Promoting positive performance relationships between law enforcement supervisors and their officers

This study served to determine if sworn officers experiencing low or high levels of Leader-Member Exchanges (LMX) are more likely to engage in behaviors or have attitudes that can ultimately lead to more negative or positive performance outcomes respectively. Five research questions assisted in revealing the perspectives of sworn officers as they act under the auspices of their superiors. The following research questions were answered throughout this study: (1) Do sworn officers perceive that their supervisors are aware of the officer's professional needs? (2) Do sworn officers perceive that their supervisors have confidence in their professional ability? (3) Do sworn officers perceive their supervisors as supportive? (4) Do sworn officers perceive the working relationship with their supervisors as effective? (5) Do high quality relationships exist between supervisors and sworn officers within law enforcement agencies, from an officers' perspective? A non-experimental tool in the form of a questionnaire was utilized primarily to retrieve data. The data were reviewed and analyzed quantitatively to provide a concise illustration of the perception of sworn officers regarding the quality of LMX experienced. Based on the data retrieved in comparison with the literature reviewed, this study identified the perception of officers surveyed. Based on the recorded responses and analysis, this study revealed that supervisors within the law enforcement agency examined have successfully established high LMX, from an officers' perspective. This study also revealed that a number of supervisors examined were perceived as deficient in relation to establishing or maintaining high LMX. The data retrieved from this study resulted in 5 suggested recommendations. First, it is recommended that the law enforcement agency examined extend this study with the purpose of collecting additional demographic data to provide a more descriptive illustration of the perception of sworn officers. It is also recommended that the agency examined conduct additional research by surveying supervisors, permitting an ethnographic study to take place within the agency, develop an educational curriculum, and implement mandatory supervisory leadership training programs