Date of Conferral

8-13-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Boris Bruk

Abstract

U.S. employers spend considerable sums on employee skill development, including investments in college tuition assistance programs (CTAP). Based on a review of recent literature, measuring employer return on investment can be difficult. The literature contained varying results on the effectiveness of employer-provided incentives on retention decisions and provided insufficient empirical or evaluative data on employee perceptions and the influence on retention. The purpose of this qualitative evaluative case study was to examine how cybersecurity employees at the National Security Agency (NSA) who participated in CTAP (2019–2023) perceived the program's effect on their career development and retention decisions. The theoretical framework used was job embeddedness and the skill-weights theory of firm-specific human capital. A qualitative, single-evaluative case study design was used to explore how employees perceived their participation in CTAP influenced their decision to remain with NSA. An inductive thematic analysis yielded four themes: (a) enhanced career opportunities, (b) facilitation of professional growth, (c) strengthening of employee commitment, and (d) effective recruitment and retention tool. The findings highlighted that CTAP was perceived to enhance employee job embeddedness and, in turn, strengthen commitment to the NSA. By investing in employees, NSA leaders seek to strengthen employee retention. The study illustrated the importance of examining employee perceptions of initiatives designed to enhance job embeddedness. By evaluating the impact of interventions, organizational leaders can potentially optimize their workforce strategies to reduce turnover and enhance organizational productivity and overall performance.

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