Organization Theory and the Public Sector

"Students of the public sector often forget that governments are composed of organizations, and that to understand governing we also need to understand how organizations function. This book is a welcome antidote to thinking about government in only individualistic or economic terms. Christensen, Lgreid and Rvik help us understand better the complex and subtle interactions within and among organizations in the public sector, and provide very useful perspective on governing." Professor B. Guy Peters, Maurice Falk Professor of American Government, University of Pittsburgh "Christensen, Lgreid and Rvik convincingly demonstrate that insights from organization theories provide an indispensable basis for understanding the complex organization of states. Furthermore, by their rich analysis of problems, dilemmas and solutions in public organizations, they illustrate that the study of state organization is vital for developing organization theory." Professor Nils Brunsson, Professor of Management, Uppsala University and Score "Complex societies require a complex set of organizations. This book unpacks the complexity and hybridity of organizations by looking at their instrumental, cultural, and mythical side. When public sector organizations become part of societal solutions, this book becomes part of how to understand and develop organizations that will solve our problems." Professor Geert Bouckaert, KU Leuven Public Governance Institute

Tom Christensen is Professor of Public Administration and Policy in the Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway. He is also Visiting Professor at the School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University. Per Lgreid is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Administration and Organization Theory at the University of Bergen, Norway. Kjell Arne Rvik is Professor of Organization Theory in the Department of Social Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

1 Organization theory for the public sector 2 An instrumental perspective 3 A cultural perspective 4 A myth perspective 5 Goals, values and motivation 6 Leadership and steering 7 Reform and change 8 Effects, learning and implications 9 Understanding and design Index