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Dissertation
DECLINING LEGITIMACY: 11 MONTHS IN NORTH AFRICA WITH THE ARMY RESERVE
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
07/2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000007838
Abstract
This dissertation investigates the breakdown of social cohesion within the 91st Psychological Operations Company during its deployment, using the concept of organizational legitimacy to frame the analysis. Although many participants attributed dysfunction to poor leadership, the findings reveal that leader behavior is only part of a broader and more complex process. The study shows that legitimacy is constructed over time and shapes how workers interpret their roles and relationships within an organization. Drawing on qualitative data, the research examines how servicemembers developed expectations influenced by military messaging, cultural narratives, and institutional incentives. These expectations were frequently unmet during service, particularly in the context of inadequate training and perceived meaningless work. These unmet expectations resulted in legitimacy deficits on multiple fronts. As a result, many participants withdrew assent from their employment relationship, resulting in delegitimation that undermined unit cohesion. Leaders often inherit or reflect these deficits and have limited ability to resolve them. These findings have implications for both military and civilian organizations. Specifically, they suggest that institutional efforts to motivate individuals must account for the long-term durability of expectations. To address persistent legitimacy deficits, the dissertation explores the possibility of reshaping civic norms through alternative models of national service. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing discussions in military sociology and organizational theory by highlighting how legitimacy operates as a long-term, relational process.
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Details
- Title
- DECLINING LEGITIMACY
- Creators
- Steven P. Cassidy
- Contributors
- Alair MacLean (Chair)Jennifer Sherman (Committee Member)Jennifer Schwartz (Committee Member)Heather P Albanesi (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Sociology
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 179
- Identifiers
- 99901297594901842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation