American Law Enforcement Large-Scale Organizational Change: A Convergent Mixed Method Investigation

Abstract

Police chiefs must lead their agencies to adapt to political pendulum shifts, economic booms and busts, revised laws, emerging technology, new crime trends, and shifting public expectations to maintain their department’s legitimacy. However, most academic and professional research and guidance focus on what to change in policing without giving rigorous examination to how to change. This research project addressed this important topic by focusing on police executives’ experiences with organizational change and their openness to it. It used a convergent mixed methods approach to analyze original research. Data from surveys demonstrated that prior experience with organizational change predicted executive openness. Further, six important themes emerged from 23 elite interviews. The integrated analysis created a better understanding of contemporary large-scale organizational change in American law enforcement.