"But even when things are going badly and spirits are low, I agree - that doesn't always equate to bad performance, or even bad morale."
That's what I suspected. Having not spent any time in the military, I cannot judge what the atmosphere aboard a navell vessel could be. But what I've always spected is that, even if morale was poor, people would still do their job proparly and as effectivly as they could.
Granted, as a fisherman, I had noone activly hunting me an trying to kill me. But still, if you're in an enviroment wich is dangerous, where, if you slip up, you could get yourself killed: you have ample motivation to perform well. Even if for nothing else than a sence of self preservation.
I would imagine that, on a naval vessel where, I suspect, group cohesion would be actively encouraged: morale would not impede crew performance. I would imagine that, even if you'd hated your commanders guts, you'd not want to let your crew mates down. And if nothing else would want yourself and you shipmates to survive.
Where I can imagine low morale effecting performance is: when you are utterly cornered with no oppertunity of escape. When a sence of impending and total defeat sets in, people would just give up in desperation.
But, if there's even a small chance of survival, my guess is: people would more often and then not do their damdest what's necissary to survive.
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