The relationship between personality traits of military commanders and violations of soldiers

Background and Aim: Personality may be studied to predict human behavior in military organizations. The aim of this study is to survey the relationship between personality characteristic of military commanders and violations of soldiers under command. Methods: This descriptive - survey study was carried out in middle and senior military commanders in military units of a Tehran military Headquarter in 2018. Samples were selected from all of the commanders in related units. The NEO Five-factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) was used to assess personality characteristics and a researcher-made questionnaire was used to assess the violations of soldiers. The questionnaires were completed by the commanders and analyzed in the process. Results: A total of 102 middle and senior commanders responded to the research questionnaires. Findings from the NEO Five-factor Inventory (Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness) showed that a commander’s personality characteristics is associated with an increase or decrease in the violations of soldiers. There was a significant and inverse relationship between Conscientiousness and Openness with violations of Soldiers (r=0.553, P<0.01) & (r=0.471, P<0.05). No significant relationship was found between the variables of Neuroticism, Extroversion and Agreeableness, and the violations of soldiers. Conscientiousness and Openness predicted 43% of variance violations of soldiers (R Square=% 43). Other results indicated a high personality score of Openness (mean: 25.08) and a low score of Neuroticism (mean: 15.08) among military commanders. The highest mean of violations in task soldiers refer to “lack of respect for politeness” (Mean=2.91), as well as "abuse of collective personnel" (Mean=2.91), and the lowest mean of violations in task soldiers refer to “slackness and negligence in performing the task and executing orders in logistical area" (Mean=1.91). Conclusion: The relationship Between NEO Five-factor Inventory and decreases or increases in violations of soldiers justifies the need for continuous psychological training and (NEO-FFI) Personality Testing in order to recruit and deploy commanders appropriately at the level of units, companies and battalions.