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A Tale of Two States: An Examination and Comparison of Organizational Context in Correctional Institutions

Warner, Jessica J.
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9679-5239
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1446546897

Abstract Details

2015, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice.
Implementation of new policy and procedure based on the “what works” literature has been widespread and ongoing. Unfortunately, the transfer of knowledge and research from scholar to practitioner has not been as strong and successful as many would hope (Goggin & Gendreau, 2006; Taxman & Belenko, 2013). Findings from routine projects and implementation of identified best practices in real-world settings tend to be weaker than when demonstration projects are completed (Lipsey, 1999, 2001). This difference in outcomes suggests that there may be factors relevant to successful implementation that have been unknown, forgotten, or even ignored. One of those factors is the organizational context (i.e., climate and culture) of the agency that is undergoing implementation. Regarding context, there is concern that staff attitudes and perceptions could negatively impact, even derail, implementation efforts and lead to wasted time and resources (Taxman & Belenko, 2012). The purpose of this dissertation was to explore staff perceptions of specific components of organizational context. Two state prison system research projects utilized portions of the National Criminal Justice Treatment Practices Survey (NCJTPS). For this dissertation, staff perceptions of cynicism towards change, leadership, organizational needs, and perspective-taking were analyzed and compared across states. Additionally, individual respondent demographic characteristics and work-related variables were regressed on the factor scales to determine if those independent variables could explain variation in staff perceptions. Results indicated that the two state systems were significantly different in staff responses across a majority of the scales and subscales. The amount of variation explained by the individual respondent characteristics differed by scale although education level and employment position were consistently significant across models. The relevance of staff perceptions of these factors is strong since both prison systems were undergoing substantial redesign and implementation efforts. Identifying staff attitudes and perceptions at the beginning of implementation efforts can assist leadership and implementation teams in tailoring the change efforts to address the beliefs and concerns of staff which will directly impact staff behavior. Ultimately, addressing staff perceptions can increase the likelihood of successful implementation and redesign.
Edward Latessa, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Emily Salisbury, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Francis Cullen, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Sarah Manchak, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
179 p.
Criminology
Corrections; Implementation; Organizational Context; Prisons; Staff Perceptions

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Warner, J. J. (2015). A Tale of Two States: An Examination and Comparison of Organizational Context in Correctional Institutions [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1446546897

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Warner, Jessica. A Tale of Two States: An Examination and Comparison of Organizational Context in Correctional Institutions. 2015. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1446546897.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Warner, Jessica. "A Tale of Two States: An Examination and Comparison of Organizational Context in Correctional Institutions." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1446546897

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1446546897
413
© 2015, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.