Who is Engaged and Why? Testing an Instrumental Perspective on Stakeholder Engagement

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20899/jpna.5.2.155-177

Keywords:

Public Management, Stakeholders, Engagement, Local Government

Abstract

From an instrumental perspective, public administrators are expected to analyze their environment. They are also expected to take proactive steps to manage environmental impacts. These actions are intended to ensure that public administrators are able to achieve their goals. Part of analyzing their environment involves the engagement of stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement is believed to provide public administrators with insights into how they can better evaluate innovative policy options that allow them to overcome limited administrative capacity. Stakeholder engagement is also believed to allow public administrators with opportunities to mobilize support in light of political opposition. The purpose of this article is to test these claims within the policy area of municipal contracting out. In the article, we find strong support for these ideas. Thus, our findings should inform public administration theories about the role and importance of stakeholder engagement.

Author Biographies

  • Josephine Gatti Schafer, Kansas State University
    Josephine Gatti Schafer is the director of the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In this role, she works directly with public officials and government agencies to build an evidence base for better governance practices. Prior to this role, she was an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
  • Zhiwei Zhang, Kansas State University
    Zhiwei Zhang is an Associate Professor at Kansas State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Beijing Institute of Machinery (2006), his Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Kansas State University (2009) and his Ph.D. (2013) from University of Kentucky. His research interests focus on public finance and budgeting, public procurement and public private partnership, donors’ philanthropic behavior, and nonprofit finance and management.

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Published

2019-08-01

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2019)

Section

Research Articles

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