Innovative issues and approaches in social sciences

In this article, local political leadership is modelled as circulation of political capital. Based on intensive case studies of the political leadership performance of four mayors in Denmark, this article asks why the concept of political capital, introduced to local government studies in 1961 by Banfield, has in many ways sunk into oblivion. This article resuscitates the concept of political capital, using it to generate a general theory of local political leadership. In this framework, the crucial component of effective leadership is the mayor's ability, within a given institutional framework, to circulate (earn and spend) political capital. Effective leadership occurs when the leader continuously invests his or her political capital in ways which yield the greatest return. Clarence N. Stone's distinction between ‘power over’ and ‘power to’ is central to the model. Mayors performing what James H. Svara has labelled ‘facilitative leadership’ can in some cases accumulate substantial amounts of po...

Local Political Leadership: The Art of Circulating Political Capital

As in the private sector, risk management has gained also increasing popularity by public entities. Nonetheless, the correct implementation of risk management by public entities might be a difficult task to accomplish. The Dutch case is an interesting example, since municipalities in the Netherlands have a special bylaw for risk management. However as innovative as it might seems for the public context, there would be some evidence of the difficulties that municipalities in the Netherlands have faced in the implementation of risk management practices (Boorsma and Haisma, 2005). Although there would be no accepted methodologies for impartially measure management practices across different industries, we consider that maturity models could contribute on the task of assessing the implementation of risk management practices. However taking to account the fundamental and practical difficulties found in current risk maturity models, we have made significant efforts to explain and also adapt this method to the characteristics of these entities. Accordingly, we state that Organizational Change and Organizational Learning theory would assist us on the explanation of the evolutionary logic assumed by risk maturity models. When applying the improved risk maturity model to a sample of municipalities in the Netherlands, we found interesting findings and empirical support for the construct validity of our proposed model. Although we still considered this risk maturity model a developing method that needs additional enhancements, we strongly believe that it could be a pertinent instrument for the assessment of risk management process in Dutch municipalities, influencing also the implementation of best risk management practices by these organizations. On the other hand, our principal scientific contribution has been to study and interpret the logic of risk maturity models, identifying theories that could explain their reasoning. We have also incorporated in our model the different stages of the risk management cycle as the main forces for this evolutionary learning process. As a result, we believe that we have fulfilled the gaps found in the literature, making a relevant contribution to the field.

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Developing a risk management maturity model: a comprehensive risk maturity model for Dutch municipalities

Enhancing VFM Audit in Local Government: The Best Value Initiative

How powerful are Canada’s big city mayors? Do mayors have the power to lead in Canada’s cities? What does mayoral power in Canada look like, and what can we learn about Canadian urban politics by examining it? This project explores these and other questions by engaging in the first broad study of urban mayors in Canada. It is often said that Canada has “weak” mayors, or a “weak mayor system” – terms borrowed from an American context referring to the limited executive power of Canadian mayors relative to many of their American peers. This study examines the Canadian mayoralty in its own context, through close examination of the role and power of the mayor in ten Canadian cities. Mayoral power is examined “on paper,” comparing the legal and institutional powers of mayors across cities; and, “in practice,” informed by interviews with mayors and those who work most closely with them. A new model for understanding mayoral power is advanced. This project finds that Canada does not have “weak mayors” nor does it have a “weak mayor system.” These terms reflect a narrow definition of mayoral power. In Canada, where the role and power of the mayor is largely undefined, institutional variables emerge as less important in practice than the type of leadership provided by the mayor. Canadian mayors are expected to simultaneously serve in three distinct roles – as political leaders, as executive leaders, and as community leaders – with each role involving different resources. Mayors are being uniquely positioned at the nexus of the network of actors who are engaged in local government, with an unparalleled ability to shape the engagement of these actors by virtue of their leadership (or lack of leadership). As a result, mayors play a shaping role in the governance of Canada’s cities. This is the power of a Canadian mayor. Mayors are important leaders in Canada, but they are often misunderstood. This study begins to address outstanding questions about the role and power of the mayor, while raising larger issues about leadership capacity in Canada’s cities. It is the beginning of a potentially much larger research agenda – and a contribution to a needed discussion about strengthening leadership in Canada’s cities.

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K. Newton

Papers

Mayors in Action: 5 Approaches to Urban Governance