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Journal ArticleDOI

The “new public management” in the 1980s: Variations on a theme

01 Feb 1995-Accounting Organizations and Society (Pergamon)-Vol. 20, Iss: 2, pp 93-109
TL;DR: The authors discusses the rise of New Public Management (NPM) as an alternative to the tradition of public accountability embodied in progressive-era public administration ideas and argues that there was considerable variation in the extent to which different OECD countries adopted NPM over the 1980s.
Abstract: Changes in public sector accounting in a number of OECD countries over the 1980s were central to the rise of the “New Public Management” (NPM) and its associated doctrines of public accountability and organizational best practice. This paper discusses the rise of NPM as an alternative to the tradition of public accountability embodied in progressive-era public administration ideas. It argues that, in spite of allegations of internationalization and the adoption of a new global paradigm in public management, there was considerable variation in the extent to which different OECD countries adopted NPM over the 1980s. It further argues that conventional explanations of the rise of NPM (“Englishness”, party political incumbency, economic performance record and government size) seem hard to sustain even from a relatively brief inspection of such cross-national data as are available, and that an explanation based on initial endowment may give us a different perspective on those changes.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, three basic models or forms of network governance are developed focusing on their distinct structural properties and the tensions inherent in each form are discussed, followed by the role that management may play in addressing these tensions.
Abstract: This article examines the governance of organizational networks and the impact of governance on network effectiveness. Three basic models, or forms, of network governance are developed focusing on their distinct structural properties. Propositions are formulated examining conditions for the effectiveness of each form. The tensions inherent in each form are then discussed, followed by the role that management may play in addressing these tensions. Finally, the evolution of governance is explored.

2,891 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: More than a decade has passed since the publication of Christopher Hood's influential piece that codified the nature of the New Public Management (NPM) (Hood 1991).
Abstract: More than a decade has passed since the publication of Christopher Hood's influential piece that codified the nature of the New Public Management (NPM) (Hood 1991). At that time it seemed likely, c...

1,423 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the implications of institutional theory for the successful implementation of multidimensional performance measurement and management in the public sector, and discuss the influence of these core concepts on the possibilities of achieving some balance between the stakeholder interests examined in the overall control of provider organizations.

921 citations


Cites background from "The “new public management” in the ..."

  • ...…a specific point in time.1 The primary empirical foundations for our analysis are drawn from the U.K. and Scandinavia, which provide illuminating contrasts pertaining to the subject matter due to the notable national differences in governance and reforms (cf. Hood, 1995; Laughlin and Pallot, 1998)....

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  • ...The incidence and power of these stakeholders may vary considerably between countries, parts of the public sector or points in time (Brunsson, 1994; Hood, 1995; Olson et al., 1998), and the framework advanced here should be regarded as a generic model rather than an exact representation of the…...

    [...]

  • ...The incidence and power of these stakeholders may vary considerably between countries, parts of the public sector or points in time (Brunsson, 1994; Hood, 1995; Olson et al., 1998), and the framework advanced here should be regarded as a generic model rather than an exact representation of the situation in a particular country or part of the public sector at a specific point in time....

    [...]

  • ...There are also notable international differences in the extent to which market-based models are relied upon in the public sector (Hood, 1995)....

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  • ...This tendency can partly be traced to the concerns of funding bodies with efficient use of resources, effectively leading to growing reliance on relatively aggregated measures of financial results and resource utilization (Hood, 1995)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, it is argued that recent public-sector reforms can be interpreted as attempts at constructing organizations, by installing or reinforcing local identity, hierarchy, and rationality, which helps to explain important aspects of the reform process.
Abstract: Organizations are socially constructed phenomena. A crucial task for organizational research is to analyze how and why people construct organizations rather than other social forms. In this paper, it is argued that recent public-sector reforms can be interpreted as attempts at constructing organizations. Public-sector entities that could formerly be described as agents or arenas have been transformed into `more complete' organizations by installing or reinforcing local identity, hierarchy and rationality. This interpretation helps to explain important aspects of the reform process.

685 citations

Book
04 Dec 2004
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an assessment of PPPs in emerging markets, focusing on public private partnership agreements and the Governance of Partnerships, and an Assessment References Index.
Abstract: Foreword 1. The Nature of Partnerships 2. The Revolution in Infrastructure 3. The Origins of Partnerships 4. Partnerships and Conventional Procurement of Infrastructure 5. The Structure of Partnership Agreements 6. Issues in Public Private Partnerships 7. Risk Management 8. The Governance of Partnerships 9. PPPs in Emerging Markets 10. An Assessment References Index.

573 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the doctrinal content of the group of ideas known as "New Public Management" (NPM), the intellectual provenance of those ideas, explanations for their apparent persuasiveness in the 1980 s; and criticisms which have been made of the new doctrines.
Abstract: This article discusses: the doctrinal content of the group of ideas known as ‘new public management’(NPM); the intellectual provenance of those ideas; explanations for their apparent persuasiveness in the 1980 s; and criticisms which have been made of the new doctrines. Particular attention is paid to the claim that NPM offers an all-purpose key to better provision of public services. This article argues that NFM has been most commonly criticized in terms of a claimed contradiction between ‘equity’ and ‘efficiency’ values, but that any critique which is to survive NPM's claim to ‘infinite reprogrammability’ must be couched in terms of possible conflicts between administrative values. The conclusion is that the ESRC'S Management in Government’ research initiative has been more valuable in helping to identify rather than to definitively answer, the key conceptual questions raised by NPM.

7,919 citations

Book
01 Jan 1992
TL;DR: Catalytic government as discussed by the authors steering rather than rowing community-owned government, empowering rather than serving competitive government, injecting competition into service delivery mission-driven government, transforming rule-driven organizations results-orinted government, meeting the needs of the customer, not the bureaucracy enterpirsing government, earning rather than spending anticipatory government, prevention rather than cure decentralized government.
Abstract: Catalytic government - steering rather than rowing community-owned government - empowering rather than serving competitive government - injecting competition into service delivery mission-driven government - transforming rule-driven organizations results-orinted government - funding outcomes, not inputs customer-driven government - meeting the needs of the customer, not the bureaucracy enterpirsing government - earning rather than spending anticipatory government - prevention rather than cure decentralized government - from hierarchy to participation and teamwork market-orinted government - leveraging change through the market putting it all together.

4,782 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Second Industrial Divide as discussed by the authors is a history of the economic crisis of the 1980s and its consequences on American social and economic history, with a focus on the second industrial divide, the moments at which choices are made that fix the future course of industrial develop-
Abstract: This is a book unlikely to be read by historians. Or rather, they may read it, but in their capacity as citizens concerned as the book's subtitle puts it about "Possibilities for Prosperity." The Second Industrial Divide is indeed a work of contemporary analysis. Like other books this publishing season, it is intended to give us the lowdown about the economic crisis of the 1980s. But this one is also very much a work of history. The book is remarkable in general for its intellectual breadth, but in particular for its reliance on recent scholarship in American social and economic history. More than that, it is deeply historical in perspective and sensitive to the contingent, complex nature of industrial change. Historians are accustomed to draw on the social sciences. In this book, the terms of trade have shifted. Historical scholarship contributes crucially to the making of The Second Industrial Divide. What it offers in return are not the standard commodities of socialscience industry not conceptual and methodological tools that can be appropriated for the historian's use but lessons in the art of sweeping historical analysis and conclusions about the nature of industrial change worth pondering by historians. Michael Piore is a labor economist, well known for his work on labormarket segmentation and labor migration. Charles Sabel, the younger of the two, is the author of Work and Politics: The Division of Labor in Industry (1982), a highly original comparative analysis of shop-floor relations in modern industrial systems. Both are MacArthur Fellows and members of a notable assemblage of MIT social scientists working on industrial relations and technological change. Piore and Sabel can perhaps best be characterized as modern-day institutionalists and, like John R. Commons in his time, contemporary empirical analysis has led them to a serious engagement with history. The key concept of their book is that of "industrial divides" the moments at which choices are made that fix the future course of industrial develop-

3,778 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article examined postwar patterns in macroeconomic policies and outcomes associated with left-and right-wing governments in capitalist democracies and concluded that the objective economic interests as well as the subjective preferences of lower income and occupational status groups are best served by a relatively low unemployment-high inflation macroeconomic configuration, whereas a comparatively high unemployment-low inflation configuration is compatible with the interests and preferences of upper income and occupation status groups.
Abstract: This study examines postwar patterns in macroeconomic policies and outcomes associated with left-and right-wing governments in capitalist democracies. It argues that the objective economic interests as well as the subjective preferences of lower income and occupational status groups are best served by a relatively low unemployment-high inflation macroeconomic configuration, whereas a comparatively high unemployment-low inflation configuration is compatible with the interests and preferences of upper income and occupational status groups. Highly aggregated data on unemployment and inflation outcomes in relation to the political orientation of governments in 12 West European and North American nations are analyzed revealing a low unemployment-high inflation configuration in nations regularly governed by the Left and a high unemployment-low inflation pattern in political systems dominated by center and rightist parties. Finally, time-series analyses of quarterly postwar unemployment data for the United States and Great Britain suggests that the unemployment rate has been driven downward by Democratic and Labour administrations and upward by Republican and Conservative governments. The general conclusion is that governments pursue macroeconomic policies broadly in accordance with the objective economic interests and subjective preferences of their class-defined core political constituencies.

2,911 citations

Book
01 Jan 1990
TL;DR: The authors named the parts of managerialism evolution, the contexts for managerialism in the US and the UK first steps, and the initial impact in the United States stunted growth, and some alternatives reflections.
Abstract: Naming the parts - the content for managerialism evolution - the contexts for managerialism in the US and the UK first steps - the initial impact in the UK first steps - the initial impact in the United States stunted growth - a critique of managerialism some alternatives reflections.

1,009 citations