Beyond resilience on the battlefield: a mediation model of military veteran career resilience

Purpose Military veterans face significant challenges when transitioning from their military career to the civilian sector. To better understand the transitioning process and develop effective strategies for veteran career advancement, this paper aims to develop a mediation model of veteran career resilience by accentuating a relational understanding of agency and resilience. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 412 US veterans participated in an online survey. The study used mediation analyses to test its hypotheses. Findings The findings offer empirical support for the model in which veterans’ experience of leadership with their direct military supervisor as well as support at home during their service are positively associated with their agency of career resilience, which has a significant predictive effect on their civilian career satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The study makes significant theoretical contributions by advancing the construct of agency of veteran career resilience and developing a mediation model that accentuates a relational understanding of agency and resilience in military veterans’ career development. One key limitation is its cross-sectional survey design. Practical implications The findings have direct practical implications for leadership training in the military, the development of career agency in soldiers while serving and the building of social support networks. Originality/value The originality of the study lies in the proposed construct of agency of career resilience during military service and the mediation mechanism that facilitates the development of veteran career resilience. The findings also have practical implications for supporting veteran career development and transition prior to their exit from the military.