Officers’ reactions to supervisors and departmental policies: does procedural justice make a difference?

• In Event: Police Policies and Procedures

Abstract

For many years, hierarchical top-down organizational structures and autocratic leadership styles were considered useful approaches to achieve police departments’ internal and external goals. Yet, the failure to gain support among officers for initiatives announced by police leaders and to ensure voluntary compliance of officers with the regulations of the organization has raised questions about the quality of interaction and communication between supervisors and officers, and its impact on officers’ behavior. The literature on procedural justice in police-citizens relationships and non-police organizations suggests that fair treatment and fair decision-making may encourage voluntary rule-following and organizational commitment. Using structural equation modelling, we tested the impact of fair decision-making and fair treatment on officers’ compliance with supervisors and policies. The data were derived from a survey among Chicago police officers. Our findings suggest that a procedural justice approach is a promising route for police managers and supervisors to increase officer compliance and facilitate the implementation of departmental policies.

Authors

• Maarten Van Craen, Leuven Institute for Criminology

• Wesley G. Skogan, Northwestern University