Showing papers in "Public Administration Review in 2006"

The design and implementation of cross-sector collaborations: Propositions from the literature

Abstract: People who want to tackle tough social problems and achieve beneficial community outcomes are beginning to understand that multiple sectors of a democratic society—business, nonprofits and philanthropies, the media, the community, and government—must collaborate to deal effectively and humanely with the challenges. This article focuses on cross-sector collaboration that is required to remedy complex public problems. Based on an extensive review of the literature on collaboration, the article presents a propositional inventory organized around the initial conditions affecting collaboration formation, process, structural and governance components, constraints and contingencies, outcomes, and accountability issues.

Varieties of Participation in Complex Governance

Abstract: The multifaceted challenges of contemporary governance demand a complex account of the ways in which those who are subject to laws and policies should participate in making them. This article develops a framework for understanding the range of institutional possibilities for public participation. Mechanisms of participation vary along three important dimensions: who participates, how participants communicate with one another and make decisions together, and how discussions are linked with policy or public action. These three dimensions constitute a space in which any particular mechanism of participation can be located. Different regions of this institutional design space are more and less suited to addressing important problems of democratic governance such as legitimacy, justice, and effective administration.

Collaboration Processes: Inside the Black Box

Abstract: Social science research contains a wealth of knowledge for people seeking to understand collaboration processes. The authors argue that public managers should look inside the “black box” of collaboration processes. Inside, they will find a complex construct of five variable dimensions: governance, administration, organizational autonomy, mutuality, and norms. Public managers must know these five dimensions and manage them intentionally in order to collaborate effectively.

Collaboration and Leadership for Effective Emergency Management

Abstract: Collaboration is a necessary foundation for dealing with both natural and technological hazards and disasters and the consequences of terrorism. This analysis describes the structure of the American emergency management system, the charts development of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and identifies conflicts arising from the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the attempt to impose a command and control system on a very collaborative organizational culture in a very collaborative sociopolitical and legal context. The importance of collaboration is stressed, and recommendations are offered on how to improve the amount and value of collaborative activities. New leadership strategies are recommended that derive their power from effective strategies and the transformational power of a compelling vision, rather than from hierarchy, rank, or standard operating procedures.

Managing Successful Organizational Change in the Public Sector

Abstract: C an governmental organizations change? Reform initiatives have swept through governments in the United States and overseas, again and again bringing news about eff orts to reinvent, transform, or reform government agencies ( Barzelay 2001; Kettl 2000; Pollitt and Bouckaert 2000; Stillman 1999 ). Curiously, however, this recurrent theme of change in government agencies has not induced a high volume of articles that explicitly address the topic in public administration journals. # ere are prominent exceptions to this observation (e.g., Bryson and Anderson 2000; Chackerian and Mavima 2000; Mani 1995; Wise 2002 ) and journal articles about topics related to organizational change (e.g., Berman and Wang 2000; Brudney and Wright 2002; Hood and Peters 2004 ). Articles reporting research and theory with titles containing “ organizational change ” and with that theme as a focal topic, however, appear with much less regularity in public administration journals than in research journals focusing on general management and organization theory.

Collaborative Public Management: Assessing What We Know and How We Know It

Abstract: Collaborative public management research is flourishing. A great deal of attention is being paid to the process and impact of collaboration in the public sector, and the results are promising. This article reviews the literature on collaborative public management by synthesizing what we know from recent research and what we’ve known for quite some time. It addresses the prevalence of collaboration (both recently and historically), the components of emerging collaborative structures, the types of skills that are unique to collaborative management, and the effects of collaboration. Collaborative public management research offers a set of findings that contribute to an emerging knowledge base that supplements established public management theory.

The Effects of E-Government on Trust and Confidence in Government

Abstract: Trust in government has been declining for more than three decades now E-government has been proposed as a way to increase citizen trust in government and improve citizen evaluations of government generally Using two-stage models to analyze recent Pew survey data, this research explores the relationship between e-government use, attitudes about e-government, and trust in government There is a statistically significant relationship between trust and use of a local government Web site, as well as other positive assessments of federal and local governments The evidence suggests that e-government can increase process-based trust by improving interactions with citizens and perceptions of responsiveness The findings are theoretically important for reconciling the conflicting research on the effects of e-government and for understanding variations by level of government Citizen attitudes toward government, including trust, are core concerns for democratic governance and public administration

Inside Collaborative Networks: Ten Lessons for Public Managers

Abstract: Th is paper off ers practical insights for public managers as they work within interorganizational networks. It is based on the author’s empirical study of 14 networks involving federal, state, and local government managers working with nongovernmental organizations. Th e fi ndings suggest that networks are hardly crowding out the role of public agencies; though they are limited in their decision scope, they can add collaborative public value when approaching nettlesome policy and program problems.

The Impact of Organizational Context and Information Technology on Employee Knowledge‐Sharing Capabilities

Abstract: Sharing knowledge and information is an important factor in the discourses on electronic government, national security, and human capital management in public administration. This article analyzes the impact of organizational context and IT on employees’ perceptions of knowledge-sharing capabilities in five public sector and five private sector organizations in South Korea. Social networks, centralization, performance-based reward systems, employee usage of IT applications, and user-friendly IT systems were found to significantly affect employee knowledge-sharing capabilities in the organizations studied. For public sector employees, social networks, performance-based reward systems, and employee usage of IT applications are all positively associated with high levels of employee knowledge-sharing capabilities. Lessons and implications for knowledge-sharing capabilities and management leadership in the public sector are presented.

What Do We Know and Need to Know about the Environmental Outcomes of Collaborative Management

Abstract: Many tout the benefits of collaborative environmental management as an alternative to centralized planning and command and control regulation, but the excitement over collaborative processes has not been matched by evidence that these processes actually improve the environment. The most crucial question in collaborative environmental management remains unanswered and often unasked: To what extent does collaboration lead to improved environmental outcomes? We know much about why collaboration is occurring and how collaborative processes and outputs vary. The primary goal of future research on collaborative environmental management should be to demonstrate whether collaboration improves environmental conditions more than traditional processes and newer market-based processes. Collaboration is not a panacea; it is a choice that policy makers and public managers should make based on evidence about expected outcomes.

A Comparison of the Values and Commitment of Private Sector, Public Sector, and Parapublic Sector Employees

Abstract: This study investigated differences in general values, work values and organizational commitment among 549 private sector, public sector, and parapublic sector knowledge workers. No differences in general values were observed across sectors, although five significant work value differences were revealed: parapublic employees value work that contributes to society more than public servants, who value it more than private sector employees; parapublic employees value opportunities for advancement less than both public and private sector employees; public servants value intellectually stimulating and challenging work more than parapublic employees; and private sector employees value prestigious work more than public servants. Private sector employees displayed greater organizational commitment than the employees in the other two sectors. Overall, the findings suggest only limited value differences among employees of the various sectors. The finding of some work value differences between employees in the public and parapublic sectors suggests that these two groups merit separate consideration in comparative studies such as this one.

Managing public service contracts: Aligning values, institutions, and markets

Abstract: The contracting of public services has been an integral part of public managers’ work for a long time, and it is here to stay. This essay sums up current research on the topic for busy practitioners and scholars. Where are we today with respect to the problems and pitfalls of contracting out, from balancing equity with efficiency to confronting the frequent problem of imperfect markets?

Gaming in Targetworld: The Targets Approach to Managing British Public Services

Abstract: To what extent did the extensive system of managing public services by targets, introduced by Tony Blair’s New Labour government in the United Kingdom in 1998, reproduce the classic gaming responses associated with the Soviet Union and other centralized performance-setting systems? Combining evidence from documentary sources and interviews with high-level officials in the Whitehall bureaucracy, the author suggests that the three classic types of target gaming can be identified in this public management regime. However, the central managers of the target regime did not put substantial resources into checking performance data, took reported performance gains at face value, and had no coherent antigaming strategy.

The Performance–Trust Link: Implications for Performance Measurement

Abstract: Although the link between government performance and citizen trust in government seems intuitive, the relationship is not supported in some of the literature This article argues that the difficulty of empirically demonstrating this link is rooted in the difficulty of defining and measuring government performance meaningfully Performance measurement can improve citizen trust in government directly through citizen participation in the evaluation process or indirectly by improving citizens’ perceptions of government performance To achieve this potential, current performance-measurement practice must be improved: to measure what citizens really care about, to be more systematic and integrated across agencies, to include other governing entities, and to become an ongoing participatory process in which governments and citizens are both transformed

Citizen-Centered Collaborative Public Management

Abstract: Civic engagement and collaborative public management are concepts that are defined broadly, making theoretical explication challenging and practical application of empirical research difficult. In this article, the authors adopt definitions of civic engagement and collaborative public management that are centered on the citizen and the potential for active citizenship. Following a historical review of civic engagement in the United States, a conceptual model of five approaches to civic engagement is offered. Citizen-centered collaborative public management is enhanced through these approaches. The authors suggest the need for further empirical research on collaborative public management that is grounded in citizenship action.

Gender, Representative Bureaucracy, and Law Enforcement: The Case of Sexual Assault

Abstract: Using the theory of representative bureaucracy, this paper investigates the relationship between women police officers and sexual assault reports and arrests. The theoretical contribution is to establish a case in which representation is likely to occur, even without a conscious effort on the part of the bureaucrat involved but simply because of the shared experiences of the bureaucrat and the client. Based on a pooled time series of 60 urban areas over an eight-year time frame, this study finds that the percentage of women police officers is positively associated with the number of reports of sexual assault and with the number of arrests for sexual assault.

Motivating Employees in a New Governance Era: The Performance Paradigm Revisited

Abstract: What lessons does prior research on employee motivation off er public managers operating in — and researchers studying the dynamics of — a new governance era of resultsbased, downsized, networked, and customer-focused public organizations? 1 In this essay, we summarize what the voluminous body of social and behavioral science research tells us about motivating human performance in public, private, and nonprofi t organizations. Informing this analysis is a “ review of reviews ” of a sprawling research base that examines four elements of the traditional performance paradigm: employee incentives, job design, employee participation, and goal setting ( Locke et al. 1980 ). From this formidable body of research, we discern what is known about employee motivation, what is left to know, and how useful the classic performance paradigm is in light of these new governance challenges.

Managing for Results in State Government: Evaluating a Decade of Reform

Abstract: State governments in the United States have enthusiastically embraced the idea of managing for results. This appears to represent a victory for New Public Management policy ideas transferred from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The managing for results doctrine that emerged from these countries called for an increased focus on results but also increased managerial authority to achieve results. In return, it was claimed, governments would enjoy dramatic performance improvement and results-based accountability. This article assesses the implementation of public management reform in the United States and argues that the managing for results doctrine has been only partially adopted. State governments selected some of the New Public Management ideas but largely ignored others. In short, state governments emphasized strategic planning and performance measurement but were less successful in implementing reforms that would enhance managerial authority, undermining the logic that promised high performance improvements.

Managing Boundaries in American Administration: The Collaboration Imperative

Abstract: Boundaries have long played a central role in American public administration. In part, this is because boundaries are central to the administrative process, as they defi ne what organizations are responsible for doing and what powers and functions lie elsewhere. It is also because of the nation’s political culture and unusual system of federalism, in which boundaries have always been the focus of confl ict. Five boundaries have historically been important in the American administrative system: mission, resources, capacity, responsibility, and accountability. New forces make managing these boundaries increasingly diffi cult: political processes that complicate administrative responses, indirect administrative tactics, and wicked problems that levy enormous costs when solutions fail. Working eff ectively at these boundaries requires new strategies of collaboration and new skills for public managers. Failure to develop these strategies — or an instinct to approach boundaries primarily as political symbolism — worsens the performance of the administrative system.

Strategy Content and Organizational Performance: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract: This study presents the first empirical test of the proposition that strategy content is a key determinant of organizational performance in the public sector. Strategy content comprises two dimensions: strategic stance (the extent to which an organization is a prospector, defender, or reactor) and strategic actions (the relative emphasis on changes in markets, services, revenues, external relationships, and internal characteristics). Data were drawn from a multiple-informant survey of 119 English local authorities. Measures of strategy content are included in a multivariate model of interauthority variations in performance. The statistical results show that strategy content matters. Organizational performance is positively associated with a prospector stance and negatively with a reactor stance. Furthermore, local authorities that seek new markets for their services are more likely to perform well. These results suggest that measures of strategy content must be included in valid theoretical and empirical models of organizational performance in the public sector.

Glass Ceilings or Gendered Institutions? Mapping the Gender Regimes of Public Sector Worksites

Abstract: The “glass ceiling” model of gender equity has its weaknesses. Therefore, a multiple-dimensions approach to gender is proposed. This essay reports on a field study of organizational gender arrangements in 10 public sector worksites in New South Wales, Australia. Despite equal opportunity measures, gender divisions of labor persist in several forms. Processes that sustain and undermine these divisions are identified. Authority patterns are being reconfigured, with restructuring and rising numbers of women in management resulting in local turbulence in gender relations. Emotions of gender transition are identified, with considerable diversity in reactions among men. An emerging pattern, the “depolarized workplace,” is described. A cultural trend toward workplace gender neutrality is observable. Proposals are made for better practice in gender equity work, including richer ways for public organizations to study their own gender regimes.

The Challenging Business of Long‐Term Public–Private Partnerships: Reflections on Local Experience

Abstract: Many widely publicized arrangements bearing the popular “public–private partnership” label are complex, long-term contracts between municipalities and private companies. In theory, these innovative contracts offer substantial public benefits, including improved service quality, risk sharing with the private sector, and cost savings. In practice, however, the challenges that long-term contracts pose can undermine their successful implementation at the local level. Drawing on illustrative cases, this article explores some practical impediments to achieving market-driven competition, equitable risk sharing, effective performance guarantees, and appropriate transparency in innovative long-term contracts. It examines the inapplicability of the partnership model to most commercial transactions between government and business, the risks of uncontrollable circumstances, the impact of local resource constraints, and barriers to transparency in long-term contracts. It concludes that local governments embarking on long-term contracts must invest in specialized expertise, effective contract management, and strong governance structures.

Citizen Participation in Budgeting Theory

Abstract: Citizen participation in government budgeting processes is a topic that has received attention for many decades. Despite prescriptive exhortations to cities, research in this area has significant limitations. We identify four elements that are believed to influence the participation process. The variables within each element have received attention in the empirical literature, but no systematic effort has been made to uncover interaction effects and extend theory to make it more robust. We consider the weaknesses of our knowledge, suggest an impact model of citizen participation in budgeting, and identify hypotheses that may be tested in future research.

“E” the People: Do U.S. Municipal Government Web Sites Support Public Involvement?

Abstract: To what extent do local government Web sites support practical, meaningful public involvement? Fifteen years after the adoption and diffusion of the World Wide Web, the answer to this question remains cloudy and controversial. The promise—and peril—of Web-based public involvement, known as e-democracy, has been widely debated. Much of the debate has focused on theoretical abstractions or extrapolations of current political or technological trends. Empirical studies have been limited to reports on pilot projects, case studies, or special population surveys. This paper contributes to our empirical understanding of the question. It reports results of a recent comprehensive survey of official government Web sites in the principal cities of the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. In particular, it examines whether and how U.S. city government Web sites facilitate users’ involvement in local public issues.

Collaborative Public Management and Democracy: Evidence from Western Watershed Partnerships

Abstract: This article provides a framework for assessing the democratic merits of collaborative public management in terms of seven normative ideals: inclusiveness, representativeness, impartiality, transparency, deliberativeness, lawfulness, and empowerment. The framework is used to analyze a random sample of 76 watershed partnerships in California and Washington State. The study reveals the exclusionary nature of some partnerships and suggests that critical stakeholders are missing from many partnerships. However, representation was generally balanced. National and statewide advocacy groups were absent from most of these place-based partnerships; public agencies were the primary source of nonlocal perspectives. Deliberativeness was relatively strong, indicated by the prevalence of educational and fact-finding strategies and participants’ perceptions of respectful discussion and improved social capital. Half the partnerships had implemented new policies, and two-thirds of stakeholders believed their partnership had improved watershed conditions, indicating empowerment.

Municipal Support for Social Entrepreneurship

Abstract: Municipal support for social entrepreneurs isincreasingly seen as an approach for addressing social challenges incommunities. This study examines the activities that municipalities use tosupport the programs and efforts by private individuals in their communities,and how these activities affect local social entrepreneurship. Severalrationales for municipal support of social entrepreneurs are identified. For this study, social entrepreneurs are defined as individuals or privateorganizations that identify and address important social issues in theircommunities. Specifically considered is the initial stages of developing newprograms. The study was based on survey results from 202 senior managers inU.S. cities above 50,000 population in fall 2003 and follow-up, in-depthinterviews in early 2004. Slightly more than half of respondents reported that their cities had highlevels of social entrepreneurship. The level of support varies: only 34.2percent of municipalities actively support private organizations, 44.2 percentprovide some support, and 21.6 provide very little. Frequently mentionedsupport activities include help in applying for grants, bringing entrepreneurstogether to collaborate, providing information about social conditions forgrant applications, and assistance in developing new programs. Someapplications of the study to the field of public administration are offered.(TNM)

Organizing for Homeland Security after Katrina: Is Adaptive Management What’s Missing?

Abstract: Government response to Hurricane Katrina revealed organizational and performance issues, which the author analyzes. He also analyzes and reviews federal government organizational changes related to homeland security, and examines several proposals, made in Katrina's aftermath by policymakers, for reorganization. A management approach for use in homeland security organizing's ongoing process is presented that is rooted in adaptive management.

Political Control versus Bureaucratic Values: Reframing the Debate

Abstract: The literature on political control of bureaucracy reveals that bureaucracies are highly responsive to political forces. This paper argues that the political control literature misses evidence from other academic literature that bears directly on this phenomenon. Specifically, researchers need to consider the values of the bureaucracy in any effort to assess the degree of political control. An empirical test is presented using a data set from public education. Results show bureaucratic values to be far more influential in explaining bureaucratic outputs and outcomes than political factors. These findings suggest that a reinterpretation of previous empirical research is urgently in order.

Representative Bureaucracy: Rethinking Substantive Effects and Active Representation

Abstract: This article addresses perceived deficiencies in the study of representative bureaucracy by explaining and classifying the sources of passive representation's substantive effects. This classification is used to clarify existing empirical research and normative thinking on active representation. Doing so produces a more modest but more accurate interpretation of existing research findings and helps to indicate future research needs. It also reduces normative disagreement to a single source of substantive effects, namely bureaucratic partiality. Minority bureaucratic partiality is of dubious value for helping minorities, and bureaucratic partiality should generally be rejected. However, a passively representative bureaucracy increases in importance because of its other sources of substantive effects. This demonstrates the need to go beyond the passive–active distinction: It is more adequate and accurate to speak of representative bureaucracy and the sources of its substantive effects.