國立虎尾科技大學 |

A comparative analysis of Illinois park districts and Illinois municipal parks and recreation departments.

紀錄類型:	書目-語言資料,手稿 : Monograph/item
正題名/作者:	A comparative analysis of Illinois park districts and Illinois municipal parks and recreation departments./
作者:	Emanuelson, David Norman.
面頁冊數:	1 online resource (206 pages)
附註:	Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 64-07, Section: A.
Contained By:	Dissertations Abstracts International64-07A.
標題:	Recreation. -
電子資源:	click for full text (PQDT)
ISBN:	9780493836591

A comparative analysis of Illinois park districts and Illinois municipal parks and recreation departments.
Emanuelson, David Norman.

A comparative analysis of Illinois park districts and Illinois municipal parks and recreation departments. - 1 online resource (206 pages)

Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 64-07, Section: A.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Northern Illinois University, 2002.

Includes bibliographical references

This dissertation compares the service levels and efficiency levels of park districts and municipal parks and recreation departments. In this study, three hypotheses are identified. The first, originating from the literature of parks and recreation administration, states that park districts provide higher service levels than municipal parks and recreation departments. The second, also originating from the literature of parks and recreation administration, states that park districts provide higher levels of administrative autonomy than parks and recreation departments, which in turn provide higher levels of services. The third, originating from the literature of public administration, states that parks and recreation departments provide higher levels of efficiency in delivering services than park districts. Illinois was selected for study because it has the largest park district system in the United States, with 305 park districts, and because Illinois park districts receive 38 percent of the national Gold Medal Awards for Excellence. Illinois was also selected because it has one of the largest municipal parks and recreation departments systems in the United States, with 125 agencies, permitting quantitative analysis of service level and efficiency level outcomes between the two structures of government. Service level, autonomy, demographic, and administrator profile data were collected by surveying an equal number of randomly selected park district administrators and randomly selected parks and recreation department administrators. Data was analyzed using comparative means testing, bivariate and multivariate linear regression to test the relationships between service levels, administrative autonomy and efficiency levels, as identified in the literature. In addition, these quantitative techniques were used to test competing hypotheses, identified in other studies, suggesting that staffing and professional training levels are explanations for service and budgetary levels. The aggregate results of this study show that structure of government is an important determinant of total recreation program levels, with park districts providing two more programs on average than parks and recreation departments. This study also demonstrates that agency service area population, rather than structure of government, is the primary determinant of the number of the facilities that an agency operates. This study demonstrates that a strong relationship exists between structure of government and administrative autonomy. But since structure of government is not a determinant of per capita total service levels, no meaningful relationship between autonomy and per capita service levels appears to exist. Testing the relationship between structure of government and efficiency, this study finds that structure of government is not an important determinant of agency efficiency. Considering other potential explanations of agency service levels and efficiency, including the hypotheses that professional training, job satisfaction, length of service on the job or administrator salary are determinants of service levels or efficiency levels, this study finds that only longevity of administrators in their current positions has an impact on agency service levels or efficiency. The implications of these quantitative findings are that neither park districts nor parks and recreation departments are preferable in terms of providing higher levels of services or efficiency. Neither parks and recreation theory that park districts are preferable to park and recreation departments, nor public administration theory that parks and recreation departments are preferable to park districts are affirmed.

Electronic reproduction.
Ann Arbor, Mich. :
ProQuest,
2024

Mode of access: World Wide Web

ISBN: 9780493836591Subjects--Topical Terms:

559433
Recreation.
Subjects--Index Terms:

IllinoisIndex Terms--Genre/Form:

554714
Electronic books.

A comparative analysis of Illinois park districts and Illinois municipal parks and recreation departments.
LDR:05106ntm a22003737 4500 001 1152423
005 20241203090548.5
006 m o d
007 cr mn ---uuuuu
008 250605s2002 xx obm 000 0 eng d
020 $a 9780493836591
035 $a (MiAaPQ)AAI3064626
035 $a AAI3064626
040 $a MiAaPQ $b eng $c MiAaPQ $d NTU
100 1 $a Emanuelson, David Norman. $3 1479411
245 1 2 $a A comparative analysis of Illinois park districts and Illinois municipal parks and recreation departments.
264 0 $c 2002
300 $a 1 online resource (206 pages)
336 $a text $b txt $2 rdacontent
337 $a computer $b c $2 rdamedia
338 $a online resource $b cr $2 rdacarrier
500 $a Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 64-07, Section: A.
500 $a Publisher info.: Dissertation/Thesis.
500 $a Advisor: Esseks, Dixon.
502 $a Thesis (Ph.D.)--Northern Illinois University, 2002.
504 $a Includes bibliographical references
520 $a This dissertation compares the service levels and efficiency levels of park districts and municipal parks and recreation departments. In this study, three hypotheses are identified. The first, originating from the literature of parks and recreation administration, states that park districts provide higher service levels than municipal parks and recreation departments. The second, also originating from the literature of parks and recreation administration, states that park districts provide higher levels of administrative autonomy than parks and recreation departments, which in turn provide higher levels of services. The third, originating from the literature of public administration, states that parks and recreation departments provide higher levels of efficiency in delivering services than park districts. Illinois was selected for study because it has the largest park district system in the United States, with 305 park districts, and because Illinois park districts receive 38 percent of the national Gold Medal Awards for Excellence. Illinois was also selected because it has one of the largest municipal parks and recreation departments systems in the United States, with 125 agencies, permitting quantitative analysis of service level and efficiency level outcomes between the two structures of government. Service level, autonomy, demographic, and administrator profile data were collected by surveying an equal number of randomly selected park district administrators and randomly selected parks and recreation department administrators. Data was analyzed using comparative means testing, bivariate and multivariate linear regression to test the relationships between service levels, administrative autonomy and efficiency levels, as identified in the literature. In addition, these quantitative techniques were used to test competing hypotheses, identified in other studies, suggesting that staffing and professional training levels are explanations for service and budgetary levels. The aggregate results of this study show that structure of government is an important determinant of total recreation program levels, with park districts providing two more programs on average than parks and recreation departments. This study also demonstrates that agency service area population, rather than structure of government, is the primary determinant of the number of the facilities that an agency operates. This study demonstrates that a strong relationship exists between structure of government and administrative autonomy. But since structure of government is not a determinant of per capita total service levels, no meaningful relationship between autonomy and per capita service levels appears to exist. Testing the relationship between structure of government and efficiency, this study finds that structure of government is not an important determinant of agency efficiency. Considering other potential explanations of agency service levels and efficiency, including the hypotheses that professional training, job satisfaction, length of service on the job or administrator salary are determinants of service levels or efficiency levels, this study finds that only longevity of administrators in their current positions has an impact on agency service levels or efficiency. The implications of these quantitative findings are that neither park districts nor parks and recreation departments are preferable in terms of providing higher levels of services or efficiency. Neither parks and recreation theory that park districts are preferable to park and recreation departments, nor public administration theory that parks and recreation departments are preferable to park districts are affirmed.
533 $a Electronic reproduction. $b Ann Arbor, Mich. : $c ProQuest, $d 2024
538 $a Mode of access: World Wide Web
650 4 $a Recreation. $3 559433
650 4 $a Public administration. $3 562473
653 $a Illinois
653 $a Municipal parks and recreation departments
653 $a Park districts
655 7 $a Electronic books. $2 local $3 554714
690 $a 0814
690 $a 0617
710 2 $a ProQuest Information and Learning Co. $3 1178819
710 2 $a Northern Illinois University. $3 1469575
773 0 $t Dissertations Abstracts International $g 64-07A.
856 4 0 $u http://pqdd.sinica.edu.tw/twdaoapp/servlet/advanced?query=3064626 $z click for full text (PQDT)