Exploring the Determinants that Shape Performance Perceptions of Chief of Staff Managerial Influence in the White House

Abstract

The notion that public managers influence organizational performance is common in public administration research. However, most works have relied mainly on qualitative case studies of particular managers and organizations. By comparison, relatively few studies have empirically examined why managers are influential, and no work we know of has quantitatively examined the determinants of managerial influence in the White House. Utilizing original survey data collected from former White House officials that served in the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton administrations, we apply empirical public management theory to explore for the first time the key determinants that shape perceptions of chief of staff managerial influence. Our large N study provides a new contribution to the literature on public management and serves as a catalyst for further research on managerial influence in political institutions.

Keywords: president; chief of staff; managerial influence; public management