| The research question asks whether association exists between public administrator perceptions of judicial interest and the structuring of administrative discretion. Decision structures are defined as mechanisms that limit administrative prerogative, and include laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. A review of the literature found little empirical research testing the association between perception of judicial interest and control of administrative discretion. Reviewed literature separately discusses development of administrative mechanisms of control and influence of the court on public administration. A survey is administered to sample members of the American Society for Public Administration, Region VIII (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, and Utah). A role profiling inventory is concurrently administered to evaluate differences among various roles of public administrators. Data are analyzed using a measure of association among variables, and results show significant correlations at the p ≤ .05, p ≤ .02, and p ≤ .01 levels among (a) all respondents; (b) policy role administrators; (c) implementation role administrators; and (d) operations role administrators, answering the research question about association between the variables. Conclusions affirm that association exists between judicial interest and role in structuring discretion. Recommendations are made for further research and for increased training among public administrators regarding the development of discretion control mechanisms. |
