Jay D. White - Böcker

The papers in this volume focus on the broad issues of public sector reform. They address issue-oriented and comparative research such as: analysis of civil service systems at the theoretical level; reforming the wing of national level governments; the wave of public sector reform that has swept the West over the past fifteen years; a comparison of two recent programs to improve efficiency and legitimacy of government in the US and the Netherlands; the problems of insufficient capacity in managing the public sector; the impediments in the current system of public sector job evaluation in the US; the shortcomings in managerial capacities that currently trouble the European Union; Nicaragua and its struggle for public sector reform; the history of Egyptian civil service; and the development of the Argentine civil service.

An in-depth view of the world of low-wage women workers, this expert presentation by authors actively involved in the field provides a realistic picture of the women and the issues as well as suggested strategies and innovations. The book covers a wide range of topics, including getting and keeping a job, struggling to balance the demands of work and family, health care, child care, and unemployment. It is set in the context of both welfare reform and the low-wage labor market and incorporates both self-employment and micro-business enterprise.

An in-depth view of the world of low-wage women workers, this expert presentation by authors actively involved in the field provides a realistic picture of the women and the issues as well as suggested strategies and innovations. The book covers a wide range of topics, including getting and keeping a job, struggling to balance the demands of work and family, health care, child care, and unemployment. It is set in the context of both welfare reform and the low-wage labor market and incorporates both self-employment and micro-business enterprise.

The chapters in this latest edition of China Briefing reflect broadly on China's transformation in the twentieth century. The authors not only examine developments in China over the 1997-1999 period, but also place these events in a wider historical perspective by addressing the following questions: Where has China traveled over the course of the century? To what extent has it been transformed, and how? What are the enduring themes or points of continuity, even during a century of great change and transformation? And what are China's prospects for the future?

This first-of-its-kind survey covers both the basics of information technology and the managerial and political issues surrounding the use of these technologies. Unlike other works on information systems, this book is written specifically for the public sector and addresses unique public sector issues and concerns. The technical basics are explained in clear English with as little technical jargon as possible so that readers can move on to informed analysis of the public policy issues surrounding government's use of MIS. This practical tool includes end of chapter summaries with bridges to upcoming chapters, numerous boxed exhibits, thorough end-of-chapter notes and a bibliography for further reading.

This first-of-its-kind survey covers both the basics of information technology and the managerial and political issues surrounding the use of these technologies. Unlike other works on information systems, this book is written specifically for the public sector and addresses unique public sector issues and concerns. The technical basics are explained in clear English with as little technical jargon as possible so that readers can move on to informed analysis of the public policy issues surrounding government's use of MIS. This practical tool includes end of chapter summaries with bridges to upcoming chapters, numerous boxed exhibits, thorough end-of-chapter notes and a bibliography for further reading.

The logic of research in public administration, argues Jay D. White, may be more like that of storytelling than of conventional social science research. In "Taking Language Seriously", he examines the linguistic, discursive, and narrative foundations of public administration research and develops a narrative theory of knowledge development and use for the field. White builds his case for this narrative theory by showing how research on complex problems is grounded in language and discourse. He then explains how a variety of recent developments in philosophy and the humanities - positivism, postpositivism, hermeneutics, critical and legal theory, postmodernism, and poststructuralism - can contribute to our understanding of public administration research. Focusing on the logical structures of three modes of research - explanatory, interpretive, and critical - White shows how each is equally legitimate, depending on the nature of the research questions.This comprehensive yet clear discussion of the philosophical foundations of research in public administration advances an alternative theory of knowledge development that will be valuable for everyone in fields seeking to affect social, political, economic, and organizational change.

This volume clearly demonstrates the diversity of our field. Twenty-two scholars have contributed thirteen unique pieces of research on a wide variety of topics including public management innovation; organizational learning; revenue forecasting; finance; qualitative research and research methods; intergovernmental relations; training and management information systems; bureaucratic responsibility; citizen participation; political influence of the bureaucracy; critiques of policy making; public administration research. This collection makes a rich contribution of knowledge to our field.