The Effect of Organizational Culture on the Retention of United States Space Force Guardians
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Authors
Cashin, Lina, Maria
Issue Date
2026
Volume
Issue
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
leadership , Millennials , organizational culture , retention , Space Force , values
Alternative Title
Abstract
AbstractThe United States Space Force (USSF) is a relatively new military Service compared to the other Services that are several decades, or even centuries, older. The USSF is invigorated by the ever-growing space profession, and workforce retention is currently strong; however, competition from the private sector is increasing and may challenge the USSF's ability to retain its workforce in the future. Over 70% of the USSF members, known as “guardians,” are Millennials, born between 1980 and 2000. Previous occupational research on Millennial retention found that misalignment of workplace values was a key reason Millennials left after their initial commitment. If Millennial guardians share similar predilections as their generation, the USSF could face a future retention problem. This study surveyed 30 former guardians, asking them to rank their personal values, identify which USSF core values they experienced most often, and indicate why they left the USSF. Based on the Person-Organization Fit model, guardians whose values aligned with the Space Force values at the time should have remained in the organization longer. That was not the case. Those who served more than 10 years in the military rated the USSF core values lower than those who served fewer years. The top two reasons the guardians reported leaving the USSF were: 1) leadership and 2) job satisfaction. Though the sample size studied was small, only 30, not statistically relevant to generalize across the entire USSF, the USSF could use this study’s methodology and findings to develop policy for USSF retention programs.
Keywords: organizational culture, Space Force, leadership, values, retention, Millennials
Description
2026
Citation
Publisher
Creighton University
License
Copyright is retained by the Author.
A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University and to ProQuest following the publishing model selected above.