NCJ Number
112755
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: (1988) Pages: 111-120
Date Published
1988
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Research on criminal justice practitioners has highlighted the role of discretion in decisionmaking.
Abstract
Often discretion is guided by official policy statements. However, organizational research has found that informal norms also play a role in determining the behavior of individuals. In addition, the personal values of individuals have some influence on their decisions. This study tested the hypothesis that errors in decisionmaking reflect conflicts among official norms, informal norms, and personal values. Ninety-two officers responded to decisionmaking situations depicted in narratives of the kind used in civil service tests of practical judgment. For each situation, three answers were provided -- a decision based on official policy, a decision based on common job practices, and a decision based on personal values. For most situations, answers reflected conflicts among these three norms. Errors in terms of official policy were related to choices based on common job practices or personal values. The most common errors were failures to depart from routine roles or procedures in emergency situations. The data of this study suggest that errors in decisionmaking are more a matter of organizational forces than individual mistakes. Hence, an adequate response to poor decisionmaking may have to go beyond fixing individual responsibilities to reexamining the formal and informal norms of the organization. (Author abstract)