On the determinants of external networking of European mayors

The subsequent Bachelor Thesis will focus on the external networking of mayors from 17 European countries and the determinants thereof. For this purpose, the following research question will be deployed: To what extent do the leadership-style and other factors (constitutional setting, personal capabilities, municipal size) explain differences in the degree to which mayors in 17 European countries in 2003/4 engage in external networking? A cross-sectional correlational research design using quantitative data of the European Mayors Project (hereafter EMP) conducted in 2003/04 will be applied in order to answer the research question. Even though a considerable number of scientists has dealt with the consequences of managerial networking in public organizations, only few researchers have focused on the determinants thereof (Andrews, Boyne, Meier, O’Toole & Walker, 2011). As increased external mayoral networking, in turn, might increase the ability of a municipality to cope with contemporary urban challenges, this research might also entail a huge societal impact. Therefore, by making a contribution for closing the theoretical deficit, this research will also reveal whether the determinants of external networking are amenable to influence (e.g. by the mayor him/herself).