7 Tuition Fees Funded PhD scholarships available SCHO

NOTTINGHAM BUSINESS SCHOOL PHD SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME 2014
(Entry in MAY 2015)
7 Tuition Fees Funded PhD scholarships available
SCHOOL: BUSINESS
PROJECT TITLE: Engaging with ‘Lean’? A critical analysis of the adoption of ‘lean
management’ practices across the police service of England and Wales.
PROJECT LEAD: Professor Harry Barton
Project Description
The need to increase productivity across the police service in England and Wales (within the
constraints of a decreasing budget) will require police and crime commissioners and their respective
chief constables to ensure that business processes are as efficient and effective as possible through
adopting business process improvement as part of their ongoing efforts to increase value for money.
Such challenges therefore provide significant opportunities for researchers in the business fields of
human resources and operations management to reflect on current strategic change initiatives across
the police service and to engage with incremental operational change opportunities within police
forces. The focus of this research project is therefore to look at the contribution that human resources
and operations research can make through the lens of a ‘lean systems thinking’ approach to policing,
with a particular focus on its dependence on progressive HRM policies and practices within the police
service.
Unfortunately, much of the HRM literature supporting lean implementation focuses upon translating
business process techniques into short term improvements realised from isolated improvements,
compared to long term strategic changes, and established changes in perceptions (Eldridge et al.
2006, Vest and Gamm 2009). Without considering how values and beliefs have changed, attention
focuses on changes in operational practices, compared to the transformation of an organisation that
can sustain change in the long term.
While short term cost savings may be impressive, without embedding new, and revised values and
beliefs within those affected, improvements are likely to be short lived until behaviours revert to preintervention levels. This effectively represents ‘developing a (sub) culture that creates the
involvement of everyone in the organization which is critical for the implementation of the lean
philosophy’ (Radnor and Walley, 2008: 14). However, as Bititci et al. (2006) illustrate in their
longitudinal study of performance measurement and organisational culture, cultural change is a
gradual process. De Leeuw and van der Berg (2011) provide further insight, in terms of managerial
support developing operator understanding, promoting motivation and ultimately improving
performance. However, such processes requires the sustained support of management to both
maintain measurement systems and support operators in using them, which short term lean
interventions do not account for (Barton, 2013).
This is recognised by Barton and Barton, 2011 with respect to developing the UK police workforce.
Here the importance of effective HR practices for influencing employee attitudes and improving police
performance is seen as central to police reform. In order to achieve this Flanagan (2008) makes the
case for a robust system of HR management running throughout the Police Service viewed as
necessary to ensure that strategic manpower objectives are met. This should be seen as particularly
important within an organisation such as the police where discretionary behaviour, sometimes
referred to as organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) can have such an important part to play in
maintaining the confidence and trust of the public. The more effective internal HR practices become,
particularly in the areas of management and ‘leadership’ (particularly of front line officers) then the
greater the likelihood they will be able to influence appropriate employee behaviours and attitude that
encourages public trust and confidence in the police. This can be further supported through the
adoption of a lean approach to the operational management of the police service in England and
Wales.
The purpose of the research project is three-fold:
1. To analyse the extent to which senior officers across police forces in England and Wales have
adopted a ‘lean management’ philosophy to effect change and reform their organisations.
2. To capture police officers perceptions of the nature of ‘lean’ within the police service and to
assess their commitment and engagement to the process.
3. To provide research-informed evidence for senior police officers and other relevant policy
bodies about the role that HRM plays in embedding a ‘lean’ philosophy within police forces.
CONTACT
For informal enquiries about this project, please contact: Professor Harry Barton:
[email protected]
This project has been selected for consideration for a Business School Scholarship (fees-only) at
Nottingham Trent University for entry in 2015/16. Full details of the projects and the competition are
available at:
http://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/graduate_school/studentships/index.html
For information on entry requirements including English Language, details of the award, and how to
apply, please see the School information sheet.
The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on 28 November 2014