Theses and Dissertations
Advisor
Potter, Mike
Committee Member
French, P. Edward
Committee Member
Nukpezah, Julias A.
Committee Member
Breen, Dallas
Date of Degree
12-12-2025
Original embargo terms
Immediate Worldwide Access
Document Type
Dissertation - Open Access
Major
Public Policy & Administration
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Department of Political Science and Public Administration
Abstract
Unusually high employee turnover among local law enforcement officers in the United States has been well documented. This exploratory case study examines employee turnover from a bilateral perspective of both generalists and specialists within local police departments. The purpose of this study is to determine if working in a specialized unit has any effect on employee turnover amongst local police officers in Mississippi. This study used qualitative methods to conduct interviews with thirty-four officers from four different police departments encompassing Mississippi’s northern, southern, eastern, and western regions. The interviews were conducted with individuals at the rank of officer and having between two and ten years of experience. The data collected was then analyzed using content analysis to code similarly themed responses. The evidence from this study seems to point out that there is, indeed, a correlation between working in a specialized unit and employee turnover rates. This study found that the majority of officers would move to a specialized position immediately if able, most would consider changing departments to work in a specialized unit if unable to do so at their current agency, the majority of generalists want to move into specialized units during their career, the entirety of specialists want to remain in specialized units, and the majority of officers as a whole think that working in a specialized unit influences people to remain with their current employer. Respondents revealed that specialized units were desirable due to the work type, experience, training, work-life balance, autonomy, and self-actualization that they provide; while serving as a counter to other variables such as negative departmental culture, unrealistic expectations, and career plateau.
Recommended Citation
Bunch, Wesley, "A tale of four cities: The effect of job specialization on employee turnover within Mississippi’s local police departments" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 6846.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/6846
