Chapter Nine – Occupational Socialization

Understand occupational socialization Understand the basic precepts of organizational

culture Understand the socialization process as it applies

to criminal justice agencies Be able to discuss the problems in the socialization

process in criminal justice agencies Understand the basic strategies for socialization

The process by which a person acquires the values, attitudes, and behaviors of an ongoing occupational social system.

It is a continuous process and may result in both legal and illegal behaviors.

Habitual behaviors, both good or bad, persist as long as the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, habits and expectations of the members remain supportive of them.

A set of assumptions, values, and beliefs shared by members of an organization.

These create language, symbols, folklore, and direct the behaviors of the organizational members.

Organizational cultures are invented, discovered, or developed by groups in order to cope with external influences and internal change.

Culture – complex whole of society and includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs and other capabilities and routines

Values – desirable goals Norms – specify what people should do Folkways – standard ways of doing things Mores – strong views of right and wrong Laws – codified mores

Social control – the process of perpetuating conformity to the culture

Sanctions – rewards and punishments for conformity. Can be formal or informal.

Subcultures – groups that have their own beliefs and norms while sharing the values of the dominant culture

Counterculture – groups whose shared values differ substantially from those of the dominant culture

Key questionsoHow is the culture formed?oWhat forces are critical in forming the culture?oHow the cultural arrangements impact the

organizational goals?oHow and to what extent administrators can

influence the cultural arrangement of their agency?

The socialization process is both formal and informal.

Stageso Anticipatory – prior to employment prospective

employees adhere to certain behavioral standardso Formal – occurs through formal training and active

supervisiono Informal – occurs though interaction with “significant

other” peers, managers and even clients

A model of influences (Katz and Kahn, 1978) explains how socializing influences affect the individual.o Role expectations – standards of behavioro Sent role – communication of expectationso Received role – the individual’s perception and

understanding of the sent roleo Role behavior – the individual’s response to

the complex information received

Most socialization problems are related to role conflict.o Compliance with one role expectation results in a lack

of compliance to another.

Role conflict results in low job satisfaction, poor performance, and stress.

In extreme cases corruption and official deviance can occur.o Behavior that is illegal but encouraged by the

organization’s culture

No evidence that authoritarian or violence seeking individuals are attracted to police work.

Police officers are subjected to a rather intense socialization process.

Structural aspects that connect police officerso Police work is depersonalizingo Solidarity in the drive toward professionalismo The ambiguous nature of police work

Correctional employees are attracted to the profession because of its regular pay and job security.

Most new correctional employees know very little about the job.

Unlike police officers, correctional officers often delay formal training until after a few months of on the job training and informal socialization.

Informal socialization appears to be more influential than formal socialization.

Community expectations affect the socialization process.

Within the context of community expectations;o Appropriate behaviors are rewarded with public

recognition, ando Inappropriate behaviors are punished by public

criticism.

Well trained and educated practitioners are more likely to meet community expectations.

The socialization process can be influenced by effective and deliberate leadership.

Changing the culture begins with changing recruiting processes and selection criteria.

Formalizing the training process and distancing it from the actual work improve and objectify the socialization process.

Collective socialization – training new members as a group (i.e. formal academy training)

Sequential socialization – trainees pass through discrete stages on the way to becoming a fully accepted member of the group (e.g. post training probationary periods)

Serial socialization – relies on experienced veterans to develop newcomers (e.g. field training officer programs

Divestiture strategies – attempt to strip away certain characteristics before an individual is allowed into the group (e.g. haircuts and special uniforms)

The formal socialization process is a mechanism for the organization to impose its dominant belief system and rules upon its members.

Subtle messages from the command staff are influential in either discouraging or encouraging unethical behaviors.

Autocratic management styles tend to drive wedges between employees and the organization which may result in various forms of unethical behavior.

Occupational socialization is a process by which a member of an organization acquires the values, attitudes, and behaviors of an ongoing occupational social system.

This process may include formal training and will include social interactions with work peers.

Organizational culture is a set of assumptions, values, and beliefs shared by members of an organization.

Organizational culture includes language, symbols, and folklore that direct the behavior of the organization’s members.

Anticipatory socialization is often based upon media, movies, and television program. It is often inaccurate.

Formal socialization is often weak and informal socialization is usually strong.

Criminal justice practitioners face role conflict, role ambiguity, conflicting expectations, and contradictory goals. Hence, the socialization process presents conflicting stimuli.

Managers continuously influence the socialization process. Organizational socialization begins with recruiting and

selection and is accomplished though the orientation and training processes.

Supervision provides a continuous impact on formal socialization.

You have just been elected Sheriff of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.

Your initial review of the department indicates a very loosely managed and controlled organization.

Training is haphazard, supervision is nearly nonexistent, and deputies are allowed to come and go as they please.

The department recently lost a class action suit filed by a group of Hispanic inmates who were repeatedly physically assaulted by a group of ten jailers.

You have come to the conclusion that the Department’s subculture is corruption prone.

Using the information from this chapter develop a plan for addressing and changing the Department’s organizational culture so that it becomes more conducive to the standards of ethical policing practice.