Analysis of professional and pre-accession characteristics and junior naval officer performance

Abstract

This thesis examines ways to improve the Navy’s ability to track performance and professional development of junior officers and to improve job fit. First, it examines alternative measures of junior officer performance from fitness report scores to track officers’ performance and to assess job fit, whether in original job assignments or following lateral transfers. The findings show that warfare-qualified unrestricted-line officers who lateral transfer into restricted-line communities have higher seven- and ten-year retention rates and significantly higher fitness report scores and O-4 promotion rates than officers who originally commissioned into a restricted-line community. Furthermore, as the Navy increases its efforts of talent management, the thesis explores potential markers of talent, such as additional qualification designations. It finds that surface warfare officers who qualify engineering officer of the watch during their division officer tour(s) are more likely to stay in the Navy at least ten years and have significantly higher O-4 promotion rates and fitness report scores than non-qualifiers. Retention and performance outcomes are also higher for surface warfare officers who qualify engineering officer of the watch during their division officer tour(s) and lateral transfer into a restricted line community than officers who originated in the restricted line community.