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Manufacturing Esprit de Corps : The Case of the E uropean External Action Service
Author(s) -
Juncos Ana E.,
Pomorska Karolina
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
jcms: journal of common market studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.54
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1468-5965
pISSN - 0021-9886
DOI - 10.1111/jcms.12107
Subject(s) - action (physics) , service (business) , public relations , coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) , public service , political science , management , sociology , psychology , business , marketing , economics , physics , quantum mechanics
The creation of the E uropean External Action Service ( EEAS ) begs the question of whether its officials might develop an esprit de corps − understood as the emergence of shared beliefs and values among the individuals within a group and their desire to achieve a common goal − and how this might be achieved. Since the EEAS is composed of officials originating from different institutions, this contribution discusses the challenges associated with aggregating different beliefs and values within the Service. The article examines five factors that have the potential to promote organizational esprit de corps , including communication, leadership, public image, trust and training. It concludes that the first two years of operation of the Service do not bode well for the emergence of an esprit de corps and that, consequently, this might undermine the coherence and effectiveness of the EEAS itself.