Utilization of Work-Family Balance Support Policy and Factors Associated with Retention Intention among Married Female Officers with Preschool Children
Authors
권조은 ; 김광숙 ; 박정옥 ; 김수
Citation
Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing, Vol.25(3) : 329-344, 2019
Purpose: This study aimed to identify utilization of the work-family support policy (WFSP) and
factors affecting retention intention among Korean female military officers.
Methods: This cross-sectional survey recruited 103 married female officers from the Korean
Army, Navy, and Air force with preschool-aged children through convenience and snowball sampling.
Via online surveys from June to November, 2018, the participants self-reported retention
intention, work-family conflict, job satisfaction, and utilization of the WFSP. The data were analyzed
using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's
correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression.
Results: Retention intention (22.29±5.98) was reported at the mid-level, lower than scores reported
in the literature for female workers. Work-family conflict (32.51±5.29) and job satisfaction
(63.10±7.45) were above the midpoint levels. Use of maternity leave (100.0%) and parental leave
(92.2%) was high, especially compared to the rates of child-care day off (20.4%) and parenting
time (20.4%). ‘Noticeable increases in childcare services within the army’ (22.8%) was reported
as the supportive measure needed the most by female military officers. Job satisfaction (β=.43,
p≤.001), the use of parenting time (β=−0.29, p=.002), living type (β=−.18, p=.043), and service
type (β=−.16, p=.035) significantly influenced retention intention. Conclusions: The findings highlight the priority areas of importance within the WFSP and suggest
that a family-friendly culture can improve female officers' retention intention. Accordingly, policy
changes at the Ministry of National Defense improving the system to enhance a family-friendly
culture in the military is expected to strengthen the retention intention of female officers and
contribute to excellence in the military workforce.