Public Administration Commons^™

Evaluating The Effectiveness And Benefit-Cost Of Michigan Background Check Program Using Crime Opportunity Theory, Judith Brown Clarke

Dissertations

Elderly persons in long-term care settings are exceptionally vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and exploitation necessitating special protective measures by criminal justice, social services, and health care agencies. In 2006, 28.6% of Michigan households with a family member in long-term care reported that person having experienced one or more forms of abuse including physical, caretaking, verbal, emotional, neglect, sexual, and exploitation (Post, 2006). Criminal justice agencies were scrambling to identify programs aimed at reducing elder abuse in long-term care. Michigan was selected as one of seven states designated as a federal pilot test site. As a result, the Michigan Background Check …

Perceived Organizational Support And Ethical Work Climates As Predictors Of Turnover Intention Of Licensed Nurses In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Anna A. Filipova

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to replicate Victor and Cullen's (1987; 1988) studies to confirm whether ethical climates (ECs) arise in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and whether organizations and groups within organizations have identifiable ECs; and (2) to test a model that examines the effects of ECs and perceived organizational support (POS) on licensed nurses' turnover intention (TOI) through job satisfaction (JS) and organizational commitment (OC).

A cross-sectional survey design was implemented. Three hundred and fifty nine freestanding SNFs were selected in a midwestern state. While a total of 110 facilities (31%) agreed to participate, responses were …

Astroturf, Technology And The Future Of Community Mobilization: Implications For Nonprofit Theory, John Mcnutt, Katherine Boland

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Nonprofit Organizations advocate for the poor, the disenfranchised and the oppressed. This process is thought to build social capital and civil society, while engendering the development of social skills and deliberation. In recent years, scholars have observed that nonprofit advocacy organizations have moved from membership associations to professionalized policy change organizations. Virtual advocacy will move the process farther afield. Astroturf, the creation of synthetic advocacy efforts, continues this process further. All of this has troubling implications for nonprofit organizations and nonprofit theory. This paper describes the astroturf phenomenon, reviews pertinent nonprofit theory and speculates on the impact of astroturf for …

Community Development Corporations And Public Participation: Lessons From A Case Study In The Arkansas Delta, Valerie H. Hunt

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this paper, I focus on the role of community development corporations (CDCs) in fostering public participation in the local political process. Using survey and interview data gathered from CDCs operating in the Mississippi Delta region of Arkansas, I show that the CDC is an important intermediary between the citizens and the local political arena. While, according to this study's findings, the CDCs' long-term goal is to develop a lasting sense of efficacy among CDC participants, leading to direct political participation by citizens, the nature of CDC funding does not fully support these efforts. As a result, these critical activities …

Nongovernmental Program Replication And Implementation: What Can Community-Based Programs To Support The Uninsured Learn From Other Communities?, Raymond J. Higbea

Dissertations

This research study evaluated the replication and implementation of Project Access (a nongovernmental, structured program providing physician and health care services to the working-poor) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A mixed methodological approach was used and included quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The qualitative method used was a self-administered mailed survey of all Project Access enrollees. This survey evaluated the enrollee's perceived health and lifestyle function, access to physician services, access and adherence to prescribed medication regimen, and barriers to physician services during the year pre- and post-enrollment in Project Access. The survey also evaluated the amount enrollees were able or willing …

The Cover-Up Is More Damaging Than The Sin: Sexual Scandals At The Cabinet And Sub-Cabinet Levels, Craig Korpela

Dissertations

Based on the sexual scandals of Alexander Hamilton, John Eaton, Sumner Welles, and the recently concluded investigation of Henry Cisneros, this research provides an initial, and subsequently revised, set of phases and factors that describe sex scandals of Cabinet and sub-Cabinet secretaries. Garnered from these historical cases and other scandal literature are factors that impact the development of a sex scandal. Presidential support, traits of the indiscretion, relationships between executives, public opinion, legal matters, Congressional oversight, and efforts to cover-up a sexual affair are just a few of the factors that could impact the tenure of an appointee.

A Heuristic Study Of The Decision To Privatize Local Government Service, David L. Rich

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to explore the nature of local government decision making. Six Michigan cities, selected from respondents to an International City/County Management Association (ICMA) privatization survey, are the basis of this multi-case study examining the decision to privatize public services.

Classical decision-making theory is used to identify six foundational elements from which to analyze the privatization decision: (1) identification of theproblem(s) that triggered the decision to consider privatization; (2) the solutions considered; (3) the processes or mechanisms used to make the decision; (4)the environment in which the decision was made; (5) the identification of the key …

Electronic Government Accessibility For People With Blindness Or Low Vision Who Utilize Assistive Computer Technology, Robert J. Sobie

Dissertations

Citizen access to electronic government information and services continues to enjoy an expansionary phase in local government. This expansionary phase holds a prominent place in service delivery strategic planning as governments address on-going operational challenges caused by increased fiscal pressures and greater accountability to the citizenry for their actions. Since the advent of the World Wide Web, in the mid 1990s, static information and interactive applications are available on government websites to facilitate information dissemination and citizen interaction.

The presence of electronically delivered information and services may not address the accessibility needs of people with blindness or low vision who …

Providing Uninsured Adults With Free Or Low-Cost Primary Care: Does It Influence Their Use Of Hospital Emergency Departments?, Anne G. Zahradnik

Dissertations

This study analyzes one component of the health care safety net to determine whether or not being enrolled in a free or low-cost primary care physician access program subsequently affects emergency room utilization by uninsured adults ages 18 through 64. Those individual decisions are analyzed from both public goods and rational choice schemas. Additionally, physician access programs of different formats (a low-cost physician referral program and a freewalk-in clinic) are analyzed and compared for relative effectiveness. The study is a quantitative analysis of more than 40,000 individual patient records rather than relying on qualitative patient recall or on analyzing broad …

Implementing Community Policing Successfully: An Analysis Of The Degree Of Police Engagement With The Philosophy And Practice Of Community Policing, Robert G. Muladore

Dissertations

The police community in the United States began to adopt the philosophy of community policing in the early 1970s as a solution to rising crime rates. Since that time a great many police departments have officially stated that they have embraced and practice this concept. When later studies began to question theeffectiveness of community policing in reducing crime rates, measures such as reduction of citizens' fear of crime and citizen's attitudes toward policebecame the secondary measures of success of this philosophy. Few comprehensive studies have specifically looked at the degree of congruence betweenpolice agency adoption of the community policing philosophy …

An Empirical Study Of Fiscal Decentralization Of Local Governments In China, Jianfeng Wang

Dissertations

The world is experiencing dramatic fiscal reconstruction in the socialist and (former) socialist countries and of continuing and fascinating evolution of government structure elsewhere. Being one of the fastest growing economies over the past nearly three decades, China seems deeply embracing this global mantra of power devolution in her effort to energize local economy that was suffocated in the highly constricted state-planning system. The literature of the Chinese central-local studies suggests that fiscal decentralization from the central government to provincial governments is a key institutional factor to explain Chinese economic success. However, the literature misses various lower levels of government …

The One-Stop Permit And Plan Review Center: Three Case Studies, Kenneth John Schilling

Dissertations

This study provides a detailed description of the one-stop permit and plan review center, an organizational innovation that is being introduced in numerous U.S. cities to improve governmental performance. The change represents a streamlining of local development review and code compliance functions.

Utilizing a qualitative methodology, the research records this one-stop application's diversity of form, contrasts it with the system it replaces, explores therationale and process that led to its adoption, and enumerates its useful features. The research is based on case studies of three Midwestern cities of comparable size: Grand Rapids, Michigan; Dayton, Ohio; and Des Moines, Iowa.

On …

A Leadership Model For Roman Catholic Social Service Agencies, Richard A. Ketrow

Dissertations

U.S. federal and state governments involve faith-based agencies in public administration by contracting with them to implement social service programs. How can Catholic social service agencies effectively compete in procuring these social service contracts and securing the program funds? To answer this question,a leadership model applicable to Catholic social service agencies was proposed. Four strategy constructs, evolving from the literature review, comprised theleadership model. The constructs providing a framework for the study were: performing service process reviews, utilizing a commitment to religious faith, entering valuable collaborations, and adhering to a consistent mission. Data were collected using a mail survey to …

Collaboration Through Partnerships: A Review Of Six Michigan Communities, Cheryl Kay Sibilsky-Soule

Dissertations

The federal government supports the use of collaborative service planning for many federally funded programs. While there are anecdotal studies supporting community collaboration, its use has not been adequately evaluated. This study provides exploratory information regarding the relationship between successful collaboration and outcomes for children and families.

Data were collected from six Michigan communities using a survey tool sent to all members of the six community Family Coordinating Councils. The tool was designed to measure eight factors seen in successful collaboration. The respondents evaluated their own collaborative council on these eight factors.

Three of the communities were thought to be …

Factors Affecting Treatment Program Development In A Mental Health Facility Serving Prisoners, Ruby Miranda Meriweather

Dissertations

There is a paucity of literature on how treatment programs for mentally ill prisoners are developed. Federal mandates require that services to mentally ill prisoners be comparable to what is offered in the community. Planners, therefore, must find ways to provide treatment programs that produce that outcome.

This research identified the most important factors that affect treatment program development and implementation to aid planners in designing treatment programs for mentally ill prisoners. This qualitative study, based on grounded theory, used a structured interview with 61 mental health staff (psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and activity therapists) across three categories (Administrative, …

U.S. Policy Toward Iraq Within The Context Of Complexity Theories, Alexander Rayssan Dawoody

Dissertations

This research investigates the trajectory of the U.S. policy toward Iraq and the factors that went in the making of its phase shifts. The research is qualitative in nature, uses official governmental documents, articles, books, focus groups and one-on-one interviews in order to answer three questions: How does a linear observation interpret the U.S. policy toward Iraq? How do the new sciences of complexity interpret the U.S. policy toward Iraq? How does a linear observation of the U.S. policy toward Iraq contrast and compare with that of a complex analysis? The language of the research is metaphorical. Its analytical model, …

The Differences In Performance Between Large And Small Organizations In Mental Health Settings, Randy Parker

Dissertations

The quantitative part of this study examined the relationship between organizational size and staff performance in mental health group home settings.The data from two hundred and sixty-two group homes from small, medium, and large umbrella organizations were examined. The results of independent third party evaluations were compared across these umbrella organizations. Evaluations measured compliance and performance mandated by federal health and safety regulations.

The qualitative part of this study involved on-site interviews with group home staff from various organizations at various professional levels which scored either a low or a high number of errors. A qualitative analysis was conducted to …

From Violence-Prone To Violence-Prepared Organizations Assessing The Role Of Human Resources Management In Preventing Workplace Violence In American City Governments, Saleh Abdel Rahman Ahmed

Dissertations

Violence is a significant occupational hazard in the American workplace. Nearly a thousand employees are murdered on the job each year and workplacehomicide has become the leading cause of death for women and the second for men. From 1993 to 1999, there were an average of 1.7 million nonfatal violent victimizations each year, accounting for 18% of all violent crime. Although government employees accounted for 18% of the U.S. workforce, they made up 37% of workplace violence victims.

A review of literature found no unified definition of workplace violence. Recent scientific research regarding this problem is rare, despite its increasing …

Child Welfare And Devolving Federalism: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Federal Funding Schemes On Selected Child Welfare Outcomes In Michigan, Timothy J. Kangas

Dissertations

Child abuse and neglect has become a pervasive problem across the United States. Between 1985 and 1995 the foster care population in the United States grew by 79%, with costs soaring into the billions. During the mid-1990s, in an effort to address this issue, the federal government shifted from using a funding scheme identified with a traditional model of federalism to one identified with devolving federalism. In Michigan, the focus of this research, this shift in approaches occurred through the issuance of block grant funding for child welfare programming. The intent of this shift was to decentralize elements of the …

A Comparative Study Of Factors Related To Adoption, Management, And Impact Of Police Consolidation And Amalgamation In Norfolk, County, England, And Kent And Ottawa Counties, Michigan, United States, Terry Lee Fisk

Dissertations

The evolution of law enforcement in the United States has created a circumstance where thousands of smaller communities are served by a police agency, some of which may not have the capability or resources to provide adequate police service. Many of these are agencies operate within a geographical area where they are joined by common boundaries, yet each operates as an autonomous police force. One possible solution to this quandary is to consolidate those existing agencies experiencing difficulties in the provision of police services into single, larger departments with combined resources.

The purpose of this research was to determine what …

Working Together To Stop Domestic Violence: State-Community Partnerships And The Changing Meaning Of Public And Private, Kristin A. Kelly

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The increasing reliance in the United States on state-community partner- ships to address social problems represents both new opportunities and new dangers. This article presents examples of both possibilities through a consideration of contemporary collaborations between state and nonstate actors in the development of a public response to domestic violence. This discussion provides the basis for an elaboration of a conceptual approach to public/private relationships that replaces the traditional dichotomy with a triangular relationship, of state, family and community. By improving on our ability to think through the complex relationships between these three spheres, it is argued that this model …

Essential Elements Of An Implementation Process For Grant-Funded Projects/Programs In Nonprofit Organizations, Margaret M. Bernhard

Dissertations

Grant seeking is a source of funding for many nonprofit organizations. If a proposal is funded, the organization must contend with the responsibility of project implementation and the expectations of successful project outcomes. A project implementation process with strategic and tactical steps that clearly define the path that leads to positive grant outcomes would assist the grant administrator. Using the Delphi Method as a methodological tool for facilitating dialog among anonymous experts, 12 foundation program officers identified, ranked, and rated the essential elements and barriers of grant implementation. The process revealed 13 essential elements of implementation and 11 barriers to …

Ownership And Stewardship: Attitudes Among Michigan’S Voters Impacting Opposition To Great Lakes Water Diversions, Bruce A. Nanzer

Dissertations

The problem addressed by this research can be demonstrated through the following scenario: If we were to ask randomly chosen voters in the state of Michigan if they possessed sufficient knowledge of Great Lakes water diversion policy, the answer would likely be no. Yet, if after a short description of the purpose for this type of policy, the voter was questioned about supporting such actions he or she would likely voice strong support for strategies that would prevent water diversions.

The objective of this research was to understand why Michigan's voters would readily voice opposition to Great Lakes water diversions …

What's Need Got To Do With It? Barriers To Use Of Nonprofit Social Services, Rebecca Joyce Kissane

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In recent years, legislators have called upon private nonprofit and proprietary organizations to assume a larger role in provision of public benefits to poor persons. Little research, however, has examined poor people's willingness to use nonprofit agencies in lieu of public welfare. This analysis draws data from over 2 years of fieldwork and in-depth interviews with twenty poor women in Philadelphia. I demonstrate that decisions to use nonprofits are contingent upon stigma, information, practical predicaments (e.g., agency hours), and perceived need. I explore the implications of these impediments in a post-welfare reform landscape, while focusing on how decisions to use …

Drug Courts: A Study Of Retention And Suspension In The Kalamazoo County Drug Court Program, James H. Houston

Dissertations

This is a study of the Kalamazoo County Drug Treatment Court Programs. Participants in the court programs are men and women who reside in the county and are charged with drug-related non-violent felonies. These participants, along with judges and administrators of the program, were interviewed for the study. The interviews were held in face-to-face meetings: participants on neutral ground and court functionaries in their offices.

The study sought to determine what factors contributed to the success or failure of drug court participants. It asked to what extent program requirements are perceived by the participants to be coercive, and how this …

An Analysis Of The Level Of Union Membership In The United States Since The Implementation Of Nafta, David D. Westcot

Dissertations

Union membership in the United States has been in a state of decline over the last two decades and international trade has been cited as one of the reasons. As such, U.S. labor unions perceived the 1994 implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as an assault on organized labor. This perspective is based on the belief U.S. capital and jobs would move jobs south in an effort to take advantage of Mexico's low-wage differentials. With this in mind, the objective of this research was to determine if the percentage of union membership in any of the 22 …

Organizational Alignment: A Tool For Obtaining Greater Organizational Efficiency And Effectiveness In A State Government Agency, Patricia A. Collins

Dissertations

This study focuses on the modem day use of TQM, reengineering and privatization initiatives to gain efficiency and effectiveness in government operations, and the impact of alignment on the successful implementation of these three initiatives. A large state government agency which is currently using TQM, reengineering and privatization was used as a case study. Two-hundred-and-twenty-four employees were voluntary participants. This study examined three research questions: 1. Could the level of alignment, as hypothesized by Labovitz and Rosansky, be replicated with a sample of public agency employees? 2. Is the agency aligned, based on the Labovitz and Rosansky model, to successfully …

Visionary Leadership: The Importance In The Public Sector From The Perspective Of City Managers, Nancy L. Quarles

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to apply Sashkin’s Visionary Leadership model to City Managers, with an emphasis on how the city manager puts the vision into action in local government. There is much talk that government leaders need to have a vision so that their organization will work more efficiently and effectively. More government agencies should seek to instill visionary leadership, much as a growing number of businesses have done. The City Manager must cope with sweeping changes in city government that have resulted from rapid growth, elected officials’ expectations, new technology, unions, citizen demands, and the need …

The Effects Of Reengineering On Hospital Performance Indicators, Linda Rutgers Albery

Dissertations

Reengineering was a management tactic designed to reduce costs and increase efficiencies in the work place. Although many hospitals reported reengineering efforts were a priority during the latter part of the 1990s, little research has been done to determine the effects of reengineering on cost and quality performance indicators.

This research studied a large regional medical center located in southwest Michigan, which implemented patient-focused care redesign. Within this medical center, ten separate and distinct patient care departments were studied over a 5-year period. These departments included critical care, medical, surgical, obstetric and pediatric areas. During the first year o f …

Symbolic Politics: Government's War Against The Working Class, Warren Charles Gregory

Dissertations

Symbolism and substance are essential parts of any political system. In our system of government, we typically think of symbolism as serving substantive ends. Using a triangulation of _methods (Participant Observation, Archival Data, and Documentary Evidence), the paper examines two cases (Social Security and criminal justice) and concludes that the mix between substance and symbolism has changed dramatically in recent years with symbolism now assuming the central role.

The current debates over Social Security funding and criminal justice sanctions, for example, are less about the concerns of old-age security or making the public safer as much as they reflect a …