A test: Can stewardship theory serve as a second conceptual foundation for accountability methods in contracted human services?

International Journal of Public Administration

Volumn 25, Issue 4, 2002, Pages 463-487

  Dicke, Lisa A ^a   Ott, J Steven ^b  

^a TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF UTAH   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 85054661639     PISSN: 01900692     EISSN: 15324265     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1081/PAD-120013252     Document Type: Article

References (92)

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10. Jabbra, J.G., and Dwivedi, O.P., eds. 1988. Public Service Accountability West Hartford, CT: Kumarian.
11. Ott, J.S., and Dicke, L.A., 2000. Important but Largely Unanswered Questions about Accountability in Contracted Public Human Services. International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior, 3 (3 & 4): 283–317. also
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13. Dicke, L.A., Accountability in Human Services Contracting: Stewardship Theory and the Internal Perspective; Doctoral dissertation, University of Utah, 2000. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61, 06A. UMI 9976119.
14. Dicke, L.A., External control methods include legal and bureaucratic directives such as laws, rules, and policies for which binding sanctions are usually available. Compliance with directives is accomplished primarily through proxy methods such as auditing or self-reports. Political oversight including hearings and elections are also forms of external control.
15. Dicke, L.A., and Ott, J.S., 1999. Public Agency Accountability in Human Services Contracting. Public Productivity and Management Review, 22 (4): 502–516.
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29. Values types are operationalized under the section heading Values Types: Government, Business, and Altruistic, in this article.
30. Dicke, L.A. Accountability in Human Services Contracting: Stewardship Theory and the Internal Perspective; Doctoral dissertation, University of Utah, 2000. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61, 06A. UMI 9976119.
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40. Ott, J.S., Boonyarak, P., and Dicke, L.A., 2001. Public Sector Reform, and Moral and Ethical Accountability: Performance Measurement Technology Cannot Ensure Accountability for Contracted Human Services. Public Integrity, 3 (3) in press
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42. Dicke, L.A., In recent years, principal-agent theory has been advanced through contributions from a variety of academic fields, particularly economics. Several of these advancements have greatly enhanced the theory's utility for analyses of contract relationships. For example, one newer strand of principal-agent theory permits considerable discretion in “firm-contractor” relationships under certain circumstances. (See particularly, Holmstrom, B.; Milgrom, P. Multitask Principal-Agent Analyses: Incentive Contracts, Asset Ownership, and Job Design. Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization1991, 7 [Spring].) From this perspective, some strains of stewardship theory may be characterized as an element in a more advanced development of principal-agent theory. Also see Baker, G.; Gibbons, R.; Murphy, K. Relational Contracts and the Theory of the Firm 1999. Harvard Business School Working Paper; and Milgrom, P.; Roberts, J.; Economics, Organization, and Management; Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ 1992. The authors are deeply grateful to the IJPA reviewer who brought these concepts and sources to our attention.
43. DeHoog, R.H., 1984. Contracting Out for Human Services: Economic, Political, and Organizational Perspectives Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
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56. A person-centered plan is a document that outlines the goals and aspirations of a client. It also identifies the methods, processes and activities that may be used for reaching goals.
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58. Dicke L.A. Accountability in Human Services Contracting: Stewardship Theory and the Internal Perspective Doctoral dissertation, University of Utah, 2000 Dissertation Abstracts International, 61, 06A. UMI 9976119.
59. Allen-Meares, P., 1984. Content Analysis: It Does Have a Place in Social Work Research. Journal of Social Service Research, 7 (Summer): 51–68. Values types are discussed under the section heading Values Types: Government Business and Altruistic in this article.
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80. Dicke, L.A., Organization 1 received the highest quality score and Organization 12, the lowest. A natural divide in organization quality scores resulted in the development of two categories; higher quality and lower quality. Five organizations were assigned to the higher quality category (these organizations are identified as Organizations 1–5), and seven comprise the lower category (these organizations are identified as Organizations 6–12). For additional details about the quality index used, see Dicke, L.A. Accountability in Human Services Contracting: Stewardship Theory and the Internal Perspective Doctoral dissertation, University of Utah, 2000. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61, 06A. UMI 9976119.
81. In Organization 3 respondents identified an equal number of statements that are reflective of government values. Although this study empirically tests aspects of stewardship theory, it cannot explain why certain values predominate in an organization. Although the data show that altruistic values are important in higher quality organizations, it does not explain why they are valued or why members of Organization 3 believe government values are equally as important.
82. These factors are in statements A, D, and E when core values are operationalized as the highest ranked three “MI” statements, and A, D, E, I when core values are operationalized as the highest ranked four “MI” statements.
83. Block, P., 1993. Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-interest San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
84. Lewis, C.W., 1991. The Ethics Challenge in Public Service: A Problem-solving Guide San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. also
85. An additional test of convergence using respondents' definitions of quality produced the same results. The definitions of quality proposed by respondents in all of the provider organizations were so similar that a test of values convergence with AOD could not be performed.
86. Denhardt, K., 1988. The Ethics of Public Service 44New York: Greenwood Press.
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88. For details about the study methodology and the instruments used, see Dicke, L.A. Accountability in Human Services Contracting: Stewardship Theory and the Internal Perspective Doctoral dissertation, University of Utah, 2000. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61 06A. UMI 9976119.
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