| This study examines the perception of public professionalism among Thai municipal administrators, Illinois city administrators, and Illinois city managers. Public professionalism is defined as the ability to balance political, legal, bureaucratic, and professional accountabilities. There are two fundamental research questions. First, how do the differences in form of municipal government influence the chief administrators' public professionalism? Second, to what extent is public professionalism influenced by the chief administrators' membership in professional associations? Based on the survey and interview data, two models of public professionalism---the abstract and situational models---are developed to distinguish between the chief administrators' abstract perception of public professionalism and their perception when faced with a specific problem.;This researcher finds that in abstract terms, the distinction in form of government only influences Illinois city managers and city administrators' public professionalism. Illinois city administrators exhibited a greater degree of abstract public professionalism than Illinois city managers. Also, municipal chief administrators who do not belong to professional associations had more abstract public professionalism than those who are members.;In the situational model, form of government only contributes to the difference between Thai municipal administrators and Illinois city administrators. Illinois city administrators demonstrated more situational professionalism than their counterparts in Thailand. Also, membership in professional associations, especially in U.S. professional associations, has a positive influence on situational public professionalism.;Further, this researcher identifies two other crucial factors that nurture the chief administrators' public professionalism: informal working relations between elected and appointed officials and managerial skills (e.g., interpersonal communication, awareness of administrative ethics).;This study has policy implications for local government professionalization in Thailand and other developing countries. Professional associations provide practical skills for and inculcate public professionalism and ethics among municipal chief administrators. Also, professional training should emphasize the managerial skills and a healthy working relationship between local politicians and bureaucrats. For scholars, this study provides a systematic analysis of public professionalism and adds more depth to the literature on associational life and public management. |
