Autonomy and responsibility as a dual construct
| Author | Danilo Garcia,Ann-Christine Andersson Arnten,Ali Al Nima,Fredrik Ryberg,Trevor Archer |
| Published date | 01 September 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1461355717714002 |
| Date | 01 September 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
International Journal of
Police Science & Management
Autonomy and responsibility as a dual
2017, Vol. 19(3) 195–204
ª The Author(s) 2017
construct: Swedish police personnel’s
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stress, energy and motivation
DOI: 10.1177/1461355717714002
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Danilo Garcia
Blekinge Center for Competence, Blekinge County Council, Sweden; Department of Psychology, University of
Gothenburg, Sweden; Network for Empowerment and Well-Being, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Lund University,
Sweden
Fredrik Ryberg
Network for Empowerment and Well-Being, Sweden
Ann-Christine Andersson Arnten
Network for Empowerment and Well-Being, Sweden; Department of National Operations, Swedish Police, Sweden
Trevor Archer
Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Network for Empowerment and Well-Being, Sweden
Ali Al Nima
Blekinge Center for Competence, Blekinge County Council, Sweden; Network for Empowerment and Well-Being,
Sweden
Abstract
Law enforcement demands self-management, intrinsic motivation, high energy levels and tolerance to stress. The
concept of self-management might involve both autonomy and responsibility. Autonomy and responsibility, however,
are often considered and measured as the same construct even thought at a conceptual level they can be seen as a
separate dual construct. Our aims were: (a) to investigate the duality of the concept autonomy and responsibility;
and (b) to investigate this hypothesized dual construct’s association with stress, and energy and motivation
dimensions among Swedish police personnel. Employees (N ¼ 617; males ¼ 318, females ¼ 292) from five
Swedish police departments participated in the study. Autonomy and responsibility were assessed using one of
the scales in the Learning Climate Questionnaire, motivation using a modified version of the Situational Motivation
Scale, and stress and energy using the Stress/Energy Questionnaire. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis
and two structural equation models. The confirmatory factor analysis discerned two separate subscales that we
defined as autonomy (e.g. ‘I feel free to organize my work the way I want to’) and responsibility (e.g. ‘We are not
encouraged to take responsibility for our own learning’). Autonomy predicted both stress and energy, but only one
dimension of motivation, that is, amotivation. Responsibility predicted energy and three of four motivations
dimensions: intrinsic motivation, external regulation and amotivation. Hence, we suggest that the notion of
autonomy and responsibility as a dual independent construct seems to be meaningful in the investigation of
police personnel’s motivation, stress and energy.
Corresponding author:
Danilo Garcia, Landstinget Blekinge Va˚rdskoleva¨gen 5 Karlskrona, 371 81, Sweden.
Email: danilo.garcia@icloud.com
196
International Journal of Police Science & Management 19(3)
Keywords
Autonomy, dual model of autonomy and responsibility, energy, stress, motivation, police personnel, responsibility
Submitted 27 Apr 2017, accepted 03 May 2017
Introduction
to: (a) be a morally responsible agent; (b) be morally
responsible for acts, omissions, states of affairs and the
Law enforcement demands intrinsic motivation, high
like; (c) be an autonomous agent; and (d) to act autono-
energy levels, tolerance to stress and last but not the least,
mously (Oshana, 2002). In this context, an autonomous
self-management. For instance, with regards to motivation,
police officer is not necessarily a responsible police officer,
police officers who see their involvement in the police
nor is a responsible police officer an autonomous police
force as a voluntary activity (i.e. intrinsic motivation) and
officer (cf. Oshana, 2002). For instance, autonomy implies
for their own good (i.e. identified regulation) express ener-
a ‘thin’ conception of instrumental rationality in the sense
getic states such as feeling active and sharp (Andersson
that a police officer bases his or her actions upon his or her
Arnten et al., 2016; see also Ryan and Deci, 2000;
own desires or values (cf. Oshana, 2002; see also Weimer,
Dickinson, 1995). By contrast, those who see it as a way
2014). Responsibility, on the other hand, involves a ‘thick’
to gain rewards or to avoid punishment (i.e. external regu-
conception expressed by a police officer whose actions aim
lation) and lack contingency between their actions and their
to satisfy criteria that are objective in the sense that they are
outcomes (i.e. amotivation), express stress in the form of
independent of what he or she happens to want or to value,
feeling ineffective and pressed (Andersson Arnten et al.,
for example, the law or the organization (cf. Oshana, 2002;
2016). Additionally, the concept of self-management
see also Weimer, 2014).
involves both autonomy and responsibility, which among
The aim of this study was twofold: (a) to investigate the
police employees is closely related to being intrinsically
duality of the concept autonomy and responsibility; and (b)
motivated and to both high energy levels and low stress
to investigate this hypothesized dual construct’s associa-
levels (Andersson Arnten et al., 2016). Autonomy and
tion with stress, and energy and motivation dimensions
responsibility, however, are often considered and measured
among Swedish police personnel. In this endeavour, we
as the same construct even thought at a conceptual level
used one questionnaire that has been implemented in sev-
they can be seen as a separate dual construct (e.g. Oshana,
eral different studies to measure autonomy and responsi-
2002). This observation might be important for police per-
bility as one single construct, namely, the Learning Climate
sonnel who work in hierarchical organizations in which
Questionnaire (Bartram et al., 1993; see also Andersson
conformity is valued higher than autonomy (Filstad and
Arnten, et al., 2016; Garcia and Archer, 2012; Mikkelsen
Gottschalk, 2011).
et al., 1998; Mikkelsen and Grønhaug, 2012). We first
So-called ‘police cultures’ are multidimensional and are
conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test our
influenced by the organization’s structure, task and socio-
hypothesis about a dual construct of autonomy and respon-
political climate (Cochran and Bromley, 2003; Paoline
sibility. We then investigated the relationship between
et al., 2000). In this context, the attitudes to and attributes
these two constructs and police employees’ self-reported
linked with autonomy and responsibility vary depending
motivation and levels of stress and energy.
upon the specific ‘police culture’. For example, counter-
terrorism police place a premium on time schedules, dead-
lines, regulations and instructions, as well as speed-of-
Method
action; whereas criminal investigation police officers
Participants and procedure
appreciate investigative-time and ‘freedom-of-action’
(Glomseth and Gottschalk, 2009). Hence, if seen as two
This study was based on a sample consisting of 617 parti-
constructs, autonomy and responsibility might relate differ-
cipants (males ¼ 318, females ¼ 292; 7 participants did not
ently to, for example, motivation, energy and stress among
report their gender) who held different positions within the
police employees.
Swedish police force: 212 police officers, 104 police lead-
Nevertheless, it appears that in Western cultures, auton-
ers, 185 police investigators, 96 non-sworn personnel, and
omy is identified as a notion linked and used interchange-
20 who did not report their job position. Participants were
ably with responsibility (Chanock, 2003). For example, at a
recruited from five different police districts around Sweden
general level, a police officer might be seen as someone
(police district 1, n ¼ 101; police district 2, n ¼ 119; police
who, out of duty, is responsible on his or her own to pursue
district 3, n ¼ 230; police district 4, n ¼ 98; police district
his or her job (cf. Chanock, 2003). These two concepts,
5, n ¼ 62; missing data ¼ seven individuals who did not
however, can be distinguished by defining what it means
specify district). The police districts were chosen to obtain
Garcia et al.
197
a geographic overview of the country and represented both
Table 1. Rotated factor matrix (pattern matrix) showing loading
large cities and...
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