Facilitating Learning to Improve Performance of Law Enforcement Workgroups: The Role of Inclusive Leadership Behavior

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article examines how law enforcement managers may cultivate learning and improve performance of their workgroups by demonstrating inclusive leadership. To this effort, we use multisource survey data that were collected from 104 law enforcement managers, 530 of their direct reports/subordinates, and the managers’ supervisors/bosses. The analysis shows that law enforcement workgroups characterized by a high level of psychological safety are more likely to engage in learning activities than those with a low level of psychological safety. Higher learning effort, in turn, is associated with higher workgroup performance, rated by the managers’ bosses. Finally, we find that inclusive leadership behavior by the law enforcement managers plays an important role in motivating their workgroups to engage in learning and this effect is mediated fully by workgroup psychological safety. We discuss implications of these findings for research on public leadership and the management of law enforcement organizations.