A Case Study Of Lieutenant Barry Simpson

he following case study will examine Lieutenant Barry Simpson and his related job functions as the departments Human Resources Development Specialist. Through reviewing this case study, we will explore the theories of conflict resolution, the emerging police management style of economic humanism, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses associated. We will also examine the idea of economic humanism in detail with regards to my agency and the cost benefit analysis of fixing employees versus terminating them for department policy violations or social issues. In the case study assigned, Lt. Barry Simpson is employed by a fairly large police department and was recently promoted to the research and planning unit. His current job assignment is Human

Simpson, determined that the interpersonal conflict had a large effect on the agency. These effects included poor performance, lost productivity, absenteeism, disciplinary action, and turn-over. To combat this interpersonal conflict he came to the conclusion that he would recommend the department look outside the traditional response of terminating labeled problem employees. He recommended in his preliminary report to the deputy chief that the department emphasize economic humanism. Economic Humanism is a new emerging theory that administrators are now expected when it is possible and while in the best interest of the department to salvage problem employees rather than terminate them. This would include coaching, providing employee assistance programs, and counseling employees in an effort to contain dysfunctional conflict and improve performance. Economic humanism would allow the department to offer aid to officers that suffered from social problems associated with law enforcement such as alcoholism, drug dependency, and emotional stress associated with their job. Lt. Simpson believed that this would cure a long-term problem rather than try to offer a short term solution. The deputy chief of the agency agreed with his evaluation and forwarded to the chief of police for

In looking into this cost, I evaluated the following costs for hiring a new employee such as: equipment, uniforms, hiring costs such as advertising, interview process, assessments, and training. In considering treatment for a troubled employee, the included costs were medical or mental treatment and mentoring programs. The conclusion of this analysis for a corrections officer in my department was that providing assistance to a current employee was almost 65% lower than hiring a new employee. This is primarily because there are cost savings in services already provided to employees under department insurance at now additional costs. As well as our mental health service provider having a contract clause to provide services to not only inmates but officers as well. Overall, cost effectiveness is clearly on the economic humanism side of resolving department