Networking in comparative context. Public managers in the USA and the UK

Laurence J. O'Toole, Richard M. Walker, Kenneth J. Meier, George A. Boyne

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Networking has become a key theme in the research literature, reflecting a shift from government to governance. Though scholarship on this topic has grown apace, little evidence has been produced on the ways in which managerial networking manifests itself across national settings. Given this state of affairs, we explore whether managerial networking is a broad and common pattern in contemporary governance systems or contingent on setting. Analysis was undertaken from a sample of over 600 US public managers and 300 UK local officials. The results confirm that managerial networking is extensive and support the view that networking is a key management competence. While general networking behaviours are evident in the data presented, there was also variation, suggesting that managers are able to exercise choice and construct their networked environment to reflect local requirements.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)401-420
Number of pages20
JournalPublic Management Review
Volume9
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2007

Keywords

  • Co-operation
  • Cross-national comparison
  • Local government
  • Managerial networking
  • Network behaviour
  • Organizational echelons

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