The performance of the public services, from education and policing to health and recycling, is a matter of concern in many countries. Issues of public service efficiency, cost, and effectiveness have moved to the forefront of political debate. This book applies the latest thinking from Management and Organization Studies to the performance of public organizations in order to evaluate the merits of different mechanisms for driving improvement in the public sector.



Research in Management and Organization Studies on the private sector has identified a number of 'drivers' of improved performance, including innovation, organizational culture, leadership, and strategic planning. Many of these 'private sector' characteristics have emerged within public sector organisations in recent years. However, public managers face additional pressures, whether from regulators, constrained resources, or political interference. This book takes each of these drivers in turn and assesses whether they lead to improvement in public services.



Written for students and researchers of Public Management, this book will also be of interest to public managers and consultants.



Contents:

1. Theories of public service improvement : an introduction by George Boyne, Tom Entsistle, and Rachel Ashworth

2. Organizational environments by Rhys Andrews

3. Regulation by Steve Martin

4. Strategic planning by George Boyne

5. Leadership by Nicolai Petrovsky

6. Organizational Culture by Rachel Ashworth

7. Human Resource Management by Julian Gould-Williams

8. Innovation by Ricahrd Walker

9. Collaboration by Tom Entwistle

10. Organizational Learning by James Downe

11. Reflections on theories of public service improvement by Rachel Ashworth, George Boyne and Tom Entwistle



Index