bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The police turnover problem: fact or fiction?
Authors: Lynch Jessica E. , Tuckey Michelle 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThe aim of the present study is to examine, in detail, the magnitude and profile of police turnover across Australasia.Design/methodology/approachSworn officer turnover statistics (total separations and voluntary resignations) for four financial years were collected from all Australian and New Zealand police jurisdictions. Comparisons were made with the Australian and international public sector. The age and years of service of resigning officers were also obtained.FindingsDespite concerns about the high level of turnover, benchmarking data showed that total police turnover was lower than in other Australian public sector organizations and comparable with that in international public sector organizations. Voluntary resignations were also lower in policing than in the Australian public sector, but higher than in the international public sector. Further, resignations were the major form of turnover, and female officers resigned at a higher rate than male officers with a peak in the 25‐39‐year age bracket.Practical implicationsAlthough, over the last few years, turnover within Australasian police organizations has been low, the high proportion of resignations suggests that it is possible to achieve further reductions. This finding has an important implication for police agencies currently experiencing difficulty in maintaining sufficient numbers; namely, that the overall turnover rate in police organizations should be responsive to organizational initiatives. Police jurisdictions should therefore endeavor to investigate the causes of voluntary resignation to inform strategies to minimize avoidable turnover.Originality/valueIn addition to highlighting a variety of issues relevant to the consideration of turnover within policing, the present study obtained objective and reliable data to challenge the alleged problem of high turnover within Australasian policing. The benchmarking conducted here offers a detailed insight into the nature and extent of voluntary turnover within Australasian police organizations, and provides clear directions for future work in this area.
Predicting officer performance in motor vehicle stops
Authors: Growette Bostaph Lisa 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the possible existence of the repeat phenomenon in police motor vehicle stops.Design/methodology/approachThe study involved a mid‐western police department. Data were collected from contact cards completed by police officers making motor vehicle stops between July 1, 2001 and December 31, 2001. Contact cards included information concerning the stop itself, driver, passengers, motor vehicle, and the officer making the stop. Individual identifiers of police officers allowed for an analysis of individual officer performance concerning motor vehicle stops. A Poisson process and logistic regression were used in the analysis.FindingsAnalyses revealed that motor vehicle stops are not randomly distributed across police officers and, in fact, a significant concentration of motor vehicle stops among few officers existed. Situational variables such as reason for the stop and time of the stop were significant predictors of high‐performing officers.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the results include an immeasurable bias due to officers' discretion in completing contact cards for every motor vehicle stop, lack of external validity due to the specific circumstances surrounding the data collection, and the ‘time window effect’. Future research should focus on neighborhood level data collection, ‘hot spots’ for motor vehicle stops, the existence of high‐performing (repeat) officers in field (pedestrian) stops, potential differences in racial disparity of motor vehicle stops across high‐ and low‐performing officers.Practical implicationsThe results of this study may offer insights into personnel and deployment practices based on officer performance.Originality/valueThis study is one of few on officer performance that included individual identifiers of police officers. This unique aspect of the data allowed for the analysis of a little‐researched area: officer productivity in motor vehicle stops.
Police academy training: comparing across curricula
Authors: Chappell Allison T. 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThis study aims to address two interrelated research questions. First, to compare the academy performance of police recruits trained under a traditional academy curriculum with the performance of those trained under a new academy curriculum based on community policing. Second, to investigate whether a different “type” of recruit performs better in the community policing curriculum compared with the traditional curriculum.Design/methodology/approachRegression analysis is used to estimate the effects of independent variables on three dependent variables that indicate academy success: average academy scores, failure experiences, and post‐academy employment.FindingsResults suggest that more highly educated recruits and female recruits fared better in the community policing curriculum but that, overall, recruits in the community policing curriculum performed similarly to their traditional counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings suggest that newer police training models may be rewarding skills consistent with the community policing philosophy, such as education. This is a study of one police training center that has instituted a new training curriculum, so results cannot be generalized to other training centers. The community policing curriculum was in the early stages of implementation when data were collected and was therefore not yet standardized. Finally, the analysis is limited to predicting the success of police recruits in the academy, rather than predicting their job performance.Originality/valueFew studies have examined academy training in community policing. This study is a first step to broadening understanding of the impact of academy training in community policing on police recruits.
Examining police use of force: a smaller agency perspective
Authors: Terrill William , Leinfelt Fredrik H. , Kwak Dae‐Hoon 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThis research seeks to examine police use of force from a smaller police agency perspective in comparison with what is known from previous research using data from larger‐scale agencies.Design/methodology/approachUsing police use of force reports involving arrests (n=3,264) over a three‐year period (2002‐2004) from a small police agency located in the upper‐Midwest, this study utilizes descriptive and multivariate analyses to examine how and why officers use force.FindingsWhile officers resorted to physical force (beyond handcuffing) in 18 percent of the arrest encounters, the majority of force is located at the lower end of the force continuum (e.g. soft hand control). However, unlike officer behavior, much of the resistant behavior displayed by suspects is toward the upper end of the spectrum (e.g. defensive/active). The results also indicate that the most powerful predictor of force is the presence and level of suspect resistance presented to officers. These findings are placed within the context of prior work.Research limitations/implicationsSince the current study relies on official data from a single police agency, the findings come with caution in terms of generalizability.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on police use of force by examining everyday force usage in a small police department.
Bicycle patrols: an underutilized resource
Authors: Menton Chris 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide information on the activities of police bicycle patrols.Design/methodology/approachA participant/observation research design was used. A five‐city, 32‐shift study on the output of police bicycle patrols was conducted. Same and similar ride‐alongs were conducted with bicycle and automobile patrols. All contacts (n=1,105) with the public were recorded and coded. These data included: number of people, tenor, seriousness and origination for each contact.FindingsAnalysis of these data provides evidence that bicycle patrols result in over twice as much contact with the public compared with automobile patrols. The field observation perspective revealed clear tactical advantages to bicycle patrols.Research limitations/implicationsWith a limited prior study of a police bicycle patrol's activities, this study is a significant initial step.Practical implicationsWith evidence of tactical and numerical public contact advantages, more attention and resources aimed at deployment of police bicycle patrols appear to be warranted.Originality/valueWith large US cities and other departments using bicycle patrols, preliminary information on effectiveness appears to be both original and of value.
Using personality traits to predict police officer performance
Authors: Sanders Beth A. 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of personality traits, namely the Big Five, as a means of selection in good police officers.Design/methodology/approachThe current study examines a sample of 96 police officers from eight non‐urban police departments.FindingsAge and attitude were found to be better predictors of job performance measures than were personality traits. A cynical work attitude was negatively related to ratings of job performance. Officer age was found to have a non‐linear relationship to job performance.Research limitations/implicationsDifficulties in measuring police performance are discussed, as is the relative importance of individual officer personality versus organizational culture.Originality/valueThe study extends the research on police officer selection and issues of job performance and measurement.
Shock value
Authors: Ready Justin , White Michael D. , Fisher Christopher 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThis paper sets out to encompass a comparative analysis of news reports and official police records of TASER deployments from 2002 to 2005.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology involves a content analysis of allLexisNexisandNew York Timesarticles involving police use of the TASER during the study period (n =353). Regional (New York Times) and national (LexisNexis) news reports describing police use of the TASER are compared with police reports of all TASER deployments by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) during the same timeframe (n =375).FindingsDescriptive statistics and logistic regression are used to compare the data sources with respect to: the circumstances in which the weapon is deployed; the characteristics of the suspects involved in the TASER incidents; and the significant predictors of continued suspect resistance and repeated use of the TASER by an officer.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper examines official police records on TASER deployments from one police agency. This limits the ability to generalize the research findings to other police agencies that have adopted different practices and policies regulating the deployment of CEDs. Additionally, the content analysis includes only articles in the mainstream print media.Practical implicationsThe paper concludes with a discussion about some myths associated with news reports on police use of the TASER, and their potential impact on both public perception and police practices.Originality/valueTo date, research has not systematically compared media representations of the TASER with official reports on police deployments of the weapon. That is the focus of this paper.
Exploring managerial behavior in small international firms
Authors: Andersson Svante , Florén Henrik 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the research on internationalization in small firms and research on managerial behavior, and it aims to develop new research questions that can enhance the understanding of the interface between these two areas.Design/methodology/approachA literature review of internationalization of small firms is carried out. It is concluded that understanding of managerial behavior in small international firms is in need of improvement. Therefore, the literature on managerial behavior is described, scrutinized and deployed in the context of small firms' internationalization.FindingsNo previous research has combined the research on small‐business internationalization and managerial behavior. Hypotheses that can be empirically tested and new research questions that can yield a better understanding of the internationalization processes in small firms are developed.Research limitations/implicationsThe hypotheses developed in this study have not yet been tested empirically. Further research is suggested to confirm and elaborate these propositions.Practical implicationsAs the propositions in this study are not tested their practical implications are limited at present. However, earlier research has shown that there is a link between managerial behavior and firm behavior. Managers may be inspired by the study to reflect upon this link and adjust their behavior in ways that can improve their firms' international development.Originality/valueIn this paper the research on internationalization in small firms is merged with the research on managerial behavior. By adding knowledge from the latter research tradition, the understanding of small‐firm internationalization should be advanced through raising novel issues and applying new methodological tools.
The creation and evolution of new business ventures: an activity theory perspective
Authors: Jones Oswald , Holt Robin 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThe paper seeks to draw on the work of Engeström to set out an activity theory framework for the analysis of entrepreneurs engaged in the creation of new business ventures (NBVs). Adopting an activity‐based approach involves analysing the actions of individual and groups that are mediated through a range of devices, including language and physical artefacts.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data are based on a small sample of “scholars” taking part in a UK government‐sponsored initiative to promote enterprise: the New Entrepreneur Scholarship (NES). The data were collected by means of semi‐structured interviews with the entrepreneurs. NVivo software was then used to systemise the data according to the six dimensions of the activity theory triangle.FindingsThe cases illustrate the contradictions and tensions that confront nascent entrepreneurs as they consider the horizon of possibilities associated with their business idea. The paper demonstrates that the new business actually emerges from a contested set of relationships within which the entrepreneur plays a critical, creative, but far from solitary, role.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of activity theory helps provide a better understanding of how entrepreneurs engaged in relatively mundane business start‐ups actually identify and develop “new” opportunities. This is in contrast to many studies of entrepreneurial activity which focus on “high‐tech” or fast‐growing firms.Originality/valueThis is an exploratory study which utilises the activity theory framework to understand the difficulties and rewards for individuals with limited human and social capital to create successful new firms.
A conceptual role interaction model for supply chain management in SMEs
Authors: Thakkar Jitesh , Kanda Arun , Deshmukh S.G. 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to propose a role interaction model for understanding a supply chain orientation of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approachThe paper defines various role players and logic for the quantification of conceptual role model. This process enlists some 13 possible combinations of various roles and defines them on a coordinated geometry of cube. An applicability of proposed logic is demonstrated for a case of XYZ tin‐container manufacturing SME.FindingsThe study provides an identification of various roles, development of role interaction model and its 13 combinations to gain insights into the supply chain management (SCM) issues of SMEs are the major contributions.Practical implicationsThe paper proposes a simple, logical and easy‐to‐use approach that could even be understood and applied by SMEs managers with a limited knowledge base.Originality/valueThe contributions of the paper are three‐fold: it reports contemporary literature on supply chain management in SMEs, it develops a conceptual role interaction model; and it demonstrates the application of proposed approach for the real life case example.
Product launch, product advantage and market orientation in SMEs
Authors: Ledwith Ann , O'Dwyer Michele 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThe importance of new product development to the survival and success of firms is well supported in the literature; however, few studies have investigated new product development in small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to examine the impact of product launch, product advantage and market orientation on new product development performance and organisational performance in SMEs.Design/methodology/approachThis model was tested using data collected from 48 small and large sized firms in Ireland. Findings from 33 small and 15 large firms were compared, and a correlation analysis was used to establish the relationships defined in the model for both small and large firms.FindingsThe study identified several significant differences between the impact of product launch, product advantage and market orientation on new product development and organisational performance in small and large firms. It also indicated several areas in which small firms can improve their new product and organisational performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis research builds on prior empirical research that has established a positive link between customer and competitor orientation and performance of small firms.Practical/implicationsThe managerial implications suggest that managers need to place a greater emphasis on product launch proficiency, new product characteristics and market orientation.Originality/valueThe results show that a market orientation, as well as having a direct impact on organisational performance, also affects new product development activities.
The relationship between an entrepreneur's culture and the entrepreneurial behaviour of the firm
Authors: Altinay Levent 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThis paper seeks to evaluate the relationship between Turkish entrepreneurs' cultural attributes and the entrepreneurial behaviour of their firms.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reports and analyses the findings of 227 face‐to‐face structured interviews with Turkish entrepreneurs.FindingsThis study illustrates that there is a strong relationship between the religion of an entrepreneur and the firm's recruitment, market segmentation and advice‐seeking practices. The English fluency of the entrepreneurs also influences their choice of using formal channels for advice.Research limitations/implicationsData collection was limited to London, and non‐Turkish entrepreneurs were excluded. Therefore, care should be taken in making generalisations from the sample.Practical implicationsThis paper identifies those cultural attributes of the ethnic entrepreneurs that need to be aligned with the wider economic environment of the host country.Originality/valueThis study focuses on the most critical player in an ethnic firm – the owner. It evaluates the linkage between the cultural attributes of the owner and the entrepreneurial behaviour of the firm.
Owner characteristics and health of SMEs in Pakistan
Authors: Khurrum S. Bhutta M. , Rana Arif I. , Asad Usman 
Published: March 2008

PurposeA major frustration for most policy researchers in the small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) area is the virtual non‐existence of scientific data on this sector in the country. This paper aims to provide some data.Design/methodology/approachA survey of 651 SMEs from the manufacturing sector of Pakistan was conducted in 2003 and statistical analysis was carried out to analyze the data. This paper focuses on the relationship between the health indicators namely, sales/employee, increase/decrease in sales, and investment plans and the different personal characteristics of the owner/entrepreneur.FindingsThis analysis suggests that education, generation setting up the business, and number of partners have a significant relationship with the health of SMEs. Health of the firm is also dependent on owner habits like watching television, reading newspapers and using computers for office work. Other factors like caste of the owner and occupation of the owner's relatives were also analyzed, but no significant relationship with the health of an SME was observed.Practical implicationsThe implications of this study are far reaching in understanding the profiles of owners of SMEs in Pakistan and how these profiles impact the profitability of the firms.Originality/valueTo date no other such study has been carried out in Pakistan. Similar studies on owner profiles have previously been carried out in other countries such as the UK and USA.
Home‐based internet businesses as drivers of variety
Authors: van Gelderen Marco , Sayers Janet , Keen Caroline 
Published: March 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show that the way home‐based internet businesses (HBIBs) are operated and the reasons for which they are started enable HBIBs to bring about variety, and to argue that this variety has a broader impact on the industry and the economy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts a multiple case study approach, studying the best practices of eight HBIBs.FindingsThe study finds that HBIBs generate variety because of the unique way in which they operate, and because of the reasons why they are started. How HBIBs operate can be captured in the acronym SMILES: Speed, Multiple income, Inexpensive, LEan, and Smart. They are founded (amongst other motives) for reasons of autonomy, freedom and independence. Both aspects – the how and why – of HBIBs are conducive to the creation of variety as they facilitate trial‐and‐error commercialisation of authentic ideas.Research limitations/implicationsFive theoretical perspectives posit that variety is important for the industry and the economy: evolutionary theory, strategic management, organic urban planning, opportunity recognition, and the knowledge economy. The findings are discussed in the context of each perspective, showing how HBIBs play a role in each perspective.Practical implicationsPolicy makers should be aware of the importance of HBIBs, which can be promoted, providing generic facilities for business information, training, and mentoring, and by making compliance burdens more proportional to business size.Originality/valueThe paper shows how and why HBIBs are drivers of variety. This paper argues, by means of five theoretical perspectives, that because of the variety HBIBs generate, they contribute to the economy over and above their direct and indirect contributions in terms of revenue and employment.