NCJ Number
113542
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1988) Pages: 39-43
Date Published
1988
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Research focusing on law enforcement officers in the Colorado State Patrol and on a larger national sample of people from other professions identified nine dimensions of officer job performance that are directly associated with positive performance on the boss/subordinate team.
Abstract
These nine dimensions were derived by Gilbert, who used the Followership Effectiveness Assessment questionnaire consisting of 77 descriptors of a subordinate's behavior. The instrument was used with 828 executives, managers, and supervisors, each of whom applied it to one subordinate. Factor analysis identified the following crucial dimensions: overall followership, partnership with the boss, commitment to the job, technical competency, sense of humor, dependability, positive working relations, tendency to speak up, and proper comportment. The sworn officers of the Colorado State Patrol rated higher than average in six of the nine dimensions. High followership was correlated with performance excellence and promotability, but it did not necessarily correlate with the ratings received from the formal appraisal system. Findings indicate that officers aspiring to improved ratings and future promotion should assess their own followership status, because it is a learned ability and is critical to individual and organizational performance in police work. Tables and five references.