The end result of any service provision program is critically dependent on the preferences
of the managers of service provision agencies. The theoretical concept of managerial
utility provides a potentially useful device for examining the impact of managerial
preferences on service provision, but the value of this approach in practice is limited by a
paucity of information on the actual nature of managerial preferences. This article
presents results from a recent study that provide an empirical basis for constructing a
model of agency managerial behavior. These results apply specifically to services provided
to the elderly.
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References
1.
Moran, R.A. (1978) "Identifying a 'private' benefit function for certain types of nonprofit organizations." Presented at the 1978 Annual Meeting of the Southern Economic Association, Washington, DC.
2.
——— (1977) "The importance of economic criteria to agency administrators." Evaluation Q.1 (February): 173-182.
3.
——— and L.K. Olson (1981) "Agency manager preferences and their effects on service provision." Final report for Administration on Aging, (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Grant no. 90-AR-2071/01. Bethlehem, PA: Lehigh University.
