If a leader has above average amounts of task and relationship behavior (style 2), if he/she has above average amounts of relationship behavior and below average amounts of task behavior (style 3) while if a leader has below average amounts of relationship and task behavior he is said to be employing style 4. This presents a simplification of leadership in policing activities that can help identify and discuss the leadership deployed in case study 1. In case study 1, the leadership style employed by the ‘partner’ is style 2 that is there was above average amounts of task and relationship behavior.
At the instance when an informant reported that a female was seen falling off the Anzac Bridge an investigation was conducted by the ‘partner’ and the other officer as they were directed by the informant. This is an indicator of good relationship behavior where the two police officers were together involved in the investigation as they were directed to where the female had landed, behind a fence which was below the bridge. This relationship behavior between the two officers laid the foundation for the case under preview in that there was cooperation that aided them to ascertain the details together.
Therefore, from the onset the two officers (leader and follower) had good rapport in handling the Anzac Bridge case. When the two partners’ officers arrived at the scene of the incident the leader informed the follower to quickly climb over the fence to ascertain the situation of the female who had fallen off the bridge. In asking the follower officer to climb over the fence the communication between the leader and the follower can be easily decoded to what the leader told the follower “quickly climb over the fence as I give the situation report.
” This depicts clear task and relationship behavior. The leader spells out the duty of the follower officer as in what to do (checking the female situation), how to do it (climb over the fence), when to do it (at the very instance the female was located following the direction of the informant), and who is to do it (the partner; the follower officer). As the follower officer climbed over the fence and established the situation of the female who had fallen, he communicates the same to the leader officer and in return the return makes a situation report over the radio.
The relationship between the two officers in this situation is clearly cordial. As Baker (2000) explains “the extent to which leaders effectively communicate that is how leaders listen, facilitate and support certain behaviors” is the indication of relationship between a leader and follower. The communication between the two officers is good where the lead officer listens what she is told by the follower officer. The communication and listening capacity of the leader in this situation clearly represents the relationship between the two officers.
Additionally, when the ambulance arrived, the leader officer who in this case is referred to as ‘my partner’ asks the follower officer to stay with them while she set up a crime scene. This was again is a task behavior depicted by the lead officer, directing the follower to remain at the scene of the incident to set up a crime scene. The lead officer does not ask the follower officer to set up the crime scene instead she does it. She clearly depicts her task (who is to do it). The follower officer continues to handle his following role as the ambulance officers directs him to help in holding the fluid bags and also bracing the female legs and arms.
In view of the incidences from the time the two officers were informed about the incident to this juncture of setting up the crime scene it is clear that the leadership style 2 was in play. The task and relationship behavior was quite above average as per Baker (2000) explanations. In the second part of case study 1 when the duty officer arrives and a quick debrief was given to him, leadership style 4 was employed. The quick debrief upon arrival informs the Duty Officer of the current situation which enables him to make the decision of calling the detectives to attend the scene and the sergeant supervisor and day duty officer arrives.
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