Change in Leadership in the Workplace
While every organization experiences changes in leadership and organizational structure, few have the shuffling of managers and shifts in organizational ideology, as often as police departments. With mandatory retirement ages, employment contracts, and the ability for individuals to take advantage of retirement packages, few chiefs stay longer than 5-7 years at one department. This constant change in management leaves the employees dealing with the stress of shifts in philosophy, policy, and ideology every few years.
Informal Communication and The Grapevine
The chain of command structure of police agencies, is not different to those of other organizations. Sergeants are low level supervisors, …show more content…
The Fiedler Model suggest that "effective groups depend on a proper match between a leader's style of interacting with subordinates and the degree to which the situation gives control and influence to the leader (Robins, p. 337.)" While Fiedler used a questionnaire to determine leadership style, in certain careers and situations, I believe that most employees can tell immediately when a supervisor is not a good fit.
Fiedler also uses 3 criteria to match leadership styles with situations: leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. In careers such as mine, where there is a high level of stress and constant threat of injury or bodily harm, any of these 3 situations can greatly effect productivity on a day to day, or even shift to shift basis. If a supervisor attempts to flex his newly appointed position power, by harshly disciplining an officer for what other deems as a minor offense, the leader-member relations may be damaged for everyone on the shift. If officers are questioning and do not trust their leadership, are afraid of discipline, they are unlikely to do more than the bare minimum or what is
While every organization experiences changes in leadership and organizational structure, few have the shuffling of managers and shifts in organizational ideology, as often as police departments. With mandatory retirement ages, employment contracts, and the ability for individuals to take advantage of retirement packages, few chiefs stay longer than 5-7 years at one department. This constant change in management leaves the employees dealing with the stress of shifts in philosophy, policy, and ideology every few years.
Informal Communication and The Grapevine
The chain of command structure of police agencies, is not different to those of other organizations. Sergeants are low level supervisors, …show more content…
The Fiedler Model suggest that "effective groups depend on a proper match between a leader's style of interacting with subordinates and the degree to which the situation gives control and influence to the leader (Robins, p. 337.)" While Fiedler used a questionnaire to determine leadership style, in certain careers and situations, I believe that most employees can tell immediately when a supervisor is not a good fit.
Fiedler also uses 3 criteria to match leadership styles with situations: leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. In careers such as mine, where there is a high level of stress and constant threat of injury or bodily harm, any of these 3 situations can greatly effect productivity on a day to day, or even shift to shift basis. If a supervisor attempts to flex his newly appointed position power, by harshly disciplining an officer for what other deems as a minor offense, the leader-member relations may be damaged for everyone on the shift. If officers are questioning and do not trust their leadership, are afraid of discipline, they are unlikely to do more than the bare minimum or what is