Question

In a small municipal police department, each member of a team is expected to have higher than average numbers of reports, summonses, and arrests for that team; and promotions and increases in pay are based on these statistics. When an officer is working on a particularly difficult case, the other members of the team are often unwilling to help that officer with tasks leading to increased overtime. This is an example of _______________________________________.

A.individual versus team-oriented employees
B.poor supervision
C.folly of rewarding A while hoping for B
D.unclear expectation

Answer 1

This is an example of the folly of rewarding A while hoping for B, as the police department's metrics for success incentivize individual accomplishments over teamwork, leading to a lack of collaboration in complex cases.

• This situation in the police department is an example of the folly of rewarding A while hoping for B.
• The expectations are set to individual performance metrics being a barometer for success, with promotions and pay increases hinging on the number of reports, summonses, and arrests.
• This inadvertently discourages teamwork, as officers are disincentivized to assist others with time-consuming cases that do not directly benefit their own statistics.
• It's crucial for effective group performance that personal relationships, monitoring capabilities, and appropriate reward systems are balanced to avoid this type of collective action problem.
• The case also touches upon the phenomenon where teams may appear to work better than they do due to the team halo effect, masking individual deficiencies and potentially failing to address poor supervision or unclear expectations.