Through the prism of cognition: exploration of local political leaders’ behaviour during incented voluntary municipal amalgamation

Revisiting the scope and suggesting novel domains of institutional theory in the public administration research

“…How actors change institutions is a sort of question that is incompatible with a key institutional claim that actors perceive institutions as an objective and fact-like reality that are beyond any judgment and contest (producing the unsolvable "paradox of embedded agency"). Asking about strategic and entrepreneurial efforts of actors can be more productively addressed by different theories and theoretical approaches, such as strategic management or cognitive theories (Vakulenko et al, 2022). As has been suggested above, it is more fruitful to ask about institutional effects that arise and manifest themselves when organizations attempt to change and how institutional forces shape reform attempts and outcomes.…”

Exploring the antecedents of local governments' sustainability disclosure: The role of the mayor

“…It oversees local management, politics, and governance (Balaguer‐Coll & Ivanova‐Toneva, 2021) and, ultimately, is the subject that determines communication policy decisions (Lameiras et al, 2018). According to scholars (Balaguer‐Coll & Ivanova‐Toneva, 2021; Bochel & Bochel, 2010; Vakulenko et al, 2023), the role of the mayor as a political leader is a critical component of the local modernisation agenda since its political and strategic orientation is likely to affect the success and proper functioning of a local administration. Considering these circumstances, it is logical to presume that the mayor's profile constitutes a factor capable of affecting the LGs' strategies and administrative style, as well as the degrees of transparency that allow the LGs to be responsive to the information demands of citizens and other stakeholders (Guillamón et al, 2011; Tavares & da Cruz, 2020).…”