Satisfaction With Communication in a Police Organization 'Shooting the Shit,' 'Horsenecking,' and 'Brownie' Reports (From Managing Police Work, P 140-157, 1982, Jack R Greene, ed. - See NCJ-84730)

• NCJ Number: 84737
• Author(s): C M Dunning; E Hochstedler
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 18 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Data show that an officer may be relatively dissatisfied with communication opportunity and activity in his/her department yet be relatively satisfied with other aspects of police work.

Abstract

Given that previous research suggests the importance of open communication for job satisfaction generally and that communication is particularly important to the police function, the relationship between communication satisfaction and satisfaction with other aspects of police work in a single police agency was examined. Data were obtained from a survey questionnaire administered to all officers in the Dallas Police Department (Tex.) in the first 6 months of 1973. The survey produced 1,134 usable questionnaires, of which 822 completed by patrol officers were used in the analysis. Findings show the officers to be generally satisfied with both vertical and horizontal communication opportunity and activity. Further, they appear very satisfied with work, achievement, recognition, and their immediate supervisor. In examining in detail relationships between degrees of satisfaction with communication and degrees of satisfaction with other aspects of police work and job atmosphere, lower degrees of satisfaction with communication were not significantly related to lower degrees of satisfaction in other aspects of work. Tabular data and 36 references are provided.