Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T22:15:03.995Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

From dreams to reality: a phenomenological study of the psychological contracts of ex-military personnel in the Australian Defence Force

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2021

Anjum Naweed Open the ORCID record for Anjum Naweed [Opens in a new window] ,
Luke Hodgkinson  and
Raymond W. Matthews
Anjum Naweed*
Affiliation:
Appleton Institute for Behavioural Science, Central Queensland University, Wayville, Australia
Luke Hodgkinson
Affiliation:
Appleton Institute for Behavioural Science, Central Queensland University, Wayville, Australia
Raymond W. Matthews
Affiliation:
Appleton Institute for Behavioural Science, Central Queensland University, Wayville, Australia Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Group, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Anjum Naweed, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Current recruitment and retention issues within the armed forces draw links with breach of the psychological contract – the dynamics of the employee–employer relationship. Compared with civilian contexts, a military position is unique, however, there is a dearth of conceptual investigation regarding the lived experiences of military personnel, particularly with respect to how such contracts form. This paper combined a phenomenological approach with the critical decision method to investigate the lived experiences informing contract formation and contract trajectory of ex-military personnel. Lived experiences pointed to the formulation of ‘fuzzy’ contracts, impressions from defence force recruitment, specific tipping points around organisational commitment, and large differences between the fidelity of the idealised and actualised self/job. Seven superordinate themes are elicited that trace the formation and trajectory of the contract. A schematised account of findings is developed to provide avenues to investigate how beliefs form in a military contract context and their outcomes.

Keywords

Career changemilitary organisationpromisespsychological contractschema theory
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 27 , Issue 5 , September 2021 , pp. 886 - 910
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abelson, R. P. (1981). Psychological status of the script concept. American Psychologist, 36(7), 715.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ahn, J., Dik, B. J., & Hornback, R. (2017). The experience of career change driven by a sense of calling: An interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 102, 48–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Australian Human Rights Commission (2012). Review into the Treatment of Women in the Australian Defence Force [Community Guide – Phase 2 Report]. Retrieved, August 20, 2020, from www.humanrights.gov.au/defencereview.Google Scholar
Ayoko, O. B., Callan, V. J., & Härtel, C. E. J. (2003). Workplace conflict, bullying, and counterproductive behaviors. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 11(4), 283–301.10.1108/eb028976CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bankins, S. (2011). Tracking employees’ twists and turns: Describing a mixed methods approach to assessing change in the psychological contract. International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 5(3), 351–366. doi: 10.5172/mra.2011.5.3.351CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bankins, S. (2014). Delving into promises: Conceptually exploring the beliefs constituting the contemporary psychological contract. Journal of Management & Organization, 20(4), 544–566. doi: 10.1017/jmo.2014.42CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barno, D., & Bensahel, N. (2015). Can the US Military halt its brain drain?, Online Article. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/us-military-tries-halt-brain-drain/413965/.Google Scholar
Bartlett, F. C. (1932). Remembering: A study of experimental and social psychology. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York: Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Brown, J., Sorrell, J. H., McClaren, J., & Creswell, J. W. (2006). Waiting for a liver transplant. Qualitative Health Research, 16(1), 119–136.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bryant, B. K., Zvonkovic, A. M., & Reynolds, P. (2006). Parenting in relation to child and adolescent vocational development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 69(1), 149–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cane, S., McCarthy, R., & Halawi, L. (2010). Ready for battle? A phenomenological study of military simulation systems. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 50(3), 33–40.Google Scholar
Carless, S. A. (2005). Person–job fit versus person–organization fit as predictors of organizational attraction and job acceptance intentions: A longitudinal study. Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, 78(3), 411–429. doi: 10.1348/096317905X25995CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chambel, M. J., & Oliveira-Cruz, F. (2010). Breach of psychological contract and the development of burnout and engagement: A longitudinal study among soldiers on a peacekeeping mission. Military Psychology, 22(2), 110–127. doi: 10.1080/08995601003638934CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clinton, M. E., & Guest, D. E. (2014). Psychological contract breach and voluntary turnover: Testing a multiple mediation model. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 87(1), 200–207. doi: 10.4236/ajibm.2016.68089CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Costa, S. P., & Neves, P. (2017). Forgiving is good for health and performance: How forgiveness helps individuals cope with the psychological contract breach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 100, 124–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coyle-Shapiro, J. A.-M., & Kessler, I. (2002). Exploring reciprocity through the lens of the psychological contract: Employee and employer perspectives. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 11(1), 69–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions (3rd ed.). London, UK: Sage.Google Scholar
Creswell, J. W. (2020). Moving to the Next Level in Qualitative Research: Incorporating a Specific Qualitative Design Approach [24 July]. RHD Online Training Intensive (Keynote): CQUniversity Australia.Google Scholar
Curry, L. A., Nembhard, I. M., & Bradley, E. H. (2009). Qualitative and mixed methods provide unique contributions to outcomes research. Circulation, 119(10), 1442–1452.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Clercq, D., Sun, W., & Belausteguigoitia, I. (2021). When is job control most useful for idea championing? Role conflict and psychological contract violation effects. Journal of Management & Organization, 27, 382–396.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Department of Defence (2016). Recruitment process: Six steps to your new career. Retrieved, September 15th, from http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/recruitment-centre/how-to-join/recruitment-process/.Google Scholar
Department of Defence (2019). Defence Annual Report 2018–19. Retrieved, August 20, 2020, from https://www.defence.gov.au/annualreports/18%2D19/.Google Scholar
De Vos, A., Buyens, D., & Schalk, R. (2005). Making sense of a new employment relationship: Psychological contract-related information seeking and the role of work values and locus of control. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 13(1), 41–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Vos, A., & Freese, C. (2011). Sensemaking during organizational entry: Changes in newcomer information seeking and the relationship with psychological contract fulfilment. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 84(2), 288–314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dukes, S. (1984). Phenomenological methodology in the human sciences. Journal of Religion and Health, 23(3), 197–203.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ebright, P. R., Patterson, E. S., Chalko, B. A., & Render, M. L. (2003). Understanding the complexity of registered nurse work in acute care settings. Journal of Nursing Administration, 33(12), 630–638. doi: jonajournal/toc/2003/12000CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferroff, C. V., Mavin, T. J., Bates, P. R., & Murray, P. S. (2012). A case for social constructionism in aviation safety and human performance research. Aeronautica, 1(3), 1–12.Google Scholar
Fischer, C. T. (2009). Bracketing in qualitative research: Conceptual and practical matters. Psychotherapy Research, 19(4–5), 583–590.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gibson, J. L., Griepentrog, B. K., & Marsh, S. M. (2007). Parental influence on youth propensity to join the military. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 70(3), 525–541.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gouldner, A. W. (1960). The norm of reciprocity: A preliminary statement. American Sociological Review, 25, 161–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grisales, C. (2019). Military recruitment, retention challenges remain, service chiefs say. Stars and stripes. Retrieved from https://www.stripes.com/military-recruitment-retention-challenges-remain-service-chiefs-say-1.581364.Google Scholar
Hammarberg, K., Kirkman, M., & De Lacey, S. (2016). Qualitative research methods: When to use them and how to judge them. Human Reproduction, 31(3), 498–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herriot, P., Manning, W., & Kidd, J. M. (1997). The content of the psychological contract. British Journal of Management, 8(2), 151–162. doi: 10.1111/1467-8551.0047CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hirschman, A. O. (1970). Exit, voice, and loyalty: Responses to decline in firms, organizations, and states. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Hogg, J. (2001). Recruitment and retention of ADF personnel – Senate foreign affairs defence and trade references committee. Canberra, Australia: The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved, August 20, 2020, from https://www.aph.gov.au/.Google Scholar
Hollnagel, E. (2016). The nitty-gritty of human factors. In Shorrock, S. & Wiliams, C. (Eds.), Human factors and ergonomics in practice: Improving system performance and human well-being in the real world (pp. 45–64). Boca Raton: FL: CRC Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, S. K., & Griep, Y. (2018). ‘I can only work so hard before I burn out’. A time sensitive conceptual integration of ideological psychological contract breach, work effort, and burnout. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jordan, M. H., Schraeder, M., Feild, H. S., & Armenakis, A. A. (2007). Organizational citizenship behavior, job attitudes, and the psychological contract. Military Psychology, 19(4), 259–271. doi: 10.1080/08995600701548122CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klein, G. (2008). Naturalistic decision making. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 50(3), 456–460.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klein, G. A., Calderwood, R., & Macgregor, D. (1989). Critical decision method for eliciting knowledge. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, 19(3), 462–472. doi: 10.1518/001872098779480442CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kraak, J. M., Lakshman, C., & Griep, Y. (2020). From top gun to the daily grind: Contextualizing psychological contract breach for military pilots. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 29(2), 243–261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lievens, F., Hoye, G., & Schreurs, B. (2005). Examining the relationship between employer knowledge dimensions and organizational attractiveness: An application in a military context. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 78(4), 553–572.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malone, U. (2016). Sailors sue Navy saying they were ‘tricked’ into joining with promises of trades. ABC News. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-15/hundreds-sailors-sue-navy-alleged-false-promises-trade/7170086.Google Scholar
Montes, S. D., & Zweig, D. (2009). Do promises matter? An exploration of the role of promises in psychological contract breach. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(5), 1243–1260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morrison, E. W., & Robinson, S. L. (1997). When employees feel betrayed: A model of how psychological contract violation develops. Academy of Management Review, 22(1), 226–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
NATO. (2007). Recruiting and retention of military personnel – Final report. Retrieved, January 15th, 2016, from http://www.nato.int/issues/women_nato/Recruiting%20&%20Retention%20of%20Mil%20Personnel.pdf.Google Scholar
Naweed, A., Stahlut, J., & O’Keeffe, V. (2021). The Essence of care: Versatility as an adaptive response to challenges in the delivery of quality aged care by personal care attendants. Human Factors, doi: 10.1177/00187208211010962CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neisser, U. (1976). Cognition and reality. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman.Google Scholar
O'Donnell, M., & Shields, J. (2002). Performance management and the psychological contract in the Australian federal public sector. Journal of Industrial Relations, 44(3), 435–457. doi: 10.1111/0022185602044003008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parco, J. E., Levy, D. A., & Spears, S. R. (2015). Transgender military personnel in the post-DADT repeal era: A phenomenological study. Armed Forces & Society, 41(2), 221–242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (2000). Defence 2000: Our Future Defence Force [White Paper]. Canberra, Australia: Retrieved, August 20, 2020, from https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1516/DefendAust/2000#_Toc428256215.Google Scholar
Parzefall, M.-R., & Coyle-Shapiro, J. A. (2011). Making sense of psychological contract breach. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 26(1), 12–27. doi: 10.1108/02683941111099592CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pate, J., Martin, G., & Staines, H. (2000). Exploring the relationship between psychological contracts and organizational change: A process model and case study evidence. Strategic Change, 9(8), 481.3.0.CO;2-G>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perry, M. (2018). The recruitment problem the military doesn't want to talk about. The American Conservative. Retrieved from https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-recruitment-problem-the-military-doesnt-want-to-talk-about/.Google Scholar
Pohl, S., Bertrand, F., & Ergen, C. (2016). Psychological contracts and their implications for Job outcomes: A social exchange view. Military Psychology, 28(6), 406–417. doi: 10.1037/mil0000127CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rigotti, T. (2009). Enough is enough? Threshold models for the relationship between psychological contract breach and job-related attitudes. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 18(4), 442–463. doi: 10.1080/13594320802402039CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, S. L., & Morrison, E. W. (1995). Psychological contracts and OCB: The effect of unfulfilled obligations on civic virtue behavior. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16(3), 289–298. 10.1002/job.4030160309CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rousseau, D. M. (1989). Psychological and implied contracts in organizations. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 2(2), 121–139. doi: 10.1007/BF01384942CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rousseau, D. M. (2000). Psychological contract inventory [Technical Report ver. 2.0]. Retrieved, January 15th, 2021, from http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/rousseau/0_reports/PCI.pdf.Google Scholar
Rousseau, D. M. (2001). Schema, promise and mutuality: The building blocks of the psychological contract. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 74(4), 511–541. doi: 10.1348/096317901167505CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rousseau, D. M., & McLean Parks, J. (1993). The contracts of individuals and organizations. In Cummings, L. L. & Staw, B. M. (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 15, pp. 1–47). Greenwich, UK: JAI Press.Google Scholar
Rousseau, D. M., & Tijoriwala, S. A. (1999). What's a good reason to change? Motivated reasoning and social accounts in promoting organizational change. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(4), 514. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.84.4.514CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saunders, B., Sim, J., Kingstone, T., Baker, S., Waterfield, J., Bartlam, B., … Jinks, C. (2018). Saturation in qualitative research: Exploring its conceptualization and operationalization. Quality & Quantity, 52(4), 1893–1907.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schmidtchen, D. (1999). Re-thinking the psychological contract between army and its people. Australian Defence Force Journal, 137, 5–8.Google Scholar
Schreuder, F., Schalk, R., & Batistič, S. (2019). Goal congruence in teams and performance: The role of (shared) psychological contract fulfilment. Journal of Management & Organization, 1–17. doi: 10.1017/jmo.2019.52CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shirey, M. R., McDaniel, A. M., Ebright, P. R., Fisher, M. L., & Doebbeling, B. N. (2010). Understanding nurse manager stress and work complexity: Factors that make a difference. Journal of Nursing Administration, 40(2), 82–91. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0b013e3181cb9f88CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, D. W. (2006). Phenomenology. Retrieved March 25th, 2020, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/phenomenology/.Google Scholar
Soares, M. E., & Mosquera, P. (2019). Fostering work engagement: The role of the psychological contract. Journal of Business Research, 101, 469–476.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, H. D., & Anderson, N. (1998). Changes in newcomers' psychological contracts during organizational socialization: A study of recruits entering the British army. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 19(1), 745–767. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1379(1998)19:1+<745::AID-JOB967>3.0.CO;2-I3.0.CO;2-I>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, J. A., & Bunderson, J. S. (2003). Violations of principle: Ideological currency in the psychological contract. Academy of Management Review, 28(4), 571–586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Treseder, W. (2015). Former Marine: How to fix the military's millennial problem. Time. Retrieved from http://time.com/3765942/military-recruit-talent/.Google Scholar
Trybou, J., Gemmel, P., & Lieven, A. (2015). In the eye of the beholder: A qualitative study of mutual obligations and areas of ambiguity in the hospital–physician relationship. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 8(2), 126–134. doi: 10.1179/2047971914Y.0000000087CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turnley, W. H., Bolino, M. C., Lester, S. W., & Bloodgood, J. M. (2003). The impact of psychological contract fulfillment on the performance of in-role and organizational citizenship behaviors. Journal of Management, 29(2), 187–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waisman-Nitzan, M., Gal, E., & Schreuer, N. (2019). Employers’ perspectives regarding reasonable accommodations for employees with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Management & Organization, 25(4), 481–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wanous, J. P., Poland, T. D., Premack, S. L., & Davis, K. S. (1992). The effects of met expectations on newcomer attitudes and behaviors: A review and meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(3), 288.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weick, K. E. (1995). Sensemaking in organizations (Vol. 3). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Whiston, S. C., & Keller, B. K. (2004). The influences of the family of origin on career development: A review and analysis. The Counseling Psychologist, 32(4), 493–568.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whiting, L. S. (2008). Semi-structured interviews: Guidance for novice researchers. Nursing Standard, 22(23), 35–40. doi: 10.7748/ns2008.02.22.23.35.c6420CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
William, A. (2006). Hearts and minds: Military recruitment and the high school battlefield. Phi Delta Kappan, 87(8), 594–599. doi: 10.1177/003172170608700813CrossRefGoogle Scholar