Beyond the Clock: Understanding Cross-Cultural Temporal Orientation of Military Officers
Principal Investigator: Erika Frydenlund, Old Dominion University
Years of award: 2024-2027
Managing Services Agency: Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Project Description:
This interdisciplinary project proposes using quantitative, qualitative, and arts-based methods to theorize how temporal orientation impacts strategic culture and how the perceived significance of future time and intertemporal choice shapes strategic thinking among diverse international military officers. This project will explore strategic culture and thinking to examine how an understanding of temporal orientation can impact attitudes, behaviors, and emotional responses, thus influencing cross-cultural relationships. Objectives: 1) Identify and analyze the differences in temporal orientation and intertemporal choice among international military officers; 2) Assess how these differences could influence strategic culture, strategic thinking, decision-making, and cross-cultural collaboration; 3) Develop theoretical insights about strategic culture and strategic thinking in relation to time; and 4) Produce training materials to enhance cross-cultural understanding and collaboration. Anticipated outcomes include a theoretical understanding of temporal orientation in strategic culture; improved methodologies for assessing cross-cultural dynamics in military collaborations; and enhanced arts-based training programs for military officers. The embedded humanist approach to the project has implications for integrating humanities-trained researchers to bridge social science with physical and natural sciences, accelerating the adoption of project results within the broad DoD community.