dc.contributor.author	Northam, Stephen W.
dc.coverage.spatial	Georgia -- United States	en_US
dc.coverage.temporal	August 2011 - August 2012	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2014-01-06T16:30:23Z
dc.date.available	2014-01-06T16:30:23Z
dc.date.issued	2014-01-06
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10428/1357
dc.description.abstract	The following research study was based on the need to offer a better method for assessing and directing public policy implementations. The foundational issue is the inability for governments at any level to implement intended public policy successfully. The intent of this research was to determine significant factors that affect policy implementation regardless of the outcome. Then to isolate these factors that either led to successful or unsuccessful implementation efforts. The policy case study used was the building of a regional University Center by two collaborating Georgia universities, North Georgia College and State University and Gainesville College and State University, the UC400 project. Specifically, the case study analysis focused on the implementation of the technology infrastructure, which was part of the overall physical construction of the new University Center. The UC400 project began in approximately September 2011 and was completed one year later, August 2012. A qualitative grounded-theory analytical method was used in the case study to capture interview and document data. The analysis of the data was done by the use of two models: one known in policy implementation research and the other a new social science model that is rarely used in this type of policy research. The former, contextual interaction theory, analyzes key decision-makers social interaction that occurs during policy implementation. The latter, complex adaptive theory, developed in the biological and physical sciences as a descriptor of the natural world, is used to describe natural behaviors in organized systems. The analysis in this case study uses a combination of both models to identify behavior characteristics found in highly complex implementations. One is a specific analytical assessment model of management behavior, contextual interactive theory. The other is a much broader organizational analytic behavior model used to understand adaptive group behavior in complex environments, complex adaptive systems theory. The former is used as a subset of the latter. The results of this effort confirmed that these models can be used in conjunction to identify significant factors that produce positive or negative behavior patterns in policy implementations.	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................1 Problem Statement ......................................................................................................1 Research Project Description ......................................................................................2 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................6 Nature of the Research Method ..................................................................................9 Definition of Terms ..................................................................................................12 Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................17 Scope and Limitations of the Research Study ..........................................................17 Summary ...................................................................................................................19 Chapter II LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................21 Research Study .........................................................................................................21 Theoretical Premises .................................................................................................22 Policy Implementation Research ..............................................................................23 Review of Management ............................................................................................31 Theories of Management .................................................................................31 Evolving Views of Management .....................................................................36 Implementation Management Style .................................................................38 Complexity-Based Management ......................................................................40 Implementation Methods ..........................................................................................43 Public-Policy Implementation Methods ..........................................................43 Information Systems ........................................................................................48 A Need for a New Metaphor.....................................................................................57 Complex Adaptive System Theory ...........................................................................62 Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................63 Complex Adaptive Systems Theory Concepts ................................................65 Determination of Complexity ...................................................................................72 Characterization of Complexity Level .............................................................73 Definition of Implementation Success or Failure .....................................................77 Impact on Public Administration Organizational Theory.........................................80 Grounded-Theory Research Method ........................................................................81 Instrumentation Measures and Coding ............................................................82 Summary ...................................................................................................................83 Chapter III RESEARCH METHODS ................................................................................84 Overview ...................................................................................................................84 Research Questions ...................................................................................................85 Case Study—University Center GA 400 ..................................................................87 Participant Selection .................................................................................................89 Research Procedures .................................................................................................89 Grounded-theory Analysis ........................................................................................91 Content-Relational Analysis and Grounded-Theory Results ...........................92 Research Limitations/Delimitations/Assumptions ...................................................93 Summary ...................................................................................................................93 Chapter IV ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH RESULTS ......................................................95 Overview ...................................................................................................................95 Review of Research Questions and Data Sources Profile ........................................96 Review of Research Questions. .......................................................................96 Profile of Data Sources. ...................................................................................96 Grounded-Theory Method and Analysis ..................................................................99 Grounded-Theory Research Method................................................................99 Grounded-Theory Analysis. ...........................................................................100 UC400 Information Technology Infrastructure Project Overview .........................101 First Segment, September 2011–December 2011. .........................................102 Second Segment, January 2012–June 2012. ..................................................103 Third Segment, July 2012–August 2012. ......................................................104 Stakeholder and Project Team Evaluation of the Results of the IT Infrastructure Project ..............................................................................................104 Analysis of the Environmental Complexity Level .................................................106 CIT Analysis of Management Behaviors and Application of Method ...................111 CAS Analysis of Actor and Group Behaviors ........................................................119 Initial Conditions and External Influences. ...................................................122 Emergence and Chaos Event. ........................................................................124 Bifurcation Point and Self-Similar Behavior. ................................................128 The Dissipative System and Attractors. .........................................................131 Networks and Relationships. .........................................................................134 Dysfunctional Behavior. ................................................................................135 CAS Summarization of Findings. ..................................................................138 Chapter V DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS .......................................................................142 Significant Research Findings ................................................................................142 Comparison of Research Findings with Existing Research ....................................143 Theoretical Implications of Research Findings ......................................................148 Weak Points in Research Findings .........................................................................151 Research Study Findings Validation and Generalized Limitations ........................152 Findings that Support a Practical Heuristic Management Guide ............................155 Further Research Recommendations ......................................................................158 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................161 APPENDIX A: Evolution of Management Theories .......................................................177 APPENDIX B: UC400 Project Interview Form ..............................................................181 APPENDIX C: Consent to Participate in Research .........................................................184 APPENDIX D: Institutional Research Board Protocol Exemption Report .....................188 APPENDIX E: Letter of Authorization ...........................................................................190	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.subject	Policy Implementation	en_US
dc.subject	Complexity	en_US
dc.subject	Implementation Methods	en_US
dc.subject	Implementation Management	en_US
dc.subject	Complex Adaptive Systems Theory	en_US
dc.subject	Contextual Interaction Theory	en_US
dc.title	The Birth of a University Center at the University of North Georgia: The Use of Complex Adaptive Systems Theory as a Research Model in the Study of a Complex Policy Implementation	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Political Science	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Peterson, James W.
dc.description.committee	Baracskay, Daniel
dc.description.committee	Gibson, David R.
dc.description.degree	D.P.A.	en_US
dc.description.major	Public Administration	en_US