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Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Education
Notes
- Abstract:
- This study represents a case study to investigate those factors that lead to successful strategic planning and plan performance in the public sector. The problem under investigation is to determine the empirical relationship between local government comprehensive planning as a form of strategic planning and plan performance. Boyne (2001) concluded in his research that the empirical relationship between strategic planning and performance in the public sector is unknown. The purpose of this study was to conduct a two-phase sequential mixed-method case study to explore participants’ views of successful factors for strategic planning in the public sector with the intent of using the results to develop and test an instrument. A sample of the research population responded to the instrument to determine the empirical relationship between strategic planning and performance. The first phase of this study was a qualitative exploration of the strategic planning process in the public sector from the experiences of the public planners in Florida and New York. Grounded theory was the method of inquiry. The second phase was a quantitative explanation of the relationship between strategic planning and performance in the public sector. The survey instrument generated data for the application of bivariate analysis, multiple regressions and path analysis. Approximately 261 planners were canvassed in Florida that best represented Florida’s communities of which 167 responded to the survey instrument. The results of the qualitative analysis revealed several factors and their properties for successful strategic planning. They were leadership, participation, resources, performance, process, consensus, buy-in and goals and objectives. The factors were abstracted into constructs (leadership, buy-in, and commitment) which were operationalized into independent variables. For the quantitative study, a bivariate analysis demonstrated that the independent variables (leadership, buy-in, commitment) and the dependent variable (performance) all correlated at the 0.01 level. A causal model was developed to test for “goodness of fit”. The model depicts the causal relationship that leadership causes buy-in, leadership and buy-in causes commitment, and that leadership and commitment causes performance. The results of the path analysis support the causal inference of the model and the underlying theory in which the reproduced coefficients match the empirical coefficients. A linear equation to predict future outcomes was constructed from a regression model of the determinants of performance. These predictors account for a significant amount of the performance variability, R2 = .401, F (3,102) = 22.73, and p < .001. Some recommendations focused on improving the model and survey instrument.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (Ph.D.)--Barry University, 2006.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-144).
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Paul G. Van Buskirk. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- HD30.28 .V36 2006_VanBuskirkPaul ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- HD30.28 .V36 2006 ( lcc )
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