dc.contributor.author	Wieman, Nicole Margaritha
dc.coverage.spatial	United States	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2021-08-24T18:06:29Z
dc.date.available	2021-08-24T18:06:29Z
dc.date.issued	2021-04
dc.identifier.other	629A0183-783D-E3B3-42BC-0FB113D51262	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/4991
dc.description.abstract	This plain language study explored whether the average soldier could read and comprehend the Army’s human resources information and whether the average grade level completed for soldiers was the same as the average reading grade level of human resources documents. A random sampling of 250 Army human resources documents were scored for reading ease and grade level using the Flesch-Kincaid reading ease tool. The average educational attainment of soldiers, based on Department of Defense data, established a target grade level score of equal to or less than nine and a reading ease score of equal to or above 60. The results of a one-sample t-test indicate that there is a statistically significant difference between the mean reading ease score of 23.8 for the Army’ human resources information and the mean reading ability of 60 for soldiers. The results of an additional one-sample t-test for grade level also indicate that there is a statistically significance difference between the reading grade level score of nine for soldiers and the average reading grade level of 14 for the Army’s human resources information. The mean reading ease score of the Army’s human resources information would have to be almost 40 points higher on the Flesch- Kincaid reading ease scale and four to five grade levels lower to be easily understood by the average soldier. Utilizing transfer theory, which is grounded in the theory of pragmatism and calls for academics to share practical, real-world solutions with practioners, this study proposes the implementation of a Plain Language Checklist. This checklist could help the Army develop clearer, easier to understand information. Plain language human resources information would benefit the careers of individual soldiers who need to be able to understand and act on benefits, promotion, training, and education opportunities while saving HRC resources in terms of employees time and enhancing the Army’s talent management initiatives and overall recruiting and retention goals. Keywords: Plain Language, Readability, Military, U.S. Army, Flesch-Kincaid reading ease, Human Resources	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 -- Statement of the Problem 1 -- Urgency of the Problem 2 -- Barriers to Implementing Plain Language 5 -- Pragmatism as a Conceptual Framework for the Study 6 -- Purpose of the Study 7 -- Research Questions and Hypothesis 8 -- Definition of Terms 9 -- Procedures 10 -- Significance of the Study 10 -- Limitations of the Study 11 -- Organization of the Study 12 -- Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 14 -- Organization of Literature Review 15 -- Theoretical Framework for Plain Language Study 15 -- History of the Plain Language Movement 22 -- U.S. Army and Plain Language Research 24 -- Plain Language Increases Understanding and Saves Organization’s Money 29 -- Clear Need for Plain Language Focus in Army Communications 30 -- Army’s Focus on Writing Guidance has not Increased Readability 31 -- Conflicts and Controversies in Plain Language Literature 33 -- Criticism of Readability Formulas 35 -- Gaps in Plain Language Lirterature 40 -- Statement of Problem 42 -- Chapter III: METHODOLOGY 49 -- Introduction 49 -- Methodology 50 -- Research questions 52 -- Data Collection 54 -- Instrumentation 57 -- Research Procedures 59 -- Data Analysis 61 -- Measuring Soldiers’ Education Levels 61 -- Analytic Procedures 65 -- Research Limitations 67 -- Chapter IV: RESULTS 70 -- Introduction 70 -- Variables Used in Statistical Analysis 71 -- Reading Ease Score Assumptions 72 -- Testing of Research Question One 74 -- Reading Ease Score Descriptive Statistics 74 -- Reading Ease Score Results 75 -- Grade Level Score Assumptions 77 -- Testing of Research Question Two 80 -- Grade Level Score Descriptive Statistics 80 -- Grade Level Score Results 80 -- Conclusion 82 -- Chapter V: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 86 -- Summary of the Problem 86 -- Reading Ease Score Results 87 -- Grade Level Score Results 87 -- Findings in context of Plain Language Literature 88 -- Implications for Theory 90 -- Meaning of Results 91 -- Potential Explanations for Results 92 -- Implications of Results 93 -- Recommendations 94 -- Implement Practical Guidance Grounded in Theory 94 -- Plain Language Checklist 96 -- Constraints of Implementing a Plain Language Checklist 98 -- Future Research 102 -- Conclusion 106 -- REFERENCES 108 -- APPENDIX A: Figure 1: Army Human Resources Service Center Inquiries 120 -- APPENDIX B: Institutional Review Board Approval 122 -- APPENDIX C: Table 2: Most visited HRC Web Pages and Most Popular Social Media 127 -- APPENDIX D: Table 3: U.S. Army Enlisted and Officer Education Levels 146 -- APPENDIX E: Figure 2: U.S. Army Enlisted and Officer Education Levels 148 -- APPENDIX F: HRC Plain Language Checklist 150	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic document, 164 pages. 2322432 bytes.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Dissertations, Academic--United States	en_US
dc.subject	United States. Army	en_US
dc.subject	Readability (Literary style)	en_US
dc.subject	Armed Forces	en_US
dc.subject	Personnel management	en_US
dc.title	Plain Language Study of U.S. Army Human Resources Information	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Political Science of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Peterson, Bonnie
dc.description.committee	Peterson, James
dc.description.committee	Bauer, Jeremy
dc.description.degree	D.PA.	en_US
dc.description.major	Public Administration	en_US