Criminal Justice Leadership: Strategies and Practice Essay

Introduce

The objective of this presentation is to provide information and analyze the roles of organizational culture, behavioral theory and planning, and community relations in relation to criminal justice leadership. These three factors affect leadership and functions in enforcing the laws, maintaining peace and order, and providing a focus for leadership functions in the community.

Who are the leaders of criminal justice?

These are the leaders who constitute the criminal justice system. They have to execute good leadership and management in order to provide reforms and change and to affect the kind of justice that the community needs. They have to be leaders in their own right. They must have enough knowledge of being leaders.

Community leaders have the obligation to see that laws are implemented and that those who seek justice should obtain what they ask for. Human rights must be observed. Justice should be afforded to the marginalized and vulnerable sector.

The Police are mandated to enforce the law. Every citizen in the community has the responsibility to follow the laws and regulations enforced by society. The DA and the law profession should help in the promulgation of justice. The entire justice system works in harmony with the community. Everyone has rights and responsibilities.

Planning and Community Relations

Almost all police organizations have Police Community Relations. Those involved in Criminal Justice Leadership have realized the significance of maintaining a PCR. All the other leaders must also maintain this good rapport with the community for this will ensure a successful implementation of the rules and laws that should be followed by the members of the community.

Organizational culture

Organizations in the midst of intense globalization are becoming complex and complicated. Most organizations are now composed of people of diverse cultures. Criminal justice leadership has to be administered with the philosophy and principle of organizational culture. An organization has its own culture apart from the culture of the nation-state or the community in which the organization operates. Leaders and members of this organization have to cope and adjust to the organizational culture.

Living with people of different cultures can make the lives of leaders and members unbalanced. Work and life balance is difficult to achieve. But if they know how to adjust, it may not be so difficult.

They have to cope, adjust and modify their lives through these experiences. Their emotions, feelings, personal lives have never been so affected by organizational activities that they tend to look at the office or the organization headquarters as their home away from home. They spend and dedicate their time, efforts, and knowledge to the organization. They look at the office as more than a place. Family life plays the second fiddle. They believe that if they are happy in the organization, they are happy at home. The organization comes first.

With this scenario, the leader has to be good and effective. He/she must know how to understand the members of the organization.

Challenges in leading an organization

There is a lot of challenge placed on the leader in leading an organization of different cultures; this puts his expertise to the test. Along with this line of thought is the concept of comparative human resource management that explores the extent to which human resource differs between different countries or between areas within a country or different regions of the world.

An organization should have international coherence and a cost-effective approach to the way it manages its people in the nation-states it covers, at the same time ensuring that it is responsive to the differences in assumptions and in what works from one location to another.

There are countless other issues that have to be addressed by the assigned senior manager and staff. Some of the internal factors that influence decision-making within the organization are the leaders’ psychological make-up, the organizational strategy, resources (financial, plant staff, technology) already secured, organizational history, policies and systems, and organizational culture, among others.

An organization in another environmental setting will create a culture by itself that will have to cope with the existing culture of the country. Organizational culture is different from the existing national culture.

According to Mead (2005, p. 3), ‘national culture influences how managers and employees make decisions and interpret their roles… [and] differences between national cultures create important opportunities for growth and development, but also can cause serious problems if they are not understood.’

Cultural differences

Cultural differences are a key factor in globalization. National values in other countries are more pronounced in the way people dress, talk, act socially, and in their religious ways. Cultural influences are a major concern.

Senior staff and other managerial jobs are ethnically diverse. Cross-cultural concerns, therefore, are inevitable. This makes additional demands on the skills of the leader in handling employees of different orientations and cultures. The point here is that different social groups have different cultures and that different social groups may respond to similar situations in different ways (Mead, 2005).

Leaders and managers working in an international environment are obviously subject to the impact of multi-country, regional, and global change and dynamism than managers in a single-country operation (Harris et al., 2003).

Organizational knowledge

Organizations take much time to get the right and necessary people or to get the right people for the right job.

In the present age of globalization, competitive advantage is attained with the knowledge people possessed, or ‘people-embodied knowhow’ (Rodriguez and de Pablos, 2002, p. 174).

Organizations are focusing on what their people know, and invest much on intellectual capital.

The RBV and I/O

A theory in organizational knowledge, which is known as the resource-based view, examines ‘the manner in which organizational resources are applied and combined, the causes which determine the attainment of a sustainable competitive advantage, and the nature of rents generated by organizational resources’ (Rodriguez and de Pablos, 2002, p. 174).

Based on this theory, the organization is viewed as the accumulation of unique and diverse resources. From experience and constant contact with the population of the community, the organization forms a new database of information, data, and knowledge. The resource-based view assumes that each organization is a collection of unique resources and capabilities. This uniqueness of resources and capabilities becomes the basis for the organization’s strategy and its ability to earn above-average returns. Training and development should be focused along this line of thought.

Another theory is the industrial organization (I/O) model of strategy, or model of above-average returns, which states that the organization should focus on the external environment. This theory, which became popular during the 1960s through the 1980s, states that organizations must focus on the external environment, which is the determinant of the firms’ strategies to become ahead of the competition. The I/O model states that organizations should focus their resources on the external environment because this exerts pressure and impose problems. The organization’s resources should be strategically focused on the external environment. (Hitt et al., 2009, p. 13)

Approaches to Leadership

There have been debates in the literature about whether leadership is a trait that is inherited or acquired. Theories abound, supported by facts and evidence. But these are all true. A leader can be born and a leader can be made.

What are the circumstances for calling someone a born leader, or a made leader?

There is nothing wrong with these two concepts – both are correct and both have reasons to be in the context of leaders in criminal justice.

When we say that a leader is born, it means that a person has the innate qualities of a leader. He/she has had this since birth, or even before birth. The genes of leadership are in that person; his/her parents had been good leaders, and therefore that person has the qualities of a good leader.

When we also say that a leader is made, it means that the qualities of a leader – or a good leader – are acquired.

Leaders are born

An approach to leadership is that leaders are born. Some authors prove this, such as Bass (1981), Lippitt (1955), and Stogdill (1974), who argue that leaders are different from ordinary individuals. Leaders are emotionally strong and more inclined to do business. They have confidence in themselves, are imbued with integrity and honesty, are more driven to change, be it in the workplace or an organization.

Behaviors associated with a good leader include – being supportive to other people, especially office mates or companions at work, being approachable, goal-oriented, leading and directing people, assigning jobs, and being able to motivate people to accomplish organizational objectives.

Leadership is learned

Another approach to leadership is that behavior differs in different situations; trait is not enough; leaders are able to adapt to different situations. Good leaders can adapt to different situations. Leadership can be learned.

Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals and the University of Michigan Executive Education Center partnered to find ways to teach their scientists how to be good leaders.

The curriculum set was for scientists to develop an action plan in order to attain qualities for teamwork, success, and failure, self-awareness, teaching others, and promoting, change among others.

“Leadership involves influencing other members of the group, and it involves directing the group’s effort toward achieving its goals” (George & Jones, 2002, as cited in Allen & Sawhney, 2010, p. 204).

Criminal Justice Leadership

(Leaders for justice)

There is common thinking that successful leaders are those who respond most appropriately to the demands of the specific situation. When there are no problems, when it seems there is no conflict in the organization, leaders can relax and seek opinions from members at a leisurely pace. But when a problem comes up, the leader must know how to act and deal with the situation immediately. The leader has to be well prepared for changes that may come in anytime.

Leadership is felt but it is difficult to describe and impossible to command. And yet, it is a most powerful force that makes many people and even masses of people move at a particular pace in a particular direction. Leadership is building up a character, a personality, and changing it to something to mold an organization or a personality. Leadership needs change, but leadership succumbs to change. And change affects all of us – our thoughts, feelings, activities, and experiences.

‘Change is the only constant’ (Beerel, 2009, p. 4).

Leadership and change go together because a leader has to change all the time. He has to be kept abreast of knowledge, of everything, and apply this to people, activities, and experience. That alone is change. It cannot be a normal, ordinary undertaking – it has to be adjusted to the dictates of the times.

People who tend to like change are those who may have changed the world. Many of them are not the ones who are popular, but quite a few affected changes and their inventions became more popular than their personality. They are leaders in their own right, quiet and unpopular, but effective.

Leaders for Justice

Transformational leadership can transform people into the kind of followers an organization must-have. There are other kinds of leaders that may lead to disastrous circumstances for the organization, some of which may be egocentric leaders. Egoistic and selfish principles on the part of the leader can lead to failure of leadership even in an organization such as the military. The military is a well-disciplined kind of organization, and its leaders are trained not to be egocentric, but always to look after the welfare and safety of the soldiers.

Improvement is an objective of transformational leadership. It is for the welfare of the members and the organization. It transforms people and the entire organization. Transformational leadership focuses on the advancement of each and every employee or worker. The employees become motivated, inspired, and given rewards in various forms.

There are other various kinds of leaders, leaders of our time who made the world different. They have led organizations to victory and success. They have the courage and they were not afraid to effect change. We have quite a number of them.

Leader or Manager

Who is the leader and who is the manager?

There are many differences between management and leadership. A manager may not necessarily be a leader.

A manager may or may not be a good leader. According to Ivancevich, Donnelly, & Gibson (1989, p. 296, as cited in Allen & Sawhney, 2010, p. 12), leadership can emerge in situations where people are determined to accomplish certain goals.

“leadership can arise in any situation where people have combined their efforts to accomplish a task”.

Leaders motivate people. Motivation is part of the leadership of management. But leaders and managers differ in how to implement it. Managers tend to be demanding. Good leaders lead by showing how to follow. Leaders inspire others to be good followers.

The motivation of good leaders

Good leaders have strong power motives. The human need theory asserts that people have urges relative to the three needs which are the need for achievement, the need for affiliation, and the need for power. The role of a good leader is to coach, that of the facilitator, not someone to play as superman. (Armstrong, 1998, p. 8)

Part of good and productive leadership is to motivate people to become productive and to work for the fulfillment of the organization’s objectives. Motivation is an important factor in determining the performance of people in an organization. It is the heart of performance management.

Motivation in organizations

It has always been a common belief that when people are motivated, they accomplish goals. Workers become productive when they feel they are a part of a team or part-owner of the organization; they feel this sense of belongingness and so they strive for the organization’s improvement.

Organizations have been trying ways to help employees adjust their family life with work. As organizations care for employees’ welfare, business benefits include increased productivity, improved recruitment, and retention, lower rates of absenteeism, reduced overheads, an improved customer experience, a more motivated, satisfied, and equitable workforce (McIntosh, 2003, p. 185).

Theories of motivation

Theories of motivation include those expounded by Frederick Taylor who is known as the father of scientific management. He defined work in terms of the specified tasks designed for the workers to follow, with no chance of freedom or judgment left on the part of the workers. There is no motivation during those early years of industrialization, which is the basis of Taylor’s theory. (Luecke & Hall, 2006, p. 18)

Another is that of the social scientist Douglas McGregor who formulated the Theory X and Theory Y approach to management. Managers who embrace Theory X have two motivational tools: the carrot and stick – greed and fear. Theory X sees the boss as prodding the employees, exerting too much control in the workplace. Theory Y assumes that when people are motivated, they accomplish goals. Workers become productive when they are motivated: to be a part of the team, or to be a part-owner of the organization, and to be creative in their work. (Fournies, 1999, p. 34)

Abraham Maslow’s pyramid theory

According to Abraham Maslow (1943), our needs are arranged like a pyramid or ladder. At the bottom of the pyramid are physiological needs such as food, water, oxygen, and sex. As one set is met, the person moves up the ladder to the next. Next on the ladder are the safety needs such as security, stability, dependency, protection, freedom from fear, anxiety, and chaos. Then we need structure, order, law, limits, and the need for strength in the protector.

Then we have the desire to know and to understand (Maslow, 1943, p. 236). This refers to man’s quest for acquiring knowledge and systematizing the universe, or what Maslow calls expressions of self-actualization. Self-actualizing people focus on problems outside of themselves, have a clear sense of what is true and what is sham, are spontaneous and creative, and are not bound too strictly by social conventions (Firth, 2002, p. 85).

Human Need theory

The need theory is focused on the acquired needs that people learn in the process of acquiring new life experiences over their lifetime. The three major groups of needs that people acquire include achievement, affiliation, and power (Kopelman, Prottas, Thompson, & Jahn, 2006, p. 233). It is the motivation that people have for certain attitudes towards their work and their relations with their employers.

The human need theory asserts that people have urges relative to the three needs: the need for achievement (the desire to accomplish a goal more effectively than in the past); the need for affiliation (the desire for human companionship and acceptance); and the need for power (the desire to be influential in a group and to control one’s environment (Firth, 2002, p. 86).

Group Dynamics and Team Working

Group dynamics and team building are concepts of continual improvement. Group dynamics influence individual behavior. (Firth, 2002, p. 23)

Team building is one of the many innovations which organizational members. In team building, workers are formed in teams or clusters and function through teamwork and motivation. Each team is given independence, the members are allowed to function at their own utmost capacity, and are trained in the process, becoming multi-skilled, while each member is responsible to the team. A cluster competes with other clusters when it comes to skill, but they are all working for one organization. As individuals mature in their job and become accustomed to it, they significantly improve their skill and organizational knowledge, becoming more professional and expert in their own respective fields.

The philosophy behind team building is that when individuals are allowed to work at their own pace and given the responsibility as part of the team, they become well-motivated. The motivation is that each individual works for the improvement and advancement of the organization. A member becomes like a leader himself/herself. Each cluster works like an independent body but each member is multi-skilled that allowing the cluster members to be flexible. Cluster methods provide improvement for individual members. Teamwork can develop individual flexibility and learning. This concept is like that of motivation. The purpose is to motivate the workers into aiming for the success of the organization.

Many organizations in the private and public sectors have their workforce ‘subdivided’ into teams. They have recognized the great significance of this concept. This can be seen in many of the Fortune 2000 companies and many other successful businesses throughout the world. (Knights and Willmott, 2007, p. 118)

Team Building and Clustering

The purpose is somehow linked to the organizational mission and objectives. By having clusters and groups, the talents and capabilities of members are maximized. This is known as the centralized kind of management. With globalization, the technique is to manage the organization horizontally. Team working can best be enhanced with the use of the internet, Information Technology, and teleconferencing. Mobile communication such as cell phones, laptops, and other similar high-technology tools can help in team-building work. Communication is fast and effective.

Team formations are considered special features for improved organizational performance. Introducing principles of team formations in the workplace is like implementing total quality management concepts. They present a strong foundation for global organizations in the present century, and they can be an effective way of providing work and life balance which is very much needed by the people. (Knights and Willmott, 2007, p. 125)

Team building was introduced in the world’s foremost carmaker, Toyota. Toyota introduced the concept of kaizen which means ‘continual improvement. They formed teams and shortened some stages of production to save time and provide flexibility. (Lynch, 2008, p. 773)

The Japanese continual improvement concept is a step-by-step approach that is effective in business and in production and operations management. It is inspired by the old Chinese maxim ‘step by step walk a thousand times. This was later introduced to the West, but for the most part, companies have limited their kaizen efforts to delegating to operators the continuous improvement of manufacturing processes

Is justice done?

Leaders have to ask this: Is justice done? A leader has to ensure that justice is done and that it is meted to all the various sectors of society regardless of creed or race. There are many circumstances and related topics to this last portion of the presentation. Is justice done for the victim and the accused? Is justice done for the community in which both the accused and victim are members?

This can be more explained with the questions: Have I done my job as a leader of the criminal justice system? What positive things have I done to ensure that justice has been meted?

Finally, is justice equal for all?

References

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