Public opinion of armed forces, perceived employability and graduates willingness to join armed forces.
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to establish the relationship among public opinion, perceived
employability and graduates willingness to join armed forces among Ugandan graduates. The
study intended to achieve the following objectives; to examine the relationship between public
opinion of armed forces and willingness of graduates to join armed forces. To examine the
relationship between perceived employability and public opinion of armed forces. To
investigate the relationship between perceived employability and willingness of graduates to
join armed forces. Table 10 showed that there is a significant negative relationship between
public opinion and willingness to join the armed at r = -.70** and p<0.01. Hence the first
hypothesis of the study was rejected. Table 10 also showed there is a significant negative
relationship between public opinion and perceived employability at r = -.29** and p <0.01.
Therefore the second hypothesis of the study is rejected. The correlation table showed that
there is a significant positive relationship between perceived employability and readiness at r
=.24** and p<0.01, hence the third hypothesis was rejected. Findings implied that the general
public in Uganda held negative perceptions and impressions of the armed forces especially
about human rights abuse and their professionalism which has greatly affected how graduates
perceive the armed forces through expression of low interests in joining Ugandan security
agencies despite the unemployment rate in Uganda. In conclusion, this study infers that
majority of the public had a biased negative opinion of the armed forces. It was recommended
that Ugandan security agencies re define restructure their ways of offering services to
Ugandans.