Bright Shining Stars: The Mediating Effect of Organizational Image on the Relationship between Work Variables and Army Officers' Intentions to Leave the Service for a Job in High-Tech Industry

Abstract

This study examined two aspects of organizational image, namely Current Organization Image (COI) and Alternative Organization Image (AOI), and the way they contribute to our understanding of intentions to leave the organization. We hypothesized that organizational image mediates the relationship between various work variables (e.g., job satisfaction, person-organization fit, job stress) and intentions to leave a current position in military service for a new job in the high-tech industry. The study used a sample of 224 Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) personnel from a special navy unit. This unit consists of a high-quality human potential with ideal characteristics for high-tech industry (young, educated, and innovative individuals). Organizational image (both COI and AOI) was found to mediate the relationship between work variables and intentions to leave. We concluded that organizational image, especially AOI, plays a central role in determining individuals' decisions to leave the military service and join a high-tech firm. Implications of the study are set out theoretically and practically for the Israeli and for the wider international context.