After 156 years of British colonial rule, Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997. This paper uses the institutional perspective to study how the Hong Kong Police (HKP) responded to changes in its institutional environment. It argues that the HKP’s paramilitary traditions greatly constrained changes. The paramilitary traditions of the HKP were institutionalized when it was a police force on which the colonial regime relied for public order management. When the customer-based public service reform was launched, the HKP’s paramilitary rituals and practices undermined the prospect of a service culture. It is concluded that the change in the HKP’s environment from a British colony to a Chinese special administrative region has not had a significant impact in altering these institutionalized values. This institutional perspective, as applied to the HKP illustrates how the institutional environment affects the practices and behaviors of a major police organization and its responses to external challenges. References