Public administration management and social services in Czech municipalities: Perceived attitudes of municipal officials with the potential application of the smart city principles

Abstract

Increasing demand for social services connected to the demographic and other changes of the European society presents serious challenge for public policy makers and for the administrative levels most concerned with social services provision. In the Czech Republic this level is represented by municipalities whose attitudes towards the offer of social services in their territory, the providers and the cooperation in this field were surveyed in this paper. Municipal officials’ attitudes to social services differ significantly within the researched sample from a full satisfaction with the present situation in a municipality to a strong dissatisfaction. The paper uses the results of the survey proceed by means of the principal component analysis and cluster analysis to identify the attitudes of the municipal officials in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic and to divide said municipalities into four groups with similar attitudes and issues for which common policy measures may be adopted after more detailed inquiries into their specific issues. Close monitoring, as provided by this paper, presents detailed basis for local policy makers and the further planning of social services network. © 2017, Academy of Economic Studies from Bucharest. All rights reserved.