NCJ Number
7268
Date Published
1966
Length
118 pages
Annotation
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FORMAL AND INFORMAL ORGANIZATIONS, EMPLOYEE PASSAGE THROUGH FUNCTIONALLY RELATED JOBS, AND DEGREE OF OCCUPATIONAL ACTIVITY.
Abstract
POLICE OFFICERS IN THREE MEDIUM-SIZE DEPARTMENTS IN ILLINOIS WERE SURVEYED. THE DATA, GATHERED BY USE OF A SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE, FOCUSED ON THREE GENERAL AREAS-THE WORK HISTORY OF THE RESPONDENT, HIS MEMBERSHIPS IN AND EVALUATION OF POLICE OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS, AND PERSONAL BACKGROUND DATA. FINDINGS INDICATED THAT EMPHASIS UPON WORK PLACE BY POLICE OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS TENDS TO VARY INVERSELY WITH EMPHASIS PLACED UPON TASK. THE AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE WITHIN AN OCCUPATION WAS FOUND TO EXPLAIN MORE OF THE VARIATION IN PARTICIPATION IN POLICE OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS THAN THE NUMBER AND LOCATION OF CAREERS OVER THE ENTIRE WORK HISTORY. ALSO, THE AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE WITHIN AN OCCUPATION EXPLAINS MORE OF THE VARIATION IN OCCUPATIONAL GROUP PARTICIPATION THAN DOES BUREAUCRATIZATION OF THE OCCUPATION. RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES USED IN THE STUDY WERE COMPILED AND PRESENTED IN THE APPENDIX. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)