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A Manager is a Manager is a Manager? Race and Managerial Impact on Organizational Performance

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Abstract

Contemporary scientific analyses of public organizations underscore the salience of management for understanding how governmental bureaucracies perform. Yet little is known of administrators from minority social groups, and whether their organizations perform better or worse than other bureaucracies. Emphasizing the impact of network engagement on organizational performance, this exploratory study addresses this important research deficiency. A critical component of the analysis presented is the differential impact of administrative engagement with internal and external networks on minority and status quo clientele outcomes. The findings have important implications for studies of managerial networking, equity, and representation in public organizations.

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Notes

  1. A focal element of this study is the differences between minority and non-minority, or majoritarian, manager engagement with an organization’s internal and external environment. In this analysis Latinos make up the group of minority managers and Anglo managers are those from the majority demographic. The terms Hispanic and Latino are used interchangeably, as are the terms white and Anglo, and Black and African American.

  2. The standardized mandated exam in Texas primary and secondary schools from 2000 to 2002 was the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) replaced this exam in 2003 (www.tea.state.tx.us).

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Correspondence to Angel Luis Molina Jr.

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Molina, A.L. A Manager is a Manager is a Manager? Race and Managerial Impact on Organizational Performance. Public Organiz Rev 16, 39–53 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-014-0292-9

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