Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Victoria Landu-Adams

Abstract

The recruitment of law enforcement applicants has been a focus for scholars for many years, especially in rural areas. With the increased use of the Internet by younger generations, the problem for rural law enforcement administrators is a lack of online recruitment strategies tailored to younger applicants. Researchers have demonstrated that administrators in rural agencies recognize the challenges of recruiting the next generation of law enforcement officers. Furthermore, literature illustrates how the younger generation has predefined work preferences and uses online environments to search for ideal jobs. However, researchers have yet to establish how younger generations perceive website content and the style of rural agency websites to recruit younger applicants. The purpose of the study was to explore what rural law enforcement agencies in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee are doing to attract younger applicants based on online content and Generation Z’s perceptions of the website content. The generational theory analyzed the disconnect between older and younger generations involving recruiting rural law enforcement officers. A qualitative case study method was used to collect data from two rural administrators, seven Generation Z individuals, and ten rural agency websites. Analyses indicated that Generation Z found the content and style of rural agency websites unattractive and lacked the information they wanted during online job searches. Furthermore, rural administrators continued to use traditional recruitment strategies and limit online recruitment strategies. Implications for positive social changes are a better understanding of what Generation Z are searching for on agency websites and how rural law enforcement agencies can tailor their online presence to attract Generation Z applicants.

Download

Share

 
COinS