Public Managers in Local Government – Demographic Profile and the Financial Potential of Municipalities, Using the Example of the Olsztyn County

Angelika Chorążewicz

Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0486-7939


Abstract

The main objective of the study was to identify the demographic profile of municipality heads and mayors of Olsztyn County at the beginning of the 2024–2029 term of office and to assess the degree of variation in the financial condition of the local government units under their authority in the years 2020–2024. Using a case study strategy based on data from Statistics Poland and budget reports, changes in selected financial indicators were characterised, and the characteristics of the current leaders were exploratorily compared with the values of the indicators for 2024. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis for age did not reveal statistically significant relationships in the analysed sample (n = 12). Comparisons by gender and education were descriptive in nature and do not provide a basis for inferring the absence or existence of relationships in the population. At the same time, persistent differences were observed between municipalities belonging to the Olsztyn Functional Urban Area and the remaining municipalities of the county. Due to the small sample size, the temporal inconsistency between the period covered by the financial data and the term of office of some of the leaders studied, as well as the nominal nature of the data, the results should be treated as preliminary and exploratory, without causal interpretation.


Keywords:

public manager, municipal self-government, public management, local finance, Olsztyn County


Abera Timbula, M., & Marvadi, C. (2024). Leadership styles and employees’ commitment toward the national digital payment strategy: Multilevel mediating role of job satisfaction. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 16(1), 53-63. https://doi.org/10.1080/20421338.2023.2250548.   Google Scholar

Ahmad, A.R., Abdul Rahman, A.G., & Soon, N.K. (2015). The effects of transformational and transactional leadership styles on job satisfaction. Advanced Science Letters, 21(5), 1505-1508. https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2015.6087.   Google Scholar

Andersen, J.A. (2010). Public versus private managers: How public and private managers differ in leadership behavior. Public Administration Review, 70(1), 131-141. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2009.02117.x.   Google Scholar

Andersen, L.B., Jacobsen, C.B., Jensen, U.T., & Salomonsen, H.H. (2021). Public managers’ contribution to public service performance. Managing for Public Service Performance. How people and values make a difference, 85-103. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192893420.003.0005.   Google Scholar

Anttiroiko, A.V. (2009). Strategic knowledge management in public organizations. In D.B.A. Mehdi Khosrow-Pour (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition. Hershey: IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60566-026-4.ch573.   Google Scholar

Barzelay, M. (2005). Origins of the new public management: An international view from public administration/political science. In K. McLaughlin, E. Ferlie, S. Osborne (Eds.). New Public Management. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203996362.   Google Scholar

Bashkin, O., Otok, R., Kapra, O., Czabanowska, K., Barach, P., Baron-Epel, O., … & Mor, Z. (2022). Identifying the gaps between public health training and practice: A workforce competencies comparative analysis. International Journal of Public Health, 67, 1605303. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2022.1605303.   Google Scholar

Behn, R.D. (1997). Branch Rickey as a public manager: Fulfilling the eight responsibilities of public management. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 7(1), 1-33. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024334.   Google Scholar

Berrones, R.U. (2004). El valor institucional de la gestión pública. Revista Venezolana de Gerencia, 9(28), 1-29. https://doi.org/10.31876/revista.v9i28.9802.   Google Scholar

Bertelli, A.M., & Lynn, L.E. (2003). Managerial responsibility. Public Administration Review, 63(3), 259-268. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-6210.00288.   Google Scholar

Bhattacharyya, S., & Jha, S. (2014). Development of a model relating internal organizational variables with customer orientation in the context of the emerging economy of India. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 6(1), 4-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-04-2013-0034.   Google Scholar

BIP. (2026). Retrieved from https://bip.powiat-olsztynski.pl/ (21.04.2026).   Google Scholar

Bissessar, A.M. (2023). New Public Management Reform in the Caribbean. In A. Farazmand (Eds.). Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66252-3_2830.   Google Scholar

Bjørnholt, B., Boye, S., & Mikkelsen, M.F. (2022). Balancing managerialism and autonomy: A panel study of the link between managerial autonomy, performance goals, and organizational performance. Public Performance & Management Review, 45(6), 1258-1286. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2022.2048399.   Google Scholar

Boyne, G.A. (2004). Explaining public service performance: Does management matter? Public Policy and Administration, 19(4), 100-117. https://doi.org/10.1177/095207670401900406.   Google Scholar

Bruno, A. (2018). The “organizing” paradigm in public administration: Learning by focusing on customer orientation. Journal of Workplace Learning, 30(3), 186-198. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-01-2018-0027.   Google Scholar

Cáceres, L.S., Porro, A.B.S., Delgado, H.C., & Vega, S.M.G. (2025). Administración pública: campo especializado de la gerencia. Revista de Información científica para la Dirección en Salud. INFODIR, 44. Retrieved from https://revinfodir.sld.cu/index.php/infodir/article/view/1706 (21.04.2026).   Google Scholar

Creswell, J.W. (2013). Projektowanie badań naukowych: Metody jakościowe, ilościowe i mieszane. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego.   Google Scholar

Demir, T. (2011). Professionalism, responsiveness, and representation: What do they mean for city managers? International Journal of Public Administration, 34(3), 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2010.533066.   Google Scholar

DiIulio Jr, J.D. (1998). Recovering the public management variable: Lessons from schools, prisons, and armies. International Journal of Public Administration, 21(6-8), 1147-1168. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900699808525341.   Google Scholar

Dopson, S., & Stewart, R. (1990). Public and private sector management: The case for a wider debate. Public Money & Management, 10(1), 37-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540969009387585.   Google Scholar

Du, W., Song, Y., Li, Y. (2011). Multiple Perspective of Public Administration Development Strategy of NGOs. In Q. Zhou (Ed.). Advances in Applied Economics, Business and Development. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23020-2_5.   Google Scholar

Farrell, M. (2006). Regional integration, regionalism and public administration: Bridging the global-national divide in decision making and policy implementation. In A. Farazmand & J. Pinkowski (Eds.). Handbook of Globalization, Governance, and Public Administration. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1201/b13629.   Google Scholar

Flyvbjerg, B. (2004). Five misunderstandings about case-study research. Sosiologisk tidsskrift, 12(2), 117-142. https://doi.org/10.18261/ISSN1504-2928-2004-02-02.   Google Scholar

Giedraitytė, V., & Smaliukienė, R. (2024). An application of creative problem-solving approach in forming public management competencies. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 22(1), 13-24. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.22(1).2024.02.   Google Scholar

GUS. (2024). Finanse Publiczne. Retrieved from https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/bdl/dane/podgrup/temat (21.04.2026).   Google Scholar

GUS. (2026). Retrieved from https://sdg.gov.pl/en/statistics_glob/5-5-1/ (8.08.2026).   Google Scholar

Guy, M.E., & Meier, K.J. (2016). Women and Men of the States: Public Administrators and the State Level. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315486734.   Google Scholar

Haque, M.S. (2013). Rethinking Democratic Governance: Looking Back, Moving Forward. In G. Mudacumura & G. Morçöl (Eds.). Challenges to Democratic Governance in Developing Countries. Public Administration, Governance and Globalization. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03143-9_17.   Google Scholar

Hood, C. (2007). Public management: The word, the movement, the science. In E. Ferlie, L.E. Lynn, & C. Pollitt (Eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Public Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199226443.003.0002.   Google Scholar

Hughes, O. (2017). Public management: 30 years on. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 30(6-7), 547-554. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-06-2017-0174.   Google Scholar

Iddrisu, I., & Mohammed, B. (2025). Exploring the impact of leadership styles on organizational effectiveness: The mediating role of employee motivation and engagement. Public Organization Review, 25(3), 1111-1133. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-025-00845-w.   Google Scholar

Kellough, J.E. (1999). Reinventing public personnel management: Ethical implications for managers and public personnel systems. Public Personnel Management, 28(4), 655-671. https://doi.org/10.1177/009102609902800411.   Google Scholar

Kotze, M., & Venter, I. (2011). Differences in emotional intelligence between effective and ineffective leaders in the public sector: An empirical study. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 77(2), 397-427. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020852311399857.   Google Scholar

Lau, A.W., & Pavett, C.M. (1980). The nature of managerial work: A comparison of public-and private-sector managers. Group & Organization Studies, 5(4), 453-466. https://doi.org/10.1177/105960118000500406.   Google Scholar

Lee, H.J. (2018). How emotional intelligence relates to job satisfaction and burnout in public service jobs. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 84(4), 729-745. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020852316670489.   Google Scholar

Leisink, P., Andersen, L.B., Jacobsen, C.B., Knies, E., Brewer, G.A., & Vandenabeele, W. (2021). Conclusion: Directions for future research and practice. In P. Leisink, L.B. Andersen, G.A. Brewer, C.B. Jacobsen, E. Knies, & W. Vandenabeele (Eds.). Managing for Public Service Performance: How People and Values Make a Difference. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192893420.003.0016.   Google Scholar

Liddle, J. (2017). Public value management and new public governance: Key traits, issues and developments. In E. Ongaro, & S. Van Thiel (Eds.). The Palgrave Handbook of Public Administration and Management in Europe. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55269-3_49.   Google Scholar

Lorusso, S. (2021). Gestione delle aziende pubbliche: dal” principe” al valore pubblico. Economia Pubblica, 3. https://doi.org/10.3280/EP2021-003002.   Google Scholar

Matjie, T. (2018). The relationship between the leadership effectiveness and emotional competence of managers in the public sector. International Journal of Public Administration, 41(15), 1271-1278. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2017.1387140.   Google Scholar

McNutt, J.G., & Ban, C.C. (2023). Preparing public managers to deal with disruptive innovations through citizen partnerships. In S.B. Edwards III, & J.R. Masterson (Eds.). Government Response to Disruptive Innovation: Perspectives and Examinations. Hershey: IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6429-8.ch001.   Google Scholar

Pierre, J., & Painter, M. (2010). Why legality cannot be contracted out: Exploring the limits of new public management. In M. Ramesh, E. Araral Jr., & X. Wu (Eds.). Reasserting the Public in Public Services: New Public Management Reforms. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203858523.   Google Scholar

PKW. (2026). Retrieved from https://pkw.gov.pl/wybory-i-referenda (21.04.2026).   Google Scholar

Plotnikof, M. (2016). Changing market values? Tensions of contradicting public management discourses: A case from the Danish daycare sector. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 29(7), 659-674. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-02-2016-0027.   Google Scholar

Popęda, P., & Hadasik, B. (2024). New Public Governance as a new wave of the public policy: Theoretical approach and conceptualization of the trend. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, 13(1), 18-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEPP-09-2023-0089.   Google Scholar

Przybylska, I. (2016). Emotional intelligence and burnout in the teaching profession. The New Educational Review, 43, 41-52. https://doi.org/10.15804/tner.2016.43.1.03.   Google Scholar

Reis, I., Fedoryshena, A., Farinha, J., Santos, V., & Martinho, F. (2026). Leadership Styles and Their Impact on Motivation and Employee Engagement. In B. Alareeni (Ed.). Technology and Entrepreneurship: Systems Driving Innovation. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-99466-1_36.   Google Scholar

Rennison, B.W. (2007). Historical discourses of public management in Denmark: Past emergence and present challenge. Management & Organizational History, 2(1), 5-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744935907076347.   Google Scholar

Saputra, N., Putera, R.E., Zetra, A., Azwar, Valentina, T.R., & Mulia, R.A. (2024). Capacity building for organizational performance: A systematic review, conceptual framework, and future research directions. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), 2434966. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2434966.   Google Scholar

Song, M., An, S.H., & Meier, K.J. (2021). Quality standards, implementation autonomy, and citizen satisfaction with public services: Cross-national evidence. Public Management Review, 23(6), 906-928. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2020.1730939.   Google Scholar

Uster, A., & Vinarski-Peretz, H. (2026). Factors affecting chief executive officers’ managerial autonomy in municipally owned corporations: A qualitative study. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 92(1), 141-163. https://doi.org/10.1177/00208523251369314.   Google Scholar

Verhoest, K., Verschuere, B., Meyers, F., & Sulle, A. (2010). Performance of public sector organizations: Do managerial tools matter? In P. Lægreid, & K. Verhoest (Eds.). Governance of Public Sector Organizations: Proliferation, Autonomy and Performance. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230290600_11.   Google Scholar

Wynen, J., & Verhoest, K. (2015). Do NPM-type reforms lead to a cultural revolution within public sector organizations? Public Management Review, 17(3), 356-379. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2013.841459.   Google Scholar

Yin, R.K. (2009). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.   Google Scholar

Zahra, A., & Jadoon, M.Z.I. (2016). Autonomy of public agencies in Pakistan: Does structure matter? International Journal of Public Sector Management, 29(6), 565-581. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-02-2015-0019.   Google Scholar

Zapico-Goñi, E. (2017). Adapting Evaluation and Accountability Systems to Public Management Contexts. In M. Dubnick, & H.G. Frederickson (Eds.). Making Accountability Work: Dilemmas for Evaluation and for Audit. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203786666.   Google Scholar

Download


Published
2026-09-24

Cited by

Chorążewicz, A. (2026). Public Managers in Local Government – Demographic Profile and the Financial Potential of Municipalities, Using the Example of the Olsztyn County. Olsztyn Economic Journal, 21(2), 53–70. https://doi.org/10.31648/oej.12783

Angelika Chorążewicz 
Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0486-7939



License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

An Author declares that his paper has not been published before (under the same or another title, or is a part of another publication) and does not infringe copyrights of other persons**. At the same time, the Author transfers to the Publisher the exclusive right to publish and to circulate this work in print in the form of a non-serial journal publication and in a form of an electronic publication.

Author's statement

The journal is available on Creative Common license CC-BY-NC-ND