Examining how public and nonprofit managers improve productivity in their organizations, Evan M. Berman lays out a wide range of tools and strategies to promote employee motivation, client orientation, cost-effective service delivery, effective partnering, harmonious workplace relations, and the use of information technology. Productivity in Public and Nonprofit Organizations presents a positive view of the possibility of improvement through many hands-on examples of change. It offers specific advice on overcoming vital challenges that managers often encounter when they seek to improve their organizations and units. In a clear and effective writing style, Berman argues that managers must combine technology and analysis with psychology and foresight in human relations. This book further includes survey data about the use of productivity improvement strategies in a wide range of public and nonprofit organizations.

Productivity in Public and Nonprofit Organizations will be of great interest to professionals and students in the fields of public administration, management, and organization studies.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the entire world experienced a health, humanitarian, and economic crisis with no record in the present century, leading to the paralysis of activities by voluntary or mandatory quarantines. There is great uncertainty about how long the crisis will last and how recovery will be achieved, because of this paralysis and the contraction of demand, auguring a slow recovery. Research in Administrative Sciences under COVID-19 examines the context surrounding organizations in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Detailing various aspects related to companies and their competitiveness in the face of the global health crisis, chapters cover topics on intellectual capital, burnout (professional exhaustion), stress and technostress, as well as pandemic effects on the human capital of organizations. Developing upon the issues of Corporate Social Responsibility, E-commerce in times of COVID-19 and Design Thinking as a strategy for the economic reactivation of start-ups in Mexico, this volume is the result of research efforts carried out by 23 outstanding researchers from 12 Mexican and Latin American higher education institutions.

"Decentralise authority and let managers manage" has been an almost universal message in UK public services over the last 15 years. But does it really work? This study attempts to show that behind the ministerial rhetoric the experiences of NHS trusts, grant maintained schools and housing associations were in practice distinctly mixed. The text offers a theoretical analysis of the origins and results of decentralized public management in the UK.

Public Sector Leadership in Assessing and Addressing Risk explores risk management in practice, taking a specific focus on the identification of risks in the European public sector while contextualising its Eurocentric analysis within a global setting. The volume lays important groundwork for understanding the main philosophical premises of risk management. Navigating the text's philosophical underpinnings such as 'Risk Management is a misnomer', the editors provide deep insight into global, strategic, and operational risk management that will prove invaluable for any practitioner. Providing high quality academic research, ESFIRM provides a platform for authors to explore, analyse and discuss current and new financial models and theories, and engage with innovative research on an international scale.

This edited collection examines corruption in the public sector, assessing case studies from across the globe in order to provide an international perspective on this worldwide issue. Case studies include an examination of how corruption has been minimized in Singapore and Hong Kong; an assessment of corruption in India under Modi, who was elected on a promise to reduce corruption; a study of corruption in Bangladesh, and an evaluation of attempts to curb corruption in South Africa. This collection also includes a comparative study of corruption in Brazil and Chile, and a global perspective on the development of ethical privacy policies in e-government. The original case studies included in this book are brought together in an effort to identify common themes that impinge upon the fight against corruption, despite the particular nuances of individual nations. The contributions included in this edited collection also cover themes that are not often studied, including corruption in government procurement, the nascent issue of the 'right to privacy' stemming from e-governance, and the proclivity of governments to hide behind Official Secrets Acts to withhold information - ostensibly guaranteed under the 'right to information' which is vital in the fight against corruption. Providing a broad overview on public sector corruption, including local and national perspectives, this edited collection is essential reading for scholars of both public policy and corruption worldwide.

Many accounts of British development since 1945 have attempted to discover why Britain experienced slower rates of economic growth than other Western European countries. In many cases, the explanation for this phenomenon has been attributed to the high level of defence spending that successive British post-war governments adhered to. Yet is it fair to assume that Britain's relative economic decline could have been prevented if policy makers had not spent so much on defence? Examining aspects of the political economy and economic impact of British defence expenditure in the period of the first cold war (1945-1955), this book challenges these widespread assumptions, looking in detail at the link between defence spending and economic decline. In contrast to earlier studies, Till Geiger not only analyses the British effort within the framework of Anglo-American relations, but also places it within the wider context of European integration. By reconsidering the previously accepted explanation of the economic impact of the British defence effort during the immediate post-war period, this book convincingly suggests that British foreign policy-makers retained a large defence budget to offset a sense of increased national vulnerability, brought about by a reduction in Britain's economic strength due to her war effort. Furthermore, it is shown that although this level of military spending may have slightly hampered post-war recovery, it was not in itself responsible for the decline of the British economy.

The concept and practice of civic service is deeply rooted in America's past, present, and future, and has been a featured component of recent presidential agendas. Yet despite ongoing debates about the methods and values of civic service, no recent book has systematically analyzed the effectiveness and outcomes of service programs in America. Civic Service: What Difference Does It Make? presents a thorough, research-based evaluation of public service programs in the United States. Divided into four key parts, this groundbreaking volume presents original information not found anywhere else. Selected Contents: Part 1. Ideological and Historical Context1. The Ideal2. Policy EvolutionPart 2. Evidence and Methods3. The Nature of the Evidence4. Methodology: Defining Civic ServicePart 3. Research Synthesis Findings5. Civic Service Outcomes6. Qualities of Successful ProgramsPart 4. Summing Up and Taking Stock7. Drawing Conclusions about Civic Service8. Policy Implications: The Evolution of Civic Services ObjectivesAppendices

Sweeping changes have taken place in many parts of the world in the provision and organisation of health care, welfare and other 'public' services. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) has been a prime example of this. This multi-disciplinary collection of essays reviews recent evidence from a major research programme, commissioned by the Economic and Social Research Council (ERSC), into the evolution and impact of contracting in the NHS. Each chapter examines a particular aspect of health and social care, including competition between hospitals and the effects of GP fundholding, and discusses the important theoretical implication of experience in the NHS quasi-market. It will be essential reading for anyone interested in the contemporary debate surrounding the issues.

This essential guide to commissioning and purchasing in social care provides case studies, guidelines, and checklists to help readers to assess need, develop care plans and select suppliers of care. It clearly explains:

• the reasons for the shift to commissioning and purchasing away from direct provision
• the distinction between commissioning and purchasing
• how to ensure that the commissioning and purchasing process fully reflects the views of users and carers
• contracts and tenders
• costs and prices in relation to providing quality care
• how safeguards can be built into the commissioning and purchasing process.

This is an invaluable resource that focuses on the practical skills required to deliver effective care. It has been written for social care students, frontline staff and their managers to help them through the process.

Since the 1980s, the public sector has been undergoing major changes throughout the Western industrialized world, the transitional economies of Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and South East Asia. The main thrust of these changes has been to bring public sector management practices closer to those of the private sector. This raises the question of how far public and private sector management are comparable.
This set examines the relationships between public and private sector management in terms of both classical management theory and the new public management that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s. While the collection concentrates on articles from the last twenty years, some historical pieces are also included. Individual volume introductions as well as a general introduction place the articles in their historical context. A detailed index is also provided.

Governments, Competition and Utility Regulation continues the series of annual books, published in association with the Institute of Economic Affairs and the London Business School, which critically reviews the state of utility regulation and competition policy. The book contains incisive chapters on competition policy and trade, antitrust and consumer welfare, merger control and efficiency, emissions trading, Ofcom and convergence, energy regulation and competition, regulating the London Underground, the future of water regulation and European merger control. Chapters on each topic are followed by comments from regulators, competition authority chairmen and other experts in the relevant fields. The book provides analysis of and commentaries on the most significant developments in regulation and competition policy, drawing on experiences in Britain, the United States and the European Union, as well as in international trade negotiations. It will be of value to practitioners, policymakers and academics who are concerned with regulation, deregulation and policies to promote competition.

The public sector in the UK has undergone radical change over the last two decades. Consequently, managers and service professionals have had to adopt new ways of working and acquire a wide range of new managerial skills to deal with the changes that have taken place. The continuing process of change in the public sector also means that these managerial skills need to be continually maintained and developed. This book provides comprehensive coverage of public sector management approaches covering: c Strategy c Finance c Human resources c Marketing c Quality c Information systems. Thus it provides managers, professionals and students with a clear understanding of the main elements of each aspect of management as applied in public sector organizations. The book also outlines the ongoing changes which will impact on public sector organizations in the future and discusses the implications of these changes for public sector management methods.

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.

The Handbook on the Economics of Conflict conveys how economics can contribute to the understanding of conflict in its various dimensions embracing world wars, regional conflicts, terrorism and the role of peacekeeping in conflict prevention. The economics of conflict is a relatively new branch of the discipline of economics. Conflict provides opportunities for applying game theory involving strategic behaviour, interactions and interdependence between adversaries. The Handbook demonstrates that conflict and its prevention is costly; it considers new dimensions such as ethnic cleansing, destructive power, terrorism, corruption, the impact of new technology, peacekeeping, the role of economists in defence ministries and the use of private contractors in conflict. This unique and comprehensive resource presents a set of original contributions by distinguished experts, providing theoretical, empirical and case-study material. It will prove invaluable for students and researchers interested in defence and peace economics, international relations and strategic studies. Policymakers and defence industry executives will also find this book a fascinating read. Contributors : C. Anderton, S.H. Bae, C.P. Barros, N. Bennett, U. Berkok, L. Bilmes, V. Bove, D. Braddon, J. Bradley, J. Brauer, J. Carter, F. Coulomb, N. Davies, S. Davies, P. Dowdall, J.P. Dunne, A. Gibbons, L.A. Gil-Alana, P. Hall, K. Hartley, J. Hudson, D. Jones, C. Kollisa, S. Markowski, A. Ott, S.M. Paleologou, K. Pittel, I. Ringel, D. Rubbelke, Selami Sezgin, Sennu Sezgin, R. Smith, B. Solomon, J. Stiglitz, A. Tishler, T. Turner, M. Vahabi, V. Zervos

This new book in the Exploring Corporate Strategy Series brings together a selection of 17 chapters which provide readers with material on a range of important strategic issues of particular relevance to the public sector. The chapters cover most of the major strategic themes from Exploring Corporate Strategy which is also reflected in the chapter sequence.

A definitive guide to the people in power in every part of the world, this book details some 16,000 government ministries, departments, agencies, corporations and their connected bodies from every country in the world. Each chapter contains: notes on the head of state; an outline of the country's legislature and governmental system; a list of ministries, together with principal personnel; government departments and their connected bodies; nationalized industries; and government organizations and affiliated groups arranged by subject heading. Subject headings include - agricultural organizations, banks, the armed forces, trade organizations, development bodies, energy, the media, tourism, telecommunications and judicial bodies. Each entry contains, where appropriate: names and titles of principal officials; full address, telephone, telex and fax numbers; and an outline of each organization's activities. This edition carries constitutional information on countries with federal states, including listings of major state institutions.

The Chinese imperial examination system is unique in traditional Chinese society with origins dating back 1,300 years, and has had a far-reaching impact not only on contemporary Chinese society, but also on government systems of other countries around the world. The system was originally created as a political institution to recruit officials to serve the Chinese imperial government. During the period of its use, from 605 through 1905, the imperial examination system played a central role in the Chinese imperial government. It served as a tool for the political and ideological control, functioned as a proxy for education, produced the elite social class, and became a dominant culture in the traditional Chinese society. During its 1,300 years, the system generated countless publications, including the imperial government publications and a variety of non-government works. After the abolition of the system in 1905, numerous publications produced by the international research community spawned the Chinese imperial examination studies. The interdisciplinary study involved a whole range of disciplines, including history, political science, sociology, education, psychology, culture, literature, linguistics, anthropology, philosophy, religion, mathematics, economics, and archive studies. It would be impossible for one to understand China without knowing the imperial examination system and the vast collection of the imperial examination studies. This book provides an annotated bibliography for 214 publications that are relevant to the imperial examination studies, and each entry includes a review to serve as a guide to readers for this collection. Of the 214 publications, 155 are written in Chinese, and 59 are English publications. Although the 214 publications only comprise a fraction of the imperial examination studies, with a variety of subjects and research quality, this bibliography represents in considerable depth the scope of the development of the imperial examination studies. Through selecting, presenting, and reviewing a variety of significant publications, this book provides quick access to the essential literature of the imperial examination studies. College students, faculty, or any other readers who are interested in learning, teaching, or researching the Chinese imperial examination system, Chinese history, the Chinese government systems, culture, ideology, education, literature, and current social issues will find The Chinese Imperial Examination System: An Annotated Bibliography to be an important addition to their research.

Focusing on the work and labor history of shipyard workers in the Royal Dockyards, this text examines the question of state employment and the specific characteristics of that pattern of industrial relations. It encompasses discussions of the nature of work and resistance to forms of authority. Particular forms of control are available to the employer which are absent from the experience of the private sector. In addition, the state is often under pressure to act as a model employer, and this can lead to tensions between this objective and the need for financial constraint and public surveillance of the uses of taxation.

Examines the balance between the market, government and civic sectors and makes comparisons with other postcommunist countries.

This in-depth study includes data from nine case study areas which have been subjected to detailed examination. The Review assesses the scope and value of public library services currently provided in England and Wales, with a schedule of guidelines and wide-ranging recommendations which lead to a blueprint for services in the new millennium. The Report: examines the changing world within which public libraries have to operate; incorporates significant developments in the UK and abroad over the last ten years; analyses the changing and emerging needs of the public; investigates partnerships, links with other information sectors, and the relationships between library services and other local authority services. It is essential reading for everyone who deals with the public library sector. Contents: Summary; Schedule of recommendations; Scope and structure; The public library's environment; Users and their interests; Functions and services; Funding and control; Repercussions of change; Cooperative endeavours; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.

This work provides the reader with an understanding of team building in a health care environment, and shows managers how to build a team that is committed to delivering quality. Topics covered include key quality concepts, team exercises, how to be a team member, team empowerment and continuous quality improvement. The facilitator's guide provides all the lesson plans, overhead projection masters and guides to all the exercises necessary for the team leader or trainer to run a teambuilding workshop.

This encyclopedic reference/text provides an analysis of the basic issues and major aspects of bureaucracy, bureaucratic politics and administrative theory, public policy, and public administration in historical and contemporary perspectives. Examining theoretical, philosophical, and empirical interpretations, as well as the intricate position of bureaucracy in government, politics, national development, international relations, and a host of other institutions, the book focuses on the multifunctional role of public bureaucracies in societies with various socioeconomic, political, cultural, and ideological orientations and covers a wide range of processes and subjects.

The concept of hybridity, although well developed in various research areas, is relatively new in the management field, where "organisational hybridity" refers to organisations that combine managerial features, value systems and institutional logics of different sectors (market, state, civil society). Hybrid organisations have traditionally been compared with private, public and non-profit ones, by considering goal ambiguity, governance, organisational structures, personnel and purchasing processes, and work-related attitudes and values. This research has led to substantial evidence on relevant differences between hybrid and other organisations. Hybridisation has also become a permanent feature in today's welfare system. New Public Management and welfare state reforms of the mid 1990s contributed to the emergence of hybrid organisations, with neo-institutional theory also attributed to this phenomenon. Considering the hybrid phenomenon as a whole, little is known about governance and controls, especially with regard to accountability mechanisms and issues such as the prevention of corruption. Even less is known when we consider the main variables of hybridity to be mixed ownership, competing institutional logics, multiplicity of funding arrangements, and public and private forms of financial and social control. This book seeks to answer the unsolved questions related to hybrid organisations. It does so by adopting a multifaceted approach along its ten chapters, which focus on different national contexts, including the UK, Italy, Australia, and Sweden, as well as global organisations. The authors consider policy sectors including humanitarian aid, local transport, healthcare, and welfare services.

Context is a central concept in organization and management studies, yet it is often used in a generalized, unspecific manner. This book offers an interactionist view on context as a dynamic, relational, and socially enacted phenomenon. It explores context in action and the theoretical, methodological, and analytical consequences of this approach through a collection of reflections and research experiences from the dynamic field of health care. In the opening chapters, the editors present their framework for studying context in action and outline three main approaches, centered on the following questions: What constitutes context for a phenomenon or an event? How do actors understand, experience, and engage with context? How do contexts change and what is the role of actors in such processes? Context and action are then explored through a range of topics such as enactment and organizational change, policy implementation, executive work, strategic change, materiality, technology, patients and relatives' perspectives, integrated care, quality improvement, and health care support work. Relevant to both management researchers and practitioners, this volume provides a definition of context as theoretical construct based on interactionist and process based perspectives, and a practical framework for studying context in action which the reader can use in their own work.

Disputes over government policies rage in a number of areas. From taxation to climate change, from public finance to risk regulation, and from health care to infrastructure planning, advocates debate how policies affect multiple dimensions of individual well-being, how these effects balance against each other, and how trade-offs between overall well-being and inequality should be resolved. How to measure and balance well-being gains and losses, is a vexed issue. Matthew D. Adler advances the debate by introducing the social welfare function (SWF) framework and demonstrating how it can be used as a powerful tool for evaluating governmental policies. The framework originates in welfare economics and in philosophical scholarship regarding individual well-being, ethics, and distributive justice. It has three core components: a well-being measure, which translates each of the possible policy outcomes into an array of interpersonally comparable well-being numbers, quantifying how well off each person in the population would be in that outcome; a rule for ranking outcomes thus described ; and an uncertainty module, which orders policies understood as probability distributions over outcomes. The SWF framework is a significant improvement compared to cost-benefit analysis (CBA), which quantifies policy impacts in dollars, is thereby biased towards the rich, and is insensitive to the distribution of these monetized impacts. The SWF framework, by contrast, uses an unbiased measure of well-being and allows the policymaker to consider both efficiency (total well-being) and equity (the distribution of well-being). Because the SWF framework is a fully generic methodology for policy assessment, Adler also discusses how it can be implemented to inform government policies. He illustrates it through a detailed case study of risk regulation, contrasting the implication of results of SWF and CBA. This book provides an accessible, yet rigorous overview of the SWF approach that can inform policy-makers and students.