Turning dreams into reality: Examining strategic implementation in U.S. municipalities.

摘要

This dissertation examines the factors that lead to the successful implementation of strategic initiatives by U.S. municipalities. Specifically, it builds and tests generic and contingent models of strategic implementation to determine which better explains implementation success. The models are tested with a mixed-methods approach based on project management theory, which recognizes that implementation is both an object and a process requiring both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The tests are conducted utilizing a sample of 218 strategic initiatives gathered from 44 U.S. municipalities. Implementation success is measured with a newly-constructed implementation success index that combines the traditional success indicators of project completion, time, and cost into one continuous measure.;The analyses find that those municipalities that use a contingent approach to implementation enjoy higher levels of implementation success than those who do not. Specifically, the study demonstrates that there are different sets of success factors in four contexts defined by a 2x2 typology based on high and low levels of initiative priority and implementation complexity. However, the data also show that while U.S. municipalities typically take a generic approach to implementation that eschews these empirical contingent findings, they nonetheless enjoy a high implementation success rate. This paradox is explained by the qualitative research, which shows that many municipal managers initially employ a preferred generic style of implementation that must be adapted during implementation to salvage the implementation effort. The study also highlights the importance of a dedicated budget allocation for an implementation effort and the dual role of the chief administrative officer in implementation as a monitor and intervener. The dissertation concludes by enumerating its theoretical and practical implications, as well as avenues for future research.