scholarly journals Police-public interactions: a grid-group cultural theory perspective

Author(s):  
Kim Loyens ◽  
Jeroen Maesschalck

Purpose – The police culture literature suggests that police officers’ attitude towards the public is characterised by suspicion and an “us-vs-them” mentality. It also refers to the moral mission of protecting the public by being tough on crime. The traditional police culture model seems to imply that these aspects are typical for the police. There is, however, a lack of empirical studies to test this proposition. The purpose of this paper is to propose a different conceptual framework, based on grid-group cultural theory (GGCT), which not only broadens the lens of the police culture model, but also allows for comparative research between different professional groups. Design/methodology/approach – The newly developed conceptual framework is tested in an ethnographic study in the Belgian police and labour inspection. The main data collection methods are observation, interview and informal conversation. Findings – The results of this study show that there are similarities in the way in which Belgian police officers and labour inspectors interact with the public, which raises interesting questions concerning the (often implicit) claim of the police culture literature concerning the specificity of police culture. Research limitations/implications – More research is needed to gain deeper insight into similarities and differences of the occupational culture in the police and comparable professional groups. GGCT offers a useful conceptual framework for such a research agenda. Originality/value – This paper addresses a number of criticisms against the classic police culture model and provides an innovative perspective to not only study aspects of police culture, but also compare the police with other professions.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed-Abdullahi Mohamed ◽  
Asmat-Nizam Abdul-Talib ◽  
AfifahAlwani Ramlee

Purpose This study aims to examine the role of returning Somali diaspora entrepreneurs on firm performance and their perceived environmental obstacles. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on a broad literature review and covers a theoretical background to develop a research framework. It presents several propositions to be empirically tested to determine the influence of returnee entrepreneurs’ success and the challenges they face in the process. Findings The paper offers an overview of how Somali diaspora returnee entrepreneurs can use their resources to succeed in their business and the possible environmental uncertainties that could hinder them. The study highlights some under-researched areas and provides future research directions. Research limitations/implications A research investigation is needed to test the proposed conceptual framework empirically. Further research is also recommended to use other predictors when investigating the perceived environmental uncertainty faced by returnee entrepreneurs. Practical implications In the diaspora entrepreneurship literature, returnee entrepreneurs in post-conflict African countries did not get enough attention. Hence, the study will contribute theoretically to the literature. Originality/value The paper provides a conceptual framework that will help understand returnee entrepreneurs in post-conflict states in Africa, paving the way for empirical studies on the topic.


Author(s):  
Dave Gelders ◽  
Hans Peeraer ◽  
Jelle Goossens

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the content, format and evaluation of printed public communication from police officers and governments regarding home burglary prevention in Belgium.Design/methodology/approachThe content and format in this paper is analyzed through content analysis of 104 printed communication pieces in the Belgian province of Flemish‐Brabant in 2005. The evaluation is analyzed through five focus group interviews among professionals and common citizens.FindingsThe paper finds that police zones significantly differ in terms of communication efforts. The media mix is not diverse with poor collaboration between police officers and government information officers, while intermediaries (i.e. architects) are rarely used, culminating in poor targeted communication.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper shows that only printed communication is analyzed and more large‐scale empirical research is desired.Practical implicationsThe paper shows that a richer media mix, more targeted communication, more national communication support and additional dialogue between and training of police officers and communication with professionals are advisable.Originality/valueThis paper combines two empirical studies and methods (content analysis and focus group interviews), resulting in a series of recommendations for further inquiry and future action.


Author(s):  
Phaik Kin Cheah ◽  
N. Prabha Unnithan ◽  
Suresh Suppiah

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the work roles of the Royal Malaysia Police Volunteer Reserve officers.Design/methodology/approachA grounded theory approach was utilized for the generation and analysis of the data. Data were collected through interviews, observations and follow-ups. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 male and female volunteer reserve officers and 5 regular police officers aged between 24 and 58 years of mixed socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities and ranking in the Royal Malaysia Police force. Two civilian respondents (spouses of the Police Volunteer Reserve officers) were also interviewed for this study for the purpose of theory sampling.FindingsThe data were analyzed qualitatively resulting in a model of Royal Malaysia Police Volunteer Reserve officer roles consisting of four orientations.Research limitations/implicationsStudy outcomes are discussed theoretically and administratively. The four role orientations identified will assist researchers studying police reserve volunteerism.Practical implicationsStudy outcomes allow administrators to utilize and deploy police reservists in consonance with the four role orientations identified.Social implicationsThis study provides insight into how police reservists conceive of and execute their roles as they negotiate them in relation to the regular police officers they work with and the public from which they are drawn.Originality/valueThis is the first study of police volunteerism in Malaysia.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-57
Author(s):  
Michael Kennedy ◽  
Philip Birch

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to problematise the application of hegemonic masculinity to police practice and culture. Design/methodology/approach This paper offers a viewpoint and is a discussion paper critiquing the application of hegemonic masculinity to police officers, their practice and culture. Findings The paper suggests that a broader conceptualisation of masculinity, offered by scholars such as Demetriou (2001), is required when considering policing and its culture, in order to more accurately reflect the activity and those involved in it. Research limitations/implications Writings concerning police practice and culture, both in the media and academic discourse, are questionable due to the application of hegemonic masculinity. The application of hegemonic masculinity can create a biased perception of policing and police officers. Practical implications The paper helps to engender a more accurate and balanced examination of the police, their culture and practice when writing about policing institutions and encourage social institutions such as academia to address bias in their examination of policing institutions and police officers. Originality/value There has been limited consideration in regards to multiple masculinities, police practice and culture.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viviane de Oliveira Cubas ◽  
Frederico Castelo Branco ◽  
André Rodrigues de Oliveira ◽  
Fernanda Novaes Cruz

PurposeThe authors examine predictors of self-legitimacy for police officers belonging to the Military Police force of São Paulo (Brazil). Considering the variables mobilized by the literature on self-legitimacy, the authors seek to identify what explains the self-legitimacy of militarized police officers.Design/methodology/approachA survey was applied to 298 frontline police officers in the city of São Paulo, analyzing indicators separated into two groups: relationship dimension and organizational dimension. An ordinary least square model is used to test the “relationship” and “organizational” variables on police officers' self-legitimacy.FindingsEffectiveness is the strongest predictor for self-legitimacy. Organizational justice and distributive justice also present important effects, as the perception of citizens' attitudes toward police reinforces the conception of self-legitimacy as a dialogical construct, comprising here the public's expectations of police work as well as the police officers' perceptions that they are respected and considered important by the public.Originality/valueThere are no other studies on self-legitimacy related to Brazilian police officers or exploring these aspects among police officers submitted to a militarized structure. These results contribute to the ongoing debate on the militarization of police activities and their possible effects on police legitimacy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Sofie Hellberg ◽  
Karin Hedström

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to describe a local government effort to realise an open government agenda. This is done using a storytelling approach. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data are based on a case study. The authors participated in, as well as followed, the process of realising an open government agenda on a local level, where citizens were invited to use open public data as the basis for developing apps and external Web solutions. Based on an interpretative tradition, they chose storytelling as a way to scrutinise the competition process. In this paper, they present a story about the competition process using the story elements put forward by Kendall and Kendall (2012). Findings – The research builds on existing research by proposing the myth that the “public” wants to make use of open data. The authors provide empirical insights into the challenge of gaining benefits from open public data. In particular, they illustrate the difficulties in getting citizens interested in using open public data. Their case shows that people seem to like the idea of open public data, but do not necessarily participate actively in the data reuse process. Research limitations/implications – The results are based on one empirical study. Further research is, therefore, needed. The authors would especially welcome more studies that focus on citizens’ interest and willingness to reuse open public data. Practical implications – This study illustrates the difficulties of promoting the reuse of open public data. Public organisations that want to pursue an open government agenda can use these findings as empirical insights. Originality/value – This paper answers the call for more empirical studies on public open data. Furthermore, it problematises the “myth” of public interest in the reuse of open public data.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Habersaat ◽  
Sid Hamed Abdellaoui ◽  
Jutta M. Wolf

PurposeThe purpose of this study is (1) to confirm the relationship between the two dimensions of social desirability (pretending and denying), self-reported stress and health reports in police officers and (2) to assess whether dysfunctions in basal cortisol profiles are related to social desirability.Design/methodology/approachSocial desirability is known to influence how individuals respond to sensitive topics, such as questions concerning health in the workplace, and has usually been defined according to two dimensions: pretending and denying. However, it is not known whether social desirability is only a bias in responding to health surveys or a more general attitude of denying problems and pretending to be stronger than one is in the everyday life. If the latter is true, social desirability may have important health implications, and underlying mechanisms must be described. In total, 77 police officers completed questionnaires measuring social desirability (denying and pretending), perceived stress as well as mental and somatic health symptoms. They were further instructed to collect saliva samples for cortisol concentrations assays.FindingsThese preliminary results showed that denying was negatively related to the report of stress and health symptoms. Furthermore, police officers higher in pretending showed a flatter diurnal cortisol slope.Research limitations/implicationsThe correlation between dysregulation of the hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as expressed by a flatter cortisol slope, and a higher score in the pretending subscale suggests that looking for social approval by inflating one's capacities is related to chronic work-related stress, making the individual more vulnerable to stress-related disease.Originality/valueTo study the potential health-relevant consequences and underlying mechanisms of social desirability bias related to police culture by including stress biomarkers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Isa Abd Jalil ◽  
Sofri Yahya ◽  
Anwar Allah Pitchay

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to conceptualise the relationship between information disclosure andWaqifcommitment, taking into consideration the role of level of trust (mediator variable) and communication and type of payment (moderator variables).Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual framework is developed from the theory of social exchange (mediated philanthropy model) and selected previous literature concerning commitment.FindingsAccording to previous empirical research, a conceptual framework was developed to facilitate further analysis in the study. Nine propositions were raised in this paper where the factor of communication and payment method is proposed to no longer the factor that determined commitment but as moderator. There is five antecedent of information disclosure proposed, which is basic information, financial information, non-financial information, future information and governance information. Also, trust is offered to be the mediator variable between information disclosure andWaqfcommitment.Research limitations/implicationsBy realising many factors that may influence the commitment ofwaqfsuch as demonstrable utility, emotional utility and familial utility, this study only focusses on the effect of information disclosure.Practical implicationsThis paper provides an opportunity for further empirical studies to prove the relationship between information disclosure andWaqfcommitment. This paper also brought opportunities to investigate both conceptually and empirically, other factors that could affectWaqfcommitment.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, few studies have been done concerning donors commitment. While there are none yet, the research examinedWaqfcommitment. The originality value of this study is that there is a gap in knowledge regarding the analysis ofWaqfcommitment, the level of trust amongwaqifis the information thatWaqfexpected, the preferred communication between Mutawalli andWaqfand type of payment thatWaqffavoured. This study is believed to be a novel based on the framework developed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 370-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Ibrahim ◽  
Justice Nyigmah Bawole ◽  
Theresa Obuobisa-Darko ◽  
Abdul-Bassit Abubakar ◽  
Anthony Sumnaya Kumasey

Purpose The extant literature posits several claims about the equitable resources allocation through compliance in public procurement management. Notwithstanding, there are hardly any empirical studies that explore the link between the causes and extent of compliance on one hand and value for money (VfM) on the other hand. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficacy of public procurement laws in ensuring VfM in a developing country context. Design/methodology/approach The study employs a qualitative case study approach involving three local government agencies in Ghana. Purposive and stratified random sampling strategies were used in selecting respondents who were interviewed through focused group discussions, semi-structured and open-ended questionnaires. The study utilizes an interpretivist/constructivist paradigm which allows for the co-creation of knowledge and subjectivity in knowledge acquisition. Findings The study finds that the presence of a legal and regulatory framework does not ipso facto guarantee compliance and VfM. Additionally, a possible reason why even reported cases of compliance do not translate into VfM is that evidence of compliance, especially in a developing country setting, is often a façade. Practical implications Public procurement entities in developing countries stand little chance of achieving accountability and VfM gains if they continue to rely on compliance as a micro-management tool. Originality/value The paper challenges the dominant assumptions in the public procurement management discourse by drawing attention to the quality of reported compliance and its implication for VfM.


2019 ◽  
pp. 164-184
Author(s):  
Benjamin Bowling ◽  
Robert Reiner ◽  
James Sheptycki

This chapter critically examines the concept of cop culture, that is, the world view and perspectives of police officers. It considers the core characteristics of police culture portrayed in empirical studies at many different places and times, relating them to the danger and authority associated with the police role. It then discusses the themes of mission, hedonistic love of action, and pessimistic cynicism that characterize policework and how they relate to other facets of cop culture such as suspicion, isolation/solidarity, and conservatism. Finally, it analyses variations in cop culture and in organizational culture. The fundamental argument is that the structural features of the police role in liberal democratic societies generate tensions and the cultural perspectives that enable police to cope with them, although these have negative features reflecting the fundamental patterns of social injustice and inequality.


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