Abu Dhabi Police Organizational Change

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Organizational Change: 1957-2014
Reasons
Benefits of the Change
Forces of Change
Change Model
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Organizational change is the process through which the strategies or major sections of a company are altered significantly to improve its performance (Reiss, 2012). Organizational change can be planned, unplanned or radical. Planned change occurs when deliberate decisions and actions are taken to modify the organization.

Unplanned change is often “imposed on the organization by unforeseen internal and external factors” (Reiss, 2012, p. 16). Radical change is a process that enables organizations to reclaim their competitiveness after losing it. This paper will discuss organizational change in the context of Abu Dhabi Police. It will highlight the causes and the benefits of the changes that have occurred in the police force since 1957.

Organizational Change: 1957-2014

Since its formation in 1957, Abu Dhabi Police has experienced the following organizational changes. In 1959, the number of officers in the police force was increased from 80 to 150 in response to increased demand for security services (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014).

In 1961, the organizational structure was altered by establishing two categories of personnel namely, policemen and guards. Guards were responsible for securing public places such as palaces, controlling traffic, and guarding Sheikhs. The policemen, on the other hand, were responsible for providing security to guests.

In 1968, the organizational structure was altered again by the introduction of the Criminal Investigation Branch and the Traffic Department. Moreover, three categories of officers were established. These included policemen, cadets, and guards. In 1972, Abu Dhabi Police was transformed into the Ministry of Interior (MOI) for Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014).

It was also expected to provide security in the entire UAE. In the 1980s and 1990s the government focused on expanding the police force by hiring and training more officers. Currently, Abu Dhabi Police has over 30,000 trained officers who are responsible for providing security and rescue services (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014).

From 2000, major changes in the police force focused on enhancing community policing, establishing partnerships with international security agencies, and acquiring advanced information and communication technologies to provide security. In 2009, the Urban Search and Rescue Team was established to provide emergency security services in the UAE. The “Department of Community Police was established in 2003 to prevent crime at the community level” (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014).

The Department of Social Support was also established to provide humanitarian services to citizens. In 2007, the facial recognition system was introduced to help the police to identify criminals. Other technologies that were introduced include CCTV systems and patrol mechanical information systems.

Reasons

First, the organizational structure was changed to improve the efficiency of Abu Dhabi Police. Managing the entire police force by one commander became difficult as it expanded. As a result, Abu Dhabi Police was reorganized into various departments whose heads reported to the commander of the entire police force (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014).

The reorganization improved efficiency in decision-making processes. In addition, various departments were introduced to improve coordination of the activities of the police force. Rising concerns over the effectiveness of Abu Dhabi Police also led to the change of its organizational structure. Specifically, each department was introduced to provide specialized services in order to improve performance.

Second, the police force was expanded through recruitment and training of more officers in order to meet the demand for security services (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014). Following the formation of the UAE in 1971, the population that required the services of Abu Dhabi Police increased significantly. Thus, the police force had to be expanded to provide adequate security in the entire country.

Third, the introduction of advanced technologies was informed by the increase in sophisticated criminal gangs and terror groups in the UAE and the Middle East (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014). The technologies were expected to improve security by helping police officers to detect and prevent crime, as well as, to gather evidence against suspects.

Benefits of the Change

First, the changes have led to improved security in the UAE. The use of advanced technologies and equipment enables Abu Dhabi Police to prevent criminal activities before they happen. Training programs enable police officers to conduct adequate investigations in order to bring criminals to justice. Thus, the residents of the UAE no longer live in fear of losing their lives or properties (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014).

Second, community policing has enhanced the relationship between the residents of the UAE and the police. This enables the police to get firsthand information from residents concerning security threats (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014). The residents, on the other hand, benefit from instant access to assistance from the police.

Third, accountability has been enhanced by reorganizing the police force into specialized departments. This helps in reducing corruption and negligence of duty by promoting the culture of honesty and integrity among police officers and their leaders. Finally, the changes have led to efficient use of resources. For instance, the use of modern IT solutions enables police officers to create security awareness and to conduct investigations at a low cost.

Forces of Change

The main forces that promoted organizational change in Abu Dhabi Police include the following. First, change was promoted by advancement in information and communication technologies (Kreitner & Cassidy, 2012).

For instance, digital crime records, CCTVs, and biometric identification devices replaced manual investigation techniques because they facilitate fast and cost-effective access to information. Second, world politics contributed to the change. Since 2000, most countries have focused on fighting global terrorism by enhancing security within and outside their territories. This explains the collaboration between Abu Dhabi Police and external security agencies such as the UK Police and the USA’s FBI.

Third, social trends such as high educational attainment and increased penetration of smartphones have enabled the police to use modern technologies such as the internet to communicate with the community. Finally, change was enhanced by the diversity of the workforce. Abu Dhabi Police recruits civilians and officers with military experience. This enabled the police force to establish a diverse talent pool that had leaders who were able to inspire their followers to embrace change.

Change Model

According to Kotler’s change model, the changes that took place in Abu Dhabi Police evolved through the following steps. The change was initiated by Sheikh Shakbut Bin Sultan Al Nahyan who was the first leader of the police force. He created a sense of urgency and inspired his officers to focus on change rather than maintaining the status quo.

In the second step, the Sheikh focused on building a guiding coalition by encouraging the government and influential commanders to support the change process. Winning the support of the government was expected to facilitate access to the resources that were required to implement the change.

In the third step, the successor of Sheikh Shakbut continued with the change process by creating a clear vision to guide its implementation. The vision identified the steps that had to be followed and the resources that were required to realize the change (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014). The fourth step involved communicating the vision to police officers and other stakeholders such as citizens to encourage widespread participation in the implementation process.

In the fifth step, the leaders of the police force focused on empowering their officers to implement the desired change. This included training police officers to enable them to perform their duties effectively. The officers were also provided with the necessary resources in terms of technologies and equipment to achieve their work targets (Abu Dhabi Police, 2014).

The sixth stage involved creating short-term wins to motivate police officers to complete the implementation process. The seventh step involved consolidating the gains of the police force, as well as, adjusting to new challenges and needs. The last step, which is still being implemented, involves reinforcing the change by embedding it in the organizational culture of Abu Dhabi Police.

Conclusion

Abu Dhabi Police has become a world class security organization due to the changes that it implemented in the last three decades. The police force improved its performance by investing in advanced security technologies and focusing on community policing. Moreover, the police force was expanded and reorganized into specialized departments.

These strategies have led to improved security in the UAE. In addition, the relationship between the police and the community has improved tremendously. Thus, the leaders of Abu Dhabi Police should continue to collaborate with the government to implement changes that will enhance performance in future.

References

Abu Dhabi Police. (2014). About us. Web.

Kreitner, R., & Cassidy, C. (2012). Management. London, UK: Palgrave.

Reiss, M. (2012). Change management. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

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