Jung, J. (2024). Career Paths and Professionalism: Examining ICMA Credentials among City Managers. The American Review of Public Administration, 0(0).

Abstract

The emphasis on professionalism in public administration has highlighted the importance of city managers and their role in managing cities effectively. While there are various avenues for city managers to improve their professionalism, such as a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree, there has been limited research on other organizations that facilitate professionalism. This paper focuses on the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) credentialing program. ICMA is a nationally recognized organization that helps dictate professional norms among city managers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the motivations of city managers who pursue additional credentials and to identify the types of city managers who are more likely to attain professional certification. I argue that the ambition of city managers, as measured through their career path, is related to their pursuit of professionalism. Specifically, city managers with diagonal career paths are more likely to attain additional professional certification because it signals their promising ability to future employers, namely city councils. To test this hypothesis, this paper uses two datasets. The first examines the career paths of city managers in California, Florida, and North Carolina from 2012 to 2023. The second looks at the results of job searches drawn from the ICMA job board between the results indicate that city managers on a diagonal career path are more likely to hold ICMA credentials compared to those who are on a ladder career path. 

Presentation: University of Missouri - Columbia, UAA 2023

Switzer, D., & Jung, J. (2023). Contextual responsiveness in U.S. local government climate policy. Review of Policy Research, 40(6), 920-949.

Abstract

Local governments have led the way on climate action in the United States. While the federal government has largely stood to the side, local governments have made great efforts to adopt policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A large and robust literature in urban politics has explored the variables that influence local government action on climate change in the United States. Issue severity and resident ideological preferences have been identified as two of the most important factors in local climate action. Governments that are more likely to face major impacts from climate, such as coastal communities, and governments serving more liberal residents have both been found to pursue climate policy at higher rates. In this paper we suggest that these relationships are better understood as conditional. We argue that the effect of issue severity will be moderated by ideology. When residents are liberal, issue severity will matter. When residents are conservative, the impact will be muted. We find strong evidence for this hypothesis. Coastal governments and governments that have experienced drought adopt more climate policies, but this is conditional on the ideology of residents. 

Examining Local Government Preferences for Professional Administrators: An Analysis of ICMA Job Advertisements, 2024. (Under Review at Public Administration Review)

Abstract

With increasing importance and interest in professional local government management, efforts, and research have focused on improving professionalism in urban management. This emphasis on professionalism for chief-appointed administrators has led to the emergence of certifications aimed at enhancing the professionalism of them. This paper investigates the preferences of local governments regarding the ICMA credentialing program. The primary objective of this paper is to examine which characteristics of local governments are associated with a stronger preference for professional administrators. In line with the expectations of professional administrators, this study tests whether local governments facing financial difficulties or possessing demographic characteristics that could give rise to complex community issues and population dynamics are more inclined towards preferring professional administrators. By utilizing job advertisements published by ICMA, this paper measures the preference for future hiring of administrators in local governments and tests these hypotheses using financial and demographic data from each local government. As a result, it was discovered that local governments with a higher ratio between debt and revenue, as well as those with a larger population size, tend to express a greater preference for professional administrators.

Presentation: SECOPA 2023

Electoral Influence on Appointed Administrators with Vertical Career Paths: Evidence from Traffic Enforcement in New York City (with Ikhee Cho), 2024.  

Abstract 

This paper examines the strategic behavior of appointed chief administrators within the New York City Police Department (NYPD) under the influence of electoral cycles, building upon Political Budget Cycles (PBCs) and bureaucratic ambition theory. PBCs suggest that elected officials may manipulate fiscal policy to increase re-election chances, which may extend to influencing appointed administrators' behaviors. This study explores how election cycles impact the administrative decisions of the NYPD's Commissioner and Chief of Department, who predominantly follow a vertical career path within the organization. Analyzing traffic enforcement patterns, the paper finds that appointed administrators may reduce unpopular decisions, such as issuing traffic tickets, during election years to align with the mayor's electoral interests. In contrast, tickets issued by automated cameras remain unaffected, demonstrating that discretionary enforcement is subject to electoral influence. These findings highlight the strategic adaptation of appointed administrators to support the re-election of their appointing authority, reflecting a blend of political and administrative motivations in their decision-making processes.

Presentation: SPSA 2021

Impact of Community and Financial Factors on Local Governments' Hiring Preferences for Professional Administrators: Evidence from a Survey of Local Government Officials (with David Switzer), 2024.

Abstract 

This paper examines the demand side of public administration professionalism, focusing on city legislators' preferences for professional administrators. It investigates how legislators' familiarity with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), perceptions of their local government's financial condition, and population size influence their preference for administrators with professional credentials. Furthermore, we examine the interactive effect between financial concerns and ICMA familiarity, revealing a significant preference for ICMA-credentialed administrators in financially strained local governments. We hypothesize that knowledge about ICMA, financial challenges, and larger population sizes drive demand for professional management. Our findings indicate a strong preference for professionally credentialed administrators among legislators familiar with ICMA, and we found the interactive effect between financial concern and familiarity with ICMA. In other words, legislators familiar with ICMA tend to show a stronger preference for ICMA credentialed administrators when their local government faces financial concerns. This paper contributes insights into the dynamics influencing the demand for professional management in local governance, emphasizing the importance of understanding professional associations, financial conditions, and community needs in administrative hiring preferences.

Presentation: MPSA 2024

Public and Private Sector Innovation Synergy on Financial Benefits in Municipality (with Esther Im), 2024.

Abstract 

The innovation of private companies can influence local productivity, implying that private sector innovation can have an innovative impact on the financial productivity of local governments. This study examines how the number of private sector firms and their patents affect the financial performance of the local government where they are headquartered. The findings indicate that while the sheer number of private firms does not significantly affect the financial condition of local governments, the number of patents held by these firms can improve the service solvency of local governments.

Presentation: SECOPA 2024

The Role of Ideology in Women City Managers' Path to The Top (with Robin Saywitz), 2024.

Abstract 

A growing body of research in seeks to explain the severe underrepresentation of women in the city management profession, hovering at less than 20%. To date, public administration scholars have focused on behavioral explanations for women’s continued underrepresentation. While women's and men’s experiences in the leadership pipeline, socialization, and mentorship they receive (or do not receive) undoubtedly play a role, we explore a common explanation for women’s underrepresentation in elected and appointed office from political science and ideology. In line with the expectations from Political Science, we find in the analysis of an original dataset containing all city managers in California, North Carolina, and Florida in 2023 that more liberal communities are more likely to appoint women and non-White city managers than more conservative communities. Our study highlights the importance of including political variables, especially when exploring questions at the intersection of public administration and political science. Practically, our findings show how the common city manager career path of moving from a small to a progressively larger community may be especially challenging for would-be women city managers to access and that women who hope to become city managers may find greater success beginning their careers in more liberal communities and targeting liberal communities when applying for city manager positions.

Instructor of Record, Murray State University, Murray, KY     Fall 2024 - Current

State and Local Politics (POL 230)
Public Sector HR Management (POL 681)
Research Method (POL 660)

Instructor of Record, Asian Affairs Center in the University of Missouri         August 2023 - Spring 2024

U.S. Local Government Management

Teaching Assistant, University of Missouri           Spring 2022

Capstone (Instructor: Dr. Angie Hull)

• Supervised capstone projects of graduate students

• Assisted the instructor in providing feedback for capstone projects

Teaching Assistant, University of Missouri                 Fall 2020

Public Program Evaluation (Instructor: Dr. Brian Kisida)

• Assisted graduate students in learning the concepts of program evaluation

• Graded assignments and provided feedback to the instructor