Leadership and decision making in the Tyneside conurbation

Abstract

After examining some of the concepts central to the subject of community decision-making, notably power, leadership, elites, and participation, this study goes on to look at the literature on community power with special reference to the conflicting methodologies that have been developed. Of particular significance is the distinction between the 'reputationalists' and the 'decisionalists'; the former believing that community power can best be approached by discovering v/ho have reputations for leadership, while the latter believe that the main focus of interest should be concrete cases of decision making. The conclusion reached is that both methodologies have their advantages and disadvantages and that, therefore, a combination of the to probably offers the best hope of advancement. As a result the study both examines seven issues with which Tyneside has been faced in recent years and, by means of questionnaires and interviews, seeks to discover who are considered to be the influentials in Tyneside politics. The seven issue studies were local government re-organisation, the building of the Tyne Tunnel, the development of the airport, the establishment of the Port of Tyne Authority, the re-organisation of police areas, the merger of shipbuilding interests on the river Tyne, and the establishment of a Passenger Transport Authority. The general conclusion was that effective participation in the decision making process was confined to a small group of individuals who owed their importance normally to their positions in the local authorities. The survey by means of questionnaires revealed that local leaders differ from the population as a whole in terms of socio-economic characteristics and that, therefore, what is essentially a traditional working class. Labour-dominated area is in fact not led by a representative leadership group.