Reconceptualizing identities: Veterans' perspectives on career transition challenges

Karen Becker; Adelle Bish; Matthew McCormack; Dan Abell

doi:10.1002/hrdq.21472

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Reconceptualizing identities: Veterans' perspectives on career transition challenges

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Reconceptualizing identities: Veterans' perspectives on career transition challenges

Karen Becker, Adelle Bish, Matthew McCormack and Dan Abell

Human Resource Development Quarterly, Vol.34(2), pp.155-175

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21472

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Abstract

career success

boundaryless

employability

career management

identity

military

performance management

socialisation practices/onboarding

Those who serve in military organizations typically develop a strong sense of identification with the defense force and those with whom they serve. However, when these individuals leave military service, they can experience a sense of displacement or culture shock, making transition into a civilian career a difficult prospect. This paper sought to explore veterans' experiences during the transition into civilian work and, in particular, the impact of this transition on their identity as they are socialized in a civilian organization. The stories of 31 Australian Defence Force veterans were gathered via semi-structured interviews to provide insight into the experiences during transition and the changing nature of their identity as they began working outside a military environment. The findings identify three stages of identity adjustment through which veterans pass during their transition: realizing, relinquishing, and reconceptualizing. While some encountered more struggles than others depending on their individual circumstances, the findings provide unique insights for HRD theory and practice to enhance the transition of serving military to a civilian workforce.

Details

Title: Reconceptualizing identities: Veterans' perspectives on career transition challenges
Authors: Karen Becker (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
Adelle Bish (Author) - North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Matthew McCormack (Author) - UNSW Australia
Dan Abell (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
Publication details: Human Resource Development Quarterly, Vol.34(2), pp.155-175
Publisher: Jossey-Bass Inc.
Date published: 2023
DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.21472
ISSN: 1532-1096; 1044-8004
Copyright note: © 2022 The Authors. Human Resource Development Quarterly published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Organisation Unit: School of Business and Creative Industries; UniSC Moreton Bay; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99608307302621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Industrial Relations & Labor; Management; Psychology, Applied