Understanding Police Culture through the Use of the OCAI Method

• Authors: Pajpachová, Monika , Nováková, Iveta

Abstracts

EN

Police culture embodies something which obviously does exist but is difficult to explain and order it. It significantlyaffects the professional performance of the police organisation. A correctly formed police culture may produce better quality management. The study deals with identification and analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of police culture which is one of the determinants of the success of a police organisation. The authors have used a diagnostic instrument of competing values, the so-called OCAI model. They present original scientific findings — the outcomes of a scientific and research project entitled “The Success Factors of the Police Organisation” (No. 185). The project was carried out by the Management and Information Science Department of the Academy of the Police Force in Bratislava and commissioned by the Section of Personal and Social Activities and Personnel Department of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic. The two-dimensional OCAI method shows the current and preferred state of the organisational culture inside the police organisation. The current state indicates strictly defined rules, processes and norms and a structured working environment — features typical of organisations of a formal character with a hierarchical culture. The preferred state is a family type of organisation where the emphasis is put on collegiality, loyalty, adherence, mutual cooperation and trust which has a special role. The research results confirm that a main aim of the police culture is to create “an awareness of Us” which will integrate the staff. It may also facilitate prevention of conflicts and have a synergic effect at all management levels. Upon creating the police culture, it is necessary to bear in mind that, if the police organisation wants to fulfil special tasks, then the values of the employees must be in line with those of the organisation.

Keywords

EN

police culture; OCAI model; hierarchy culture; clan culture; market culture; adhocracy culture

• Publisher: Wyższa Szkoła Policji w Szczytnie
• Journal: Internal Security
• Year: 2016
• Volume: 8(2)
• Pages: 97-121

Contributors

author

Pajpachová, Monika

author

Nováková, Iveta

Identifiers

DOI

10.5604/01.3001.0010.2273