AJATEENIJATE TEENISTUSMOTIVATSIOONI JA TEENISTUSSE JÄÄMISE SOOVI PROGNOOSIVAD TEGURID

The Factors Forecasting the Service Motivation of Conscripts and Their Desire to Continue Active Service

Abstract

The main purpose of conscription is training. However, the motivation of conscripts influences the quality of the acquisition of the skills necessary for reservists. Motivation also has an impact on the readiness of reservists to return to reservist service after their conscription. In addition, conscripts’ motivation level has an impact on whether they consider the possibility to continue their service as active service members after conscription. Based on the above, this article focuses on the conscripts’ service motivation and learning motivation and their evolution throughout their conscription service, as well as on related aspects and factors. The research is based on a questionnaire from the human resource sustainability survey of the Estonian Defence Forces developed by the Centre of Excellence for Strategic Sustainability of Tartu University, the National Institute of Health Development and the Estonian National Defence College. The basic structure of the questionnaire is interdisciplinary and involves different fields, including service motivation and learning attitudes. The sample includes all persons who started their conscription service in July and October of 2016. According to the main hypotheses of this article, the service motivation and learning attitudes of conscripts decrease during their service, and those conscripts with higher service motivation tend to consider the possibility of further service as active service members. The survey confirmed the proposed hypothesis according to which both the service motivation and learning attitudes of conscripts decrease during their service. Also, service motivation played an important role in considering the possibility to continue in the military after conscription. Although the overall service motivation decreased during conscription, it remained on the same level throughout conscription service for those conscripts who were considering a career in the military. Regarding changes in the considerations to continue in active service, it turned out that it decreased among the conscripts with a mainly deep learning attitude and increased among the conscripts with a mainly surface learning attitude.