The Lost Cohort: A Phenomenological Study of mainstream officer development within the Royal Air Force

Macpherson, Colin John

Abstract

This thesis reports on a phenomenological study into the development of mainstream officers within the Royal Air Force (RAF) and explores what training and education opportunities are available to those not selected for executive streaming. The study, through a series of twelve semi-structured interviews, draws on the experiences and beliefs of a cohort of officers who exited directed training and education programmes early in their current rank.

The literature review contends that there is a complex relationship between an organisation’s culture, its talent management philosophy and its training and education strategy. Whilst the organisation’s culture was not the primary focus, the research argues that it has a significant role in how the RAF talent manages its people and selects personnel for training and education. The lived experiences of the research group indicate the existence of a cultural bias and hierarchical imbalance between specialisations which favours certain branches over others. The focus on a philosophy of through-life development of a select group exposes identifiable deficiencies in command, leadership and management learning opportunities for those officers who are not selected for executive streaming. This, the evidence suggests, has created a training and education gap in the development of the intellectual tools and wider general service knowledge necessary to influence strategic decision-making within the air & space and Joint environment.

Although opportunities for elective learning do exist, the research identifies a lack cohesion and investment. This is compounded by staff shortages and increasing workloads resulting in the low take-up of available opportunities. The research exposes the factors which determine career advancement within the RAF and offers a conceptual framework to navigate the complexity of the relationship between the trinity of culture, talent management and training & education. The framework is supported by a portfolio of skills which are considered essential to ensure that personnel are operationally astute and appropriately developed to operate effectively in support of the RAF’s operational deliverables.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Aug 21, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 21, 2023
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.17869/enu.2023.3175301
• Award Date: Jul 6, 2023