Power Relationships within the UK Police Service: Towards Enhanced Female Career Progression

Abstract

This paper aims to consider the potential for using power relationships positively to enhance the career progression of senior female police officers by the implementation of sustainable and cost-effective HRD interventions. Women have long been under-represented at senior ranks in the UK service due to a plethora of reasons. Understanding those reasons and embedding effective opportunities for personal development, such as mentoring and networking are considered. The combination of the efficient use of the personal development review system alongside addressing issues in relation to both public and internal perceptions of women's' capability and potential by adopting good HRM practices and policies are likely to increase female representation and reduce the attrition of talent. The use of existing senior officers, regardless of gender, to act as coach/mentors alongside recognising the value of internal and national networks may reap benefits for the service increasing its diversity and shifting the organisational culture to becoming more representative of modern society.

Exploring beliefs around low rates of female participation in Canadian police emergency response teams

“…Said differently, role overload may be felt more intensively by females than males (Duxbury and Halinski, 2018). Overall, there are barriers to female participation in policing and women remain under-represented among police officers, including at the higher ranks (Archold & Schulz, 2008; Astley, 2019; Dick & Metcalfe, 2007).…”

“…The mental, emotional, and physical stresses of working within such a space for women have been well documented (Garcia, 2003; McCarty et al, 2007; Rabe-Hemp, 2009), as have the impacts of each on female officer’s work–life balance (Duxbury and Halinski, 2018). So too has the role that gendered barriers have on women’s chances for career advancement (Archbold and Schulz, 2008), a fact observed in women’s lower rates of promotion to senior executive levels (Astley, 2019) and transfers into specialized units (Dodge et al, 2010; Robinson, 2013).…”