Muṭāli̒āt-i Mudīriyyat-i Ṣan̒atī (Mar 2023)
A Hybrid Model of Agile and Resilient Logistics in Police Organizations Using the Thematic Analysis Method
Abstract
Today, the geographical distribution of crime, particularly in Tehran, is so unpredictable that accurately predicting its location and timing has become impossible. Consequently, the utilization of proactive and retrospective models has become essential for the prevention police, ensuring their ability to maintain maximum proactive and reactive operational power. In this context, logistics serves as a pivotal element supporting police missions and operations, thereby playing a significant role in enhancing the overall performance of the preventive police and establishing sustainable security. Given the nature and sensitivity of the prevention police mission, it is inevitable to encounter insecure factors that frequently manifest as sudden and unexpected disruptions. These disruptions can range from natural disasters, fires, and cyberattacks to economic shocks, illegal gatherings, violent crimes, and drug-related incidents. Consequently, there is a pressing need for the preventive police logistics system to embrace novel approaches and strategies in order to effectively adapt to the dynamic and varied nature of the police mission environment. Due to the nature and sensitivity of police organizations' missions, the utilization of logistics-based approaches that facilitate fast and agile movement, as well as logistics recovery during crises and disruptions, is crucial for effective logistics management in these organizations. Therefore, the objective of this research is to propose a hybrid model for agile and resilient logistics in police organizations. MethodologyThis research is applied-developmental and descriptive-analytical in nature. The research population consists of managers, expert commanders of the police force in operational command, expert university professors specializing in police logistics, and experienced logistics managers with at least a bachelor's degree and a minimum of 15 years of management experience at high levels within the police and military support. Data collection is conducted through semi-structured interviews, with the input of 22 experts selected using a purposeful judgmental method. The thematic analysis method is employed for data analysis. Additionally, in this research, the reliability of the findings was confirmed through the method of audit by a referee. This involved sending the coding to a referee who possesses knowledge in the research subject. At each stage of implementing the thematic analysis method, the referee's opinions were obtained and incorporated. The Attride-Stirling methodology was employed, which encompassed the identification of basic, constructive, and comprehensive themes. To ensure internal validity, a combination of triangulation methods, member checks, paired checks, and bias elimination techniques were employed. Additionally, several strategies were implemented to safeguard accurate performance and ensure external validity, including collecting data from multiple information sources, consistently comparing data during analysis, preventing initial assumptions from influencing conclusions, and avoiding hasty judgments. FindingsThe research findings, in terms of model design, reveal that the police agile and resilient logistics model encompasses 178 indicators, 30 components, and 6 fundamental dimensions, which include organization and management, technology, logistics measures, supply and distribution, agility capabilities, and capabilities. A total of 89 basic themes related to agility and 58 basic themes related to resilience were extracted from the conducted interviews and analyzed using the thematic analysis method. These findings led to the identification of six main dimensions in the police agile and resilient logistics model: organization and management, technology, logistics measures, supply and distribution, agility capabilities, and resilience capabilities. ConclusionWe are currently residing in an era where organizational managers, particularly logistics managers in police organizations, strive to deliver timely and suitable logistics services to fulfill their requirements. This enables them to consistently enhance their performance and improve customer satisfaction within their operational units. In this context, agility and resilience approaches emerge as crucial strategies that can play a highly functional role in empowering logistics as an effective tool towards achieving this objective. The integrated approach of the agile and resilient logistics model, as intended in this research, highlights the overlap between the two concepts of agility and resilience. Although agility has a historical precedence over resilience, the theoretical foundations of these two approaches demonstrate common ground. In fact, resilience, as an approach, considers a return to the initial state or an even better state, which is not achievable without taking into account the elements of agility. The hybrid model of agile and resilient logistics, based on the research findings, combines managerial and technical elements. It not only encompasses indicators from theoretical foundations and previous research but also addresses indicators specific to the operational environment of the police, particularly their activities within cities. Providing logistics services to police operations within urban areas, especially in large cities with distinct traffic patterns, diverse populations, various types of crimes, and ethnic and cultural characteristics, poses significant logistical challenges for police organizations.
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