The Organizational Dynamics of Service Provision in a Machine and a Reform County Agency

Abstract

The political environment of a tax-supported agency is a potentially critical variable affecting the organization's structure and processes. Internal organizational dynamics in turn affect the efficiency and innovativeness of service delivery. Machine and reform governments are very different political environments for public agencies. In particular, machines have highly concentrated power over agencies and use the agencies for placement of patronage workers. Reform governments have much more diffuse power and a general policy of noninterference with public agencies. This research examines the organization's response to political control of its budget and to patronage placements. The method was a case study of two county health departments using long-term observation and formal and informal interviewing. Important differences were found between the machine and reform county health departments. Hypotheses are developed that will explain the differences based on the interaction of budget constraints, the level of professionalism, and level of political control over agency staff.