Psychosocial Risks in the Military Institution: The Mediator Effect of the Management Style

Empirical Studies
By Sonia Laberon, Diana Barou, Albert Ripon
English

The purpose of this study is to assess the mediator role of management style in the link between the status of civilian or military and the emergence of psychosocial risks. To test this mediator effect, we adopted a quantitative approach to all administrative staff of an infantry regiment based in France. To do this, we assessed job strain of staff by the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire (1985), and we tested the management style perceived by employees using the Likert Organizational Profile (Likert, 1974). 71 participants aged 28 to 58 years (Mage = 43, SD = 7.38), including 40 civilians (Mage = 44.3, SD = 7.74), and 31 military (Mage = 41.7, SD = 6.96) returned our questionnaire. Among the various dimensions of the Job Content Questionnaire, we selected the decision latitude and social support from superiors, the latter being the most correlated with scores on the Likert Organizational Profile. We therefore tested the mediator effect of management style on the link between status and decision latitude on the one side, and the link between status and social support from superiors on the other side. The results indicate that the status has a significant effect on the perceived management style, as well as decision latitude and social support from superiors. In other words, being a military predicted perception of participatory management style, greater decision latitude and social support perceived as more important. We can also say that the more the management is perceived as participatory, the more the employees perceive resource autonomy and social support from superiors at work. Concerning the mediator effect of management style, we can say that we are, for both mediations, in the presence of full mediation. These mediating effects were also found significant. In conclusion, the results permit us to appreciate the importance of management style in the relationship between status and decision latitude on the one hand, and the relationship between status and social support from superiorsw on the other hand. Status also has a key role in the perception of management style used in the army. Given the results of this study, we believe that we must focus on the health and well-being of staff working within the defense. These results open some perspectives in the field of management and commandment, and invite us to consider this dimension into account in the assessment of psychosocial risks in the army.

Keywords

  • military
  • management
  • commandment
  • psychosocial risks
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