Summary:

In this major new contribution to a rapidly expanding field, the authors offer an integrated analysis of the wave of management reforms which have swept through so many countries in the last twenty years. The reform trajectories of ten countries are compared, and key differences of approach discussed. Unlike some previous works, this volume affords balanced coverage to the New Public Management (NPM) and the non-NPM or reluctant NPM countries, since it covers Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK and the USA. Unusually, it also includes a preliminary analysis of attempts to improve management within the European Commission. The complex and often-avoided question of the results of reform is tackled head-on. A general model of the process of reform is proposed in which key factors influencing the scope, speed, and depth of change are identified and related to structures and strategies. In the second half of the book the authorsDSboth well-known comparativistsDScritically dissect the claims of public sector transformations. They examine the ways in which rhetoric may diverge from practice and identify crucial, but often hidden, trade-offs and dilemmas. The concluding chapter explores different perspectives on reformDSboth as strategic action and as muddling throughDSand offers an assessment of the state of knowledge about how to improve management in government. The book also includes a series of very useful Country Files providing essential data, indicators, and events for each of the ten countries. This book is ideal for advanced courses and programmes on comparative public management.
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Since its publication in 2000, Public Management Reform has established itself as the standard text in the field, presenting a comparative analysis of recent changes in Public Management and Public Administration in a range of countries in Europe, North America, and Australasia. This completely rewritten second edition radically expands, develops, and updates the original.

Two countries have been added to the comparison (making twelve countries in all) and a much fuller treatment has been provided of the European Commission (including a commentary on the recent reforms led by Vice-President Kinnock). Empirical data has been brought up to date, so as to cover many key developments of the last few years. The theoretical framework of the book has been further developed, including a challenging new interpretation of the trends in continental Europe, which are seen here as markedly different from the Anglo-American style 'New Public Management'.

This second edition provides an unparalleled synthesis of developments in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK, the USA, and the European Commission. It is organized in an integrated format, within an overall theoretical framework that identifies the main pressures for, and trajectories of, change. It includes a multi-dimensional analysis of the results of reform, and a chapter reflecting on the dynamic relationship between management reform and politics. Extensive appendices provide an invaluable information resource for students.