Understanding engaging and disengaging leadership behaviours within the Dutch Police Force: a qualitative study

Purpose Police supervisors can make or break the work engagement of employees, yet little is known about what makes supervisors turn in either direction and how engaging leadership behaviour (ELB) and disengaging leadership behaviour (DLB) are experienced within the police context. This paper explores both the perceptions of ELB and DLB and the contextual and individual factors that contribute to these leadership behaviours within the Dutch Police Force. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 39 police supervisors and officers. Thematic template analysis was conducted using a priori codes derived from the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model, as well as the concepts of engaging and disengaging leadership. Findings The results reveal that both engaging behaviours (facilitating, strengthening, connecting and inspiring) and disengaging behaviours (coercing, eroding, isolating and discouraging) are recognized within the police context. Additional forms of both engaging and disengaging leadership behaviours were also identified. The study highlights job demands and resources, organizational culture and structure, and individual characteristics as key factors influencing police leadership behaviour. Practical implications Our findings offer initial insights into potential antecedents of leadership behaviour in policing and lay the groundwork for interventions aimed at fostering engaging leadership and mitigating disengaging leadership practices, to increase police officers’ work engagement and performance and decrease their emotional exhaustion. Originality/value This study is the first to explore the factors that shape (dis-)engaging leadership behaviours in general and specifically within the police context.