Cullen Merritt
Associate ProfessorWhat Makes an Organization Public? Managers’ Perceptions in the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment System
As an organizational theorist who addresses a classic—yet understudied—public administration question, “What makes an organization public?”, I analyze the implications of an organization’s degree of publicness on its management strategy and performance. Additionally, I illuminate the management competencies integral to addressing public service challenges and the strategies that enable organizations to develop these competencies. My research is motivated by the desire to improve governance and empower managers to address public problems through innovative organizational design.