Chief Administrative Officers Research Articles

A Categorical Framework of Ethical Leadership for Public Organizations: Testing a Multi-Dimensional Model of Local Government Managers

Organizational managers serve as ethical role models in their capacity as leaders. Mainstream research on ethics leadership is multidisciplinary, although empirical research is dominated by business administration and psychology scholars with less empirical work in public administration. This article develops and tests a categorical framework for ethical leadership behavior by applying it to data from a national survey of Chief Administrative Officers (CAO) of local governments in the United States. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) is used to test six dimensions of ethical leadership behavior and support is found for the model. This research is novel since it extends the ethical leadership research in business administration and psychology to local government managers and by extension, to public managers in general.

Exploring the Discrepancy between Marketing Focused on Racial and Ethnic Diversity and the Availability of Support for Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Economic Development

This study investigates the complex relationship between the emphasis on racial and ethnic diversity in economic development marketing and the availability of grant or loan programmes for immigrant entrepreneurs. Utilizing a comprehensive survey conducted in collaboration with the International City/County Management Association and Cornell University, the research analyses responses from chief administrative officers across U.S municipalities. The study employs quantitative analysis to examine the correlation between diversity-focused marketing strategies and the existence of financial support mechanisms for immigrant entrepreneurs. Key findings reveal a statistically significant association between the emphasis on diversity in marketing and the presence of support programmes. However, the study highlights the discrepancy between marketing claims and actual support available to immigrant entrepreneurs. The policy implications suggest a need for authentic integration of diversity in both marketing and program implementation, emphasising the role of tangible support mechanisms. The findings underline the necessity of holistic and inclusive economic development strategies that align promotional efforts with practical support for immigrant entrepreneurs.

In unsteady waters: How mayors and chief administrative officers make sense of a public service bargain in disequilibrium

Public service bargains (PSBs) have become a central heuristic to understand the relationship between politicians and senior bureaucrats. In this article, we add to the existing literature by exploring how both politicians and senior bureaucrats make sense of a PSB in disequilibrium. Based on individual and focus group interviews and six case studies of breakdown in the bargain, we find that bargains may be unstable due to both changing circumstances and differences in interpretations. We add to previous research by demonstrating how the differences in interpretations may manifest themselves along two dimensions, that is, in the balance between the types of competences and rewards that should be included in the bargain as perceived by politicians and senior civil servants, as well as how the competences and rewards agreed upon are interpreted. Points for practitioners The way mayors and chief administrative officers (CAOs) understand their relationship (the public service bargain) can sometimes reach a state of disequilibrium. This study explores how such a disequilibrium is interpreted by the relevant actors in terms of competences and rewards. Proactive renegotiation and alignment between mayors and CAOs is essential in responding to individual and relational dynamics to ensure efficient and legitimate cooperation between political and administrative actors.

Factors Influencing Recentralization of Local Government Functions in Uganda

The decentralisation system of governance is perceived as one of the recent public sector reforms to improve service delivery in Uganda. It is the transfer of authority from Central to Local Governments to execute their duties to improve service delivery. Various developing countries have praised Uganda’s decentralisation policy regarding the magnitude of the transfer of authority to the local level. However, since 2003, the Central Government started reversing the policy in terms of : recentralization of the appointment of Chief Administrative Officers and Municipal Town Clerks and of recent City Town Clerks (for new cities in Uganda) from the District Service Commissions (DSCs) to the Public Service Commission, recentralization of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) under the management of the Executive Director, Procurement of drugs from the district health office to the National Medical Stores (NMS), recentralization of the payroll and the recent recentralization of local revenue collection from LGs. This paper focuses on the factors influencing the recentralization of Local Government powers in Uganda. This is presumed to be evidence of the demise of decentralisation policy. From the reviewed articles, these factors include: accountability challenges, human resource management crisis, political interference by local authorities and lack of financial discipline among local authorities and fear of local autonomy. The paper concluded that recentralisation of Local Government functions reduced undue influence of local politicians though it accorded excessive powers to executive officers in Local Governments; human resource crisis was mainly caused by poor man power planning. Recentralisation of local revenue caused financial constraints at the local level and recentralisation of KCCA led to the weakening of the opposition but led to increases resources to develop the capital city. The paper recommended that the Parliament should harmonise with the central government on the issue of returning Local revenue collection and management at the local level; give reasonable powers to the local Governments to control top technical leadership; increase funding to Central Government staff to monitor Local Government programs and build the capacity of local leaders to improve service delivery

Lonely at the Top: An Examination of the Changing Dynamics for Chief Administrative Officers in Alberta Municipalities

Lonely at the Top: An Examination of the Changing Dynamics for Chief Administrative Officers in Alberta Municipalities

LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAYROLL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM MODEL: A CASE OF MAYUGE DISTRICT

: Globally employers are struggling to maintain effective and efficient payroll and protect employee data, their organisations against fraud through the use of information communication technology (ICT). The aim of the research was to identify the key elements of an effective integrated personnel and payroll system (IPPS) that would aid in the development of improved model for payroll management in the local government and specifically Mayuge district. This research employed design science approach in the methodology which was deemed appropriate since the end result was to develop an artifact or a model. The findings brought out several elements amongst which include payroll, time and attendance management, employee data management, recruitment, selection, learning management, training system, performance management, employee self-service and leave management, furthermore the research discovered that the existing system was prone to manipulation at several points and there is need to develop a model to eliminate the anomalies. In conclusion there is need to improve on the IPPS in order to curb on the fraudulent activities within the payroll. Finally all districts across Uganda specifically the Chief Administrative Officers (COAs) must check and monitor their payroll systems and the ministry of local government the findings of this research to reduce financial loss by the government through fraudulent acts.

The trickle-down effect of mayors’ and administrators’ change leadership on employees’ change-supportive behaviour during COVID-19: The importance of local root similarity

ABSTRACT Despite extensive studies on change leadership, there is a lack of research on its multilevel nature especially in the hierarchical context of local governance. We situate our research in the context of change during COVID-19 to examine whether mayors’ change leadership has a trickle-down effect on employees’ change-supportive behaviour via the change leadership role of chief administrative officers (CAOs). We also ask whether this trickle-down effect depends on whether mayors, CAOs and employees share their local roots (i.e. local root similarity). Multi-source data were collected from 79 CAOs and 758 employees in Thailand. The proposed hypotheses were generally supported.

Correspondence Course Program and Teacher Achievement at Kigali-Rwanda

The study was mainly about the effects of correspondence course program and teachers’ achievement in Kigali city and was leaded by the following objectives. To examine the effect of correspondence course program and teachers’ achievement in Kigali city, To examine the problems faced by teachers undertaking correspondence course or learning program in Kigali city and To investigate ways through which we can reduce on the problems facing correspondence course program Kigali city. The study was majorly evaluative and mainly qualitative in nature although for the purposes of accuracy and clarity, some quantitative aspects were used. The study comprised of 227 respondents who included 10 community leaders, 193 students, 17 teachers 3 head teachers, 2 representatives from NGOs 12 civil servants who included chief administrative officers from Gasabo, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge districts and Kigali city development officer 5 education officers who included the district inspector of schools and Kigali city education officer plus 20 parents whom their children were undertaking correspondence course program. Therefore, the target population of 350 selected from three sectors of Kigali city made a sample size of 227 which was selected using purposive sampling and simple random sampling. This reseracher embraced a survey investigate plan which utilized surveys as disobedient of information collection and guided meet. Information were displayed and examined into tables and graphs applying expressive insights (Frequencies, rates and cruel) as well as utilizing SPSS bundle. 95% of the respondents who were inquired said that correspondence course program in Kigali City is confronted by Tall steady loss/ dropout rates. 73% of the respondents whom the analyst caught up with said that correspondence course Advances great learning involvement where by learners are free to connected with other individuals within the communities where they take off and within the dialects that they get it superior. This has made them be advanced to distinctive levels in numerous zones where they work. Keywords: Correspondence course program, teacher achievement

Total reward preferences in the recruitment and retention of county chief administrative officers: Applying a push/pull theory of motivation

AbstractMonetary rewards have historically played a prominent role in public employee turnover. Additionally, non‐monetary rewards such as internal environmental factors contribute to the ability to recruit, retain, and satisfy public employees. Our research seeks to apply the push and pull theory of motivation to the total reward (intrinsic and extrinsic rewards) preferences of county chief administrative officers (CAOs) in the state of Georgia. CAOs typically have job titles such as County Administrator or County Manager. In understanding which rewards are most valued by CAOs, local governments can better understand the ways their CAOs value different rewards. In other words, which rewards are most likely to “pull” a CAO to another position; and conversely, does the lack of certain rewards “push” CAOs towards other jurisdictions or even other careers? In addition, this research aims to examine whether demographic variables of CAOs impacts total reward preferences.

Depoliticization of Governance in Large Municipalities in Europe

The premise of our research paper is that large (by the size of the population) municipalities are more complex to govern and manage, and this, in turn, calls for a more professional and apolitical local government. Using data from the largest European survey of mayors, we analyzed the influence of mayors and chief administrative officers in Europe and checked for correlations with the size of the local government. We present empirical evidence to support that the perceived influence of mayors varies with the size of the municipality regardless of the institutional configuration of power relationships. We found that very large municipalities (80,000 or more inhabitants) had weaker mayors. The presumption that a larger, more complex local (urban) environment calls for more professional leadership has been addressed in numerous publications; however, the answer was usually beyond the reach of the empirical tests.

Sustainability of health services in refugee hosting districts: a qualitative study of health services in three west Nile refugee hosting districts, Uganda

BackgroundHumanitarian health assistance programmes have expanded from temporary approaches addressing short-term needs to providing long-term interventions in emergency settings. Measuring sustainability of humanitarian health services is important towards improving the quality of health services in refugee settings.ObjectiveTo explore the sustainability of health services following the repatriation of refugees from the west Nile districts of Arua, Adjumani and Moyo.MethodsThis was a qualitative comparative case study conducted in three west Nile refugee-hosting districts of Arua, Adjumani, and Moyo. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 purposefully selected respondents in each of the three districts. Respondents included health workers and managers, district civic leaders, planners, chief administrative officers, district health officers, project staff of aid agencies, refugee health focal persons and community development officers.ResultsThe study shows that in terms of organization capacity, the District Health Teams provided health services to both refugee and host communities with minimal support from aid agencies. Health services were available in most former refugee hosting areas in Adjumani, Arua and Moyo districts. However, there were several disruptions notably reduction and inadequate services due to shortage of drugs and essential supplies, lack of health workers, and closure or relocation of health facilities in around former settlements. To minimize disruptions the district health office reorganized health services. In restructuring health services, the district local governments closed or upgraded health facilities to address reduced capacity and catchment population. Health workers employed by aid agencies were recruited into government services while others who were deemed excess or unqualified were laid off. Equipment and machinery including machines and vehicles were transferred to the district health office in specific health facilities. Funding for health services was mainly provided by the Government of Uganda through the Primary Health Care Grant. Aid agencies, however, continued to provide minimal support health services for refugees who remained in Adjumani district.ConclusionOur study showed that while humanitarian health services are not designed for sustainability, several interventions continued at the end of the refugee emergency in the three districts. The embeddedness of the refugee health services in the district health systems ensured health services continued through public service delivery structures. It is important to strengthen the capacity of the local service delivery structures and ensure health assistance programmes are integrated into local health systems to promote sustainability.

A compliance—integrity framework for ethics management: An empirical analysis of local government practice

AbstractThis article examines two approaches to ethics management found in the literature: compliance‐based and integrity‐based, often called the low road and high road. It asks whether both approaches genuinely exist in practice as the literature suggests and whether they are distinct. Data were collected in a national survey of 764 International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) on ethics management practices in their local government to find evidence of the approaches. A Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis showed that CAOs use both compliance‐based ethics, focusing on enforceable rules, and integrity‐based ethics, concentrating on instilling values. Our confirmatory factor analysis showed that both approaches are used in practice, are separate and distinct, but that they are highly correlated. This implies that both approaches are needed to understand ethics management properly. The results challenge existing literature focusing on one approach being dominant and show that both ethics management systems are essential.

Financial Models for an Academic Practice in Plastic Surgery.

Thirteen divisions or departments of plastic surgery were surveyed to obtain information regarding reimbursement models for plastic surgery. Of the 13 plastic surgery groups surveyed, 11 were divisions within the department of surgery. The department chairs/chief and/or chief administrative officers were questioned regarding the following areas: (1) total compensation, 2) bonus and incentive compensation models, and (3) cosmetic and cash reimbursement. There were no regional differences that could be identified. As such, we grouped institutions into Western, Midwest, and Eastern regions. COVID-19 did not change any of the financial models that were established before the pandemic. There is no ideal model for compensation, which varied among the institutions surveyed. All of these financial models were established before COVID-19 and did not significantly change with the pandemic. It appears that within this small sample size, compensation is based mainly on a $/wRVU model. Funding for research and educational teaching remains a challenge, which is not reimbursed well. Although faculty compensation may vary based on the institutions, the decision to enter and remain in academic practice includes a series of decisions. However, compensation is a significant factor, which should not be minimized.

The career paths of the chief administrative officers of U.S. cities: a survey of city managers and content analysis of how they discuss their careers

ABSTRACTWe expand the research on the career paths of the chief administrative officers managing cities of all sizes in the United States (U.S.) by surveying the chief administrative officers working in the small, medium, and large cities throughout the U.S. We collected 345 surveys from chief administrative officers. The survey included questions on the career paths of managers and asked respondents to discuss factors and challenges that have influenced their career paths. From our analysis, we find that the career path to city management positions often begins with prior experience in local government administration and higher educational attainment, such as an MPA degree. The surveyed managers appear to be working longer in the same cities and they identify technical aspects of their jobs as being more challenging than political conflict and relations with the public..

Municipal government adaptive capacity programs for vulnerable populations during the U.S. energy transition

The ongoing energy transition, while delivering immense positive societal benefits, also poses specific risks to vulnerable populations. Although municipal governments are uniquely situated to help identify these populations, little is known presently about the role that local governments play in addressing the risks and exposures related to the energy transition. Using a survey of municipal Chief Administrative Officers and secondary data on energy burden and fossil fuel job losses, we evaluate what municipal efforts exist and examine empirically the factors that influence such adaptive capacity efforts using a series of logistic regressions. We find that municipal programs, such as energy bill assistance, weatherization, job training support, and worker financial assistance are not widely pursued, and that perceived vulnerability, rather than actual vulnerability, is associated with municipal adaptive capacity programs. Such programs are typically part of a broader package of other clean energy initiatives. We further find that the provision of adaptive capacity programs is correlated with the size of a municipality's budget for certain types of assistance and with the political orientation of citizens.

Do Smart Cities Technologies Contribute to Local Economic Development?

Governments around the world are exploring strategies that contribute to increased government performance and economic development that enable them to meet the service-tax expectations of their citizens. Within the framework of technology use in public management, this sudy examines the effects of smart cities technologies on the importance that chief administrative officers attach to local economic development. Drawing on the Digital Era Governance (DEG) model for theoretical context, this study uses logistic regressions derived from the 2016 International City/County Management Association survey on smart cities and the U.S. Census Bureau. The results show that the level of commitment to, the extent of engagement with, and the barriers faced in implementing smart cities technologies are associated with the importance of local economic development. Among other variables, poverty and education were also found to be significant predictors of the importance of local economic development.

Together forever? The relation between (dis)similar demographics in politico-administrative relationships and executive turnover

Turnover among top executives in government organizations warrants our research interest because of their importance for executive politics, public policy, and the management and performance of public organizations. Whereas the literature so far has primarily studied political, organizational and individual antecedents of turnover, we focus on the relational level. Based on homosocial reproduction, relational demography and social identify theory, we hypothesize that demographic similarities between senior executives and their political counterparts influence executive turnover. Using longitudinal register data of Danish mayors and chief administrative officers (CAOs), our results suggest that gender dissimilarity (specifically, a male mayor and a female CAO) increases the risk of CAO turnover. Similarly, the risk of CAO turnover is higher when the CAO is older than the mayor. Contrary to expectations, however, differences in education reduces turnover risk (specifically when the CAO has more education than the mayor). Our study illustrates the relevance of understanding turnover as a relational phenomenon based on factors beyond rational, political, and functional explanations.

Editorial Introduction: Advances in Theory and Practice of Policy Research from National to Local Level

Editorial Introduction: Advances in Theory and Practice of Policy Research from National to Local Level

Gender Representation, Professional Experiences, and Socialization: The Case of City Managers

Women govern differently and offer a distinct voice in the governing process yet remain significantly underrepresented among city managers and chief administrative officers. Despite decades of work to improve gender parity, women hold just 13% of chief local government positions according to the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA). One reason for this may be that women have different experiences and are socialized differently than men, as suggested by differing motivations, identities, and attitudes. Using a mixed-methods approach, we explore differences in the experiences and socialization of women and men that may contribute to the gender disparity in representation among city managers. Our study yields several significant findings that suggest women are mentored differently, develop different political attitudes over time, and develop confidence differently than their male counterparts. Contrary to prior research, we did not find significant differences in public service motivations by gender or year of service.

Do Local Government Executives Believe They Are More Political or Administrative? An Analysis of the Ethics of Administrative Officer Self-Perception

This research focuses on the self-perceptions of managers in medium-sized localities. Using a survey of 249 mayors, chief administrative officers, and city managers the authors gathered data regarding the tasks these executives perceive themselves as performing. Using time allocation and function allocation models, the authors then searched for links between job titles and rates of administrative or political functions. The analysis finds that mayors allocate their time in more political areas, while city managers and chief administrative officers spend more of their time in administrative/managerial areas. While there was little difference in functional activity, self-perception between appointed chief administrative officers and city managers, mayors saw their functional role largely as managerial and political. The higher rate of managerial self-perception for mayors could lead to a lack of deference to the expertise of appointed chief administrative officers and city managers. The article theorizes that administrative and political management should not be treated as separate skill sets but should be interchangeable based on context.