The Moskos institution-occupation model : Effects on individual work related perceptions and experiences in the military

Moskos's model of military organization argues that the military is moving from a traditional institutional format to a civilian or occupational format. The present research examined the perceptions of organizational structure and psychological climate, and the mental and physical health of New Zealand Army personnel within the framework of Moskos's model. Army personnel (N=570) were categorized as belonging to either institutional or occupational corps based on their combat or support roles. The institutional group perceived the Army as more formalized and centralized and rated relationships with leaders and co-workers more favorably than the occupational group. The two groups did not differ significantly on ratings of job satisfaction, psychological well-being, and physical health. It was concluded that the trend towards an occupational military has consequences for individual perceptions of the work environment; however, the present methods used to categorize institutional and occupational groups may be too broad to detect any consequences for mental and physical health outcomes based on these modalities