Premium
STRATEGY, STRUCTURE AND PROCESS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: A TEST OF THE MILES AND SNOW MODEL
Author(s) -
ANDREWS RHYS,
BOYNE GEORGE A.,
LAW JENNIFER,
WALKER RICHARD M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.313
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1467-9299
pISSN - 0033-3298
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9299.2009.01760.x
Subject(s) - public sector , snow , process (computing) , organizational structure , test (biology) , empirical research , public service , business , empirical evidence , process management , operations management , management , public administration , economics , political science , computer science , geography , economy , mathematics , meteorology , ecology , philosophy , statistics , epistemology , operating system , biology
We present a comprehensive empirical application of the Miles and Snow (1978) model of organizational strategy, structure and process to the public sector. We refine the model by distinguishing between strategy formulation and implementation, and applying it to 90 public service organizations. Although the empirical evidence shows that organizational strategies fit the Miles and Snow categories of prospector, defender and reactor, the relationship between these strategies and organizational structures (for example, centralization) and processes (for example, planning) is less consistent with their model. Conclusions are drawn for public management theory and practice.