Introduction
The public management model is a way of organizing the development of a company, which determines the order of formation and the specifics of functioning. Modern structures work effectively through a comprehensive approach to management. Democratic ways of problem-solving and multiple reasonable controls are essential. It is interesting to consider the actions of the International Association of City and County Governments, which is dedicated to supporting the community and acting according to management principles and global leadership.
Noncentralization
Noncentralization at ICMA is relevant because, through the various centers, they support regions with individual plans. The organization is reverent about fairness in local government and therefore promotes different leaders to the top positions. In addition, ICMA provides reports on its work to be tracked, and its impact on the regions can be measured (ICMA, 2022). The company is also committed to social justice so that each entity and the community it manages can thrive (Scuotto et al., 2022). The company regularly brings something new to each department through transformational leadership, which then processes and implements new management practices.
Covenant
Covenant is the term for a company or organization’s commitment to other entities. ICMAs operate under legal regulations and also adhere to their code. In its mission statement, the organization indicates that it develops and promotes programs that produce results in the social well-being of the population. In addition, the company often uses local law to address issues of systemic racism. The company uses active and passive conventions to ensure support for its target groups.
Systems Theory and Environmental Awareness
Systems theory is a comprehensive concept that encompasses questions of nature about the world’s complex systems. It allows the study of any group or object. The main goal is to get a complete picture of the situation and make a collective decision (Thimm, 2022). ICMA considers society a system that certainly includes social, religious, economic, and political components. The company promotes a systems approach in its work because social well-being is impossible without satisfying all needs. The company implements the systemic procedure by establishing contacts with local organizations in the regions and addressing issues through regional community support associations.
In ecological well-being, the company deals with the organization of the urban environment and supports the solar energy program. The SURGE project was created to solve economic competence in the organization of urban space. This project involved all the administrative blocks at the same time: transport, healthcare, management, politics, and economics. ICMA is implementing this project in the Philippines, and it is already evident how much the organization is genuinely guided by its principles. The reporting provided and the leaders’ speeches show that the project is working, which means the systems approach theory is also working.
The SolSmart project is being implemented with the local government to increase solar energy consumption and make it more affordable and straightforward. This project has brought environmental awareness to neighborhoods and solved some unemployment problems among disadvantaged populations. SolSmart is promoted through information portals and conferences: the company explains the need to minimize paper reporting to preserve the environment. ICMA leaders state that the local government organizes social campaigns, engaging county leaders in addressing global climate change issues.
Responsiveness to Political Forces and Constituent Management
Any organization is interested in resolving political disputes and settling them if the conflicts directly affect them or their target group. ICMA maintains political connections through skillful leadership and maintaining its moral status. The organization responds calmly to political conflicts, tries to adopt a neutral point of view, and justifies its actions. The organization’s leader calls for peaceful solutions to the problem and emphasizes managing its resources and performance wisely (van der Voet, 2013). The company provides management development seminars to select candidates for senior positions. The company uses democratic voting during candidate elections and satisfies all employees. It also offers new performance management models, making its status high and vital.
Effective Crisis Management and Statecraft
Undoubtedly, any organization faces crisis moments and tries to solve them with minimal losses. Associations such as ICMA face failures in solving legal issues or social problems of the communities they support. The company applies strategic leadership models to its management. ICMA uses dashboards that contain all relevant information (ICMA, 2022). Based on this, community leaders’ decisions are informed and correct. The dashboards were one of the company’s significant accomplishments in 2019 because they solved interdepartmental communication issues by updating metrics quarterly. In addition, the company notes that employee satisfaction has increased with the implementation of the dashboards, and regional communities have increasingly responded positively to the changes.
The organization’s governance is relatively straightforward, with an ICMA leader and multiple departments that handle everything from finance to coronavirus. The company successfully implements ethical management principles and supports general philosophical issues through a systematic approach (Hassam et al., 2014). It is reasonable to mention that its management principles correlate with biblical motives. The central tenet of the company is to support the near and general well-being and criticize the opponents of change. ICMA uses its resources wisely and works closely with the city government, making it a success compared to other area support associations.
Conclusion
In summary, ICMA is one company that effectively employs a public management model with a systems approach and sound leadership. The company uses the principle of non-centralization to address issues simultaneously and comprehensively across regions. Covenant principles are implemented through active and passive commitments and monitored through reporting. ICMA is engaged in supporting ecological well-being through the SURGE and SolSmart projects. In political conflicts, the association proposes peaceful ways and neutral positions. ICMA manages crises through good governance and adherence to management strategies: dashboards.
References
Hassan, S., Wright, B. E. & Yukl, G. (2014). Does ethical leadership matter in government? Effects on organizational commitment, absenteeism, and willingness to report ethical problems. Public Administration Review,74(3), 333–343. Web.
International City/County Management Association (ICMA). (2022). ICMA, Web.
Scuotto, V., Nespoli, C., Tran, P. & Cappiello, G. (2022). An alternative way to predict knowledge hiding: The lens of transformational leadership. Journal of Business Research, 140, 76-84. Web.
Thimm, H. (2022). Systems theory-based abstractions and decision schemes for corporate environmental compliance management. Sustainable Operations and Computers, 3, 188-202. Web.
van der Voet, J. (2013). The effectiveness and specificity of change management in a public organization: Transformational leadership and a bureaucratic organizational structure. European Management Journal, 32, 373-382. Web.