The Multi-Dimensional Environment of Publicly Funded U.S. Crime Laboratories and Its Impact on Lab Priorities
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2020
Abstract
Institutional theory of organizations has been increasingly applied to U.S. police organizations. There is, however, a dearth of literature applying institutional theory to publicly funded U.S. crime laboratories. Utilizing a national census and a survey of laboratory directors, we assess lab directors’ awareness of their institutional environments. We find that lab directors perceive a multi-dimensional institutional environment surrounding their labs, and they attribute varying levels of importance to sovereigns within their institutional environments. Lab directors also identify a multi-dimensional, organizational priority structure. Further analysis indicates that directors’ perceptions of their environments significantly impact organizational priorities, findings that support institutional theory.
Publication Information
Matusiak, Matthew C.; King, William R.; and Campbell, Bradley A.. (2020). "The Multi-Dimensional Environment of Publicly Funded U.S. Crime Laboratories and Its Impact on Lab Priorities". Journal of Crime and Justice, 43(3), 362-376. https://doi.org/10.1080/0735648X.2019.1673792