This study measured the organizational satisfaction of cadet squads, identified the leadership factors of squad and vice squad leaders that influence organizational satisfaction using data mining techniques such as multiple linear regression analysis, and drew on knowledge from integer programming to determine the optimal combination of squad and vice squad leaders for each squad based on these identified factors.
Squad Organizational Satisfaction Measurement
No previous studies have specifically measured organizational satisfaction within squads. However, various factors influencing organizational satisfaction have been investigated across societal fields, and organizational satisfaction has often been assessed using the concept of organizational effectiveness.
Various researchers have defined the concept of organizational effectiveness differently (Kanter, 1968; Buchanan, 1974; Meyer & Allen, 1991; Lee et al., 2011; Kim, 2011; Lee & Moon, 2014; Kim, 2016). Based on previous definitions of the term, we define it as the extent to which members of an organization feel loyal to their organization through psychological attachment, a sense of belonging, and alignment of values.
Kwon and Park (2015) analyzed the influence of competitive value leadership of entry-level commanders on the organizational commitment of subordinates in the army. In addition, Y. Kim (2012) employed organizational citizenship behavior as an indicator to evaluate organizational satisfaction in analyzing the relationship between ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior in hotels, while defining organizational citizenship behavior as voluntary individual actions that are not directly rewarded by the formal reward system of the organization but collectively contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of organizational functions.
Park and Park (2015) considered organizational commitment and job satisfaction (a positive and pleasant emotional state resulting from an individual’s evaluation of his or her job and job experience) as indicators of organizational effectiveness. Additionally, Seo and Kim (2016) analyzed the influence of the emotional intelligence of military leaders on morale (a psychological state characterized by pride, job satisfaction, voluntary and active participation, and striving to achieve goals) and cohesion (a collective spirit that fosters interaction among members) as components of organizational effectiveness.
In summary, organizational satisfaction is closely related to organizational effectiveness and can be measured through indicators, such as organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, job satisfaction, morale, and cohesion. While previous studies have focused on analyzing organizational satisfaction and the factors influencing it, this study went beyond measuring the organizational satisfaction of squad members and statistically identified the leadership factors that affect it.
Additionally, this study presents a specific algorithm to optimize squad formation based on these factors. Therefore, this study is significant as it explores the relationship between organizational satisfaction and various cadet leadership factors within the unique context of military cadet squad formation. Furthermore, it introduces a squad formation optimization methodology to simultaneously achieve squad organizational satisfaction and cadet leadership cultivation.