The Effects of Job Satisfaction on Air Force Enlistee Retention,

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to assess the concurrent and predictive validity of occupational attitudes, as measured by the Air Force Occupational Attitude Inventory (OAI), in relation to global job satisfaction, reenlistment intent, and actual reenlistment behavior of first-term enlisted airmen. The OAI was administered to two samples of airmen consisting of 1,217 personnel in 1973 and 4,784 personnel in 1975. When considered as a set, the OAI items were found to bear a strong relationship to global job satisfaction, a somewhat lesser relationship to reenlistment behavior. These relationships maintained their significance when the baseline effects of 53 biographical and job-related variables were held constant in regression analyses. Findings indicated that global job satisfaction was associated with the following: job challenge, the use of airman abilities, and feelings of accomplishment. Reenlistment intent and actual reenlistment were most highly associated with satisfaction with pay and benefits as compared to civilian jobs, the consideration the Air Force gave enlistees, removal of irritants, and contributions to the national defense. Cross-validation of the 1973 and 1975 equations revealed that these relationships were stable through time.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1981
Accession Number
ADP001315

Entities

People

  • Charles N. Weaver
  • Kenn Finstuen

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Administrative Personnel
  • Air Force
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Equations
  • Inventory
  • Irritants
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Reenlistment
  • Regression Analysis
  • Validation
  • Virginia

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Naval Personnel Management
  • Organizational Psychology.