NCJ Number
45261
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 50 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER-DECEMBER 1977) Pages: 367-377
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
MANAGEMENT TRAINING COURSES ATTENDED BY LIEUTENANTS AND SOME SERGEANTS FROM NINE POLICE AGENCIES ARE DESCRIBED, AND THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAMS ON THE OFFICERS' ON-THE-JOB EFFECTIVENESS IS EVALUATED.
Abstract
THE TRAINING PROGRAMS WERE ATTENDED BY 202 OFFICERS FROM MUNICIPAL, COUNTY, STATE, AND COLLEGE SECURITY AGENCIES IN CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, NEVADA, AND ARIZONA. THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM WERE FRAMEWORK (THE HISTORY OF POLICE MANAGEMENT, OVERVIEW OF THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS, HUMAN ORGANIZATION); DIRECTION; POLICE FUNCTIONS (PROBLEMS IN PATROL, INVESTIGATION, PERSONNEL, TRAINING, COMMUNITY RELATIONS, AND COMMUNICATIONS); SKILLS (BEHAVIORAL COMMUNICATION, LEADERSHIP, MOTIVATION, PROBLEMSOLVING, DECISIONMAKING, EVALUATION); AND CHANGE (ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT). OF THE 172 PARTICIPANTS WHO EVALUATED THE PROGRAM IMMEDIATELY AFTER ITS COMPLETING, 98 PERCENT GAVE RATINGS OF MODERATELY EFFECTIVE TO VERY EFFECTIVE. A FOLLOWUP SURVEY SOUGHT TO CONFIRM THE PARTICIPANTS' OVERALL EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM, AS WELL AS TO ASSESS THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE VARIOUS SEGMENTS OF THE PROGRAM HAD INFLUENCED THE OFFICERS' ON-THE-JOB EFFECTIVENESS. ALTHOUGH THE PARTICIPANTS' EVALUATIONS OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS DECLINED IN THE FOLLOWUP SURVEY, THE DECLINE WAS SLIGHT. THE SURVEY FOUND THAT ACTIVITIES AND SKILLS IN AREAS OF PERSONAL COMPETENCY (E.G., PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS, PLANNING, ORGANIZING, ESTABLISHING OBJECTIVES, MOTIVATING, PROBLEMSOLVING, DELEGATING RESPONSIBILITY) WERE INFLUENCED MOST SIGNIFICANTLY BY THE TRAINING, WHEREAS ACTIVITIES AND SKILLS RELATED TO THE OVERALL ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT WERE LEAST INFLUENCED. THE TRAINING PROGRAMS' GUIDELINES WITH REGARD TO INSTRUCTORS, INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS, PROGRAM COORDINATION, AND QUALITY CONTROLS ARE OUTLINED. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)