Influence of contingency factors on the socioeconomic performance of local governments

Abstract

This research aims to identify which elements characterize the contingency factors in the public sector and how these elements influence municipal socioeconomic performance. The main hypotheses tested in this study analyze whether the contingency factors environment (external context), technology (processes), structure (investments), and size (population and revenues) influence the socioeconomic performance of local governments. We conducted documentary research with the 399 municipalities of Paraná, totaling 1,995 observations for the period from 2013 to 2017, which corresponds to a complete budget cycle. For data analysis, multiple linear regression with panel data was applied. The results reveal that the contingent factors environment and size positively affect the socioeconomic results, while technology has a negative influence and structure did not present significant results. Based on these results, we conclude that external factors, those not controllable by the managers, best explain the socioeconomic performance of the investigated local governments. Thus, managers need to implement public policies capable of impacting their environment and work towards achieving a population size able to improve socioeconomic performance and meets the population’s objectives. As for theoretical implications, this study contributes to the literature by adding elements that characterize contingencies in the public sector, at the municipal level, to the flow of research based on contingency theory, such as social observatory, degree of dependence, budget planning, capacities of the public agency to maintain current expenses, personnel, and investment structure and size, when considering the municipality’s revenue.