Chapter 2 Flashcards
Structure of Criminal Justice Organizations
What is informal organizations?
The unofficial goals, activities, communication networks, beliefs, and leadership that emerge within a formal organization.
What is an organizational mission?
what agencies do and their main objectives and goals. Gives agencies their principles and values, which are the rules for making ethical decisions, and acts as their anchor. (a statement of the agency’s purpose)
What is organizational policies?
a clear statement that defines what action is to be taken and why
What is organizational procedures?
Step-by-step directions on how a policy is to be carried out.
What is the hierarchy/chain of command?
The structure of authority and positions. In a police department, the chief sits at the top of the hierarchy and is highest in the chain of command. Patrol officers sit at the lowest level of the hierarchy and are at the end of the chain of command.
Who is at the top of the organizational hierarchy?
Fearless leaders (FLs) and Deputy FLs
Who is in the middle of the organizational hierarchy?
Middle management (majors, captains, lieutenants)
Who is at the bottom of the organizational hierarchy?
Line supervisors and operations personnel
What is task specialization?
How well tasks are broken down into smaller parts. When tasks are highly specialized, employees only do a few different things. When someone does a lot of different things, they are said to have low task specialization.
What is formalization?
High-to-low formalization is a function of the number of rules, regulations, and procedures personnel are expected to follow.
What is span of control?
The number of employees reporting to a supervisor. The span of control depends on the agency size, the tasks of personnel, and the skill level of employees.
What is centralization versus decentralization?
The level within a hierarchy at which decisions are made. Keeping decision making at the top of the hierarchy describes a centralized system and vice versa.
What describes vertical complexity?
agencies with a high number of levels in the chain of command
What describes horizontal complexity?
agencies with a high number of subunits.
Are large organizations with a number of functions vertically complex, horizontally complex, or both?
Both.
What is agency budgeting?
The process of allocating funds (dollars) within an agency to various hierarchical levels and subunits.
What are organizational frames?
A conceptual way of viewing organizations to identify problems and find solutions. Also, an innovative method to understand organizations.
Which type of system is hierarchical, formal, and mechanistic?
Closed.
Which type of system is organic in nature, relies on professionalism, and is informal?
Open.
The term organic is used to describe what?
the loose structure of professional organizations
Which organization is where authority and decision-making are generally performed by top-level executives?
Centralized.
Which organization is where authority and decision-making are generally found at lower levels of an agency’s hierarchy?
Decentralized.
What happens after a budget is approved?
It’s implemented and audited for compliance.
Public agencies must submit what to operate from the political entities they serve?
Requests for funds.
What does a formal structure refer to?
purpose, goals, and activities that are sanctioned by legal mandates and organizational executives
What does an informal structure refer to?
purpose, goals, and activities that evolve in organizations and are not officially acknowledged or approved by executives.
Agency administrators have the duty to do what?
to act in an ethical way and teach agency members about organizational ethics
What view for organizations provides a unique analytical perspective for agencies?
viewing through structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frames
What are narrowly defined work tasks?
high task specialization
What are broadly defined work tasks?
low task specialization
