The influence of organizational socialization on police officers' acceptance of community policing

Abstract

PurposeThe study aims to examine the effect of organizational socialization into police culture on officers' attitudes toward community policing in South Korea.Design/methodology/approachThe study sampled 694 Korean police officers. Policy implication and direction for future research is discussed.FindingsThe results indicate a positive relationship between the degree of organizational socialization and police officers' attitudes toward community policing, contrary to hypothesized directions. Police officers who report higher levels of socialization into police culture are more likely to support the philosophy of community policing and line officers' autonomy/participation, and to perceive a positive relationship with citizens. The findings may indicate that police culture in Korea is fundamentally different from those of other countries, even though the Korean police share some common characteristics of police culture (i.e. machismo, isolation, or conflict with citizens) with its counterparts.Originality/valueThe study provides useful information on the effect of organizational socialization into police culture on officers' attitudes toward community policing.