A systematic review exploring conceptualizations and antecedents of high reliability in military contexts: The role of high-reliability followership

In a world where the military acts as an extension of governments and society, precision and efficiency in military task execution are paramount. Across diverse operational contexts, military personnel are tasked with delivering consistently reliable outcomes, yet the nature of “reliability” – and the factors that enable it – remain unclear. This review synthesizes findings from empirical studies related to High-Reliability Organizations (HROs), military leadership, and social identity to better understand the nature of high reliability as exhibited by military personnel across various contexts. More specifically, it aims to identify and categorize implicit conceptualizations of high reliability within existing research literature, and to examine its antecedents. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes 2020 (PRISMA; 2021) guidelines, we systematically reviewed peer-reviewed articles published between 1975 and 2025. Forty-five studies met the inclusion criteria and were retained for synthesis following quality assessment. Analysis suggests that the five principles of High-Reliability Followership provide a useful organizing framework for understanding high-reliability behavior in military contexts. Moreover, these behaviors appear to be shaped by a range of antecedents – many of which are linked to identity leadership and the development of a strong shared social identity within military teams.