Expanding organizational routines while preserving professional identity: introducing female officers into combat roles in the Royal Air Force

Abstract

Women have always played a crucial role in the armed forces. However, they were still banned from taking part in ground combat until 2018. We follow the first female intake into ground combat training within the Royal Air Force and focus on the transition from an all-male to a mixed-gender course. Our research combines routine dynamics with professional identities; it makes sense as it is individuals who make patterns of action possible, and these individuals are, in turn, embedded in professions which shape their actions (D’Dadderio, 2011; Seele & Grand, 2016). Our preliminary findings point towards professional identity as a source of stability in routines. Despite attempts by the training design team to incorporate adjustments in the course’s programme, we found that routine participants resisted the changes as it threatened their professional identities.