A Comparison of Marketing Techniques Among Military Recruiters
A Comparison of Marketing Techniques Among Military Recruiters by Paul V. McCullough III MS, University of Maryland, 2001 BS, King's College, 1998 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University April 2016 Abstract The U.S. Department of Defense spent $11 billion in enlistment and retention bonuses from 2006 to 2010, which had only a marginally positive effect on the enlistment rate for the Army. The case study addressed this business problem of recruiting by exploring marketing strategies successful recruiting professionals used to motivate individuals to join the military. The purpose of this study was to determine effective recruiting strategies. Therefore, it incorporated the conceptual framework of emergent strategy theory, which postulated the best strategies are neither completely planned nor completely random, but are rather an adaptation to changing dynamics and circumstances. The population consisted of 2 former recruiters, 1 from the Army and another from the Marine Corps, as well as 38 college students located in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Data for the study morphed from face to face interviews and 3 focus groups comprised of 10 to 15 students each, for the purpose of addressing the research question. Data analysis occurred through a process of coding and theming. The 9 themes identified included tell the story, advertising strategies, and fit for duty. A lesson learned from these themes was that the key for successful recruiting strategies lies in aligning with the wants and needs of individuals in the target demographic. If senior leaders in the Department of Defense followed the recommendations provided, each of the branches of the military service could potentially achieve higher recruiting rates at a lower cost. The study could result in social change whereby eligible recruits could view the Army and Marine Corps as professions of arms in which individuals can live out their ideals of patriotism but also have a good quality of life due to the benefits of military service.The U.S. Department of Defense spent $11 billion in enlistment and retention bonuses from 2006 to 2010, which had only a marginally positive effect on the enlistment rate for the Army. The case study addressed this business problem of recruiting by exploring marketing strategies successful recruiting professionals used to motivate individuals to join the military. The purpose of this study was to determine effective recruiting strategies. Therefore, it incorporated the conceptual framework of emergent strategy theory, which postulated the best strategies are neither completely planned nor completely random, but are rather an adaptation to changing dynamics and circumstances. The population consisted of 2 former recruiters, 1 from the Army and another from the Marine Corps, as well as 38 college students located in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Data for the study morphed from face to face interviews and 3 focus groups comprised of 10 to 15 students each, for the purpose of addressing the research question. Data analysis occurred through a process of coding and theming. The 9 themes identified included tell the story, advertising strategies, and fit for duty. A lesson learned from these themes was that the key for successful recruiting strategies lies in aligning with the wants and needs of individuals in the target demographic. If senior leaders in the Department of Defense followed the recommendations provided, each of the branches of the military service could potentially achieve higher recruiting rates at a lower cost. The study could result in social change whereby eligible recruits could view the Army and Marine Corps as professions of arms in which individuals can live out their ideals of patriotism but also have a good quality of life due to the benefits of military service. A Comparison of Marketing Techniques Among Military Recruiters by Paul V. McCullough III MS, University of Maryland, 2001 BS, King's College, 1998 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University April 2016 Dedication I wish to dedicate this study to my loving family. This effort has taken me 6 long years to complete. My family has provided me with the encouragement and support I needed to persevere, and not give up on my goal of earning a doctorate degree. Oftentimes, this came in the form of understanding when I told them I could not engage in a family activity because I needed to complete an assignment or work on my study. Occasionally, they showed their support by coming to me while I was working and offering a meal, a hug, and a few kind words. My family always made me feel confident I could finish the work and become Dr. Paul V. McCullough III. My sincere hope is I can return the favor to each of them in the future. My wife has put her career and education on hold so I could pursue my own aspirations. Heather, I thank you so much for that and want you to know you will have my complete support with whatever path you choose for our life after the military. My children, luckily, were only in elementary school during the 6 years I worked in pursuit of this dream. Paul and Sarah, many years of hard work lie ahead of you, but I want you to know you do not have to endure these challenges alone. I will help and support you, as you have done for me. Finally, I could not have come this far in life without the love and support of my parents and Uncle Mike. From a very early age, they saw something special in me and encouraged me to reach for the stars. I hope I made you proud and will endeavor to provide the same kind of love and support for my own children. Acknowledgments There are so many people I need to thank for helping me complete this study and not give up. Above all, I must thank the Lord God Almighty, for I have always remembered Philippians 4:13, which says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." God is, has been, and always will be my source of hope and I know He will never leave my side. Second, I must thank my incredible doctoral chair, Dr. Kenneth Gossett. Dr. Gossett is a man who possesses not only a wide range of academic and business credentials, but more importantly has a heart for students. Dr. Gossett spent countless hours with me, working through my proposal line by line, until it met all of the rubric requirements. If I ever have the opportunity to teach students, Dr. Gossett is the kind of teacher I would want to use as a model of what right looks like. Next, I would like to thank a couple of very special people who I met very early in my Walden journey and continually encouraged me to never give up, Dr. Charlene Dunfee and Dr. Chad Shannon. Thank you so much for speaking life into me, rather than words of doubt. You truly made me believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. Finally, I also need to thank all of the people who helped make my study possible, either through their direct participation in my research, facilitating my focus groups, or serving on my committee. These include Dr. Tim Truitt, Dr. Brenda Jack, Dr. Gene Fusch, Dr. Marc Marchese, Dr. Chad Shannon, LTC (Retired) Joe Wetherell, and the dozens of King's College students who agreed to join one of my focus groups. Thank you all for taking the time out of your schedules to help me achieve my dream.