NCJ Number
74658
Journal
Journal of Applied Behavioral Science Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: (1979) Pages: 198-220
Date Published
1979
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This paper describes 4-year organizational development project, conducted in a metropolitan sheriff's department, which was based on confrontation team building sessions for senior managers; project results are analyzed.
Abstract
The project began with a series of interviews with senior department managers to identify problems. The sheriff and his aides then participated in a 6-day, off-site confrontation team-building meeting during which dissatisfactions were aired, causes of interpersonal dificulties were identified and separated from their symptoms, roles were defined, and issues in conflict between the senior administrators and the other senior aides were discussed. The results of the preconference interviews were used to pinpoint specific issues. As a concluding activity, each participant contracted to make changes in work functions and to help other participants make the changes for which they had contracted. The resulting organizational changes included changes in lines of responsibility, personnel assignments, and physical space allocations. Changes were reached by group decisionmaking strategies. Additional management and supervisory training and management consultation were provided during the course of the project. Comparison of the sheriff's department with a similar law enforcement agency showed a significantly improved organizational climate at all levels after the first year. Senior aides exhibited significant increases in leadership effectiveness over the course of the project. Employee turnover decreased significantly and a unionization movement was almost unanimously defeated. Prisoner escapes from the county jail decreased, while public and county government perceptions of department effectiveness increased. In addition, the managerial skills of the senior staff improved. Twenty-nine references are included.