Applying Social Exchange Theory to Police Deviance: Exploring Self-Protective Behaviors Among Police Officers

• Author: Paul D. Reynolds,Richard C. Helfers,Jon Maskály
• Published date: 01 June 2019
• Date: 01 June 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0734016818796547
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Applying Social Exchange

Theory to Police Deviance:

Exploring Self-Protective

Behaviors Among Police Officers

Richard C. Helfers

1

, Paul D. Reynolds

2

, and Jon Maska

´ly

3

Abstract

Social exchange theory is one of the prominent paradigms used to explain the processes linking

organizational treatment of employees to their job performance. However, the theoretical link

between perceived organizational treatment and police deviance has not been fully explored. This

research addresses this gap by analyzing the relationship between perceptions of organizational

justice and the use of police self-protective behaviors (SPBs) using organizational support and

organizational indifference as ad hoc indicators of the social exchange process. Data were collected

using an online self-report survey distributed to police officers in a southern state who are members

of a police officer association (n¼1,861). Consistent with previous social exchange research, the

findings generally support the idea that fairness is related to SPBs, but largely to the extent that it

enhances the social exchange in terms of increasing perceptions of organizational support and

reducing perceptions of organizational indifference, which both directly affect an officer’s use of

SPBs, and are a type of police deviance. Specific findings, relevant policy implications, and directions

for future research are discussed.

Keywords

police culture/accountab ility, law enforcement/sec urity, police organizati on/management, police

processes, quantitative methods, other

Organizational policies and guidelines are deve loped by departmen tal leadership and h eavily

influenced by local, state, and federal laws along with occupational mores (Stojkovic, Kalinch,

& Klofas, 2015). However, given the highly discretionary nature of police work and the fact

that officers often perform their duties with minimal direct supervision, a potential obstacle

exists for police leadership to detect, correct, and adequately address police deviance among

1

The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, USA

2

University of North Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA

3

The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA

Corresponding Author:

Richard C. Helfers, The University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd., Tyler, TX 75799, USA.

Email: rhelfers@uttyler.edu

Criminal Justice Review

2019, Vol. 44(2) 183-203

ª2018 Georgia State University

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DOI: 10.1177/0734016818796547

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officers (Mastrofski, 2004). This is particularly troubling, given that research suggests over

three fourths of officers’ patrol time is outside of direct supervision (Famega, Frank, & Mazer-

olle, 2005).

While increased oversight and scrutiny coupled with stricter and more severe disciplinary

practices may deter and reduce police deviance (Frydl & Skogan, 2004), it may also create

unintended consequences (Myhill & Bradford, 2013) and increase other forms of police

deviance (Bishopp, Worrall, & Piquero, 2016; Harris & Worden, 2014; Wolfe & Piquero,

2011). Specifically, punitive consequences can result in decreased performance (i.e., production

deviance) and increased usage of self-protective behaviors (SPBs; Reynolds, Fitzgerald, &

Hicks, 2017). These types of retaliatory behaviors toward the organization can hinder overall

effectiveness and efficiency of the department (Skarlicki & Folger, 1997). Of specific concern,

research suggests many officers perceive a variety of aspects of their organization as unfair and

thusmayleadtoofficersfeelingunsupportedordevalued by their organization (Reynolds &

Hicks, 2015; Reynolds et al., 2017). One way in which this phenomenon can be explained is

through the use of social exchange theory.

Social exchange theory (Blau, 1967; Homans, 1958) is predicated on the idea of reciprocation

in relationships where individual actions are based upon a cost–benefit analysis, which theoreti-

cally explains the relationship between employees and organizations (Rhoades & Eisenberg er,

2002). From a social exchange framework, employees expect to be treated in a particular way by

the organization and tailor their actions based upon this perception and act in accordance to

promote the most beneficial outcome from the employee’s perspective (Colquitt et al., 2013;

Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002). Given that research generally supports the theoretical notions

from organizational research, the same principal likely holds true for police organizations (Rey -

nolds & Hicks, 2015).

Extending the social exchange process to a policing context, organizational mistreatment in

the form of perceived unfairness and lack of support—among subordinates from superiors—

may violate expectations of how officers feel as though they should be treated and thus fails

to fulfill their emotional needs. The implication of this failure is diminished and strained

relationships, which may ultimately lead to negative changes in work performance (Armeli,

Eisenberger, Fasolo, & Lynch, 1998; Boateng, 2014). Consiste nt with a social exchange theory

framework, Colquitt et al. (2013) perceived unfair treatment in an organization should weaken

relationships that may lead officers to engage in various types of retaliatory work behaviors,

generally captured under the umbrella term of police deviance. There remain limited studies

exploring the relationship between organizational treatment and police deviance from a theo-

retical framework. Further still, even fewer studies examine less severe forms of police

deviance, which are likely to be more common than the more egregious acts (i.e., corruption,

sexual misconduct, and abuse of power; Bishop et al., 2016; Eitle, D’Alessio, & Stolzenberg,

2014).

The purpose of this study is to explore how organizational treatment may be linked to police

deviance using the theoretical lens of social exchange. Specifically, the main objective of this study

is to gain further insight into the relationships among organizational fairness, perceived organiza-

tional support (POS), perceived organizational indifference (POI), and SPBs. Building upon previ-

ous studies linking social exchange theory to employee performance (Colquitt et al., 2013;

Masterson, Lewis, Goldman, & Taylor, 2000), this study uses a sample of 1,861 police officers

who are members of a police officer association in a southern state to examine the research question:

Do POS and POI mediate the relationship between perceived organizational fairness and SPBs in

accordance with social exchange theory?

184 Criminal Justice Review 44(2)