Examining the X and Y generations' motivation for choosing law enforcement: my how things have changed?

Abstract

The topic of motivation has been researched extensively, including where it affects job satisfaction and performance. Current research suggests that motivating factors may be evolving with younger generations entering the work force. This research was designed to compare current generation law enforcement recruits to recruits from earlier research in terms of preference in self-serving motivations over altruistic motivations. Current police academy cadets (N=176) were surveyed in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, and were asked about their motivation for choosing a law enforcement career. Statistical analysis of the data included comparisons between groups in the sample and against previous research. This research suggests that law enforcement motivation has remained stable over the past 30 years. The results reflect few significant variations in motivation based on year of birth. Additionally, few significant differences were seen by gender, race, social class, educational levels, and law enforcement and military experience. However, significant variances were present between Ohio and Pennsylvania academies. Future research should focus on comparisons of motivation between states and evaluating motivation changes over time.