Conscripts or Volunteers? Assessing the Impact of Organizational Behaviors and Attitudes on Korean Military Sector Performance

Military organizations across the world are faced with challenges in recruiting and retaining high-quality personnel because of increasing inter-sectoral competition, changes in social values, and low unemployment. Although intrinsic motivation, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and job stress are essential for employee retention and performance, there has been little research into these factors within the military sector. The three separate studies that compose this dissertation were undertaken to investigate the impact of soldiers' behaviors and attitudes on individual's performance and to examine differences in the organizational attitudes and individual performances of conscripts versus volunteer soldiers. The first study examines the relationship between intrinsic motivation and individual performance and explores whether this relationship is mediated by job stress. The second paper explores differences in affective organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and individual performance between conscripts versus volunteer soldiers. This study also investigates the impact of job satisfaction on affective organizational commitment and individual performance in the military sector. The third study investigates whether there are differences in intrinsic motivation, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction between conscripts and volunteer soldiers. This study investigates the impact of intrinsic motivation on organizational commitment and job satisfaction in the military sector. The results of the three studies note three significant findings: (1) intrinsic motivation has a negative association with job stress, and the relationship between intrinsic motivation and military performance is mediated by job stress; (2) volunteer soldiers have higher job satisfaction and total fitness levels than conscripts, and job satisfaction has a statistically significant positive effect on affective organizational commitment and total fitness levels in military organizations; and (3) volunteer soldiers have higher intrinsic motivation, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction than conscripts. Intrinsic motivation has a statistically significant positive effect on military organizations' organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are also discussed in the study.