Public management in intergovernmental networks: Matching structural and behavioral networks

While there is considerable consensus on the importance of intergovernmental management for the performance of many public programs, theoretical work has been slow to develop, and systematic empirical research on the topic has been rare. This article explores intergovernmental management in the field of public education by testing parts of a model developed in earlier work. In an examination of many school districts over a multiyear period, the study focuses in particular on how structural features of relevant intergovernmental networks and also the networking behavior of top managers influence an array of performance results. Managerial networking, managerial quality, and selected stabilizing features contribute positively to performance. A pattern of nonlinear interactions is also evident among intergovernmental structure, management, and environmental forces.