Research into military motivation seeks to explore what drives people to do military tasks, what drives these individuals not only to join but also what drives them to do their best. In a conscription system people are forced into the military with legal means and with a professional military the people working in the military are paid a salary through an employment. Research into military motivation shows that people are rarely completely forced through conscription or only work in the military for the salary. This paper sought to examine if there is a motivational difference between Swedish conscripts and professional soldiers. Self-determination theory is a well-established motivational theory that divides motivation into three categories: amotivation, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Where amotivation is the lack of motivation, extrinsic motivation is being controlled externally and intrinsic motivation comes from within the individual such as enjoyment of the task itself. To be able to reach intrinsic motivation the theory details three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. To measure these distinct factors of basic psychological need fulfillment and motivation, semi-structured interviews were conducted on both conscripts and professional soldiers. The interviews showed that both categories are motivated by similar factors. The biggest difference found was that the conscript feel more extrinsically controlled because they cannot affect their situation, in contrast to the professional soldiers who accepted their lack of control because they made a conscious decision to take employment as a soldier.

This thesis provides a comprehensive examination of the impact of Sweden's NATO membership on the personnel strategies of the Swedish Armed Forces and the professional roles of its officers. By focusing on motivational factors that encourage or discourage Swedish officers from accepting overseas assignments, the study sheds light on the complex dynamics of military career development in an international context. The findings reveal important strategic and operational considerations for successful integration into the global security architecture. In particular, the research indicates that only 20 percent of the officers surveyed are highly motivated to serve abroad, which highlights difficulties in balancing national and international commitments. This indicates an urgent need for the Swedish Armed Forces to respond to these motivational challenges to balance its responsibilities. This research contributes valuable insights into the professional drivers and essential changes required as Swedish officers assume new roles in the global security context.