Gender differences in Chinese policing: Supervisor support, wellbeing, and turnover intention

Abstract

Many studies have been conducted over the past few decades to assess gender differences in police officers’ attitudes towards critical aspects of policing. Nonetheless, this line of inquiry has focused predominately on police officers in Western democracies, with limited attention to gender differences in societies where cultural traditions and gender inequalities remain influential in shaping police officers’ occupational attitudes. Using survey data collected from over 1,900 police officers in a northern Chinese province, this study assesses whether female and male officers differ in their attitudes towards supervisor treatment, psychological and physical conditions, and intention to leave the profession. We found that female police officers displayed occupational attitudes that distinguish them from their male counterparts. Contrary to Western evidence, Chinese female officers expressed lower intentions to leave the police profession than male officers. Female officers also reported better wellbeing with lower stress and health concerns than their male counterparts. We also found that supervisors’ procedurally fair treatment and support of technological advancement are associated with lower turnover intention. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.