Date of Award

Summer 5-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Technology Management

Department

College of Technology

First Advisor

W. Tad Foster

Second Advisor

Mehran Shahhosseini

Third Advisor

Marietta J. Watson

Abstract

In today’s dynamic organizational environment, worker factors such as job satisfaction, employee engagement, organizational commitment, and psychological contract fulfillment are vital for organizational success. This study examined their perceived relationship with police officers’ intent to leave the law enforcement profession. The problem addressed worked to understand factors influencing retention, including psychological contract breaches and workplace outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the perceived relationship between job satisfaction, employee engagement, organizational commitment, and intent to leave the law enforcement profession all housed within the psychological contract. Five research questions addressed these variables and demographic factors (gender, years of service, and rank). Data were collected through a Qualtrics questionnaire administered to municipal, county, and state officers. The sample included 254 officers of all ranks across municipal, country, and state agencies who self-selected to participate in the study. A combined instrument included validated measures and demographic variables. Analysis using SPSS included descriptive statistics, t-tests, Kendall’s Tau, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression. Findings indicated all variables were significant predictors individually; however, only job satisfaction and employee engagement remained statistically significant in the combined model, accounting for 29% and 30.6% of variance. Years of service was the only significant demographic predictor, while gender and rank were not; demographics explained 4.6% of variance. Police agencies face a retention crisis across the nation with negative media exposure leading to different career choices for young people coupled with mid-career dissatisfaction for experienced officers. These factors make the early retirement options inherent for the profession seem more attractive. The results of this study suggest job satisfaction and engagement are key drivers of retention. The psychological contract offers a framework for improving retention through leadership practices and policy design that support officer expectations and performance, leading to greater organizational commitment.

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