Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Lori A. Demeter

Abstract

Motivation plays a crucial role in public organizations in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as well as moral obligation. While considerable efforts over the past several decades have led to vast improvements in federal workforce diversification, significant problems still exist involving diversity management and racial representation across all levels of federal government employment. The theoretical framework guiding this study was public service motivation. The purpose of this study was to explore the U.S. federal government’s inability to attract and retain senior executive service African Americans through lived experiences of retired African American military officers who currently work for the federal government as civilian employees but not as contractors. Via snowball sampling, 16 participants meeting these criteria were interviewed via a list of semi-structured questions. The study’s findings indicated that retired African American senior military officers are motivated by authority, care, fairness, loyalty, and sanctity during their second careers in public service. Intrinsic motivators, extrinsic drive, and moral duty were also identified as important motivating factors affecting this population’s approach to public service. Implications of this study include adding information regarding links between military service and public service motivation. The findings of the study may inform positive social change through new policies, practices, and discussions on how to best prepare, recruit, and retain African American senior military officers in public service.

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