The Role of Technology on Work Practices in Police Departments

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Technological advances have made effective knowledge management (KM) a requirement in many organizations and industries. As these technologies and applications become more ubiquitous, the ability to use these technologies for knowledge sharing and to impact work outcomes becomes even more urgent. This urgency is nowhere more evident than in the public sector, specifically in the law enforcement community. As a result of the events of September 11, 2001, we have witnessed an increased effort of law enforcement agencies to share knowledge and collaborate to promote attentiveness for homeland defense and the security of local communities. These changes may be improved by a better understanding of how police use new knowledge management technologies now available to them. Similarly, we need to assess how these technologies will affect the nature of police work. Based upon a solid theoretical foundation, this research draws upon existing knowledge about communication and knowledge sharing, individual differences, organizational culture, group characteristics, incentive systems, and technology to understand organizational change in police departments. The three major objectives of the proposed research are: (1) to understand individual, group, and organizational factors that influence work practices in police departments, (2) to understand how changes in technology impact work practices, and (3) to understand how these changes in work practices affect individual, group, and organizational factors. The research uses multiple methods from empirical social science and behavioral research to validate our model of factor that influence police work in police departments. The research will have theoretical implications for the disciplines of social psychology, organization science, information systems, and criminology. The research outcomes will be particularly applicable to law enforcement agencies, academics studying public sector institutions, organizational change theorists, and knowledge management practitioners. The research is organized in three phases. The first phase serves to evaluate our original model, based on previous literature on the effects of individual, group, and organizational factors. The second phase builds upon our model to investigate the effects of KM technology implementation on work practices. The third phase investigates the issue of organization change over time by looking at the impact that KM technologies can have on the underlying individual, group, and organizational factors in police departments. By focusing on some of the most pressing issues for police departments, this research could have substantial impact on police departments throughout the United States and national homeland defense agencies.