NCJ Number
216840
Journal
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management Volume: 29 Issue: 4 Dated: 2006 Pages: 691-703
Date Published
2006
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study compared the characteristics of police officers having 15 or more years of service who had been promoted with those of police officers having 15 or more years of service who had not been promoted.
Abstract
Findings indicated that police who had not been promoted were younger, had less job experience (average of 21.4 years of police tenure), and had more years of education than police officers who were promoted. Officers who experienced career plateau (no promotion) reported less favorable work outcomes and greater job cynicism. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of psychological health, indicating that the potentially negative consequences of career plateau were limited to the workplace. The authors offer several suggestions for reducing the negative impacts of career plateau, including expanding the job responsibilities and empowering long-serving officers. Anonymous survey data was collected from 766 police officers in Norway during 2003. The surveys were mailed to officers by the Norwegian Police Union and were returned to an independent research institute. Surveys measured demographic information, family characteristics, work situation characteristics, work outcomes, psychological health, suicidal ideation, and job burnout. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Limitations of the study are discussed and include its reliance on self-report measures. Tables, references