Turnover research has traditionally examined intention to turnover rather than actual turnover. Such studies assume that leave intent serves equally well as both a proxy for and predictor of employees’ actual turnover behavior. The purpose of this study is to provide an agency-level evaluation of the usefulness of turnover intention as a reliable proxy and predictor of actual turnover across 180 U.S. federal agencies, using hierarchical (stepwise) multiple regression. Our findings suggest that, at the organizational level, turnover intention and actual turnover are distinct concepts, predicted by different sets of variables. Based on these findings, we conclude that public managers tasked with retention might have better foresight concentrating on their agencies’ unique demographic characteristics and specific management practices, rather than on their employees’ self-reported aggregated turnover intention rate.

Public management scholars have long speculated on the importance of interagency collaboration among public agencies in the delivery of public services. This study examines barriers to public interagency collaboration in the area of public safety. Interjurisdictional collaboration among law enforcement agencies at all levels has become emblematic of "new governance" models for enhanced public safety delivery. However, such collaborative efforts encounter many challenges. The purpose of this research is to examine the ways in which cultural fragmentation among law enforcement officials constrain interagency collaboration. This study collected information from 45 law enforcement officers and command personnel from 18 different local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in a large metropolitan area in Texas. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and focus groups. Analysis of the data revealed three potential dimensions of cultural fragmentation that impede collaborative efforts between agencies and departments: the agency-type dimension, the rank-segment dimension, and the leadership style dimension. Implications for practice and future research are discussed as well.

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Recent controversial interactions of police with the public have become an issue of important concern for public and governmental leaders, who have openly questioned current models of police training and their effectiveness. This study is asking whether basic police academies utilize curricula that reflect the contemporary challenges of modern policing today and prepare recruits to become not only police officers but also competent and skilled, street-level bureaucrats who can provide an effective and impartial service to their increasingly diverse communities. The aim of this study is to quantify, analyze, and compare the content dedicated to the public administration domain in state-mandated basic training curricula across all 50 states. The study utilizes a mixed-methods research design with content analysis. Data were generated from 49 basic training curricula (with one state not having mandated training standards) and 17 interviews with police training officials. The result shows that despite the paradigm shift in the role of the modern-day police officer, police academies have made little to no progress in bridging the gap between the academy curriculum and the practicality of police work. On average, only 3.21% of basic training curricula are explicitly dedicated to public administration training—a training focused on public service values of fundamental importance to the practice of law enforcement. This article gives public administration scholars a voice in the national debate about the crisis in police–public relations by contributing to the literature on police training reform from a much-needed public administration lens.

The police leader's first 100 days present a mix of unique challenges even at the best of times. What kind of challenges do new chiefs face when, during their first 100 days, a global pandemic is declared and nationwide protests and riots against police are sparked in a country under social distancing restrictions? This article discusses the first 100 days' experience of a newly appointed police chief attempting to navigate through this, already overwhelming, transition into his new role. The article identifies five “first 100‐day” domains that confronted police leaders with unprecedented challenges and required unprecedented actions. A re‐evaluation of these five key areas would help police chiefs improve their capabilities and ability to effectively respond to current challenges as well as to unforeseen future events.