The effect of conscientiousness, openness to experience, and neuroticism on military identity in a South African military university: the moderating role of Selflessness

Date
2023-12
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Identification with the organisation an individual is working for has been associated with performance (He & Brown, 2013), positive attitude, positive work outcomes, etc.; it is therefore very important to study. According to Rao et al. (2019), being associated with an organisation can develop pride in members and lead to organisational identification among employees. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of personality traits such as Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience, and Neuroticism on Military Identity, as well as to establish the moderating role of Selflessness in these relationships. The purpose of this study was to make a commitment to reduce the capital and time that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) invests in people who join the forces for personal gain and self-satisfaction. The findings of this report will be discussed with SANDF recruiting staff to realign recruitment and hiring requirements and procedures. A survey research design with the use of questionnaires was utilised. The questionnaires were administered at one point in time within the normal environment of students at the national military university with no interference from the researcher. The following instruments were used to gather information from the participants. The first scale was the Big Five Inventory consisting of 44 items (John & Srivastava, 1999), the selfless scale (Dambrun, 2017), and the Norwegian Professional Identity Scale developed by Johansen et al. (2013) to measure Military Identity. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 27 (IBM, 2021) was used to conduct reliability and dimensionality analyses on the collected data. Confirmatory factor analyses for each scale were conducted. The revised measurement and structural model can generally be regarded as good. Measurement and structural models were fitted to the data using structural equation modelling through Linear Structural Relationships. The findings indicated a positive relationship between Conscientiousness and Military Identity; a positive relationship between Openness to Experience and Military Identity; and a significant negative relationship between Neuroticism and Military Identity. The findings also indicated that different levels of Selflessness had a significant impact on the level of Military Identity when Conscientiousness was set as the predictor; different levels of Selflessness had a significant impact on the level of Military Identity when Openness to Experience was set as the predictor; and different levels of Selflessness had a significant impact on the level of Military Identity when Neuroticism was set as the predictor. The limitations of the study and recommendations for future studies are presented at the end of the report. This study’s findings will help the SANDF to implement better recruitment strategies.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Identifikasie met die organisasie waarvoor 'n individu werk is geassosieer met prestasie (He & Brown, 2013), positiewe gesindheid, positiewe werksuitkomste, ens.; dit is dus baie belangrik om te studeer. Volgens Rao et al. (2019), om met 'n organisasie geassosieer te word, kan trots op lede ontwikkel en lei tot organisatoriese identifikasie onder werknemers. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om die effek van persoonlikheidseienskappe soos Pligsgetrouheid, Openheid vir Ervaring en Neurotisisme op Militêre Identiteit te ondersoek, asook om die modererende rol van Onbaatsugtigheid in hierdie verhoudings vas te stel. Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n verbintenis te maak om die kapitaal en tyd wat die Suid- Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag (SANW) belê in mense wat by die magte aansluit vir persoonlike gewin en selfbevrediging te verminder. Die bevindinge van hierdie verslag sal met die SANW se werwingspersoneel bespreek word om werwings- en aanstellingsvereistes en - prosedures te herbelyn. ’n Opname-navorsingsontwerp met die gebruik van vraelyste is gebruik. Die vraelyste is op 'n tydstip binne die normale omgewing van studente aan die nasionale militêre universiteit geadministreer sonder inmenging van die navorser. Die volgende instrumente is gebruik om inligting van die deelnemers in te samel. Die eerste skaal was die Groot Vyf Inventaris bestaande uit 44 items (John & Srivastava, 1999), die onbaatsugtige skaal (Dambrun, 2017) en die Noorse Professionele Identiteitskaal wat ontwikkel is deur Johansen et al. (2013) om Militêre Identiteit te meet. Die Statistiese Pakket vir die Sosiale Wetenskappe weergawe 27 (IBM, 2021) is gebruik om betroubaarheid- en dimensionaliteitsontledings op die versamelde data uit te voer. Bevestigende faktorontledings vir elke skaal is uitgevoer. Die hersiene meting en strukturele model kan oor die algemeen as goed beskou word. Meting en strukturele modelle is by die data gepas deur gebruik te maak van strukturele vergelykingsmodellering deur Lineêre Strukturele Verwantskappe. Die bevindinge het 'n positiewe verband tussen Pligsgetrouheid en Militêre Identiteit aangedui; 'n positiewe verhouding tussen Openheid vir Ervaring en Militêre Identiteit; en 'n beduidende negatiewe verband tussen Neurotisisme en Militêre Identiteit. Die bevindinge het ook aangedui dat verskillende vlakke van Onbaatsugtigheid 'n beduidende impak op die vlak van Militêre Identiteit gehad het wanneer Pligsgetrouheid as die voorspeller gestel is; verskillende vlakke van Onbaatsugtigheid het 'n beduidende impak op die vlak van Militêre Identiteit gehad toe Openheid vir Ervaring as die voorspeller gestel is; en verskillende vlakke van Onbaatsugtigheid het 'n beduidende impak op die vlak van Militêre Identiteit gehad toe Neurotisisme as die voorspeller gestel is. Die beperkings van die studie en aanbevelings vir toekomstige studies word aan die einde van die verslag aangebied. Hierdie studie se bevindinge sal die SANW help om beter werwingstrategieë te implementeer.
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Thesis (MMil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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