Public management and organizational performance: The effect of managerial quality

• Published in: Journal of policy analysis and management Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 629 - 643
• Main Authors: Meier, Kenneth J., O'Toole, Laurence J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.10.2002; Wiley Subscriptions Services, Inc; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; John Wiley & Sons, Ltd; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Series: Journal of Policy Analysis and Management
• Subjects: Administrator Effectiveness; Attendance; Case Studies; Compensation; Compensation (Remuneration); Economic Impact; Educational Administration; Educational Change; Educational Programs; Entrepreneurship; Federal employees; Government School Relationship; Hispanics; Human resources; Incentives; Income; Leadership; Management Systems; Measurement Objectives; Measurement Techniques; Organizational Culture; Organizational Development; Organizational Theories; Organizations; Performance appraisal; performance indicators; Policy studies; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; Public administration; Public management; Public policy; Quality; Quality Control; Quality management; Quality of education; Research Design; Schematic Studies; School administration; School Districts; School superintendents; Schools; Standardized Tests; Student evaluation of teacher performance; Success; Superintendents; Teachers; Teaching Methods; Texas; Wages & salaries; Texas
• ISSN: 0276-8739; 1520-6688
• DOI: 10.1002/pam.10078

This paper presents the first large study of public management quality and its effect on program performance. Using 5 years of data from more than 1000 Texas school districts, the authors measure quality as the additional salary paid to school superintendents over and above the normal determinants of salary. This measure of managerial quality is positively correlated with 10 of 11 performance indicators covering organizational goals ranging from standardized tests to school attendance. These relationships hold even in the presence of controls for other determinants of program success. The measure has the potential to be used in tests of existing management theories, thus moving the literature beyond case studies to more systematic research involving many subjects. © 2002 by the Association for Public Policy and Analysis and Management.