Criminal Justice Organizations Administration and Management Chapter Nine

Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management Chapter Nine – Occupational Socialization

Learning Objectives § Understand occupational socialization § Understand the basic precepts of organizational culture § Understand the socialization process as it applies to criminal justice agencies § Be able to discuss the problems in the socialization process in criminal justice agencies § Understand the basic strategies for socialization

Occupational Socialization § The process by which a person acquires the values, attitudes, and behaviors of an ongoing occupational social system. § It is a continuous process and may result in both legal and illegal behaviors. § Habitual behaviors, both good or bad, persist as long as the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, habits and expectations of the members remain supportive of them.

Organizational Culture § A set of assumptions, values, and beliefs shared by members of an organization. § These create language, symbols, folklore, and direct the behaviors of the organizational members. § Organizational cultures are invented, discovered, or developed by groups in order to cope with external influences and internal change.

Organizational Culture Key Terms § Culture – complex whole of society and includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs and other capabilities and routines § Values – desirable goals § Norms – specify what people should do § Folkways – standard ways of doing things § Mores – strong views of right and wrong § Laws – codified mores

Organizational Culture Key Terms § Social control – the process of perpetuating conformity to the culture § Sanctions – rewards and punishments for conformity. Can be formal or informal. § Subcultures – groups that have their own beliefs and norms while sharing the values of the dominant culture § Counterculture – groups whose shared values differ substantially from those of the dominant culture

Organizational Culture § Key questions o How is the culture formed? o What forces are critical in forming the culture? o How the cultural arrangements impact the organizational goals? o How and to what extent administrators can influence the cultural arrangement of their agency?

The Socialization Process § The socialization process is both formal and informal. § Stages o Anticipatory – prior to employment prospective employees adhere to certain behavioral standards o Formal – occurs through formal training and active supervision o Informal – occurs though interaction with “significant other” peers, managers and even clients

The Socialization Process § A model of influences (Katz and Kahn, 1978) explains how socializing influences affect the individual. o Role expectations – standards of behavior o Sent role – communication of expectations o Received role – the individual’s perception and understanding of the sent role o Role behavior – the individual’s response to the complex information received

The Socialization Process

Problems in the Socialization Process § Most socialization problems are related to role conflict. o Compliance with one role expectation results in a lack of compliance to another. § Role conflict results in low job satisfaction, poor performance, and stress. § In extreme cases corruption and official deviance can occur. o Behavior that is illegal but encouraged by the organization’s culture

Socialization and the Police § No evidence that authoritarian or violence seeking individuals are attracted to police work. § Police officers are subjected to a rather intense socialization process. § Structural aspects that connect police officers o Police work is depersonalizing o Solidarity in the drive toward professionalism o The ambiguous nature of police work

Socialization in Corrections § Correctional employees are attracted to the profession because of its regular pay and job security. § Most new correctional employees know very little about the job. § Unlike police officers, correctional officers often delay formal training until after a few months of on the job training and informal socialization. § Informal socialization appears to be more influential than formal socialization.

Socialization and Community Expectations § Community expectations affect the socialization process. § Within the context of community expectations; o Appropriate behaviors are rewarded with public recognition, and o Inappropriate behaviors are punished by public criticism. § Well trained and educated practitioners are more likely to meet community expectations.

Strategies for Socialization Implications for Administrators § The socialization process can be influenced by effective and deliberate leadership. § Changing the culture begins with changing recruiting processes and selection criteria. § Formalizing the training process and distancing it from the actual work improve and objectify the socialization process.

Strategies for Socialization Implications for Administrators § Collective socialization – training new members as a group (i. e. formal academy training) § Sequential socialization – trainees pass through discrete stages on the way to becoming a fully accepted member of the group (e. g. post training probationary periods) § Serial socialization – relies on experienced veterans to develop newcomers (e. g. field training officer programs § Divestiture strategies – attempt to strip away certain characteristics before an individual is allowed into the group (e. g. haircuts and special uniforms)

Ethical Considerations § The formal socialization process is a mechanism for the organization to impose its dominant belief system and rules upon its members. § Subtle messages from the command staff are influential in either discouraging or encouraging unethical behaviors. § Autocratic management styles tend to drive wedges between employees and the organization which may result in various forms of unethical behavior.

Chapter Summary § Occupational socialization is a process by which a member of an organization acquires the values, attitudes, and behaviors of an ongoing occupational social system. § This process may include formal training and will include social interactions with work peers. § Organizational culture is a set of assumptions, values, and beliefs shared by members of an organization. § Organizational culture includes language, symbols, and folklore that direct the behavior of the organization’s members. § Anticipatory socialization is often based upon media, movies, and television program. It is often inaccurate.

Chapter Summary § Formal socialization is often weak and informal socialization is usually strong. § Criminal justice practitioners face role conflict, role ambiguity, conflicting expectations, and contradictory goals. Hence, the socialization process presents conflicting stimuli. § Managers continuously influence the socialization process. § Organizational socialization begins with recruiting and selection and is accomplished though the orientation and training processes. § Supervision provides a continuous impact on formal socialization.

Thinking Point and Question § You have just been elected Sheriff of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. § Your initial review of the department indicates a very loosely managed and controlled organization. § Training is haphazard, supervision is nearly nonexistent, and deputies are allowed to come and go as they please. § The department recently lost a class action suit filed by a group of Hispanic inmates who were repeatedly physically assaulted by a group of ten jailers.

Thinking Point and Question § You have come to the conclusion that the Department’s subculture is corruption prone. § Using the information from this chapter develop a plan for addressing and changing the Department’s organizational culture so that it becomes more conducive to the standards of ethical policing practice.