Organizational culture, stress, and coping strategies in the police: an empirical investigation

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the relationships between organizational culture, stress, and coping strategies in police organizations. In an online survey, 152 German police officers described their workgroups in terms of stressors (e.g. overtime demands, traumatic events), coping strategies (e.g. exercising, drinking alcohol), and shared values (e.g. masculinity, solidarity). Multiple regression models were tested to examine a) the effect of stress on police culture and b) the effect of stress and police culture on coping. Conservative-male culture is stronger in workgroups with high operational stress. Predictors of maladaptive coping are organizational stress and conservative-male culture. Diligence culture is negatively associated with maladaptive coping. Overall, the study indicates that police culture depends on the composition and stress level of a workgroup and influences the way officers cope with stress. The main limitation of the study is the unclear direction of causality. However, our findings have important implications for leadership and psychological intervention within the police.