Shots Fired! Switching Between Practices in Police Work

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Schakel, Jan-Kees; van Fenema, Paul C.; Faraj, Samer
• 署名单位: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; McGill University
• 刊物名称: ORGANIZATION SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1047-7039
• DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2016.1048
• 发表日期: 2016
• 页码: 391-410
• 关键词: practice theory; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; SENSEMAKING; fast-response organizing; routines

摘要

Fast-response organizations are under increased scrutiny as to their ability to mount a timely and coordinated response to unexpected events. Our inductive study focuses on a high profile murder that occurred in Amsterdam in 2011 where a large multidisciplinary police team faced major coordination challenges and was unsuccessful in switching from the practice of surveillance to that of apprehension when their target was suddenly gunned down. Our analysis suggests that challenges related to relational ambiguity, knowledge flows, communications technology, team composition, and field obstructions, hindered the switching between practices under conditions of surprise and fast response. The paper offers a theoretical framework toward a greater understanding of the persistent coordination challenges that arise when a sudden switch from one practice to another becomes necessary. Our study contributes toward a greater understanding of practice performance and the social and material challenges related to switching between practices.