Managerial factors and organisational commitment ‐ A comparative study of police officers and civilian staff

Abstract

It is estimated that civilian employees comprise 30 per cent of the police workforce in England and Wales, yet their working experiences have largely been ignored in the management literature. This article aims to help fill this void by analysing the antecedents of organisational commitment of 369 civilian support employees and how they compare with those of 1,242 police officers working in a large English police force. The study reveals that how individuals feel they are managed and supported has a strong bearing on organisation commitment, and that this is true for two very different groups of employees – police officers and civilian support staff. The implications for HRM development are discussed. The article concludes by suggesting that the findings could be extrapolated to a wide range of other public sector organisations, since they provide insights into managerial practices that have an impact on commitment regardless of job type.