Total Defence Forces in the 21st Century: Reserve Force Employment Considerations

Defence workforces comprise regular force military members, reservists, defence civil servants, and contractors working for private military and security companies, all employed towards the same overarching national and international security goals. These groups of personnel are often highly integrated in the performance of their functions, but despite the often-high levels of partnership and collaboration, different sub-organizational cultures and personnel management systems are in place. These notable differences influence their integration, the nature and quality of their collaboration, and ultimately affect personnel outcomes such as performance and retention, as well as organizational and operational effectiveness. This presentation will introduce the forthcoming edited volume titled Total Defence Forces in the Twenty-first Century, which explores core questions related to total defence forces. Specific focus will be paid to examination of these questions as they relate to the reserves, including reference to the cultural, professional, organisational, and societal considerations affecting reservists and their employment within total defence workforces.