Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

9-2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Program

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Ned Benton

Committee Members

Peter Mameli

Richard Schwester

David Westerling

Subject Categories

Public Administration

Keywords

Inspector General, Attrition, Employment

Abstract

A recent report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) on inspector general (IG) attrition found growing rates of IG vacancies within federal Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) (Johnson, 2018). This study identified the growing rates of Acting IGs (AIGs) and their role as interim IGs negatively affect their offices, decreasing productivity, and increasing difficulty in meeting quality inspection and oversight standards. This dissertation identified and analyzed rates of IG employment duration and attrition in federal and state offices of inspectors general (OIG) between 2001 and 2017, starting with a comprehensive review on IG literature and their responsibilities. A discussion of empirical attrition models, theories, and outlier case studies followed the literature review to explain the IG attrition problem in detail. The dissertation’s methodology begins with identifying federal and state IGs separated by their temporary/permanent status, hire/departure dates, and length of service. Chi-Square, Student’s T-test, and Correlation tests examined the statistical relationships between identified causal factors and IG attrition. This dissertation’s methodology also analyzed federal and state OIG statutes to identify their weaknesses, followed by policy recommendations to reduce IG attrition for existing and future OIGs.

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