Business Commons^™

Electing Law Enforcement Leadership: Examining The Effects Of Politics And Job-Related Qualifications On Personnel Assessment And Decisions For Sheriff, Kareem Panton, Kevin P. Nolan, Jess Rigos

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

Calls for police reform have become frequent in the United States. Efforts to enact meaningful organizational change will require support from senior law enforcement leadership. Personnel selection for several of these positions (e.g., Sheriff) occurs via local election. Little is known, however, about the factors that influence voters’ assessment of candidates for these positions and the extent to which decision-making for personnel selection via election is influenced by the same beliefs (e.g., person-job and person-organization fit) as more traditional approaches to hiring. This study explores the extent to which voters’ perceptions of two candidates for the position of Sheriff are …