2003 IMTA Proceedings - International Military Testing Association

330
U.S. NAVY SAILOR RETENTION: A PROPOSED MODEL OF
CONTINUATION BEHAVIOR 13
Jessica B. Janega and Murrey G. Olmsted
NAVY PERSONNEL RESEARCH, STUDIES AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT
jessica.janega@persnet.navy.mil
Sailor turnover reduces the effectiveness of the Navy. Turnover has improved
significantly since the late 1990s due to the implementation of a variety of retention
programs including selective re-enlistment bonuses, increased sea pay, changes to the
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and other incentives. Now in many cases, the Navy
has adequate numbers of Sailors retained, however, it faces the problem of retaining the
best and brightest Sailors in active-duty service (Visser, 2001). Changes in employee
values will require that organizations, such as the Navy, make necessary changes in their
strategy to retain the most qualified personnel (Withers, 2001). Attention to quality of life
issues is one way in which the military has addressed the changing needs of its members
(Kerce, 1995). One of the most effective ways to assess quality of life in the workplace is
to look at the issue of job satisfaction. Job satisfaction represents the culmination of
feelings the Sailor has toward the Navy. Job satisfaction in combination with variables
like organizational commitment can be used to predict employee (i.e., Sailor) retention
(for a general overview see George & Jones, 2002). The purpose of this paper is to
explore the relationship of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, career intentions,
and continuation behavior in the U.S. Navy.
Job Satisfaction
According to Locke (1976), job satisfaction is predicted by satisfaction with
rewards, satisfaction with work, satisfaction with work context (or working conditions),
and satisfaction with other agents. Elements directly related to job satisfaction include
direct satisfaction with the job, action tendencies, career intentions, and organizational
commitment (Locke, 1976). Olmsted & Farmer (2002) replicated a version of Locke’s
(1976) model of job satisfaction proposed by Staples & Higgins (1998) by applying it to
a Navy sample. Staples and Higgins (1998) proposed that job satisfaction is both a factor
predicted by other factors, as well as an outcome in and of itself. Olmsted & Farmer
(2002) applied the model of Staples and Higgins (1998) directly to Navy data using the
Navy-wide Personnel Survey 2000. The paper evaluated two parallel models, which
provided equivalent results indicating that a similar version of Locke’s model could be
successfully applied to Navy personnel.
Organizational Commitment
Organizational commitment involves feelings and beliefs about entire
organizations (George & Jones, 2002). Typically, organizational commitment can be
13
The opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are not official and do not represent the views of
the U.S. Department of Navy.
45 th Annual Conference of the International Military Testing Association
Pensacola, Florida, 3-6 November 2003