Just only question 3

On taking power, Nixon began a series of substantive and symbolic steps. Substantively, was reduced likability and poorer instrumental outcomes such as being hired, although women she outlined her changes and told officers to 'change from today' because 'we are doing were not perceived as less competent. As a result, women suffer a 'backlash' (Rudman, 1998), things differently in the future'. Officers had the opportunity to start afresh. She explained as others may prefer to have a male over a female boss; may have lower intentions to hire or to police and community, particularly in problem locations, what she considered important promote a woman when a male candidate is available; and may offer lower salaries for female and stated that there would be fair process in everything the police did. Rather than leaders. The link between this backlash and lower numbers of female leaders is clear. taking an agenda to them, she asked these communities what they wanted fixed. She also made herself accessible to all police officers who could email her. This irked senior officers Faced with this diminished legitimacy, uncooperativeness and resistance, women leaders around her because she could obtain on-the-ground information rather than relying on can then be psychologically affected. Given the reality of such behaviours towards them, women what her senior management told her. During her time, she also set up the Purana Task leaders can become apprehensive and lower their expectations of control or influence. To avoid Force, which had considerable success in cleaning out and jailing Melbourne's crime gangs. backlash, women may reduce their assertiveness and goal-focused behaviour, or try to pre-empt She overtly made a point of talking with all ranks of police, not just the senior officers. For example, after an official police ceremony, she stayed behind to speak with police there, negative reactions by adopting more masculine traits, including aggression, as they seek to asking them about their lives and experiences. They were shocked because this had not assimilate with dominant masculine cultures. ever happened before. On another occasion, after finding out that four police officers Clearly there is much to do in improving the potential for women to become leaders. who had been shot in Bendigo a few years prior had not received medals, Nixon created a major ceremony, with the whole community invited, which allowed a healing process to occur. The police returned to work and were paid compensation that had not been paid. CASE STUDY 8.2 She also participated in an LBGTI parade, although she is not gay, and allowed the police pipe band to take part too. Christine Nixon - Police Commissioner When she retired in 2009, she was highly regarded in the community, and the police When Christine Nixon was appointed Victorian Police Commissioner in 2001, she was the service's practices had been vastly improved. irst woman in Australia to be appointed to this level. She was responsible for about 13 000 Source: Information from Prenzlau.d.) personnel in a state of 4.6 million people. She had joined the New South Wales Police n 1972 against the wishes of her father, who was also a police officer. Very few options were available to women officers in those times; however, after reading the feminist book Critical thinking questions The Female Eunuch, she set about educating herself, beginning first with technical college and then university, including Harvard. Her mother had also been a role model as she worked at a time when this was not the norm. At 21, Nixon was elected President of the . From your knowledge of successfully using power in hierarchies, what lessons can you Women's Branch of the Police Association. Although she reached the level of Assistant learn from Nixon's achievement as a police commissioner? Commissioner after 20 years in the force, it was in human resources, which some may have 3. Given the obstacles for women to gain power outlined above, how might you account considered a 'soft' role appropriate for a woman. However, she took a relieving role in for the success of this woman in a male-dominant domain? operations command of Sydney's western suburbs, a difficult policing region. She then took responsibility for another local area command in another part of Sydney. Using her position as operations commander she emphasised a philosophy of problem-oriented policing; that is, looking at crime within a broader social context. She also identified the police under her command as a 'service' not a 'force, particularly in domestic violence and child abuse situations. She respected people's right to protest in a democratic society. She also sponsored restorative justice for youth offenders. She emphasised good management over lazy practice; she also realised the usefulness of involving the community in solving social problems. When Nixon took command of the Victorian Police Force in 2001, morale was low after the previous government had reduced police numbers and resources. The police union was hot-tempered, causing many conflicts with management. Prisoners were being kept in police cells for far too long. For quite some time, the Victorian police had developed a bad reputation for their 'cowboy' behaviour, involving police shootings, extreme sex discrimination and rough handling in public-order policing and raids. They were increasingly being successfully sued for abuses of power. Chapter 8 Power, politics and influence | 213 214 | Leadership