Survey research is a common tool for assessing public opinions, perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors for analyses in many social science disciplines. Yet there is little knowledge regarding how specifi c elements of survey research methodology are applied in practice in public administration. Th is article examines fi ve mainstream public administration journals over an eight-year period regarding current methodological practice, organized around the total survey error framework. Th e fi ndings show that survey research in the fi eld of public administration features mainly small-scale studies, heavy reliance on a single data collection mode, questionable sample selection procedures, and suspect sample frame quality. Survey data largely are analyzed without careful consideration of assumptions or potential sources of error. An informed evaluation of the quality of survey data is made more diffi cult by the fact that many journal articles do not detail data collection procedures. Th is study concludes with suggestions for improving the quality and reporting of survey research in the fi eld. S ince McCurdy and Cleary (1984) fi rst discussed quality issues in doctoral dissertations in public administration, a number of other scholars have explored the quality of research methodologies used in the fi eld (e.g.,
Previous studies have produced significant distinctions between public-and privatesector employees with respect to public service motivation (PSM) and PSM-related variables. Little, however, is known about whether those variables are associated with employment choice at a pre-entry level. This article will address this gap in the literature by exploring the effect of PSM on college students' sector choice in Korea. In previous research on PSM, three types of PSM measures-Perry's PSM scale, work values, and prosocial behaviors-were utilized as a PSM variable. In exploring the association between PSM and sector choice, we employed the three measures. The empirical model showed that PSM and prosocial behaviors were not associated with public-sector choice. Only job security was found to be a main reason why college students intended to enter the public sector in Korea. We will discuss the implications of our findings in this article.
From a reform strategy that promises to restore citizen confidence in government, to a hydra-headed monster that has produced unintended negative consequences, performance management has indeed been a controversial topic in the field of public administration. This study examines how performance-based management practices shape organizational behavior, specifically employee job turnover intention. Using data from the 2005 Merit Principles Survey, the authors find that performance-based reward system and performance-supporting supervision are associated with a decrease in the likelihood that federal employees will leave their agencies. The implications of the findings are discussed in the study.
Mechanical metamaterials and phononic crystals enable localizing, focusing, and guiding of elastic or acoustic waves in various ways. Here, we describe the physical mechanisms underpinning wave manipulation and then review the most recent energy harvesting methods for converting localized mechanical wave energy to useable electrical energy. Due to the exceptional wave-matter interactions enabled by the man-made structures, energy is collected more efficiently than through conventional methods. Artificially designed mechanical structures are versatile, especially when used in renewable and ecologically-benign energy transformation, and have a wide array of potential applications.
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