A study of 1,243 executive directors of public authorities shows that many are career people with diverse educational backgrounds and skills similar to public administration professionals. Results suggest that the strong sense of professional identity among city managers may be a model for public authority managers to consider. (Author)

Long-term trends in the qualities of state administrative leadership from the 1960s to the 1990s indicate that most state agencies are headed by competent professionals who are embedded in combinations of horizontal and vertical relationships that have evolved over several decades, constituting a microlevel revolution in state administrative…

A survey of 47 public-administration doctoral programs identified ways they can train more productive researchers. Important factors are engaging students in structured research experiences, providing students with adequate financial support, and employing productive faculty members. (JOW)

Critically examines the curricular elements of nonprofit management degree programs in colleges of business, public administration, and social work. Looks at challenges facing managers of nonprofit organizations and discusses which curriculum is best for students of nonprofit management. Discusses implications for the future of nonprofit…

Looks at criticisms of public administration research: (1) knowledge in the field is not being accumulated, and (2) the research has low quality. Proposes meta-analysis as a solution to the first problem. Suggests that quality judgments should be based on knowledge cumulation, which acknowledges the value of all research methods. (Contains 48…

Review of three research studies shows that some African Americans have negative perceptions of cognitive ability tests, including concerns that they may substantiate stereotypes. These attitudes may influence motivation, anxiety, and test performance. Training in test-taking skills and use of alternative testing formats are possible solutions.…

Analysis of research-based articles of Public Administration Review (1940-95) indicate that articles written by women tend to be coauthored more by women than those by men that are coauthored by men, the annual rate of publication is less by women than men, and women increasingly seem to be contributing more to the research effort. (JOW)

Reviews statutory and case law on sexual harassment and offers guidelines for policy development in public administration, including defining and identifying harassment and establishing preventive and remedial measures. The bibliography contains 77 references. (SK)

Between 1939 and 1989, the role of women in the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) evolved from virtual invisibility to token representation to major participation. In the 1990s women achieved just about full partnership with male colleagues. However, for women to achieve full equity with men in ASPA, they must be better represented…

Explores the value of formal and informal mentoring for preparing senior administrative ranks in the public sector. Evaluates planned mentoring programs and their administrative implications, using a conceptual framework identifying essential features of mentoring roles, qualifying characteristics, relationships, stages, and favorable…

There has been rising concern about the disconnect between universities, their communities and society at large. This is of special interest to professional schools, whose missions are founded on connecting practice and theory. We argue that cooperative inquiry, an action-based methodology, can help foster connectedness and contribute to healing…

Are public and private organizations fundamentally different? This question has been among the most enduring inquiries in public administration. Our study explores the impact of organizational ownership on two complementary aspects of performance: service quality and access to services for impoverished clients. Derived from public management…

This is a unique and groundbreaking collection of questions and answers coming from higher education institutions on diverse fields and across a wide spectrum of countries and cultures. It creates routes for further innovation, collaboration amidst the Sciences (both Natural and Social), the Humanities, and the private and public sectors of…

This study explores the utility of employing knowledge management as a framework for understanding how public managers perform ecosystem management. It applies the grounded theory method to build a model. The model is generated by applying the concept of knowledge process to an investigation of how the urban ecosystem is publicly managed by civil…

An approach to designing a competency-based master's program in public administration that integrates political science, management, and value-based approaches into a holistic package is described. Pedagogically the approach seeks to balance conceptual knowledge with skill acquisition for specific situations, providing a curriculum more relevant…