Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Retired Military Officers’ Length Of Service And Loss Of Social Identity In Second Careers, Moriah Elizabeth Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many past researchers have reported problematic issues and challenges with militarypersonnel transitioning to civilian life and to the civilian workplace. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of 20 retired military officers who had between 24 and 42 years of military service regarding how they may have experienced the losses of social identity and organizational socialization and how those losses may have impacted their second careers in civilian organizations. Data for this study were collected via semistructured interviews and the use of interview protocols. The conceptual framework consisted of a combination of social identity theory …