The working conditions of the police officers either induce job satisfaction or job dissatisfaction. It is unknown whether police officers derive job satisfaction from the various working conditions at their disposal. Research Question
What is the relationship between policing factors and job satisfaction among police officers? Theory
Patrol officers’ retention rate is declining in a steady rate according to the current policing literature. Various policing factors affect the turnover rate among the police officers. Job satisfaction is critical in policing due to the fact that several issues affect performance and consequently the effectiveness of the entire department. Retention in contemporary policing is given much retention by administrators and also by the recruits. There are various factors within the police force that affect the working conditions. Hypothesis
Although not directly stated, the study is exploratory in nature. There are three hypotheses of the study.
The study purposes that stress related to work reduced the overall job satisfaction among the police forces. The morale of the department also reduces the satisfaction of the employees. The work load which influences shift rotations has an influence in the over all job satisfaction. Frequent shift rotations reduce the overall job satisfaction. Contribution
The study explores all the explanatory variables within the study by looking at the input of various researchers. Literature Review
In the discussion section, the author highlights information from various studies previously conducted (p. 247). Literature review explores the research by previous research on the various factors that influence job satisfaction in the police force. Stress emerges as a by product of the various disincentives within the force. Law enforcement agencies across the world are an occupation among the most stressful. Administration and equipping of police forces influences the stressfulness of the force.
Research Methods Design: The researcher use a population survey technique through distributing questionnaires to municipal police departments in Pennsylvania south central. The research excluded chiefs of police in the region. Qualitative/ Quantitative Methods: The study utilizes qualitative interview of the total police population in Pennsylvanian south through the use of questionnaires (p. 249). The study also utilizes quantitative technique in the analysis of the quantitative data from the questionnaires. Unit of Analysis: Police officers within south central Pennyslavian. Study Variable: Department morale, equipment, work load, shift and work rotation. Operationalization: Most of the variables in the study seem clear among many readers. However, detailed explanation of the variables is provided in the study on the findings section. The study explains the composition of the various variables in the study (p. 250). Measurement Validity and Reliability: The study makes use of literature review to analyze the work of other researchers. The available information in the literature review presents a point of critique of the current study. Information by previous studies contributes a lot towards the achievement of the current study objective. The study has made use of primary data in acquiring relevant information to enhance the development of recommendations. The use of the total population instead of sample ensures the sentiments of every policy officer are considered. The information given in the study is, therefore, reliable and valid in developing recommendations (p. 249). Missing Data: P. 249 talks of the exclusion of the chiefs of police in the process of data mining. There is no information provided foe the reasons as to the exclusion of the chiefs of police in data collection. Data Analysis: Descriptive statistics in table 1 provides the necessary information for deducing conclusions (p. 250). Findings
The results of the study confirm the first hypothesis. Frequent shift rotations within the force reduce the overall job satisfaction.
There was a tendency of the officers to have stress , and they indicated low levels of job satisfaction. This supports the second hypothesis of the study. Increasing stress levels lowers the rate of job satisfaction.
The morale with supervisors and the patrol officers was low resulting in low levels of job satisfaction. This confirms the third hypothesis. Conclusion and Implication
The three variables of the study influence the level of job satisfaction among the police forces. Better conditions for the forces raise job satisfaction and will yield better results by the officers.
Strengths
- Use of the total population in the study.
- Reviewing of the work by other researchers.
- Use of well structured questionnaire and properly set procedure of addressing the questionnaire.
- Clearly defines key variables in the study.
Limitations
- Exclusion of the chiefs of police in the questionnaire without giving reasons.
- Lack of face to face interview to explore further.
- Only a part of the country took part in the research.
Recommendation
Accept with substantial revisions which include:
- Better literature review.
- Proper distribution of the target population to allow for conclusive recommendation of forces within the entire country.
- Include other variables like payment in the study to have a better view of the motivation factors within the police agencies.
References
Julseth, J., Ruiz, J., & Hummer, D. (2011). Municipal police officer job satisfaction in Pennsylvania: a study of organisational development in small police departments. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 243-254.
