Comparing the impact of authentic leadership on Italian and UK police officers' discretionary power, well-being and commitment

Abstract

PurposeThis paper compares the impact of leadership behaviours on the discretionary power, and well-being, and affective commitment of police officers from Italy and the United Kingdom (UK). In contrast to Italy, UK is an example of a core-New Public Management (NPM) country that has implemented reforms, in turn, changing the management and administration of public organizations. Consequently, it is expected that there will be significant differences in the behaviour of police officers. In particular, the paper examines the antecedents and outcomes of police officers' well-being.Design/methodology/approachThe study involves collecting and analysing survey data using Structural Equation Modelling from 220 Italian and 238 UK police officers.FindingsThere was a significant path from Leadership to Discretionary Power to Employee Well-being to Affective Commitment – at least for the Italian sample. The UK sample does not have a significant link between leadership and discretionary power. Discretionary power was similarly low for both groups as was affective commitment. Authentic leadership and discretionary power explained approximately a third of their well-being, particularly discretionary power. Together, directly and indirectly (mediated by well-being), they explained at least a third of police officers' commitment to their organization. Well-being appears to be the key to ensuring effective police officers.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this paper includes the use of cross-sectional data (Podsakoff et al., 2003). However, a common latent factor (CLF) was included, and several items that were explained by common method variance were controlled, as per George and Pandey's recommendations (2017). Additionally, a Harmon's single factor test was applied to the data.Practical implicationsThe UK police officers have significantly lower commitment compared with the Italian police officers (non-commitment), and both Italian and UK police officers have less discretionary power and well-being compared with police from the United States of America (USA) police officers and other street-level bureaucrats (SLBs). The findings suggest that the present police leadership behaviours erode rather than supports police officers' discretionary power and well-being, leading to a low organizational commitment. Leadership training will better prepare managers to ensure the well-being of police officers working under conditions of work intensification.Originality/valueThe UK police officers have significantly lower commitment compared with the Italian police officers (non-commitment), and both Italian and UK police officers have less discretionary power and well-being compared with US police officers and other SLBs. The findings show that the police leadership erodes rather than supports police officers' discretionary power and well-being, leading to low organizational commitment. Leadership models that enhance employee well-being rather than efficiency targets must be a priority if police are to be prepared to cope effectively with emergencies and pandemics.

Emergency Service Workers: The Role of Policy and Management in (Re)shaping Wellbeing for Emergency Service Workers

“…In their study, stress, bullying, and harassment, as well as violence, emerged as repeated key themes negatively affecting employees' psychological and mental health. PSC has only recently begun to be tested within SLBs and the initial findings suggest that new types of management models are required if PSC is to improve the health and wellbeing of employees (Brunetto et al, 2021, Brunetto, Farr-Wharton, Wankhade, Saccon, & Xerri, 2022. This is because SLBs remain subjugated by outdated management models that are based on the old rational-technical approach dominated by bureaucratic norms and practices (Crosby & Bryson, 2017).…”

“…This is because SLBs remain subjugated by outdated management models that are based on the old rational-technical approach dominated by bureaucratic norms and practices (Crosby & Bryson, 2017). While scholars discuss new management models evident in innovative public sector organizations across the globe, many SLBs in many countries are managed using outdated models developed half a century ago (Brunetto et al, 2021;Farr-Wharton et al, 2021). In contrast, future management models should embrace a 'Common Good' HRM approach (Aust, Matthews & Muller-Camen, 2019) which embeds four basic principles, such as that HR practices address specific SDG(s), including ensuring employees' wellbeing (WHO, 2018) and guaranteeing employees work in physically and psychologically safe workplaces.…”

“…Whilst Dollard and Jain (2019) have identified the link between poor PSC workplaces and the physical and psychological consequences for employees within thirty one European countries, there is far less research about employees within SLBs. PSC has only recently begun to be tested within SLBs (Brunetto et al, 2021). The contribution of this paper is in identifying the importance of PSC levels and PSC strength in differentiating psychological distress consequences across emergency services workgroups.…”

New development: A ‘journey of personal and professional emotions’—emergency ambulance professionals during Covid-19

“…Austerity-driven reforms have allowed managers to use increased bureaucracy and red tape (Lipsky, 2010;Pollitt & Bouckaert, 2017) to reduce the discretionary power of ambulance professionals (Wankhade et al, 2018): a trend also witnessed in other emergency services such as the police (Farr-Wharton et al, 2021). The pandemic has further exposed these street-level bureaucrats to additional trauma, burnout while tackling Covid-19 in addition to dealing with personal protection equipment (PPE) shortages, sickness or death of colleagues, exacerbated by feeling isolated and not being able to share (Cosslett, 2020).…”

The Central Role of Middle Leaders in Public Administration Facing Organizational Merger Policies

“…In Portugal one of the NPM mechanisms that has been emerging is mergers, both in the private and public sectors (Madureira, 2020). State reform has been a focus in several countries (Ofoulhast-Othamot, 2022;Farr-Wharton et al, 2021). Particular action, in Portugal, is that of hierarchical integration in use in merger movements in the public sector (Reis & Sarmento, 2019).…”