Comparison of retention characteristics over time: evidence from the 1992 and 1999 Department of Defense survey of active duty personnel

Abstract

This thesis compares characteristics that influence intended stay/leave behavior of non prior service junior naval officers from two different time periods. Samples of officers, under the rank of lieutenant, with less then six years of active duty service from the 1992 and 1999 Department of Defense Surveys of Active Duty Personnel were used for this analysis. Metrics for important determinates of retention were constructed using similar questions from both surveys. Logistic regression was used to identify significant influences on retention intentions in both survey years. Two composite dimensions positively affected retention intentions in both survey years: satisfaction with Service Attributes and satisfaction with Present Employment Attributes. Being female negatively affected retention intentions in both surveys. The minority variable, Black, the number of PCS moves, and having debt greater than $7 ,500 positively affected retention intentions, while being stationed onboard a ship, probability of finding a civilian job, and the composite dimension, satisfaction with Future Employment Attributes, negatively affected retention intentions in 1992. Influence from a significant other and the number of hours worked positively affected retention in 1999. Monetary variables were highly significant for retention intentions in 1992 but not in 1999. It is likely that the force drawdown, base closures, and a weak economy in 1992 explain these differences.