Introduction
The performance of the US Army Reserves is important for the overall military outcomes of developed operations. To understand the role of this organization in the country’s defense initiatives, it is vital to pay particular attention to its key components. Thus, the purpose and goals of this entity, the situation in terms of diversity, and the structure are the areas that can provide essential information in this respect. They are complemented by the dynamics of group behavior and, more specifically, the leader’s involvement in the communication among soldiers and senior officers. The examination of the mentioned factors will allow for determining the conditions for the effectiveness of the US Army Reserves on a global scale.
Description: Purpose and Goals
The first aspect under consideration is the purpose and goals of the US Army Reserves that are presented by the organization’s mission and vision. Thus, the entity aims to provide “trained and equipped units and personnel” for supporting regular operations in the field (The US Army Reserves, n.d.). This main direction of its activity is accompanied by other tasks posed by the needs of the environment. These objectives primarily include improvements in the area of “readiness and modernization,” the preparation of “combat-ready units and soldiers,” as well as indirectly enhancing the quality of living in communities (The US Army Reserves, n.d.). These provisions define the organization as a complex system of participants on standby who have both the means and the intention to serve the country at the first call. The professionalism of people in the US Army Reserves allows claiming the significance of their inclusion in regular and unscheduled operations, thereby increasing their overall effectiveness.
Diversity
The US Army Reserves is an excellent example of an entity that manages to efficiently promote diversity and improve the attitudes of employees by doing so. The developed actions in this respect correspond to the national programs designed for this purpose, including “the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law,” which prohibits asking about one’s sexual orientation (Galvin & Allen, 2021, p. 48). Even though similar measures are deemed insufficient in the long run, the challenges in this area are adequately addressed by the leaders presenting positive role models. Thus, they appear to be accepting of all people and insist on demonstrating the same attitudes by the participants of operations, explaining that unity is the key to success. Since the organization’s workforce is diverse and non-discriminatory and includes representatives of all population groups, this aspect of its activity is well-managed at all levels and continuously promoted by the senior officers.
The Structure of the US Army Reserves
The organization’s structure can be analyzed concerning the composition of military forces in the country. According to Cancian (2019), it includes over 190.000 authorized and strong members, which is a significant share compared to the national army’s indicators of over 340.000 people. Since the expansion is suggested by the specialists for the following years, this fact means that the organization is important for the country’s long-term protection (Cancian, 2019). Currently, its participants are involved in the activity of the three central units, namely, operational, training, and support (Cancian, 2019). Their tasks are planning missions for defense, elaborating and conducting programs for employees, and resourcing, and “the Chief of the Army Reserves and the Commanding General of United States Army Reserve Command” monitor all processes (The US Army Reserves, n.d.). Thus, the initiatives are appropriately distributed between the people and also controlled by the leaders.
The Effects of the Structure on Efficiency
In general, the effects that the described structure has on the group’s efficiency can be determined as better management of human resources. They include the improved coordination of all actions, timely support of the units in need, and the possibility for new employees to communicate with the senior officers. Thus, the decisions made at any level within the organization are usually discussed by all members instead of solely among the individuals performing tasks. This approach helps guarantee the awareness of soldiers regarding the selected strategic course and readjust their operations accordingly. The resulting connection among them contributes to assistance provided when needed. In turn, the established patterns of interactions among the participants, regardless of their position, ensure unity in long-term solutions and their proper implementation due to everyone’s awareness of the expectations.
Dynamics of Group Behavior
The dynamics of group behavior within the US Army Reserves can be explained through the lens of the general provisions reflecting them. They include fairness and trust in the first place and are complemented by the considerations of diversity among the members mentioned above. The overall patterns of people’s interactions determined in the previous section as enhanced cooperation can also be characterized as the preference for teamwork and the emphasis on the collective good. These ideas are widely supported by researchers, who claim that the “human capabilities to complete their missions and address future challenges successfully” positively correlate with improved performance (Goodwin et al., 2018). It means that combining efforts in achieving goals in the US Army Reserves is an optimal solution. Therefore, the soldiers tend to discuss their decisions and appreciate the interventions of senior officers because of trust in their expertise. Also, fairness is established by everyone’s opportunities to take the initiative in suggesting new methods of dealing with challenges. These provisions affect group conduct in the organization and improve the relationships between its members.
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The Role of Leadership
The final aspect of the activity of the US Army Reserves is leadership, and it is critical for the effectiveness of the actions of all employees. Its role can be described as the capability to provide a link between varying opinions on a suitable course of action and thereby guarantee the unity of decisions in the absence of conflicts. This complex task cannot be performed if an organization does not employ enough leaders as they are reported to be important for maintaining productive teamwork (Kirchner, 2017). From this point of view, military officers who can coordinate the work of others are the basis of the organization. In addition, their involvement in regular operations contributes to the consistency of efforts and the possibility for others to act in conditions of complete uncertainty (Kirchner, 2017). Thus, these employees can drastically improve the productiveness of others not only by presenting positive role models but also by monitoring essential processes.
Conclusion
To summarize, the analysis of the dynamics of the US Army Reserves as per the essential components corresponding to its activity showed that the most important consideration is a human factor. It affects all areas, including the performance of tasks to achieve long-term goals, the acceptance of a diverse workforce by everyone, and the coordination of actions of all participants. In addition, this conclusion is supported by its positive influence on the cooperation of unit members. This circumstance confirms the significance of experienced employees for the further development of the organization.
References
Cancian, M. F. (2019). U.S. military forces in FY 2020: Army. The Center for Strategic & International Studies. Web.
Galvin, T. P., & Allen, C. D. (2021). Diversity management and the postdiversity vision: An applied pragmatist approach. Armed Forces & Society, 47(1), 48-76. Web.
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Goodwin, G. F., Blacksmith, N., & Coats, M. R. (2018). The science of teams in the military: Contributions from over 60 years of research. American Psychologist, 73(4), 322-333. Web.
Kirchner, M. J. (2018). Veteran as leader: The lived experience with US Army leader development. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 29(1), 67-85. Web.
The U.S. Army Reserves. (n.d.). About us. Web.