Title: Public management and community in rethinking and structuring sustainability: a two-city (USA and Ukraine) comparative analysis

Authors: Svitlana Slava, Stephen E. Condrey

Addresses: Uzhhorod National University and Zakarpattya Regional Centre for Socio-Economic and Humanitarian Research, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 3 Ploshcha Narodna, Uzhhorod 88000, Ukraine. ' Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia, 1260 South Lumpkin Street, Athens, GA 30602-3260, USA

Abstract: Despite a significant pool of sustainable development literature that appeared during the last decade, the term remains unclear. This study involved a theoretical analysis of definitions of sustainable development to identify the weights of different components, to assess what meanings are included in the term by different authors and communities, and to understand the role of managerial issues in sustainable development. A principle managerial model of sustainable development is presented in which common purposes and joint management serve to unify economic, environmental, and social components. Using a basic management approach, field investigation of sustainable development processes were conducted in Athens, Georgia, USA and Uzhhorod, Ukraine. Survey results were utilised to develop managerial sustainable development models for each city, to conduct an internal analysis of the components and connections between components in each model, and to compare the respective components for each city. The comparative results of the study are both theoretically and practically useful in the development of relevant policy approaches.

Keywords: sustainable development; definitions; components; stakeholders; values; perceptions; activities; planning; indicators; managerial models; USA; United States; Ukraine; sustainability; public management; community.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSD.2010.037557

International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2010 Vol.13 No.3, pp.243 - 266

Published online: 16 Dec 2010 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article