Masculinity contest cultures and organizational outcomes in police organizations

Abstract

As a male-dominated occupation that has historically valued strength, risk-taking, and control, policing may be particularly susceptible to masculinity contest cultures (MCC), characterized by social norms that valorize physical ability, avoid weakness, prioritize work, and promote dominance. Through surveys of patrol officers from five Canadian police agencies (n = 238), this study explored the existence of MCCs and their relationship with organizational outcomes. The study suggested that an officer s perception of their work within an MCC can predict job engagement (b = -0.48,.001), work meaning (b = ?0.35, .001), self-reported performance (b = -0.07,.001), and turnover intention (b = 0.07,.001) when controlling for gender, supervisory status, years of police service, and university education. Additionally, university degrees were a significant positive predictor of MCC scores (b = 2.40, .01), indicating that university-educated police officers perceive their workplace cultures as more masculine. As the first study that related MCCs to university education, job engagement, and work meaning in policing, it advances our understanding and provides insights into how these cultures relate to organizational outcomes. The results also have implications for policy and police administration.