Public Administration Research Research Articles

Does public sector performance information impact stakeholders? Evidence from a meta‐analysis

AbstractPerformance information (PI) has received significant attention in public administration research. However, evaluating the impact of public sector PI on stakeholders is challenging due to varying empirical results. Drawing on information propagation theory, as well as social and cognitive psychology, we conduct a meta‐analysis to examine the effect of public sector PI. Using 461 effect sizes from 75 studies, the meta‐analysis reveals PI's positive effects on stakeholder attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of performance. Moreover, the effects tend to be stronger when PI is sent by third parties, received by citizens, delivered with positive valence, presented in absolute forms, and disseminated in law enforcement administrative subfields and in societies characterized by low power distance. The findings reinforce the significance of public sector PI and illuminate the complex interplay between it and stakeholder responses.

Where power and scholarship collide: Gender and coauthorship in public administration research

AbstractPublishing is a source of capital and power in academia, and coauthoring is a common way to publish. However, studies in public administration have not yet examined the structure of coauthorship patterns, how these patterns have evolved over time, or the extent to which these patterns are gendered. We use bibliometric data to examine coauthorship in public administration scholarship over four decades with a particular focus on gendered patterns. Descriptive statistics, regression, and social network analysis suggest that when women are first authors, the research team is more likely to contain other women and while women are increasingly represented in coauthorship structures, men‐only groups of coauthors continue to persist. These findings have implications for the coauthoring practices of individual scholars, perceptions of coauthorship in hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions, and efforts in the field to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Predicting technological coproduction: An experimental study

Coproduction is an important pillar of public service delivery across the world. While previous research has demonstrated demographic and individual motivations as predictors of willingness to coproduce, it has yet to consider the role of technology as a (collective) coproduction mechanism, as well as the value tradeoffs inherent in deploying government technology. In this paper, we use the case of digital contact tracing, an arena with inherent tradeoffs between democratic values and efficiency, and where co-production’s role in reducing the democratic deficit and increasing accountability cannot be taken for granted. To develop our hypotheses, we integrate coproduction theory with the technology adoption literature, and then use a pre-registered vignette experiment to test how characteristics of a digital contact tracing app predicts willingness to coproduce. We end our paper by discussing the implications of our findings for coproduction, and public administration research more generally.

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS ALONG THE COASTAL STRIP OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND: IMPLEMENTATION POLICY REGARDING THEIR AUTONOMOUS TASKS IN THE FIELD OF HEALTHCARE. SELECTED SEASONAL SAFETY ISSUES

The study assesses the challenges of health care and emergency medical services in tourist areas such as the Baltic coastal strip, focusing on public administration and citizen safety. The study analysed local government at the level of municipalities (in the Mielno municipality), counties (Koszalin county) and provinces (Zachodniopomorskie voivodeship), looking at health care and emergency medical services based on their geographical and social differences. The study asked whether these differences between the three levels of local government in Poland are due to their specific roles in the area and whether seasonal changes affect their increased commitment to tasks. It explored which aspects of health care present the greatest challenges in this context. The study has a national dimension. Methodology adapted to public administration research, using a comparative method, descriptive analysis and document analysis. The process took place in three stages: formulation of the research hypothesis (H1 = Polish coastal municipalities face additional safety and health tasks), selection of research tools, data collection and organisation, and operationalisation of data. The study confirmed the hypothesis, confirming that local governments in coastal areas take on additional safety and health responsibilities in Poland. The results of the study confirm hypothesis H1 at the level of Polish municipalities, indicating significant challenges in these areas. However, in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship and Koszalin County, these relationships are relatively less pronounced compared to the country. The thorough approach and methodology of the study confirm the increased responsibility of coastal municipalities in terms of health care and safety measures, shedding light on the complexity encountered in these regions.

French-Language Public Administration Research on Social Equity: A Systematic Literature Review.

Despite the availability of freely accessible translation tools, research conducted in languages other than English is often overlooked. Findings from foreign contexts are lost, undermining the boundary conditions of theories. This systematic literature review takes stock of methods, theories, and practical recommendations developed in French-language social equity research. Overall, the results suggest that French-language social equity research offers relevant but not in-depth practical recommendations, encompasses a small proportion of papers referring to theories, and is more qualitative method-oriented than quantitative. Our results complement previous findings suggesting the dominance of the quantitative approach to social equity research by bringing to light many qualitative studies. Crucially, unlike English-language social equity research, this study suggests that French-language social equity research rarely focuses on race and ethnicity. Inter-organizational equity, along with regional, intergenerational, and gender equity are frequent loci. The finding of this study bridges a heeded segment of Public Administration scholarship, fostering knowledge sharing across languages and scholarly communities.

How is empathy used in public service? A systematic literature review

ABSTRACT This systematic literature review (N = 65) takes stock of the public administration and policy literature and provides a systematic account of how empathy is currently theorized in public administration; how it is incorporated in practices of public servants; as well as avenues towards activating empathy in current and future public servants. The major shortcoming of empathy research in public administration is its piecemeal nature, lack of a holistic vision, or a grand theory of how to integrate empathy into practices of public servants or how to implement the affective turn in public administration. We conclude with recommendations for theory and practice.

One Nudge Can Be Enough:Reducing Cigarette ButtLittering in Public Areas

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how public administration can reduce cigarette butt littering in public areas. Cigarette butt littering is a problem for every local government unit; however, policy solutions are either very difficult to implement or expensive. This paper demonstrates the potential of behavioural science, namely nudges employing gamification, salience, and priming.Design/Methodology/Approach: In collaboration with local public administration, two field quasi-experiments were conducted to explore the effectiveness of low-complexity behavioural measures to tackle cigarette butt littering in heterogeneous public spaces. The study tested both the effectiveness of a single behavioural measure and the follow-up effect of a combination of low-complexity measures. In the first quasi-experiment, a standalone intervention (priming stickers) and the follow-up combination of measures (priming stickers with gamified ballot bins) were tested. In the second quasi-experiment, a standalone salience nudge (crime scene) was first implemented, followed by a combination of the initial (crime scene) and follow-up salience (toxicity) nudges to nudge smokers from cigarette butt littering in public space. Both quasi-experiments used a before-and-after design.Findings: The results suggest that a single behavioural intervention may be sufficient to achieve the desired behavioural change, and reinforcing its effects within a relatively short time period with a follow-up intervention may not deliver any additional statistically significant effects.Originality/Value: This research contributes to public administration research, specifically by applying behavioural insights and experimental approaches to studying public policies. Although this approach is gaining popularity, there remains a lack of evidence from field (quasi-)experimental studies on the effects of behavioural interventions in reducing pollution in public spaces.

Promoting Public Managerial Sustainability: The Relevance of Social Support For Managers Coping With Work-Related Stress

Statistics reveal the concerning prevalence of mental health issues among Swedish public sector managers, highlighting the critical need for deeper insights into the relevance of social support in coping with work-related stress. This study aims to examine the relevance of various sources of social support for managers coping with work-related stress, an area relatively underexplored in public administration research. Data was collected using a survey completed by 172 managers working in Sweden. The results show that supervisory support, the support of a network of managers within the organisation, and a supportive communication climate were all significant predictors of how stress levels are coped with. Notably, the support of a network of managers within the organisation emerged as the most influential predictor. This study contributes, both theoretically and practically, by offering indicative insights into how organisations can support managers in managing their work-related stress.

Talent Management in the Slovenian Public Administration for Young Talented Individuals from Generation Z

Purpose – Talent management is becoming an increasingly important area of research and implementation in organisations as is the importance of the organisation's internal resources, i.e. people. The purpose of the paper is to present the results and key findings of the research on how employees in Slovenian public administration rate the implementation and its effects of talent management activities to attract, develop and retain young talented individuals from generation Z. Aims(s) – The aims of this paper were to evaluate the talent management activities for young talented individuals in Slovenian public administration and develop a model of Gen Z talent management. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data was collected with the help of an online questionnaire and the questionnaire, which was designed for the empirical research, consisted of several sets of questions. The collected data was processed in the SPSS statistical program and Microsoft Excel. Findings – The results of the survey show that the respondents do not rate attracting, development and retention of young talented individuals in public administration the best as the average rating of all sets is 3.0. Results show that some attraction and development activities have a positive impact (p < 0.05) on the retention of young talented individuals in Slovenian public administration organisations. Limitations of the study – The limitation was related to the fact that the survey was conducted only in the Slovenian public administration and not in the entire public sector. It would be reasonable to expand the research in the future to the entire public sector and abroad. Practical implications – The paper is useful for practice mainly because it presents the possibility of using the developed model of Gen Z talent management in public administration. Originality/value – The originality of the topic is reflected in the lack of empirical research on the topic of Gen Z talent management in public administrations and the first such research in Slovenian public administration.

Policy Implementation in Military Organizations: The Impact of the Key Characteristics of Military Administration

Western military organizations face an increasingly complex landscape of threats and challenges from immense changes in the international security situation. At the same time, they are experiencing still more political and societal demands. Designing and implementing policies to meet these numerous and multifaceted demands call for effective, efficient, and legitimate public administration. Public administration research in military organizations is scarce. This article explores how critical characteristics of military organizations impact policy design and implementation within these organizations. Based on a systematic review of contemporary literature on specific military characteristics, the study identifies critical characteristics of military organizations related to structure, culture, profession, leadership, and management. Furthermore, strengths and challenges related to policy design and implementation in a military context are analyzed and discussed. The article argues that military organizations must scrutinize and strengthen their policy design and implementation efforts. Lastly, the article points to future research agendas.

Policing, Technology, and Public Values: A Public Administration Research Agenda

Policing, Technology, and Public Values: A Public Administration Research Agenda

A Meta-Analytic Review of Transformational Leadership Research in Public Administration

Despite the increasing research attention devoted to transformational leadership in public administration, there is still concern over whether it is appropriate and effective in the public context. To answer the important question of whether and when transformational leadership is effective, this study meta-analytically reviewed transformational leadership research based on 70 primary studies that include 151 independent effect sizes from 718,601 participants. It was found that transformational leadership was significantly related to outcomes at both individual (motivations, attitudes, and behaviors) and organizational (performance and innovation) levels, and positively related to transactional leadership and leader-member exchange. Moderation analyses revealed that national cultural values and public/semipublic affiliation of the studied samples, as well as measurement scales of transformational leadership explained some of the transformational leadership-outcome relationship variations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Public Administration Research, Vol. 13, No. 2

Reviewer acknowledgements for Public Administration Research, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2024.

The Need to Reconnect Public Administration Education, Research, and Practice

How relevant is current public administration pedagogy to the discipline and to those working in public service? Public administration education prepared leaders during World War II and the New Deal and once was viewed as a critical subfield of political science. Over the years, and despite various Minnowbrook incarnations, public administration has become a self-standing but narrowly defined body of knowledge characterized as “the business of government,” without any relational emphasis on its historical, legal, and economic context. This diminished intellectual scope poses a serious challenge to its practical relevance.

The Multilevel Administrative State and the Future of Public Administration Research

ABSTRACT The administrative state, originally coined by Dwight Waldo, emphasizes the distinct role of public administration in democratic governance. Yet, public administration research has insufficiently theorized how administrative structures at one level of government may be consequential for public governance at another level. This study theorizes how the administrative state has transcended its mere domestic role in democracy, and suggests how future research should study multilevel administrative systems. Departing from the invitation and lessons of Waldo, the article theorizes how ways of organizing the administrative state at one level of government bias public governance across levels of authority.

Are Extrinsic Goals Detrimental to Public Service Motivation? A Panel Analysis Based in Taiwan

ABSTRACT The relationship between utilitarian incentives and public service motivation (PSM) has long been a core issue in public administration research. Scholars have accumulated ample evidence regarding how the pursuit of monetary rewards can affect PSM, but we know relatively little about the effect of various non-monetary rewards on PSM. The pursuit of utilitarian incentives, in goal content theory (GCT), is referred to as extrinsic goals. The present study identifies multiple extrinsic and intrinsic goals and tests whether pursuing extrinsic goals relative to intrinsic goals compromises PSM. Regression results based on panel data collected from Taiwanese public servants in 2018 and 2019 render support to this proposition.

Promoting Research Utilization Through Social Media: Evidence from U.S. Public Administration and Policy Researchers

Public affairs research has explored how researchers communicate their findings to practitioners, notably through social media. Many researchers use social media as one means of communicating with practitioners, but to what extent do social media postings affect research utilization? Few studies, if any, provide evidence about the effectiveness of social media communication in promoting research utilization by public policy and public administration practitioners. Our study seeks to address this gap in knowledge regarding the effects of social media on perceived utilization by policy practitioners. Data for the present study come from an original survey, developed and implemented at Arizona State University from November 2020 through February 2021. Since the basic unit of analysis for the study was a specific research article drawn systematically from seven leading peer-reviewed journals associated with public affairs research, the study was anchored in a discrete referent: the published article. Online questionnaires were sent to the authors of each article appearing in the journals. Using the article as the data point, a response rate of 47.5% was obtained. Questions were asked about perceived research utilization by practitioners and various issues related to motives and communication strategies, including whether the researchers posted their published results on social media. We find that researchers’ social media use has no significant impact on perceived research utilization by practitioners; however, strong policy research motivations and contacts initiated by policymakers may increase it.

International collaboration in local government studies: a bibliometric analysis

ABSTRACT International collaboration in public administration research is getting popular, reflecting growing globalisation in PA practices and the strength of collaborative knowledge production. This article examines international collaboration in 1,550 research articles published in Local Government Studies (LGS) between 1974 and 2022. The bibliometric analysis shows international coauthorship in LGS appeared in 1980 and increased to 23.08% among articles published in 2022. While international collaboration in LGS has been lower than that of average PA journals, the gap has been shrinking. Regression analysis indicates that LGS articles with international coauthorship yield greater scientific impacts. This study argues that further internationalisation of LGS and other PA journals with a focus on local issues demands theoretical and methodological breakthroughs in comparative local studies, as well as a wider and more balanced distribution of authors. This article also calls for further studies of the quality effects of international collaboration.

Community Diversity and Social Media Use in Local Governments

Compared to its ubiquity, social media use remains a divisive topic in the public sector. While local governments have increasingly adopted social media to increase civic engagement, many are still hesitant. Among the many factors that may have influenced the adoption of social media in local governance, we argue that community diversity deserves more attention. This study theorizes the relationship between local governments’ use of social media and community diversity. We examine this relationship within the context of township governments, which is an understudied area of research in public administration. The results indicate that community diversity is related to an increase in social media use. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings and suggest fruitful avenues of inquiry in public administration social media research.

Debate: A relational agenda for changing public administration research and practice

Debate: A relational agenda for changing public administration research and practice