Discovering an organisational paradox: the reduction-expansion perceptions in a police training organisation: the reduction–expansion perceptions in a police training organisation

In a dynamic and competitive environment, how do complex organisations maintain continuity and function without falling apart? This question will be examined in the context of the Israeli Police training organisation, which consists of several sub-organisations. Although they share similar goals, each has different objectives, trains police of different duties, and operates in a different geographical location. The common organisational characteristics promote shared perception and behaviour patterns for employees, which in turn, stabilise the organisation facing a complex environment. To reveal common perceptions of the training personnel, the research methodology chosen was qualitative, specifically, grounded theory methodology. The shared pattern reflects a paradoxical perception which simultaneously incorporates two poles–reductive and expansive–in each of four organisational core components diagnosed in the research: the training-organisation mission, training processes, organisational work-related processes, and the training personnel characteristics. The reduction-expansion paradox suggests an organisational perception pattern, embedded across the organisational core components, which offers a dynamic explanation for the continuity of the organisation in its complex environment.