Hybrid journal * Containing 1 Open Access article(s) in this issue * ISSN (Print) 0275-0740 - ISSN (Online) 1552-3357 Published by Sage Publications[1084 journals]
Authors:Kim Moloney, David H. Rosenbloom Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. The emergent global administrative order includes more than 800 international and regional organizations. Just as the rise of the modern state placed greater importance on the study of public administration, the growth of multistate organizations, their agendas, and personnel require research that draws upon contemporary and classical public administrative thought. This article employs multiple lenses to explore the utility of public administrative theory and empirically based knowledge in analyzing the behavior of international and regional organizations. Specifically, while remaining cognizant of differences between international organizations and sovereign states, we consider the utility of the politics–administration dichotomy, representative bureaucracy, individual and employee due process and other rights, and broader questions of accountability in understanding the administrative life and influence of international organizations in global governance. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-11-16T06:48:26Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019888498
Authors:Rebecca Hendrick, Robert P. Degnan Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. This research estimates a model of own-source revenue diversification and a model of changes in operational spending in municipal governments from 1997 to 2012 to determine how these governments have adapted to the two significant recessions that occurred during this time period. The first model examines factors that affect revenue diversification, focusing on the state–local fiscal context and how the level of urbanization of the area surrounding the municipalities impacts the effect of state–local context and other factors. The second model examines how municipal governments in the United States have adapted their spending to the two severe recessions of the 2000s, focusing on how state context, revenue diversification, and other factors affect changes in operational spending. Finally, this research also looks at the conditional effects of the size of government on the impact of state context, environmental pressures, and revenue structure on changes in operational spending. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-11-07T06:59:16Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019884314
Authors:Jonathan P. West, James S. Bowman Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. American states have statutes with whistleblowing protection provisions for employees. These laws may focus on the duty to divulge misconduct, procedures for reporting disclosures, and protection from retaliation. The research question is, “What is the scope, content, and perceived effectiveness of these provisions'” The premise is that they have value, albeit uncertain, in the practice of public administration. To investigate this subject area, documentary and attitudinal data were gathered. This article presents the results of the first comprehensive study of state-level whistleblowing provisions. The importance of this work is evident for two reasons. First, though corruption varies across state lines, overall it is common. Second, given the low visibility and high complexity of organizational activities, detection of abuse rests in large part with the workforce. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-11-04T06:14:40Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019885629
Authors:Alisa V. Moldavanova, Nathaniel S. Wright Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. This article investigates the relationship between several elements of organizational strategy and arts and culture nonprofits perceived contributions to community sustainability. We ask the following research question: What are the drivers of arts and culture nonprofits’ engagement in community sustainability' Drawing on data collected from a survey of 175 nonprofits in the state of Michigan, this article reports the findings about arts and culture organizations perceived engagement in community sustainability and factors that may foster or inhibit such engagement. The study advances our understanding of the role that nonprofit organizations play in fostering local sustainable development, and it also informs broader scholarly discourse on the role of arts and culture organizations in a society. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-10-29T09:00:48Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019884316
Authors:Robin H. Lemaire Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. “Whole” goal-directed networks are inherently full of conflict and tensions, but a certain level of agreement about network-level goals is important for goal-directed service delivery networks. This work examines goal congruency in a large, heterogeneous child and youth health and well-being network. By drawing on the dimensions of social capital to categorize types of network relationships, the tie portfolios that are associated with perceived goal congruence between network and organizational member goals are examined. Using crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (cs-QCA), the results indicate that the perception of goal congruence is present when organizations have a high number of linking ties or a strong tie to network management staff combined with a high number of bridging ties. Implications are discussed for network governance and management, focusing especially on the types of relationships among network members that may need to be facilitated to support goal congruence, and thus, effective network functioning. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-10-05T06:01:59Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019879506
Authors:Julianne Mahler Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Organizational learning is widely seen as a particularly valuable form of change, driven by professionals closest to the work of the agency and all its challenges. However, the growing literature on this process identifies a large and varied set of requisites for learning. The object here is to survey these requisites and show how they are the many guises of a few basic learning processes, and in doing so distinguish the conditions that stimulate or initiate learning from those that support it. Although all of the paths to learning can be encouraged, the stimuli have been less appreciated for their particular role. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-09-30T11:42:34Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019879435
Authors:Angel Luis Molina Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Representation in service-providing organizations is vital to the inclusion of ethnoracial minorities in a democratic society. The political contexts that encompass these organizations can influence the equity of services that historically underserved groups experience. These contexts are especially meaningful for Latino communities, where bureaucratic representation is a growing venue of responsiveness in American democracy. Yet relatively little attention has been devoted to understanding how this politics – bureaucracy intersection influences their outcomes. This study focuses on this intersection against the backdrop of Latinos and education governance. Combining data from various sources, the empirical analysis examines the relationship between political contexts and group representation among managers and street-level personnel. The findings reveal that factors such as community partisanship significantly affect Latinos’ representation and educational outcomes. They also highlight the need for a deeper understanding of how such factors influence the representation and inclusion of Latinos and other ethnoracial minorities across an array of organizational settings. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-09-17T06:17:10Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019874454
Authors:Miyeon Song, Minjung Kim, Nathan Favero Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Research on citizen satisfaction has emphasized the role of service quality (including expectations for quality) in shaping citizens’ evaluations of public services. This article considers an understudied but important aspect of public service delivery—equity—and investigates how disparities in service outcomes between disadvantaged and advantaged groups affect citizens’ evaluations of service providers. This study also examines whether citizens with different socioeconomic status (SES) have different perceptions toward the outcome disparities. Using individual-level data from secondary schools, we find that service users appear to recognize and care about a performance gap among social strata. Even when a student’s individual outcome is held constant, satisfaction varies with the school-level performance gap between high-SES and low-SES students. This finding suggests that service users are concerned about not just their outcomes but also the relative positioning of outcomes for those of their own social group compared with other groups. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-09-13T12:13:09Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019874445
Authors:Adam Eckerd, Roy L. Heidelberg Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Participation and administration have long had an uneasy coexistence. On one hand, public participation in decisions that affect citizens is consistent with citizenship and democracy; on the other hand, much of what government does is complex and requires some level of technical understanding to make decisions. In this article, we report on public administrators’ perceptions of public participation and the ways that they understand the participation process. We find that public participation is managed by public administrators; they determine the extent of participation, shape the ways that the participation takes place, and decide whether or not participation is valuable for their work. In some cases, the process is rather democratic, whereas in others, it is not. We find that it is up to administrators to shape the spaces for participation and select the participants in a manner consistent with their understanding of the task to be accomplished. We explore this process in the context of Environmental Impact Analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-08-27T09:21:25Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019871368
Authors:David Coen, Matia Vannoni First page: 3 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. By applying event history analysis to a unique large sample of more than 300 government affairs managers working for companies active in the European Union (EU), this article investigates whether managers with work experience in the public or nonprofit sector are more likely to progress in their career in their current company and whether career progression depends on when that experience takes place. The findings suggest that managers with experience in the public and nonprofit sector are less likely to progress in their careers. This effect becomes stronger when the stage of the career at which the manager had experience in the public sector is taken into consideration. These findings are contrary to the expectations from the public and private management literature and suggest that we should see less revolving door activity in Brussels. We propose that these findings are driven by the distinct EU public policy process and the variance in individual and organizational incentives in the EU public sector. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-07-09T11:42:37Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019861360
Authors:Shuyang Peng, Yuguo Liao, Jiahuan Lu First page: 18 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Although the public-management literature has demonstrated a growing interest in public–nonprofit collaborations, it pays little attention to the sustainability of collaborations. This study proposes that nonprofits’ intentions to maintain collaborations with government are influenced by both instrumental and relational factors. Using a national sample of human service nonprofits, this study demonstrates that both nonprofits’ continuance commitment and affective commitment play a role in shaping their intentions to maintain collaborative relationships with government. Specifically, continuance commitment is driven by the presence of a formal agreement and the dependence on government funding, and affective commitment is shaped by distributive and procedural justice. The findings have implications for public managers to effectively manage their collaborations with nonprofits. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-08-14T05:26:22Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019867413
Authors:Jessica N. Terman, Richard C. Feiock, Jisun Youm First page: 33 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. In the last two decades, local governments have increasingly engaged in energy conservation and sustainability programs and policy. However, the benefits of these policies (i.e., cleaner air, less congestion, etc.) are often perceived as dispersed and costly. As such, localities consider collaborating with one another. However, decisions to collaborate pose considerable risks that can be magnified or mitigated by the mechanisms through which collaboration occurs. We investigate decisions to engage in formal and informal collaboration in the area of energy efficiency and conservation as a response to collaboration risks. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-08-08T07:18:23Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019867421
Authors:Erin L. Borry, Alexander C. Henderson First page: 45 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Rules are essential components of organizations, especially given their foundational role in inducing organizationally preferred behavior and reducing behavioral variability among its members. Despite the existence and prevalence of these centrally important tools, rule deviation occurs. This study proposes to understand the ways in which emergency medical service (EMS) professionals break rules for prosocial purposes—to help patients. In particular, this research seeks to understand how specific organizational and personal attributes influence rule-breaking tendencies. Results indicate that aspects of ethical climate are significantly related to prosocial rule-breaking (PSRB) tendencies, whereas empathy is not. In addition, this study finds that other characteristics, such as a conformist personality, risk taking, expertise, and experience on the job influence PSRB. These findings contribute to the literature on rule deviation and EMS practices and shed light on the complexity of decision making in frontline public services. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-07-11T06:54:28Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019862680
Authors:Aaron Wachhaus First page: 62 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Combatting chronic disease (prevention and treatment of obesity, diabetes, heart health, and stroke) requires action at the local level, both to educate the public and to provide health services. Effective collaboration among local organizations devoted to educating the public about, and treating patients of, these diseases is a key component of successful health care. To better understand local efforts, a social network analysis of five local health care networks spanning eight counties in Maryland was conducted. The purpose of this exploratory research was to discover whether collaborative networks exist at the local level, to map the networks, and to assess their strengths and needs. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-08-02T07:02:16Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019864298
Authors:Pengju Zhang, Marc Holzer First page: 77 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Public administration studies have not adequately discussed governance challenges for small local governments. Given that more than 10% of villages have, unprecedentedly, voted on dissolution in New York over the past 10 years, this article exclusively and comprehensively investigates how well villages are faring in New York. Using a representative survey of village governments, coupled with a rich secondary data set, it finds institutional and political tensions between villages and their underlying town(s). It also suggests intergovernmental fiscal factors have threatened the organizational and fiscal health of some village governments. In addition, villages have extensively established service-sharing mechanisms with town(s) to mitigate fiscal stress. The majority of village officials remain skeptical about dissolution as an effective approach to cost savings. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-07-25T09:14:29Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019864184
Authors:Aaron Deslatte, William L. Swann First page: 92 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Linking strategic management to performance has been called essential for public managers to confront pernicious environmental and community problems in the 21st century. This article examines the role that an organization’s entrepreneurial orientation (EO) plays in the linkages between organizational capacities, strategies, and perceived performance. An EO is considered a key driver of a public organization’s willingness to engage in risk taking, innovation, and proactivity aimed at enhancing organizational routines, decision-making, and performance. Scholars have provided empirical guidance for the antecedents and consequences of entrepreneurialism in bureaucracy, yet we know little systematically about how EO links to strategies that may affect performance in the public sector. To investigate, we employ a mixed methods design using a nationwide survey of U.S. local governments and interviews with local government managers about their experiences in sustainability programs. Quantitatively, we find evidence for environmental factors of political and administrative capacities positively influencing EO, and that strategic activities of performance information use, venturing, and interorganizational collaboration mediate the relation between EO and perceived sustainability performance. Interviews corroborate these findings and illuminate how local government managers proactively engage stakeholders, consider risk taking, build capacity, and pursue innovation in sustainability. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-08-20T05:01:33Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019869376
Authors:Charles T. Goodsell First page: 871 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. President Trump and his Administration have gravely damaged the institutions and values of American public administration. Harm has been done to the federal workforce, the policymaking process, the integrity of missions, agencies and programs, and the government’s relation to science. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-07-25T09:14:28Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019862876
Authors:Hester L. Paanakker First page: 884 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Public craftsmanship, as the normative prescription of a myriad of public values, is receiving renewed attention. This study aims at empirical insight into how such abstract principles acquire practical meaning in specific professional settings, and how they are practically facilitated on the shop floor. We use an explorative case study among Dutch prison professionals (N = 32) to contrast perceptions of ideal values and practices with perceptions of institutional facilitation at street level. In the case of prison officers, the institutional context of the prison was found to substantially restrain rather than support the ideals that professionals attach to good street-level craftsmanship. The study’s theoretical contribution is to show craftsmanship as uniquely localizing the normative underpinnings of good work. Empirically, the findings show how an unyielding neoliberalist administrative practice can hamper the potential of public craftsmanship and is likely to have negative impact on staff commitment and successful public service delivery. We end with implications for the further examination and development of public craftsmanship in public administration theory and practice. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-07-05T06:37:04Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019859944
Authors:Simone J. Domingue, Christopher T. Emrich First page: 897 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. To date, there has been limited research conducted on disaster aid allocation across multiple regions and disasters within the United States. In addition, there is a paucity of research specifically connecting social indicators of vulnerability to public assistance grants aimed at restoring, rebuilding, and mitigating against future damages in disasters. Given these gaps, this article inquires as to whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) public assistance program is characterized by procedural inequities, or disparate outcomes for counties with more socially vulnerable populations. Specifically, this article analyzes county-level FEMA’s Public Assistance distribution following major disaster declarations, while controlling for damages sustained, population, household counts, and FEMA Region. Results indicate that FEMA’s Public Assistance program operates well when accounting only for disaster losses across the years, however, findings also show that county social conditions influence funding receipt. Although socioeconomic characteristics were significant drivers of assistance spending, additional vulnerability indicators related to county demographic and built environment characteristics were also important drivers of receipt. Cases of both procedural inequity and equity are highlighted, and implications for equitable disaster recovery are discussed along with recommendations. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-06-18T08:42:49Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019856122
Authors:Pengju Zhang First page: 914 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Municipal government dissolution used to be a rare occurrence in American history and has thus far received little attention in the literature. More than 300 of municipal governments, however, have dissolved since the mid-1990s. To understand this emerging momentum in practice and to fill the gap in literature, this article focuses on the increasing trend of village dissolution in New York, builds an analytical framework, and investigates the driving forces behind the possibility of dissolution, which is measured either by the presence of any dissolution-related activity or by the passage of a dissolution referendum. Based on a representative survey sample and a rich set of secondary data, this article consistently finds that dissolution does not randomly occur. Rather, dissolution is more likely to be considered and approved in a village where the economy struggles, the population declines, political trust undermines, and fiscal health deteriorates. In other words, the research suggests dissolution may not be as appealing or take place in economically strong and politically dynamic areas. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-06-26T05:48:17Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019858066
Authors:Sabina Schnell, Suyeon Jo First page: 944 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. An increasing number of countries are adopting open government reforms, driven, in part, by the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global effort dedicated to advancing such initiatives. Yet, there is still wide variation in openness across countries. We investigate the political, administrative, and civic factors that explain this variation, using countries’ fulfillment of OGP eligibility criteria as a proxy for minimum standards of openness. We find that countries with strong constraints on the executive and high levels of citizen education have governments that are more open. A dense network of civil society organizations is associated with more budget transparency and higher civil liberties, but not with access to information or asset disclosure laws. The results suggest that if the value of openness is to be translated in practice, it is not enough to have capable bureaucracies—countries also need informed citizens and strong oversight of executive agencies. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-06-18T07:24:56Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019854445
Authors:Alka Sapat, Ann-Margaret Esnard, Aleksey Kolpakov First page: 957 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. Greater collaboration among nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) after disasters is important in helping them deliver services, share information, and avoid resource duplication. Following a disaster, numerous NGOs, including a large number of faith-based NGOs, typically offer disaster assistance. But to what extent do these NGOs providing disaster assistance collaborate with each other' Does organizational homophily prevail' Or is the need to acquire resources an incentive for collaboration' Are collaborations characterized by relationships of dependency' To answer these questions, we analyze collaboration between international NGOs, local NGOs, faith-based organizations, and other organizations providing disaster assistance in Haiti in the 3-year period following the 2010 earthquake. Data on these organizations and their networks were analyzed using social network analysis methods. The major findings are that most organizations collaborate within sectoral boundaries and that homophily is one of the main drivers of collaboration, illuminating power relationships in disaster assistance networks. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-07-11T06:53:16Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019861347
Authors:Gyeo Reh Lee, Shinwoo Lee, Deanna Malatesta, Sergio Fernandez First page: 973 Abstract: The American Review of Public Administration, Ahead of Print. We develop a conceptual framework that integrates and extends existing explanations of outsourcing’s effects on the government workforce and organizational performance. We then test our logic using 5 years of panel data (2010-2014) from U.S. federal agencies. The evidence presents modest negative effects of outsourcing on organizational performance as perceived by employees. The analysis also reveals that outsourcing affects perceived performance through its influence on job satisfaction. Citation: The American Review of Public Administration PubDate: 2019-06-13T06:07:26Z DOI: 10.1177/0275074019855469