Police officer self-legitimacy: the role of organizational fit
Policing: An International Journal
ISSN: 1363-951X
Article publication date: 16 October 2020
Issue publication date: 4 November 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Police officer perceptions of their own legitimacy can be important in shaping aspects of their performance and other organizational outcomes. The current study uses person-environment fit theory to assess the effects of value congruence with top managers, immediate supervisors and coworkers on officers' perceptions of self-legitimacy.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a cross-sectional survey of nearly 250 front-line police officers from seven municipal police departments in Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky to examine the effects of perceived value congruence on officers’ self-legitimacy. A hierarchical model of fit is assessed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Findings demonstrate that value congruence positively relates to officers’ reported self-legitimacy, suggesting that officers who perceive greater similarity in values with others in the organization will express more confidence in their authority.
Originality/value
Our findings add to research on police officers’ self-legitimacy, and the use of a hierarchical model of person-environment fit might offer implications for future research on police culture.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is an adaptation of research related to the first author’s dissertation. The paper improves upon the treatment of the data, measurement of self-legitimacy, and the overall quality of the analysis. Many thanks to those who have contributed to the project, and to the suggestions of the reviewers.
Citation
White, D.R., Kyle, M.J. and Schafer, J. (2020), "Police officer self-legitimacy: the role of organizational fit", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 43 No. 6, pp. 993-1006. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2020-0035
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited