MANAGERIAL GOALS IN A PERFORMANCE‐DRIVEN SYSTEM: THEORY AND EMPIRICAL TESTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION |
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| Authors: | AMANDA RUTHERFORD KENNETH J. MEIER |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Amanda Rutherford is at the Department of Political Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA;2. Kenneth Meier is at the Department of Political Science, Texas A&M University, and also Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK |
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| Abstract: | Factors influencing managerial goals and decision‐making processes have been debated for decades among public administration scholars. Previous literature has explained goal setting through theories of performance gaps, bureaucratic control, and isomorphic rationality. However, there exists no direct empirical test of these theories to determine which theoretical expectation may have more or less weight with managers when setting organizational goals. Using an original survey of university presidents, this study tests how public managers prioritize competing performance goals. Findings suggest that the goal setting decisions of these public managers is primarily driven by political control mechanisms. |
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