Public Management and Leadership Series – Serie

Winner of the 2014 Academy of Management Public-Nonprofit (PNP) Division Best Book AwardMany public services today are delivered by external service providers such as private firms and voluntary organizations. These new ways of working – including contracting, partnering, client co-production, inter-governmental collaboration and volunteering – pose challenges for public management. This major new text assesses the ways in which public sector organizations can improve their services and outcomes by making full use of the alternative ways of getting things done.

This major new text on the theory and practice of public management moves away from descriptive accounts of its evolution to provide a systematic treatment of the key paradigms of public management today. It examines their competing outlooks, values, tools and assumptions and – using a wide range of examples from different areas of management around the world – their implications for practice.The text sets out three contrasting 'logics' for management – performance, professionalism and politics – and shows how public managers act on the interplay between these for effective results. Relating all three logics to a wide range of diverse contexts – from police services to healthcare, social services to educational providers – the text shows how managers can simultaneously perform to a high standard, act professionally through their work, and cope with internal and external politics.Incorporating the latest theories and practices, this comprehensive book will appeal to readers around the world wanting to understand, and contribute to, public management today.

This major new text on the theory and practice of public management moves away from descriptive accounts of its evolution to provide a systematic treatment of the key paradigms of public management today. It examines their competing outlooks, values, tools and assumptions and – using a wide range of examples from different areas of management around the world – their implications for practice.The text sets out three contrasting 'logics' for management – performance, professionalism and politics – and shows how public managers act on the interplay between these for effective results. Relating all three logics to a wide range of diverse contexts – from police services to healthcare, social services to educational providers – the text shows how managers can simultaneously perform to a high standard, act professionally through their work, and cope with internal and external politics.Incorporating the latest theories and practices, this comprehensive book will appeal to readers around the world wanting to understand, and contribute to, public management today.

Regulation has become a central aspect of contemporary governance as a result of public management reforms over recent decades. Yet, for all its ubiquity, the ideas of regulation have become increasingly contested. Key failures in the regulation of areas such as financial markets, nuclear power and food safety have revealed limitations in strategies which were once praised as offering superior problem-solving solutions.This major new text introduces the issues which affect the design and operation of regulatory regimes, and assesses the different regulatory strategies which can be used to deal with real-world challenges. In doing so, it examines the most important areas in regulatory policy and reform, including rule-making and enforcement, better regulation, infrastructure regulation, international regulation and risk regulation. Throughout the book, Martin Lodge and Kai Wegrich discuss a range of hypothetical and real-world examples to illustrate key issues, options and trade-offs, and to encourage readers to think critically and creatively about the regulatory options which are available. Drawing on the most up-to-date research, this text provides a clear and useful toolkit for thinking analytically about regulation.

Regulation has become a central aspect of contemporary governance as a result of public management reforms over recent decades. Yet, for all its ubiquity, the ideas of regulation have become increasingly contested. Key failures in the regulation of areas such as financial markets, nuclear power and food safety have revealed limitations in strategies which were once praised as offering superior problem-solving solutions.This major new text introduces the issues which affect the design and operation of regulatory regimes, and assesses the different regulatory strategies which can be used to deal with real-world challenges. In doing so, it examines the most important areas in regulatory policy and reform, including rule-making and enforcement, better regulation, infrastructure regulation, international regulation and risk regulation. Throughout the book, Martin Lodge and Kai Wegrich discuss a range of hypothetical and real-world examples to illustrate key issues, options and trade-offs, and to encourage readers to think critically and creatively about the regulatory options which are available. Drawing on the most up-to-date research, this text provides a clear and useful toolkit for thinking analytically about regulation.

A systematic and engaging new text that analyses accountability and transparency in contemporary public services, and examines how open government can be both a challenge and an aid to more effective public management. This text is an ideal guide for both practical and conceptual understanding of the possibilities of open government.

Strategy is vital to effective and efficient public service delivery as well as successful governance and leadership. This new text provides a concise yet systematic overview of the achievements, downfalls and complexities of public strategy in today's globalized and often market-driven world. It describes the place of strategy in civic societies whose citizens are more interconnected and vocal than ever. It shows that successful strategic planning goes well beyond problem-solving to developing adaptable plans that can evolve as requirements and circumstances change. And it explains why muddling through simply won't work. Emphasizing the importance of applying a variety of techniques to the process of strategy-creation, Rethinking Public Strategy reassesses the key factors that can deliver significant improvements in public services and build public value. It looks at why public strategy is distinctive, as well as the principles it has in common with the corporate domain.This text includes numerous case studies from around the globe – from South Africa to Singapore, the USA to Germany, and from China to the Czech Republic – that ground the exposition in real experience. Based on state-of-the-art research by two expert practitioners in the field, it offers an essential guide to the art of strategy in the contemporary public sector, and encourages readers to evaluate critically the various approaches to strategy.

Strategy is vital to effective and efficient public service delivery as well as successful governance and leadership. This new text provides a concise yet systematic overview of the achievements, downfalls and complexities of public strategy in today's globalized and often market-driven world. It describes the place of strategy in civic societies whose citizens are more interconnected and vocal than ever. It shows that successful strategic planning goes well beyond problem-solving to developing adaptable plans that can evolve as requirements and circumstances change. And it explains why muddling through simply won't work. Emphasizing the importance of applying a variety of techniques to the process of strategy-creation, Rethinking Public Strategy reassesses the key factors that can deliver significant improvements in public services and build public value. It looks at why public strategy is distinctive, as well as the principles it has in common with the corporate domain.This text includes numerous case studies from around the globe – from South Africa to Singapore, the USA to Germany, and from China to the Czech Republic – that ground the exposition in real experience. Based on state-of-the-art research by two expert practitioners in the field, it offers an essential guide to the art of strategy in the contemporary public sector, and encourages readers to evaluate critically the various approaches to strategy.

Truly global in scope and ambition, the 21st Century Public Manager addresses key trends, challenges, and opportunities facing public managers across contexts and regimes. This accessible textbook aims to inspire public managers in rethinking their roles, skills, and values as they enter a VUCA world—one characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. It is written for aspiring and current public managers in graduate schools and executive education programs.

Truly global in scope and ambition, the 21st Century Public Manager addresses key trends, challenges, and opportunities facing public managers across contexts and regimes. This accessible textbook aims to inspire public managers in rethinking their roles, skills, and values as they enter a VUCA world—one characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. It is written for aspiring and current public managers in graduate schools and executive education programs.

New information and communication technologies have drastically changed public management. Public managers are increasingly dependent on information gathered form complex systems and they need to be able to put in place sound IT and communication structures. This accessible text, aimed specifically at those studying and working in public management, offers readers a comprehensive understanding of ICTs and their implications for public management. It provides aspiring and current public managers a framework for the development of strategic public information management across the full range of public organizations.Written by leading experts in this area, Public Management in an Information Age offers:- A thorough grounding in the latest research- Examples of issues and practices from different contexts and types of organizations around the world- A range of tools and techniques to help readers analyse concrete situations and develop appropriate solutions - Summary boxes on key ICTs in non-technical languageThis is the ideal text for students on Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Management and Master of Public Policy programmes.

New information and communication technologies have drastically changed public management. Public managers are increasingly dependent on information gathered form complex systems and they need to be able to put in place sound IT and communication structures. This accessible text, aimed specifically at those studying and working in public management, offers readers a comprehensive understanding of ICTs and their implications for public management. It provides aspiring and current public managers a framework for the development of strategic public information management across the full range of public organizations.Written by leading experts in this area, Public Management in an Information Age offers:- A thorough grounding in the latest research- Examples of issues and practices from different contexts and types of organizations around the world- A range of tools and techniques to help readers analyse concrete situations and develop appropriate solutions - Summary boxes on key ICTs in non-technical languageThis is the ideal text for students on Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Management and Master of Public Policy programmes.