Brigitte Steinheider

From the bottom‐up: sharing leadership in a police agency

Police work has become intensely community and crime‐prevention oriented, demanding high commitment and discretionary activity from police officers. Collaborative leadership practices that involve employees in workplace decision‐making have been shown to increase commitment, but have not been widely adopted within law enforcement organizations. This case study examines the effects of a shared leadership initiative in a suburban police department. Twenty‐four months after implementation of an employee steering committee (called the Leadership Team) quantitative and qualitative data indicate significant improvement in employees’ perceptions of work conditions, labor–management relations, commitment, and community‐oriented policing, as well as increases in discretionary police productivity.

In search of a methodology of collaboration: understanding researcher–practitioner philosophical differences in policing

Research collaborations in policing have been characterized as extremely challenging. The assumption has been that academicians and police hold contrasting philosophical viewpoints and perceptions of research. We tested this assumption by surveying police researchers (n = 377) and police practitioners (n = 171) concerning their philosophical orientations (pragmatic, intellectual, or humanistic), as well as their perceptions of research collaboration processes (collaboration climate, trust, and knowledge integration) and overall performance. The differences in philosophical orientations were significant, with researchers displaying very high intellectual orientations and very low pragmatic orientations while practitioners indicated predominantly humanist orientations; researchers with law enforcement background were in-between both groups. While all groups assessed their research collaborations positively, police were significantly less positive than researchers. Further, knowledge integration predicted collaboration success for researchers, while a collaboration climate of trust and respect predicted success for practitioners. The results indicate that both groups value different qualities in a research partnership. These differences may complicate, but do not appear to prevent successful collaborations, and former practitioners could become boundary spanners between academia and practice. The importance of relationship building and collaborative methodologies, such as action research, are discussed.

Entwicklung und Validierung einer Skala zur Erfassung von Wissensintegrationsproblemen in interdisziplinären Projektteams (WIP)

Zur Bearbeitung komplexer Probleme und zur Entwicklung innovativer Produkte in Industrie und Forschung kommen zunehmend interdisziplinare Projektteams zum Einsatz. Die zum Teil hoch heterogene Zusammensetzung solcher Teams stellt jedoch hohe Anforderungen an alle Beteiligten, die das Erreichen der Projektziele erschweren oder sogar infrage stellen konnen. Insbesondere die Integration separater Wissensbestande bereitet hier haufig Schwierigkeiten. In dieser Arbeit stellen wir die Entwicklung und Validierung einer Skala zur Erfassung von Problemen der Wissensintegration in der interdisziplinaren Projektarbeit vor, mit dem Ziel, ein Instrument zur Diagnose von haufigen Barrieren in interdisziplinaren Kooperationen bereitzustellen. Die Entwicklung erfolgte anhand qualitativer Interviews mit Mitgliedern interdisziplinarer Projektteams. Eine erste Validierung der neu entwickelten Skala erfolgte im Rahmen von funf nachfolgenden Studien (N = 290) und bestatigte Reliabilitat und Validitat der Skala.

Kooperation in interdisziplinären Teams in Forschung, Produktentwicklung und Kunst

In diesem Beitrag wird ein Modell zur Unterstutzung von interdisziplinaren Kooperationen vorgestellt, welches anhand von interdisziplinaren Forschungs- und Entwicklungsteams in Forschungsinstituten und Wirtschaftsbetrieben validiert wurde. Dem Modell zufolge bestimmen Kommunikation, Koordination und Wissensintegration die Qualitat von Kooperationen. Durch die unterschiedlichen Perspektiven der Fachdisziplinen im Team wird die Kreativitat gefordert und neues Wissen kann entstehen. Eine Voraussetzung dafur ist die Integration der unterschiedlichen Wissensdomanen und mentalen Modelle und die Schaffung einer gemeinsamen Wissensbasis. Unseren Untersuchungen zufolge treten gerade in den Bereichen der Koordination und Wissensintegration in interdisziplinaren Teams haufig Probleme auf, weniger im Bereich der Kommunikation. Diese Probleme verlangern die Produktentwicklungszeiten, erhohen damit die Kosten und sind mit Qualitatseinbusen verbunden, wahrend auf subjektiver Ebene die Teammitglieder uber hohere Arbeitsbelastung und geringere Arbeitszufriedenheit klagen.

Police managerial perceptions of organizational democracy: a matter of style and substance

This paper re-examines an organizational democracy initiative that was undertaken in a suburban police department in the southwestern United States in 2003. In 2005, a study confirmed positive outcomes in terms of improved employee commitment, labor relations, work conditions and productivity. By 2008, however, mid-level managers complained that the democratic reforms undermined their authority and contributed to a lack of accountability. We conducted interviews with 10 agency managers to assess perceived changes in the agency culture and communication, and the impact of the initiative on accountability and managers’ personal authority. In addition, we re-analyzed quantitative (n = 122) and qualitative data (n = 28) from 2005. Results indicate the importance of executive leadership, clearly defined roles, structural boundaries and the affirmation of managerial authority when integrating vertical and horizontal leadership. The limits of organizational democracy are discussed, as well as the symbolic aspects of police culture.

Changing Police Managers’ Attitudes towards Participative Management: Translating Research-based Knowledge into Practical Solutions

There is consensus among scholars of the police that law enforcement remains a very traditionally organized enterprise. Originally modeled along military lines, police administrative practice came to embrace highly bureaucratic principles that stressed rigid hierarchy, uniformity, and autocratic decision-making (Cowper 2000; Mastrofski 1998).

Knowledge Integration Problems And Their Effect On Team Performance

AbstractThe increase in product complexity, the interconnectedness of research questions, and the decrease in product development time are forcing organizations to share and integrate their diverse areas of expertise in collaborative teams. Experiences with collaborations in cross-functional and interdisciplinary teams have shown that the expected positive effects like higher productivity and better decision-making are counterbalanced by negative effects such as higher individual stress and ineffective work. In this study, we analyzed the effects of knowledge integration problems on team performance, and we identified variables facilitating or hindering knowledge integration within cross-functional teams. Ninety-seven members of German R&D teams assessed their knowledge integration problems and their subjective stress. They also evaluated the efficiency of the product development process in terms of time, costs and quality. Heterogeneity of team composition in terms of educational background increased knowledge integration problems significantly. Knowledge integration problems were significantly associated with meeting deadlines and lower product quality. At the same time, knowledge integration problems correlated with increased subjective stress, and job dissatisfaction. However, knowledge integration was not associated with cost aspects or overtime. Divergence within the team seemed to hinder knowledge integration, whereas the integration into the team and a netlike communication structure with defined communication rules facilitated knowledge integration. These results emphasize the importance of knowledge integration and the need to develop training to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration in R&D teams.

Simulating Interprofessional Geriatric Patient Care Using Telehealth: A Team-Based Learning Activity

Introduction More than one-third of Oklahomans live in rural counties, and 63 of Oklahomas 77 counties are classified as health professional shortage areas, where telemedicine would be beneficial. In response to this need, in 2012, the Colleges of Nursing and Allied Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center implemented a sequence of interprofessional learning experiences to prepare nurse practitioner, physical therapy, and occupational therapy students in team-based geriatric care using telehealth technologies. Methods The sequence included modules on interprofessional competencies, a simulated patient case, and clinical experiences. This publication includes instructional materials and evaluation tools for replicating this sequence. Results Student responses to the guided reflection exercise provided a snapshot of their thoughts and reactions during this learning activity. Overall, their reflections suggested that they were highly motivated and actively thinking about how to work together effectively as a team to care for their standardized patient. Discussion This case is most applicable for educators who own telehealth equipment; however, a telehealth patient encounter could be simulated with other technologies.

The double-edged sword of having a unique perspective: Feelings of discrimination and perceived career advantages among LGBT employees

Purpose Drawing on social identity theory and the concept of perceived organizational support, the authors conducted an online, exploratory survey of 150 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) workers in 28 countries to examine whether being LGBT provides a unique perspective in the workplace, if they perceive their employer appreciates this perspective, and what effects this has on perceived discrimination and perceived career advancement. Collectively these questions have implications for work engagement and career prospects of LGBT workers. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Multiple regression and qualitative analyses were used to analyze Likert scale questions along with open-ended options. Findings The majority of respondents agree that being LGBT offers a unique perspective compared to heterosexual workers. The more respondents agree that they have a different perspective, the more they feel discriminated against. After controlling for demographic variables as well as education, tenure, job level, and disclosure, hierarchical linear regression analyses showed offering a unique perspective increases perceived career advantages. Results also showed increased perceived career advantages if the employer appreciates this perspective. Results of a second regression analysis also showed that a unique perspective is associated with more perceived discrimination, unless their employer appreciates this perspective. Research limitations/implications Although single-item measures and a small international sample limit generalizability, rich qualitative responses provide insights into LGBT attitudes across multiple countries. Practical implications This study can be applied to future understandings of the diverse nature of LGBT perceptions and attitudes in the workplace. Social implications This is one of the first studies to examine LGBT perceptions that they possess a unique perspective that should be valued by employers. Originality/value This exploratory study is one of the first to recognize unique LGBT perspectives and examine the relationship between their perspectives and perceived discrimination and career advantages.

Climate Change? Exploring the Role of Organisational Climate for Psychological Ownership

This chapter will explore the potential role that an organisation’s climate can have on employees’ sense of psychological ownership (PO) and work engagement. Specifically, socio-moral climate (SMC) is a construct of organisational climate based on organisational behaviours, and assumes that workplace practices and procedures, including communication, cooperation, and handling of conflict, can impact employees’ moral attitudes and behaviours. A positive SMC is hypothesized to promote the development of ethical attitudes and value orientations of organisation members, and to foster employees’ identification with the organisation and development of PO. Recent studies of SMC identified increased prosocial and community-oriented behavioural orientations, organisational commitment and innovation, as well as, lower turnover intention and less organisational cynicism as outcomes of SMC.