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Proud to Belong: The Impact of Ethics Training on Police Officers in Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Harris, Donna

    (University of Oxford)

  • Borcan, Oana

    (University of East Anglia)

  • Serra, Danila

    (Texas A&M University)

  • Telli, Henry

    (International Growth Centre (IGC))

  • Schettini, Bruno

    (Federal Revenue of Brazil)

  • Dercon, Stefan

    (University of Oxford)

Abstract

We examine the impact of ethics and integrity training on police officers in Ghana through a randomized field experiment. The program, informed by theoretical work on the role of identity and motivation in organizations, aimed to re-activate intrinsic motivations to serve the public, and to create a new shared identity of "Agent of Change." Data generated by an endline survey conducted 20 months post training, show that the program positively affected officers' values and beliefs regarding on-the-job unethical behavior and improved their attitudes toward citizens. The training also lowered officers' propensity to behave unethically, as measured by an incentivized cheating game conducted at endline. District-level administrative data for a subsample of districts are consistent with a significant impact of the program on officers' field behavior in the short-run.

Suggested Citation

  • Harris, Donna & Borcan, Oana & Serra, Danila & Telli, Henry & Schettini, Bruno & Dercon, Stefan, 2024. "Proud to Belong: The Impact of Ethics Training on Police Officers in Ghana," IZA Discussion Papers 17006, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17006
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ethics training; traffic police; experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H76 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Other Expenditure Categories
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • M53 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Training
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption

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