Award Date

December 2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Public Policy and Leadership

First Committee Member

Christopher Stream

Second Committee Member

Jessica Word

Third Committee Member

Helen Neill

Fourth Committee Member

Michael Lee

Number of Pages

136

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the role of organizational agility in public organizations (such as the United States Federal Agencies) and demonstrates how agility works in public institutions. This study explores how organizational agility within public institutions can lead to successes and prevent failures stemming from underutilized agility, identifies the societal demographics impacted by these outcomes, and offers recommendations for effectively implementing agility to enhance efficiency and societal progress. Agility in sum, is adaptability and proactiveness. If developed and practiced by public organizations, this process can avert prominent institutional failings that impede the dispersal of services and resources that would promote social progress. Public organizations often cope with multiple objectives, an evolving economic and political environment, and an unwieldy bureaucratic structure that impedes progress as they attempt to fulfill the desires of many stakeholders. Currently, national and state institutions are regularly criticized for underperforming and failing to meet the challenges they are meant to address. The disastrous implementation of public policy healthcare and educational initiatives in terms of the COVID-19 disaster is one prominent example. Influenced by information technology (IT) infrastructure capability, agility, when correctly applied, can improve public organizational performance and avert these types of failures.

A review of existing works in public affairs reveals a limited understanding of organizational agility, and it can be argued that, due to the salience of agility, this is a shortcoming in the literature. To develop recommendations, this work addresses this gap by developing a theoretical conception of how agility develops in public organizations and demonstrates why it is critical to develop this understanding. It also presents hypotheses demonstrating agility's academic and practical implications when adequately implemented and tested using data collected by the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). Specifically, the research hypothesizes that agility is influenced by organizational justice, which in turn is influenced by servant leadership in public organizations. Data analysis used the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach to Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Analyses show that the hypotheses are generally supported. The research shows that agile organizations are more likely to achieve better organizational performance and that organizational leadership and justice are essential in developing agility. This research is primarily dedicated to developing and validating a theoretical framework that captures organizational agility for public organizations. From a practical standpoint, the results highlight that stakeholder should implement policies and programs related to public organizational performance with a strong consideration of organizational agility. The research also discusses recommendations for multiple opportunities in which agility-based research can promote critical social and institutional success. This dissertation examines organizational agility in public entities such as U.S. Federal Agencies, elucidating its function within such institutions. The study underscores how agility fosters success and thwarts the consequences of its underutilization, which often hinders service and resource distribution, impeding societal and community advancement. It assesses the demographics affected by these outcomes and formulates strategies for agility's effective implementation to boost efficiency and societal progress.

Organizational agility, characterized by adaptability and proactiveness, can prevent institutional failures that obstruct progress amid multiple objectives, shifting economic and political climates, and cumbersome bureaucratic systems. These impediments are prominent in public organizations, highlighted by suboptimal performances and failures to meet challenges, with the mishandling of healthcare and educational policies during the COVID-19 pandemic as a notable instance. The study reveals a gap in existing public affairs literature regarding organizational agility, suggesting a critical shortfall. Addressing this, the research develops a theoretical model of agility in public organizations, emphasizing its importance. Hypotheses posit that organizational agility is shaped by organizational justice, which is, in turn, influenced by servant leadership. The theory is examined through data from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The analysis generally substantiates the hypotheses, linking agile organizations with superior performance and underscoring the significance of leadership and justice in cultivating agility.

In conclusion, this research contributes a validated theoretical framework for organizational agility in the public sector. Practically, it advises stakeholders to consider agility in policies and programs concerning public organizational performance and outlines multiple areas where agility-focused research can enhance societal institutional success. The study reveals a gap in prior public affairs literature regarding organizational agility, suggesting a critical shortfall. Addressing this, the study develops a theoretical model of agility in public organizations, emphasizing its importance.

Keywords

Information technology infrastructure capabilities; Organization agility; Organizational justice; Organizational performance; Public organizations; Servant leadership

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Political Science | Public Administration | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

File Format

pdf

File Size

1430 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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