Publication year
2010
Citation Title
Aggressiveness and perceived marital quality: The moderating role of a family-supportive work climate.
Journal Name
Military Psychology
Journal Volume
22
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
57-67
DOI
10.1080/08995600903417159
Summary
This study examined the role of a family-supportive work climate and the link between Service members’ aggressiveness and their overall marital quality. Family-supportive work climates were found to have a positive influence on marital quality. Future research should examine how to increase family-supportive work climates within the military.
Key Findings
Service members reporting lower levels of aggressiveness also reported higher marital quality.
Higher perceptions of a family-supportive work climate (averaged across an entire Army company) predicted higher marital quality for individual Service members.
A high family-supportive work climate was found to buffer against the negative impact of individual aggressiveness on marital quality.
Implications for Program Leaders
Educate Service members about the link between aggressiveness and marital quality, teaching appropriate coping and communication skills
Offer informal gatherings for Service members and their families in order to communicate a sense of value in family recreation time
Provide workshops for Service members and their partners with a focus on increasing skills that create family cohesion and resilience
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support the development of a family-supportive work climate for Service members
Encourage the development of programs that educate Service members about work-family balance and the family-centered programs available to them
Recommend training for professionals who work with military families regarding the demands Service members face and how best to support their families in the midst of those demands
Methods
Soldiers on an installation attended a briefing regarding the study and then chose whether or not to participate in the study. Of the Soldiers present for duty, 69% attended the briefing; of those, 98% chose to participate in the study.
These Soldiers completed surveys about aggressiveness, marital quality, work climate, and demographics.
Data were analyzed to determine associations between work climate and marital quality.
Participants
Participants were 1,604 married male Active Duty Soldiers with an average age of 38 years old.
The participants were 68% White, 16% Latino, 11% Black, 2% Asian American, and 4% another race.
The majority (70%) of the participants had at least a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Limitations
Data were correlational, so the causal direction of the relationships is unclear.
This study only included married Active Duty Soldiers from the southeastern United States, so results may not be generalizable to other populations.
Only Soldier self-report was included in this study; they may have responded in a manner they feel is more socially acceptable.
Avenues for Future Research
Replicate the current study to include data from spouses in order to provide more robust assessment of marital quality
Investigate variables that may alter associations, including combat exposure, Service member gender, branch, and component association
Assess the impact of specific programs and policies on Service members' sense of a family-supportive work climate
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
We examined the role of contextualized, group-level ratings of a family-supportive work climate on the link between individuals' aggressiveness and marital quality in a sample of 1,604 married male active duty soldiers from brigades in the southeastern United States. Results of multilevel analyses showed that group-level ratings of a family-supportive work climate moderated the negative individual-level link between aggressiveness and marital quality. Findings suggest that the negative association between aggressiveness and perceived marital quality may be influenced by how well the organization fosters a climate that is supportive of married soldiers' family responsibilities. Implications for work climate research and organizational policy in the military are discussed.
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