Accountability and the Centrality of Expectations in American Public Administration
Abstract
This paper lays the foundations for a middle-range theory of public administration, based on the centrality of expectations and the recognition of individual, organizational, and institutional means of coping with them. The paper explores the relevance and roots of expectations as the central concept in developing such a theory, and presents a brief overview of their sources. A more detailed discussion follows of several key characteristics of expectations and their relation to ongoing issues in the study of American public administration. The primary question in constructing a middle-range theory based on expectations is how they are “handled” at the individual, organizational, and institutional levels. This framework sets the stage for developing testable propositions that address the question and facilitate the theory-building process.
Department
Political Science
Publication Date
1-1-1993
Publication Title
RESEARCH IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Publisher
JAI PRESS
Recommended Citation
Dubnick, Melvin J. and Barbara S. Romzek, “Accountability and the Centrality of Expectations in American Public Administration.” In RESEARCH IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Volume 2, edited by James L. Perry. Greenwich CT: JAI PRESS, 1993: 37-78.