Army Reserve Officer Training Research Articles

A Test of Subordinates' Achievement and Affiliation Needs as Moderators of Leader Path-Goal Relationships

The path-goal theory of leadership proposes that situational and subordinates' characteristics moderate the effectiveness of various leader behaviors. A great deal of research has been devoted to the examination of situational moderators. This study tested the moderating influences of subordinates' needs for achievement and affiliation on the relationships between instrumental and supportive leadership and subordinates' satisfaction. Using a sample of 298 Army and Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets, need for achievement, but not need for affiliation, was found to moderate the influences of both leader behaviors on subordinate satisfaction. Individuals with high need for achievement were demonstrated to prefer instrumental leadership, whereas individuals' with low need for achievement preferred supportive leader behaviors. Implications of these results, and the need for future research concerning the moderating properties of subordinates' characteristics on path-goal relationships, are discu...

The Influence of Positive and Negative Outcomes on Force Model Expectancy Predictions: Mixed Results from Two Samples

The relative validity of valence-instrumentality-expectancy (VIE) force model predictions of performance, based on positive and negative outcome lists, was examined. Using an open-ended questionnaire, Army and Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets generated positive and negative outcomes associated with participation in ROTC. VIE predictions were tested separately for the two samples using both self and supervisor ratings of performance. VIE composites based on the combined lists of outcomes significantly predicted both self and supervisor performance ratings in the Navy sample, and self-ratings in the Army sample. Limited support was obtained for the hypotheses that (1) positive outcome based VIE composites would correlate greater with performance than negative-based composites, and (2) VIE correlations with self-ratings would exceed those with supervisor ratings. The results were discussed in terms of how individuals process positive and negative outcome information related to high performance. Several suggestionsforfuture research designed to specify the nature of these processes were offered.

A Contrasting Bipolar Jungian Method of Modeling Military Character and Nonmilitary Character

A forced-choice, bipolar, Jungian inventory of representative items inspired by the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory and the Self-directed Search was administered to a military sample of 73 U. S. Air Force (USAF) and U. S. Army (USA) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets and a nonmilitary sample of 74 civilian graduate students. Fourier transforms of the general trigonometric polynomial depicted from the graphed point plots of the statistically significant data indicated (a) a “direct-current” characterization of the military sample and (b) an “alternating-current” characterization of the nonmilitary sample. Equivalent system models were extrapolated from behavioral and clinical psychology, i.e., “paranoid” and “schizoid,” and personality psychology, i.e., “authoritarian” and “egalitarian.” The resulting characterizations from the physics model were pragmatically discussed as possible predictors of (a) identifying probable successful U. S. Service Academy enrollees, (b) profiling effective military recruiters, and (c) maximizing the potential combat effectiveness of the military unit.