Gender issues in policing: do they matter?

Purpose ‐ This study aims to examine gender issues in a sample of male and female police officers in Norway. Design/methodology/approach ‐ Three gender issues were considered: perceptions of equal opportunity, possible reasons for differences in male and female career opportunities, and experiences of sexual harassment. Data were collected from 766 police officers in Norway using anonymous questionnaires, a 62 percent response rate. Findings ‐ Female officers indicated significantly lower levels of equal opportunity perceptions, more reasons for career opportunity differences (particularly discrimination), and more sexual harassment than did male officers. Female officers reporting lower levels of equal opportunity perceptions were less job-satisfied, more cynical, rated their quality of leadership lower and indicated more health complaints. Female officers experiencing more sexual harassment also indicated less job satisfaction. Finally, female officers offering more reasons for career differences (particularly discrimination) reported less job satisfaction, and lower professional efficacy. Research limitations/implications ‐ Future research needs to examine gender issues in policing in greater depth using qualitative methodology. Data collected used self-reports ,raising the possibility of response set tendencies. Results may not generalize to other countries or other professions. Practical implications ‐ Suggestions for addressing gender issues in organizations are offered. Originality/value ‐ Provides current information on consequences of gender issues in policing in a cross-cultural context.