7. Hitting their stride
Hitting the wall
Regrouping
Deciding to retire
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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
