Summary
"... In order to evaluate the traits of both effective and less effective law enforcement officers, I interviewed 29 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Members from Depot Division and "F" Division (Saskatchewan). The semi-structured interviews were transcribed and then analysed using interpretational qualitative analysis. The constant comparative method was the specific technique utilised to code and understand these data. Interview quotes that were most relevant to the original research question have been highlighted in this thesis. Over seven successive phases of analyses these quotes were clustered into internally homogeneous and externally heterogeneous groups. One overarching concept, two main themes, five superconstructs, 14 constructs, and a number of less comprehensive levels were generated using this procedure. Sixty-three effectiveness traits were identified during the analysis. These traits were best captured by three constructs designated as The Intelligent Chameleon (e.g., common sense and flexibility), I Am What I Do (e.g., dedication and self-discipline), and Going the Extra Mile (e.g., resourceful and interpersonal adeptness). The traits in the seconstructs were quite similar to those generated by researchers who utilised personality measures, and the Law Enforcement Assessment and Development Report (LEADR; IP AT Staff: 1987) was the measure that most closely resembled these three constructs. However, participants identified effectiveness as a dynamic process that involved the interaction of personality traits, job duties, and the demands of the time. As a result of this diversity inherent in police work, police selection boards may have greater success in screening for clusters of effectiveness traits as opposed to producing a definitive list of individual traits."--Abstract.