Social Networks, Problem-Solving, Managers: Police Officers In Australia And The Usa

This article compares the role of management on the effectiveness of social networks for police officers and implications for engagement using survey data from 575 police officers in the USA and 193 police officers in Australia. Analysis included capturing frequencies, correlations, ANOVAs, structural equation modelling (SEM) for quantitative data, and thematic analysis of the qualitative data. The findings show that 5% of police officer in the USA sample and 12% of police officer in Australian sample had no support for problem-solving; police officers in the USA had bigger social networks; the reasons given for not identifying their line manager as part of their social support included 'the unapproachability of managers' and 'poor managers/bullying' and SEM showed a significant relationship between perceived organizational support (from management), social networks, and employee engagement. The findings have implications for internal security (employee well-being and productivity) and external security (public safety).