APPLICATION OF THE BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY IN THE CONTEXT OF MILITARY ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND DISCIPLINE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68302/std2026.vol1.54Keywords:
broken windows theory, military discipline, organizational culture, normalization of devianceAbstract
This article examines the applicability of the criminological broken windows theory in the context of military organizational behavior and the maintenance of military discipline. The conceptual link between this theory and the phenomenon of normalization of deviance is analyzed, and their mutual complementarity in explaining the processes of disciplinary erosion within military organizations is substantiated. The study is of a theoretical-analytical character and traces the mechanisms through which the toleration of seemingly minor violations gradually weakens the organizational culture and creates the preconditions for more serious deviations.
Downloads
References
[1] Wilson, J. Q., Kelling, G. L. Broken Windows: The Police and Neighborhood Safety // The Atlantic Monthly. — 1982. — Vol. 249, No. 3. — P. 29–38.
[2] Harcourt, B. E. Illusion of Order: The False Promise of Broken Windows Policing. — Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001.
[3] Vaughan, D. The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA. — Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
[4] La on Defense and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria. State Gazette, No. 35 of 12 May 2009, as last amended State Gazette, No. 1/2026.
[5] Regulations on Military Service of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria. Approved by Order No. OH-618 of 27 June 2025. State Gazette, No. 58 of 18 July 2025, in force as of 22 July 2025.
[6] Regulations on Military Service of the Armed Forces of 2008. State Gazette, No. 75 of 26 August 2008. Repealed — State Gazette, No. 58 of 18 July 2025.
[7] Implementing Regulations of the Law on Defense and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria. Adopted by Council of Ministers Decree No. 46/2010.
[8] Goffman, E. Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates. — New York: Anchor Books, 1961.
[9] Bandura, A. Social Learning Theory. — Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1977.
[10] Reason, J. Managing the Risks of Organizational Accidents. — Aldershot: Ashgate, 1997.
[11] Weick, K. E., Sutcliffe, K. M. Managing the Unexpected: Sustained Performance in a Complex World. 3rd ed. — Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2015.
[12] Dekker, S. Just Culture: Balancing Safety and Accountability. 2nd ed. — Farnham: Ashgate, 2012.
[13] Kelling, G. L., Coles, C. M. Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order and Reducing Crime in Our Communities. — New York: Touchstone, 1996.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sabin Sabev

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.