Showing papers in "International Journal of Research in 1999"
TL;DR: The concept of "governance" is in use in many different sub-disciplines of the social sciences as discussed by the authors, and the apparent success of the concept seems to be that it reflects the societal need for new initiatives based upon the realization of growing societal interdependencies.
Abstract: The concept of ‘governance’ is in use in many different sub-disciplines of the social sciences. Although there are many differences in the way it is defined and applied, common elements are the emphasis on rules and qualities of systems, co-operation to enhance legitimacy and effectiveness and the attention for new processes and public-private arrangements. The apparent success of the concept seems to be that it reflects the societal need for new initiatives based upon the realization of growing societal interdependencies. The article surveys different uses. One form of governance is what may be called interactive or social-political governance. This perspective on governance takes different forms of social-political interactions as its central theme in which different kinds of distinctions are made, such as between self, ‘co’ and hierarchical governance and between orders of governance such as first-order governance, which means problem-solving and opportunity-creation, second-order governance, which loo...
293 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the normative position that inter-agency collaboration is generally a "good thing" is taken. But this is not the case for all inter-agencies, and it is difficult to achieve.
Abstract: Although long seen as desirable, inter-agency collaboration has remained conceptually elusive and difficult to achieve. Whilst recognising that there are other positions, this article takes the normative position that collaboration is generally a ‘good thing’. It brings together strands of theoretical, conceptual and empirical literature from diverse disciplines in ‘order to better understand inter-agency collaboration as a concept and as a process, This is developed into a sequentially structured framework capable of being customised to a range of organisational and policy contexts.
261 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe some dilemmas for process-design as well as for process management of participatory public policy making, and describe how to cope with the growing complexity of the policy process.
Abstract: In The Netherlands many local governments make public policy in a participatory way. Civilians and other interested parties are invited by policy makers to design public policy cooperatively. As a consequence many actors and information are embedded in the policy making process, because these actors describe the issue(s) and solutions for the policy problem differently. Some municipals are able to cope with the growing complexity of the policy process, others not. In order to deal with the growing process complexity, local governments hire independent process professionals. These process professionals design and manage the participatory policy process. However this is far from easy in practice. The process-architects and process-managers are faced with a lot of dilemmas in their process-design and process-management activities of the participatory public policy process. This article will describe some dilemmas for process-design as well as for process-management of participatory public policy making, and ...
67 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an assessment and evaluation of what is termed "new public management" at the end of the 1990s, defined in several ways: as a movement, as an academic commentary, and as reformed organizational practice in the public sector.
Abstract: The paper presents an assessment and evaluation of what is termed ‘new public management’ at the end of the 1990s. In order to provide this assessment, new public management is defined in several ways: as a movement, as an academic commentary, and as reformed organizational practice in the public sector. The paper uses the UK health sector to examine some of the assumed relationships between ideology, actions and consequences implied within a broad understanding of new public management. Developments in the UK health sector are used to address assumptions focusing on different aspects of the ideology (private sector practices and markets can increase efficiency in the public sector), actions (introduction of market mechanisms and business-like, practices) and consequences (operational performance, strategic direction, governance and values). Drawing on developments in the UK health sector, an assessment of new public management at the end of the 1990s sees it much diversified and expanded from original co...
49 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors suggest a pure model of contractualism for the delivery of services in the public sector and state the limits of such a model and its employment in the private sector.
Abstract: Contractualism in the public sector is more than just another fad. Its use will continue into the next century, meaning that we need to model what a pure model of contractualism entails for the delivery of services in the public sector. The article suggests such a model and states the limits of its employment.
26 citations
TL;DR: In many parts of the world governments are privatizing their telecommunications, gas, electricity and water and sewerage services as discussed by the authors, and to prevent monopoly abuse regulatory systems are being introduced, many based on the UK model.
Abstract: In many parts of the world governments are privatizing their telecommunications, gas, electricity and water and sewerage services. To prevent monopoly abuse regulatory systems are being introduced, many based on the UK model. Since 1984 the UK has privatized its major utilities and established dedicated regulatory offices to police prices, investments and service quality. Privatization combined with regulation is premised on the view that by controlling the activities of private monopolies and by promoting competition wherever feasible, efficiency of service delivery can be improved and prices to consumers reduced. This article reviews the UK experience and outlines the lessons for other countries when designing or reforming their regulatory structures.
25 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that public manage-ment has undergone fundamental change, generated by developments in public choice and principal agency theories, and apply these theoretical frames to management strategies and practices, where both competition and contracts feature significantly.
Abstract: The article argues that public manage-ment has undergone fundamental change, generated by developments in public choice and principal agency theories. These theoretical frames are being applied to management strategies and practices, where both competition and contracts feature significantly. The role of the state is subject to change as a result of these developments.
24 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors use the reform of New Zealand's state-owned enterprises from 1984-1995 to highlight two lessons for public sector reform from New Institutional Economics: failure to apply agency, property rights and transaction cost theory in tandem can lead to time-consuming pauses and policy shifts in a reform programme.
Abstract: This articls uses the reform of New Zealand's state-owned enterprises from 1984–1995 to highlight two lessons for public sector reform from New Institutional Economics. First, failure to apply agency, property rights and transaction cost theory in tandem can lead to time-consuming pauses and policy shifts in a reform programme. Second, a discriminating alignment between the institutional environment and the regulatory governance structure chosen is crucial for successful privatization in industries characterized by economies of scale, large non-redeployable investments and extremely political output such as telecommunications and electricity.
24 citations
TL;DR: The role of marketing for public organizations has received limited attention in the academic or management literature as discussed by the authors, however, the role of public organizations is not discussed in the literature in this paper.
Abstract: The role of marketing for public organizations has received limited attention in the academic or management literature.
19 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors trace the emergence of a new meta-regulatory regime in Australia introduced under the rubric of competition, and argue that one of its effects is a quasi-constitutional shift away from democratic legitimation of legally binding rules.
Abstract: Regulatory reform is increasingly centred around mechanisms of systematic review processes which ‘regulate the regulators’, These meta-regulatory regimes shift the balance in regulation-making from politicans and parliament to economists in the central agencies of government. The article traces the emergence of a new meta-regulatory regime in Australia introduced under the rubric of competition, and argues that one of its effects is a quasi-constitutional shift away from democratic legitimation of legally binding rules.
17 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the social stratification-government inequality (SSGI) thesis was revisited and modified theoretically since 1983, and significant new research bearing on both has been completed, but these developments have yet to be fully incorporated into our common understanding of the broader SSGl thesis and our evaluation of public choice responses to it.
Abstract: This article updates a topic that was quite contentious some years ago: the social stratification-government inequality (SSGI) thesis developed by Hill (1974) and Neiman (1976) and later challenged by public choice defenders of fragmented urban governmental arrangements (E. Ostrom 1983). Both the SSGl thesis and the Tiebout model have been modified theoretically since 1983, and significant new research bearing on both has been completed. But these developments have yet to be fully incorporated into our common understanding of the broader SSGl thesis and our evaluation of public choice responses to it. Considered together, they suggest that the SSGl thesis may be even more relevant today to understanding the redistributive consequences of fragmented governmental structures within metropolitan areas than when the original SSGl debate took place.
TL;DR: The authors surveys public management change in three Asia-Pacific countries and contends that even in countries that share similar characteristics, in this case, British post-colonial bureaucracies, there is little uniformity.
Abstract: The New Public Management (NPM) appears to be of universal applicability. However, if examined on a country-by-country basis we can observe considerable variations. This article surveys public management change in three Asia-Pacific countries and contends that even in countries that share similar characteristics, in this case, British post-colonial bureaucracies, there is little uniformity. We might assume that administrative change is the result of the attraction of NPM to elites who shop around the international market for ideas, but this is a gross oversimplification. However, the apparent internation alization of NPM appears to be driven by policy transfer activity. The survey of public management in these countries reveals that although the policy transfer approach is difficult to apply empirically, it is worth pursuing as it strips away the appeal of NPM. Although in each of these countries, it is difficult to argue with any conviction that policy has been transferred from another country, a number ...
TL;DR: In the UK public sector, although much has been written on the issue of new management regimes, it is not clear how far this scenario of changing intra-professional relations is valid as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The recent literature on professional service organizations suggests that increasingly assertive management roles are being developed. A central proposition is that established collegial systems, which tended to down-play differences in authority and protect the status quo, are now giving way to more formalized divisions between administrative elite and junior, rank-and-file, staffs (Friedson 1994). In the UK public sector, although much has been written on the issue of new management regimes, it is not clear how far this scenario of changing intra-professional relations is valid. Focusing on the under-researched case of university libraries, this article addresses this issue. Data from an intensive study of six institutions reveals that there have been significant pressures for change. In a context of heightened accountability, ‘practitioner management’ roles have been created and senior staffs are now more concerned with the supervision and direction of their junior colleagues. The article also finds th...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluate the service performance reporting process of public museums in New Zealand and find that, if optimal museum performance is to be the aim, revisions to the process are needed to circumvent endemic problems of narrow and unrepresentative goals, with inability to meet measurability criteria and short-termism.
Abstract: Service performance reporting is now a part of life for public museums in New Zealand, however it operates alongside the museums' own heritage of standards and performance criteria. These two sets of criteria represent two necessary sources of authority, influence or power at work in a museum - loosely described as the line authority and the museum professionals - deriving respectively from endowments of physical and cultural capital and jointly determining a museum's character and how well it performs. Appraisal of the service performance reporting process against this perspective on museum organizations reveals that, if optimal museum performance is to be the aim, revisions to the process are needed to circumvent endemic problems of narrow and unrepresentative goals, with inability to meet measurability criteria and short-termism.
TL;DR: In this article, the extent to which privatisation has taken place in museum services provided by local authorities in Britain is investigated, and three aspects of privatization are examined: change in the legal status of museums to charitable trusts, contracting-in and buying-in private service providers for specific work, and market and marketing orientation.
Abstract: This article investigates the extent to which ‘privatization’ has taken place in museum services provided by local authorities in Britain. Three aspects of privatization are examined: change in the legal status of museums to charitable trusts; contracting-in and buying-in private service providers for specific work; and market- and marketing-orientation. All of these have a resonance in new public management in general and are of increasing significance to the international museum community. In the empirical site chosen for this article, privatization has progressed in varying degrees in relation to the three areas concerned, but overall only to a limited extent despite central government's pressure promoting this policy. Reasons suggested for this gap between the political context and the findings are the distinctiveness in the institutional arrangement of policy and the nature of the service. A good understanding of a polrcy arena along these llnes is needed for effective policy application.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report the findings of research into four case organizations from the public and nonprofit sectors, and argue that values influence strategy formulation, and provide a useful tool in differentiating the value-base which informs the strategic posture of an organization.
Abstract: This article reports the findings of research into four case organizations from the public and nonprofit sectors. The findings build on international theory about strategic management, and argue that values influence strategy formulation. Chaffee's models of strategy are provided as a useful tool in differentiating the value-base which informs the strategic posture of an organization. Expressive values are more evident in nonprofit strategy formulation which aligns with Chaffee's interpretive approach to strategy. Instrumental values appear more in public organizations which align more with Chaffee's adaptive approach to strategy.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the key government reports that have been influential in shaping the microeconomic reform agenda in Australia and show that the relationship between government and the third sector is characterized by an increasingly contractual nature, frequent review, contestability, performance management requirements and an emphasis on competition rather than collaboration.
Abstract: Microeconomic reform has put the relationship between government and the third sector in Australia on a course of inevitable change. This article examines the key government reports that have been influential in shaping the microeconomic reform agenda in Australia. The objectives driving this agenda are greater accountability, increased effectiveness, improved efficiency and preventing the capture of programme funding by sectional interests. In the process, a new relationship between government and the third sector based on mechanisms to separate funding and service provision is becoming apparent. It is characterized by an increasingly contractual nature, frequent review, contestability, performance management requirements and an emphasis on competition rather than collaboration. As a consequence, there has been a shift in strategic control from third sector agencies to the funding agencies within government. A case study of the Department of Human Services in Victoria illustrates the implications of this...
TL;DR: In this paper, the benefits of using benchmarking in non-profit organizations are explored and a case study illustrating some of the key issues associated with the adoption of benchmarking is presented to illustrate how the technique enhances organizational learning.
Abstract: This paper explores the benefits of benchmarking in voluntary non-profit organizations. The principal benefit is argued to be that of serving as a management tool to promote organizational learning. A case study illustrating some of the key issues associated with the adoption of benchmarking at the Royal Blind Society of New South Wales is presented to illustrate how the technique enhances organizational learning.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide an overview of the issues involved in relation to anti-corruption strategies, i.e., the focus and the sequencing of reform as well as the question of sustainability.
Abstract: The perceived increase in corrupt activity in various countries has led to the idea of a ‘corruption eruption’ having taken place (Naim 1995). This has been matched by a growing concern during the 1990s, among donor governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others, over the persistence and prevalence of corrupt practices by political and economic elites, particularly in developing countries, and its increased significance in transitional countries. Many have made combatting of corruption and promotion of good government a key part of their policies, but the actual devising and implementation of strategies in practice raise a number of issues. These include the focus and the sequencing of reform as well as the question of sustainability. At the same time there are also a number of practical issues, both country-specific and also in terms of ownership and direction. This article provides an overview of the issues involved in relation to anti-corruption strategies, i...
TL;DR: The authors discusses the nature of administrative reform in Japan and analyzes government strategies of reform in relation to the characteristics of the bureaucracy and political authority, and concludes that the recent coalition governments have not exhibited the political authority necessary to implement practices reminiscent of NPM policies elsewhere.
Abstract: This article discusses the nature of administrative reform in Japan. It analyses government strategies of reform in relation to the nature of bureaucracy and political authority. There is interaction between bureaucrats and politicians, characterized by cooperation among those sharing common expertise. However, such cooperation results in weaker political authority over bureaucracy. Administrative reform in Japan has not failed entirely, but it has been constrained by this lack of political authority. Radical marketization and civil service reform are not evident in Japan's experience of reform. The recent coalition governments have not exhibited the political authority necessary to implement practices reminiscent of NPM policies elsewhere. While some political realignment is evident, and some of the power of the bureaucracy has declined leading to a comparative advantage of political authority, public management in Japan may not be much different in the next century, apart from incremental changes due to...
TL;DR: This paper argued that public goods are often subject to evolution that changes the balance of their characteristics between being public or private goods and argued that the theory of public goods is largely irrelevant to their management and governance.
Abstract: The theory of public goods is largely irrelevant to their management and governance. It is highly normative but is unused in the policy area. It remains centred on highly idealized and dichotomized characteristics (non-rivalrousness and non-excludability) of public goods despite important theoretical progress in the last twenty years. It is suggested that public goods are as much social as technological constructions, but there is no explanation of how such goods come into existence. It is argued that they are often subject to evolution that changes the balance of their characteristics between being public or private goods. Present theory bears little relationship to the governmental budgetary processes assumed necessary to finance such goods, yet all management and maintenance costs, often high enough to deter such funding, are ignored. While there is recognition that the intensive use of a public good often imposes costs directly upon users, there is no corresponding recognition either that inappropriat...
TL;DR: Although recent public management reforms in Canada and Mexico are characterized by similar themes and vocabularies - privatization, customer service, devolution - the nature and extent of actual change reflect the national politics and administrative histories of the three countries as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Although recent public management reforms in Canada. Mexico and the USA are characterized by similar themes and vocabularies - privatization, customer service, devolution - the nature and extent of actual change reflects the national politics and administrative histories of the three countries. In brief, Canadian public management has been heavily influenced by the need for fiscal retrenchment at both, national and provincial levels, Mexican public management has been influenced by the transition from oligarchic to democratic governance at federal, state and local levels, and USA public management has been preocuppied at the federal level with implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act and with the miscellaneous initiatives organized under the ‘Reinventing Government’ theme as it has been popularized by the Clinton administration.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report on research funded by ESRC into contractual relationships in ten local authorities in England, identifying the nature of the contracts and the factors which both clients and contractors felt had led them to develop a particular type of relationship.
Abstract: During the 1990s the contract has become a key feature in the restructuring of the UK public sector. Currently available literature demonstrates awareness that the implementation of contracting must entail new forms of management control and organizational structure which involve new patterns of intra-and extra-organizational relationships. However there is little consideration of the nature of the relationships that are developing between contractors and clients nor the factors that, influence those behavioural processes. This paper reports on research funded by ESRC into contractual relationships in ten local authorities in England. Analysis was undertaken to identify the nature of the contracts and the factors which both clients and contractors felt had led them to develop a particular type of relationship. Finally implications for practice under ‘best value’ are considered.
TL;DR: The significance of the recent White Paper for the future of regional offices is discussed, with particular emphasis on the tension between centralization and decentralization in performance management, and the opportunity to rebuild strategic co-ordination, which has been difficult to maintain under the internal market.
Abstract: This article examines the changing nature of the central organization of the NHS and its relations with the field. It is based on a two-year tracer study of regional health authorities (RHAs) as they were reorganized into regional offices (ROs) and became part of the civil service. The research evidence suggests that the centre of the NHS cannot be treated as one organization; the wider Department of Health, NHS Executive HQ and regional offices have distinct identities within it. The analysis therefore looks at relations between these different components of the centre, and between them and the field. The significance of the recent White Paper for the future of regional offices is discussed, with particular emphasis on the tension between centralization and decentralization in performance management, and the opportunity to rebuild strategic co-ordination, which has been difficult to maintain under the internal market.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the use of the system of mutual recognition, harmonization and qualified majority voting in the European Union (EU) and Australia as a means to the greater understanding of the impact of globalization in relation to policy convergence.
Abstract: This article examines the use of the system of mutual recognition, harmonization and qualified majority voting in the European Union (EU) and Australia as a means to the greater understanding of the impact of globalization in relation to policy convergence. It is argued that the Australian adoption of mutual recogntion, based on the EU model, was an example of policy convergence, although the extent of convergence was variable. It is further argued that the convergence was, in part, influenced by globalization. The article is divided into three major sections. The first indicates the author's position in relation to the key concepts of globalization and policy, convergence. The second provides a brief examination of the factors leading to the intensified use of mutual recognition in the EU and its adoption in Australia. The third attempts to assess whether this use of mutual recognition is an example of policy convergence, concluding that, with some reservations, it was. The fourth attempts to assess the ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a theoretical framework for analyzing reforms in the role of the state and assess the Latin America experience in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of core government functions at all levels of government (e.g. human resource management, financial management, tax and customs administration and cross-sectoral service delivery).
Abstract: The article is designed to (a) provide a theoretical framework for analyzing reforms in the role of the state; (b) assess the Latin America experience in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of core government functions at all levels of government (e.g. human resource management, financial management, tax and customs administration and cross-sectoral service delivery though excluding a detailed treatment of sector-specific areas such as education and health); and (c) examine the experience to date in Latin America of successfully implementing institutional reforms with respect to (i) private sector development (legal reforms to facilitate private transactions as well as provide a regulatory role for government in the face of market failures and their enforcement) and (ii) poverty alleviation particularly with respect to reforms in the social security system as well as the introduction of social investment funds.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the human resource management function within the Trinidad and Tobago public service and specifically the role of the pubtic service commission, and examine the key areas.
Abstract: Representativeness and diversity in the composition of public institutions is an explicit goal of Public sector reform programmes. But the principle of diversity poses many challenges for the practice of human resource management, not least of which is maintaining confidence in the system and, by extension, morale among public officers. High morale and motivation contribute to performance and output, which are vital If the public sector Is to be results-oriented. Thls article takes the view that managing diversity is the equivalent of managing unproductive tensions that threaten to diminish performance and output. Trinidad and Tobago is a small multiethnic state In which ‘the public sector has become the theatre of inter-ethnic drama, as the two main groups compete for scarce resources and employment opportunities. The article considers the human resource management function within the Trinidad and Tobago public service and specifically the role of the pubtic service commission, and examines the key areas...
TL;DR: In this paper, a customer orientation framework is proposed to assist in providing service organizations with strategies for a competitive advantage, which includes upgrading staff awareness of external competition, changing culture, leadership, information channels, and staff training.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to formulate a customer orientation framework, which may assist in providing service organizations with strategies for a competitive advantage. The proposed market-led approach towards excellent service for Shanghai Telecom customers includes upgrading staff awareness of external competition, changing culture, leadership, information channels, and staff training. It involves customers and employees in the design of service strategies. It is suggested that the remuneration should be linked to customer satisfaction. A new marketing division would consider competitive advantage issues. The findings and recommendations on the bridging gaps between customer expectations and the provision of service are of interest in over eighty countries that are currently restructuring their state-owned enterprises.