The Role of Army Reservists: An Analysis of their Experiences and the Attitudes and Perceptions of Civilian Employers, Regulars and Significant Others

摘要本研究旨在探讨英国陆军预备役军人的经历。它包括对他们在军队就业、民事就业和家庭生活方面的积极和消极互动的分析，以及他们的民事雇主、正规人员和其他重要人员的态度和看法。少数国际研究考察了角色间与社区角色的冲突（例如，紧急服务志愿服务），并提出了志愿服务与家庭生活和结果之间的这种冲突的联系，包括满意度和继续担任志愿者的意愿降低（Cowlishaw等人，2014），以及伴侣的困扰（Cowlishaw等人，2010a）和对志愿服务的支持（Cowlishaw等人，2010b）。然而，据可以确定的是，还没有研究探讨额外的和同时竞争的角色之间的界面，包括军队预备役、主要就业和家庭生活。这个界面可能极其复杂，既反映了陆军预备役组织和作战需求对主要就业和家庭的积极和消极影响，也反映了这些竞争角色的需求对陆军预备役的双向影响。群体认同与改善与他人的互动呈正相关，包括感觉得到自己认同的群体成员而不是他们认为的局外人支持的个人的应对能力增强的感觉（Platow et al., 2007）。此外，萨尼等人。 （p782，2012）表明群体认同赋予个体“意义感、持久性和稳定性，从而防止存在焦虑”。这意味着，就角色准备而言，需要确保预备役军人不仅完全融入组织，而且还感到自己是团队的核心部分。 Lang 等人（2010）强调了这一点，他们讨论了预备役人员生活的独特性质，因为他们需要正常的日常平民生活，但同时要做好准备并积极应对征召和突然中断的情况。本研究旨在为陆军预备役军人及其合作伙伴确定资源，这些资源可以帮助最大限度地减少潜在冲突，并增强预备役军人和文职人员丰富经验的积极经验。戈尔曼和托马斯（Gorman and Thomas，1991）认为，虽然经济状况不佳历来有利于正规军征募，但预备役军人的情况可能并不总是如此，因为人们倾向于从低就业地区迁移到其他地方以寻求更好的机会。此外，由于预备役军人可能受陆军兼职雇用，他们的正常参与可能会因为就业、家庭和休闲活动等其他优先事项而受到阻碍。事实上，格里菲斯（Griffith，2008）对美国预备役军人动机的研究发现了两个不同的群体：一类是因为有责任感而受到激励，另一类是出于物质动机，作者认为后者不仅忠诚度较低，而且战斗准备也较差。这项研究将与预备役军人及其家人、雇主和正规军同事合作，探讨对他们成功招募和部署至关重要的问题。除了文献综述、焦点小组和半结构化访谈之外，还将利用文献分析和就业统计数据收集更多信息，以了解武装部队中发生这些变化的背景以及这些变化如何影响预备役军人及其家人和雇主的积极参与。

SummaryThis study aims to explore the experiences of British Army reservists. It includes an analysis of their positive and negative interactions in regard to army employment, civilian employment and home lives, as well as the attitudes and perceptions of their civilian employers, regulars and significant others. A small number of international studies have examined inter-role conflict with community roles (e.g., emergency services volunteering), and suggest links with such conflict between volunteering and family life and outcomes including reduced satisfaction and intention to remain a volunteer (Cowlishaw et al., 2014), as well as partner distress (Cowlishaw et al., 2010a) and support for volunteering (Cowlishaw et al., 2010b). However, as far as can be ascertained, there are no studies which have explored the interface among additional and simultaneous competing roles, including the army reserves, primary employment and family life. This interface may be extremely complex, and reflect both positive and negative impacts of organisational and operational demands from the army reserves on primary employment and family, as well as bi-directional impacts of demands from these competing roles on the army reserves. Group identification has been positively related to improved interactions with others including perceptions of enhanced coping ability for individuals who feel supported by a member of a group they identify with as opposed to someone they consider an outsider (Platow et al., 2007). Furthermore, Sani et al. (p782, 2012) suggest that group identification gives individuals a "sense of meaning, permanence and stability, which protects against existential anxiety." This implies that in terms of role preparedness, there is a need to ensure that reservists are not only fully integrated into an organisation but they also feel a core part of a team. This is highlighted by Lang et al (2010) who discuss the distinct nature of reservists' life because of the need for a normal day to day civilian existence but at the same time being ready and motivated in case of a call up and a sudden disruption. This study aims to identify resources for army reservists and their partners that can help minimise potential conflicts as well as enhance positive experiences of enrichment across the Reserve service and civilian roles.Gorman and Thomas (1991) argue that although poor economic conditions have historically favoured regular Army recruitment, this may not be always the case for reservists because of the tendency for people to relocate away from low-employment areas to elsewhere to seek better opportunities. Moreover, as reservists are likely to be employed on a part-time basis by the Army their regular involvement may be impeded because of other priorities including employment, family and leisure activities. Indeed, Griffith's (2008) study into the motivations of American reservists identified two distinct groups - those that are motivated because they have a sense of duty and those that are materially motivated, with the author identifying the latter group as not only less committed but also less combat ready. This study will engage with reservists as well as their families, employers and regular service colleagues in order to explore the issues critical for their successful recruitment and deployment.In addition to the literature review, focus groups and semi-structured interviews, further information will be gathered using documentary analysis and employment statistics to develop an understanding of the context within which these changes are taking place in the Armed Forces and how these may impact upon reservists' active participation in the army, as well as their families and employers.