Work in most police departments today follows the philosophy of Frederick Winslow Taylor, who proposed that systemizing efficiency should be the primary focus of organizational managers. Writing in 1911 Taylor declared:
“In the past, man was first. In the future, the system will be first.”
Thus, Taylor’s “scientific management” system was launched, turning the worker into a mere gear in the system, a disposable human tool, a worker-for-hire, a wage slave. Unfortunately, Taylor’s “assembly-line” system dehumanized the worker and the culture of work, pitting employees against “management,” and the very organizations that employ them.
Taylor was also oblivious to another danger inherent in his system: it left ownership, control, and decision making (not to mention the distribution of profits) in the hands of a small elite of managers, time-study engineers and owners. His system offered once self-reliant workers higher wages in exchange for their loyalty to what many consider a modern form of feudalism. Most police organizations today still operate according to Taylor’s top-down vision of the workplace.
However, the era of “no more taxes,” advanced informational systems, and the paradigm shift from an emphasis on traditional policing to community policing, is forcing a basic change in how we view the role of the police officer and the nature of the organization and communities we serve. Police organizations must recognize that, for their own survival, they must find new, more flexible ways of rewarding and motivating their employees, while controlling costs, and delivering ever-higher levels of value to their customers (employees and citizens). They are realizing that the adversarial nature of the surrounding economic and cultural environment, a by-product of Taylor’s philosophy of work, and the inherent instability of the wage system impede these objectives. They are also coming to see that what is needed is a new way of thinking.
This new way of thinking would not reject the importance of systems, but would redesign systems to put customers (employees and citizens) first. It would create a new system of leadership that “rehumanizes” the organization. It would shift power, responsibility, and control over modern police procedures and advanced organizational systems from the few to all those affected by the process. The new system would combine principles of equity (justice and ownership) with principles of efficiency, in order to raise the performance of an organization and its employees to their highest potential, to better serve their customers and other stakeholders.
Once chief Robin Richardson was in command she made the decision to change the organizational structure within the police department. MPD chief Richardson made the decision the change the police department 's centralized organization structure to a more decentralized structure that relies on employees to communicate information to make decisions and recommend changes” ( Textbook, Chapter 10). MPD chief Richardson decisions to change the “organizational structure was to accommodate the dramatic shift in performance culture”( Textbook Chapter). MPD chief Richardson felt that the traditional functional organization structure under the vertical hierarchy has lost sight of MPD organization mission. Chief Richardson wanted to create an organizational structure that provides certain levels of autonomy, that allows employees to make decisions based on their individuals discretions. MPD chief Robin Richardson considered a “divisional organization a design structure that groups processes and jobs based on clearly defined market segments or geography”( Textbook Chapter 10). Chief Richardson considered “divisional organization structure that allows decision making to take place at the divisional level by managers, and differences of opinion would be resolved without depending on the chief. Chief Richardson felt that this design was leaning more toward what she visualized for the MPD: a centralized, horizontal organization” (Textbook chapter 10). According to the text, chief Robin Richardson “finally decision was to create a matrix organization, a design structure that facilitates horizontal integration and collaboration. A matrix model combines elements of both the functional and the divisional organizations, has dual lines of authority, and is designed to encourage the sharing of information. Robin felt that by using this model, the reporting line would shift
Reward power in Detective Doe’s case is very complicated because of the harm extrinsic rewards can have on a person’s intrinsic motivations (Vansteenkiste et al. 2006). Intrinsic motivation is key in Detective Doe’s line of work because many of the people who join the NYPD do so out of a sense of wanting to give back and help communities. By adding more extrinsic rewards or forms of compensation this will take away from the fulfillment of a task and the interest of it as well (Deci 1972). By keeping a focus on the intrinsic rewards and overall satisfaction of police work Detective Doe is able to properly influence and motivate his followers.
There is change trying to happen, in a rural Pacific Northwest police department (PD) that is nestled in the corner of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. This Department serves a diverse population of 9000 people and encompasses roughly 4 mi.², as well as being surrounded by water on three of those four sides. When evaluating police departments, according to the state and national averages it is undersized for the population it serves. As one would expect it is a department with a long and rich 126-year history JCHS (2014). As well, as with the majority of all municipal departments, it has suffered its ups and downs, as well as suffering and prospering through healthy and poor administrations.
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) presides over one of the most crime-ridden areas in the nation. Policing Oakland is a challenging task by any measure and there have been many allegations that officers have employed inappropriate policing tactics. (Guardian article). After a gang of rogue police officers in the 1990s was accused of framing and beating suspects, the department was placed on a court-ordered monitor by a district judge. As part of a Negotiated Settlement Agreement, OPD is required to complete a list of “tasks”. The department has received other independent recommendations for reforms. There was a clear lack of accountability in the departments past, which created the impetus for reform. For the purposes of this paper, accountability entails establishing expectations, verifying performance, assessing blame, and sorting responsibility (Romzek 241). In this paper I ask, “Will accountability related reforms be institutionalized?” I evaluate the need for these reforms and use two applicable tasks to analyze reform success. I argue accountability-based reforms has penetrated the police culture and will be institutionalized because of internal support and decentralization, which improve collaboration and present an opportunity to engage with the community.
(Swanson, Territo and Taylor, p. 2). However, in recent years some major changes have occurred in a shorter time period. Innovations in law enforcement During the past two decades, I have observed major changes in the viewpoint of society towards police officer's as the symbol of trust and dignity, the technological advances of communication and information systems in law enforcement, and the revision of selection and hiring practices for police officers. Organizational change occurs both as a result of internal and external agents (Swanson, Territo and Taylor, p. 664).
“Before new chiefs can set a path for a new vision, they must have a clear understanding of the past. A police department’s organizational culture is a deeply ingrained, personal aspect of its functioning that must not be trivialized. Years of hard work and dedication by scores of individuals went into the creation of that culture, and it must be respected. However, if the culture is no longer in step with the expectations of the community, then changes must be made. Changes for the future must be carefully crafted to achieve the desired goal without disregarding the past. New chiefs can best accomplish this task by first listening to the variety of individuals that represent the stakeholders for their departments. Gaining input is important to obtaining an understanding of the values and expecta...
Even though leadership can be an essential place for development, if certainly not of greater importance, is the desire to create your conditions, which service and boost new models of leadership. Another dimension regarding consideration inside the implementation regarding clinical governance as well as leadership would be the disempowerment from the nursing profession. Hitchcock (2013) supported this view, asserting that yesterday’s methods do not work in the permanent white-water world, where managers traditionally manage within the system and focus on doing things according to the rules.
Monetary profit is the first thing an individual recalls when corruption in the police department is discussed, mainly because officers are subjected to enticing opportunities, such as reclamation of missing property and bribes from owners and managers of restaurants. Because of new policies and improvements regarding the department and system of selecting new officers, this level of corruption has been hindered. Currently, officers are hired because of their dedication to their principles, which makes them susceptible to the noble cause corruption theory (Dempsey and Frost, 2012)
American policing originated from early English law and is profoundly influenced by its history. Early law enforcement in England took on two forms of policing, one of which heavily influenced modern policing and it is known as the watch (Potter, 2013). The watch consisted, at first, of volunteers which had to patrol the streets for any kind of disorder including crime and fire. After men attempted to get out of volunteering by paying others, it became a paid professional position (Walker & Katz, 2012). The three eras of policing in America are shaped by these early ideas and practices of law enforcement. Throughout time, sufficient improvements and advancements have been made from the political era to the professional era and finally the community era which attempts to eliminate corruption, hire qualified officers and create an overall effective law enforcement system.
For years police corruption has been a major problem in American society but where is the line between moral and unethical police corruption, many modern movies address this vary issue. Some films portray how types of police corruption can have a positive influence on society, while others show the dark side of police corruption. Many law enforcement agents join the criminal justice with the basic idea of “justice for all,” however, most of them do not realize that the nice guy doesn’t always win. Even though there are vast amounts of movies which specifically address police corruption we will use three main movies for our argument today, mostly LA Confidential, however, also Training Day.
This era is where the shift from a centralized task force has gravitated to a decentralized task force, causing some friction from both the community and the officers that serve it. Police are told that they are needed to listen to the concerns for the community; however, law enforcement is still the primary goal. Police forces now have to defend the values for which the forces were built upon. The idea of problem solving has come into question with police discretion towards certain run-ins with the law. Williams and Murphy argue it is due to the lack of sensitivity from minorities and the concern on crime itself than the community. Kelling and Moore contradict Williams and Murphy, with Kelling/Moore suggesting the era is more about listening to concerns of the community and improving the citizen satisfaction. But both the article came to the conclusion of the silent underlying problems that are becoming more of a “quiet riot” with the police and the
In his paper The Principles of Scientific Management published in 1911, Frederick Winslow Taylor proposes an alternative system of management designed to promote efficiency. Within his opening argument, Taylor describes the ideal relationship between the employee and employer: Scientific management has for its very foundation the firm conviction that the true interests of the employees and employers are one and the same; that prosperity for the employer cannot exist through a long term of years unless it is accompanied by prosperity for the employee, and vice versa. (Taylor, 1-2) Taylor then details sources of inefficiency before describing “personal cooperation” as the condition which will “enable the employee to do his work better
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) prides themselves in being a well-trained and diverse police agency. The core values that make Edmonton Police great are; respect, integrity, innovation, accountably and community. By offering these core values, this agency heads into the direction of becoming a leader in policing across Canada, as well as making Edmonton the safest major city in the country. The mission statement that guides the EPS vision is “To increase public safety through excellence in the prevention, intervention and suppression of crime and disorder” (Edmonton Police Service, 2016). In order to achieve the idea of excellence, this agency has high expectations in its employees to maintain and carry its core values.
Within the last decade, society has seen an alarming transformation in the efforts of effective communication. These changes have been both positive as well as negative. Influential leaders in the civilian sector, as well as the military, have found themselves dealing with either internal or external issues on a daily basis. Value-based leadership, self-reflections, and communication: these three terms are the guiding principles that can successfully rebuild today’s labor force. Wrongful communication tactics can leave behind an echo effect, damaging a company 's status permanently as information nowadays is persistent, retrievable and ubiquitous (Zamani, Giaglis, & Kasimati, 2015).
In the past, managers considered workers as machinery that could be bought and sold easily. To increase production, workers were subjected to long hours, miserable wages and undesirable working conditions. The welfare of the workers and their need were disregarded. The early twentieth century brought about a change in management and scientific management was introduced. This sort of management, started by Frederick Winslow Taylor, emphasised that the best way to increase the volume of output was to have workers specializing in specific tasks just like how a certain machine would perform a particular function. His implementation of this theory brought about tremendous criticism by the masses arguing that the fundamentals of Scientific Management were to exploit employees rather than to benefit them (Mullins, 2005)