Dimensionality of local police chiefs' institutional sovereigns

Abstract

The current study applies institutional theory to policing by utilising data gathered from a sample of 446 Texas (USA) police chiefs to measure and test the relationships among institutional sovereigns and police chief and agency demographics. Findings indicate the sample of police chiefs perceived their institutional environment as a multidimensional rather than unidimensional construct. More importantly this research demonstrates that a sample of police chiefs attributed differing levels of importance to institutional sovereigns within their institutional environment. The finding of a multidimensional institutional environment with varying levels of importance supports the significance of organisational image in line with institutional theory. While individual demographics significantly impact chiefs' perceptions of institutional sovereigns, additional research must evaluate the interaction of police chiefs and institutional sovereigns within the institutional environment.

Keywords:

• institutional sovereign
• institutional environment
• police chief
• police executive

Notes

1. It should be noted that chiefs of jurisdictions servicing populations of approximately 100,000 or more have the option to attend a separate training session.

2. Chiefs' level of education was dichotomised between those chiefs with a bachelor's degree and those with less than a bachelor's degree. Those with a bachelor's degree were utilised as the reference category.

3. Race was dichotomised because approximately 80% of the sample identified themselves as White, and 20% of chiefs that self-identified as African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American or Bi-racial (non-White). Non-White chiefs are the reference category. Therefore, any impact of race in the results of this research may merely be an artefact of the sample included.

4. Jurisdictional definitions were modelled on those of the US Census Bureau (see Office of Management and Budget 2010). All jurisdictional types were dummy coded with urban serving as the reference category.