The German police as a learning organization: a quantitative study on perceived organizational support, organizational commitment and communication quality

Abstract In today’s dynamic environment, organizational learning is essential for successful police work. Organizations that prioritize and cultivate learning are classified as learning organizations. In our quantitative empirical study, we investigate whether the German police represents a learning organization. Additionally, we examine the impact of three internal factors, namely organizational commitment, organizational support, and communication quality, on the diverse dimensions of the learning organization. We used data gained from 111 police officers selected to fill leadership positions in the German police forces. Our research suggests that the German police can be described as a learning organization. The internal factors also have a positive effect on almost all the dimensions of the learning organization, but in different ways and on different levels. Our findings can serve as a foundation for identifying appropriate measures to improve the learning culture of police forces.