Relationships Between Expectations and Life and Job Satisfaction,
Abstract
The early stage of the military recruiting process is built on a loosely connected series of specific, but mostly general images, associations, and "like to have"s. It is clear that some well-formed (and some not-so-well-formed) expectations already exist prior to the first meeting between recruiter and prospect. For the job seeker, the expectations may be as clear as the money that will be earned and the training that will be received, as vague as wanting "good opportunity for advancement" or as difficult to assess as wanting to "live up to my family's expectations," or desiring to become a leader. Almost certainly a number of those expectations will be very non-specific, maybe even unrealized presumptions, having to do with work in general, persons in authority positions, types of organizations, the nature of certain kinds of work, etc. There may also be some rather specific expectations; those regarding the particular branch of service, its mission,, its leaders, its reputation in terms of job security and fairness to its people. An excellent example can be drawn from research conducted two decades ago by the United Kingdom's Central Office of Information (1975). Results of in-depth interviews and group discussions showed that the following were perceived advantages of service in the Women's Royal Army Corps which most strongly influenced the enlistment decisions of young women: (1) anticipation of a good social life, including meeting people of similar age and interests; (2) expectation of training for an interesting and worthwhile job; (3) the fact that the Army is a total way of life, which can act as a substitute for an unsatisfactory civilian life; (4) prospects of travel and mobility; and, (5) overall standard of living offered by the Army, e.g., accommodations, reasonable pay, sports facilities. These are fairly coherent expectations. They impelled job-seeking with this particular organization.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA362219
Entities
People
- Herbert G. Baker
- Michael A. White