Qualitative analysis of the gap between in-service training and the professional behavior of police officers

training is one of the best means for creating professional manner in employees of the organization. The objective of this study is recognition and qualitative description between pre-service training and expected professional manner of officers in police force of Iran.

To recognize and describe dimensions and components of the gap between training of non-commissioned officers and professional manner of employees, qualitative research method is used. Recognition of the gap at this study has been done through semi-structured interview with two groups including chiefs of police in Isfahan and non-commissioned officers working in police stations. Statistical subjects are selected criterion-based purposefully. Interviews were conducted to the point of theoretical saturation with two groups of 12 chiefs of police and 17 non-commissioned officers working in police stations. Interviews were analyzed with thematic analysis method.

The thematic analysis of interviews data showed that one reason of the gap between pre-service training of officers and the expected professional manner was the lack of formation of the necessary skills in non-commissioned officers at the pre-service training stage. This category of gap has three main dimensions; the operational skills with 29 components, behavioral skills with 9 components, and specialized- professional skills with 29 components.

From perspective of experts, to reduce the gap between pre-service training of non-commissioned officers and professional behavior of employees, we should concentrate on improving operational, behavioral and expertise-professional skills and make necessary changes.