Command, Rather than Consultation

Abstract

This article explores the lack of a collegial organizational ethos within the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War. It charts the development of a decentralized body that placed its operational Country Sections in a position of dominance within the organization. The sections responsible for providing operational support — intelligence, special devices, etc. — were expected to carry out instructions issued by the Country Sections, and given little opportunity to contribute their own expertise in a collaborative manner during the operational process. The article goes on to explore the difficulties these sections faced in carrying out their respective roles, and the strategies they adopted to help facilitate their support work. The article concludes by considering why SOE chose to adopt, and maintain, such a formal, strict organizational structure over a more fluid one.