8/3/2019 Trouteville Case Analysis - MIP MBA
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MIPMBA32OrganizationalBehaviourCourse
TroutevillePoliceDepartmentCase
1.
Basedonthelimitedinformationpresented,identifyandbrieflydescribethemajorcharacteristics
oftheTroutevillePoliceDepartmentundertheleadershipofJohnStage
ChiefStagewashighlyrespecteddespitehisdrinkingproblemsandhisshorttemper.Hegavegreat
importancetothelevelofhispeople,andherequiredqualifiedpersonnelonhisstaff.Duringhis
tenuretheDepartmentdidnotexperiencenomajorproblems.
ChiefStagewasacharismaticleader,intunewiththecharacteristicsofasmallruralcommunity.
His style implied a low level of formalization of tasks and
specific duties: delegation of
responsibilitieswashigh,aswellastheflexibilityintasksdivision.
Duringhistenure,theDepartmentwasaflatorganization,withveryfewhierarchicallevels
Asaconsequenceofthisleadershipstyle,theDepartmentwasanagileandflexibleorganization.
2.
IdentifyanddescribethemajorcharacteristicsoftheDepartmentafterLarryGaftsappointmentasChiefofPolice
Chief Gaft brought to Trouteville his experience as Captain in a
large metropolitan Police
Department.
ThefirstdecisionhetookafterhisappointmenthasbeentoreorganizetheDepartmentaccordingtotheteampolicingmanagementphilosophy.Underthisneworganizationaldesign,thestaffis
dividedintocommitteesandteamsaccordingtospecificproblemsthatneedtobeaddressed.Clear
targets are set and deadlines are established. In particular,
the traffic teams, report writing
committeeandthereservepoliceofficerscommitteehavebeencreated.
Anotherdecision is theone related to the increase of
hierarchical levels: the lieutenantswere
placed incommandof divisions,the oldsergeantswerepromoted
toSergeant IIlevel (with the
responsibility of commanding a shift), and the patrolmen were
promoted to Sergeant I level
(responsibleforfieldsupervisionofacitysector,andinchargeofsubmittingamonthlyreport)
However,noextra-salaryfortheseadditionalresponsibilitieswasrecognized,despitethefactthat
thenewdutiesimpliednotonlyandextraresponsibility,butalsoextratimeforperformingthem.
Chief Gafts leadership style was based on control, and is
probably related to his previous
experienceinleadinghugeteamsinabigcity.Thesamecanbesaidabouthischoiceofintroducing
a high level of formalization of tasks and duties, including the
decision of distributing a
reorganizationmanualtopersonnel.
During his tenure the Department became much more rigid, as
roles were no more
interchangeable. Theformalizationofrolesbroughtahigh
levelofbureaucracy:the staffhad to
spendaconsiderableportionoftheirtimeinpreparingreportsanddoingpaperwork.
8/3/2019 Trouteville Case Analysis - MIP MBA
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3.
HastheTroutevillePoliceDepartmentchanged?(ifyes,how?Ifnot,whydidntit?)Yes,theDepartmenthaschangedasaresultoftheorganizationalrearrangementandofthenewstyle
ofleadership.
The command and control approach introduced by Chief Gaft has
had the undesired result ofloweringmorale,asa
consequenceoftheabsenceofincentivesandofperceivedlackoftrust
inthe
personnel. Theexcessive division of tasks and responsibilities
hasgreatly reduced the interchanges
betweendifferentdivisionandteams,leadingtofrictionsandtotheloweringoftheperformances.
Moreover,thehugeincreaseinbureaucracyhasobligedmanypolicementoabandonthefield,creating
frustrationandlackofsharedknowledgeofthepracticalproblemsofday-by-dayactivity.
Furtherdiscontenthascreatedbythefactthat,regardlessofthehugechangeintheorganizationthe
activities of the Department, no training has been provided to
the personnel, whichhas not been
involvedinthereorganizationactivity.
Inconclusion,wecanaffirmthatChiefGafthasusedawrongapproach,consideringthenewcontextin
whichhewas going to operate. Lack of involvement of the
personnel has furtherexacerbated the
situation,leadingtoconflictsandpoorperformance.
