Organizing Highway Maintenance Agencies to Maximize Effectiveness

Abstract

How policy bodies structure an organization is often a case of personal preference, or historic adaptation. While this way of developing an organization may work while that policy body is present, once that policy body changes there is a good chance that the structure they created will no longer be appropriate or even work. If policy boards or commissions could estimate the resulting performance of a particular organizational structure, then they could shape the organization to ensure success. Since the problem of organizational form can be broken down to one of patterns, pattern analysis offers a way to establish the relationships between organizational structure and road and bridge conditions. A study based upon county road agencies in the state of Michigan provides some insight into general organizational effectiveness. Specifically, this work shows that organizations that emphasize professional management, as opposed to technical capabilities, can react better to reduced levels of funding. Furthermore, unionized organizations are more effective when funding levels drop compared with organizations where unionization has not occurred.