NCJ Number
197202
Journal
Policing Volume: 24 Issue: 2 Dated: 2001 Pages: 228-239
Date Published
2001
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined how anticipated work/family conflict (WFC) was related to police applicant opinions about job attractiveness, as well as how family views of the job of police officer coincided with applicant views and influenced applicant behavior.
Abstract
The description of this research is preceded by some general background on WFC research and how it might relate to anticipated WFC, followed by a discussion of WFC in the context of policing. The study mailed a set of two questionnaires to individuals who had applied for positions as police officers in Columbus, Ohio, shortly after completing an application. The first questionnaire was to be completed by the applicant, and the second questionnaire was to be completed by a family member/significant other. Questionnaires were returned from 493 applicants and 406 family members. A 10-item measure of WFC focused on inter-role conflict in general. Other variables measured were family support for policing, policing concerns, job attractiveness, and willingness to withdraw from the selection process. The findings indicate that neither applicants nor their families viewed policing as high in WFC, despite the indications in the literature that WFC is a major problem in the police profession; applicants and family members viewed the job similarly; those with spouses and children did not view anticipated WFC differently from those who were single; anticipated WFC was unrelated to withdrawal behavior; and both female applicants and their families viewed the family as less supportive than did male applicants. These findings are discussed in terms of two research needs: the importance of examining anticipated WFC and the role of family in job selection. 4 tables and 41 references