title: The Role of Leadership and Peer Behaviors in the Performance and Well-Being of Women in Combat: Historical Perspectives, Unit Integration, and Family Issues.
abstract: This article analyzes how the behaviors of leaders and peers affect the performance and well-being of military women. Locating our analysis within the conceptual model in this issue, we summarize the empirical literature and make practice and policy recommendations. We synthesize results about unit integration, such as research on the conditions for successful integration of previously excluded groups and on the relationship between cohesion and performance. We apply lessons learned from the history of diversity integration in military and civilian organizations, analyzing the treatment of military personnel by race, gender, and sexual orientation. The opening of ground combat specialties and units to women is the latest step in personnel policy changes broadening the recruitment base. We analyze research on gender integration in contemporary armed forces, focusing on positive and negative effects on women of leader and peer behaviors. We discuss conditions for successfully integrating women and those that tend to lead to failure. We analyze military women's family issues, including the effects of deployments and how leaders and peers can help ameliorate problems-or exacerbate them with inappropriate or unsupportive behavior.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland, 9007 Gettysburg Lane, College Park, MD 20740.
authors.forename: Mady Wechsler
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Academy, Luce Hall 238C, 112 Cooper Road, Stop 7b, Annapolis, MD 21402.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Maryland, 2112 Art/Sociology Building, College Park, MD 20742-1315.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.affiliation: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20889.
authors.forename: Amy A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Canuso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D010379:Peer Group; D000067074:Peer Influence; D014481:United States; D000066477:Work Performance