The importance of socio-economic factors in recruiting and sustaining the all-volunteer force.
Abstract : This thesis investigates the importance of socio-economic factors in recruiting and sustaining the All-Volunteer Force. It reviews previous research which explored the inherent factors of the recruiting effort in attaining enlistment standards. It considers the problem areas and goals of attracting and recruiting sufficient numbers of qualified enlisted personnel to fulfill the manning level requirements needed to satisfy military operations and missions. In addition, a brief history of military manpower procurement from a draft environment to the transition of volunterrism is included. The concepts of enlistment standards, factors influencing enlistment, and incentives enhancing enlistment are also discussed. This report concludes with recommendations concerning proposed changes to ensure the viability of the recruiting effort in sustaining the All-Volunteer Force concept. (Author)
Values, Preferences and Perceptions Concerning Military Service
Abstract : The report explores perceptions and attitudes concerning military service, and the way they are linked to views about enlistment. Data are based on a sixteen-page self-completed questionnaire administered to a national sample of civilians and a cross-section of Navy personnel. Trends related to age and education are examined for five analysis groups: civilian men, civilian women, Navy enlisted men in their first tour of duty, enlisted men in their second or later tour, and officers. The findings support the conclusion that ideological issues play an important part in attitudes about enlistment or re-enlistment.
Reading research critically: assessing the validity and reliability of research instrumentation--Part 2.
Accurate measurement of research variables is necessary so that research consumers can trust that it is the research intervention that affected the change in the outcome variable, not some extraneous error component. Reliability is the accuracy with which the research instruments measure the variable that they are designed to measure. A number of known threats to instrument reliability should be anticipated by the researcher and looked for the consumer. These threats are presented in this article.