors - Li, Jennifer J., Melin, Julia L.
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