Public Service Improvement Theories and Evidence

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 fromManagement 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 sectororganisations 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.

She is a Reader in Public Services Management at 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: Journal of Public Administration, Research and Theory, Public Administration, Journal of Management Studies, Policy and Politics, Government and Policy, and Public Management Review.

He is Professor of Public Sector Management at Cardiff Business School. His books include Constraints, Choices and Public Policies (JAI Press, 1996), Public Choice Theory and Local Government (Macmillan, 1998), Evaluating Public Management Reforms (Open University Press, 2003), and Perspectives on Public Service Performance: Measurement and Management (Cambridge University Press, 2006). He has also published over 100 articles in a range of academic journals. He is Associate Editor of the British Journal of Management and the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, and President of the U.S. Public Management Research Association. He has acted as adviser to the Audit Commission, the National Audit Office, and the Local Government Association.

He is a Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Management at Cardiff Business School and Programme Director of Cardiff's Master of Public Administration programme. He is currently working on an evaluation of local government policy for the Welsh Assembly Government, and has recently completed projects for the Lyons Inquiry, Countryside Agency, and the Welsh Local Government Association. He has had papers published in a number of refereed journals including: Public Administration, Environment and Planning, Policy and Politics, and Urban Studies.

1. Theories of Public Service Improvement: An Introduction, Rachel Ashworth, George Boyne, and Tom Entwistle2. Organizational Environments and Public Service Improvement, Rhys Andrews3. Regulation and Public Service Improvement, Stephen Martin4. Strategic Planning and Public Service Improvement, George Boyne5. The Role of Leadership, Nicolai Petrovsky6. Organizational Culture and Improvement, Rachel Ashworth7. HRM and Public Service Improvement, Julian Gould-Williams8. Innovation and Public Service Improvement, Richard Walker9. Partnerships, Networks, and Alliances in Collaborative Public Service Delivery, Tom Entwistle10. Organizational Learning and Public Service Improvement, James Downe11. Reflections on Public Service Improvement, Rachel Ashworth, George Boyne, and Tom Entwistle