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The Determinants of Satisfaction With Family Life: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of the

U.S. Army

12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S)

Hyder Lakhani

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FIELD GROUP SUB-GROUP Family satisfaction Army Experience Survey

Economics Factor analysis

9. ABSTRACT (Continue on reverie if necessary and identify by block number)

--o. This report analyzes the effect of economic, psychological, and sociological variables

on soldiers' satisfaction with relationships with their spouses or children. It uses data

from the Army Experience Survey, 1985. The results reveal that variables from all of the

three disciplines play a role in determining satisfaction with family life in the Army.

In particular, black and older soldiers and soldiers with more children showed more

satisfaction, and attritees showed less satisfaction with relationships with their spouses

or children.

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i
Technical Report 800

The Determinants of Satisfaction With Family Life:

An Interdisciplinary Analysis

of the U.S. Army

Hyder Lakhani

i-io-oS n0 FoF

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Unanounced Q AJustifoato ! o

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Niat Speoial luPersonnel Utilization Technical Area

Manpower and Personnel Research Laboratory

U.S. Army

Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences

July 1988

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EDGAR M. JOHNSON WM. DARRYL HENDERSON

Technical Director COL, IN Commanding

Technical review by

Michael E. Benedict

David W. Witter

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unless so designalled by other authorized documents
Technical Report 800

The Determinants of Satisfaction With Family Life:

An Interdisciplinary Analysis

of the U.S. Army

Hyder Lakhani

Personnel Utilization Technical Area

Paul A. Gade, Chief

Manpower and Personnel Research Laboratory

Newell K. Eaton, Director

U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences

5001 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22333-5600

Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel

Department of the Army

July 1988

Army Project Number Manpower and Personnel

2Q263731 A792 Ae

Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

'II
FOREWORD

The Personnel Utilization Technical Area of the Army

Research Institute (ARI) performs multidisciplinary research in

the areas of family, retention, and readiness. Questions have

recently arisen regarding the Army's ability to increase family

satisfaction to improve soldier retention, performance, and

readiness.

This research was conducted in the Personnel Utilization

Technical Area of the Manpower and Personnel Research Laboratory;

it was sponsored by MG Robert Joyce, Commander, Community and

Family Support Center (CFSC), under his Letter of Agreement

(LOA), titled "Sponsorship of ARI Army Family Research," dated

18 December 1986. The sponsorship was continued according to

Annex A to the LOA between BG Thomas Rhame, CFSC, and COL Wm.

Darryl Henderson, Commander, ARI, dated 7 January 1988. Results

of this research were briefed to Ms. Emily Cato of CFSC in

November 1987. The sponsor will use the results to improve

family programs that increase soldiers' satisfaction with

relationships with their spouses and children.

The research presented in this report quantifies several of

the economic, psychological, and sociological variables thought

to affect satisfaction with family life of enlisted soldiers in

the Army.

EDGAR M. JOHNSON

Technical Director

v
THE DETERMINANTS OF SATISFACTION WITH FAMILY LIFE: AN

INTERDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS OF THE U.S. ARMY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Requirement:

The U.S. Army Research Institute (ARI) conducts research on

manpower, personnel, training, and family issues of particular

significance and interest to the U.S. Army. ARI was tasked by MG

Robert Joyce, Commander, Community and Family Support Center

(CFSC), to conduct family research that determines variables

influencing soldiers' satisfaction with relationships with their

family members.

Procedure:

The author uses data from the Army Experience Survey, 1985,

which asked enlisted veterans about recollections of their levels

of satisfaction with relationships with spouses and children if

they were married during their Army service. An exploratory

factor analysis technique is used to reduce about 50 variables

from economics, psychology, and sociology to eight factors.

These factor scores and other control variables are then used as

predictors to explain satisfaction with relationships with spouse

and children in a multivariate, nonlinear, logit model.

Findings:

The results suggest that variables from all of the three

disciplines are significant in increasing job satisfaction in the

Army. The levels of satisfaction with relationships with spouses

and children are positively correlated with (i) positive impact

on soldiers produced by Army experience, (ii) increase in the

number of black or older soldiers, (iii) increase in the number

of occupational soldiers, or (iv) number of children. The

probability of satisfaction with relationships with spouse and

children is related negatively with an increase in family

problems.

vii
Utilization of Findings:

This research shows that policy makers should consider

economic variables, such as adequate military pay, as well as

psychological and sociological variables for increasing overall

satisfaction with family life in the Army. The results can be

used to reallocate CFSC's resources to programs that enhance

soldiers' satisfaction with relationships with their spouses and

children (e.g., spouse employment and youth services programs).

viii
THE DETERMINANTS OF SATISFACTION WITH FAMILY LIFE: AN

INTERDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS OF THE U.S. ARMY

CONTENTS

Page

Literature Review ......... ... ..................... 1

Army Experience Survey, 1985, and Factor Analysis.. .. . 4

Logit Model of Satisfaction with Family Members

During Army Service ....... .................. 12

Conclusions and Policy Implications ... ............ 19

References .......... ........................ 20

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Rotated factor structure of variables ... ...... 6

2. Logit regression results for veterans'

satisfaction of relationship with

spouses during Army service .. ......... 15

3. Logit regression results for veterans'

satisfaction of relationship with

their children during Army service ...... . 17

ix
THE DETERMINANTS OF SATISFACTION WITH

FAMILY LIFE: AN INTERDISCIPLANARY ANALYSIS

OF THE U.S. ARMY

In the past, work and family roles were viewed as separate,

independent, worlds, with males occupying the work world, and

females responsible for the family. This separation of roles is

accentuated by the split in academic disciplines specializing in

specific subjects. Labor economists, industrial psychologists

and occupational sociologists concentrate on work behavior

whereas family behavior is relegated to child and marriage

specialists. As a result of this compartmentalization, there are

three major limitations of the existing research on the

relationships between work and family life. First, most of the

research in this area has been restricted to either the work side

or the family side of the work-family equation. Also, most of

this research is restricted to theoretical formulations instead

of empirical validation. Second, most of the research has been

applied to private sector organizations. Finally, almost all of

the research in work behavior is restricted to variables of a

single academic discipline; interdisciplinary studies are

conspicuous by their absence. The variables of other disciplines

are assumed away in bivariate relationships and are implicitly

included in the error term of an estimated equation in

multivariate studies.

An objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of work

life on family life in the Army, while controlling for other

variables. Appropriate variables from psychology, sociology and

economics are combined to explain satisfaction with family life.

The next section reviews selected literature from each of these

disciplines. In section 2, we discuss the Army Experience

Survey, 1985, which collected the required interdisciplinary

data. lt also outlines the results of factor analysis used to

reduce these data. Section 3 deals with the estimation of the

effect of job satisfaction on satisfaction with family life.

The last section summarizes the conclusions and policy

implications.

Literature Review

It is virtually impossible to review the literature on

interactions of work and family of any one academic discipline,

let alone that of other disciplines. Hence we will only attempt

to overview the major relevant studies, relying largely on survey

papers in these disciplines.

Labor economists analyze either the work side or the family

behavior side of the work-family interactions as two separate

systems. The work side is emphasized in the organizational

production side and the family life is recognized in the

consumption side of the literature. The work side deals with
work performance or labor productivity. Labor productivity is

generally measured in terms of value of output per unit of labor

input. In empirical estimation of labor productivity, other

economic variables, such as, capital, technology, etc., are

included as explanatory variables in the equation. Success in

this area is, however, restricted to industries in which output

is concrete and hence can be measured relatively easily, such as

in agricultural and manufacturing industries. (Hildebrand and

Liu, 1965; Walters, 1968; Kendrick, 1977; Gollop and Jorgenson,

1980; Norsworthy and Zabala, 1985). In service industries, in

general, and in such government organizations as defense, in

particular, where output or performance is difficult to measure,

research on productivity is virtually conspicuous by its absence.

Also, there has been an absence of the inclusion of such family

variables as satisfaction with family life in explaining

productivity.

Family behavior is analyzed by economists on the consumption

side or in the household sector of the economy. The relevant

research includes the economics of marriage (Becker, 1981),

divorce (Becker et al., 1977; Duncan and Hoffman, 1985; Peters,

1986; Weiss and Willis, 1985), and the demand for (requirements)

and supply (birth rates) of children (Becker and Lewis, 1974;

DeTray, 1974; Heckman and Walker, 1986; Rosenzweig and Schultz,

1985). The economics of marriage is based on economic gains

associated with maximization of utility by family members as a

unit. Becker (1981) thecrized that the gains to marriage arise

because of gains to the division of labor in household

production, i.e. specialization by marriage partners according to

the values of their time. The economics of divorce is explained

in terms of decreased specialization (decrease in child-bearing

roles of women) in a household, together with reduced demand for

children, both caused by the rising market value of female time.

This resulted in reduced gains to marriage and hence an increase

in probability of divorce (Becker, et al., 1977; Duncan and

Hoffman, 1985; Peters, 1986; Weiss and Willis, 1985). The demand

for children is explained in terms of income levels of the young

adults relative to the living standards they were used to when

they were growing up. Easterlin (1973) explained the post war

baby boom by reference to an increase in income relative to the

lower income during the great depression when they were growing

up. It is extended by other economists from the quantity (the

number of children) to the quality (dollar expenditure per child)

of children (Becker and Lewis, 1974; DeTray, 1974). The supply

of children is related to socio-biological fertility theories

(Heckman and Walker, 1986; Rosenzweig and Schultz, 1985) that are

generally outside the realm of economics. It is noted by Willis

(1986) that fertility is controlled indirectly by actions such as

coital frequency, contraception, breast feeding, abortion, etc.

A limitation of the research in economics of the family is

a virtual lack of empirical verification of the theories. For

2
instance, in a recent survey paper, Willis (1986,:25) rightly

concludes, "We do not have, as yet, a body of empirically tested,

quantitatively stable estimates of the major behavioral

relationships suggested by the theory." Also, it must be noted

that there is no linkage between the two sides of an equation on

work and family. A survey article on the impact of mother's work

on satisfaction with family life notes that the results are

either inconclusive or contradictory (Ferber and Birnbaum,

1982). Finally, there is undue concentration on economic

variables and a virtual absence of non-economic aspects of work

and family life.

Industrial and organizational psychologists have also

analyzed each side of the equation, albeit separately. The

industrial psychologists emphasize the work side for increasing

productivity by increasing job satisfaction (Schwab and Cummins,

1970). Most of these studies obtain positive relationships between job satisfaction and productivity (Parker and Kleemeir,

1951; Vroom, 1964; Strauss, 1968; 'ierzberg, 1968; Lawler, 1967

and Porter and Lawler, 1968). The lower correlations between

productivity and job satisfactions obtained in earlier studies

were due to absence of control for confounding environmental

variables. When the later studies controlled for these efforts,

considerably higher coefficients were obtained (Lawler, 1967;

Vroom, 1968). The organizational psychologists emphasize work

side for increasing organizational commitment and reducing

absenteeism, turnover, etc. Dubin et al. (1976) noted that the

idea of attachments to work underlies all theories of motivation

to work and is of central concern in the analysis of work

satisfaction. The person-work linkages are derived from

organizational programs to reduce turnover, improve individual

productivity or increase loyalty. Blair and Phillips (1983)

ana±yzed job satisfaction in the Army relative to that in the

civilian sector and concluded that the satisfaction level was

lower in the Army. Some of the limitations of their paper

include a lack or control for confounding variables that explain

job satisfaction and an exclusion of appropriate

interdisciplinary variables. Fraunce and Dubin (1975) suggest

that when a person is sufficiently satisfied with either the

family life oz work setting, he/she does not continue to seek the

same level of satisfaction in the other. This appears to suggest

the theory of independence between work and family life instead

of the interdependence discussed below.

Occupational sociologists appear to be the only discipline

that has attempted to relate work life to family life. The

studies include the effects of: time and schedule (Pleck et al.,

1978); separation and travel (Culbert and Renshaw, 1972); job

demands and gratification (Piotrowski, 1981); work schedules

(Bohen and Viveros-Long, 1981) and maternal employment (Hofferth

and Moore, 1981) on family life. Kanter (1977) reviewed several

of these studies and concluded: "most analyses of work

3
and family in the modern American context have settled into a

and tested framework exists for reversing the relationship and

looking at the effects of family patterns on work system

(p.5 3 ). Similarly, Pleck et al. (1978) concluded that for most

workers, work-family conflicts imply the interference of work on

the family rather than the reverse. Finally, it must be noted

that research in this discipline is restricted to sociological

variables and confined to the private sector of the economy.

Bowen (1985) recently reviewed the sociological literature

on the work-family interactions. He classified all the studies

into what he calls three theories: (i) spillover, (ii)

compensatory, and (iii) an independence or no-relationship model.

The spillover theory predicts positive interdependence, that is,

if a person is satisfied with work experience, he/she is also

likely to be satisfied with his family life. The compensatory

theory suggests a negative correlation, that is, if a person is

not satisfied with his/her work experiences, he/she will try to

compensate it by increasing satisfaction level in the family

relationship. The no-relationship model suggests that there is

no correlation, either positive or negative, between work and

family experiences. Since Bowen did not calibrate these theories

empirically, we will attempt to test them in Section 3. We,

however, postulate that the spillover theory is likely to be

valid for the Army because of a conceptual Army-family

cooperative partnership model postulated by Bowen (1985).

Army Experience Survey, 1985 and Factor Analysis

The Army Experience Survey, 1985, collected interdisciplinary information on satisfaction with family and work

life of veterans while they served in the Army. The information

on family satisfaction included soldiers' satisfaction of

relationships with spouses and with their children. A stratified

random survey of Army enlisted veterans and attritees who

separated between 1 October 1981 and 30 September 1984 was

conducted in 1985 (The Armey Experience Survey, 1986). The

sample was systematically randomly selected by separation status

and selected demographic/service categories from administratively

maintained Enlistment Master Files (EMF). Since the sampling

rates varied according to the size of the separation groups,

sample adjustment weights were calculated in order to obtain

unbiased population estimates from the data. The 2-year

enlistment option soldiers were over-represented due to the time

frame involved. For example, the 2-year enlistment program is of

a recent origin so that there were not enough observations of

these soldiers in the unweighted sample. Because these soldiers

fell in the Category I-IlIA (those who had scores in the upper

half of the Armed Forces Qualification Test) to be eligible for

the option, this resulted in over-representation of Category IIIIA in the sample. The selected weighting methodology reduced

4
the bias due to both "no finds" of veterans sorted from the EMFs

and nonresponse of the surveyed individuals. The weighting

technique also reduced sampling errors (Army Experience Survey,

1985). The mail survey (with telephone follow-up) contacted

8,000 veterans and nearly 4,500 of them responded. The

respondents included four groups of veterans: (i) attritees who

did not complete their initial enlistment term, (ii) separatees

who had completed their first term of service (of 2, 3 or 4

years), (iii) midcareerists who had served more than one term but

left before retirement, and (iv) careerists who had retired after

20 or more years of service.

As there were considerable missing variable values, we

sorted the data to select veterans with minimal missing values,

and had variables with key behavioral attitudes that could be

used as interdisciplinary explanatory variables. A limitation of

our sorting the data is an assumption that the missing values

were distributed randomly. To the extent that this distribution

is not random, our results are likely to be biased. We have,

however, not tested for the distribution of these missing cases.

Our selection provided 100 variables for 2,232 veterans.

In order to further reduce the number of variables, an

exploratory factor analysis is conducted. Ten factors were

specified for extraction using the maximum likelihood method with

eigen values of one or above. The data are rotated to obtain an

orthogonal factor structure by the Varimax rotation procedure.

Orthogonality or independence of a factor from another factor was

desired for the second stage of the analysis where factor scores

are used as predictor variables to explain satisfaction of

relationship with spouses and children. The variables on

satisfaction with spouses and children are excluded from factor

analysis in order to ensure their independence from factor scores

which were used as predictors for explaining satisfaction of

relationships with spouses and children. Eight factors

consisting of 50 variables with significant variable loadings (r

> .25) are identified. We used an r=.25 from tables of

statistical significance at the 0.01 level for n=100 of the

correlation coefficients. The factor structure is shown in Table

1.

5
r TABLE 1

ROTATED FACTOR STRUCTURE OF VARIABLES

Variable Name Factor 1: Factor 2: Factor 3:

Positive Army Exit - Exit -

Impact Dissatis- Family

faction Problems

with

environment

Enlisted for Selfimprovement .35 -. 01 -. 01

Army Impact:

Development of job

skills .49 -.11 .02

Self-confidence .74 -.09 -.03

Leadership ability .70 -. 08 .00

Ability to work

with others .72 -. 07 .01

Respect for

authority .61 -. 22 .04

Pride in self .77 -. 06 -. 02

Openness to new

ideas .62 -. 09 -. 02

Pride in serving

country .52 -. 16 .00

Ability to make

friends .60 -. 05 .01

Establishing

Independence .63 -. 02 -. 00

Self-discipline .70 -. 08 -.01

6
TABLE 1 (continued)

ROTATED FACTOR STRUCTURE OF VARIABLES

Variable Name Factor 1: Factor 2: Factor 3:

Positive Army Exit - Exit -

Impact Dissatis- Family

faction Problems

with

environment

Exit Reasons:

Apathetic Officers -. 03 .66 .05

Failed to get

promoted .01 .48 .10

Poor NCO leadership -.05 .66 .03

Pay was too low -.04 .35 .30

Long working

hours -. 07 .39 .40

Lo credit for

good work -.04 .73 .15

Lacked training

wanted -. 08 .32 .14

Didn't get along

with NCOs -. 16 .51 .09

Too many rules -.21 .39 .21

Didn't get along

with peers -. 12 .27 .19

Too much unfair

treatment -.11 .78 -. 01

Uninteresting

work -. 15 .51 .11

7

7i
TABLE 1 (continued)

ROTATED FACTOR STRUCTURE OF VARIABLES

Variable Name Factor 1: Factor 2: Factor 3:

Positive Army Exit - Exit -

Impact Dissatis- Family

faction Problems

with

environment

Inadequate family

services -. 01 .28 .48

Not given

respect -. 14 .79 .08

Too many PCS

moves .05 .15 .49

Pay was too low -. 05 .35 .31

Long working hours -. 06 .39 .40

Type of Family Problem:

Too much family

separation -.01 .11 .66

Family problems

at home .00 .04 .51

Family wanted out .01 .03 .49

Inadequate family

services -.01 .28 .49

8
TABLE 1 (continued)

ROTATED FACTOR STRUCTURE OF VARIABLES

Variable Name Factor 4: Factor 5: Factor 6:

Education Schooling/ Personal

Levels Training ImproveMotive ment

Pre-enlistment

education .66 -. 05 .01

Education level

when left Army .97 -. 02 .04

Current education

level .68 -.09 .06

Enlistment Reasons:

Money for college -.09 .59 -.07

Exit Reasons:To go

to school/college -.08 .88 -.02

Exit Reasons: Lacked

training wanted .02 .51 .03

Exit Reasons: To use

service benefits -.04 .57 .05

Unemployed .04 .00 .33

Prove I could do it .05 -. 04 .51

To be on my own .01 .02 .66

To earn more money .04 .08 .47

Travel .01 .04 .37

Personal problems -.01 -.00 .37

9
TABLE 1 (continued)

ROTATED FACTOR STRUCTURE OF VARIABLES

Variable Name Factor 7: Factor 8:

Instutional Occupational

Soldier Soldier

Enlistment Reasons:

To serve my country .79 .11

Family Tradition .29 -. 06

Pride in serving

country .51 .02

Self-improvement .14 .46

Develop a skill -. 01 .69

Earn more money -. 05 .36

10
The eight factor solution is indicated by the eigen values

(>1) as well as by the scree test. The scree test is the

determination of a point after which the factors become unstable.

The unweighted eigen values of the eight factors are 5.26, 4.34,

2.00, 1.89, 1.85, 1.81, 1.15, and 1.09. Together these factors

explain 58.85 percent of the total variance in the correlation

matrix. Even though the last two factors did not add much to

the variance, we retained them because of their theoretical

importance, namely, the importance of institutional versus

occupational soldier in contributing to the satisfaction with

family life.

The first factor is labelled by us as the "positive Army

impact". It is comprised of twelve related variables. This

cluster consists of variables from economics, psychology and

sociology. For instance, it includes the human capital

variable of economics given by "development of job skills" as an

Army impact. The psychological variables are "self-confidence",

"leadership ability" and "ability to work with others". The

sociological variables are "pride in serving country" and "selfdiscipline". The second factor represents Army separatees and

attritees who were dissatisfied with their environment. This

factor includes such economic variables as "relative pay" as a

reason for separation from the Army; psychological variables like

"apathetic officers", "poor NCO leadership", "no credit for good

work", "did not get along with NCOs or peers" and such

sociological variables as "inadequate family services" and "long

working hours". The third factor, ("exit for family problems")

includes seven interdisciplinary variables. The fourth and the

fifth factors respectively denote "educational progress" achieved

by soldiers while in the Army and "schooling/training"

motivations for joining the Army. The sixth factor is comprised

of soldiers who enlisted for "personal improvement" reasons. The

last two factors respectively represent the two conflicting

motives of "institutional" (or patriotic soldiers who view

military service as a calling) and the "occupational" (or the

economically motivated) soldiers. The latter group views

military service as a job rather than a calling (Moskos, 1977;

Stahl, -et al., 1978, 1980; Segal, 1986; Tremble and Brosvic,

1986).

Analysis of intersections of variables across factors

reveals that there are only three such variables out of 50. For

instance, variables "Exit because pay was too low" and Exit for

long working hours" are included in only two factors: "Factor 2:

Dissatisfaction with environment" and "Factor 3: Exit for family

problems". Similarly, variable "Exit for inadequate family

services" is included in both "Factor 2: Dissatisfaction with

superiors" and Factor 3: Exit for family problems". Hence we

tend to conclude that the factor structure is orthogonal and

hence the factor scores can be used to relate them to

satisfaction with family life in the U.S. Army.

11
Logit Model of Satisfaction with Family Members During Army

Service

Veterans' satisfaction with family life while they were in

Army service is determined by us from separate questions on

satisfaction of relationship with spouse and children. The

veterans were asked, "What type of effect, if any, did your Army

service have on your relationship with (your) spouse? (Answer

this question if you were married during your Army service)". A

similar question was asked about their relationship with

children. The response scale varied from 1 for "strong positive

effect" to 5 for "strong negative effect". The scale was

reversed by multiplying the response values by (-i). This

resulted in a relatively positive scale that increased with an

increase in positive relationship. We combined the "strong

positive effect" and the "positive effect" responses to denote

satisfaction of relationship with spouse and represented it by

the binary value of 1; we used zeros for "negative effect" and

"strong negative effect"; and excluded the responses with "no

effect". This binary variable is used as a criterion (dependent,

endogenous, predicted) variable to explain satisfaction with

family life. We used a non-linear logistic regression model to

explain job satisfaction because the criterion variable is

discontinuous so that ordinary least squares equations are illadvised (McKelvey and Zavolina, 1975; Amemiya, 1981; Maddala,

1983; Ben-Akiva, 1986). Separate equations are estimated for

relationships with spouse and children. A maximum likelihood

procedure is used to obtain the model parameter estimates. The

weighted data developed in the Army Experience Survey discussed

in the preceding section are used to estimate logistic

regressions. The available literature in statistics indicates

that the use of weighted data in regression analysis yield

unbiased, albeit less efficient, estimates of the population

relative to the use of unweighted data (Smith, 1976; Choi, 1982).

Satisfaction of soldiers' satisfaction of relationship with

spouses is postulated as a function of the eight factor scores

derived above and fifteen other explanatory variables that were

not constituted in the factors. Factor scores like positive Army

impact, soldiers who achieved formal educational progress while

in the Army, those that enlisted for schooling/training motive,

or for personal improvement reasons as well as institutional

soldiers are predicted to be positively related to satisfaction

of relationship with spousesbecause of the proposed theory of

spillover of job satisfaction with family satisfaction. The

factor scores predicted to explain satisfaction of relationships

with spouses negatively include soldiers who separated from their

jobs for such reasons as dissatisfaction with job environment,

and family problems. The hypothesized relationships of several

other explanatory variables with the dependent variable cannot be

determined a priori because there is no theory to predict the

nature of expected relationships. The development of the other

12
explanatory variables and hypothesized signs of some of them are

as follows:

(i) Satisfaction with Army Service. This variable is

developed from responses to the question, "How satisfied are you

with your Army service?". The responses were coded on a fourpoint Likert scale: very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied and

very dissatisfied. We combined the first and the second responses to represent veterans who are generally satisfied with

their Army service or jobs and the last two responses to indicate

job dissatisfaction. It must be noted that we are using the

concept of job satisfaction in the context of an overall

satisfaction with Army service instead of satisfaction with specific occupation. The job-satisfied veterans are assigned a

binary value of one and the job-dissatisfied veterans are denoted

by the zero values. The spillover theory suggests that those who

are satisfied with their jobs are also likely to be satisfied

with relationships with their spouses and children.

(ii) Satisfaction of Relationship with Children is

postulated to relate to satisfaction of relationships with spouse

positively because these two family facets of satisfaction are

likely to reinforce each other. The relationships of the

remaining variables, namely, occupational soldiers, age, race,

the number of enlistment terms served, gender (male), the

recipients of enlistment bonuses, the number of children of the

soldier, etc. cannot be postulated, a priori, because there is no

theory to do so. These variables are, however, included in the

analysis in order to control for them while examining the effects

of job satisfaction, etc., on satisfaction of relationship with

spouse.

The parameter estimates are shown in Table 2. Six of these

parameters, discussed below, are statistically significant at the

.01 or .10 level. First, an increase in the number of soldiers

who said that the Army had a positive impact on them tend to

increase satisfaction of relationship with spouse. Second, an

increase in the number of soldiers who had joined the Army for

schooling/training motive bear a positive correlation with

satisfaction of relationship with spouse, perhaps because their

expectations were realized. Third, an increase in satisfaction

of relationship with children is positively correlated with

satisfaction of relationship with spouse. Fourth, male soldiers

are negatively related to satisfaction of relationship with

spouses relative to female soldiers. Fifth, an increase in the

number or children is positively related to satisfaction of

relationship with spouse. Finally, career-intentional soldiers

tend to be positively related to satisfaction of relationship

with spouse, relative to soldiers who did not intent to make the

Army a career when they enlisted.

The binary variable on satisfaction of relationship with

13

61
children is, in turn, used as a criterion variable in a separate

equation. The predictor variables include eight factor scores as

well as fifteen other predictor variables. The hypothesized

relationships postulated above are assumed for this equation as

well since "satisfaction of relationship with children" is

observed to be positively and significantly related to

"satisfaction of relationship with spouse" in Table 2.

Table 3 shows the estimated model coefficients with factor

scores and several other explanatory variables. Seven

coefficients, discussed below, are statistically significant.

First, an increase in the "positive developmental impact" of the

Army (factor 1) is positively related to satisfaction of

relationship with children. Second, an increase in family

problems (factor 3) during Army service is negatively related to

satisfaction of relationship with children. It must be recalled

that this factor was not significant in explaining satisfaction

of relationship with spouse. Hence it appears that family

problems are critical for satisfaction with children but not so

crucial for satisfaction of relationship with spouse. Third, an

increase in the number of "occupational soldiers" (factor 8) is

positively related with satisfaction of relationship with

children. Fourth, an increase in the satisfaction of

relationship with spouse is related positively with satisfaction

of relationship with children. Fifth, an increase in age is

related positively with satisfaction of relationship with

children. It might be recalled that age was not significant in

explaining satisfaction of relationship with spouse. Sixth,

black soldiers are related positively with satisfaction of

relationship with children relative to non-black soldiers. It is

interesting to recall that while black soldiers are positively

related with satisfaction of their relationships with spouses,

the relationship is not significant statistically. Finally, an

increase in the number of children per se is positively related

to an increase in the satisfaction of relationships with

children. This result is similar to the one obtained for the

satisfaction of relationship with spouse.

14
TABLE 2

LOGIT REGRESSION RESULTS FOR VETERANS' SATISFACTION

OF RELATIONSHIP WITH SPOUSES DURING ARMY SERVICE

Predictor Variable Beta Chi

Coefficient Square

Factor 1: Positive Army Impact .44* 18.14

Factor 2: Exit Due to

Dissatisfaction

with Environment -. 06 .49

Factor 3: Exit Due to Family

Problems -. 01 .01

Factor 4: Educational Progress .08 .62

Factor 5: Schooling/Training

Motive

for Enlistment .24* 5.42

Factor 6: Personal

Improvement Reason .04 .16

Factor 7: Institutional/

Patriotic Soldier .06 .39

Factor 8: Occupational/

Economic Soldier -. 16 2.19

Satisfied with Army Service/ .32 2.01

Job

Satisfied with Relationship

with Children 2.48** 196.53

Age .01 .66

Black -. 28 1.98

Number of Enlistment

Terms Served .11 1.08

Education at Enlistment .06 1.41

Male -. 33* 2.79

Enlistment Bonus Recipients .16 .87

15
TABLE 2 (continued)

LOGIT REGRESSION RESULTS FOR VETERANS' SATISFACTION

OF RELATIONSHIP WITH SPOUSES DURING ARMY SERVICE

Predictor Variable Beta Chi

Coefficient Square

Number of Children .25* 11.42

Veteran's Income .00 .16

Family Income of Veteran .00 .78

Attrited Soldiers -. 18 .65

Valuable Army Experience .14 .22

Career-intentional Enlistees .29* 3.60

Intercept -4.09** 46.14

N=2,232; -2 log likelihood ratio = 1841.99;

Model Chi-square=532.90

* Significant at the 0.10 level

** Significant at the 0.01 level

16
TABLE 3

LOGIT REGRESSION RESULTS FOR VETERANS' SATISFACTION

OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR CHILDREN DURING ARMY SERVICE

Predictor Variable Beta Chi

Coefficient Square

Factor 1: Positive Army

Impact .48** 15.25

Factor 2: Exit Due to

Dissatisfaction

with Environment .02 .07

Factor 3: Exit Due to Family

Problems -.18* 3.56

Factor 4: Achieved Educational

Progress .01 .01

Factor 5: Schooling/Training

Motive for Enlistment .00 .00

Factor 6: Personal Improvement

Reason for Enlistment .05 .26

Factor 7: Institutional Soldier .06 .24

Factor 8: Occupational Soldier .58** 20.51

Satisfied with Army Service/ .28 1.10

Job

Satisfaction of Relationship

With Spouse 2.56** 209.34

Age .06** 6.20

Black .58** 7.07

Number of Enlistment Terms

Served .03 .05

Education at Enlistment -. 02 .12

Male .08 .12

Enlistment Bonus Recipients -. 01 .01

17
TABLE 3 (continued)

LOGIT REGRESSION RESULTS FOR VETERANS' SATISFACTION

OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR CHILDREN DURING ARMY SERVICE

Predictor Variable Beta Chi

Coefficient Square

Number of Children .68** 76.04

Veteran's Income .00 .10

Family Income of Veteran .00 1.57

Attritee Soldiers -. 05 .04

Valuable Army Experience .43 1.39

Career-intentional Enlistees -. 09 .23

Intercept -5.95* 69.39

N = 2,232; -2 log likelihood ratio = 944.20; Chi square = 682.41

* Significant at the 0.10 level

** Significant at the 0.01 level

18
Conclusions and Policy Implications

Our review of selected of literature in labor economics,

occupational sociology and industrial psychology reveals three

major shortcomings of the interactions between work and family.

First, the literature in most of these academic disciplines

concentrates on only one side of the work-family equation--either

the work side or the family side. Second, there is a dearth of

empirical verification of the postulated theories, particularly

for the public sector in general and for the Army in particular.

Third, each academic discipline attempts to explain the work or

family satisfaction in terms of variables of its own discipline.

This paper attempts to bridge the gap by undertaking an

interdisciplinary empirical analysis of the interdependence of

work and family life satisfactions in the Army.

This paper analyzed survey data for 2,232 veterans on the

satisfaction levels of their relationships with their spouses

and children as well as their job satisfactions while they were

in the Army. Data on several other variables in labor economics

(relative pay, income, etc.), sociology (family problems,

institutional versus occupational soldier) and psychology

(satisfaction with: job, relationships with spouses or

children, the environment, and the value of Army experience) are

also included. The data are reduced by using factor analysis.

Eight distinct factors are obtained from fifty interdisciplinary

variables. The factor scores and other non-factor explanatory

variables are used to relate to satisfaction levels of their

relationships with spouses or children in a logit model. The

results of our model revealed that variables from all the three

disciplines were relevant in explaining satisfaction of

relationships with spouses or children. For example, an increase

in the positive impact generated by the Army is related

positively with the increase in the soldier's satisfaction of

relationship with his spouse as well as his children. The positive Army impact consists of variables from economics, psychology

and sociology. It includes an economic variable called

development of job skills. It also includes such psychological

variables as self confidence, leadership ability, and the ability

to work with others. The sociological variables in this factor

comprises of pride in serving country, and respect for authority.

A major implication of these results is that the Army's policies

for increasing family satisfaction should concentrate on policy

variables available from all of the three social sciences. The

results also reveal that family problems tend to be related

negatively to satisfaction of relationships with children

significantly but there is no such significant relationship of

family problems with satisfaction of relationship with spouse.

Hence the Army's family programs to ameliorate family problems

should be addressed more to families with children compared to

families without children.

19
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24