The role of city managers: are they principals, agents, or both?
By: Selden, Sally Coleman.
Contributor(s): Brudney, Jeffrey L | Brewer, Gene A.
Material type:
ArticlePublisher: 1999Description: p.124-48.Subject(s): Civil service | Local government
In:
American Review of Public AdministrationSummary: This study uses a survey of 1,135 city managers to evaluate the contemporary city manager role and to evaluate its consistency with principal-agent theory. The findings are mixed. It appears that city councils can control city managers as principal-agent theory suggests, but that most city councils opt for less complex solutions involving trust and role sharing with the city manager. In other words, principal-agent theory does not fully explain the council-manager relationship. In an effort to understand this relationship more thoroughly, this study develops a typology of city manager roles based on the extent of their involvement in policy and the degree of autonomy exercised. - Reproduced
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Articles
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Indian Institute of Public Administration | Volume no: 29, Issue no: 2 | Available | AR41463 |
This study uses a survey of 1,135 city managers to evaluate the contemporary city manager role and to evaluate its consistency with principal-agent theory. The findings are mixed. It appears that city councils can control city managers as principal-agent theory suggests, but that most city councils opt for less complex solutions involving trust and role sharing with the city manager. In other words, principal-agent theory does not fully explain the council-manager relationship. In an effort to understand this relationship more thoroughly, this study develops a typology of city manager roles based on the extent of their involvement in policy and the degree of autonomy exercised. - Reproduced
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