Identify an organizational challenge/problem that your team members have experienced and believe needs to be improved. Select one topic and develop a research question. What are the values that infl

NAMES: Chino Leiva

John Worley

Neil Bartlett

Justin Shackelford

Dominic Ferraris

COURSE: ORGL 408 – Action Research

WEEK #: 3

Team Executive Summary

Research Question:

Identify courses of action/ action plans/ retention programs focused on the retention of Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) personnel in the U.S. Navy.

Through action research, our team will be able to use military and public resources to facilitate a plan of action, answering the issue of retention programs for SWCC Navy personnel. Through multiple avenues, we will first research historical methods and incentive programs previously put in place such as continuation bonuses or incentive pays (Arkes et al., 2019, p. 3). These studies and program analyses were conducted at the Naval Post Graduate school and, therefore, elaborate on details that may not be available through civilian-led research.

In addition to incentive bonuses, our research will also explore other areas of potential investment that are deciding factors for the retention of quality SWCC Navy personnel. Snodgrass (2014) assesses that there should be more investment in facility sustainment, restoration, and maintenance, in addition to families having access to better quality-of-life facilities. Infrastructure deficiencies are issues that have the potential for decisions being made on whether SWCC personnel remain on active duty or seek employment elsewhere.

Lastly, an area our research will traverse is that of a strategic manner that will explore an opportunity to effect long term reform. Doolittle and Denton explain that Naval Special Warfare (NSW) may need to reevaluate and change the overall deployment strategy in order to achieve better retention as well as other long-term benefits (Doolittle & Denton, 2004, p.3). A more effective deployment strategy would not only affect change within NSW but would also be beneficial throughout many communities within and adjacent to the military.

Being that our group and most of us in this class have some affiliation with the military, the issue of retention, and the military's way of doing business, this is generally a sensitive subject. Usually, the stories one would share are not always about how good they have it under a new retention program. We feel the military uses monetary compensation for many of its retention methods; however, the truth of the matter is that more money doesn't always correlate to job satisfaction.

References

Arkes, J., Ahn, T., Menichini, A., & Gates, W. (2019). Retention Analysis Model (RAM) For Navy Manpower Analysis. Naval Post Graduate School Monterey Ca Monterey, United States.

Doolittle, J.W. & Denton W.F. (2004). Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Enlisted Manning Concerns: Key Elements for Successful Growth and Retention of Enlisted Personnel. Naval Postgraduate School.

Snodgrass, G. M. (2014). Keep a Weather Eye on the Horizon: A Navy Officer Retention Study. Naval War College Review, 67 (4), 64-92.