Decision-Making and Cognitive Orientation in Veteran Workforce Reintegration: A Comparative Study of Retired Military and Civilian Workers

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the thinking perspectives and decision-making quality orientation of retired military personnel returning to the workforce compared with nonmilitary workers aged 40 to 60. Using MindTime and decision theories as the theoretical lens, the research sought to address a gap in understanding how cognitive and experiential factors influence decision-making and thinking perspectives between these populations. Thinking perspective was assessed through the MindTime Thinking Perspective Inventory (MTPI), which measured past, present, and future thinking orientations. Decision-making quality orientation was evaluated using the Quality of Decision-Making Orientation Scheme (QoDoS), which assessed decision-quality orientation through decision quality competence and style. Results from a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated statistically significant differences in both thinking perspective, past, present, and future thinking scores, Pillai’s trace = .066, F(3, 212) = 4.98, p = .002, and decision-making quality orientation, competence and style scores, Pillai’s trace = .441, F(2, 213) = 84.09, p < .001. Logistic regression further revealed that higher competence scores increased the odds of being a retired military participant (OR = 6.08, p < .001), whereas higher style scores decreased those odds (OR = 0.35, p < .001). These findings underscore the importance of understanding cognitive and decision-making differences in workforce reintegration and talent management strategies. Implications include designing targeted development programs to enhance strategic alignment and decision consistency across diverse experience-based populations.