Date of Award

Spring 5-9-2020

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Bonnie J. Perry

Second Advisor

Craig A. Bishop

Scholarship Domain(s)

Scholarship of Discovery, Scholarship of Community Application

Abstract

Police departments are experiencing low levels of police applicants and high turnover rates due to the current climate of policing and internal and external stressors. Police department management desires to be proficient in recruiting and managing police officers of different generations who may have varying desires and needs. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of generational differences on police officer leadership and workplace preferences in order to make recommendations to police department management about how to better engage, manage, recruit and retain police officers of different generations. The current study employed a quantitative design made up of four survey instruments that examined 160 (n = 160) police officers’ responses about leadership, trust in management, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Data analysis included analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for race and gender. Statistical significance was found between police officer age and demand reconciliation in leadership (p =.049). Statistical significance was found between the age of police officer and trust in management with older police officers more trusting (p =.037). Statistical significance was found between intrinsic (p =.000), extrinsic (p =.000), and general job satisfaction (p =.000) and organizational commitment across all ages of police officers. Older police officers reported having greater organizational commitment than younger officers. Police departments should consider that different generations of police officers may require different opportunities, motivation, and leadership in order to keep them satisfied in their jobs and create lifelong careers at the same police department.

Comments

Ed.D. dissertation completed in 2020 for Olivet Nazarene University.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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