Military Review English Edition May-June 2016 | Page 95

SOCIAL FACTORS

MRsSPEA
Moral
Describes the sense of commitment, respect for others,
value of dignity, and general concern for all living things.

Religious-Spiritual
Describes the value of the afterlife, reverence of the
transcendental, need for spirituality, deference for truth,
and sense of reciprocity.

Social
Describes the relevance of community, the appreciation of
good human relations, the value of hospitality, the high
regard for family, and respect for authority and elders.

Political
Includes a sense of equality, an appreciation for the
balance between collectivism and individualism, and
esteem for governance.

Economic
Encompasses the value of free enterprise, economic
security, fair distribution and equity, desire for wealth and
growth, and regard of efficiency of work.

Aesthetical
Explores the relevance of art in society: art as an expression of beauty, as a tool for communicating, and art as a
vestige of history.

(Figure by Arin Burgess, Military Review)

Figure 2. Social Factors
example, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is a former
commanding general in the EAF.
In terms of governance, the Arab Republic of Egypt
(ARE) has a democratic-republican system of government with executive, legislative, and judiciary branches.
After the 25 January 2013 revolution that deposed
Mohamed Morsi, Egypt focused on redefining its foreign policy priorities and rebuilding its economy. Egypt’s
aim to become a regional power has impelled it to host
MILITARY REVIEW  May-June 2016

three different economic summits and the
Arab League Conference in 2015.
Economic. The Egyptian economy is the
second largest in the Arab world after Saudi
Arabia, but struggles nevertheless to support
the growing population. While economic
opportunities are far more limited in the
Northern Sinai, tourism in the Southern Sinai
is driving the need for infrastructure development, such as new roads, water pump stations,
and electricity plants. Nearly all of the business for these developments goes to local companies. Outsiders may view this as nepotism,
but culturally Egyptians prefer to do business
with those they know intimately and respect.
As a result, new business relationships do not
just happen overnight. Quite the contrary,
Egyptians feel impelled to take the time they
deem necessary to cultivate personal relationships and fully assess the reliability of prospective business partners before doing business.
Aesthetical. While there are few museums located in the Southern Sinai, Sharm
el-Sheikh has many important landmarks,
statues, and buildings that express important
Egyptian ideals, especially peace. Of note,
there are three major mosques and a Coptic
church . All are tourist destinations due to
their architectural beauty and displays of religious artwork. Additionally, the influence of
ancient Egyptian culture is pervasive through
modern society in the form of art and architecture. Lastly, Ras Mohammed National
Park, the first national park in Egypt, is a
protected marine and terrestrial nature area
located in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Applying Mission Command
Having created understanding in terms
of the operational, mission, and social factors, the
next step is to apply mission command. Commanders
drive the operations process in order to create shared
understanding. As Andrew Whitford argues, “It is the
job of commanders and leaders to consider a variety
of viewpoints about the world to build the understanding and empathy necessary to accomplish their
mission.”12 Social factors will affect not only how the
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