Comments

Forthcoming in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory.Public
management
researchers
are
interested
in
many
characteristics
of
organizations
that
cannot
be
directly
captured,
making
aggregated
attitudes
from
surveys
an
attractive
proxy.
Yet
difficulties
in
measuring
meaningful
attributes
over
time
and
across
organizations
have
frequently
limited
statistical
designs
to
a
single
organization
or
time.
We
offer
a
method
for
creating
such
statistical
measures
across
agencies
and
time
using
item
response
theory.
Focusing
our
attention
on
U.S.
federal
administrative
agencies,
we
marshal
a
variety
of
questions
from
surveys
commissioned
by
the
Office
of
Personnel
Management
and
Merit
Systems
Protection
Board
and
employ
statistical
models
to
measure
three
important
attributes

autonomy,
job
satisfaction,
and
intrinsic
motivation

for
71
agencies
between
1998-­‐2010.
Our
study
provides
a
wealth
of
data
for
quantitative
public
management
research
designs
as
well
as
an
adaptable
framework
for
measuring
a
wide
range
of
concepts.

Abstract

Public management researchers are interested in many characteristics of organizations that cannot be directly captured, making aggregated attitudes from surveys an attractive proxy. Yet difficulties in measuring meaningful attributes over time and across organizations have frequently limited statistical designs to a single organization or time. We offer a method for creating such statistical measures across agencies and time using item response theory. Focusing our attention on U.S. federal administrative agencies, we marshal a variety of questions from surveys commissioned by the Office of Personnel Management and Merit Systems Protection Board and employ statistical models to measure three important attributes -- autonomy, job satisfaction, and intrinsic motivation -- for 71 agencies between 1998-2013. Our study provides a wealth of data for quantitative public management research designs as well as an adaptable framework for measuring a wide range of concepts.

Disciplines

Agency | Behavioral Economics | Economic Policy | Law | Law and Economics | Organization Development | Organizations | Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation

Date of this Version

6-17-2013