The relationship among factors in motivation for joining the military, matched expectations to reality, and retention

Abstract

The military is an integral part of any nation’s peace and security, as well as international development. To ensure that military personnel are adequately equipped, nations invest multiple resources into the training and retention of military personnel. Situating this study on Herzberg’s Two Factor theory, the study set out to examine if motivation to join the military matched expectations to reality, which in turn was associated with the decision to stay in the military or to leave after training. A quantitative approach and descriptive correlational design used. Sampling was purposive and convenient, involving 400 military personnel. Principal Components Analysis was used to extract factors for motivation, matched expectation, and retention. The instrument assessing motivation loaded on six factors; that of matched expectation to reality loaded on five factors, and that of retention loaded on two factors. A correlational analysis to determine the association among the factors demonstrated strong positive correlation. The results indicated that what motivated participants to enter the military varied including financial, family, desire to protect the country, and attraction for the uniform. Specifically, when participants discovered that their expectations, for example, about financial security, matched reality, they had the tendency to stay; they left if the expectations were not met. It was recommended that counselling for the military take a multi-faceted approach to include providing as much of in-service training concerning the reality of military life. Another recommendation consisted of guiding personnel on career paths while in service and options after retirement.