An Analysis of the Australian Defence Force Administrative Sanctions System

Abstract

"What happens when an Australian servicemember misbehaves? When a serving member of the Australian Defence Force engages in poor performance or behavior that contradicts Defence values, but is not criminal, they may be subject to administrative sanctions. These sanctions are intended to motivate a change in behavior or provide grounds for dismissal. However, there has been little examination of how these sanctions are applied, the impact they have on those the organization wishes to retain, or the fairness of the system. This research begins to address these gaps by using descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Linear Probability Models to understand how sanctions are applied to the Australian Army. We find that there was an increase in the use of sanctions from 2011 to 2020. Soldiers in 2020 were 75% more likely to receive a sanction compared to 2011. Additionally, receiving a sanction early in one's career is linked to a shorter length of service. Our findings also revealed some variability in supervisor decision-making, indicating a lack of consistency in the application of sanctions. Furthermore, we find that there is some correlation between the location where a member is posted and the likelihood of receiving a sanction. In the worst locations, soldiers are 26% more likely to receive a sanction."