What happens in police disciplinary decision-making? A grounded theory study of the Korean police

This study examines how disciplinary decision-making (DDM) operates within the Korean police by focusing on the processes through which disciplinary outcomes are produced. Drawing on in-depth interviews with disciplinary officers, this study employs a grounded theory approach to analyse the dynamics of police discipline. The analysis identifies Situated Inconsistency in DDM as the central phenomenon. This inconsistency is shaped by causal conditions such as excessive discretion in DDM and institutional constraints embedded in disciplinary rules and procedures. Contextual conditions – including individual characteristics of key actors, organisational and external pressures, and the expanded involvement of external members – further influence decision-making. Intervening conditions, such as oversight by higher-level agencies and informal reliance on precedents, influence action–interaction strategies within the DDM process. In response, disciplinary authorities and officers engage in responsibility-avoidance and risk-dispersion strategies. By demonstrating how bureaucratic blame avoidance and the symbolic dimensions of institutional accountability operate within the DDM process of the Korean police, this study highlights the need for police discipline research to shift its attention from disciplinary outcomes to decision-making dynamics and provides useful implications for future research. Lastly, the study discusses some implications for improving consistency and legitimacy in police disciplinary systems.