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Chief Executive Structure In Massachusetts Towns: The Relationship Between Authority Levels And Leadership Opportunities, Maureen A. Thomas .

Public Affairs Capstones Collection

Throughout Massachusetts towns and cities there are various organizational and chief executive structures that dictate levels of authority and leadership opportunities. Drawing mostly from the literature on city forms of government, this research explores the authority-level variations among town administrators and town managers in Massachusetts and examines how authority levels relate to leadership opportunities. A mixed methods approach is used via a survey instrument to the 215 Massachusetts town administrators and town managers, 7 in-depth interviews, and secondary data review. Levels of chief executive authority and leadership were found to vary widely among the 94 survey respondents. While quantitative results …