Managerial Goals in a Performance‐driven System: Theory and Empirical Tests in Higher Education
Year: 2014
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Factors influencing managerial goals and decision‐making processes have been debated for decades among public administration scholars. Previous literature has explained goal setting through theories of performance gaps, bureaucratic control, and isomorphic rationality. However, there exists no direct empirical test of these theories to determine which theoretical expectation may have more or less weight with managers when setting organizational goals. Using an original survey of university presidents, this study tests how public managers prioritize competing performance goals. Findings suggest that the goal setting decisions of these public managers is primarily driven by political control mechanisms.
Source: Public Administration
DOI: 10.1111/padm.12124
Authors: AMANDA RUTHERFORD, KENNETH J. MEIER
Institutions: Texas A&M University, Cardiff University
Language: English
Subfield: Public Administration
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: Cardiff University
OpenAlex ID: W2039946635