A descriptive case study of effective decision-making of a local government organization in the United States of America

Abstract

Purpose

This article details a qualitative descriptive case study of affective factors of effective decision-making of one local government organization in the United States of America. The specific problem was that many elected American local government representatives lack effective decision-making strategies. This research focus indicated a lack of qualitative research on the real-world experience of factors that were taken into consideration during decision-making within American local government organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a local government organization in southwest Illinois, elected representatives were interviewed and observed. The interviews and observations surfaced how the representatives made decisions. Data were analyzed using manual coding and theming to determine themes and patterns.

Findings

The results produced six themes about factors, including emotional intelligence, which impacted decision-making. They are: (1) remembering the past, (2) communication and respect, (3) spurring economic growth and development, (4) fairness, (5) recognizing and removing emotions and bias and (6) accountability.

Research limitations/implications

Being a single case study, this research is limited in generalization. The research was limited to the identification of current, real-world experience of elected local government representatives.

Practical implications

The findings of this research can be used to create more effective decision-making practices for local government organizations of similar size.

Originality/value

This is the first study to review, in-depth, the decision-making and emotional intelligence factors of local government organizations in the United States of America. The conceptual background, discussion, implications to local government organizations, limitations and recommendations for future studies are discussed.

Citation

Capler, J. (2020), "A descriptive case study of effective decision-making of a local government organization in the United States of America", International Journal of Public Leadership, Vol. 16 No. 3, pp. 279-297. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPL-12-2019-0090