Korean Police Officers Research Articles

Korean Police Officers’ Perceptions of Public Satisfaction and Its Effect on their Job Satisfaction and Work Performance

Korean Police Officers’ Perceptions of Public Satisfaction and Its Effect on their Job Satisfaction and Work Performance

Assessing the Effectiveness of NICHD Protocol Training Focused on Episodic Memory Training and Rapport-Building: a Study of Korean Police Officers

The present study examined the effectiveness of 2-day training programs utilizing the NICHD Protocol, with a particular focus on the episodic memory training and rapport-building phases. Ninety-seven police officers were allocated to one of four training conditions (protocol only, protocol and rapport-building, protocol and memory training, protocol and other interview issues), and mock interviews were conducted both before and after the training. The results showed that the proportions of invitations and directive questions asked significantly increased after training, whereas the proportions of option-posing and suggestive questions decreased. Although the different training programs changed interviewing behavior similarly, college students interviewed by police officers who had additional training in rapport-building and episodic memory training were more satisfied with their interviewers than those who were interviewed by police officers in the other conditions.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and occupational characteristics of police officers in Republic of Korea: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveSouth Korean police officers have a greater workload compared to their counterparts in advanced countries. However, few studies have evaluated the occupational challenges that South Korean police officers face. Therefore,...

Police transformational leadership and organizational commitment

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the relation between police transformational leadership and organizational commitment is mediated by organizational culture. Drawing on the competing values framework (Quinn, 1988), four types of cultural orientations (group, developmental, hierarchical, and rational) are analyzed.Design/methodology/approach– In total, 358 South Korean police officers are surveyed. Using competing values as multiple mediators, a parallel four mediator model is estimated. Bias-corrected bootstrapping methods are employed to consider the small sample size, as well as the possible non-normal distribution of specific indirect effects.Findings– The linkage between transformational leadership and commitment appears to be fully mediated by group culture. Interestingly, multiple individual officer characteristics, duty type, and departmental size do not impact respective constructs overall.Research limitations/implications– The use of cross-sectional data hinders causal ordering among constructs included.Practical implications– Given the full mediation relationships among the three constructs, it is advisable to develop more nuanced leadership training programs optimized for fostering “considerate and supportive leaders” who have been known to impact group culture.Originality/value– Including two understudied police organizational correlates (i.e. transformational leadership and organizational culture), this study accounts for the mediating role of organizational culture in the transformational leadership-commitment link with multiple variables frequently used in previous research being controlled.

The Analysis of the Curriculum for Training Newly Recruited Korean Police Officers and Its Policy Implications

The Analysis of the Curriculum for Training Newly Recruited Korean Police Officers and Its Policy Implications

Effects of the NICHD Protocol Training on Child Investigative Interview Quality in Korean Police Officers

This study was conducted to determine, by comparing pre- and post-training interview of 18 Korean police officers, whether training in use of the NICHD Protocol improved the quality of investigative interviews of allegedly abused child victims. Results showed that Korean police officers more often followed the Protocol structure -they introduced themselves, explained the ground rules, and conducted episodic memory training-after they had been trained. Moreover, police officers used approximately three times as many desirable prompts (such as invitations and facilitators) and fewer suggestive prompts in interviews conducted after as opposed to before the training. Invitations elicited approximately four to seven times more details on average than the least productive prompts. These results confirmed that the NICHD Protocol is effective when used to interview alleged child abuse victims in East Asia.

Police record-discretion as misconduct in South Korea

Despite a substantial number of police corruption studies founded on Klockars and colleagues' scenario-based vignette survey (2004), little attention has been paid to record-discretion as a type of police misconduct. Goldstein (1977) notes that police corruption is sometimes manifested in insidious forms. Record-discretion is worth investigating because despite its low visibility it potentially affects public confidence in the entire criminal justice system. Using data from South Korean police officers with investigative assignments, we examine the etiology of record-discretion among detectives by focusing on both individual officer characteristics and his/her perceptions of organizational correlates. Significant predictors included investigators' levels of expertise and prior injury experience, prosecutor supervision, media attention, and rule effectiveness. These relationships, however, vary across types of assignment, supporting evidence for the existence of two cultures in policing.

Police Stressors, Job Satisfaction, Burnout, and Turnover Intention Among South Korean Police Officers

There have been a number of studies of the effect of stress on police turnover indicating that stress encourages resignation. Unfortunately, stress can be an unavoidable aspect of policing and simply identifying the relationship does not help us avoid turnover. This study not only examines the association between various job stressors and turnover but also assesses whether the relationship is mediated by job satisfaction and burnout. If these factors reduce the effects of stress on turnover, then police administrators can work to influence these mediators and thereby reduce the negative effects of stress. Building on the previous literature on employee turnover, we explored the associations of stressors, job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intent using survey data from South Korean line officers. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses and structural equation modeling were conducted. Among a range of police stressors, work-family conflict emerged as a significant predictor of turnover. Burnout mediated the association between the stressor and turnover intent, while job satisfaction did not. Possible policies were discussed to address the issue of work-family conflict and to reduce burnout and, thereby, turnover among police officers. The current South Korean study produced empirical results that are not exactly identical to the findings from western studies, which suggests the importance of the historical and cultural contexts in police research.

Korean Police Officer Attitudes Toward the Use of Force

Contemporary police researchers theorize that officer attitudes affect their discretionary choices in everyday work. That research is largely derived from American or other Western samples. The current research examines a sample of 578 South Korean police officers drawn from three police departments in 2008. The key question addressed is whether officer attitudes, such as selectivity and aggressiveness or organization environment, influence attitudes toward use of force as well as self-reported actions that officers would take in situations involving resistant suspects. Overall, the findings from the Korean sample are consistent with Western-derived hypotheses: Officers reporting aggressive attitudes toward law enforcement are more likely to believe that policies are unnecessarily restrictive on officers’ use of force, that peers are likely to use force against suspects, and to be supportive of peers’ use of force against suspects. Additionally, organizational environment also influences several outcomes. This suggests that the study of coercive police power may be amenable to more general theorizing, and policy-makers should not dismiss international research as irrelevant to local issues.

A Test of General Strain Theory on Police Officers’ Turnover Intention

Contrary to extensive empirical tests of Agnew’s (Criminology, 30, 47–87, 1992) general strain theory (GST), little research has been applied to explaining organizational behaviors. Employing data from South Korean police officers, this study examined the relationship between police officers’ occupational strain and their turnover intention. More specifically, the current study investigated the mediating effects of negative emotions on the relationship between occupational strain and intention to resign, as well as the buffering effects of social support on the pathways linking strain, negative emotions, and turnover intention. Overall, the findings indicated that GST’s core propositions can be applied to a police occupational setting. Two of the three types of negative emotions had significant mediating effects on the linkage between strain and turnover intention as a non-deviant coping behavior. Furthermore, the results also provided partial support for the moderating role of social support, as GST posited. Theoretical and policy implication are also discussed.

Risk factors for fatigue and stress among Korean police officers.

[Purpose] This study investigated factors that affect the health of police officers by analyzing job stress, psychosocial stress, and fatigue faced by police officers in order to provide basic data for the efficient management of police officers and future comparative research. [Subjects and Methods] Police officers admitted to the National Police Hospital from March to May 2013 were surveyed to investigate their degree of stress. The questionnaire consisted of 4 areas related to patient characteristics: general and demographic characteristics factors, job stress, psychosocial stress, and fatigue. [Results] The analysis of the relationships among job stress, psychosocial health, and fatigue showed the 0%, 44.7%, and 82% of those with healthy, potential, and high risks of stress had high job stress, respectively. Meanwhile, 40.8% and 77.9% of subjects with normal and high risks of fatigue had high job stress. [Conclusion] The studies can be used as basic and comparative data for the prevention and early control of job-related diseases for police officers.

The Quality of Korean Police Officers’ Investigative Interviews with Alleged Sexual Abuse Victims as Revealed by Self-Report and Observation

This study examined Korean police officers’ perceptions of how well they used recommended techniques and then assessed whether they followed the relevant guidelines. Most police officers believed that they adhered to recommended guidelines but few actually did. Police officers perceived that invitations were the most useful types of questions and reported using invitations frequently during their interviews, but in practice they rarely used invitations and relied instead on option-posing and directive questions. Moreover, some recommended practices, including the need for an introductory phase (concerned with explaining the purpose of the interview and the ground rules), rapport building, and episodic memory training were often neglected by the interviewers. This study provides unique insight into Korean police officers’ perceived and actual practices when interviewing allegedly abused child victims. The findings have important implications for ongoing efforts to improve Korean police investigative practices.

Determinants of police job satisfaction: Does community matter?

Research on police job satisfaction has found that work-related factors had greater influence on job satisfaction than personal characteristics. These studies, however, tend to overlook the effects of community characteristics on officers' perception of satisfaction with their job except very limited studies (e.g. Buker and Dolu, 2010). The current study contributes to the literature by examining relative effects of demographic, work-related, and community characteristic factors on police officers' work satisfaction and exploring invariance of relationships among these variables across types of duty. To this end data of Korean police officers are analyzed with multilevel modeling techniques (HLM). The results indicate that neither community characteristics nor demographic characteristics have any influence on job satisfaction, while work-related variables, in particular, support from coworkers and support from supervisors significantly affect officers' satisfaction with job.

Community policing in South Korea: an analysis of organizational determinants

Three major reforms have been introduced in South Korea since 1945. The recent ongoing reform was the Grand Reform conducted from 1999. The goal of the Grand Reform was to change the nation’s policing style from colonial policing to a more democratic policing that focuses on accountability to citizens and a service orientation of the police. Community policing was introduced as a core program of the Grand Reform in 1999. The survey of a national sample of 406 South Korean police officers suggested that some demographics and organizational characteristics were crucial factors that influence officers’ attitudes toward community policing. Policy implications and limitations were also discussed.

Hazardous alcohol use among South Korean police officers: Examining predictions from general strain theory

Agnew's (1985, 1992) general strain theory (GST) had earned a wide array of empirical support in research on crime and delinquency. Yet, there has been limited attempt to apply GST's framework to unique samples such as police officers. The present study explores the generalizability of GST to hazardous alcohol use using a sample of 570 South Korean male police officers. OLS, binary logistic, and ordinal logistic regression analyses produced evidence that partially supports the key propositions of GST. These findings are explained in the context of South Korean drinking culture. Research implications for future researchers are also discussed.

Factors affecting the musculoskeletal symptoms of korean police officers.

] This study was conducted to investigate efficient, systematic management of the Korean police and to examine the status and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in Korean police officers. [Subjects and Methods] A survey of police officers (353 subjects) who visited the National Police Hospital from March 2013 to May 2013 was conducted using a structured questionnaire. [Results] The incidence of pain was 44.2% in the shoulder, 41.4% in the waist, 31.2% in the neck, 26.1% in the legs/foot, 16.7% in the hand/wrist/finger, and 14.7% in the arm/elbow. The comparative risk of the relevant part factors was analyzed by multiple regression analysis. The shoulder had a 4.87 times higher risk in police lieutenants compared with those under the rank of corporal and a 1.78 times higher risk in people with chronic diseases than those without chronic diseases. The arm/elbow had a 2.37 times higher risk in people who exercised than those who did not exercise and a 1.78 times higher risk in people with a chronic disease than those without chronic diseases. Generally, people with a chronic disease showed a higher risk than those without chronic diseases. [Conclusion] The results of this study could be useful as basic data for improvement of police welfare, specialized treatment for the health safety of the police, and efficient management of police resources.

Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Korean Police Personnel

This study was conducted to investigate efficient, systematic management of the Korean police and to examine the status and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in Korean police officers. For police officers in special working environments, the importance of basic data is emphasized for human resources (HR) management and the prevention of industrial hazards from an industrial health care perspective. This study was conducted on police officers who visited the national police hospital and who underwent x-ray, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders. The results revealed that examinations for the lower extremities and spine were most frequently conducted using x-ray, CT, and MRI. In particular, knee and lumbar examinations were most frequently conducted among all lower extremity and spine examinations, respectively.

Job Satisfaction among South Korean Police Officers: A Qualitative Approach

Police officers' job satisfaction has usually been measured by quantitative methods such as survey. This research is the first attempt to interview police officers in Korea to find how satisfied they are with their job. Based on e-mail interview with fourteen police officers in Korea, the study measured the multiple dimensions of job satisfaction including work condition, relationship with supervisors and colleagues, personnel management, pay and benefit, and discretion. The results suggested that police officers' attitude toward their job and motivation of becoming police officers may influence their job satisfaction. Other findings and policy implications are also discussed.

Source of Job Satisfaction among South Korean Police Officers

Studies of police job satisfaction show consistent findings that work-related variables have greater effects than personal demographic factors. Despite the cumulative knowledge about the sources of police officers' job satisfaction, there exist several limitations, including the applicability of the findings drawn from Western studies to the Asian context and differences in the determinants of job satisfaction across organisational subgroups. This study contributes to current literature by examining both phenomena: (1) whether work-related factors dominate for South Korean police officers, and (2) whether determinants of job satisfaction vary across type of duty. Using a sample of 341 Korean police officers, this study found that work-related variables indeed had stronger effects than demographic on job satisfaction in the sample. However, the determinants of job satisfaction differ between patrol officers and clerical officers. Although perceptions of pay and commitment have significant effects on job satisfaction for both groups, autonomy, job security and citizen feedback affect only clerical officers' job satisfaction, but not patrol officers'.

Organizational justice and organizational commitment among South Korean police officers

PurposeIn spite of the importance of officers' perception of organizational justice and its influence on organizational commitment, the policing literature lacks information about the relationship between the factors. Using job satisfaction as a mediator, this study aims to examine an indirect influence of organizational justice on police officers' commitment to their organization.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a survey of 418 police officers in South Korea while on in‐service training. In exploring the complex relationship among organizational justice (i.e. distributive, procedural, and interactional), job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, the researchers utilized structural equation modeling to overcome the weaknesses of linear regression models.FindingsOfficers' perception of organizational justice was positively related with their level of organizational commitment. In addition, perception of procedural and interactional justice had an indirect impact on the officers' organizational commitment through distributive justice. Lastly, perception of organizational justice showed an indirect influence on organizational commitment through job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsDue to its cross‐sectional design, the findings do not confirm any causal relationship among the variables. In addition, the current study used a purposive sample of police officers in South Korea, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by examining organizational commitment in light of officers' perception of organizational justice and job satisfaction using structural equation modeling to explore the complex relationship among the organizational factors.