United We Are Strong

Abstract

This study examines how military leaders can contribute to building a sense of community among navy crews and how this, in turn, may affect unit potency as an important prerequisite of unit performance. Given the crew’s structural and functional differentiation into various subunits and nested groups, the idea of there being multiple senses of community operating dynamically onboard will be addressed. A survey of 272 members of two German Navy frigates reveals that subgroup leaders can strengthen the sense of community among their subordinates by behaving respectfully toward them and taking a personal interest in their needs. This, in turn, is likely to increase subgroup members' belief that the crew as a whole can perform successfully, provided the subgroup is part of the formal, intended structure of the ship.