M. Blair Thomas

Bio: M. Blair Thomas is an academic researcher from Valdosta State University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Local government & Private sector. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 9 publications receiving 22 citations. Previous affiliations of M. Blair Thomas include Florida State University.

We can’t just shut up and play: How the NBA and WNBA are helping dismantle systemic racism

Abstract: In 2020, the lack of an administrative response to the rising rates of COVID-19 and the inability of public leaders to provide proper oversight and accountability for unjust government actions by (police officers) presents a clear case of the failure of the administrative state These actions have led to a national outcry by individuals and organizations (in particular Black Lives Matter (BLM)) that are fed up with the inequity that exists in society Unlike prior movements, BLM in its current form has gained a powerful ally in members of professional sports, in particular the NBA and the WNBA While sport figures have protested administrative failures before, this new wave of athletes have been able to capitalize on their positions and gain the support of their respective associations In this dialogue, we explore the emergence of the Black American athlete as a key group in creating change within the administrative state, highlighted by the actions of LeBron James and Maya Moore as well as organizational support from both the NBA and the WNBA to combat social injustice across several settings Finally, we assert that athletes play a powerful role in pushing forward the conversation around institutional and systemic racism in society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Administrative Theory & Praxis (Taylor & Francis Ltd) is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )

Strategically Marketing Florida’s Cities: An Exploratory Study Into How Cities Engage in Public Marketing:

Abstract: Over the course of this decade, Florida has emerged as one of America’s fastest growing and most visited states. As many of the state’s municipalities compete for opportunities to expand their tax ...

More Than a Logo: Branding Viewpoints from City Managers Leading to Testable Propositions

Abstract: In the realm of local government, private sector practices that once seemed taboo such as branding are increasingly employed within public administration. This study utilizes surveys and interviews...

Kynecting the Dots: How Kentucky’s Willingness to Loosen the Reins Sparked a Health Insurance Enrollment Race in the Bluegrass State

Abstract: The development of health insurance exchanges within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) legislation is one of the hottest health policy issues of this decade. With the surprise enrollment success of Kentucky’s exchange called “Kynect,” the influence of how marketing and branding have contributed to the embrace of the policy has garnered interest from scholars and practitioners alike. Driven by the utilization of in-depth interviews, this study found that Kynect’s success was aided by three emergent themes: frequent communication between the outsourced marketing firm, Doe-Anderson, and relevant stakeholders; the willingness to delegate all marketing and branding control to Doe-Anderson; and a multiparty commitment to developing and executing a campaign that would simultaneously adhere to public values and accentuate a feeling of localness to constituents across the state. The paper contributes to existing literature by providing an inside look at how a government can find marketin...

What About Us

Abstract: Established in 2006, TATA Africa Services (Nigeria) Limited operates as the nodal point for Tata businesses in West Africa. TATA Africa Services (Nigeria) Limited has a strong presence in Nigeria with investments exceeding USD 10 million. The company was established in Lagos, Nigeria as a subsidiary of TATA Africa Holdings (SA) (Pty) Limited, South Africa and serves as the hub of Tata’s operations in Nigeria and the rest of West Africa.

Organization and management.

Abstract: Organization and Management is a comprehensive text and is structured to meet the syllabi requirements of various universities and professional institutes, particularly the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. It fills the need for a systematically-organised quality text, written in an easy-to-read style. It adopts the basic approach of treating an organization as a system and management as an art. It presents concepts and principles as guides for management and not as rules of thumb, and emphasizes the need for managers to relate decisions to operating situations.

Theories of Performance: Organizational and Service Improvement in the Public Domain

Abstract: Colin Talbot.Theories of Performance: Organizational and Service Improvement in the Public Domain.Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2010.Reviewed by Howard A. DoughtyColin Talbot is to be commended merely for attempting this project. He is doubly to be commended for succeeding. He has taken on a formidable task, and he has convinced at least one sceptic that his approach and the application of his ideas to real-world circumstances are fundamentally valid. I am sure that I am not alone.The first thing that Talbot does is to speak directly and sensibly about theory and then to link this discussion to both methodological problems concerning research and to practical issues of governmental processes-all within the context of a single overarching theme, namely how to improve the ways that government does its job.The first problem is that theorists may not be terribly interested in the specific applications of theory to concrete situations. The second problem is that practitioners are probably even less interested in hearing about theoretical discussions-especially when they are tied to the internal squabbles among academics within and across social science disciplines.It is, I regret to say, a common ailment of our culture that "theory" is imagined, even by some of the certifiably educated, to be "part of a hierarchy of confidence running downhill from fact to theory to hypothesis to guess... [but] facts and theories are different things, not rungs on a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world's data. "Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts" (Gould, 1983: 254). We feel comfortable with "facts," whereas theories make us nervous; still, in the absence of theories, we cannot make sense of facts. Like it or not, we all put facts together with theory in order to make practical action possible. Those who seek to think seriously about situations will need to get beyond these cultural blockages. Talbot solves the problems in three related ways.First, he lays out a plan or description, discussion and argument and sticks to it. The result is that a potential mash-up of confused and confusing steps are laid out and meticulously followed. Readers know at all times where they have been, where they are and where they are going to go. It is a plan, moreover, that makes sense and that is explained clearly early on. There are no surprises and no detours. As a result, seemingly disparate approaches and issues are set out in a way that maps some difficult terrain and makes what, in less skillful hands, would be a disjointed expedition into a seamless and quite enjoyable journey.Second, he speaks persuasively. His efforts become meaningful because he so plainly and sincerely believes that this work is important. Linking theory and practice is a hard job at the best of times, but Talbot's audience is apt to include people with considerable expertise in some parts of the argument and little or none in others. Finding the best way to explain the elements of portions of his narrative to newcomers without boring the already well-schooled is an art in itself, and Talbot is an accomplished artist.Third, his book has a common and consistent thread running through it. It is about something. That thread has a conceptual name; it is consilience; it also has a flesh-and-blood form; his name is E. O. Wilson. Talbot discusses the famous Harvard sociobiologist (and coiner of the term) in his introduction and mentions him occasionally in the text; but, his presence is never far away. He is unobtrusive, but ever watchful. He is also the source of my aforementioned scepticism.It would be foolish to underestimate the man and his influence. For over forty years he has been a dominant figure and an inspiration to a variety of branches of the Darwinian tree, not least the now popular field of "evolutionary psychology" and even the slightly more remote domain of "behavioral economics. …

Policy Design for COVID-19: Worldwide Evidence on the Efficacies of Early Mask Mandates and Other Policy Interventions

Abstract: To understand the extent to which a policy instrument's early adoption is crucial in crisis management, we leverage unique worldwide data that record the daily evolution of policy mandate adoptions and COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. The analysis shows that the mask mandate is consistently associated with lower infection rates in the short term, and its early adoption boosts the long-term efficacy. By contrast, the other five policy instruments?domestic lockdowns, international travel bans, mass gathering bans, and restaurant and school closures?show weaker efficacy. Governments prepared for a public health crisis with stronger resilience or capacity and those with stronger collectivist cultures were quicker to adopt nationwide mask mandates. From a policy design perspective, policymakers must avoid overreacting with less effective instruments and underreacting with more effective ones during uncertain times, especially when interventions differ in efficacy and cost. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.