Multiple Voices of Modernization: Some Methodological Implications

This paper systematically examines intra-organizational consensus of perceptions of managerial reform in local government in the UK. The paper questions the role of 'elite surveys' in public sector evaluation research by exploring the extent to which multiple informants agree on the expected impacts of Best Value. Results from a survey of 978 local government officers in 80 local authorities indicate modest levels of consensus. These findings suggest that single respondent surveys are likely to produce unreliable data and misrepresent the impact of public sector policy reforms. Rather than rely on the perceptions of one respondent it is argued that multiple respondent surveys should be employed if rigorous and reliable data are to be used in providing evidence-based policy recommendations for reform in public sector organizations.