Factors Affecting Attrition Among Marine Corps Women

Abstract : A representative sample of Marine Corps women in their first enlistments and their supervisors were surveyed to identify factors in their backgrounds and experiences that might be related to attrition. Attrition status was obtained from Marine Corps records both at the time of survey and 18 months later. Women who attrited were classified into three types: those who were pregnant with a future interest in the Marine Corps, those pregnant with no future interest, and those who left for reasons other than pregnancy. Different factors predicted each type of attrition. Across attrition types, the most important factors were supervisor and work group relationships, family and career orientation, and management of stress. Recruiting, training, and placement practices had a relatively small effect on attrition. To help decrease attrition among women, the Marine Corps should discourage the most traditional women from enlisting, help women develop coping skills, provide sex education, and improve work group climate as well as the climate toward women as a whole in the USMC by emphasizing their achievements, potential, and command support for their participation.