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The evidence suggests deductions for non-performance and competitive solicitation methods are key determinants of contractor performance. A penalty provision is strongly associated with an increase in unit cost, while a competitive solicitation method reduces unit cost. The evidence is inconclusive for fixed price contract and contract length. The findings support the idea that contracting techniques impact contractor performance. The potential for cost savings may not be fully realized unless techniques that focus on competitive contracting are employed. Future research that addresses contract design factors for other services in other settings will provide information to help policy makers choose among the numerous contract design options.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of work characteristics on members’ self‐efficacy and collective efficacy, and the subsequent effect on police officers’ performance.

A multilevel model is adopted to analyze quantitative data obtained by using 812 police officers and 54 chiefs of police stations in Taiwan as the research objects.

The authors found that work characteristics affected members’ self‐efficacy and collective efficacy, which further affected the individual‐ and group‐level performance and the contextual effect of social work characteristics (SWCs) and collective efficacy on self‐efficacy and individual performance. The authors also confirmed the cross‐level moderation of social characteristics on the relationship between motivational work characteristics (MWCs) and self‐efficacy, and between self‐efficacy and individual performance.

A limitation was the characteristics of the sample, which consisted of mostly first‐line uniformed police officers in Taiwan. From the perspective of managerial implications, it is felt that police organizations should beef up the training on police officers’ collective efficacy, such as building group spirit, improving members’ sense of responsibility, and building up trust with the organization.

The findings prove that the study of work design is particularly important for enhancing the management effectiveness of police organization, because it explains the causes of a number of organizational behaviors as well as a number of important results that influence the police organization (e.g. efficacy and performance).