Date

12-4-2025

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration (PhD)

Chair

Debra Neville

Keywords

occupational licensing, public administration, licensing administration, service quality, public interest theory, social closure theory

Disciplines

Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Abstract

Occupational licensing was developed to protect the public good. Public administrators are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring future workers enter their professions prepared to provide adequate service quality to the public. This study is grounded in the framework of public interest theory and seeks to evaluate whether the administration of occupational licensing and its associated requirements by public licensing boards aligns with the theory’s intended purpose of serving and protecting the public good. Public interest theory posits public administration operates in the best interest of the population, rather than for personal gain. A multiple linear regression was performed to assess if the licensing requirements established by public administrators ensure service quality and work towards the public interest. These requirements included the passage of state and national exams, experience or training requirements, educational requirements, as well as fingerprinting or background checks. The multiple linear regression analysis was performed in SPSS to determine if to what extent, and how, can a combination of licensing application requirements by licensing agencies predict the quality of services provided by licensed workers in Arizona. This study found the predictor variables only accounted for 5.8% of the variance in complaint rates. The results of this analysis outline the complex and multifaceted nature of the relationship between occupational licensing and service quality as well as a misalignment between the intent of these requirements and their practical outcome on service quality.

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