Abstract
This study aims to identify and discuss the career anchors of the Portuguese Army’s volunteers and contract personnel, in order to outline a “professional profile” that can help the organization improving its decision-making process, in terms of management practices and working and living conditions. The study addresses the internal dimension of the concept of career using a three-pronged approach—regulatory, theoretical, and empirical—to find out whether career anchors are determinants for the choice to join the military, as well as for the length of time served. The study uses quantitative and qualitative strategies, with emphasis on Schein’s Career Orientations Inventory (COI). The survey had a valid final sample of 1821 members from the Portuguese Army. The study’s findings suggest a professional profile based on a dominant career anchor, “Lifestyle”, which, combined with complementary anchors (e.g. “Security/Stability”), and provide a qualitative explanation for the participants’ choices.
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Santos, L.A.B.d., Coelho, M.M.M.S.S. (2020). Career Anchors for the Portuguese Army’s Volunteers and Contract Personnel: Using the Career Orientations Inventory. In: Rocha, Á., Pereira, R. (eds) Developments and Advances in Defense and Security. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 152. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9155-2_16
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