This article dwells on the significance of cross-national policy learning on the practice and performance of local government management in the US. The authors take cognizance of the fact that any professionally run entity, whether in public or private sector, must be observant to the trends and development patterns going on in other regions since the world has become increasingly hyper-connected.
The article posits that managers stumble upon the impacts of globalization every day, and it is up to them to identify strategies through which they can learn from the experiences of globalization and take advantage of the global forces (Hambleton & Gross, 2008, p. 12).
As it is the case in other government agencies, the dynamics of globalization brings formidable new challenges to emerging and established local governments across the world. The authors also take note of the fact that globalization has the capacity to open new opportunities for managers in local government. According to the article, communities must be innovative and be ready to learn from other communities if they are to reap the full benefits of globalization.
According to Hambleton & Gross (2008, p. 12), the study of cross-national experiences is essential to counter some of the forces of globalization widely believed to threaten the local democracy of local government institutions.
For example, the decision to close a company operating within a certain local authority may be made from foreign countries with little or no regard to the local population or local consequences. It is also befitting for localities to study cross-national experiences since many decisions affecting their day-to-day operations are often made at a supranational level by international organizations such as IMF, World Bank and EU.
As a result of the tightly-knit worldwide economy occasioned by globalization, decisions made from distant countries have the capacity to either positively or negatively influence the lives of local population. Positive influences to the local population comes in the form of emerging opportunities and diversity, while negative influences arises in the form of feelings of disempowerment, disillusionment, isolation and inability to plan for the future.
The article gives some insight on how globalization can enhance local democracy in the management of local authorities in the US. First, international experiences brought by the forces of globalization often acts as a priceless source of realistic and useful concepts and ideas.
Second, cross-national experiences allow local authorities to enhance their intercultural information and understanding in a world where individuals are increasingly migrating across national frontiers. Accordingly, “ethnic diversity is stimulating economic and cultural vibrancy” (Hambleton & Gross, 2008, p. 13). Third, the study of cross-national experiences facilitates the capacity of local authorities to anticipate and plan for future events.
In dealing with the effects of globalization, leaders and managers in local authorities are cautioned not to engage in a search for international best practices. Managers should actively draw on the lessons and experiences learnt from other countries instead of engaging in blatant copying. According to the authors, successful policy transfer arising from the cross-national studies must always involve adaptation to the already existing local circumstances rather than outright replication.
In the quest to benefit from the opportunities arising from globalization, managers and leaders of the authorities must ensure that their cities remain attractive to the immigrant populations in terms of work standards and employment opportunities. The managers should utilize divergence tactics rather than convergence strategies to ensure they reap the maximum benefits of globalization.
Hambleton & Gross (2008, p. 15) argues that it is wrong to believe that managers must only focus on the process of offering first-class services to residents while allowing elected leaders to prevail over democratic engagements. On the contrary, innovative communities must mix managerial and political innovation using techniques that will not only boost civic pride but also enhance community participation.
Reference List
Hambleton, R., & Gross, J.S. (2008). Local management in a global era. Public Management, Vol. 90, Issue 11, pp. 12-16. Web.