Influences of Work-Life Support of Officers' Organizational Commitment and Negative Work-Family Spillover

Abstract : When Soldiers leave military service, the loss decreases the personnel available for operational missions. Consequently, a continued concern of the Army is to understand processes leading to Soldier retention and attrition. Given the large body of research showing that employees' organizational commitment is derived from their perceptions of the extent to which the employer is committed to and supportive of them, assistance with balancing the demands of work and family life is a promising intervention for improving Soldier experiences and increasing retention in the Army. This research examined the retention of junior Army officers as it relates to benefit use, social support perceptions, and control over work-family issues. Hypotheses were based on principles of social support and the need for personal control. Results provide partial support for the process by which benefits are construed as support, which increases affective commitment, and the process by which benefits increase personal control, which decreases negative work-family spillover. Interestingly, benefit use was positively related to increased control over the work-family interface and increased resource dependence, which is characterized by dependence on others for support and may be construed as surrendering some degree of control. Implications of these findings are discussed.