Culture is an integral part of any company. In relation to police culture, most elements are universal, yet every police department may be characterized by its unique and distinctive organizational culture (Police Culture par. 4). A Chief may encounter inadequate police behavior. To improve the situation, they should consider changing agency culture as a means of primary importance.
First and foremost, there are two possible scenarios when an organizational culture should be changed. Such culture may either tolerate violation of human rights and offenses of law or be limited to less crucial problems that still need to be solved. As the new Chief of Police, I could take several steps in both cases and use some techniques.
Being public employees, criminal justice staff should be guaranteed their rights (Stojkovic, Kalinich, and Klofas 239). Constitutional rights regard plenty of issues, for instance, freedom of speech, self-incrimination, searches and seizures, workplace harassment, and sexual abuse (Peak 360). I guesstimate that one of the most frequent forms of culpable conduct is based on race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, and other criteria of this kind. In order to prevent any crime, I would immediately hold a meeting and indicate to the staff the consequences of misbehavior. I would shed light on major and minor issues at once. At the first misdemeanor or crime, I would punish the guilty persons according to the rules that had been previously established and announced. Naturally, intimidation should not be the only way of treating employees. As the Chief, I would serve as a model for everybody, avoid injustice and brutality in relations with them, and encourage partnership.
In a less dramatic context, the employees of the agency may have fostered the culture that I simply do not like. Although it is impossible to change the situation in the blink of an eye and use sanctions against innocent individuals, I would start introducing new norms. It is necessary to remember that culture is in a person’s head (Crank 26). In other words, it is important to work with people and their views. Rather than managing employees to change, it is more effective to lead them: “Practicing the basic leadership tenants of acting with integrity, inspiring confidence, and building trust are always important” (Reynolds par. 8). The concept of leading includes sharing one’s vision and providing meaning to others. As the Chief, I should understand what the organization wants to accomplish and assure that the staff recognizes the goals. If people grasp the idea, they will be more motivated and perform better.
As for the techniques I could use, three of them are potentially effective. I could change the artifacts, or signs, of the old culture, for instance, new patrol cars may be purchased. Then, the current beliefs and values may be modified by increasing or decreasing their strength. For example, respect for younger and more hard-working employees may become more significant than honoring senior workers. Finally, I could allocate my time with what I believe to be important (Green, R. G. Lynch, and S. R. Lynch 34). Paying attention to the issues that are regularly discussed will change the culture of the organization.
In conclusion, any organizational culture is constituted by many individuals. However, it is possible for a leader to incorporate changes. It is a long process that requires knowledge and skills. One should be aware that the innovations will affect people positively and bring benefit to the organization.
Works Cited
Crank, John P. Understanding Police Culture. New York: Routledge, 2014. Print.
Green, Egan K., Ronald G. Lynch, and Scott R. Lynch. The Police Manager. Waltham: Routledge, 2014. Print.
Peake, Kenneth J. Justice Administration, Police, Courts, and Correctional Management. New York: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.
Police Culture 2016. Web.
Reynolds, Barry. How to Change Culture in your Police Department2014. Web.
Stojkovic, Stan, David B. Kalinich, and John Klofas. Criminal Justice Organizations. Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.