In recent years, administrative leadership of local governments has responded to the pressures generated by financial strain, control from central government, structural reforms, and demands from citizens, users, and organised interests. As a result, the working conditions for municipal CEOs are changing. This book is about the bonds between individual CEOs and their organisation in Western local governments. By bonds we mean not only formal contracts, but also norms and values. Survey data, interviews and field studies are used to answer questions which are equally relevant to scholars and practitioners, such as: What impact do structural reforms have on the job as administrative leader in local government? What are the value orientations and educational backgrounds of the people applying for the job today? How are the required qualifications of municipal CEOs defined? What impact do pressures on local government have on CEOs? Which factors shape the daily life of a municipal CEO? And finally, why do CEOs in some settings have long tenures, while others run the daily risk of being fired?
An international team of 13 researchers carry out comparative analyses covering: Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden United Kingdom.