How to Face Financial Reality: An Interdisciplinary Network Model of Local Governance Actors

27 Pages Posted: 10 Oct 2014 Last revised: 24 May 2018

See all articles by Ken Smith

Ken Smith

School Accountability Group

John Kurpierz

York University - Schulich School of Business

Ottalee Schiffel

Valparaiso University

Date Written: October 8, 2014

Abstract

Managing financial resources and financial obligations are essential to the implementation of good governance. In particular, the constituents and leaders in smaller local governments and not-for profit entities confront a host of challenges in understanding and communicating about their financial situation. Using insights from five disciplines (Governmental Accounting, Political Science, Network Sociology, Cognitive Psychology and Data Visualization), this paper develops a systematic approach to categorizing the main and supporting actors and how they perceive and communicate financial reality among themselves. The main actors are the Leaders, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the Constituents; the supporting actors are the Media, the Auditors and Outside Experts/Powers (OEP). The model is beneficial for both researchers and practitioners: researchers can more efficiently and rigorously conduct case studies regardless of sample size while practitioners can quickly and exhaustively map and respond to gaps in their overall governance systems. The model can be expressed mathematically in a series of equations or visually using a “triforce” network map. The paper concludes with example cases across different jurisdictional scopes (e.g. school district, city, special district, nonprofit, etc).

Keywords: Financial Governance, Financial Reality, Government Accounting

Suggested Citation

Smith, Kenneth A. and Kurpierz, John and Schiffel, Ottalee, How to Face Financial Reality: An Interdisciplinary Network Model of Local Governance Actors (October 8, 2014). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2507462 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2507462

Kenneth A. Smith (Contact Author)

School Accountability Group ( email )

5819 Sorrento St
Salem, OR 97306
United States
503-428-0994 (Phone)

John Kurpierz

York University - Schulich School of Business ( email )

4700 Keele Street
Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3
Canada

Ottalee Schiffel

Valparaiso University ( email )

Valparaiso, IN 46383
United States
219-464-6788 (Phone)
219-464-5789 (Fax)

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