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Books > Business & Economics > Industry & industrial studies > Civil service & public sector
This study fills a void in the literature of Latin American politics by offering a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the state and its bureaucratic components in the various nations of the region. The author notes at the onset that the complexity of the state apparatus in Latin America--ranging from the entrenched bureaucracy of Brazil to the minimal administrative capabilities of Nicaragua--presents both a challenge and a problem for analysts. His unique contribution here is combining an overview of public bureaucracy in Latin America with a series of country and regional profiles. With this basis for analysis established, Graham focuses on changes in the state, the society, and the economy that have occurred over the past two decades in order to develop a set of new perspectives on Latin American politics and economics. Organized into three sections, the study begins with three chapters that address the centrality of the state, the structural dimensions of the Latin American public sector, and issues in administrative reform. Country profiles of Mexico, Brazil, and Nicaragua and a study of regional variations in development policy make up Part Two. The final section includes comparisons of Latin American nations with selected European nations--an unusual juxtaposition that further enhances the readers understanding of the Latin American experience. Throughout, three themes tie the analysis of the state to its broader context in the surrounding polity, economy, and society: the performance of the state in the provision of basic services; the spatial dimensions of public administration and management; and the extension of state activities throughout society. The author's analytical framework thus entails identifying the structures that condition policy implementation, clarifying the spatial dimensions that shape public policy, and utilizing intergovernmental relations and field administration constructs to establish the centralization/decentralization mix required to reintegrate politics with policy and with organizations in the pursuit of more effective programs.
Policymaking in India evokes an image of rational decision-making and technical optimality. However, the arena of policymaking is characterized by conflict and contestation resolved through processes of negotiations and compromises. A significant amount of research in India focuses on policy goals and consequences, and less on policy processes. Breaking away from that approach, Public Policy and Politics in India directly addresses policy processes and discusses the role of institutions in policymaking in India. The wide-ranging essays cover issues such as environment, education, Parliament, liberalization, and governance. They highlight failures of implementation resulting from deep-rooted flaws in overall policy design. The volume aims not only to provoke a debate but also to encourage more systematic studies in the area. 'This significant volume provides an excellent understanding of policy studies in India since independence' - Sudha Pai, Professor, Center for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India 'Professor Mathur, a leading observer of Indian politics and policy, explores the political and administrative intricacies of the governmental system, with particular emphasis on institutional practices.' - Frank Fischer, Professor of Politics and Global Affairs, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA 'Through his wonderfully engaging essays, Kuldeep Mathur provides us with a rich understanding of the messiness within which Indias public policies are made and unmade.' - Bishnu N. Mohapatra, Professor, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, India
This study, with contributions from both scholars and practitioners, examines the theory and practice of public sector ethics across a broad range of environments.
The New Public Service: Serving, not Steering provides a framework for the many voices calling for the reaffirmation of democratic values, citizenship, and service in the public interest. It is organized around a set of seven core principles: (1) serve citizens, not customers; (2) seek the public interest; (3) value citizenship and public service above entrepreneurship; (4) think strategically, act democratically; (5) recognize that accountability isn't simple; (6) serve, rather than steer; and (7) value people, not just productivity. The New Public Service asks us to think carefully and critically about what public service is, why it is important, and what values ought to guide what we do and how we do it. It celebrates what is distinctive, important, and meaningful about public service and considers how we might better live up to those ideals and values. The revised fourth edition includes a new chapter that examines how the role and significance of these New Public Service values have expanded in practice and research over the past 15 years. Although the debate about governance will surely continue for many years, this compact, clearly written volume both provides an important framework for a public service based on citizen discourse and the public interest and demonstrates how these values have been put into practice. It is essential reading fo students and serious practitioners in public administration and public policy.
This book addresses an important issue and debate in public administration: the politicization of civil service systems and personnel. Using a comparative framework the authors address issues such as compensation, appointments made from outside the civil service system, anonymity, partisanship and systems used to handle appointees of prior administrations in the US, Canada, Germany, France, Britain, New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Greece.
In response to changes in internal needs, external organizational environments, and the expectations of shareholders - most notably, citizens and politicians - innovation is now an important common-place aspect of governance and the running of public service organizations. Given the ongoing financial and economic crisis, which presents a significant challenge to public service organizations (PSOs), there is a growing need to establish innovative strategies in order to survive the crisis, and provide the basis for future sustainable growth. This book contributes towards the discussion of PSO innovation through theoretically informed empirical studies of innovation across a range of theories, topics and fields. Studies examine the role of citizens, managers, and public service organizations; the adoption, diffusion, implementation, and management of innovations; collaboration, communication, and information technologies; and decision-making, ethical principles, HR management, leadership, and procurement. The studies - which examine the situation in a range of countries in Europe and Asia - cover a range of different organizations such as non-profits, health service organizations, and local governments. This book was originally published as a special issue of Public Management Review.
The term collaboration is widely used but not clearly understood or operationalized. However, collaboration is playing an increasingly important role between and across public, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors. Collaboration has become a hallmark in both intragovernmental and intergovernmental relationships. As collaboration scholarship rapidly emerges, it diverges into several directions, resulting in confusion about what collaboration is and what it can be used to accomplish. This book provides much needed insight into existing ideas and theories of collaboration, advancing a revised theoretical model and accompanying typologies that further our understanding of collaborative processes within the public sector. Organized into three parts, each chapter presents a different theoretical approach to public problems, valuing the collective insights that result from honoring many individual perspectives. Case studies in collaboration, split across three levels of government, offer additional perspectives on unanswered questions in the literature. Contributions are made by authors from a variety of backgrounds, including an attorney, a career educator, a federal executive, a human resource administrator, a police officer, a self-employed entrepreneur, as well as scholars of public administration and public policy. Drawing upon the individual experiences offered by these perspectives, the book emphasizes the commonalities of collaboration. It is from this common ground, the shared experiences forged among seemingly disparate interactions that advances in collaboration theory arise. Advancing Collaboration Theory offers a unique compilation of collaborative models and typologies that enhance the existing understanding of public sector collaboration.
In almost every liberal democratic society, an issue that is a topic of constant and passionate public discussion is how much that country's ministers, legislators, senior civil servants, and senior judges should be paid. Nor is this surprising; the issue has considerable voyeuristic appeal, particular democratic significance, and important ramifications for the functioning of the public sector as a whole. However, like most political debates, these discussions tend to be messy, fragmented, and full of unverified assertions and spurious appeals to populist sentiment. It is hardly surprising that those discussions rarely succeed in putting the matter to rest. Paying Our High Public Officials examines the political discourse concerning this question in 17 liberal democracies (Canada, the United States, Mexico, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Poland, Italy, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Zealand). Based on many hundreds of parliamentary debates, newspaper articles, speeches, as well as reports by think tanks and high commissions of state, the book identifies seven central arguments that occur in all these societies, translates them into the language of analytical philosophy, and then rigorously evaluates them. This approach contributes to a better understanding of this controversy and may result in better-justified and more legitimate conclusions concerning which policy to adopt.
Since the first edition was published in 1997, "Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations" has become the go-to reference for public and nonprofit human resources professionals. Now in its fourth edition, the text has been significantly revised and updated to include information that reflects changes in the field due to the economic crisis, changes in federal employment laws, how shifting demographics affect human resources management, the increased use of technology in human resources management practices, how social media has become embedded in the workplace, and new approaches to HRM policy and practice. Written by Joan E. Pynes--a noted expert in public administration--this authoritative work shows how strategic human resources management is essential for managing change in an increasingly complex environment. The bookIncludes new material on workplace violence and employee disciplineReviews updates on the legal environment of HRMContains suggestions for managing a diverse workforceOffers a wealth of revised tables and exhibitsUpdates the most recent developments in collective bargaining in the public and nonprofit sectorsOutlines the most current approaches to recruitment and selectionPresents an overview of recent information on compensation and benefitsGives an update of the technological advances used for strategic human resources managementProvides examples of HRM policies from other countries The book also includes an enhanced instructor's guide with examination questions, PowerPoint(R) slides, experiential exercises, and video vignettes that are coordinated with chapters in the book.
Equality of opportunity is a phrase that is embedded in the language of most organizations, even if it is not always identifiable in their practices. Since the civil rights movement in the US, and anti-discrimination legislation of the 1970s in the UK, jolted organizations on both sides of the Atlantic into taking the concept seriously, public service delivery has often led the way both in terms of developing new approaches and sometimes in highlighting the disturbing extent of social inequality. Gender Equality in Public Services offers an analysis of how the organization of gender equality work in British public services is changing in response to legislation, the privatisation of and reduced state expenditure on public services, the devolution of power from central to regional and local government, and the rise of third wave feminism. The book also takes a look at the challenges and opportunities for promoting women's equality in employment and public services during these times of change.The issues covered affect most advanced economies and the argument developed in the book draws from and contributes to international feminist debates and research literature on the potential of equality and gender mainstreaming work for radical and transformational change, and to feminist organization theory. As such, it will appeal to students, researchers and practitioners interested in the lived experience of equality policy and change processes, feminist organization theory and gender mainstreaming practice.
Challenging the traditional orthodoxies of public management, this timely and comprehensive book adopts a lively and critical approach to key questions of public policy and management.With state-of-the-art contributions from leading international scholars, Public Management in the Postmodern Era explores a public sector that has moved irreversibly beyond the familiar territory of New Public Management and the exhausted tenets of modernization. Within a global environment where the old explanations and solutions have failed, the book advances a postmodern analysis. It argues strongly its original case that postmodern perspectives are of immediate relevance to issues of practice as well as to enduring problems of theory.The ambitious remit of the book will be of direct value to practitioners, scholars, academic researchers and students in politics, public policy and public management. With an international scope, the book will appeal to a worldwide audience.
With chapters written by leading researchers and practitioners actively engaged in the work, this Edited Volume examines the role of the state education agency in school turnaround efforts. An emphasis is placed on practical application of research and best practice related to the State Education Agency's (SEA's) critical leadership role in driving and supporting successful school turnaround efforts. The Edited Volume is organized around the Center on School Turnaround's four objectives, with sections devoted to each: 1.Create a Pro-Turnaround Statutory and Regulatory Environment 2.Administer and Manage Turnaround Efforts Effectively 3.Provide Targeted and Timely Technical Assistance to Local Educational Agencies and Schools 4.Advocate and Lead to Build Support for Local Turnaround Efforts Chapters include: a) brief literature review, b) examples from SEAs (and/or concrete examples of proposed SEA practices), and c) action principles for the SEA.
"Corporate reform" is not reform at all. Instead, it is the systematic destruction of the foundational American institution of public education. The primary motivation behind this destruction is greed. Public education in America is worth almost a trillion dollars a year. Whereas American public education is a democratic institution, its destruction is being choreographed by a few wealthy, well-positioned individuals and organizations. This book investigates and exposes the handful of people and institutions that are often working together to become the driving force behind destroying the community public school.
"Corporate reform" is not reform at all. Instead, it is the systematic destruction of the foundational American institution of public education. The primary motivation behind this destruction is greed. Public education in America is worth almost a trillion dollars a year. Whereas American public education is a democratic institution, its destruction is being choreographed by a few wealthy, well-positioned individuals and organizations. This book investigates and exposes the handful of people and institutions that are often working together to become the driving force behind destroying the community public school.
In Disordered Thinking and the Rorschach, James Kleiger provides a thoroughly up-to-date text that covers the entire range of clinical and diagnostic issues associated with the phenomenon of disordered thinking as revealed on the Rorschach. Kleiger guides the reader through the history of psychiatric and psychoanalytic conceptualizations of the nature and significance of different kinds of disordered thinking and their relevance to understanding personality structure and differential diagnosis. He then moves on to thorough reviews of the respective contributions of David Rapaport, Robert Holt, Philip Holzman, and John Exner in conceptualizing and scoring disordered thinking on the Rorschach. These synopses are followed by an equally fascinating examination of less well known research conceptualizations, which, taken together, help clarify the basic interpretive conundrums besetting the major systems. Finally, having brought the reader to a full understanding of systematic exploration to date, Kleiger enters into a detailed analysis of the phenomenological and psychodynamic aspects of disordered thinking per se. Even experienced clinicians will find themselves challenged to reconceptualize such familiar categories as confabulatory or combinative thinking in a manner that leads not only to new diagnostic precision, but also to a richer understanding of the varieties of thought disturbances with their equally variable therapeutic and prognostic implications. With Disordered Thinking and the Rorschach, Kleiger has succeeded in summarizing a wealth of experience pertaining to the rigorous empirical detection and classification of disordered thinking. Equally impressive, he has taken full advantage of the Rorschach as an assessment instrument able to capture the richness of personality and thus capable of providing a unique clinical window into those crucially important differences in the quality of thought that patients may evince.
With chapters written by leading researchers and practitioners actively engaged in the work, this Edited Volume examines the role of the state education agency in school turnaround efforts. An emphasis is placed on practical application of research and best practice related to the State Education Agency's (SEA's) critical leadership role in driving and supporting successful school turnaround efforts. The Edited Volume is organized around the Center on School Turnaround's four objectives, with sections devoted to each: 1.Create a Pro-Turnaround Statutory and Regulatory Environment 2.Administer and Manage Turnaround Efforts Effectively 3.Provide Targeted and Timely Technical Assistance to Local Educational Agencies and Schools 4.Advocate and Lead to Build Support for Local Turnaround Efforts Chapters include: a) brief literature review, b) examples from SEAs (and/or concrete examples of proposed SEA practices), and c) action principles for the SEA.
Public utilities supply a set of goods and services that are central to the workings of a modern economy. Their importance in the economy's structure is matched by the interest and complexity of the problems they present for economic analysis. This two-volume set includes the most important and influential papers in the development of public utilities economics. It includes early contributions on marginal cost pricing as well as its later extensions dealing with peak loads, financial constraints, indivisibilities, uncertainty, and non linear tariffs. The selection includes a balance between partial and general equilibrium analysis. More recent game theoretic approaches to some of the classic problems are also included. Three important types of public utility - electricity, telephones and rail transport - are covered in some depth. This important collection will be a valuable reference source to researchers and policymakers alike.
Performance appraisal is a key tool for meeting the managerial needs of the modern organization. Daley examines the entire process of designing a performance appraisal system from determining its organizational purpose to constructing an objective appraisal instrument for measuring employee performance. Emphasis is also placed on the role of employee feedback and appraisal training. The cognitive behavior that shapes and influences the rating process is detailed. The book integrates the literature and practices detailed in business management, psychology, and sociology with that focusing on the public sector. After an overview of performance appraisal research and the effect of public-private differences, Daley examines the reasons for performance appraisal and the basic mechanics--why?, what?, when?, who?--of establishing an appraisal process. Special emphasis is placed on the role of performance appraisal in the organization. He looks at the array of appraisal instruments that exists concentrating on the development of objective Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales and Management by Objectives approaches. The role of employee feedback and the performance appraisal interview for delivering it are detailed. Daley focuses on the problems that plague raters. Organizational and employee misunderstandings along with traditional rater error problems are diagnosed. The importance of programs for training the rater are presented. An ideal resource for managers engaged in performance appraisal, this book can also serve as a supplemental reading for courses in management and human resources/personnel.
This is the second edition of a treatise which examines the law applied by international administrative tribunals in the field of employment relations between international organizations and their staff. The second edition has been substantially revised to take account of a great deal of new law and practice. Both the first and second volumes have been revised and are now free standing.
The underpinning assumption of public management in the developing world as a process of planned change is increasingly being recognized as unrealistic. In reality, the practice of development management is characterized by processes of mutual adjustment among individuals, agencies, and interest groups that can constrain behaviour, as well as provide incentives for collaborative action. Paradoxes inevitably emerge in policy network practice and design. The ability to manage government departments and operations has become less important than the ability to navigate the complex world of interconnected policy implementation processes. Public sector reform policies and programmes, as a consequence, are a study in the complexities of the institutional and environmental context in which these reforms are pursued. Building on theory and practice, this book argues that advancing the theoretical frontlines of development management research and practice can benefit from developing models based on innovation, collaboration and governance. The themes addressed in Public Sector Reforms in Developing Countries will enable public managers in developing countries cope in uncertain and turbulent environments as they seek optimal fits between their institutional goals and environmental contingencies.
Regulating Development examines the impact that regulation - good or bad - can have on the development of poorer societies. It opens with a succinct review of critical issues, including the implications of the spread of intellectual property rights legislation and the role of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).The volume examines the regulatory experiences of three important developing economies: Brazil, Ghana and South Africa. Key regulatory themes are analysed, most notably capital markets and corporate governance regulation, the regulation of the telecommunications sector and the use of regulatory reforms to promote the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises. Within each chapter policy lessons are drawn, the relevance of which extend well beyond national or even regional boundaries. The principal aim of the book is to show the extent to which regulation is moving increasingly to centre stage as a driver of development in Africa and Latin America. The book also demonstrates how thoughtful, well-planned regulation can make a real contribution to the emergence of supply-side competitiveness. This book will be invaluable reading for academics, researchers and students with an interest in economics and development studies, as well as for regulators and policymakers in developing countries.
Public enterprises remain of fundamental importance in advanced economies, and this volume characterises them as hybrids, influenced by markets and ministries.
Innovation is seen as an interactive process that involves many actors within and across organizational boundaries. In public sector services, innovation is a frequent, often holistic, and multi-layered process that involves many actors and many services at the same time. However, most of the existing literature on innovation in public sector services is based on the economics of innovation, which is heavily influenced by investigations of the private sector. Innovation in the Public Sector develops a more context-sensitive and rich approach in order to explore the different logics of innovation that prevail here. Rather than presenting a general theory of innovation, the book specifies how innovation and value creation are interconnected with social and institutional elements. Analytical constructs, including dynamic capability, absorptive capacity, and practice-based approaches, are reviewed and anchored in the organizational context of public sector services. Such a perspective on innovation can help us develop new understandings of the process and history of innovation, contributing to processual organizational analysis in a broader sense, and further developing present theories of organizational change.
First Published in 1998. This is Volume IV of eighteen of a series on the Sociology of Public Policy, Welfare and Social Work. Stemming from an original study on social mobility, this book looks at Britain's higher civil servants from 1870 to 1955 who are mainly sourced from the expensively-educated middle classes. |
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