Dimensionality of local police chiefs' institutional sovereigns

Criminology & Public Policy

King

2022

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Research Summary We explore how a widely publicized crisis in another jurisdiction, a distal crisis, affects police agencies that were far removed from the crisis. Using data from a two‐wave, panel‐design survey of 411 police chiefs in Texas, we investigate how the events occurring in Ferguson, Missouri during 2014 changed chiefs’ perceptions of their institutional environmental sectors. Although distant from Ferguson, in the immediate aftermath chiefs rated two (local and national media) of eight (federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations as well as elected officials, police employee associations, local emergency medical organizations, and local advocacy groups) institutional sectors (including local and national media) as less impactful or legitimate. Policy Implications Police leaders react to crises involving other, distant agencies. Events in Ferguson led chiefs in Texas to rate the media as less potentially impactful for their agency, a change that signals decreasing legitimacy of the media in the eyes of the police. Increased animus between the media and police may threaten the media's effectiveness as watchdogs of policing and impede cooperation between the police and media.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ferguson as a distal crisis: Chief assessments of changes in the police institutional environment

Jurek¹,

Criminology & Public Policy

King

2022

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“…These variables were related to chiefs’ tenure in law enforcement (in years); chiefs’ level of education (0 = Less than a bachelor’s degree , 1 = A bachelor’s degree or more ); chiefs’ race (0 = non-White , 1 = White ); and chiefs’ position at hire (0 = External , 1 = Internal ). Prior research has shown that these variables influence how chiefs’ view their environments (Brinser & King, 2016; Matusiak, 2016; Matusiak & Jurek, 2017; Matusiak et al., 2017). Table 1 contains descriptive statistics for all control variables.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to these varying ratings of potential impact, or legitimacy, these stakeholders are differentially able to influence change within police organizations (Herbert, 2006). This research builds on the works of others that have previously identified 7 groupings of institutional sectors from these 26 stakeholders (Brinser & King, 2016;Matusiak, 2016;Matusiak & Jurek, 2017;. Those institutional sectors can be identified as federal and state law enforcement agencies, national media, local media, police employee associations, elected officials, local criminal justice organizations, and local emergency medical organizations.…”

Section: Independent Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Predictors of Municipal Police Agency Goals

2018

Police Quarterly

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Applications of organizational theory to police organizations frequently employ the framework of structural contingency or institutional theories. The current study seeks to evaluate the impact of both technical and institutional environmental aspects of policing on the goals of municipal police agencies. The influence of a combination of environmental contingencies and chiefs' ratings of institutional sectors is explored to assess which theory better explains chiefs' emphasis on police agency goals. Relying on ordinary least squares regression models, the impact of two competing theoretical frameworks is assessed. Findings suggest that chiefs' demographics (control variables) and legitimacy (institutional) factors have a greater impact than technical (structural contingency theory) elements on the goals that chiefs emphasize within their agencies. Potential theoretical advancement employing public sector agencies is also presented.

“…Although research has considered the impact of the environment on law enforcement executives, limited research has specifically addressed chiefs' assessments of their institutional environments. Matusiak (2016) empirically demonstrated that chiefs view the environment surrounding their organizations as multidimensional, and they attributed differing levels of importance to those dimensions. The importance attributed to those stakeholders also affects organizational priorities (Matusiak et al, 2017).…”

Section: Policing and Institutional Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Do New Chiefs Mean Fresh Perspectives? The Institutionalization of the Police Executive Environment

Criminal Justice and Behavior

2021

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Research suggests policing is a highly institutionalized field. Limited attention has been paid, however, to the institutionalization of leaders’ views. Assessing turnover in 71 Texas police organizations between October, 2011, and July, 2015, this research evaluates whether there is consistency (i.e., institutional homogenization) after turnover in chiefs’ perceptions of their environments and agency priorities. The research is unique in that it assesses two chiefs’ perceptions that have both led the same law enforcement agency in successive time periods. Assessments of environment and priorities from former chiefs and those replacing them are evaluated utilizing descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate methods. These assessments are also compared with a control group of chiefs from agencies not experiencing turnover. Bivariate results suggest little variation across current and former chiefs, whereas ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models suggest differing relationships across chiefs groups between environmental perceptions and agency priorities. Discussion of the findings is framed by institutional theory.