Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory Advance Access published online on June 29, 2007
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, doi:10.1093/jopart/mum009
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Serpents in the Sand: Managerial Networking and Nonlinear Influences on Organizational Performance
University of Oklahoma
The University of Georgia
Texas A&M University and Cardiff University
Address correspondence to the author at ahicklin{at}ou.edu.
Scholars of public management have consistently found that management matters, but little research has considered how much management matters or whether the link between management and performance may be contingent on various factors. This article further investigates the link between management and performance by examining the functional form of the relationship. Analyses using data from 1000+ public organizations point to some diminishing returns. Results suggest that networking with other organizations might not always result in gains for the organization. Findings also show how managerial quality and differences in organizational staff can affect this relationship.
An earlier version of this article was presented at the conference on A Performing Public Sector: The Second Transatlantic Dialogue, June 1–3, 2006, Leuven, Belgium. This article is part of an ongoing research agenda on the role of public management in complex policy settings. We have benefitted from the helpful comments of George Boyne, Stuart Bretschneider, Amy Kneedler Donahue, Sergio Fernandez, H. George Frederickson, Holly Goerdel, Carolyn Heinrich, Patricia Ingraham, J. Edward Kellough, Laurence E. Lynn Jr., H. Brinton Milward, David Peterson, Hal G. Rainey, Bob Stein, and Richard Walker on various aspects of this research program.