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Article
Publication date: 21 October 2024

Kenneth M. Quick and Kevin T. Wolff

This study assesses the relationship between job satisfaction, perceived organizational support and workplace factors on officer turnover intention within an urban, municipal…

Abstract

Purpose

This study assesses the relationship between job satisfaction, perceived organizational support and workplace factors on officer turnover intention within an urban, municipal police organization.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from an online survey of New York City Police Officers (n = 1,823), both bivariate analysis and logistic regression models were utilized to assess the salience of police officer job satisfaction, perceived organizational support and perception of six workplace domains, including financial compensation, environmental factors, professional fulfillment, work/quality of life balance, treatment from management and occupational risk, on predicting turnover intention.

Findings

The cross-sectional study finds that job satisfaction, financial factors (salary, benefits and retirement benefits) and fulfillment predict lower levels of turnover intention (i.e. higher levels of organizational commitment). Work–life balance and environmental factors (cleanliness of work environment and condition of equipment) predict higher levels of turnover intention. Both perceptions of organizational support and occupational risk, while significant in the bivariate models, were not significantly associated after accounting for other factors. There is no evidence that officer perception of public support or the risk of being injured/killed at work were related to officer turnover intention.

Research limitations/implications

The current study is limited by its focus on only one police department and its use of cross-sectional data, which may limit the generalizability of the results to agencies that differ in size and type and do not allow for assessment of causality.

Practical implications

Officer turnover intention may be reduced by increasing financial compensation, improving the work environment and promoting a healthy work–life balance.

Originality/value

The study contributes to a growing body of research on police officer voluntary turnover by evaluating established predictors along with workplace factors in an urban police department: the setting where officer turnover intention is hypothesized to be the greatest.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 August 2024

Jacqueline M. Drew and Chantal Chevroulet

The purpose of this research is to empirically test the role of psychological contract breach in explaining the relationship between leadership style and procedural justice…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to empirically test the role of psychological contract breach in explaining the relationship between leadership style and procedural justice, burnout and psychological distress. This study provides important insights for police agencies who seek to positively impact, through the actions of their leaders, on both performance and psychological health of their officers. Drawing from the study findings, key recommendations for police leadership development programs are made.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study with a large sample of Australian police (N = 1763), explores the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) leadership style and two sets of outcomes. The first is procedural justice, an important job performance outcome related to police practice. The second outcome includes two measures of psychological health, specifically burnout and psychological distress. Psychological contract breach (PCB) is investigated in the current research as a potential mediator in the relationship between leadership and (a) job performance and (b) psychological health.

Findings

Using mediated regression analyses, high LMX leadership is associated with lower PCB, higher procedural justice and reduced psychological health impairment amongst staff. The relationship between LMX and procedural justice was fully mediated by PCB, meaning that PCB explains the relationship between LMX and procedural justice. Partial mediation was found for both psychological health outcomes. As such, leadership style has a direct relationship with psychological health, and is partly explained by PCB.

Originality/value

Very little research has considered the role of PCB in explaining how leadership style is related to job performance and psychological health outcomes in policing. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has empirically examined whether leadership style makes it more likely that a police officer will perceive PCB. And further, whether this breach is associated with reduced job performance (i.e. less procedural justice) and poorer psychological health (i.e. increased burnout and psychological distress).

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 November 2024

Samuel Howard Quartey

This study explores the career development experiences of policewomen in Ghana.

Abstract

Purpose

This study explores the career development experiences of policewomen in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used phenomenology to explore the career development experiences of policewomen. The policewomen were purposively selected from the Ghana Police Service. The data were gathered from 23 policewomen. The data were thematically analyzed with the help of the NVivo 14 qualitative software application.

Findings

Career leadership orientations, career support mechanisms and career environments shaped the career development experiences of policewomen. These major themes, with related sub-themes and codes, enhance our understanding of these experiences.

Practical implications

The senior management of the Ghana Police Service can eliminate institutionalized gender biases against policewomen by formulating and implementing gender-inclusive and women-sensitive staff development policies.

Originality/value

This study first highlights the importance of career leadership orientations, career support mechanisms and career environment in understanding the career development experiences of policewomen.

Details

Career Development International, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1362-0436

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 November 2024

Jannick Schneider, Clemens Striebing, Lydia Uhler, Johanna Marie Wührl, Simon Schmaus and Mathias Weber

This study investigates the differential effectiveness of leadership styles within the German Federal Police Office, focusing on how these styles interact with employees' personal…

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates the differential effectiveness of leadership styles within the German Federal Police Office, focusing on how these styles interact with employees' personal values to influence organizational identification (OI). Thus, we investigate the augmentation hypothesis and explore the moderating effects of personal values on leadership effectiveness regarding OI.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing a quantitative cross-sectional design, the study analyzes responses from 1,816 police employees via the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and Portraits Value Questionnaire. Hierarchical regressions are used to analyze the hypothesized associations.

Findings

The results indicate that transformational leadership significantly enhances OI more than transactional or laissez-faire leadership. Moderating effects of personal values reveal complex interactions: while transformational leadership consistently predicts higher OI, transactional leadership’s effectiveness varies according to the employees' values such as Conformity and Tradition enhancing OI, Universalism and Benevolence diminishing it. These findings suggest that leadership effectiveness in policing is contingent on aligning leadership style with the personal values of the employees.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the understanding of how personal values modulate the impact of leadership styles on organizational outcomes within police organizations. It underscores the necessity for police leaders to consider the value profiles of their employees to optimize OI and effectiveness. The study is among the first to systematically explore these dynamics within a law enforcement context, providing empirical evidence to inform targeted leadership development and policy-making in policing.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 August 2024

Fatema Zaghloul

In the past decade, financial austerity has brought significant pressure upon emergency services in the UK. For the British Government, one approach to alleviate this pressure was…

Abstract

Purpose

In the past decade, financial austerity has brought significant pressure upon emergency services in the UK. For the British Government, one approach to alleviate this pressure was to increase collaborative efforts in core functions (e.g. information systems and technology) between multiple organisations. Despite the consensus that collaborations are key in addressing complex problems, the majority fail or become discontinued. This research explores the development of collaborative information infrastructures between one Police Force and two Fire and Rescue Services in the UK, with a specific focus on how the difference in culture, identities and rules and norms, can work in a collaborative emergency service environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This study investigated an example of successful development of a collaborative information infrastructure within the context of public safety and, specifically, the technology-based structures that underpin information management. A case study approach was taken, combining semi-structured interviews, document analysis and site visits. The study used activity theory as a theoretical and analytical framework.

Findings

The research revealed that creating a shared identity is not essential in emergency services collaboration, and organisations may maintain their separate identity, given they address other elements of the activity system (e.g. leadership, motivated subjects). However, pursuing this strategy will create multiple tensions throughout the collaboration process.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the information systems literature concerning inter-organisational collaborations in the public sector providing a novel view to the implications of maintaining separate identities, and the significance of misalignment between interacting activity systems.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 November 2024

Muhammad Shehryar Shahid, Esther Salvi and Mehak Sajjad

Using an institutional lens and drawing on the arguments of the external enabler perspective, this study aims to examine the role of digital technology adoption on the performance…

Abstract

Purpose

Using an institutional lens and drawing on the arguments of the external enabler perspective, this study aims to examine the role of digital technology adoption on the performance of microenterprises, with a focus on their level of formality. It further explores these relationships in the context of an external crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses data from 7,510 Indian microenterprises collected by the World Bank and applies a mediated-moderation model to analyse the relationship between digital technology adoption, formality and microenterprise performance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

The results reveal a significantly positive relationship between digital technology adoption and microenterprise performance. Importantly, we argue that this relationship between digital technology and microenterprise performance is strongly mediated by the level of a firm’s formality. Moreover, this study also finds that the relationship between digital technology adoption and microenterprise performance will be positively moderated by the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has on the microenterprise, suggesting that the pandemic enhanced the benefits of digital technology adoption for microenterprises.

Originality/value

This study expands on the positive relationship between technology adoption and microenterprise performance by investigating the moderating role of COVID-19 impact and the mediating role of firm formality. The key contribution of this research is the mediating role of formality between digitalisation and firm performance. By testing this novel mediating relationship, we theorise that the adoption of digital technology helps microenterprises to overcome certain institutional voids in an emerging market context, serving as a viable conduit for formalisation. In turn, higher levels of formality lead to higher microenterprise performance. We also contribute to the emerging stream of literature discussing the role of an external enabler, such as the COVID-19 pandemic in entrepreneurship. In the end, the study offers novel policy implications.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 November 2024

Tracey Ziev and Parth Vaishnav

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing (AM) enables the design of complex parts using materials that are otherwise difficult to fabricate. Due to the high cost of…

Abstract

Purpose

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing (AM) enables the design of complex parts using materials that are otherwise difficult to fabricate. Due to the high cost of machines, the parts produced by LBPF are expensive. Both researchers and industry are therefore focused on lowering costs by improving productivity while ensuring part quality. The purpose of this study is to quantify the productivity gains from using laser beam shaping, multi-laser printing and the use of large build chambers to print larger size parts.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper performs an expert elicitation with 18 experts.

Findings

This paper finds that experts believe that larger parts are less likely to print successfully. Increasing the part footprint is more detrimental to print success than increasing part height. Experts also believe that beam shaping is expected to provide limited print time improvement (median 4% reduction, 90% CI: 2%–25%) while improving part quality, whereas going from one to two lasers is expected to provide a median of 25% (90% CI: 10%–45%) print time improvement but degrade part quality. Through cost analysis of a representative part, this paper shows that the uncertainty in build success rates for large parts dominates expected cost reductions from laser beam shaping or multi-laser printing.

Research limitations/implications

The study has three key limitations. First, it is possible that the sample of experts who agreed to take the survey biases the results. By definition, these are individuals who are willing to share what they know. There may be other experts who have a different view of the efficacy of the technologies evaluated here, but that view might be based on proprietary knowledge, which those experts are unable to share. Second, an elicitation captures what is known at a moment in time. As technology improves and as widespread deployment results in learning, the most consequential finding − that experts believed that success rates for large builds are likely to be low − may become less valid. Third, the overarching goal of this study is to assess technologies to improve AM productivity for high performance metal parts. A single study can only partially achieve this goal. The selection of technologies is constrained by both the desire to keep the study tractable and the suitability of expert elicitation as a method. For example, expert elicitation is not appropriate to assess the efficacy of technologies where sufficient empirical data or analytical techniques exist.

Practical implications

The results show that AM research and policy initiatives, including standards and regulatory schemes, must support efforts to improve the repeatability and reliability of the technological innovations that are needed to deploy AM in cost-critical or high throughput applications. These results also reinforce the criticality of workforce development components of existing (and future) AM policy initiatives. The elicitation revealed a significant number of factors that must be considered and potentially managed to ensure successful builds. Notably, no experts interviewed discussed all factors. While this may be a consequence of availability bias, it suggests that inexperienced AM users and nonexpert decision-makers, including managers, who would like to adopt new AM technologies, may be unaware of the myriad mechanisms by which build failure can occur and may fail to take mitigating action. This result contradicts a common belief that complicated parts can be fabricated with little to no expertise (assuming access to a design file for the part). Workforce development programs will be essential to help AM users develop the knowledge required to successfully implement metal AM.

Originality/value

Several strategies, including increasing the build volume to print larger parts or more parts at a time, using multiple lasers and beam shaping are proposed to improve the productivity of AM. However, the real-world efficacy of these strategies is not known. This work pools the judgment of experts to give decision-makers some insight into the current, real-world efficacy of these approaches.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 August 2024

Huan Zhong and Zhengbiao Han

To explore the project-specific information-seeking pathways of Chinese parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and understand the information seeking in their…

Abstract

Purpose

To explore the project-specific information-seeking pathways of Chinese parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and understand the information seeking in their daily lives.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilized the interview, critical incident technique and information horizon mapping to gather data from 27 Chinese parents of children with ASD during project-specific information seeking. These data were then examined using content analysis and descriptive statistics methods.

Findings

First, the information-seeking pathways of parents of children with ASD show the significant importance of both interpersonal and online sources, characterized by the combined use of multiple types of information sources. Second, information-seeking pathways considerably vary across project contexts. For diagnosis and school selection, parents had fewer pathways and primarily relied on interpersonal sources. Meanwhile, they utilized interpersonal and online sources combined for selecting rehabilitation institutions and methods, with the most information-seeking pathways for rehabilitation methods.

Originality/value

This study presents novel insights into the information-seeking pathways of Chinese parents of children with ASD in seeking project-specific information. It provides valuable references for relevant governments and rehabilitation institutions in building information service platforms, strengthening information quality regulation and providing information resources for parents of children with ASD.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 February 2024

Zhengbiao Han, Huan Zhong and Preben Hansen

To reveal the emotions and information needs expressed by Chinese parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in an online forum, and their relationship.

Abstract

Purpose

To reveal the emotions and information needs expressed by Chinese parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in an online forum, and their relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The 10,062 data were from “Yi Lin”, China’s largest online forum for ASD. Open coding identified parents’ emotions and information needs, and a chi-squared test explored the correlation.

Findings

First, parents’ emotions were categorized into four themes: emotions about coping with their child’s care, emotions about the parents’ own behavior, emotions about social support with other parents and emotions about anticipating the future. Parents’ overall emotions were negative (72.47%), while the tendency of emotions varied among the four themes. Second, five information needs topics were expressed: intervention and training of ASD, parenting experiences, schooling issues, social interaction and support and future development. Different information needs topics contained different themes of emotions. Third, the tendency of emotions and expression of information needs were significantly correlated. Negative emotions had a statistically significant correlation in expression of information needs.

Originality/value

This study reveals the relationship between the emotions and information needs expressed by parents of children with ASD. The ASD forum could develop emotional support modules and functions for parents and facilitate emotional communication between parents.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 October 2024

Miguel Andrés Sarmiento Tito, Paola Fernanda Vintimilla, Paulina Alejandra Echeverría Paredes, Byron Alejandro Quirola Campoverde and Silvia Alexandra Peña Gonzalez

The primary aim of this study is to create a comprehensive model quantifying the maturity levels of key determinants crucial for the sustained success of public sector…

Abstract

Purpose

The primary aim of this study is to create a comprehensive model quantifying the maturity levels of key determinants crucial for the sustained success of public sector entrepreneurship (PSE) [social entrepreneurship (SE)]. By integrating social, organizational and technological elements with Max-Neef's human needs, the model offers a holistic perspective for SE measurement. Notably, it emphasizes Max-Neef's existential needs (being, having, doing, interacting) to analyze variables crucial for sustainability, from diverse perspectives within SE.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents a quantitative approach to develop a maturity model for assessing SE based on Max-Neef's human needs. The model integrates social, organizational and technological dimensions, using K-means algorithm for data processing. A panel of experts assigns weights to variables, and the maturity levels are adapted from the Capability Maturity Model. Data from 47 SEs in Ecuador's Zone 6 inform model construction, validated with two textile sector SEs. The methodology comprises three stages: variable selection, model construction and nonprobabilistic sample validation in Zone 6.

Findings

The research yields a maturity model enabling the quantification of PSE entrepreneurship maturity over time. It incorporates social, organizational and technological variables with Max-Neef's human needs, providing a broader perspective for SE evaluation. The model allows assessing the maturity level of each determinant, performance per variable in a Likert Scale, and facilitates comparisons between individual entrepreneurship and the overall population or sample. Visualization is enhanced through a color scale based on the Capability Maturity Model.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations may stem from the nonprobabilistic convenience sample used for validation, potentially affecting the generalizability of findings. The model's application is specific to Zone 6 of Ecuador and may require adjustments for broader contexts. Although the K-means algorithm aids data processing, its limitations should be considered. Future research could explore the model's applicability in diverse geographical and sectoral settings for a more comprehensive understanding.

Practical implications

This research has led to the development of a model that quantifies the maturity level of key determinants crucial for the long-term sustainability of PSE. This model integrates elements from social, organizational and technological dimensions, offering a comprehensive framework for assessing SE.

Social implications

This model offers valuable insights for the development and sustainability of social entrepreneurship by providing a structured approach to measure and enhance key social, organizational and technological determinants. By integrating Max-Neef's framework of human needs, the model helps social enterprises better align their efforts with fundamental human needs, ensuring that initiatives not only address societal challenges effectively but also contribute to long-term social well-being. This approach encourages the development of more resilient and impactful social enterprises that are capable of adapting to diverse socioeconomic contexts.

Originality/value

The model's uniqueness lies in its integration of social, organizational and technological variables with Max-Neef's human needs, offering a nuanced assessment of PSE entrepreneurship determinant factors from a human perspective. By applying existential needs (being, having, doing, interacting) as analysis levels, the model provides a distinctive and insightful approach to evaluating the impact of key variables. Its value lies in identifying strengths and weaknesses in each entrepreneurship, guiding support strategies and informing discussions for constructing effective public policies.

Details

Social Enterprise Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-8614

Keywords

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