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Title: DEMOCRATIC VOICES SPEAKING LOUDLY: DOES PUBLIC PARTICIPATION YIELD ACCOUNTABILITY IN SPECIAL PURPOSE GOVERNMENTS?.
Creator: Beitsch, Owen, Wang, Xiaohu, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The American system of governance includes a network of state and local units identified as either general purpose or special purpose governments. The latter are often aligned with, but operate independently of, general purpose governments. Even as these special purpose or special district governments have shown extraordinary growth relative to their general purpose counterparts, there has been little interest in them or the structural characteristics that distinguish their systems for...
Show moreThe American system of governance includes a network of state and local units identified as either general purpose or special purpose governments. The latter are often aligned with, but operate independently of, general purpose governments. Even as these special purpose or special district governments have shown extraordinary growth relative to their general purpose counterparts, there has been little interest in them or the structural characteristics that distinguish their systems for maintaining order and assuring accountable behaviors. In the meanwhile, the literature regarding accountability has been expanded materially in the last several years leading to debates about its form, component parts, objectives, and the preferred means for achieving accountability as an end state. While these concepts may have application to special districts, inquiry has yet to extend to the particular devices required to monitor or control these governments. This research effort closes the knowledge gap by linking this little studied form of government with recent ideas about accountability and the role that citizen participation plays in developing or advancing accountable behaviors. The analysis applies an adaptation of the well known model developed by Romzek and Dubnick (1987) to create an accountability framework and documents the role that public participation plays in influencing accountable behaviors. The analysis culminates in a multivariate model that examines the role of pubic participation in the context of competing influences that might also force accountable behaviors. The research concludes that participation can be an important influence in shaping specific forms of accountable behavior but that other factors are also essential to sustaining accountability. Most notable among these other factors is the role of the workplace environment, defined here in terns of employee interaction, ethics training, purpose, overall sense of commitment and other attributes.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000602, ucf:46500
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000602

Title: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN TRANSPORTATION: AN EMPERICAL TEST FOR AUTHENTIC PARTICIPATION.
Creator: Figueredo, Jorge, Wang, Xiaohu, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This dissertation examines the public participation activities of State Departments of Transportation (SDOTs) in the United States. A review of existing literature and legal frameworks suggests that an "authentic" public participation results when dimensions of representativeness, use of public inputs, interactiveness, and quality of citizen inputs have been achieved. The study sought to identify conditions that serve as measurements that must presumably be satisfied for authenticity to exist...
Show moreThis dissertation examines the public participation activities of State Departments of Transportation (SDOTs) in the United States. A review of existing literature and legal frameworks suggests that an "authentic" public participation results when dimensions of representativeness, use of public inputs, interactiveness, and quality of citizen inputs have been achieved. The study sought to identify conditions that serve as measurements that must presumably be satisfied for authenticity to exist in public participation. The result was a Model of Authentic Public Participation that served as the basis for creation of a new four-tiered methodology to assess the performance of these districts relative to authenticity requirements. This study also sought to identify the key determinants that lead districts to achieve Authentic Public Participation in District public involvement programs. A Predictor Model for Authentic Public Participation was created to test whether the key internal and external determinants are responsible for districts achieving authenticity in their public participation programs. The data for this study came from a mail-back survey that was administered to senior district administrators in 380 State Departments of Transportation districts in the United States. A total of 233 surveys were returned for a response rate of 61.3 percent. The results of the study suggest that most SDOT districts struggle to implement public participation programs that achieve high levels of authenticity. The increased use of public participation tools, specifically those active tools that allow for increased interaction between district staff and the public, can assist districts in achieving higher levels of authenticity in their programs. Of key importance to achievement of authenticity is the willingness of district staff to adopt new ideas and innovation learned from dealings with the public. District public participation programs benefit from training that increases the individual's acceptance of public participation as a valid mechanism for serving the public. Recommendations were made for SDOTs to work toward: • The creation of increased opportunities for the occurrence of Authentic Public Participation • The creation of individual ownership of authenticity in public participation • The creation of community partnerships to foster authenticity in public participation
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000585, ucf:46479
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000585

Title: DETERMINANTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION: A STUDY OF U.S. CITIES.
Creator: Dennis, Lynda, Wang, XiaoHu, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: How well a local government is able to provide for the needs and preferences of its citizens generally depends on the financial resources available; and, how such resources are allocated, distributed, and managed. Demographics, size of local government, supply and age of infrastructure, financial position of the government, and the local economy represent a few of the factors affecting what public goods and services citizens prefer. Internal systems of accounting and control affect the...
Show moreHow well a local government is able to provide for the needs and preferences of its citizens generally depends on the financial resources available; and, how such resources are allocated, distributed, and managed. Demographics, size of local government, supply and age of infrastructure, financial position of the government, and the local economy represent a few of the factors affecting what public goods and services citizens prefer. Internal systems of accounting and control affect the allocation, distribution, and management of financial resources. As such, these internal systems significantly affect the provision of public goods and services. The research outlined in this study examined the relationship between a government's financial management capacity (independent variable) and its financial condition (dependent variable), while controlling for environmental factors related to governance and demographics. Financial condition was quantitatively measured using financial ratios calculated from a database of over 1,600 U.S. cities compiled by the Government Finance Officers Association. Financial management capacity and its relationship to financial condition were measured with a survey of the chief financial officers of almost 500 of the sample cities. This research was exploratory in nature as there is little empirical evidence with respect to financial management capacity or its relationship to overall financial condition. In this study certain statistically significant moderate correlations were found with respect to financial condition and financial management capacity. However, multiple regression analysis of financial condition and financial management capacity (controlling for governance and socio-economic factors), indicated no statistically significant relationship between them as conceptualized and operationalized for this study. When controlling for certain governance and socio-economic factors, annual limits on increases in assessed property valuations and population were found to be statistically significant with respect to financial condition. Additionally, these control variables increased and decreased financial condition, respectively. A major contribution made to the literature by this study lies in its attempt to establish an empirical relationship between financial management capacity and government performance as measured by financial condition. Based on existing literature as reviewed by this researcher, the testing of this relationship had not been done previously. This study defined and measured both financial management capacity and financial condition in dimensions and indicators that can be used in future research. Additionally, efforts were made to test the internal reliability of both measures. The results of this research indicated there are a number of other financial management capacity and environmental factors influencing financial condition beyond those identified in this study. This research also provided insight regarding the extent financial management capacity affects financial condition even though such relationships were not found to be statistically significant. Because no statistically significant relationships between financial condition and financial management capacity were found in this study, additional research is necessary to further explore this relationship as well as the correlation between the various indicators of these concepts.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000187, ucf:46162
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000187

Title: PREFERENCES FOR PERFORMANCE MEASURES: A STUDY OF A FEDERAL AGENCY.
Creator: Beckles, Gina, Wang, XiaoHu, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the preferences of clients of programs administered by selected federal agencies and the preferences of the federal managers who administer the programs in assessing performance measurement systems. Using the general progression of previous budgetary models used in the public sector, the researcher developed the Modified Balance Scorecard (MBSC), a performance measurement model designed specifically for use within the public sector. Surveys...
Show moreThe purpose of this dissertation was to determine the preferences of clients of programs administered by selected federal agencies and the preferences of the federal managers who administer the programs in assessing performance measurement systems. Using the general progression of previous budgetary models used in the public sector, the researcher developed the Modified Balance Scorecard (MBSC), a performance measurement model designed specifically for use within the public sector. Surveys based on the MBSC were administered to public managers and to clients of those managers in order to determine their preferences. The results showed that managers preferred public good measures and clients preferred financial measures. Both groups' second preferred index of measures was internal management process measures. This research is important in policy formulation and provides many implications regarding the effective presentation of policies. These results can be used to help craft policies for maximum effectiveness, based on the preferences of the respective groups.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001091, ucf:46774
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001091

Title: Predictors of an Effective Performance Measurement System: Evidence from Municipal Governments in Turkey.
Creator: Eliuz, Sedat, Kapucu, Naim, Hu, Qian, Martin, Lawrence, Wang, Xiaohu, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The aim of this study is to examine the predictors of effective performance measurement in the context of Turkish municipalities. In the study, mainly the theoretical guidance of context-design-performance model has been utilized to examine the contextual and design factors which have influenced the effective use of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities. The following research questions were examined in this study: To what extent do Turkish municipalities implement...
Show moreThe aim of this study is to examine the predictors of effective performance measurement in the context of Turkish municipalities. In the study, mainly the theoretical guidance of context-design-performance model has been utilized to examine the contextual and design factors which have influenced the effective use of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities. The following research questions were examined in this study: To what extent do Turkish municipalities implement performance measurement systems effectively?, What are the predictors of effective performance measurement in Turkish municipalities?, and whether or to what extent do quality of performance measures, technical capacity of the municipality for performance measurement, organizational support, and external support for the use of performance measurement have influence on the effectiveness level of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities? In the study, the data were collected from Turkish municipalities by a self-administered online survey and were analyzed by using the structural equation modeling (SEM). It is hypothesized in the study that external support and organizational support for the use performance measurement, and technical capacity for the performance measurement are associated with quality of performance measures and effectiveness of performance measurement systems in general. The results of the study supported the hypotheses of the study regarding the relationships among organizational support, technical capacity, quality of performance measures, and effectiveness of performance measurement. Although the results confirmed that external support has an indirect effect on effectiveness of performance measurement via technical capacity and quality of performance measures, the hypothesis regarding the direct effect of it on effectiveness of performance measurement was not supported. Moreover, the study found that support of employees and citizens for the use of performance measurement in Turkish municipalities are relatively low, the municipalities have deficiencies both in the quantity and the quality of staff that are responsible for performance measurement activities, and the level of employee involvement in the development of performance measures is low.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005487, ucf:50364
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005487

Title: Implementing Sustainability Initiatives: A Study of U.S. Local Governments.
Creator: Lebredo, Nick, Kapucu, Naim, Wang, Xiaohu, Hawkins, Christopher, Knox, Claire, Rivera, Fernando, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Sustainability has been framed by the World Commission on Environment and Development as a fundamental concept in human society and by Fiorino (2010) as a critical conceptual focus for public administration over the next decade. A large number of U.S. local governments have implemented sustainability initiatives. Nevertheless, relatively few studies have comprehensively examined sustainability implementation by local governments.This study makes a concerted effort to examine sustainability...
Show moreSustainability has been framed by the World Commission on Environment and Development as a fundamental concept in human society and by Fiorino (2010) as a critical conceptual focus for public administration over the next decade. A large number of U.S. local governments have implemented sustainability initiatives. Nevertheless, relatively few studies have comprehensively examined sustainability implementation by local governments.This study makes a concerted effort to examine sustainability implementation in U.S. local governments, which have taken the lead in many areas of sustainability. This study also develops a capacity building model to empirically evaluate how organizational strategies and capacities influence sustainability practices at the local level of government through a national survey of U.S. cities with populations over 50,000.The results show that cities are most successful in implementing sustainability initiatives if they develop proper technical, financial, and, particularly, managerial capacities and if they pursue primarily external, bottom-up, more participative, citizen or stakeholder driven strategies. These results suggest a public manager road map for sustainability implementation. From a theoretical perspective, the capacity building model adopted in this study provides a relatively powerful explanation of sustainability implementation, which demonstrates the value of a capacity building model in further studying sustainability implementation.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004337, ucf:49444
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004337

Title: Use of Performance Information by Local Government Administrators: Evidence from Florida.
Creator: Dimitrijevska-Markoski, Tamara, Kapucu, Naim, Martin, Lawrence, Hu, Qian, Wang, Xiaohu, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study examines the factors that facilitate and hinder the use of performance information by public administrators in local governments in Florida. Acknowledging the incompleteness of many theoretical and conceptual models in previous performance management studies and the absence of theory on the use of performance information; this study utilizes a grounded theory approach to develop and test a model analyzing the use of performance information. The research focuses on cities and...
Show moreThis study examines the factors that facilitate and hinder the use of performance information by public administrators in local governments in Florida. Acknowledging the incompleteness of many theoretical and conceptual models in previous performance management studies and the absence of theory on the use of performance information; this study utilizes a grounded theory approach to develop and test a model analyzing the use of performance information. The research focuses on cities and counties, members of the Florida Benchmarking Consortium (FBC), and surveys public administrators whose tasks are related with the collection and/or reporting of performance information. The study examines three research questions: First, to what extent and in what capacity do local government administrators use performance information? Second, what are the predictors of the use of performance information among local government administrators? Finally, to what extent does the design adequacy of a performance measurement system (PMS), institutionalization of performance measurement (IPM), organizational support (OS), individual factors (IF) and external influences (EI) impact the use of performance information among local government administrators? To collect data on the above questions, an online survey was administrated to public administrators involved in the 2015-2016 FBC data collection cycle. The data were analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of the study demonstrate that institutionalization of performance measurement has the strongest statistically significant positive association with the use of performance information followed by the influence of the design adequacy of the performance measurement system. Organizational support, through institutionalization of performance measurement, has an indirect influence on the use of performance information. Interestingly, in this study individual factors were not found to be significantly associated with the use of performance information.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006586, ucf:51261
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006586

public participation (2)	+ -
BSC (1)	+ -
Performance measurement (1)	+ -
accountability (1)	+ -
balanced scorecard (1)	+ -

cities (1)	+ -
citizen participation (1)	+ -
effectiveness (1)	+ -
external support (1)	+ -
financial condition (1)	+ -
financial management capacity (1)	+ -
implementation (1)	+ -
local sustainability (1)	+ -
management capacity (1)	+ -
measurement (1)	+ -
organizational capacities (1)	+ -
organizational support (1)	+ -
outcome (1)	+ -
performance management (1)	+ -
performance measurement (1)	+ -
planning (1)	+ -
preference (1)	+ -
public involvement (1)	+ -
public performance measures (1)	+ -
quality of performance measures (1)	+ -
special district governments (1)	+ -
technical capacity (1)	+ -
transportation (1)	+ -
use of performance data/information (1)	+ -

University of Central Florida (7)	+ -
Wang, Xiaohu (5)	+ -
Kapucu, Naim (3)	+ -
Hu, Qian (2)	+ -
Martin, Lawrence (2)	+ -

Wang, XiaoHu (2)	+ -
Beckles, Gina (1)	+ -
Beitsch, Owen (1)	+ -
Dennis, Lynda (1)	+ -
Dimitrijevska-Markoski, Tamara (1)	+ -
Eliuz, Sedat (1)	+ -
Figueredo, Jorge (1)	+ -
Hawkins, Christopher (1)	+ -
Knox, Claire (1)	+ -
Lebredo, Nick (1)	+ -
Rivera, Fernando (1)	+ -

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