Articles by Claire Knox
Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses (2/2 teaching load); chairin... more Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses (2/2 teaching load); chairing/serving on dissertation and thesis committees; maintaining an active research agenda and scholarly publications; securing external funding; and practicing in professional, university, college, school, and programmatic related service. Joint Appointment University of Central Florida (2017-present) National Center for Integrated Coastal Research Orlando, FL 32816 Co-created the Sustainable Coastal Systems Cluster. Search committee for five interdisciplinary tenure-track positions. Assisted in transitioning cluster into a national center. Mentor junior faculty members. Ph.D. Development Committee member.
The Advocacy Coalition Framework, while aptly explains change in the public policy process, fails... more The Advocacy Coalition Framework, while aptly explains change in the public policy process, fails to answer the Lasswellian question about the benefits and losses of policy change. The Social Construction Framework answers this question, but neglects to comprehensively conceptualize subsystems and institutions in the policy process. This micro-level case study applies these frameworks to analyze the passage of the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program Bill. Results of this study suggest an incremental shift from previous legislation, but a radical shift comes with the inclusion of “Northern Everglades.” Together, the frameworks capture this radical, non-incremental policy change with major implications for the (1) geographic boundary and political scope of future Everglades and water policies in Florida, and (2) implementation and policy outcomes of this new legislation. The article concludes with limitations and recommendations for future research.
The use of performance measurement systems in the nonprofit sector has gained momentum in the las... more The use of performance measurement systems in the nonprofit sector has gained momentum in the last decade. Performance measurement has been advocated as a managerial and leadership tool in nonprofits. However, little is known about critical questions in implementation, particularly in small and midsized nonprofits: How do leaders use performance measurement? What strategies are being adopted in implementation? How effective are these strategies? By performing action research on nine nonprofit organizations, we apply a capacity-building framework to examine performance measurement implementations. This study offers a detailed description, in some cases using nonprofit leaders’ own words, on how performance measurement is implemented in small to midsized nonprofits who serve underprivileged populations. The results can be used to develop effective leadership strategies and future research in nonprofit performance measurement implementation.
Government and nonprofit organizations, including private foundations, play important roles in en... more Government and nonprofit organizations, including private foundations, play important roles in ensuring that the basic needs of individual citizens and the collective needs of
communities are addressed. This research extends the literature on private foundations in rural counties by examining Florida's rural private foundations using data from the U.S. Census, the Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable
Statistics, and interviews with foundation leaders to examine foundation operations and grant expenditure patterns. The study found rural foundation grantmaking is split between out of state giving and in state giving, determined by benefactor intent the or the personal choices of the foundation founder and their families. This finding presents opportunities for nonprofit organizations and community groups located in rural
counties to communicate their community's needs broadly with the goal of retaining a larger amount of foundation dollars in the foundation's home state and county.
Public Administration Review
In light of recent disasters, it is evident that more research is needed to understand how organi... more In light of recent disasters, it is evident that more research is needed to understand how organizations can effectively coordinate disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. This research assesses the effectiveness of interorganizational coordination and collaboration in response to the Boston Marathon bombings. After reviewing the major changes in federal emergency management policies and frameworks since September 11, 2001, this article applies a social network analysis to compare the disaster response networks embodied in formal disaster preparedness plans with the actual response networks. Data come from content analyses of the Boston Emergency Operations Plan, national and local newspaper articles, after-action reports, and situation reports. The timely response to the bombings is attributable to long-term institutionalized planning efforts; multiple platforms established for frequent interorganizational interactions through formal plans, training, and exercises prior to disasters; and an integrated communication system.
Journal of Emergency Management, 2013
Administration & Society
Previous research incorporates Habermas’ theory of communicative action with implications of soci... more Previous research incorporates Habermas’ theory of communicative action with implications of social media for public discourse, yet few studies consider the theory’s relevance and applicability to public administrators. This article addresses this weak link by focusing on the administration legitimacy dilemma. While social media can be useful to public administrators facilitating collaborative interactions with citizens, these platforms are not automatically suited to public participation in governance. Habermas’ theory offers a framework for understanding these possibilities and challenges, as well as adapting social media constructively to administrative practice.
Journal of Public Affairs Education, Jul 2013
Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 2013
As an alternative paradigm to the study of longitudinal policy development and change, Habermas' ... more As an alternative paradigm to the study of longitudinal policy development and change, Habermas' critical theory is applied to Florida Everglades restoration Policies. In Habermas' conception of advanced capitalism, government officials are caught in a conflicting imperative: policy-makers are expected to serve the interests of their nation as a whole, but they must prop up an economic system that benefits the wealthy at the expense of most workers and the environment. To prevent the public from questioning the legitimacy of these actions, public officials and administrators use narratives. The objective of this qualitative case study is to apply Habermas' critical theory to an established and internationally renowned restoration programme to understand the macro-level systematic contradictions found in restoration policies and programmes. Results from archival and secondary data, as well as interview analysis, support that the current narrative ‘Everglades Restoration’ is strong, socially constructed, ambiguous, and continues to thrive, despite a motivation crisis in the early 1990s. The article concludes with practical implications for public administrators managing restoration programmes that rely on a narrative for political and public support.
Journal of Public Affairs Education, 2013
Emergency management academic programs continue to strive toward linking students' theoretical an... more Emergency management academic programs continue to strive toward linking students' theoretical and practical knowledge before they enter the evolving and challenging field of emergency management. This article recommends including service-learning pedagogy in the development of emergency management programs and curriculum to help meet this educational challenge. Results from a national survey of emergency management and homeland security academic programs indicate that many programs are incorporating service-learning projects in some courses. This article concludes by discussing the benefits and challenges associated with using service learning in emergency management programs and by presenting advice for program directors and faculty considering implementing this pedagogy.
The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members. iii I dedicate t... more The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members. iii I dedicate this to: Michael Knox -my husband, my best friend, my rock Charles and Adele Connolly -for always believing in me and pushing me to follow my dreams The memory of my grandmothers, Mildred and Paolita -for instilling an environmental ethic in me at an early age Future Generations -what I do for the environment is not for my generation alone, but for all those to come iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My greatest appreciation goes to Dr. Lance deHaven-Smith, my major professor and mentor. Thank you for introducing me to many different alternative policy paradigms and for encouraging me to dig deeper and think outside the box. You understood that I saw the world a bit differently then others and you helped me develop a research program that enhanced that vision. I will miss our afternoon meetings discussing Foucault, Marx, and Habermas, as well as environmental political thought. Further appreciation goes to Dr. Ralph Brower, Dr. William Earl Klay, and Dr. Robert Jackson, my committee members. I am grateful for their guidance and support throughout this entire process. The work of this dissertation would not have been possible without the voluntary participation of my 22 interviewees or the expertise of Drs. Joseph Knetsch and Sara Warner. Their perspectives and insight are extremely valuable. I look forward to working with them in the future. I am deeply grateful to my family, friends, and colleagues who have supported me throughout my graduate studies. Mike Knox, my husband and best friend, was there when I laughed and cried. He was my rock and I could not have done it without his support. Charles and Adele Connolly, my parents, gave me moral support, words of encouragement, and funding to travel around the state of Florida to conduct my interviews. Thank you for always believing in me and pushing me to pursue my dreams. Mike and Bonnie Knox, my in-laws, were some of my biggest supporters and allowed me to clear my head by walking on their property in the country. Dr. Griff Blakewood taught me as an undergraduate student to realize, and constantly question, my paradigm. My Tallahassee, Miami, and Orlando friends who made sure I balanced my demanding academic life with a social life. Thanks to Brittain Quibodeaux and Susan Spice for editing the dissertation. My Phinished.org friends in the 50's chat room gave me positive support and held
Public Administration Review, Jan 1, 2008
Conference Presentations by Claire Knox
Book Reviews by Claire Knox
Papers by Claire Knox
Risk Analysis, Dec 12, 2020
This study explores disaster recovery communication in the digital era. In particular, this study... more This study explores disaster recovery communication in the digital era. In particular, this study analyzes Twitter communication data corresponding to the 2016 Southern Louisiana flood recovery process and examines patterns and characteristics of long-term recovery communication. Based on network and sentiment analyses of the longitudinal Twitter data, the study identifies the dynamic changes in participants' numbers, dominant voices, and sentiments in social media communication during the long-term recovery process. From the additional content analysis of relevant news articles, in-depth contextual information is provided to support and supplement the findings. Findings show the weaning communication volume during the recovery phase, lacking local voices over the long-term recovery communication process, and prolonging negative sentiments over the recovery period. Based on the findings, the authors provide implications highlighting the need for investing in long-term recovery communication, better utilizing information from social media, and supporting local voices during disaster recovery.
Disasters, Dec 16, 2022
Governments' use of social media during all phases of emergency management, especially during... more Governments' use of social media during all phases of emergency management, especially during disasters, has increased dramatically in the past 20 years. Yet, implementation at the local government level in the United States remains haphazard. As technology and the role of social media evolve, there persists a need to understand the socio‐technical aspects of social media's employment in times of disaster. This study contributes to the growing social media literature by asking the following questions: what challenges remain and what lessons learned are being institutionalised at the local level of government? A qualitative analysis of 26 after action reports on Hurricane Irma (September 2017) by county, state, and federal governments and a four‐hour focus‐group session revealed dominant and subdominant themes, including: push/pull information; capacity and technical issues; inconsistent messaging; one‐way versus two‐way communication; timing of messages; and data collection. The paper concludes by discussing lessons learned, remaining challenges, evidence of organisational learning, and recommendations for future research.
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Articles by Claire Knox
communities are addressed. This research extends the literature on private foundations in rural counties by examining Florida's rural private foundations using data from the U.S. Census, the Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable
Statistics, and interviews with foundation leaders to examine foundation operations and grant expenditure patterns. The study found rural foundation grantmaking is split between out of state giving and in state giving, determined by benefactor intent the or the personal choices of the foundation founder and their families. This finding presents opportunities for nonprofit organizations and community groups located in rural
counties to communicate their community's needs broadly with the goal of retaining a larger amount of foundation dollars in the foundation's home state and county.
Conference Presentations by Claire Knox
Book Reviews by Claire Knox
Papers by Claire Knox
communities are addressed. This research extends the literature on private foundations in rural counties by examining Florida's rural private foundations using data from the U.S. Census, the Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable
Statistics, and interviews with foundation leaders to examine foundation operations and grant expenditure patterns. The study found rural foundation grantmaking is split between out of state giving and in state giving, determined by benefactor intent the or the personal choices of the foundation founder and their families. This finding presents opportunities for nonprofit organizations and community groups located in rural
counties to communicate their community's needs broadly with the goal of retaining a larger amount of foundation dollars in the foundation's home state and county.