Date

11-11-2026

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)

Chair

Carl Miedich

Keywords

Police, Recruitment, Retention, Confluency Theory, Organizational Theory, Job Satisfaction, Compensation

Disciplines

Leadership Studies | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Historically, the policing industry has struggled to manage personnel levels to maintain community expectations; however, the problem has never been more prevalent than it is today. The training and expertise required to serve as a police officer requires certification that, in most cases, cannot be obtained before employment with a law enforcement agency. This complicates staffing problems as replacement personnel are unable to maintain current attrition rates. As staffing levels continue to decrease, community relations suffer due to the lack of services that the public is accustomed to seeing. This cycle of poor attrition and community relations continues to be prevalent within the policing industry; however, organizations are implementing initiatives to enhance recruitment and retention without employing scientific methodology. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of compensation and job satisfaction on police recruitment and retention. This qualitative study is designed through the theoretical lenses of organizational and confluency theories. The decentralized style of policing creates unique circumstances contributing to the organization’s ability to recruit and retain police officers. Leadership, organizational processes, and expectations play a vital role in job satisfaction, which ultimately determines an officer’s desire to stay or leave an organization. Compensation was a major factor within the context of this study; however, this study also revealed that compensation goes beyond monetary gains. Generational differences were also evident, and consideration should be given to these differences.

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