Visions of the Future: The Role of Senior Policewomen as Agents of Change

Abstract

Despite the plethora of research in policing, the majority of studies have focused almost exclusively on the lowest levels of the organisation and have paid little attention to gender issues. Very little is known about those involved in management and leadership in policing, even less is known about the ways in which management and leadership in the police organisation are gendered. As women move forwards and upwards in organisations, the tension between organisations and leadership as mediated by gender has become an increasingly topical area of study. This paper aims to explore and draw together some of the concerns with leadership and gender which are being raised during debates about new directions, functions and structures within organisations, and applies them to the police organisation. It proposes that empirical work be carried out to ascertain the role that senior policewomen play in organisational change, that is, to bring into focus the extent to which women in leadership positions in policing are and can become agents of change.