A Comparison of the Fit between the Organizational Climate of the Coast Guard, the Job/Career Expectations of Black College Graduates, and Their Perceptions about the Coast Guard

摘要

The purpose of this project was to attempt to answer the question: Given the present state of the organizational climate of the United States Coast Guard, the job and career expectations of Black college students/graduates, and their perceptions about the Coast Guard, can the Coast Guard realistically expect to require and retain enough Black officers to achieve its goal of 12 percent Black officers within the next five years. Information was gathered from Coast Guard officers and Black college graduates using questionnaires and interviews. Data was obtained from former Coast Guard officers via telephone interviews. The results of this project revealed the perceptions and expectations of Black college graduates were generally higher than all Coast Guard officers' view of the organizational climate of the Coast Guard. Their preceptions about the Coast Guard are generally positive. Their expectations were higher than their perceptions. Thus, the Coast Guard is perceived in a 'positive' light as a viable employer by Black college students/graduates. However, the gap that exist between their perceptions of the Coast Guard, their expectations, and 'reality' as perceived by Coast Guard officers must be reduced if the Coast Guard is to recruit and retain more Black officers. If only the gap between Black college student/graduates' perceptions and 'reality' is reduced, the Coast Guard will probably recruit more Black officers; but, because nothing would be done to reduce the gap between their expectations and 'reality,' their will continue to be retention problems caused by unfulfilled expectations.