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.