Application of Organizational Managerial Theories in Law Enforcement - Term Paper Example

?Running Head: Criminal Justice Application of Organizational Managerial Theories in Law Enforcement A Term Paper Date of Submission Abstract Because law enforcers are granted authoritarian status by the law, it is quite understandable that they have transformed into organizations approving features of authority and power for implementation in their own agencies. Adoption of the classical management model has resulted in a ‘passive’ style of control and administration. Emergence of the human relations approaches and system theory in public governance suggests other managerial models may be more useful. It will be the objective of this essay to discuss the application and impact of three major organizational managerial theories, (1) classical management, (2) human relations approach, and (3) systems theory on police administration. Introduction Managerial strategy, the component that manages and guides the organization toward its missions and visions, has been and remains a crucial element to police administration. For decades, the police administrator has been held accountable for the weaknesses of law enforcement agencies. Nevertheless, recently, it is simply stated that police administrators have turned out to be and continue to be highly qualified in comparison to their forerunners (Dantzker, 1999). However, in spite of the idea that police administrators nowadays may be more trained, experienced, and knowledgeable than those of the earlier periods, subordinate police managers and police executive nowadays perhaps perform a much more challenging task than earlier administrators. Due to the greater issues and challenges that confront present-day law enforcement, like a constantly changing workforce, an overstrained criminal justice system, and an overwhelming set of tasks, the police administrator’s job keeps on demanding for more progress (Champion, 2002). This essay discusses how the three major organizational managerial theories, namely, classical or traditional, human relations, and systems have been applied in law enforcement managerial procedures and their impact on police administration. Classical Management Theory Classical theory, or also referred to as the ‘scientific management’ model, is the groundwork for American police administration, but this theory in law enforcement is quite difficult and unfavorable when it is rigidly applied. Above all, it tries to put into practice dominant, dictatorial standards to manage people who normally abide by egalitarian principles (Cordner & Scarborough, 2010). According to Gaines and Worrall (2011), more difficulties are produced as agencies have implemented policing principles, which involve empowering subordinates for them to gain more control over policing issues, criminal activities, and their tasks. The progress toward such managerial technique tends to burden and pressure classically managed agencies. Primarily, the traditional police administration and the classical organizational theory have been applied to police administration successfully. Even though the classical organizational model was conceptualized a century ago, it is still the main organizational design for law enforcement agencies and other governmental departments. Police administrators have relied on this model to lead them in managing their divisions and completing the police task (Allen & Sawhney, 1999). In spite of this, there has been considerable strain on law enforcement agencies to change the traditional police managerial framework. First, the general public has criticized police conduct and outcomes. Citizens trust law enforcers in terms of preventing criminal activities and resolving crime issues when they take place. At present, the public criticize police conducts like the maltreatment of civil rights and racial profiling (Allen & Sawhney, 1999). This has encouraged law enforcement agencies to build stronger and better rapport with community organizations and the general public, mostly by adopting community policing. According to Gaines and Kappeler (2011), community policing acknowledges that law enforcers should be granted more freedom to intermingle and collaborate with citizens, but the classical model does not cultivate these forms of relationships. Second, law enforcement started to disapprove of traditional administrative strategies and its oppressive effects on their everyday endeavors. According to Dantzker (1999), basically, law enforcement agencies were trained to be highly bureaucratic. Law enforcers became disgruntled with the fact that they had negligible contribution to policy planning and implementation, or decision-making activities (Champion, 2002). Franz and Jones (1987 as cited in Champion, 2002), for instance, reported that the classical framework of police administration brought about more severe communications setbacks, subordinates’ increased levels of suspicion and discontentment of their managers, weakened employee confidence and motivation, and poorer performance (Cordner & Scarborough, 2010). The police cannot be used like passive machines; rather, they should be endowed with more control over decision-making activities. Ritzer (1996 as cited in Gaines & Kappeler, 2011, 150) equated traditional administrative principles and classical organizational model to society’s ‘McDonaldization’. Fast-food outlets like McDonald’s are the embodiment of productivity and rationalization. All activities at a fast-food chain is designed, structured, and regulated, and, eventually, they become excessively rational and rigid. Rationality restricts behavior and freewill (Gaines & Kappeler, 2011). When organizations expand and are obliged to offer different services/products, they can no longer be completely rational; they should be adaptable and able to initiate change to satisfy a variety of needs and demands (Gaines & Kappeler, 2011). According to Champion (2002), rationality has gone berserk in several law enforcement agencies. As an afterthought to classical theory, it must be emphasized that it still gains far-reaching approval; specifically, bureaucracy is still the prevailing organizational system, particularly in large organizations. Although civil servants make errors, they effectively accomplish numerous tasks. In terms of accomplishing major tasks or working for a huge number of people, bureaucracy has several benefits (Allen & Sawhney, 2009). Classical theory has many detractors, but it will still be the foundation for law enforcement organizations. Law enforcement agencies, similar to other organizations, depend on tailored management systems to strengthen and sustain accountability. Traditionally, their structures are consolidated with operationally identified bureaus, and their management procedures put emphasis on pre-service preparation and complex processes of command and control (Gaines & Worrall, 2011). In numerous regards, law enforcement agencies have characterized the classical command and control structure that places a great deal of importance to top-level managerial activities: “flow of orders from executives down to line personnel, flow of information up from line personnel to executives, layers of dense supervision, unity of command, elaborate rules and regulations, elimination of discretion, and simplification of work tasks” (Kelling, Wasserman, & Williams, 1988, 2). However, there are also conflicts in this technique. As reasonably attractive as the command and control structure appears, numerous features of police task are not in agreement with classical command and control structures. Basically, police task is not open to efforts to rationalize or simplify it (Cordner & Scarborough, 2010). The forms and array of issues with which law enforces address prevent the rationalization of police task. The premise of the assembly line, integral to theories of classical management, has been observed to be unsuitable to police work. Moreover, law enforcers, who are different from military fighters or assembly-line laborers, do not perform their jobs under the direct inspection of superiors. Thus, the traditional model has run counter to culture via the adoption of command and control (Gaines & Worrall, 2011). The core premise of classical organizational theory is that employees dislike work and contribute insignificantly to its essence or performance. Human Relations Theory A human relations management model requires treatment of employees by managers with courtesy, compassion, and appreciation rather than with threats and intimidations. Organizations has approved of this model over the recent decades gaining better productivity, grater employee morale, and stronger employer-employee relationships (Dantzker, 1999). Starting in 1930, the unbeneficial aspects of the classical organizational model started to prevail over numerous of the traditional standards and processes. Fervent disapproval was thrown against the failure of police organizations to acknowledge the need for implanting pride and integrity in their workers. The thrust for the human relations management model originated from investigations carried out by Elton Mayo in the Western Electric Company’s Hawthorne factory (Champion, 2002). The investigations were originally intended to enhance the current physical conditions that influenced work productivity (Champion, 2002). These investigations concentrated on discovering ways to initiate transformations in production by altering working circumstances, such as the physical surrounding, the number of work hours and breaks daily, etc. Law enforcement agencies, in the 1940s and 1950s, started to identify the major impact of the informal system on the organization. These agencies started to adopt strategies, such as comprehensive job enrichment and job enlargement, to attract a great deal of attention to police work as a profession and career (Gaines & Worrall, 2011). As stated by Allen and Sawhney (2009), police agencies came to the realization that the traditional or classical models of formal system, with rigid differentiation between line and staff works, were not sufficiently achieving the objectives of police work. The pattern started to change, enabling employees to have control over several line operations, and the administrative unit of the agency to form community relations division. The process of communication within law enforcement departments turned out to be a serious issue for the police administrator. The range of control initially formed as a support to competent police performance eventually became a major predicament. Divisions that emerged inside the organization prevented open and functional communication between the police administrator and the police officer (Dantzker, 1999). The management system, during the 1950s, started to move toward the more participatory management that is common in police departments nowadays. Researchers reported that the administrator who was ‘employee-oriented’ was normally more successful than the administrator who was ‘production-oriented’ (Cordner & Scarborough, 2010). The human relations model had its weaknesses as well. With the value given to human resources, the function of the organizational system and its value became less important. The main objective appeared to be social incentives, and negligible interest was paid to the importance of accomplishing tasks. A large number of police administrators view this system as impractical and idealistic. Douglas McGregor emphasized in his writings that the ‘soft’ management model resulted, in numerous cases, in the resignation of police administrators (Cordner & Scarborough, 2010). Employees started to demand more and perform less. Management practitioners in all sectors of industry and government realized the importance of creating a third management model that would cover the favorable aspects of both the classical management and human relations systems. Systems Theory The systems model of organizational and management theory focuses on the ties between the environment and law enforcement agencies. It stresses the open development of organizations, putting more emphasis on organizational mechanisms and performance than the human relations approach. The systems model somewhat tries to intercede between the classical and human relations model (Champion, 2002). It states that organizations are normally a combination of the organic and mechanistic components, and the way toward successful organizational performance is executing the appropriate combination at the administrative and unit levels (Champion, 2002). Furthermore, it stresses an interaction between the environment and the organization. In the ideal organizational context, where in the systems management model has usually been employed, it may not be essential to deal with system development as an independent management role. Nevertheless, in the law enforcement domain, where in negligible interest has been given to managing within the systems framework, it is important for managers to identify that numerous police issues that have developed entirely because police administrators have formed their agencies without any consideration of systems idea (Gaines & Worrall, 2011). The systems model is quite unfamiliar to several police administrators and quite integral to the formation of strong organizations generally, that particular focus should be given to system development: its features and applications (Gaines & Kappeler, 2011). Even though several competent police administrators create strong systems intuitively, only some have identified all of the implications of their decisions and actions. Performing the management role of system development obliges that the police administrator pay substantial attention to major interconnected systems components: “the interdependence of elements in a system; the organizational environment; the key role played by feedback; and the need for ongoing adaptation, learning, and change” (Cordner & Scarborough, 2010, 144). As open structures, law enforcement agencies intermingle with their environments. Adjustments in these environments can have major impacts on the functioning of police system; hence, a critical feature of system development and police management requires addressing these impacts effectively (Allen & Sawhney, 2009). Furthermore, police administrators should look for favorable aspects in their environments; regularly observe adjustments in the environment; and, if necessary, try to alter the environment for the sake of their police agencies and their immediate communities. Conclusions Police organizations and administration has advanced through three major distinct theories, namely classical management, human relations approach, and systems theory. The classical theory stressed the paramilitary composition of police work. After denunciations of the traditional administrative model, behavioral management style became well-known. This model gave more importance to the rational and thoughtful exercise of judgment. The third framework is a modern police management, as well as the systems model. However, despite of the system, the police agency will have objectives to attain. Such objectives may be motivated by the individual, the agency, the environment, and the community. The police administration should have the capacity to manage large and diverse teams. Within the law enforcement agencies, the administrators will have their own practices, and the rank-and-file employees will have their own as well. Administrators develop their own objectives and those objectives may be different from the priorities and interests of the subordinate officers. Police management is evolving. The intricacy of urban culture with its growing populations, escalations in criminal activities, and other difficult issues has forced police administrators to look for ways of delivering more productive and useful service with a small number of employees. Furthermore, police agencies are not rigidly law enforcement units anymore but through progress have developed into service providers working for large populations. Hence, new management styles are being applied to police work. References Allen, J. & Sawhney, R. (2009). Administration and Management in Criminal Justice: A Service Quality Approach. London: SAGE. Champion, D.J. (2002). Administration of Criminal Justice: Structure, Function, and Process. New York: Prentice Hall. Cordner, G. & Scarborough, K. (2010). Police Administration. New Jersey: Elsevier. Dantzker, M. (1999). Police organization and management: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. New Jersey: Elsevier. Gaines, L. & Kappeler, V. (2011). Policing in America. New Jersey: Elsevier. Gaines, L.K. & Worrall, J.L. (2011). Police Administration. New York: Cengage Learning. Kelling, G., Wasserman, R., & Williams, H. (1988). Police Accountability and Community Policing. John Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. 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