Aim: This paper uses two theoretical frameworks – Public Values (PVs) (Budd, 2014) and Conservation of Resources (COR) (Hobfoll, 2011) to examine how management practices impact the personal resources (discretionary power, Psychological Capital and wellbeing) and outcomes of police officers delivering policing services. COR theory explains employee motivation in response to work and is used to explain employee responses when working under stressful conditions. The PVs lens examines the justifications behind the present management practices and provides insight to why another PV may be more useful in informing work conditions so as to negate stressful conditions for employees. Methods: Structural Equation Modelling and multi group comparisons of survey data from Italian and English police officers is used to compare the extent to which fairness or efficiency is driving management practices. Results: Over three-quarters of Italian police officers’ wellbeing can be explained by the variance of leadership, PsyCap and discretionary power. In contrast, two thirds of the UK police officers’ wellbeing is predominantly explained by their PsyCap. Further wellbeing explains much of Italian and UK police officers engagement. The means for authentic leadership, wellbeing and engagement were low. Implications: Management support and wellbeing of Street Level Bureaucrats (SLB) is crucial in maximising efficiency gains and boosting performance and staff engagement in Public Sector Organisations (PSOs)delivering services. Efficiency has been the main driver of managerial decision-making to date. However, PVs of equity, fairness and opportunities for engaging in the decision-making process are equally important in addressing the ‘efficiency fairness’ conundrum, but currently neglected. Study findings have clear policy and practice implications.

Policing Management: Should efficiency be the only public value informing management practices?

Yvonne Brunetto;Chiara Saccon;
2022-01-01

Abstract

Aim: This paper uses two theoretical frameworks – Public Values (PVs) (Budd, 2014) and Conservation of Resources (COR) (Hobfoll, 2011) to examine how management practices impact the personal resources (discretionary power, Psychological Capital and wellbeing) and outcomes of police officers delivering policing services. COR theory explains employee motivation in response to work and is used to explain employee responses when working under stressful conditions. The PVs lens examines the justifications behind the present management practices and provides insight to why another PV may be more useful in informing work conditions so as to negate stressful conditions for employees. Methods: Structural Equation Modelling and multi group comparisons of survey data from Italian and English police officers is used to compare the extent to which fairness or efficiency is driving management practices. Results: Over three-quarters of Italian police officers’ wellbeing can be explained by the variance of leadership, PsyCap and discretionary power. In contrast, two thirds of the UK police officers’ wellbeing is predominantly explained by their PsyCap. Further wellbeing explains much of Italian and UK police officers engagement. The means for authentic leadership, wellbeing and engagement were low. Implications: Management support and wellbeing of Street Level Bureaucrats (SLB) is crucial in maximising efficiency gains and boosting performance and staff engagement in Public Sector Organisations (PSOs)delivering services. Efficiency has been the main driver of managerial decision-making to date. However, PVs of equity, fairness and opportunities for engaging in the decision-making process are equally important in addressing the ‘efficiency fairness’ conundrum, but currently neglected. Study findings have clear policy and practice implications.
2022
BAM2022 Conference
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10278/5013165
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