Career Adaptability, Engagement and Job Satisfaction: A Psychological Network in the Military Education Context

Abstract

Purpose: Evidence indicates that career adaptability and engagement are characteristics that improve coping with challenges inherent in a military career. Job satisfaction appears as a variable that interacts with both because it improves the maintenance of performance. The objective of this paper is to examine a psychological network (PN), including these variables. Originality/value: The interaction among these is well documented in the literature; nevertheless, it has not been researched in the context of military education. Information on the network can provide important insights for the development of strength-based training directed towards highly influential behaviors and attitudes of students. Design/methodology/approach: The research design was sectional and based on a quantitative analysis framework. A total of 962 male students from the second (n = 323; 33.6%), third (n = 345; 35.9%), and fourth (n = 294; 30.6%) years of the Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras (Aman), between 18 and 26 years old, completed our survey. Instruments included a demographic questionnaire, Job Satisfaction Scale, Career Adaptabilities Scale, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students. PNs were estimated for the complete sample and also for every academic year. Findings: One of our main findings indicates that the PN tends to lose connections across the academic years, especially considering job satisfaction and engagement items. Aman students might experience a natural process of disconnection from the academic environment and, therefore, constructs showing, for example, engagement for students lose configuration as a graphical community. A longitudinal study is needed in order to confirm differences detected among students from different years.