Using multiple informants in public administration: Revisiting the managerial values and actions debate

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Walker, RM; Enticott, G
• 署名单位: Cardiff University; University of Hong Kong
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND THEORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1053-1858
• DOI: 10.1093/jopart/muh022
• 发表日期: 2004
• 页码: 417-434
• 关键词: reinventing government; local-government; american states; INNOVATION; determinants; management; diffusion; sector

摘要

Evidence is presented from a large-n longitudinal survey of multiple informants to address some of the weaknesses of the extant literature, namely the use of elite, recall, and snapshot surveys together with the direction of causality in statistical models. These weaknesses are illustrated through a first time analysis of variations in management reform values and actions in local government. The empirical results indicate that management reform values and actions are contingent and vary between organizational members. In particular, service managers (first-line supervisors) responsible for implementing management reform actions offer more multifaceted explanations than senior executives. Prior research drawing evidence from single senior executive informants was unable to identify such variations; consequently, it is suggested that the results of this work need to be treated with caution. This study concludes that the empirical reality of management reform research is in need of further and more sophisticated methodologies.