NCJ Number
69654
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1980) Pages: 125-138
Date Published
1980
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The movement of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) away from traditionalism and the concomitant introduction of impersonal control mechanisms are studied for their contributions to more innovative leadership.
Abstract
The research hypothesized that structural transformations in the NYPD (changes in authority and style of policing) and introduction of impersonal control mechanisms (merit examinations for promotion, education) would be reflected in certain type of leadership style; i.e., tradition-oriented commanders and reform-oriented commanders. Data were collected on all commanding officers in the NYPD holding the rank of captain or higher as of October 1972. Multivariate analysis techniques, including factor and correlation analysis, were applied. The results showed the organizational shift in the NYPD from traditionalism to professionalism to appear to conform to patterns similar to those which occur during structural transformation from an old-fashioned bureaucracy (flat, centralized structure) to an organization with multilevel hierarchies (vertical-decentralized structure). Also found to be associated with NYPD changes were emphasis on higher education, standardized examinations for measuring managerial performance, and decreased weight for seniority and supervisory evaluations. An innovative leadership style has appeared that is more consistent with the department's new policies, with reform-oriented commanders appearing to be more suitable for an organization in progress. Further investigation might explore to what extent shifts from traditionalism to professionalism will be accompanied by the development of multilevel hierarchies. Footnotes are provided.