Public Sector Ethics in Comparative Perspective

International Journal of Public Sector Management

Yuval

2003

Reports on a follow-up study of the relationship between managerial quality, administrative performance and citizens' trust in government and in public administration systems. The study was based on a survey of 502 Israeli citizens conducted during 2002 and was compared with a similar study that was conducted during 2001 among 345 Israeli citizens. The research tried to validate and replicate previous ®ndings on the question of causality between performance and trust. As in the 2001 survey the technique of structural equation modeling with LISREL 8.3 was applied to test three competing models that were similar to those tested in the past. The present ®ndings were very consistent with the previous ones found by the authors showing that the second model was the best ®t with the data. According to this model managerial quality leads to administrative performance and ultimately to trust in governance. The ®ndings support previous assumptions that administrative performance may be treated as a precondition to trust in governance rather than trust serving as the precondition to performance.

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managerial quality, administrative performance and trust in governance revisited

International Journal of Public Sector Management

Yuval

2003

“…More than four decades ago, and subsequently in more recent studies, this issue received the attention of influential public administration scholars such as Graham (1974) and Golembiewski (1989). Administrative ethics and morality have now become even more central in public administration studies (Gawthrop 1976; Wilenski 1980; Richardson and Nigro 1991; Suzuki 1995; DeLeon 1996; Lui and Cooper 1997). However, citizens’ views about such topics are considered infrequently, particularly with regard to public sector innovation.…”

Section: Theoretical Models: Antecedents To and Outcomes Of Perceivedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public Sector Innovation for Europe: A Multinational Eight‐country Exploration of Citizens’ Perspectives

Shoham

Schwabsky

et al. 2008

Public Administration

This study presents a three-year effort to study public sector innovation in Europe from the viewpoint of the citizen. It examines a model of public sector innovation across a multinational sample of eight countries and 626 participants. The paper develops a theory of antecedents to and consequences of innovation in public administration as perceived by knowledgeable citizens and endusers. Participants were senior and mid-level managers of third sector organizations that work closely with citizens both as individuals and groups, and with public sector agencies in various domains. Structural Equation Modelling technique was used to examine two theoretical and fi ve alternative models. Major fi ndings that transcend national borders were found to be: (1) responsiveness, together with leadership and vision, are important antecedents of innovation in the public sector; (2) public sector innovation affects trust in and satisfaction with public administration; and (3) the effect of public sector innovation on trust and satisfaction is both direct and mediated by the image of public organizations. The paper ends with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications for public administration theory, especially for public sector innovation in Europe, and with directions for future studies.

“…Hence, standards of morality and ethics may be seen as the hidden underbelly of bureaucracies. Although every bureaucracy is characterized by a formal set of regulations and laws, their implementation is weighted by the way in which they are interpreted by managers (DeLeon 1996;Gawthrop 1976;Lui and Cooper 1997;Richardson and Nigro 1991;Suzuki 1995;Wilenski 1980). All the above studies have agreed that managerial quality also encompasses ethical standards, integrity, fair and equal treatment of citizens as clients, and appropriate criteria for rewarding public servants.…”

Section: Management Performance and Democratic Values In The Publicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public Sector Management and the Democratic Ethos: A 5-Year Study of Key Relationships in Israel

Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory

Mizrahi

2006

This article deals with the nexus between bureaucracy and democracy in a managementoriented public sector. The article develops the idea that public administration plays a major role in determining citizens' political attitudes and behaviors. A theoretical model is suggested to examine the relationship among citizens' perceptions of involvement and participation in administrative decision making, perceived managerial quality, perceived public sector performance, and democratic participatory behavior (i.e., trust in administrative agencies, political participation, and community involvement). A sample of 2,281 Israeli citizens provided information on the research variables over a 5-year period (2001-05). Findings reveal that citizens' perceptions of involvement and participation in administrative decision making are positively related with perceived managerial quality but are not related with perceived public sector performance. In addition, perceived managerial quality is positively related with trust in administrative agencies as well as with political participation and community involvement. Finally, public sector performance is a mediator in this relationship. These findings lead to a discussion about the linkage between the bureaucratic and the democratic ethos in modern managerial governance, theoretical and practical implications, as well as suggestions for future studies.