Norma M. Riccucci

Exploring the Determinants of Decisions to Privatize State Prisons

This study examines the potential determinants of state governments to privatize their prisons. Based on prison privatization data across the 50 states, the study finds that political factors such as the political culture of a state and the party controlling the legislature are more likely to influence decisions to privatize than those typically offered by advocates of prison privatization—fiscal or economic concerns, such as cost savings. The interesting twist here, however, is that due to a host of factors such as prison overcrowding and the increased popular demand for privatization as a way to address overcrowding, even those states that have Democrat-controlled legislatures are pursuing prison privatization.

Drug Testing in the Federal Workplace: An Instrumental and Symbolic Assessment

How effective is thefederal governments employee drug-testing program? Frank Thompson, Norma Riccucci, and Carolyn Ban offer an assessment thatfocuses on both the instrumental and symbolic rationales for the program. They find little evidence to support contentions that drug testing improves workplace efficiency, nor do theyfind supportfor arguments that it promotes public health or reduces crime.

Women in City Hall : Gender Dimensions of Managerial Values

This study examines gender dimensions of managerial values at the local level of government. We test for alternative explanations, in particular whether the organization and profession are socializing forces with similar or larger influence on managerial values. The data for this study come from Phase IV of the National Administrative Studies Project (NASP IV). The dataset includes the U.S. senior local government managers in communities with populations over 50,000. We expect the values of men and women managers to differ even when we account for professional and organizational forces. Preliminary findings support this hypothesis. Women not only differed from men on the values of equity, long-term outlook, sense of community, and representation, but also differed with respect to the values of efficiency, effectiveness, and expertise. We discuss these findings and their implications.

IMPLEMENTING WELFARE REFORM IN MICHIGAN: THE ROLE OF STREET-LEVEL BUREAUCRATS[1]

ABSTRACT This study examines the implementation of welfare reform policies enacted by the state of Michigan. In particular, it focuses on how welfare policy is altered as it devolves from state policy makers to street-level bureaucrats in three local welfare agencies in Michigan. The analysis reveals that street-level bureaucrats in local welfare offices are in a position to interpret broadly stated goals handed down from officials, and, in some cases, to manage and greatly influence the delivery of services when messages are mixed. The study also suggests that the actual policies or services delivered by front-line workers in welfare offices do not completely correspond with the policy directives issued by state officials.

Exploring Gender Mainstreaming in the European Union

Through a review of the literature on the conceptualization of gender mainstreaming, this article offers an analytical framework for the development of a gender-based equal employment treatment policy in the European Union. European Commission reports and European Union legal instruments are analyzed through identifying specific configuration of positions (policy framing) and recognizing the regulatory mechanisms present in the implementation of an equal treatment policy, specifically in the area of employment. Finally, descriptive statistics on the, status of women in terms of pay and key positions held are presented as an estimation of the EUs efforts towards gender mainstreaming strategies.

The Legal Status of Affirmative Action Past Developments, Future Prospects

One of the most controversial areas of personnel management m the latter part of the 20th century has been affirmative action. In particular, the legal status of affirmative action is currently under intense attack. This article examines the legal status of affirmative action, mainly from the perspective of the rulings of the U S Supreme Court Through an examination of past and recent legal developments, the article offers assessments of what the future is likely to hold for affirmative action

The Status of Employment Discrimination Suits in Police and Fire Departments Across the United States

Research indicates that women and people of color have made progress in gaining entry-level jobs in government, particularly at the federal level, but still lag behind in gaining positions at the upper levels. But, can the same be said for police and fire departments which have had perhaps the worst history of employment discrimination against women and people of color? This study seeks to answer this question by examining the extent to which race, gender or ethnic discrimination suits are being filed against city fire and police departments across the country, and at what level—entry or senior. The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Ricci v. DeStefano has renewed interest in this issue. Interestingly enough, while this study expected to find that lawsuits against police and fire departments are being filed by women and people of color in order to improve their representation in the uniformed services, it found just the opposite—the preponderance of the lawsuits filed against police and fire departments are “reverse discrimination” suits, filed by White men.

Employee Performance Evaluation in Social Welfare Offices

This study examines the status and operation of performance evaluation systems in three welfare offices across the country. Welfare offices provide an interesting and auspicious arena for such an examination because of the changes to the goals of welfare policy under recent federal mandates for reform. The study finds that although there is clarity around the performance criteria on which public employees in welfare offices are evaluated, the measures are not linked to one of the principal goals of welfare reform—“welfare-to-work”: moving people off welfare and into jobs.

Representative bureaucracy and its symbolic effect on citizens: a conceptual replication

ABSTRACT Representative bureaucracy has been a topic of research for over half a century, but only recently studied experimentally. Initial empirical findings from two prior experiments – one involving policing, the other recycling – showed gender representation effects on citizens’ trust and cooperation. In this conceptual replication, we examine gender representation effects in another policy domain: emergency preparedness. However, despite using a similar sample and experimental paradigm, we find no effects. These null findings are important, as they suggest that the symbolic effects of gender representation may be policy-specific – and that replication is needed to test the boundary conditions of previously reported results.

Beyond the Usual Suspects: An Analysis of the Performance Measurement Literature on Social Equity Indicators in Policing

This article provides an analysis of the empirical and theoretical research on performance measurement in the field of policing. The primary purpose is to ascertain the degree to which measures of social equity are relied on as performance indicators. The literature tells us that social equity indicators do exist, but they remain marginal. Rather, performance measures for effectiveness are largely prominent, whereas efficiency indicators occupy a less influential place. Relying heavily on effectiveness as well as efficiency indicators at the expense of social equity has serious repercussions, particularly in policing. Suggestions for future research are offered that stress the importance of the need for a balanced mix of performance indicators that includes social equity.