ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that gender-related issues are not only rooted within the organization but also emanate from the social order where the organization is culturally situated. Minority threat could be an explanatory model for why police women are treated differently in police organizations. Institutional theory argues that police organizations respond to their environment and navigate through social expectations of the police force. The first element states that "the organization, in its behaviour and structure, reflects the values in its institutional environment". Modern management practices demand the matching of personality, skills, and the job. Contingency theorists in policing suggest that different types of workers are equally valuable to the organization. The United States as an egalitarian society has lagged behind in the integration of women in policing. It has even lagged behind in the promotion of equity and equality among genders in police organizations.
