Reform and Leadership in the Public Sector A Political Economy Approach

• Main Authors: Wallis, Joe L. (Author), Dollery, Brian (Author), McLoughlin, Linda 1955- (Author)
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: Cheltenham, UK Edward Elgar 2007
• Subjects: Policy sciences > Economic aspects; Public administration > Economic aspects; Political planning > Economic aspects
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.

 A "must-read" for students, researchers and practitioners in the areas of public economics, public management and politics. The book provides both a useful reference that highlights links between these fields and an essential stimulus to future cross-disciplinary research in this important area.' - Andrew C. Worthington, University of Wollongong, Australia 'In this new, exciting exposition, Brian Dollery and Joe Wallis (here joined by Linda McLoughlin) continue their unique explorations advancing the frontiers of public administration and political economy with a fresh, challenging, and thought-provoking analysis of the effects and implications of more than two decades of public sector reform.' - Zane Spindler, Simon Fraser University, Canada The authors provide a fresh and accessible multi-disciplinary perspective on public management reform in this study. The work includes a broad survey of the paradigms and patterns that have shaped and differentiated the reform process in different countries. The book focuses on two themes not usually considered together. First, the scope and limits of the role economists have played in reform processes, not simply in terms of providing analytical models but in the actual leadership required to advance reform coherently. Secondly, the authors examine the importance of developing leadership at all levels of the public sector to take advantage of the opportunities reforms have generated, and to create new sources of public value. In bringing these themes together they uniquely show how the family of economic theories (public choice, agency theory and new institutional economics) can be adapted to explain why there might be a demand for developing public sector leadership that reflects an 'appreciative' managerial style as opposed to the hard-edged contractualism often associated with public management reform.