Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Is Nuisance Abatement "Broken Windows" Policing? Searching For Code Enforcement's Impact On Crime, Shane Diller

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study examines possible correlations between city code enforcement strategies and crime rates. Specifically, it asks: Is the work performed daily by city code enforcement departments, a Broken Windows Theory policing strategy?

To understand these possible connections, this study selected 30 medium-sized California cities, identified common elements of their code enforcement operations believed to be representative of how robust or active their programs were. Data was collected using both open-source, internet-based documents (such as budget documents and strategic plans) and from a survey sent directly to code enforcement staff. The survey consisted of 7 questions about code enforcement operations from …

Succession And Workforce Planning In Small To Mid-Size Academic Libraries In The United States, Kaci Resau

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study sought to explore the use of succession and workforce planning in small to mid-size academic libraries in the United States. Utilizing Paula Singer’s 2010 definition of succession planning, sixty-three library leaders from across the United States shared their knowledge and expertise in one-tone interviews on the library’s efforts to create “continuity in key positions, develop intellectual and knowledge capital for the future, and encourage individual advancement.” The study uses the traditional model of public administration, new public management, and new public service to explain the findings. The participants’ perception of succession planning was positive. Though not all participants …

A Case Study Of Cross-Sector Collaboration In Community Schools In Central Pennsylvania, Jesscia Knapp

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

As societal problems become increasingly complex, organizations are more frequently embracing collaborative problem-solving methods to address issues that a single organization could not successfully solve alone. One such wicked problem is the state of education in the United States, particularly in low-income communities and school districts. The community school model is a method of education reform that requires cross-sector partnerships in order to be successful. This study examined the factors that led to successful cross-sector partnerships between Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania (CISPA) and two partner school districts in the implementation of the community school model in Pennsylvania. The results …

Unbounding Rationality: Observing And Mitigating K-12 Public Education Administrators’ Cognitive Bias, Julie K. Mesaros

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Humans tend to simplify complex decisions by employing cognitive bias(es). Cognitively biased decision-making by public administrators can be adversely consequential for public organizations, public employees, and the public interest. Given the historical scope of experimental research on cognitive bias in the social and physical sciences, public administration scholars should continue to advance such research across various public sectors. This dissertation study responded to the long-ago call of Herbert Simon for empirical research situated in specific public or political contexts. This qual-QUAN mixed-method study had two main aims: (1) explore decisions that K-12 public education administrators make in personnel management and …

Term Limits: An Argument For The Senate, Deanna Ferry

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

In this research study an argument is made to impose term limits on Senators serving in the United States Congress. It looks to explore historical data to prove effectiveness of self-imposed limits, real time data of sitting Senators to offer a modern perspective, and examples from other imposed term limits for sitting elected officials to demonstrate their benefit to constituents. The data utilized in this study is applied through organizational theory and quantified based on results and responses from both primary and secondary sources. Historical sources are applied as well through the literature review focusing on three primary themes emerging …

Evaluating Assertiveness, Support, And Gameplay Patterns By California Rural County Departments In Acquiring Budgetary Resources, Janet Dutcher

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Local and state laws require municipal budgeting before elected officials in a public setting. But preceding this, many decisions unfold privately, where department heads and executives compete over proposals to legislators about who gets what of scarce resources. This dissertation explores this private aspect of public budgeting, hypothesizing that greater assertiveness receives deeper cuts but more significant budget growth. In contrast, proposal support minimizes budget cuts because legislators adopt what executives recommend. This dissertation demonstrates that county budgeting in California rural counties shows the same dynamics as previous federal and state budgeting studies. Those dynamics include using non-technical gameplay strategies …

Navigators As A Means Of Overcoming Administrative Burdens: A Quantitative Study Of State-Administered Federal Assistance Programs, Jonathan Sternesky

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Administrative burdens are the psychological, compliance, and learning costs experienced by individuals interacting with public entities that may shape and reshape their relationship to citizenship and/or access to benefits and rights. It has long been hypothesized that third-party entities, designated as navigators, could be leveraged to mitigate the impact of administrative burden costs on citizens. For effective delivery of service, easing administrative burden costs in application processes may increase applicant likelihood of successfully navigating the bureaucratic process towards a desired end.

This research used data from recently implemented assistance programs in two separate state-level jurisdictions to conduct logistical regression analyses …

Descriptive Analysis Of Open Government Practices Of Four Mid-Sized Cities In New York State, Brian Bray

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The conceptualization and implementation of open government practices have evolved over the years, encompassing numerous actions that increase transparency, participation, and collaboration. While states mandate some open government practices for municipal governments, they also often implement optional forms independently. This paper examines how four mid-sized cities implement two such optional forms: government boards and open government data.

This study was conducted in three stages. In the first stage, the author used the Democracy Cube framework, a theoretical model developed by Fung (2006), that categorizes various approaches to public participation in government decision-making along three dimensions. This model served as the …

Centering Consumer Dignity Within Volunteer Operations, Meghan Loftus

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Volunteerism has become so commonplace in the United States that it is often considered the third sector of our economy. To maximize output and stretch every dollar, many nonprofit agencies rely on volunteers to assist with the provision of their direct services. This unfettered access to their service population, without the same trainings and safeguards as implemented with paid staff, potentially create the opportunity for these volunteers to violate the dignity of the nonprofit consumer, either intentionally or unintentionally. The purpose of this study is to explore this phenomenon and determine if it is in fact a shared experience. Through …

Using Input From Administrative Staff To Make Cost-Effective Decisions For Telecommuting, Technology, And Productivity During The Covid-19 Era, Chika Egemba

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The purpose of this research was to examine if collaborative technologies enhance productivity in the face of remote work during the COVID-19 era using the diffusion of innovation framework. Dothan Housing is a Moving to Work (MTW) Expansion Agency under the Landlord Incentive Cohort #3. This means the agency was granted certain flexibility to pursue innovation. This research study used a post-positivist philosophy and a quantitative research design to investigate the thoughts, opinions, and feelings of Dothan Housing administrative staff about their experience with telecommuting during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were selected from among Dothan Housing staff who were …