Public Management Problems Research Articles

Small Group Studies of Regulatory Decision‐Making for Power‐Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields

Three groups of lay opinion leaders were used in a group role‐playing decision exercise designed to explore problems in public risk management decision‐making. The application domain was possible risks from the 60 Hz electric and magnetic fields associated with high‐voltage power transmission lines. While there were differences in the make‐up and dynamics of the three groups, the structure and substantive content of the tasks undertaken dominated intergroup variation in terms of the factors that were most important to group members' decisions. The groups displayed sophistication in their identification of decision attributes and in many of the arguments they advanced, but experienced difficulties in structuring and making trade‐offs and decisions. The groups were not good at normalizing or otherwise manipulating quantitative information, and used it largely in the form it was received. Upper‐bound risk estimates were treated operationally in most group discussions as expected values. Several kinds of strong framing effects were observed in the use of cost and risk information. Specific quantitative results obtained must be treated with care but may provide a starting place for further work on the acceptable level of transmission line risk.

Bureaucracy as an issue in Third World management: An African case study

AbstractOrganizational theory has been of surprisingly limited value in illuminating the problems of public sector management in the Third World. One reason for this is the ideal‐typical bias of most studies of Third World management. This has led to an emphasis on assumed optimal performance criteria to the detriment of an understanding of how Third World organizations actually perform. The case of public sector administration in Liberia is used to illustrate this theme. The major role of administrative incorporation in the stabilization of the Liberian State is established, and consideration given to the ways in which the span of administrative employment and the extent of its popular impact were maximized through the elaboration of an idiosyncratic bureaucratic ideology. Central features of the Liberian bureaucracy are discussedthe over‐definition of its external boundary; the weakness of its internal boundaries; the relative insignificance of specialized expert knowledge to bureaucratic roles; and the idiosyncratic nature of the bureaucratic career. While Weberian standards did not apply in the Liberian instance, it cannot be assumed that the latter was therefore a ‘failed bureaucracy’; for the Liberian administration was arguably effective in relation to certain goals, even if these were not ones which would have applied in the ideal‐typical case. These goals were essentially political and must be understood in relation to political constraints, rather thanas is often suggested in studies of Third World managementas ‘cultural’ phenomena. Attempts to improve public sector managerial performance in the Third World need to give as much attention to operational issues as to conventional targets.

STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATIONS AMONG CANADIAN CROWN CORPORATIONS*

Abstract: Among the developed and developing countries, the use of government corporations in business has come under increased scrutiny. Fundamental questions are being asked about the problems of public enterprise management, the roles of corporate executives, and their relationships to the governments and societies which they serve. Sadly, the interpretations of policy‐makers often have been derived from cliches or myths, not from systematic appraisals of the phenomena propelling the behaviour of those firms. By reviewing the evolutionary tendencies among Canadian public corporations which are engaged in commercial activities, this paper seeks to clarify aspects of those debates. The suggestion is that, as an analysis steps back from the minutiae of day‐to‐day management, single decisions, and individual conflicts with government officials, developmental patterns can be identified across corporation histories. Public enterprises, like their counterparts in the private sector, move through phases which have configurations of business strategies and internal administrations, regimes of accountability, and dominant interpretations of organisational performance or “success”. On a long‐term basis, some corporations have come to compete directly against private firms, and their organisational and competitive practices have been modelled along the lines of those rivals. Others have been differentiated away from the orientations of private firms and niche positions have been adopted within their industries. The choices have reflected the structure of the markets in which the enterprises have operated, their financial status, and the command structures which have surrounded them.

The Use of Budgeting/Management Tools by State Governments

State governments have been confronted since the early 1970s with increasingly complex public management problems, compounded by an environment of revenue limits. Financial difficulties have been exacerbated by a major economic recession in 1982-83, shifting demographics, tax and expenditure ceilings, and a less generous federal government. These factors, and others, have led to efforts by state governments to improve their management capability in order to utilize available resources more efficiently and effectively. While improved economic conditions in 1984-85 increased state revenue collections somewhat, costcontainment remains a necessity in most jurisdictions. In 1984 the author conducted a survey to determine the extent of use and the perceived effectiveness of several sophisticated budgeting/management tools by state governments. Additional objectives were to identify trends in state budgeting and to assess the role played by legislatures in the budgeting and appropriations process. Questionnaires were mailed to the budget officers of the 50 states, and follow-up mailings were subsequently conducted. Replies were received from all of the 50 states. The results of the survey show that state governments are making extensive use of sophisticated budgeting/ management tools (Table 1). indicated by Table 2, more than half of the states employ program budgeting; computerized management information systems; performance measurement, reporting, and monitoring; program analysis; program evaluation; and forwardyear projections of expenditures and revenues. Further, a high percentage of the states which use these techniques report that they have found them to be either effective or somewhat effective.' It should be noted that budgeting is an evolutionary process, and the techniques now being utilized are, at least in part, altered and more contemporary forms of procedures and systems developed in previous cycles of innovation. Schick stated with respect to PPB, that innovation might fail or fade away, but its concepts will have an increasing influence over budget practice.I The same observation is pertinent with respect to other techniques such as performance budgeting and ZBB. a consequence, most states operate under hybrid systems which make the categorization reflected by Table 1 less than definitive. The Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations recently reported: As states adopted, then abandoned, performance budgeting, PPB, ZBB, or parts of these systems, they were left with increasingly variegated systems, custom tailored for each state.' * State governments are incorporating more sophisticated tools into their budgeting/management processes and finding them effective. The increased interest in developing more effective procedures and providing a stronger data base for program analysis and evaluation is shared by both executive and legislative branches. A 1984 survey of all 50 states reflects trends which have important implications for decision making and resource allocation.

University Commitment to Public Service for State and Local Governments

The view of public administration as both an academic field and a profession inevitably leads to a basic tension stemming from divergent, and often competing, value structures, processes, goals, and objectives. Practitioners view the university as a source of highly trained personnel and problem-solving research on difficult public sector management and policy problems. Public administration academicians focus on defining and understanding administrative science and conducting research and analysis which are methodologically reliable, informative, and, if possible, applicable to public sector problems. Although those basic differences exist, attempts to link academic resources with practitioner needs have a long history.' The desire for closer ties stemmed from the sometimes poorly articulated assumption that both parties would benefit from the relationship. Government officials would have access to the university's vast resources and its faculties to bring policy and management assistance to the complex problems of government and improved operations and programs. On the other side, professors could gain knowledge and insight to bring to teaching and research, and universities would profit by opening new markets for graduates. This study explores a major facet of the practitioner -academic bridge-the commitment of university resources to public service for state and local government. The focus on state and local government is deliberate. University faculty in public affairs and administration are located near these governments, making access potentially easy. The number of state and local government personnel exceeds that of the federal government by several times.2 Moreover, as states become more active in policy initiatives3 and receive more responsibilities in the federal system, their need for policy and management assistance increases.4 Concomitant with this need, the number of university programs in policy analysis, program evaluation, and

Public enterprise in Algeria: Law as a bridge between ideology and reality

AbstractIn 1971, the Algerian government promulgated the Charte de l'Organisation Socialiste des Entreprises. By means of this Charte it ostensibly sought to reform Algerian public enterprise law and to correct increasingly disruptive problems in public enterprise management. It also sought to reduce the widening gap between workers and the technocratic elite managing the state‐controlled economy. The Charte and its subsequent implementing legislation have been criticized as being, at best, ambiguous; at worst, insincere. Moreover, implementation of la gestion socialiste, as the reform came to be known, was uneven and slow.This article discusses Algerian public enterprise law before and after the 1971 reform. It does so within the context of comparing the utility of applying a symbolic rather than an instrumental view of the role of law in development. On the basis of analysis of the Algerian experience, the article suggests that the symbolic view of law allows a much deeper understanding of the role of law in development, primarily because it allows, if not requires, consideration of the influence of economic, political and social factors on the role of law in developing countries.

Public Management in the 1980s and Beyond

Critics of public management lament government's failure to use more businesslike methods. This criticism implies that the private sector is better managed than the public sector. Although this is not always the case, there are many techniques that have proved successful in the private sector that can be applied to public management problems. Public management traditions are changing. More sophisticated measures of program effectiveness are being developed. Some aspects of competition can be harnessed for better public management. Public managers are increasingly aware of such techniques and have used them when there has been political support. Under conditions of fiscal stress, for example, political forces have sometimes encouraged managers to use the spirit of budget reforms rather than just the rationalistic facade of such reforms. New public management techniques will be used only if political support for the consequences of these techniques can be mobilized.

Managing the Toxic Waste Problem

Toxic waste disposal is likely to be among the most serious and far-reaching problems of public policy and management for the rest of this century. This article presentsfindings on the nature of the problem drawn from a study of thefirst major toxic waste disaster, Love Canal. Based on these findings, the authors identify legislative, organizational, andfiscal dimensions that require policy research and development. Their conclude that a collaborative effort between public-and private-sector interests is essential in dealing with the challenge.

PERFORMANCE TESTING: A ROSE AMONG THORNS?

Data on 21 performance tests, entry level and promotional, motor and verbal, were evaluated for 263 applicants for city government jobs over a 17‐month period. The heterogeneity in applicants was matched by a similar heterogeneity in raters. Thorough training of raters, clear performance standards, and content valid tests resulted in average inter‐rater reliabilities of .93 (promotional), .87 (entry level), .91 (motor) and .89 (verbal) for the different types and levels of tests. There was no evidence of adverse impact, and turnover decreased from 40 percent to less than 3 percent in the 9‐26 months following the introduction of performance testing. In comparison to paper and pencil tests, performance tests were more cost effective, more face valid, and more acceptable to applicants in this situation. Considering the growing problems in public sector management, performance testing may be viewed as a rose among thorns.

Managing California's Coast

The need to balance the goal of environmental protection with that of providing low-and moderate-income housing has become an aggravating and persistent public management problem. The conflict centers around the issue of housing distribution: who will be housed in environmentally protected areas? The article discusses the recently proposed California Coastal Plan and how it addresses environmental and housing issues. The authors express the concern that although the plan recognizes the housing distribution problem, it fails to offer an adequate solution. The authors suggest a policy solution that would be consistent with the plan9s goals.

Public management problems in the Soviet economy

Abstract. The economy of the Soviet Union has moved from that of a backward, agricultural nation to one of the world's most advanced industrial states within half a century. It has accomplished this through a system of highly centralized state planning of all aspects of the economic life of the country. Recently, however, serious problems have arisen in the system. The right goods are not being produced; consumers are dissatisfied and unhappy.To try and resolve this problem before it results in uncontrollable dissatisfaction (as had begun to appear in other East European countries such as Poland) the Soviet Union embarked on a series of economic reforms, loosely termed ‘Libermanism’ after its prime originator, which aimed at giving enterprises more autonomy and incentive in managing their businesses. Generally, this meant giving the enterprise more control over its resources and using ‘profit’ as a prime indicator of success rather than merely ‘plan fulfillment.’The experiments have been hotly ‐ and publicly ‐ debated in the Soviet Union with strong opposition from the central planning advocates. There have been accusations that the reforms are anti‐Marxist‐Leninism. Nonetheless, the experiments have continued, though cautiously, and the recent Five Year Plan reaffirmed the commitment of the Communist Part of the Soviet Union to economic reform.The results of the reforms are still inconclusive but it appears certain that the pressures to gain efficiency in the economy and at the same time satisfy growing consumer demands are forcing change in the administration of the Soviet economy.Sommaire. En l'espace d'un demi‐siècle, l'Union soviétique qui avait une économic agricole primitive est devenue l'un des états les plus industrialisés dumonde. Cette transformation a été réalisée par la planification extrêmement centralisée de tous les aspects de la vie économique du pays. Mais récemment, de sérieux problèmes se sont manifestés: non‐production des merchandises voulues, mécontentement des consommateurs.Pour essayer de remédier à ces difficultés pendant que ce mécontentement était encore contrôlable (et il commençait à ne plus l'être dans d'autres pays de l'Europe de l'Est, comme la Pologne), l'Union soviétique s'est lancée dans une série de réformes économiques qualifiées de façon assez vague de ←Libermanistes→, d'après le nom de leurs principal auteur. Ces réformes visaient à donner aux entreprises plus d'autonomie et plus d'encouragement dans la gestion de leurs affaires. D'une façon générale, cela revenait à donner aux entreprises plus de contrôle sur leurs ressources et à utiliser le ←profit→ comme indicateur principal de succès au lieu d'en juger simplement d'après l'exécution du plan.

The 1964 epidemic of typhoid fever in Atlanta. Clinical and epidemiologic observations.

Although the incidence of typhoid fever in the United States is steadily decreasing, urban outbreaks may still occur and present formidable problems in public health and clinical management. The clinical manifestations of typhoid, particularly in children, are protean and misdiagnosis is common. A recent outbreak of typhoid fever occurred in Atlanta. The cases were limited to three households in a single neighborhood. Fourteen children were stricken, with one death and one classical typhoid relapse. The diagnosis was readily confirmed by culture of blood and feces in each case. The presence of a missed case in an adult preparing food in one of the households was thought to have been the principal cause of the outbreak.

Industry's Role in Metropolitan Growth: A Public Management Problem

Most forecasters predict our growing population will concentrate in great metropolitan areas. James Gillies, in this study of California, specifies what states faced with fast-growing metropolitan areas must do to maintain a healthy balance between industrial and population patterns of growth.

Problems in Public Utility Economics and Management

Problems in Public Utility Economics and Management

Problems in Public Utility Economics and Management

Problems in Public Utility Economics and Management