Predictors of successful implementation of COP: A comparison of officers' perceptions on organizational characteristics between South Korea and the USA

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to identify a model investigating effects of organizational characteristics on COP activity, and to compare the model in different social contexts to broaden the understanding of COP implementation. In addition, this study was intended to address an ecological fallacy committed in the prior studies so as to carry out a theoretically and methodologically rigorous comparative study of COP implementation between South Korea and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Unlike prior studies, which utilized direct measures of organizational characteristics, this study analyzed data on police officers' perceptions on organizational characteristics to investigate COP activities among police officers. For data collection, this study utilized an organizational survey developed by the School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University and collected data from 206 police officers in South Korea and 231 police officers in the USA. Structural equation modeling was used to identify the best fitting model to the combined data set, and multiple group analysis was performed to compare the model in both countries. For direct comparison and test of comparability, this study used matching for sampling and multiple group analysis method of SEM.

Findings

Findings indicated that both organizational flexibility and decentralization were important factors influencing COP activity in the USA, but decentralization of authority was the only important factor affecting COP activity in South Korea. Also, it was found that organizational philosophy had greater influence on organizational structure in the USA than in South Korea. In both countries, decentralization influenced feedback mechanism, but feedback mechanism did not influence COP activity. Likewise, flexibility influenced reward system, but the system did not influence COP activity in both countries.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study utilized matching and multiple group analysis for comparison between two countries, it may be possible that direct comparison regarding police organization would be difficult due to unmeasured aspects of organizational contexts.

Originality/value

Although many studies have been conducted to investigate effects of organizational factors on COP implementation, there has been a lack of study in South Korea. In addition, there is a vacuum of empirical study on comparison across different countries regarding the factors. In this sense, this study produced important comparative knowledge on COP implementation.

Citation

Lee, C. and Jang, H. (2012), "Predictors of successful implementation of COP: A comparison of officers' perceptions on organizational characteristics between South Korea and the USA", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 35 No. 2, pp. 382-401. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639511211230138