Title

Police officer self-legitimacy: the role of organizational fit

Abstract

Purpose: Police officer perceptions of their own legitimacy can be important in shaping aspects of their performance and other organizational outcomes. The current study uses person-environment fit theory to assess the effects of value congruence with top managers, immediate supervisors and coworkers on officers' perceptions of self-legitimacy.

Design/methodology/approach: The study used a cross-sectional survey of nearly 250 front-line police officers from seven municipal police departments in Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky to examine the effects of perceived value congruence on officers’ self-legitimacy. A hierarchical model of fit is assessed using structural equation modeling.

Findings: Findings demonstrate that value congruence positively relates to officers’ reported self-legitimacy, suggesting that officers who perceive greater similarity in values with others in the organization will express more confidence in their authority.

Originality/value: Our findings add to research on police officers’ self-legitimacy, and the use of a hierarchical model of person-environment fit might offer implications for future research on police culture.

Department(s)

Criminology and Criminal Justice

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2020-0035

Keywords

Person-environment fit, Police organization, Self-legitimacy

Publication Date

10-14-2020

Journal Title

Policing

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS