In search of the silver‐lining: Police officers' attributions and responses to stakeholder critique

Kate E. Horton*, Gabriele Jacobs*, P. Saskia Bayerl, Mila Gascó‐Hernández, Marloes Rothengatter, Karen Elliott, Stefanie Giljohann, Claudia Lenuţa Rus

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Tensions between police organizations and (community) stakeholders have taken center stage in recent years, with an escalation in protests and divisive rhetoric observed in many countries. Using attribution theory, this study examines how police officers interpret negative stakeholder feedback and how these interpretations shape their behavioral responses. Qualitative analysis based on 148 interviews with European police officers shows that officers make six different attributions about the causes of stakeholder critique, and that these have direct implications for their behavioral responses. In particular, these different attribution patterns are found to play a critical and hitherto unrecognized role in shaping police‐stakeholder relations and organizational learning among police forces.
Original languageEnglish
JournalPublic Administration Review
Early online date4 Oct 2023
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 4 Oct 2023

Bibliographical note

Research Funding
European Commission. Grant Number: 241918

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