Exploring the Normative Structure of Finnish Soldiers' Home Association: Understanding an Auxiliary Organization Through Volunteer Values.

This article examines the Finnish Soldiers' Home Association (Sotilaskotiliitto, SODE) as an auxiliary organization supporting the Finnish Defence Forces, focusing on how the personal values of its volunteers shape the organization's functioning and identity. Using an interpretivist and abductive approach, the study finds that SODE volunteers are primarily motivated by defense-related values, patriotism, and social connections, with security, benevolence, conformity, and tradition ranking as their most important guiding values. SODE operates as a hybrid voluntary organization that provides welfare services to conscripts and reservists during peacetime and transforms into an auxiliary force during emergencies, reflecting a unique blend of civilian volunteerism and military support within Finland's Total Defense framework. The research highlights the critical role of value alignment between volunteers and the organization for recruitment, retention, and sustaining national defense resilience through civilian engagement.