DESCRIBE THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATION, MANAGEMENT, AND ADMINISTRATION OF VARIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND PUBLIC SAFETY
What is an Organization
An ORGANIZATION is an entity such as a company, institution, or association, comprising one or more people having a particular purpose. It can also refer to the administrative and functional structure of such an entity. The term can encompass business, clubs, and other groups formed for specific goals.
Other Definition
- An organization is a system of coordinating activities of a group of people working in a concerted manner towards a common goal under authority and leadership.
- It is a system of coordinated activities which means that all organizations are composed of parts and relationships. The parts of the organizations are the activities or functions being performed and they are organized when they assumed certain logical relationships.
- In all organizations, a group of people is needed to implement or execute the activities or functions.
WHAT ARE THE FOUR PRIMAL CONDITIONS IN AN ORGANIZATION?
- Authority. This is the supreme source of government for any particular organization. It is the right exercise to decide and command by virtue of rank and position.
- Mutual Cooperation/Coordination/Consultation. An organization exists because it serves a purpose. This purpose is viewed by society as beneficial to it.
- Doctrine. This defines the organization’s objectives. It also provides the very source of various actions which are performed to assure organizational coordination.
- Discipline. In any organization, discipline is necessary to promote coordination.
PRINCIPLES OF POLICE ORGANIZATION
The primal foundation stated above is broad enough to apply to any organizations regardless of structural design and forms. However, certain principles of organization constituting prescription of techniques find particular application in the rational structuring of organization.
- Principle of Unity of Objective – an organization structure is effective if it enables individuals to contribute to the organization/unit objectives.
- Principle of Organizational Efficiency – an organization structure is effective if it is structured to aid the accomplishment of the organization’s objectives with a minimum of unsought consequences or costs.
- The Scalar Principles – prescribes the vertical hierarchy of organizations. It defines an unbroken chain or scale of units from top to bottom describing explicitly the flow of authority. Its principle demands the following conditions to achieve effective coordination.
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- Unity of Command – it clearly defines hierarchical system a subordinate is accountable to one and only one immediate superior. This is indispensable to achieve effective coordination. Any violation to this principle undermines authority, jeopardizes discipline, disturbs order and threatens stability in the organization.
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- Span of Control – this relates to the number of subordinates a superior can effectively supervise. There is no determinate mathematical ratio in superior-subordinate relationships. A satisfactory span of control is instead determine for four factors combined situationally:
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- managerial ability of superior
- effectiveness of organizational communication system
- effectiveness of management control exercise over operations
- organizational philosophy on centralization versus decentralization of authority and functions.
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- Delegation of Authority– the process is accomplished through the delegation of authority. Scalar process refers to the growth of the chain of command resulting in the creation of additional levels in the organizational structure. Span of control necessitates delegation of authority.
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- Hierarchy of Authority – the subordination of the higher rank over lower rank
- Functional Principle. It prescribes the horizontal growth of the organization. The growth referred to here is applicable to the line as well as to the emergence of staff functions in organizations. The dynamic foundation of the functional process is called the division of labor. It simply means the breaking up of work into work units to achieve specialization. As organization grows, the job must be divided so that it won’t become so inclusive to an extent that it could hardly be performed. Such division must be defined to identify clear areas of specialization. The reason for the division of work is to improve the operational performance of the organization.
- Line and Staff Principle. Organizations must provide an orderly arrangement of functions so that objectives can be accomplished effectively. The line and staff principle provides two basic structures in organization- the line structure and staff structure. This implies a system of varied functions arranged into a workable pattern. Line organizations refer to the direct accomplishment of objectives. The staff on the other hand, refers to the organizations who is in an advisory or facilitative capacity. Those having relatively unlimited authority over those to whom orders are given are considered line officials while those having authority restricted to their functional area are called staff officials.
- Directorial Staff Principle. It prescribes the directorial authority of the directorate in the national and regional headquarters levels and other equivalent units (illustration below with red outline describes directorial staff which serve as immediate line subordinates of the chief).
- Principle of Balance. In every structure there is a need for balance. The application of principles or techniques must be balanced to ensure the overall effectiveness of the structure in meeting organization objectives.
- Principle of Delegation by Results Expected. Authority delegated to all individual managers should be adequate to ensure their ability to accomplish results expected.
- Principle of Absoluteness of Responsibility. The responsibility of subordinates to their superiors for performance is absolute, and superiors cannot escape responsibility for the organization activities of their subordinates.
- Principle of Parity of Authority and Responsibility. The responsibility for actions cannot be greater than the implied by the authority delegated, nor should it be less.
- Authority-Level Principle. Maintenance of intended delegation requires that decisions within the authority of individual commander should be made by them and not be referred upward in the organizational structure.
- Principle of Flexibility. The more provisions are made for building flexibility in an organizational structure, the more adequately an organizations structure can fulfill its purpose.
- Principle of Leadership Facilitation. The more an organization structure and its delegation of authority enable leaders/commanders to design and maintain an environment for performance the more they will help the leadership abilities of those leaders/commanders.