Power And Authority In Juvenile Justice Organizations Essay Example

The concepts of power and authority are often used interchangeably, but such an approach does not allow properly understanding their nature. Therefore, it is critical to distinguish between these phenomena, which promote the awareness of the process of power acquisition in justice organizations. As noted by Stojkovic et al. (2015), there are various definitions of power given by scholars and philosophers, but it can be described as the ability of a person or an organization to impact the behaviors and actions of others. Regarding criminal justice organizations, it should be emphasized that power is practiced in relatively stable and predictable environments compared to market uncertainties. In turn, authority refers to the legitimization of power with time, which can be expressed in the form of commands and orders. In society, the exercise of authority is desired to enforce others in one way or another.

Power and authority can also be characterized in terms of their hierarchy and sources. While expertise and knowledge compose the basis of power, authority employs position and office. Power implies the exercise of personal traits, but a legitimate right provided to officials is the foundation of authority. In addition, authority is expected to follow a hierarchy, and power does not imply any structure. For example, charismatic authority vests in the personal attributes of a veteran police officer, who motivates his or her colleagues due to attractive qualities. Another example is a coercive type of power that is inherent in many traditional prisons. It implies that a person applies punishment or threats to force an inmate to comply with the orders. In this case, the example demonstrates a widespread belief that such power is the key mechanism of compliance in correctional facilities.

Speaking about the foundation of criminal justice organizations, one should note that both power and authority are significant. The study by Stojkovic (1987) found that correctional officers do not rely strongly on reward power to ensure the reliance of inmates to the orders (as cited in Stojkovic et al., 2015). At the same time, authority practice is critical in correctional organizations to make decisions, share them with subordinates, and confirm that the organization performs appropriately as a whole. While authority is a more formal concept, power is focused on working with the daily behaviors of people. For instance, the interaction of the police and car drivers can be mentioned to explain the importance of both concepts. When a driver notices that the car behind him or her turns on red and blue lights, it means that the driver should pull to the side. In this situation, the driver understands that the police officer is likely to exercise his or her legitimate authority. However, when the police officer issues a speeding ticket, it is the expression of power.

In many cases, criminal justice officials, who are in positions of power, also possess some authority. The police officer has to comply with the authority of persons, who stay higher in the hierarchy, but they have the power to make decisions regarding the implementation of the commands. If a chief police officer sets a task to find a thief, it is the responsibility of the subordinate officers to choose relevant strategies to accomplish this task. At the same time, they have the authority to arrest a person. Thus, power and authority are the two concepts that compose the foundation of the criminal justice system; they cannot be used interchangeably, but should be considered in combination.

Reference

Stojkovic, S., Kalinich, D., & Klofas, J. (2015). Criminal justice organizations: Administration and management (6th ed.). Nelson Education.

Structuring Successful Interventions In Employee Health Programs

Since this paper involves a description of RX drug addiction, two approaches will be used to enable addicts change their ways. These approaches are transformational and situational leadership approaches. The transformational leadership approach perceives change on two fronts: personal and societal (Roesner, 1990). Ideally, the outcome of transformational leadership would be the creation of leaders (from addicts) because the leadership model seeks to uplift an individual’s morale, motivation and performance (Roesner, 1990). The best outcomes are evident when a person is able to see how personal qualities connect with the society and with other people (by challenging the “status quo” and motivating individuals to undertake the best activities which are beneficial to the society and to the individual). The transformational leadership approach is useful in this paper because the program framework is aimed at enabling victims to transit from one state (addiction) into another state (free from drugs). The leadership approach will therefore provide the framework for this change.

The situational leadership approach is also applicable in this paper because it advocates for the use of different leadership approaches, depending on the situation (Matt, 2009). This leadership style is built on the assumption that, different situations have different needs, and leadership should be designed to meet the different situational needs. The situational leadership approach is deemed to be a fair supplement of the transformational leadership style because drug users have different needs and personality traits. Applying a common strategy may therefore not work, but a situational leadership strategy may work. In this regard, there is a strong variation in leadership styles between individuals. The above leadership styles however pose different obstacles.

Challenges

The strongest challenge in the implementation of the transformational and situational leadership approach is the denial by drug users that they have a drug problem. It is a known fact that both leadership approaches cannot be applied if the subjects do not acknowledge they have a problem (Johnson and Denham, 2008). Often, drug addicts may be delusional and fail to acknowledge they have a drug problem. If they fail to acknowledge this fact, it is impossible to apply the transformational and situational leadership approaches.

Addressing the Problem

In addressing denial, it will be crucial to find a neutral person, whom the drug addict can talk to without any repercussions (Battaglia, 2008, p. 5). Sometimes, drug addicts may find it difficult to open to someone who has vested interests in their lives. Finding a neutral person, say a therapist, therefore helps in making the drug victim acknowledge that, there exists a problem. Secondly, demystifying any common beliefs about the use of RX drug addiction also helps in making the victim realize there is an addiction problem (Battaglia, 2008, p. 5). For instance, there may be existing beliefs that RX drug addiction can easily go away. Such a belief hampers the addict’s chance of admitting there is a drug problem. Taking a non-personal approach in making the drug addicts see that they have an addiction problem also helps in making them overcome denial. For instance, it would be beneficial to confront the drug addiction problem from the victim’s point of view, as opposed to any other point of view (Battaglia, 2008, p. 5). Collectively, these efforts will enable the drug victims realize they have a drug problem and need help.

References

Battaglia, E. (2008). Overcoming Denial: The First Step to Recovery. Web.

Johnson L. & Denham, S. A. (2008). Structuring successful interventions in employee health programs. AAOHN Journal, 56(6), 231-40.

Matt, S. (2009). Situational Leadership by Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey. Web.

Roesner, J. (1990). Ways Women Lead. Harvard: Harvard Business Review

Healthcare Quality And Leadership Relationship

There is a significant interdependent relationship between healthcare quality and leadership. It is the mandate of the management to monitor and ensure the proficient implementation of policies and the use of resources. Patient care is a service-oriented phenomenon encompassing the optimal exploitation of dynamic approaches to enhance the experience among all personnel (Sfantou et al., 2017). An excellent example of a practice that relies on the participation of administration is the implementation of the metaparadigm mainframe that asserts the level of treatment and recovery among all clients. The governance system highly determines the hallmark of medication within the industry hence the importance of integrating the two major entities.

The quality of services in hospitals is a reflection of the implementation of the dynamic medical theoretical frameworks. The metaparadigm mainframe is a multifaceted phenomenon enshrining the integration of nursing, healthcare, environment, and person. In this case, it is the responsibility of the practitioners to optimally consider consent among the clients with the aim of boosting the recovery and treatment based on efficient interaction (Sfantou et al., 2017). Educating the patients about the procedures asserts the prominence of observing precautionary measures to avoid re-admission for similar cases. The creation of awareness fosters ethical and moral codes in the industry based on the invasion of an individual’s body parts.

Consequently, the interdependence between healthcare quality and leadership is a phenomenon that fosters the implementation of sufficient service experience. Nursing is one of the industries that depend on the proficiency of the physicians hence the significance of implementing such policies as metaparadigm mainframes that empower the administration in monitoring the operations across the institutions. The integration of technological advancements within the industry intensifies professionalism in the sector and the interplay between the two compositions.

Reference

Sfantou, D. F., Laliotis, A., Patelarou, A. E., Sifaki-Pistolla, D., Matalliotakis, M., & Patelarou, E. (2017). Importance of leadership style towards quality of care measures in healthcare settings: A systematic review. In Healthcare, 5 (4), 1-17. Web.