draft – not for citation preparing the next generation of public servants legacy of the...
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DRAFT – NOT FOR CITATION
Preparing the Next Generation of Public Servants
Legacy of the Scholar-Practitioner
4th Annual CAPPA ConferencePublic Management in Theory and Practice
Glendon College, York UniversityToronto, Ontario: 25-26 May 2015
Michael O’Neill, University of OttawaJohn Wilkins, York University
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Acknowledgements
Dr. Michael A. O’Neill wishes to acknowledge the financial support of the University of Ottawa’s Academic and Professional Development Fund.
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Purpose
To examine an academic group in the field of public administration made up of individuals who are employed by (or recently retired from) the public sector:
• Scholars (full or part-time) who came to academia following a public service career
• Part-time Instructors under various titles• Research Fellows / Executives in Residence
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Ken Kernaghan’s Postulates
Factors motivating practitioner scholarly activities:• Personal interest, motivation, sense of accomplishment• Remaining current with the field (scholarly thinking)• Contribution to mentoring new/future public servants• Testing ideas before real-life application• Personal vanity• Self-interest
Factors discouraging practitioner scholarly activities:• Lack of external encouragement• Obstacles imposed by principal employment (e.g., conflict
of interest, political neutrality, etc.)
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Methodology
This research relies upon three sources of information:
• On-line survey of demographic/qualitative data
• Interviews with self-selected survey respondents to deepen qualitative assessment (in process)
• Analysis in light of the literature
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Meet Sally …
• 78% employed in public sector
• 94% teach at university– 60% undergraduate
• 52% PhD– 38% Political Science– 24% Public Administration
• 81% teach Public Administration
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Meet Rolf …
• 67% engaged in active research
• 73% published• 84% active in peer
circles But …• 79% receive no
support
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Motivations
Twin motivations revealed:• Remaining current with the field is the main
factor cited for both teaching and research• Contribution to training future public
servants is a significant factor for teaching
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Please indicate your primary motivations for engaging in teaching activities.
Very im
portant
Importa
nt
Somewhat im
portant
Not importa
nt
Don't know
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Remaining current with the field
Professional advancement
Seek academic employment
Contribution to training of future public sector em-ployees
Financial reward
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Please indicate your primary motivations for engaging in research activities.
Very im
portant
Importa
nt
Somewhat im
portant
Not importa
nt
Don't know
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Remaining current with the field
Professional advancement
Seek academic employment
Contribution to training of future public sector employees
Financial reward
Other
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Kernaghan Revisited
Which postulates bear out?• Personal interest, motivation, sense of
accomplishment• Remaining current with the field (scholarly
thinking)• Contribution to mentoring new/future public
servants
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Implications
For academic institutions:• Free-loading• Recognition of informally-tapped resources• Existing pool of self-motivated, experienced, well-
trained, current individuals at the periphery of the academic profession
For governments:• Official recognition?• Benefits:
Stream tapping Recruitment and on-boarding
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Next Steps
• Complete the interviews and/or focus groups
• Draft a research note• Appreciate to what extent Public
Administration programs are enriched• Focus the next phase of research on
‘demotivators’• Prepare and publish an article
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Bibliography
Clark, Ian D. and Les A. Pal (2011): Academic Respectability Meets Professional Utility: Canadian MPA/MPP Programs and Professional Competencies, Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration.
Kernaghan, Kenneth (2012): The legacy of the scholar-practitioner, Canadian Government Executive, May, p. 7.
Kernaghan, Kenneth (2009): Speaking truth to academics: The wisdom of the practitioners, Canadian Public Administration, 52 (4), pp. 503–523.
Kernaghan, Kenneth (1976): Politics, policy and public servants: Political neutrality revisited, Canadian Public Administration, 19 (3) Fall, pp. 432–456.
Reichard, Christof (1998): Educating and Training New Public Management in L. R. Jones and K. Schedler (Eds.), International Perspectives on the New Public Management.
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