NCJ Number
202919
Journal
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management Volume: 26 Issue: 3 Dated: 2003 Pages: 400-418
Editor(s)
Lawrence F. Travis III
Date Published
2003
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This Australian study investigated whether organizational level or rank moderates the relationship between leadership behaviors and the outcome variables of leadership effectiveness and extra effort at the most senior ranks within a law enforcement organization.
Abstract
A critical issue for police organizations in planning and implementing organizational change is how to lead senior police officers. In addition, there is a need that exists to investigate these officers from a multilevel perspective in order to gauge whether there are significant differences in leadership at various senior police ranks. This study examined the leadership of police officers in the top levels or ranks of an Australian police organization. The study surveyed 480 senior police officers from 1 of 6 State law enforcement organizations in Australia. A self-administered Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was mailed to senior officers who recorded the frequency of non-leadership, transactional leadership, and transformational leadership behaviors displayed by the officer to whom they directly report. Results from the study found that each rank of senior officers had unique sets of leadership behaviors that influenced the perception of leader effectiveness and motivation to exert extra effort. The Stratified System Theory (SST) was used to explore why each rank had unique combinations of predictors. The SST provides a foundation from which to understand these leadership perceptions at the different strata or ranks within the organization under examination. The paper concludes with a discussion on the multilevel issues of leadership and the importance of considering rank in relation to leadership at the senior levels of police organizations. References