Theoretical Concepts and Research
There are several theories that may explain why police officers accept gratuities. The Rational Choice theory states that a police officer will perform an act when the benefits for the act outweigh the associated costs for the act (Liska & Messner, 1999). The Looking Glass Self theory indicates that people will react to how they perceive that others judge them (Hensley, 1996). Finally, the Behavioral Economics theory indicates that choices are influenced by available alternatives and environmental constraints (Tucker et al., 1999).
Rational Choice Theory
The Rational Choice theory states that people will perform acts when they are profitable (Barkan, 2006; Liska & Messner, 1999). There are two ways…show more content… Deterrence works best when officers perceive that the severity of punishment is great, the certainty of punishment is high, and the celerity of punishment is swift. For instance, if immediate suspensions are associated with accepting inappropriate gratuities, then an officer will compare the benefits of a free meal to the cost of a suspension. Furthermore, once a policy is established, the policy must be strictly enforced. If the officers perceive that the policy is not enforced, then they will not follow it; if an officer is caught violating the policy, then disciplinary action must be taken. If disciplinary action is not guaranteed, then the policy will have minimal influence upon the officers. By posting disciplinary actions taken against officers for their indiscretions, the word will spread that the issue is serious. Thus, officers will come to realize that the punishment is severe, certain, and immediate.
The Looking Glass Self Theory
Cooley states that people develop their self-concepts by evaluating how they believe that they appear to others, how they believe that others judge their appearance, and then by how they react to those judgments (Hensley, 1996). This is what Cooley calls the Looking Glass Self. By accepting gratuities on a regular basis, police officers may come to believe that the public expects it. Some officers may believe that gratuities are a perk that comes with the job. However, in order to redefine their self-concepts, the officers must be persuaded to change their attitudes.
Behavioral Economics