Something to Take Home: A Two-Wave Study of Work–Family Facilitation and Well-Being Among Brazilian Soldiers Prior to and During a Humanitarian Mission

Abstract

Despite ongoing war scenarios, on today’s global, socio-political stage there are many situations that call for noncombat deployments. However, humanitarian missions have been understudied, particularly from a positive perspective. This study aims to ascertain the moderating role of work–family facilitation in the influence of work engagement on life satisfaction in a military context. To this end, 217 Brazilian soldiers on a humanitarian mission completed our surveys in two distinct waves: predeployment and mid-mission. Findings support the positive influence of work engagement on life satisfaction, as well as the moderating, enhancing effect of work–family facilitation on the relationship between work engagement and life satisfaction. The study contributes to the literature concerning work-related features (work engagement) and subjective well-being (life satisfaction) among soldiers on a humanitarian mission. Evidence is provided of the importance of the work–family interface as a factor promoting soldiers’ individual well-being in potentially threatening situations. Practical implications are discussed.

Keywords

military work engagement life satisfaction work–family facilitation humanitarian mission

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