Author: David S. Wolpert

Publisher:

Published: 1989

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13:

This Thesis examines both the apparent effectiveness for later job satisfaction and life satisfaction of both the Career Transition Program(CTP), a 3-day workshop focussing on teaching the basic skills felt necessary to compete in the civilian job market, and of the subjects' general preretirement planning efforts. Anticipatory socialization, adult socialization and role discontinuity were the theoretical bases for examining the transition from military life to the civilian world. It was generally predicted that increased planning would lead to greater job and/or life satisfaction. A sample of those who attended CTP and a sample matched on rank and job title who did not attend CTP was used. An N=360 was obtained from a mail questionnaire (150 Treatment, 210 Match). Results were, for the most part, the opposite of what was predicted, with the non-CTP respondents doing significantly better on obtaining a civilian job sooner, income, having civilian job expectations met, beginning the job search earlier, job satisfaction and life satisfaction. A path analysis was performed to examine the relationships between the planning variables, the intervening variables of expectations, income, the job search process and the outcome variables of job satisfaction and life satisfaction. Some speculations are made about why the outcome was different from what was expected. This included questions about the efficacy of short term programs and the implications for preretirement planning for future military retirees. Military personnel retirement. Theses. (edc).