Executive Summary
At the direction of the British Army’s Director Leadership, the Research Team at the Centre for Army Leadership have carried out a review of the British Army’s values to establish whether they are fit for purpose and whether they are known and understood across the British Army.
The key findings are:
• The British Army’s values are widely understood across the organisation and there
is no need to amend them. However, the Army must establish clear procedures and
timelines to review them, and their descriptors, on a regular basis.
• The importance of the Army values is recognised by all participants in the surveys,
interviews and working group discussions, regardless of rank, regiment, or cap
badge.
• Some values, specifically Integrity, Respect for Others, and Selfless Commitment, are
judged as more important to be displayed by those in command appointments.
• Strong evidence suggests that serving personnel feel the Army values must be
enduring in nature.
• There is evidence that the Army values’ descriptors may need to be enhanced to
include clearer explanations and examples of their positive and negative impact.
Their articulation could also be linked more clearly to their application in different
contexts (operations, barracks, staff) and made more rank specific.
• The British Army operates in a specific context that reflects our unlimited liability,
and the critical requirement to be operationally successful; its values do not have to
overlap British societal values although it is recognised that they must be aligned.
Dr Linda Risso
CAL Senior Researcher
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Research methodology
3. What is the purpose of the British Army’s values?
4. How do the British Army’s values compare to other armies, services, and cross-sector organisations?
5. Are the values well understood and deemed fit for purpose?
6. What might usefully enhance the British Army’s values?
7. How might the British Army keep values under review?
Annex A: Extracts from Values and Standards of the British Army AC 64649 (2018)