COMPARISON OF THE BEHAVIOR OF COLLEGE-EDUCATED AND NON-COLLEGE POLICE OFFICERS

• NCJ Number: 66134
• Author(s): K E CHRISTIAN
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 167 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-NI-99-0031
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THIS STUDY IDENTIFIES DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLLEGE-EDUCATED OFFICERS AND THEIR NONCOLLEGE COUNTERPARTS TO DEVELOP ORGANIZATIONAL POLLICIES WHICH CAN BEST CAPITALIZE ON SUCH DIFFERENCES.

Abstract

A TOTAL OF 126 COLLEGE GRADUATES EMPLOYED AS TROOPERS OR SERGEANTS BY THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF STATE POLICE AND 126 OFFICERS WHO HAD NOT ATTENDED COLLEGE WERE INVENTORIED USING THE JOB ANALYSIS INTEREST MEASUREMENT (JAIM), A SELF-REPORT INVENTORY USED TO MEASURE BEHAVIOR STYLES. ALMOST 75 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS RETURNED THE SELF-ADMINSTERED QUESTIONNAIRES. THE COLLEGE AND NONCOLLEGE GROUPS WERE TESTED FOR DIFFERENCES WITH THE T-TEST AT THE .05 LEVEL. THE SIX HYPOTHESES EMPLOYED IN THE STUDY WERE (1) SELF-MANAGEMENT STYLE, (2) INTERPERSONAL SITUATIONS, (3) REACTION TO AGGRESSION, (4) INFORMATION-PROCESSING STYLE, (5) RELATION TO AUTHORITY, AND (6) LEADERSHIP STYLE. FINDINGS SHOW THAT COLLEGE AND NONCOLLEGE OFFICERS DIFFERED ON SELF-MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP STYLE. OF THE 18 DIMENSIONS USED TO MEASURE ASPECTS OF BEHAVIOR STYLE, 6 SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES. BASED ON THE FINDINGS, PROFILES OF THE BEHAVIOR STYLE DIFFERENCES WERE DEVELOPED. NONCOLLEGE OFFICERS CAN BE DESCRIBED AS PERSONS WHO (1) FOLLOW A SCHEDULE AND DAILY ROUTINE, (2) CONSIDER THEMSELVES PRACTICAL RATHER THAN INVENTIVE, (3) LIKE TO WORK WITH THEIR SUPERVISORS RATHER THAN ALONE, AND (4) PREFER THAT SUPERVISORS MAKE THE DECISIONS AND ENFORCE DISCIPLINE WITHOUT CONSULTATIONS. IN CONTRAST, THE COLLEGE-EDUCATED OFFICER PREFERS A VARIED WORK ROUTINE, CONSIDERS HIMSELF IMAGINATIVE, ENJOYS WORKING INDEPENDENTLY, PREFERS LEADERSHIP ROLES, AND USES A LOGICAL THOUGHT PROCESS FOR PROCESSING INFORMATION AND REACHING DECISIONS. A LITERATURE REVIEW AND SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PRESENTED. FOOTNOTES, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED, AND APPENDIXES PRESENT A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE, THE COVER LETTER SENT TO PARTICIPANTS, REPORTED STUDIES USING THE JAIM, AND NORMS FOR FORM 669 OF THE JAIM. (WRJ)