Law Enforcement Reform, Institutional Isomorphism, and Performance Measurement: A Case Study of the Los Angeles Police Department While Under a Federal Consent Decree

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent the constructs of institutional isomorphism apply within the LAPD's performance measurements of the federal consent decree that was imposed to reform the department's structure, policies, processes, and culture of the organization.;Theoretical Framework. The theoretical framework considered major theories under the umbrella of organization theory: systems theory, theory of innovation diffusion, and institutional theory. The focus in particular was on institutional isomorphism, which was utilized as the theoretical approach in the purpose of the study to determine to what extent the constructs of institutional isomorphism apply within the LAPD's performance measurement of the federal consent decree.;Methodology. The study included a total of 12 sworn officers and civilian participants who were previously or currently employed by the LAPD and who were previously or currently assigned to the Internal Audits and Inspections Division (formerly known as the Audit Division). Participant interviews were semistructured and focused on addressing the research questions. The content analysis consisted of various documents directly related to the purpose of the research.;Findings. Examination of the qualitative data from the participant interviews and content analysis indicated the presence of each isomorphic pressure. Coercive and normative isomorphic pressures were identified within the LAPD's Audit Division; however, mimetic isomorphic pressure was identified with the law enforcement agencies contacting the LAPD for law enforcement auditing insight. Performance measures were evident in the form of performance audits the LAPD's Audit Division conducted to measure reform of the consent decree mandates. Noteworthy findings were also identified that are intrinsic to the performance measures conducted within the LAPD.;Conclusions and Recommendations. The findings support the conclusion that isomorphic pressures existed within the LAPD's Audit Division and the manner in which they developed performance measures for reforms that were part of the consent decree mandates. Further research is advised to consist of specifically measuring performance of law enforcement operations and the presence of other components in that process: public management, accountability, transparency, governance, and public value.