Billings 911 Center: A Case Study
“Power Distance has been defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions accept and expect that power is distributed unequally” (Hofstede, n.d.). The Billings 911 Center management staff would define the power distance as low, but the organization has a high power distance. According to Hofstede, “power distance represents inequality, but defined from below, not from above” (n.d). Even though management may perceive a small power distance, their behaviors and the staff’s reactions both verbally and behaviorally suggest a large power distance. There are state laws and policies from many different agencies that direct policies and procedures for the Billings 911 Center, therefore, subordinates expect strict standard operating procedures. Punishment techniques used by the supervisors are conditioning employees to be obedient or seek other employment.
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Depending on the situation, there can be strict corrective action steps which include two write-ups, followed by a hearing with the 911-center manager and fire chief, and by forth offense within a year, the city human resource department determines the fate of the dispatcher’s future employment with the 911 center.
Due to the behaviors of management, staff can be heard saying how much they dislike being constantly watched and monitored. Every phone call and radio transmission is recorded. Staff often say how easy it is for supervisors to frequently listen to the recordings in an attempt to catch someone making an error. Supervisors are easy to hand out punishment and rarely offer a compliment for a job well
Depending on the situation, there can be strict corrective action steps which include two write-ups, followed by a hearing with the 911-center manager and fire chief, and by forth offense within a year, the city human resource department determines the fate of the dispatcher’s future employment with the 911 center.
Due to the behaviors of management, staff can be heard saying how much they dislike being constantly watched and monitored. Every phone call and radio transmission is recorded. Staff often say how easy it is for supervisors to frequently listen to the recordings in an attempt to catch someone making an error. Supervisors are easy to hand out punishment and rarely offer a compliment for a job well