To monitor or intervene? City managers and the implementation of strategic initiatives

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Mitchell, David
• 署名单位: State University System of Florida; University of Central Florida
• 刊物名称: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-3298
• DOI: 10.1111/padm.12381
• 发表日期: 2018
• 页码: 200-217
• 关键词: local-government; public-sector; FUTURE; POLITICS; ORGANIZATIONS; PERSPECTIVE; performance; leadership; FAILURE; cities

摘要

Strategic initiatives represent a government's response to constituent and organizational needs, but are only effective if properly implemented. In local governments with a council-manager form of government, city managers face a unique dilemma as compounding challenges of implementation often require them to step into leadership roles typically reserved for elected officials. For this qualitative study, 16 city managers and project leaders from US local governments were interviewed regarding the implementation of nine varied strategic initiatives. The responses indicate that city managers play an important dual role in implementationfirst, monitoring the progress of the implementation team and the satisfaction of the stakeholder coalition; and second, choosing to intervene directly in implementation decision-making when they observe missteps by the implementers or discontent from the stakeholders. These conclusions contribute to the practice perspective of strategic management theory and a better understanding of the institutional leadership role of city managers.