Public Sector Management

Theory, Critique and Practice

Drawing together key contributions from the field, this innovative volume provides a broad-ranging overview of both the theory and the practice of public service management. The editors outline the social, political, and economic contexts in which management has emerged as a crucial issue in the public sector of modern democratic countries. Introducing three major theories, issues, and concepts involved in defining and understanding public sector management, this book analyzes some of the key values underpinning the idea of the public domain and examines some of the techniques and strategies which have been proposed to improve management for public services. This collection of thought-provoking articles will be essential reading for all graduate students studying public sector management, as well as practicing public sector managers--particularly those in health care, local government, and the civil service. "A course reader for the Open University MBA course on Managing Public Services, this book draws together key contributions to the field and provides a broad-ranging overview of both the theory and practice of public service management. . . . It analyzes some of the key values underpinning the idea of the public domain and examines some of the main challenges in terms of particular strategies, techniques and competences that have been proposed to improve management for public services. A book of particular interest to those studying health care, local government, and the civil service." --International Review of Administrative Sciences "The book makes excellent reading." --Management & Labour Studies