Abstract
This paper examines how entrenched blame cultures within police organizations obstruct ethical reform and hinder the development of a learning-oriented institutional ethos. Using the Swedish police as a case study, it discusses how misconduct is addressed, how accountability is framed, and how organizational responses are shaped by cultural inertia, hierarchical structures, and reputational pressures. Drawing on theories of organizational change and empirical research within the police, the study highlights how reactive accountability mechanisms—often focused on individual blame—fail to address systemic conditions that enable deviance. The case of the Swedish police illustrates broader organizational dynamics common across public institutions, where symbolic gestures frequently replace structural reform. The paper suggests a reframing of accountability as a forward-looking, learning-oriented process that emphasizes institutional courage, ethical leadership, and collective responsibility. By shifting the focus from individual fault to organizational learning, police organizations can cultivate a culture of openness, resilience, and democratic integrity. A matrix of accountability and organizational focus was developed to analyze responses to incidents at both individual and systemic levels. It contrasts backward looking blame with forward looking learning, highlighting their effects on trust, work environment, and organizational improvement. The study contributes to organizational scholarship by reorienting accountability from a punitive mechanism to a developmental one. It offers insights into how public institutions can move beyond reputational containment toward meaningful cultural transformation, with implications for ethics, leadership, and reform across sectors.
Presenters
Malin WieslanderDocent, Senior Lecturer, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Sweden
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Police Ethics, Organizational Culture, Accountability, Misconduct, Learning
