Detach for Cause: Examining the Organizational and Cultural Influences on the Dismissal of Surface Warfare Commanding Officers
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Authors
Higgs, Michael John
Issue Date
2014-05-09
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Ethical Work Climate , Toxic Leadership , SWO , Surface Welfare Culture , Narcissism , Navy Culture , Commanding Officer , Detach for Cause
Alternative Title
Abstract
From 2000 through 2012, the Navy relieved 195 Commanding Officers (COs) for
a variety of personal and professional failures under a procedure called “detach for
cause.” That seemingly low number is significant due to the associated damage to
expensive weapon systems, the injury or deaths o f Sailors, and damage to the
organization’s image as it competes for recruits from the American people and resources from Congress. These repercussions make the failures far more consequential than raw numbers might indicate. Of 195 dismissals, Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) accounted for 74 or 38% of them, a larger percentage than the other communities in the Navy.
This research was conducted to ascertain what flaws in the surrounding culture or
the training and selection process might create SWO COs who are more likely to fail.
Documentation was reviewed on the causes and numbers of dismissals, the performance evaluation system, the process for qualifying and selecting COs, and ethics and leadership training. Literature was also reviewed to gain insight into the nature and
impact of the SWO organizational culture on developing officers.
A survey was used to determine the prevalent type of Ethical Work Climate and
the presence of toxic leadership, as contributory factors in the failures of COs. Data were
compiled, scored, and tested using chi-square, Cramer’s V, Z-score, and Pearson’s r
calculations to determine the strength of association or correlation between factors. This
uncovered the widespread occurrence of toxic leadership behaviors including narcissism, unpredictability, and abusive supervision. An elevated occurrence of the instrumental EWC was also revealed. Finally, recommendations were provided to address the findings and potentially reduce the number of failures among SWO COs.