The bachelor's degree and police officers: A national study of the ideal officer and organizational culture

Purpose. The bachelor's degree has been seen as the epitome of professionalism of peace officers since 1917. The value of this four-year degree has not been adequately evaluated. This national study surveyed police chiefs and field training officers from eight agencies around the country to determine the perceived value of this degree as it impacted the "ideal officer" and the organizational culture of the police agency.Methodology. One hundred twenty-eight respondents from these eight agencies completed a three-part questionnaire. To control for regional differences acting as moderating variables, the agencies selected were from North and South Dakota, Colorado, New Jersey, and Texas. Responses to the perceptions of the ideal police officer as identified in the literature and organizational culture were contrasted with the requirement or nonrequirement of entry officers holding a bachelor's degree. Four agencies required this degree, four did not.Theoretical framework. Organizational culture (Schein 1985) is defined as the interaction of the individual and the organization as normative behavior. Formal education (Dewey 1916) shapes the mind toward social interaction. These theories helped identify the possible relationship of education to the ideal police officer working in a positive culture.Findings and conclusions. Responses from the eight sample agencies indicated that a college degree had a perceived positive effect on six of the six ideal officer characteristics at the .05 level of significance. Concomitantly, the degreed officer was perceived as contributing to an organizational culture of egalitarian relationships, good morale, and a tempered militaristic attitude.Recommendations. While the degreed officer is seen as more ideal than the non-degreed officer and contributing to an overall good organizational culture foundation, more research is necessary to validate these perceptual findings.