Deciding to pursue a military career is a complex process influenced not only by personal interests and motivation but also by knowledge of military organization, its reputation, image, and prior experiences. The purpose of this master's thesis was to examine how young people in Slovenia perceive the Slovenian Armed Forces as a potential employer and what their expectations are regarding a military career. The research is based on the Employer Knowledge Framework developed by Cable and Turban (2001) and includes the dimensions of knowledge, reputation, and image of the employer. The empirical part is based on an online survey of participants in the youth military camp organised by the Ministry of Defence. A total of 186 valid questionnaires were included in the analysis. The results show that respondents generally viewed the Slovenian Armed Forces and a military career positively, while at the same time being aware of the demands associated with such a career. Greater familiarity with military employment was associated with a greater willingness to consider a military career, while the reputation of the military profession was primarily linked to the expected sense of pride in serving in the military. Previous military experience and direct contact with the military environment also played an important role. The findings confirm the usefulness of the Employer Knowledge Framework in studying military career choices and emphasize the importance of providing young people with early, systematic, and realistic information about military careers.
|
