Publication
Title
On a diet: explaining differences in overhead among public agencies in the era of austerity
Author
Abstract
Reducing overhead is a target for governments across Europe that are looking for ways to economize. This study contributes to our understanding of overhead levels in different types of agencies. Regression and fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) are applied to examine the relationship between an agency's overhead level and its formal autonomy, result control, size, and task. The results support the claim that greater formal autonomy leads to a higher overhead, especially when combined with performance-based target setting or when frequent monitoring is absent. The relationship, however, is nonlinear. Distinct effects for the different subdimensions of result control are found. Agency size and task mediate the relationship between formal autonomy, result control and overhead, but only in specific combinations.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Public performance and management review. - Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Publication
Thousand Oaks, Calif. : 2015
ISSN
1530-9576 [print]
1557-9271 [online]
DOI
10.1080/15309576.2015.983828
Volume/pages
38 :2 (2015) , p. 234-260
ISI
000348504300003
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
In search of economical behaviour in times of global budgetary scarcity - Effects of autonomy, control, task and management on overhead costs in public organizations: Theoretical- empirical research using non-obtrusive data and 3 analysis methods.
Publication type
Subject
Law 
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 13.03.2015
Last edited 02.10.2024
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