Mar.%2019%20Agency%20Theory%20as%20an%20Analytical%20Perspective

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Mar. 19 Agency Theory as an Analytical
Perspectiveresearch on shirking, cheating,
and strategic positioning

• Note This chapter is taken from a
  newly-published book written by award-winning
  scholars on public bureaucracy. The chapter
  reports on Meier and OTooles empirical study on
  the behavior of educational agencies in Texas in
  implementing federal education policyas such, it
  takes a form similar to much research in
  journals. Graduate students need to gain
  competence in reading and understanding of such
  research literature. This reading serves well
  both as a straight-forward, well-written research
  piece (to help you understand the format of
  empirical analysis) and a a strong application of
  Agency Theory as a perspective for understanding
  how agencies behave (act, respond, cope with)
  in particular situations.
• Understanding research format The left column
  represents usual components of empirical research
  write-ups, and the right shows the corresponding
  sections of the Meier and OToole (MO) chapter
• Introduction (often no
  subheading) that explains See
  second paragraph of MO chapter pp. 93-94
  
• the question to be
  researched or the purpose
• of the research.
• Existing studies and
  research that affect how
  MOs The Literature (pp. 94-96)
• the authors understand
  the problem
• Explanation of key concepts
  tested in research Cheating as
  Shirkingthe dv to be explained (pp. 97-100)
• That which is to be
  explainedthe dependent
  performance gaps, prior efforts, resources, task
  demands, variable (dv)and those
  that cause or affect
  professional normspossible ivs (that may or may
  not explain
• itindependent variables
  (ivs).
  the dv).
• 
  
  
• Method used to test
  whether possible ivs affect dv. MOs
  Data and Methods (pp.100-104).
• Report on the outcome of
  testingusually which MOs
  Findings (pp. 104-114)
• ivs affect the dv if
  the authors expectations
• (or hypotheses) are
  supported

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Mar. 19 Shirking, cheating, and strategic
positioningwhat can be learned?

• Note The first set of questions below pertains
  to your understanding of the reading. The second
  raises broader issues for you to consider.
• To what extent and how does the logic of Meier
  and OTooles research correspond to the issues
  Gormley and Balla raise in Ch. 3 The
  Bureaucracys Bosses? Be specific.
• Explain the significance of the best case
  (ideal situation for political control p.93)
  in MOs research strategy (hint what would be a
  worst case, and why would it be weak as a basis
  for their research?)
• How many principal-agent dyads (or pairs) can you
  identify in the MO chapter?
• How does MOs use of the agency theory
  perspective help them coax out their findings
  and enhance understanding of public agency
  behavior in their research (or does it)? Could
  the same findings/conclusions have emerged
  without using it? Or did using it distort the
  findings/conclusions?
• Do you fault the education agencies for
  cheating? Should agent compliance to the
  principal be the way it ought to be?
• Does cheating or shirking have any relevance to
  the issues Gormley and Balla raise in Ch. 2?
  Explain.
• How might economists (presumably looking from the
  p/a perspective) differ from sociologists (from
  an institutional perspective) in interpreting the
  implications of MOs research?
• Are local school administrators forced to cheat
  or is it a rational, independent choice? (How do
  the issues of embeddedness and enactment fit in
  here?)
• What (if anything) can a public manager learn
  from the MeierOToole chapter?
• How does Wilsons discussion of circumstances
  and (specific) tasks (rather than general) goals
  relate to MOs study of Texas school districts
• Ever hear of situation ethics? Is cheating
  here an example?
• Those who would view this Texas as as scandalous
  might have expected people at some level
  (operator, management, or executive) to take a
  higher road. What in Wilson Ch. 3 accounts for
  everybody buying off on the strategy?