Junior Army Officer Retention Intentions: A Path Analytic Model.

摘要

This research tests a model of the determinants of retention intentions in a sample of recently commissioned (1984-1987), married, male, junior Army officers. Four variables--perceived Army career prospects, organizational identification, anticipated work/family conflict, and years of services--were specified as direct determinants of propensity to stay in the Army. Five additional variables (person/branch match, prior career orientation, current work satisfaction, operational support, and inspirational leadership) were hypothesized to have indirect effects on retention, operating through their influence on career prospects and identification. The predictions of the model were largely supported. Organizational identification had strong positive effects, and work/family conflict had strong negative effects on propensity to stay. Perceived career prospects and years of service also had significant, although smaller, positive effects. In combination, the direct determinants accounted for half of the variance in the dependent variable. Of the four antecedent variables predicted to influence Army career prospects, three had significant path coefficients (branch match, work satisfaction, and operational support received). All three variables hypothesized to affect organizational identification were significant (prior orientation toward a military career, operational support, and inspirational leadership), but they explained little (18%) of the variance in identification.