1. The effects of public service motivation on criminal justice students' perceptions of vocational fit.
- Author
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White, David R., Schafer, Joseph A., Hogan, Nancy L., and Lambert, Eric
- Subjects
PSYCHOLOGY of students ,MUNICIPAL services ,PERSON-environment fit ,JUSTICE ,POLITICAL affiliation ,BACHELOR'S degree - Abstract
This study investigates the relationships between public service motivation and self-reported perceptions of vocational fit among one cohort of upper-level criminal justice students at a Midwestern university, while controlling for race, gender, age, and political orientation. The data come from a survey administered in the spring of 2021 to criminal justice students in a mandatory class taken between their junior and senior year of their bachelor's degree program. The findings indicated that increased public service motivations were significantly associated with better perceptions of pre-career vocational fit. Additionally, more conservative political orientations were associated with increased perceptions of fit to criminal justice roles. The study adds to a small but growing body of research applying public service motivation and person-environment fit theory to criminal justice occupations and emphasizes the importance placed on sustaining the value of public service as a possible method of recruiting and maintaining the criminal justice workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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