Why Do Indian Military Officers Want to Leave? An Empirical Investigation

Abstract

Armed forces form the lifeblood of any nation, and morale of its officers is the key to effective defense of the country’s borders. Yet, most militaries, and so does Indian, suffer from a relatively high rate of churn of officers that has adverse effects. Turnover is detrimental to any organization, and it is particularly undesirable for armed forces, as it affects unit cohesion and operational preparedness, thus proving to be chronic problem that demands attention. With this aim, we investigate the factors that are instrumental in influencing the propensity of military officers to leave. A survey of 476 Indian military officers, followed by a rigorous empirical analysis, revealed the pay, promotion, and job satisfaction to be the prime perpetrators for the intention of military officers to leave. Our work is a step in the direction of stemming the attrition and improving the retention of officers in the Indian military.