Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this research was to identify if relationships existed between municipal structures (city manager/council and mayor/council) and voluntary board effectiveness drivers. Effectiveness drivers included training, selection processes, and stability criteria. Theoretical Framework: The theories explored in this research include social capital theory, network theory, and network governance theory. Additional components used to frame this study are the amounts and types of training members received, the representative mix of voluntary board members, how those board members were selected to serve, and the stability of those boards. Methodology: This study utilized frequencies and correlations for analyzing survey data, and the interview data were used to validate the findings from the survey data as well as general demographic data of the region. Findings: Training of board members was not common practice, but the use of orientations with printed material was more common. Still, the majority of boards surveyed received no kind of training, and the training provided was considered inadequate by networked and newcomers, alike. However, city employees, consultants, and board members felt training was inadequate, thereby impacting the board's ability to make effective decisions. In spite of the lack of adequate training, the data suggest board stability was impacted by the frequency of meetings and length of time to fill a board seat. Lack of training has a strong correlation to selection methods, suggesting lack of training could be due to the high number of recruitments. Conclusions: This research found that not much has changed in the way of board usage or those who serve on boards, but tight networks create the effectiveness municipalities require. Lack of training may also suggest the tight networks make training unnecessary, assuming strong knowledge transfer. However, the adequacy of training and types of training do impact the flow of information for boards to make effective decisions.