An Analysis of the Influence of Disciplinary Action on Police Officer Motivation

Virgulto, Robert (2007) An Analysis of the Influence of Disciplinary Action on Police Officer Motivation . Masters, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Central Connecticut State University.

Abstract

It is no secret that law enforcement is a paramilitary profession. One aspect of a paramilitary organization is the presence of discipline. Very few police officers last their 20 to 30 year career without receiving some type of discipline. The public favors police officers who are proactive and observant to the presence of crime in their patrol area. Police officers who are proactive are likely to receive some type of discipline because of their numerous public contacts. It is believed that motivated officers are more likely to be proactive, yet the fear of discipline may serve to demotivate police officers. The purpose of this study was to provide some insight into the relationship between motivation and fear of discipline. One hundred and one police officers from police departments of various sizes were sampled and a cross-sectional analysis using self-report surveys was conducted. Expected findings were that while supervisors and administrators believe they use discipline to mold a police officer to their expectations, the results may have a negative impact on the officer’s job performance. This study found that officers report lower motivation when they consider fear of discipline to be a demotivator. There also was a significant difference in fear of discipline as a function of officer rank. Sergeants and higher ranks were more likely to agree that fear of discipline is a motivator than detectives or officers.