A study of Enlisted Attrition in the United States Coast Guard.
Abstract
Although economic factors have alleviated enlisted attrition problems in the Coast Guard (1982), the underlying processes by which people decide to stay or leave remain the same. This report is based on a two-year study of those processes. Over 200 interviews and a survey sample of 2800 comprise the data base. The data was captured in the Spring of 1980. The findings indicate that Coast Guard people are security oriented, moderately committed to the missions of the Coast Guard, dissatisfied with many personnel policies and practices, but have a strong sense of investment (stand to lose too much by leaving). Those who leave are less satisfied overall, but ironically are more satisfied with training opportunities, advancement policies, and feel that most personnel policies are in their best interest. They are less security oriented, raising the question that perhaps our policies and practices have, through a process of natural selection, created a highly invested and security oriented workforce. The report postulated that this situation may not be in the best interests of the Coast Guard in the long run. The data also indicate that people who make the Coast Guard a career are motivated by extrinsic rewards while people who leave are more concerned about intrinsic rewards. The report includes a number of long range recommendations based on the idea that the organization may have reached the point of diminishing returns on extrinsic (investment) issues, but stands to gain by manipulating both commitment and satisfaction variables.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA116779
Entities
People
- Kerry J. Patterson
- Stephen B. Wehrenberg