The dual Sides of the Police Badge: Understanding Well-being and Ill-being in a Police Organization

Research on workplace well-being across diverse professional groups has yielded critical insights for advancing organizational management practices. Police officers, in particular, are subject to elevated stress levels due to the inherently demanding and high-stakes nature of their occupational roles. Investigating their experiences provides a robust basis for identifying theoretical and methodological lacunae in the academic literature and existing management frameworks. This study examines the determinants of well-being and ill-being among police officers within a Brazilian law enforcement organization, employing an activity-centered ergonomics methodology applied to quality of work life. A total of 635 officers completed a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using the IRaMuTeQ software, which facilitates both quantitative and qualitative content analysis through methodologies such as classical textual statistical tests, descending hierarchical classification, identification of group-specific attributes, and similarity analyses. The study identified key contributors to workplace well-being, including the opportunity to serve society, societal recognition, positive team dynamics, job stability, and financial security. Conversely, primary sources of ill-being encompassed negative interpersonal interactions, inadequately trained leadership, judicial interference, bureaucratic inefficiencies, limited career progression opportunities, insufficient institutional recognition and autonomy, perceived organizational injustice, and ineffective managerial practices. The findings provide critical insights for developing sustainable strategies to manage organizational well-being in police contexts. Additionally, the study outlines a research agenda to identify and implement evidence-based interventions to address the unique challenges police organizations face. Clinical trial number: not applicable.