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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: anjum.naweed@cqu.edu.au
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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

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