Navigating complex initiatives at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: A teaching case on addressing board disengagement and faltering integrity efforts at the government agency

Abstract

This organizationally based case profiles the bi-state governmental agency, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It chronicles a series of developments that unfolded there during 2017–2019. Its employees questioned the efficacy of recent integrity reform. The dwindling engagement within the agency’s Board was a separate challenge. The engagement crisis and faltering reform hard-pressed Kevin O’Toole—the case protagonist and the Chair of the Board—to plan and implement a series of changes at the agency. This case immerses readers into the circumstances of the administrative situation and teaches students to appreciate the demands of executive decision-making, such as those faced by the PANYNJ’s Chairman. It can be useful for exploring related topics, such as planning, execution, and revision of complex organizational initiatives, management of Board performance, and public agencies as a reflection of their upper echelons and governance actors. Teaching note and suggested discussion questions follow the case narrative.