Public Service Improvement Theories and Evidence [Paperback]

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.

Rachel Ashworth is a Reader in Public Services Management based at the Cardiff Business School. Her research interests include performance improvement and public services, organizational accountability across the public sector, public sector professions, and the application of institutional theory to public service reform. She has published widely in a number of refereed journals including:Public Administration,Journal of Management Studies,Policy and Politics,Government and Policy, andPublic Management Review. George A. Boyne is Professor of Public Sector Management at Cardiff Business School. His books includeConstraints, Choices and Public Policies(JAI Press, 1996),Public Choice Theory and Local Government(Macmillan, 1998),Evaluating lx