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Exploratory Study on Ideal Leadership Behaviour: The Opinions of American Police Managers

NCJ Number
234117
Journal
International Journal of Police Science & Management Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 2010 Pages: 567-583
Author(s)
Viviana Andreescu; Gennaro F. Vito
Date Published
2010
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study examined police officers' perception of ideal leadership behavior in police organizations.
Abstract
This study examines the perceived ideal leadership behavior in police organizations. It is based on a survey of 126 police managers from 23 U.S. States who attended the Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police Institute during the academic year 2007-2008. The questionnaire used in this investigation includes the Leader Behaviour Description Questionnaire Form XII (Stodgill, 1963). The main objectives of this exploratory analysis are to rank the importance of leadership characteristics based on police officers' perceptions, to create a typology of leadership styles preferred, and to identify the demographic factors that are most likely to influence variations in opinions regarding the behavior of an ideal police leader. This research shows that individual characteristics can influence not only managerial styles, but also leadership preferences. In particular, results imply that gender and race play an important role in structuring leadership preferences. Female police officers do not appear to differ from men in their preferences for a predominantly task-centered and structured leadership. However, women seem to favor more than men do: (1) a type of leader who can be considered 'transformational'; or (2) a more democratic, worker-oriented leader, who would allow subordinates freedom of action and would respond well to the followers' concerns. Compared with Whites and other racial minorities, African-American police officers tend to favor more a structured task-centered leadership orientation or a leadership style described as transformational. (Published Abstract) Tables, notes, and references