I__. - International Military Testing Association

The base and pre-rotation questionnaires contained items
which formed scales measuring interpersonal, organizational, and
leadership constructs (e.g., SM horizontal cohesion, job
satisfaction, command climate, training effectiveness), as well
as various demographic items. The post-rotation questionnaires
focused mainly on soldier perceptions of performance during their
recent rotation. In addition, for the two battalions which
rotated through the JRTC, ratings on leader and platoon
performance were provided just after the rotation by the
observer/controllers (0~s) who observed each platoon during the
rotation. In other words, the base and pre-rotation
questionnaires contained the home station determinants
(predictors) of performance; the post-questionnaires and the
ratings from the OCs provided criterion measures for that
performance.
For the present paper, only Pre-rotation interpersonal
scales and Post-rotation performance scores were considered.
Platoon scores were obtained for each of the scales using a mean
aggregate procedure. Standard scores were obtained to compare
scores on the same scale.
Vertical cohesion scales were used to examine the strength
of each segment in each SM to Company Commander (CC) chain of
command. These scales included 1) SM rating SL, 2) SM rating PS,
3) SM rating PL, 4) SL rating PS, 5) SL rating PL, 6) PS rating
PL, 7) PS rating CC, and 8) PL rating CC. It must be emphasized
that in each case, a subordinate was rating a superior. These
scales were composed of items such as "the leader treats us
fairly", "the leader looks out for the welfare of his people",
"the leader is friendly and approachable", "the leader pulls his
share of the load in the field", and "the leader would have my
confidence if we were in combat together". Scale item factor
loadings (where N was sufficiently large to justify a factor
analysis, i.e., sets of scale ratings by SMs and SLs) were .80-
. 87, .79-.8G, .80-. 86 for SMs rating SLs, PS, and PL,
respectively, and .65-.88 and .72-.90 for SLs rating PSs and PLs,
respectively, with each scale forming independent factors.
Performance scales were obtained from ratings of missions
performed at JRTC/NTC. They were determined four ways: 1) oc
ratings, 2) CC ratings, 3) Platoon ratings composed of the mean
ratings of the PL, PS, SLs, SMs with each level receiving a
weight of one, and 4) Overall ratings composed of the mean
ratings of the OCs, CC: PL, Ps, SLs, SMs with each level
receiving a weight of one.
Two approaches were chosen to examine vertical cohesion in
the chain of command. The first approach was to identify the
lowest break. The rationale was that since the lower leaders
oversee the squad members who accomplish the direct fighting
tasks, lower breaks in the chain of command might have a greater
impact on direct platoon performance than breaks that occurred
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