| Deployment of citizen-soldiers impacted civilian employers who are stakeholders of the Employer Partnership Initiative (EPI). This public-private partnership (PPP) was created to benefit both citizen-soldiers and civilian employers of these soldiers. This exploratory qualitative research study began to address the problem identified by using the grounded theory approach to explore the attitudes of HR managers of EPI member organizations to determine their specific interests in the PPP, determine how these interests should be assessed and measured; and how the PPP has been beneficial to HR managers thus far. The theoretical foundation was the importance of identifying HR managers' views, needs, and interests. Respondents were between the ages of 30 to 60, had been a HR manager for five years, had managed citizen-soldiers, and were employed by a civilian stakeholder in northern Alabama. Face-to-face and telephone interviews, between 45 - 75 minutes each, were conducted with four HR managers. Data was collected using approved research questions and analyzed by constant comparative analysis. HR managers identified their interests in the partnership as good work ethics, qualified employees, meeting diversity quotas, and supporting the organizational leaders' initiatives. These interests should be assessed by the dependability of the citizen-soldier, tracking recruitment numbers, and whether or not the citizen-soldier is a "good fit." Furthermore, interests should be measured by the turnover rate, performance of citizen-soldiers, and how many citizen-soldiers actually apply for jobs. Finally, HR managers found the partnership to be mutually beneficial because it motivates employees, enhances the organization, improves the community, and supports the citizen-soldiers. Stakeholder views are important as they influence the success or failure of the partnership. A future study may be a case study to gain the views of all stakeholders. |
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