Soft norm governance through value-based work

The purpose of the project is to map and highlight different strategies of soft norm governance that strengthen military professional ethics in line with the organisation’s objectives. This is achieved by drawing on experience from, and disseminating knowledge about, how the Swedish Armed Forces work with these issues.

One consequence of war is that serious abuses against civilians and combatants may occur in certain cases, including acts such as murder, rape, or torture. A key challenge for the Swedish Armed Forces in potential future conflicts is therefore to fight while maintaining moral integrity against an adversary that does not comply with international law, international humanitarian law, or possibly even respect human rights.

One of the tasks of the Swedish Armed Forces is to defend our freedom to live as we choose, based on values rooted in the democratic system of government as expressed in the Constitution, as well as in the state’s values-based work. These values include, for example, equality before the law, freedom of expression, the principle of public access to information, and efforts towards gender equality. These values must both be defended and upheld—ultimately in situations of armed conflict and under extremely difficult conditions. It is therefore essential to provide targeted education for military personnel in command positions, so that their professional ethical approach is developed and their ability to make decisions, including moral decisions, is strengthened. This constitutes a vital leadership capability for addressing future conflicts.

Three case studies on metagovernance

The project therefore focuses on the concept of soft norm governance, a subtle form of governance that forms part of the modern state’s implementation steering. It operates more indirectly and at a greater distance than traditional “top-down” governance through rules and regulations.

The aim of soft norm governance is, in various ways, to imbue professional ethics with substantive content in the form of norms and values that shape how personnel perceive how work should be carried out. There are many different strategies of soft norm governance that influence personnel values in line with organisational goals, of which military decorations and values-based work are two examples. This research is grounded in ideas of metagovernance, and more specifically in governance through organisational steering.

The theoretical foundation of the research draws on neo-institutional theory, which examines how institutions are formed within bureaucracies and how different logics of action within these institutions influence how policy is interpreted and implemented. An important conclusion from research on soft norm governance is that professional ethics serve a function within implementation steering. Soft norm governance thus also implies the existence of a moral logic of action embedded within state institutions. Conversely, with increased knowledge of its functionality, this can be applied more strategically and deliberately (see Robertsson, 2020).

The objective of the project is to facilitate organisational learning through three new case studies that describe different existing strategies of soft norm governance within the Swedish Armed Forces, with values-based work constituting one of these three strategies. Within the framework of the project, three knowledge-transfer information sessions will also be held, one for each case study. The project will be summarised in a published book on soft norm governance and values-based work, which can, for example, be used in courses and further education for senior military and civilian leaders within the Swedish Armed Forces and the total defence system.