Motivators and Barriers to Recruiting Prior Service Members in the IRR

Given the reliance of military recruiting efforts on prior service enlistments, it is imperative that motivators and barriers to prior service recruiting receive greater research attention. This research applied the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991, 2001) to predict prior service members' intentions to join the Reserve, thereby advancing research beyond post hoc evaluation of existing recruitment strategies. Results indicated that prior service members in the Individual Ready Reserve were more likely to intend to join the Reserve if they held positive attitudes toward the Reserve and felt that alternative careers compared negatively against military service. Commitment mediated the relationship between satisfaction and Reserve intentions and perceived social support had a greater effect on Reserve intentions when influence of relevant others was high.