Representative Bureaucracy: The Theoretical Implications of Statistical Interaction

Abstract

This research extends our knowledge of the relationship between passive representative bureaucracy and active representative bureaucracy (Mosher 1968). We utilize data from the United States Equal Employment Opportu nity Commission (EEOC) to posit and test a theory of situational thresholds. Our theory is premised on the argument that Meier's (1993b) construct, criti cal mass, constitutes a particular example of a more general concept, situ ational threshold (Campbell 1963). We present evidence that three situational thresholds exist in the EEOC bureaucratic environment which determine the nature of the relationship between passive representativeness and active rep resentation : when a critical mass is reached; when a group constitutes a plu rality ; and when a group constitutes a majority In toto, these three situational thresholds delineate four distinct social environments in which active repre sentation transpires. Our findings strongly suggest that the relationship be tween passive representation and active representation is fundamentally different for each type of bureaucratic environment.