The malfunctions of new public management: a case study of governance in indigenous affairs

Indigenous policy presents in acute form a case study of challenges to present public administration practice. Successive governments have promised to reduce extreme disadvantage and to do this in conjunction with affected citizens.2 But failures persist. In looking for explanations, Dr Peter Shergold (2006) has not only arraigned governance as a threshold cause but also set a high bar for its practice

Compte rendu

This book is a significant contribution to the understanding of the effects of new public management (NPM)-related reforms on the central civil service systems. It brings together 12 substantial contributions united by a coherent approach. The volume offers theoretical and empirical chapters on the transformative effects of NPM-based reforms, based on a comparison between Antipodean (New Zealand and Australia) and Scandinavian (Norway and Sweden) countries over the past two decades. As editors, in the two introductory and concluding chapters, Tom Christensen and Per Lægreid collaborate to take seriously a threefold dimension of NPM reforms: understanding the processes; analysing the real effects of reforms beyond the managerial talks; and considering the theoretical influences of NPM on democratic theory. [First paragraph

School Management: Norwegian Legacies Bowing to New Public Management

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relevance of school management training programmes to current Norwegian education policies and strategies. A specific question was asked: How relevant is the teaching professors’ understanding of school management competence? The findings indicate a split understanding of policy relevant understanding of school management. A majority of respondents had an understanding of school management coherent with the national policies and strategies. A minority did not. They saw the headmaster primarily as a communicative facilitator for teachers’ work, and an ‘administrative caretaker’. In an international perspective the findings represent a Norwegian particularity. There is a collision between Norwegian anti-management legacies of running schools and the Government’s need for effective and accountable management. This may imply a slower speed of implementing educational reforms in Norway.school, management, training, education, reform policies, pedagogy

Auditing culture : the subsidised cultural sector in the New Public Management

This article explores the effects of the spread of the principles and practices of the New Public Management (NPM) on the subsidised cultural sector and on cultural policy making in Britain. In particular, changes in the style of public administration that can be ascribed to the NPM will be shown to provide a useful framework to make sense of what has been felt as an “instrumental turn” in British policies for culture between the early 1980s and the present day. The current New Labour Government, as well as the arm's length bodies that distribute public funds for the cultural sector in Britain, are showing an increasing tendency to justify public spending on the arts on the basis of instrumental notions of the arts and culture. In the context of what have been defined as “instrumental cultural policies”, the arts are subsidised in so far as they represent a means to an end rather than an end in itself. In this perspective, the emphasis placed on the potential of the arts to help tackle social exclusion and the role of the cultural sector in place‐marketing and local economic development are typical examples of current trends in British cultural policy making. The central argument purported by this article is that this instrumental emphasis in British cultural policy is closely linked to the changes in the style of public administration that have given rise to the NPM. These new developments have indeed put the publicly funded cultural sector under increasing pressure. In particular, it will be shown how the new stress on the measurement of the arts' impacts in clear and quantifiable ways – which characterises today's “audit society” – has proved a tough challenge for the sector and one that has not been successfully met. The article will conclude by critically considering how the spread of the NPM has affected processes of policy making for the cultural sector, and the damaging effects that such developments may ultimately have on the arts themselves

New Public Management and Evaluation

In this chapter I will discuss what evaluation does and can contribute to insight in the dynamics and effects of (new) public management reforms. To do so, I pose three key ques-tions: 1. How is evaluation actually applied in relation to NPM-reforms? 2. How are evaluation results used and how can their impact be understood? 3. How can evaluations in and of NPM-reforms be improved? The theoretical framework that I will present to help answering the second question will also be used to explain the state of affairs in relation to the first question. Moreover, it will be used, in combination with empirical observations to support the conclusions with respect to question 3. Before going into the three questions in turn I present some observations on the broader context of reforms in the public domain. In my view this is relevant for the present subject, because evaluation of specific measures or of specific (classes of) reforms should take into account relevant boundary conditions and goals or requirements that are not explic-itly included in the focal measures

New Public Management in Europe

New Public Management (NPM) is the label which many academics have given to a series of reforms from the 1980s onwards, to improve the efficiency and performance of western governments and/or public sector organizations. Examples are the development of performance indicators and benchmarking, personnel reforms aimed at ‘normalising’ public sector employment on private sector models, placing executive bodies at arms’ length from ministries, establishing public private partnerships and introducing new management techniques and instruments. Continental European governments have adapted and re-interpreted many of the Anglo-American ideas underpinning the NPM, to adjust them to their own national politico-administrative contexts. As a consequence, reforms of the public sector may have the same labels in different countries but need not be the same in practice or in meaning; there is both convergence and divergence

Perkembangan Diacronis Administrasi Publik (Dari New Public Management Ke Good Governance)

Perkembangan administrasi publik telah membawa implikasiterhadap penyelenggaraan peran administrasi publik khususnya terkaitdengan pendekatan yang di gunaan dalam pembuatan dan pelaksanaanstrategi, pengelolaan organisasi secara internal serta interaksi antarapublik dengan politisi, masyaraat dan aktor lainnya, dalam artiansejauhmana administrasi publik dapat menyesuaian diri denganperkembangan paradigma yang ada serta sejauhmana penyesuaian tersebutdilakukan dengan memperhatian konteks lokal dan permasalahan yang adadi negara tersebut. Administrasi publik tidak pernah dapat melepaskan diridari dampak yang ditimbulkan oleh perkembangan-perkembanganlingkungan yang ada, khususnya yang diakibatkan oleh kemajuan teknologidan informasi. Administrasi publik dituntut untuk senantiasa menyesuaikandiri dengan paradigma yang dianutnya sehingga tetap berkesesuaian dansejalan dengan Perubahan lingkungan yang ada di sekelilingnya dimanaadministrasi publik harus mampu mereformasi dirinya sehingga sejalandengan paradigma good governance yang manjadi tuntutan masyarakatbanyak

Digitalization and New Public Management

The emergence of well-being and quality of life concepts in the workplace is driving significant changes in the public sector. This shift is characterized by the adoption of new labor standards that prioritize the holistic well-being of employees. This transformative approach is often referred to as "transformational management," and it aims to enhance the involvement of various strategic actors within the organization, as noted by Jacobsen in 2017. This transformation in the public sector reflects a broader evolution in the way work is structured, leadership is exercised, and organizational processes are managed. One of the key frameworks underpinning this transformation is the concept of "New Public Management" (NPM). NPM represents a set of principles and practices that seek to make public organizations more efficient, accountable, and responsive to the needs of citizens. It emphasizes results-oriented management, decentralization of authority, and a focus on customer satisfaction. Moreover, digitalization plays a pivotal role in this ongoing transformation. The integration of digital technologies and data-driven approaches into public administration processes is reshaping the way services are delivered and decisions are made. It enhances efficiency, transparency, and accessibility for both employees and citizens. Numerous studies have delved into the conceptual foundations and justifications for these changes introduced by NPM and digitalization in the public sector. These studies help provide a deeper understanding of how these frameworks can lead to improved public services, more engaged employees, and ultimately contribute to the well-being and quality of life of both the workforce and the citizens they serve. As the public sector continues to adapt to evolving demands and expectations, this research becomes increasingly valuable in shaping the future of public administration. In our article, we opted for the wealth of conceptual literature. Through in-depth essays, we explore the complex nuances of abstract ideas that shape our thinking.   Keywords: Digitalization – New public management – public administration. Classification JEL: H111 Paper type: Theoretical Research  L’émergence des concepts de bien-être et de qualité de vie au travail entraîne des changements importants dans le secteur public. Ce changement se caractérise par l’adoption de nouvelles normes du travail qui donnent la priorité au bien-être holistique des salariés. Cette approche transformatrice est souvent appelée « management transformationnel » et vise à renforcer l'implication des différents acteurs stratégiques au sein de l'organisation, comme le notait Jacobsen en 2017. Cette transformation dans le secteur public reflète une évolution plus large dans la façon dont le travail est structuré, le leadership est exercé et les processus organisationnels sont gérés. L'un des cadres clés qui sous-tendent cette transformation est le concept de « nouveau management public » (NPM). Le NMP représente un ensemble de principes et de pratiques visant à rendre les organisations publiques plus efficaces, plus responsables et plus réactives aux besoins des citoyens. Il met l'accent sur une gestion axée sur les résultats, la décentralisation de l'autorité et l'accent mis sur la satisfaction du client. De plus, la numérisation joue un rôle central dans cette transformation en cours. L’intégration des technologies numériques et des approches basées sur les données dans les processus de l’administration publique remodèle la manière dont les services sont fournis et les décisions sont prises. Il améliore l’efficacité, la transparence et l’accessibilité tant pour les employés que pour les citoyens. De nombreuses études se sont penchées sur les fondements conceptuels et les justifications de ces changements introduits par le NMP et la numérisation dans le secteur public. Ces études aident à mieux comprendre comment ces cadres peuvent conduire à des services publics améliorés, à des employés plus engagés et, en fin de compte, contribuer au bien-être et à la qualité de vie de la main-d'œuvre et des citoyens qu'ils servent. À mesure que le secteur public continue de s’adapter à l’évolution des demandes et des attentes, ces recherches deviennent de plus en plus utiles pour façonner l’avenir de l’administration publique. Dans notre article, nous avons opté pour la richesse de la littérature conceptuelle. À travers des essais approfondis, nous explorons les nuances complexes des idées abstraites qui façonnent notre réflexion.   Mots clés : digitalisation – Nouveau management public – administration publique. Classification JEL: H111 Paper type: Theoretical Researc

New public management and employee share ownership plan in Fiji’s public sector

This article provides insights into the implementation of new public management (NPM) practices in Fiji Telecom and whether the use of the employee share ownership scheme was helpful in the organisational change process. The NPM practices were influenced by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund who were the lenders to Fiji government. The adoption of NPM practices was part of a political, economic and public sector reforms introduced after 1989. The paper discusses the background and obstacles of the reform and how the employee share ownership scheme practice at a privatised Telecom Company assists employees to assimilate commercial business norms. The authors finally make recommendations for policy-makers in Fiji and other developing nations

Management of Civil Service Professionalisation in the Knowledge-based Society. Legal and Institutional Framework.

The paper approaches a topic of high actuality concerning the professionalisation of public management, process that could lead to setting up a corps of civil servants, substantiated on meritocratic criteria, political equidistance. In the context of knowledge-based society, the paper presents the organisational perspective and integrates New Public Management in the practice of the public organizations. The evolution from Weberian bureaucracy to New Public Management creates the matrix as basis for structuring in service training strategies of the civil servants as well as for the transfer of knowledge specified in those strategies. The context of the knowledge-based society provides the possibility to describe a structure of the training strategies adapted to the needs and ideals of the new society.: professionalisation of civil servants, knowledge-based society, strategies of in service training, New Public Management