'As you were': Military-bureaucratic control and the employment relationship in the British armed forces

Abstract

Service in the British armed forces has not previously been considered a subject for employment and industrial relations research, but military personnel are in an employment relationship and thus worthy of such study. Drawing on an extensive literature review, documentary analysis and a qualitative survey and interviews with ex-service personnel, this study adopts a critical realist philosophy and retroduction to examine how the military employment relationship is regulated, experienced and contested, with particular reference to discipline and voice. It also compares military service with civilian employment, noting that the two, once similar, have diverged. The study uncovers a complex web of control mechanisms, termed military-bureaucratic control, along with widespread consent and compliance, but also finds that military personnel, like their civilian counterparts, will resist when the need arises. Furthermore, it identifies gaps in what is known about civilian employees today, and makes recommendations for further research.