Toward a formal concept of boundary: Testing emerging theory against two public administration case

This dissertation explores boundary as a formal concept, and especially how it could link public administration theory and practice. The need to craft boundary as a concept is rooted in conceptual dissatisfaction with two experiences in which the author was a principal actor, each seeking to develop a boundary role through a boundary spanning mechanism: (1) a National Academy of Public Administration study of congressional oversight, Beyond Distrust:Building Bridges Between Congress and the Executive, and (2) a bipartisan, bicameral, in-service leadership development effort--the John C. Stennis Congressional Staff Fellows program of the Stennis Center for Public Service.;The dissertation develops a grounded formal (as opposed to substantive) concept of boundary. Library materials from physical and social sciences and the professions were analyzed for use of the concept "boundary." Literature in administrative theory and behavior was analyzed in greater depth. The resulting boundary categories and relationships are then tested against the two case studies where boundary emerged as an undeveloped concept.;The main finding is that boundary is an important concept in many disciplines. It is well developed in the physical sciences and in the social and behavioral sciences, including business administration, but it is less well developed in public administration. For purposes of an interdisciplinary study of boundary, there are essentially two basic concepts: boundary foundations and boundary dynamics (which includes boundary spanning).;A synthetic understanding of boundary spanning organizational behavior is proposed for organizational boundary systems. The conclusion is that boundary is a fruitful unit of analysis and action to get at some of the central problems of designing interlocking roles and mechanisms for public administration in the case studies. Recommendations to develop greater sophistication with respect to boundary are offered.