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Dr. Dennis Quinn recently left his position as Police Inspector, having served 31
years, in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. In the last year of his service in the police he
was the Information Officer for the Change Management Team, set up to oversee the
changes within the police service arising from the political settlement. This work was
informed by the research reported in this article. He is now the Information and
Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. His special areas
Abstract
At midnight on the 4th April 2002 the Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI)
officially took over from the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). This historic
symbolic change of name, along with the operational and administration changes that
went with it, arose from the Belfast Agreement, the subsequent Patten Commission
and a long period of consultation and persuasion. The new police service is therefore
an organisation that grew from transformation rather than from a new birth and is still
one of the largest police organisations within the UK. Like so many UK police
organisations the RUC had exhibited evidence that it recognised the need to address
the issue of internal communications but had not been involved in any in-depth
applying a validated audit methodology this paper examines the position internal
communications had within the RUC. Using a triangulation approach, the research
particular areas of the organisation. The implications of the findings for the fledgling
PSNI and other police organisations are discussed in the context of the role of
communication strategies.
Introduction
As part of the changes emanating from the Belfast Agreement and the resulting Patten
Commission, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) police organisation changed its
becoming more acceptable to the whole Northern Ireland community. The Patten
major recommendations that called for radical change including many which related
uniform. These provided a template for change and while still being debated in the
complex political arena that is Northern Ireland (NI), the PSNI came about at
midnight on 4 April 2002. During the period leading up to that symbolic change the
But what effects do such extraneous pressures have upon internal communications
within the organisation? This study attempted to address this latter issue.
efficiency and effectiveness has been widely recognised.1 It has been argued that:
secure the widespread ownership of corporate goals and implement such programmes
and organisational theory.3 Police organisations have had definition and theory both
specific (e.g. Police Administrative Theory4) and general applied to them. It has been
selected on the basis that they had an emphasis on performance and as such have been
structures have also been associated with police organisations.6 Cultural gaps
reflecting this type of structure have been identified, e.g. the classification of “street
managerial role).7 In UK studies the feelings of “them” and “us” reported by junior
officers in their relationship with senior officers has also been commented on8 with
Lack of consultation and poor communications have been listed as elements of how
ineffective management affects stress within the police service10 while internal
communication and understanding have been rated as some of the major themes for
improving quality.11
Formal and informal communication are essential and necessary for optimal
efficiency
However, while the need for good communication has been identified the lack of
While the RUC was structured on the lines of a civilian police based organisation it
has been unique in the UK in that it has had to operate against a backdrop of intense
terrorism, with its members being one of the main targets of the terrorist campaign.14
In addition, the RUC has been operating in the environment of a divided society15 in
which it has often had to ‘keep both sides apart’16. However, despite such constraints,
it has been argued that the organisation is as near to other UK police organisations as
At the operational level, a disproportionate ratio in levels of command and on the high
has been commented on.18 In addition, reference has been made to the need for:
and development”.19 Despite this there has not been any attempt to intensively
measure communication within the RUC. This study was designed to contribute to the
examination of the communication practices and processes of the RUC would not
police organisations. The most widely known approach to the measurement of internal
Communication Audits
An audit provides a process for acquiring data for analysis20 and in terms of this study
the analysis relates to communication processes and practices within the RUC.
It can also assist managers by providing them with knowledge of what actually is
happening at the communication level, rather than what they thought, or were told
was happening.22 Within the National Health Service in the UK, communication
auditors have shown how it is possible to: “successfully incorporate both qualitative
Lack of information
Unproductive meetings
Once problems have been identified, targeted solutions can then be developed and
Given these advantages, the audit approach was adopted as the main technique for
Methodology
Since the RUC had not previously been studied in any depth in terms of
both to check for consistency of findings and to obtain maximum data from the study.
1. Face to face interviews. The interview has been referred to as “the most basic
instrument.
Sample
The most basic unit of management, the Sub-division (geographical area managed by
senior officer, usually Superintendent) was chosen as the main focus for this
The selection of the actual sub-divisional sample used in this study was both
opportunist and judgmental. The first author in his role as an RUC officer was aware
that certain senior officers would co-operate with the study and allow access. Three
Sub-divisions were selected for inclusion in the study. Two of the sub-divisions were
situated in urban areas in Belfast and the third was selected from a rural area that was
responsible for three small towns and the surrounding countryside. A total of 131
were interviewed using a structured interview format. Each interview lasted for
Constable and Reserve Constable ranks. Each section, office and unit within the
subdivision was given a presentation by the researcher. This reinforced the covering
sheet on the Questionnaire and letter of introduction from the local superintendent.
This personalised the research experience. An envelope was provided for each officer
and they were asked to place the completed questionnaire into the envelope,
addressed to the researcher, and seal it. This reiterated the confidentiality and
referred to.
Results
Interviews
with local senior management as positive, e.g. “If they wanted us to know
something they would tell us”. 22% felt there was a gap between staff and
management and more contact was needed, i.e. “the senior officers [need] to be a
bit more open with information”; “[It would be useful for them] just to come down
seven percent felt most communication came from this group and all
with their immediate supervisor. Informal channels were perceived as being the
most used means of conveying job performance. Four key positive themes
emerged in that immediate supervisors were felt by the following percentage of all
respondents to have:
Given that only two of the respondents were Inspectors, therefore reporting on
Inspectors or Sergeants.
previous two categories, which concerned actual people, this group related to
would be decreed from Headquarters, I suppose everybody just has to toe the line,
whether they agree or not.” In contrast 22% believed command actually emanated
from the actual sub-division, i.e. “To me the chain of command starts with Sub-
“Officialdom and a lot of old stuff we don’t need to know about”; “The only
minutes flying about”; “You get a lot of correspondence that could be dealt with
at administration level”.
viewed as such a formal channel (39%). Formal channels were seen as being used
more use of informal channels (64%) e.g. “That doesn’t mean they have to be
aloof your know they can still come down and chat ” and the use of these channels
in conjunction with formal channels (60%) i.e. “Both formal where written law is
basis” and twenty-seven percent indicated the need for informality between
there’s nothing beats going and talking to somebody”. Verbal interaction was
described by 95% as being a form of informal channelling, i.e. “Just from chatting
to the boys” . The strength of such channels was also reflected in the fact that
problem in communications with CID, with some ten percent seeing ‘conflicts’ in
this relationship, e.g. “I think sometimes there is a bit of conflict with CID, the odd
95% felt they had good communications with their supervisor, i.e. “ Very
“I would say it’s fairly reasonable”, and “I think that in general it’s good”.
Despite this latter perspective 78% felt that there were no set criteria for effective
communications.
73% felt that communication directly affected their job performance, i.e. “It’s
essential”.
51% felt that poor communications had an effect on their job satisfaction, with
factors, i.e. “paperwork, there’s an awful lot of paperwork” and “It’s more of
a policy thing”.
feel that our senior officers could be communicating more for us on the
ground or the young officer, that is being there when they are being briefed.”
7. Organisational Change. Not surprisingly, given the context, 95% considered the
organisation as changing, with 85% feeling external factors were the main cause
of change, i.e. “The change in the political climate here at the minute” and
“Nothing stays still, society changes, everything changes and if you stay still
you’re left behind”. Some 78% of respondents felt they should receive more
information, e.g. “Yes, it’s always nice to know what’s happening to about you”.
Sixty percent had heard rumours about what was likely to happen, i.e. “Canteen,
general office chat” with forty percent indicating they believed some aspects of
those rumours.
Questionnaires
communication:
1. Information received
2. Information sent
3. Timeliness of information
4. Working relationships
5. Organisational outcomes
these areas at that moment in time. The other six areas are rated along two columns
allowing respondents to state what they feel is happening in respect of the areas at that
moment in time (actual) and what they feel should be happening (ideal). A 5-point
Likert rating scale was used for all sections and mean totals were derived for each
area. Differences were tested using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, and significant
shortfalls were found on all aspects, in that respondents wanted significantly more
information than they were currently receiving, with the exceptions of ‘the media’ and
‘the grapevine’. The results from each area are described below.
Information received.
The mean total scores for information received and information needed were 2.5 and
3.6 respectively. This indicated that respondents thought they were receiving between
“little” and “some”, but wanted a “great” amount of information. The greatest
The highest difference, between information received and that felt to be needed was
found in response to topics one and two above. It was also significant that in relation
to the goals of the organisation, respondents felt they were receiving too much
information (between “great” and “very great” amounts) and they needed less (lower
than “great”). While there was a strong perceived lack of communication in relation to
and pay benefits and conditions, performance in my job and what is expected from me
in my job.
There was on overall view that more action should be taken on the information being
sent by respondents within the organisation. The most significant shortfall was in
relation to colleagues in CID. Respondents reported they felt slightly more than CID
currently took ‘little’ action on information they had sent to them, and they wished a
great deal more action to be taken. The nearest to the CID difference was in relation
administrators. Respondents felt that those who took most action on the information
they sent were immediate work colleagues, immediate supervisor and inspectors.
These results were the only ones that showed a statistically non-significant result, in
that respondents did not wish to receive any more information through the grapevine
and did not want to receive very much more via the media. Indeed respondents felt
they needed slightly less information through the former channel. The largest
Here the highest mean scores for information received from various sources were for
seen as being received ‘mostly on time’. The lowest means recorded were for CID
and Top Management, for both of whom information was between ‘rarely’ and
‘sometimes’ on time.
Working Relationships
The sub-total scores for colleagues, supervisors and organisation were collated for
comparative purposes. The lowest sub-total mean difference score for supervisors
was 0.4 as compared to the sub-total scores for colleagues and management of 0.8 and
1 respectively. In addition the ‘actual’ score for current amount of trust was 3.8 for
supervisors as compared to 3.2 for colleagues and 2.8 for management. The highest
item difference score in this section related to I have a say in decisions that affect my
job, where the scores showed that respondents felt they had ‘little’ say but wanted a
‘great’ say.
The ICA allows for issues identified by the organisation to be put to the respondents.
The issues put forward by the organisation were agreed in consultation with the Sub-
views about information sent and received on these issues formed part of the
questionnaire. There was a strong desire for more information in relation to all issues,
the overall mean difference being 1.0. This meant respondents felt they received only
the sending of information, although the differences were not as marked as for
receiving, there was still a perceived shortfall. The overall total mean difference
relation to the identified key issues, the main problem areas were identified as morale
within Sub-division and Chief Constable’s Review of RUC Organisation, for both
‘great’) closely followed by the general statement my job. The lowest level of
difference”.
Suggestions
this part, thirty-seven providing more than one suggestion. A total of 105 suggestions
were supplied and these were content analysed to identify recurring themes. The
get better results”, “For upper management to make themselves more available to
listen and explain decisions affecting them and not shut themselves away”.
obtain it”. “A more readily available system to access Force Orders, Codes and
information” and “Force orders should be readily available to all officers and not
locked away”. One officer felt that there was a self-onus on obtaining
information, “Take time to obtain facts etc. and all reliable information before
ground level. This could be achieved at meetings via ‘quality circles’. It should
where problems are talked out and passed up to management for directions”.
Less Bureaucracy – “Sub-divisional staff are constantly bumping out expedites for
files which have been sent for further time. I believe the computer bumps them out
and Sub-divisional admin. sign them. Perhaps they could hold expedites for a
couple of days”.
As part of the survey, respondents were asked to provide one incident, or example, of
communication that for them best reflected communications within the RUC. A total
of 32% of the respondents completed this part of the survey. Almost two-thirds of
one. The majority of these related to personal advice either given or received. Only
three concerned an actual task in respect of their role. The ineffective experiences
negative examples mentioned the way in which they were communicated with by
some form of management. Seven alluded to the lack of action taken in respect of the
CID was requested to attend after sufficient information given to them but they
failed to react.
Outside agency wouldn’t listen to advice given from member who knew the area.
while only 17% indicated effective encounters with management. This would tend to
and staff.
Discussion
The results as outlined reflected commonality across all three sub-divisions studied, in
terms of communication climate and problems identified. The main finding from this
audit was that of members involved at the point of service delivery having a strong
desire for more information. In addition there was a clear need for more openness,
directness and contact with the organisation particularly with senior management.
These results also mirrored previous findings from research in other police
organisations, i.e. gaps between management and the “officer on the street”, the CID
Despite the overall result reflecting general dissatisfaction with communications there
were some positive aspects revealed. Due to the formal and informal channels created
within sub-divisions at section or unit level was identified. Inspectors and Sergeants
acted as gatekeepers for both top-down and bottom-up communication. This position
underlined the need to examine the nature and function of the Inspectors role within
The fact that police organisations have not been good at moving away from the
pyramid type structure and “management by edict”35 reflects the problems facing
police organisations who want to change to a more open style of management. The
effectiveness of any policing service is dependent on its operational staff at the point
of delivery with the public. This is in essence the human face of the organisation, and
has been suggested that more analytical research is needed in respect of the dynamics
provide for the diversity that is present, and cater for this in communication
communications within the organisation has produced data that allow key problems to
be identified. This then establishes base lines for the creation of strategies, which then
effective application. A similar methodology to that used in this paper to establish the
This research represents one of the most extensive and comprehensive studies of
communications within a major police organisation. While it has been restricted to the
sub-divisional level and it could be argued that it would be difficult to extrapolate the
results to the broader organisation there are factors which impinge on that argument.
They relate to the fact the organisation consists of a mainly homogenous group, 68%
of those employed are at the sub-divisional level and it is the point of service delivery
where it is measured most. What this study has done is to provide the organisation
with valuable and valid data relating to its effectiveness. To date no communication
strategy has been established within the organisation and this is a matter that needs to
be rectified. The changes the organisation will undergo as it transmogrifies into the
new Northern Ireland Police Service will require even more research to measure and
There are special features that distinguish the RUC from other public or private sector
organisations undergoing change. During the period of ‘the Troubles’ 303 officers
have lost their lives and 10,686 maimed and seriously injured in terrorist actions.
Tombstones, stained glass windows in churches and memorials of all kinds honour
these officers and the RUC name is centrally positioned on most of these. There is
‘brand name’ that has now disappeared. The impact of this upon serving officers is an
unknown, and something about which further research is required. The role of
communication audits could be central to the monitoring of the transition from RUC
to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. This present study provides a benchmark for
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