NCJ Number
13479
Date Published
1974
Length
213 pages
Annotation
AN OVERVIEW OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY MANAGEMENT APPROACH INTEGRATING THE FIELDS OF POLICE ADMINISTRATION AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
Abstract
MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL, INCLUDING POLICE ADMINISTRATORS, ARE BEGINING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE KNOWLEDGE PRODUCED BY SOCIAL SCIENTISTS TO UNDERSTAND BOTH INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR. THE AUTHOR BEGINS BY DISCUSSING THE PURPOSES, OBJECTIVES AND GOALS OF POLICE WORK WITHIN THE FRAME WORK OF A DEMOCRATIC IDEOLOGY. HE THEN NOTES THAT SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY CAN PROVIDE ACADEMICS AND ADMINISTRATORS ALIKE WITH REASONED POLICY ALTERNATIVES WHICH HAVE HAD THEIR CONSEQUENCES PREDICTED. THE REMAINDER OF THE TEXT DRAWS ON RESEARCH STUDIES OF SCIENTISTS FROM MANY DISCIPLINES AND INCLUDES BOTH THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO POLICE WORK. INDIVIDUAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON THE POLICE OFFICER ARE NOTED AND THE 'POLICE PERSONALITY' IS DISCUSSED. LEADERSHIP, SUPERVISION, MOTIVATION, MORALE, AND PRODUCTIVITY WITHIN THE QUASI-MILITARY STRUCTURE OF MOST POLICE AGENCIES ARE EXPLORED. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THE CONTINUED USE OF AN AUTHORITARIAN PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT FRUSTRATES MANAGERS AND OFFICERS AND WILL NOT PRODUCE THE KIND OF DEMOCRATIC POLICING THAT SOCIETY EXPECTS. AS AN ALTERNATIVE, HE PRESENTS FOR CONSIDERATION A MODEL FOR POLICE ORGANIZATION BASED ON AN INTEGRATION OF SAFETY, WELFARE, AND MENTAL HEALTH FUNCTIONS WHICH MIGHT REDEFINE POLICE ROLES, BROADEN POLICE ALTERNATIVES AND INCREASE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SATISFACTION THROUGH TEAM EFFORT. (SNI ABSTRACT)