People in the Police Organization-Police Admin & Management

A. A police department depends on its supervisors and managers to lead and motivate officers to achieve the department's goals; when officers are motivated, they work or are productive, which in turn leads to the department satisfying community needs and expectations. (Links to an external site.)

1. Individuals and groups in every community expect their police department to meet their needs, and the police executive must strive to ensure that the department is productive in meeting those expectations.

2. Productivity (Links to an external site.)  in policing is difficult to define and measure but nevertheless depends to a great extent on the interpersonal management activities of leadership and motivation. No organization, regardless of its nature, can reach its productivity potential without good leadership and motivated employees.

B. This is particularly true in police organizations where services are provided in an environment that ranges from indifference to hostility.

1. It is very difficult to maintain productivity and motivation when police officers are exposed to the many frustrations that are generated by having to enforce laws that place the typical law-abiding citizen in a position of being viewed as a criminal, or to provide direction and assistance to citizens who are unwilling to accept direction and assistance.

C. It is difficult to design an organizational structure or establish a predominant leadership style without developing a firm understanding of how subordinate officers react in the organizational setting.

There are two types of motivational theories: individualistic theories and behavioral theories. The individualistic theories attempt to explain motivation through a person’s needs and values. That is, people have a variety of needs, and they will work to fulfill them. Leaders can motivate subordinates by providing them opportunities to fulfill or satisfy their needs. The primary motivational theories are Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene theory, and McClelland's Achievement, Power, and Affiliation Motives theory.

The behavioral theories attempt to explain motivation as a result of the individual interacting with the work environment. Work must be instrumental in the officer receiving a reward, and the reward must be fair or equitable. One's personality dictates how one interprets the many cues and stimuli in the work environment, and the leader must consider those being led and the situation in which leadership is being applied. The primary behavioral theories are Adams's equity theory (Links to an external site.)  and expectancy theory.

It must be remembered that the work group and organizational culture play an important role in motivation and goal accomplishment. The work group and organizational culture place parameters on behavior. In some instances, the organizational culture and informal group norms have more influence on officers' behavior than does the formal organization. Leadership and motivation represent a subset of the total work picture. Indeed, if leaders are to be effective, all of these factors must be considered and controlled.

Key Terms behavioral theories of motivation: process or instrumentality theories that explain motivation or behavior through the process of reinforcement

command groups: task groups that include supervisors and managers

control: the fourth stage of group development, in which the group establishes norms or rules

cultural audit: a process that identifies shared and divergent values and beliefs within the department

decision making: the second stage of group development, in which members learn to trust the judgment of other members of the group

equity theory: based on the belief that individuals examine their work and rewards relative to others, and if equity exists, officers are motivated

esteem needs: the need to have some level of recognition by peers or others

expectancy: an individual’s belief that effort will result in acceptable performance

expectancy theory: based on the belief that individuals are motivated only when their

reward is sufficient; the reward is sufficient when it is equal to or greater than the effort exerted by the individual

formal groups: organizational units within an organization

group: a collection of people who interact with each other, have a stable pattern of relations, share goals, and perceive of themselves as related group cohesiveness: the degree to which group members remain together

hygiene factors: the work environment, as defined by Herzberg, including the organization’s policy and administration, supervision, work conditions, salary, relationships with peers and superiors, status, and security individual theories of

motivation: theories based on the belief that motivation comes from within, and that a subordinate’s motivation is affected by management’s ability to satisfy the individual’s internal needs

informal groups: groups that are formed as a result of social interaction

instrumentality: an individual’s belief that performance will be rewarded interactionist perspective: based on the belief that behavior is the result of one’s personality and the nature of the situation or job

motivation: the third stage of group development, in which members learn to work together toward common objectives

motivation factors: the work itself, as defined by Herzberg, including individual achievement, recognition, responsibility, and growth mutual acceptance: the first stage of group development, following initial distrust, in which members develop a mutual bond

organizational culture: the system of shared beliefs and values that shapes and guides the behavior of its members

perceived role: an individual’s understanding of what the organization expects of them within the context of a group

personality: a stable set of characteristics representing the internal properties of an individual, which are reflected in behavioral tendencies across a variety of situations

physiological needs: the most basic human needs: food, clothing, adequate shelter, and water; usually associated with salary role ambiguity: the confusion people have about their roles within an organization when definite information about expectations is not given

security needs: an individual’s conscious and subconscious desires to develop continuity in life

self-actualization needs: an individual’s need to make the most of one’s life; synonymous with self-fulfillment, accomplishment, and achievement; the highest of Maslow’s need categories

sent role: information passed on by supervisors and administrators about performance expectations for the group and its members

social needs: an individual’s need to interact, socialize, and be accepted by others; these dominate an individual’s motivation concerns

task groups: groups that have the responsibility for specific tasks or line activities valence of outcome: an individual’s perception that productivity will result in a positive outcome or reward

values: broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes

worldview: developed through the socialization process and represents the standard by which members of a group tend to view people and situations