The Amor of Skill: Shaping Professional Commitment through Individual Employability Person-Job-Fit and Workability in the Military Context

Abstract

Abstract The professional commitment of military personnel has a vital role in the fight against terrorism, banditry, insurgents, security challenges across nations, career success, progress, and national development. We investigated the moderating role of individual employability in the relationships between person-job-fit, workability, and military personnel's professional commitment. The aim is to understand how individual employability influences the strength and nature of these relationships within the unique context of the military with a sample of five hundred and four (504) Nigerian soldiers. We adopted a quantitative approach and collected data from military personnel through self-report questionnaires such as the Professional Commitment Scale, the Workability Scale, the Person-Job-Fit Scale, and the Individual Employability Scale. Our five tested hypotheses through multiple regression and Hayes PROCESS Macro indicated that person-job-fit, workability, and individual employability positively predicted professional commitment. Individual employability moderated the associations of person-job-fit, workability, and the professional commitment of soldiers. Our study's implication shows that individual employability, person-job-fit, and workability are paramount in achieving the professional commitment of soldiers for effective combat and warfare against insurgency in Nigeria. Also, these findings highlight the import of considering individual employability as a noteworthy element in understanding the linkages between person-job-fit, workability, and professional commitment within the military context. The implications of these findings for military organisations and personnel management practises are being discussed, emphasising the significance of promoting individual employability to enhance professional commitment through person-job-fit and workability among military personnel. Further research avenues and limitations of the study are also outlined.