The mind of a warrior : new member encounter in rigidly structured totalistic organizations

Abstract

This study examined the lived experiences of both current and former members of either the United States Military or the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. This study revealed the particularities of the assimilation process in these totalistic organizations through semi-structured interviews. Utilizing a theoretical lens of Structurational-Identification (Scott, Corman Cheney, 1998) the researcher examined the described, lived experiences of members of these organizations to determine how they were both similar and different from studies of traditional organizations. The results of this study indicate that these totalistic organizations did differ from previous organizational research on assimilation. A deep analysis of participants accounts revealed nine categories: Decision to Join, Organizational Entry, Adoption of Rules, Authority, Forced Displays of Identification, Criticism, Fear, Oppressed Groups, and Belief in Change. The insights participants provided in this study have led to a conceptualization of assimilation in totalistic organizations, and the researcher has proposed a new model of entry into these organizations.