Those who serve in military organizations typically develop a strong sense of identification with the defense force and those with whom they serve. However, when these individuals leave military service, they can experience a sense of displacement or culture shock, making transition into a civilian career a difficult prospect. This paper sought to explore veterans' experiences during the transition into civilian work and, in particular, the impact of this transition on their identity as they are socialized in a civilian organization. The stories of 31 Australian Defence Force veterans were gathered via semi‐structured interviews to provide insight into the experiences during transition and the changing nature of their identity as they began working outside a military environment. The findings identify three stages of identity adjustment through which veterans pass during their transition: realizing, relinquishing, and reconceptualizing. While some encountered more struggles than others depending on their individual circumstances, the findings provide unique insights for HRD theory and practice to enhance the transition of serving military to a civilian workforce.

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PurposeThis paper aims to examine the critical question of how to increase productivity without also increasing the burnout risk. A systems thinking framework was applied to explore individual perceptions of team dynamics and how they relate to morale, work–life balance (WLB) and hours worked.Design/methodology/approachUsing an online survey, data from 1,222 Australian workers were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression and principal components analysis (PCA).FindingsSelf-reported productivity was found to be predicted by engagement whereas burnout and morale had minimal impact. Burnout risk was not related to hours worked but was reduced when WLB, quality work and trust is higher. Co-worker effort impacted morale and a factor labelled as team “sense of accomplishment” (SoA) was identified.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this research have limited generalisability to wider populations due to sampling methods, being conducted in the Australian context and respondents coming from a diverse range of occupations. The sample being skewed towards younger age groups and the acknowledged use of single-item measures may also restrict drawing broader conclusions from the results.Originality/valueA socio-technical systems thinking model to diagnose the link between workplace burnout and productivity is applied. The approach involved understanding the importance of trust and how the connection between people and systems can influence morale.