David H. Coursey

Public Service Motivation Measurement Testing an Abridged Version of Perry's Proposed Scale

This article proposes and tests a three-dimension, shortened instrument for public service motivation based on Perrys (1996) exploratory 24-item scale. A confirmatory factor analysis is used with both a diagonally weighted least squares and a modified version of maximum likelihood estimation that are more appropriate for ordinal indicators. Data from the National Administrative Studies Project, consisting of mail surveys of managers engaged in information management activities working in state-level primary health and human service agencies, is used (n = 274; response rate = 53%). Results indicate good support for the shortened scale compared to Perrys original work. Findings corroborate Perrys theorized dimensions and items in the exploratory instrument. An exploratory analysis evaluating modifications to the tested model suggests possible improvements in two dimensions but does not undermine the overall, supportive results and suggests the importance of continued item and scale development.

Organizational Effectiveness and Bureaucratic Red Tape: A Multimethod Study

Although many efforts to improve the effectiveness of government agencies target bureaucratic red tape, little academic work has evaluated the implications of red tape for organizational performance. This article proposes and tests a model of organizational effectiveness that explicitly accounts for red tape and the mitigating effect of organizational culture. This multimethod study uses both quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative data from in-depth interviews. Findings suggest that red tape in human resource systems and information systems has a negative effect on organizational effectiveness. However, a dimension of organizational culture, namely developmental, mitigates the negative effects of bureaucratic red tape.

Content Domain, Measurement, and Validity of the Red Tape Concept: A Second-Order Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Red tape, generally defined as burdensome rules and procedures, is a relatively new construct unique to the public management literature. Like many public management constructs, red tape has received scant measurement attention. This study uses second-order confirmatory factor analysis to test two varying theoretical perspectives, one that treats red tape as a formative index, derived from inflexibility in various management subsystems (e.g., budgeting, personnel), and the other as a reflective scale where political accountability and other external influences drive red tape. Results for 16 items designated across five subdimensions suggest better support for the reflective scale perspective. Implications for red tape research are discussed.

Does Public Service Motivation Matter in Volunteering Domain Choices? A Test of Functional Theory

Functional theory suggests that people choose activities based on their perception of how well the work matches their personal motives.This process implies that worker motivations vary by activity even when controlling for typical motivational antecedents. Although this perspective is common in the volunteering literature, the public service motivation (PSM) literature has not formally considered functional theory hypotheses.Yet PSM theory asserts a relationship not to government work itself, but to activities related to public service such as volunteering.This study evaluates functional theory in regard to PSM based on using a survey of recipients of the Daily Point of Light Award (DPOL) and the President’s Community Volunteer Award (PCV). After controlling for common PSM antecedents such as gender, level of education, religious participation, and age, PSM and its subdimensions exhibit some variance across volunteering domains (viz., religious, educational/school, human services, and other), though most differences involve religious organizations.

A Typology of Industry—Government Laboratory Cooperative Research: Implications for Government Laboratory Policies and Competitiveness

Industry-government laboratory cooperative research has become increasingly important in competitiveness policy and activity during the 1980s [1, 2]. The focus on government laboratories in improving the U.S. economy is largely attributable to the enormous national investment in their research activities. Approximately 380 federal laboratories expend one fourth of all federal R&D funds and employ one sixth of U.S. researchers [3]. Yet few commercially viable products and processes marketed by U.S. firms are derived from federal laboratory research. Declining U.S. world market shares are blamed on the difficulty in transferring laboratory discoveries into commercially viable products [4, 5]. The prominence of cooperative research is predominately attributable to the rise of technology transfer policy as a prescription for U.S. industrial competitiveness woes [6].1

Does Visualization Affect Perceptions of Ethically Complex Policy Decisions: An Experimental Study

Visualization as a communication medium is an important factor when considering how individuals are influenced in a decision about a complex policy issue. Age, race and gender may have interacting relationships with decision making about science and perceptions of communication made through immersive visual environments. This study is an exploration of what happens when laypeople are allowed to make a decision about an ethically challenging, human experiment and how age, race, gender, and communication mediums may influence this decision making process. Preliminary results indicate visualization environments are better than print media in communicating risks; older or more educated participants are less likely to approve scientific studies involving human subjects; race nor ethnicity are significant indicators of decision outcome. Direction of future research around each of these areas is discussed

Organizational Determinants of Internally Perceived Website Effectiveness in State Health and Human Service Agencies

Government websites are presumed to confer numerous potential benefits and advocated for reasons such as improved information dissemination, transaction convenience, and coordination efficiency. Yet, little research exists measuring whether these presumed benefits are realized from an internal perspective. This paper examines possible predictors, associated with the general information technology and organizational theory literature, of perceived website effectiveness among employees of state health and human services agencies based on new data from the National Administrative Studies Project (NASP-II). Findings suggest website effectiveness is positively related to external political and business pressure, internal communication characteristics, innovative organization culture, and size. Effectiveness is negatively associated with red tape.

Human Resource Management Challenges in Government Information Technology

Information technology (IT) personnel practices are often cited by IT scholars as requiring special treatment. This symposium seeks to merge work from human resource and IT management to address just how, if at all, IT personnel practices are, or should be, different from mainstream personnel management.

Information resource management in florida: A primer

This article presents a brief history of the development of information resource management (IRM) in Florida. The principal organizations involved in IRM oversight described in this article guide the management of critical information technologies such as computers and telecommunications equipment. Entering the next century, state agencies must maintain their leadership given the current projected growth in the states population and service demand. Effective IRM key to their continued success.

IWSAS-an intelligent interviewing assistant for collecting data on small quantity hazardous waste generation

IWSAS, the Intelligent Waste Stream Advisory System, is an intelligent phone interviewing assistant used to collect information on the handling of hazardous waste by small quantity generators in New Jersey. The system aids in conducting interviews determining waste streams associated with small printing and photography firms. It has many features of conventional computer-assisted telephone interviewing software, but represents the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the application of these systems. System capabilities, knowledge acquisition and future directions are discussed.<<ETX>>