Long-term and sustainable workforce planning in the Armed Forces requires a continuous recruitment at all levels, including officers. This comparative study of motivational factors intends to explore similarities and differences between Swedish and Norwegian cadets when they make their decision to seek further commitment as an officer in their own Armed Forces. The aim of this study is to create an awareness of these factors in order to assist the Swedish Armed Forces to improve the enlistment to officer training. The method used is an inductive textual analysis of Swedish and Norwegian studies conducted between 2007 and 2012. The analysis relates to the collected data, and Fabrizio Battistellis motivation categories are used in the analysis in order to structure motivational factors of the applicants. In this, the sub-questions about the motivational factors are linked to Battistellis typology and are addressed and answered. The study then carries out a comparative analysis of the outcome of the previously inductive approach. The purpose of this is to clarify any similarities and/or differences between the two countries. The study shows that there are some differences in motivational factors that influence Norwegian and Swedish candidates applying to the officer training, but also similarities. All three motivation categories, paleomodern – modern - postmodern, were represented at the two countries' candidates, but also some gender-related differences were found in both countries.

The Swedish Armed Forces aim to reflect Swedish society, including its ethnical composition. Despite these ambitions and the fact that non-native Swedes are overrepresented among unemployed Swedes, recruitment is over all slow. Perhaps the Swedish Armed Forces know too little about what motivates this potential group of recruits? And perhaps the recruitment process is discriminating against non-native Swedes? This essay aims to answer what attracts foreign born citizens to join the military and what makes them stay in the service. The research methodology includes interviews and surveys of immigrants. The results of these interviews and surveys are subsequently analysed and viewed through the perspective of military sociologist Fabrizio Battistellis’ theory about soldiers' incentives. According to Battistelli, three types of incentives exist: the paleomodern, the modern and the postmodern. His own study, Peacekeeping and the Postmodern Soldier, determined Italian solders primarily enlisted for postmodern incentives. Swedish scholars has found that the same pattern applies to Swedish military personnel. But how about the non-native Swedes? This study shows that predominantly modern incentives attract non-native Swedes to join the military, and mainly paleomodern incentives make them stay within it.  However, while Swedish soldiers seem to be driven by postmodern incentives, immigrants are not influenced by these in any noticeable way. Instead the study’s results indicate that there are further categories of motives affecting the non-native Swedes, namely contextual and cultural incentives.