Management Through Metrics

2021 ◽  
pp. 143-152
Author(s):  
Rob Kitchin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Management Regime ◽  
Working Lives ◽  
New Public ◽  
Private Sector Organizations ◽  
Public And Private Sector ◽  
The Uk

This chapter studies how public and private sector organizations are increasingly using key performance indicators (KPIs) and technocratic procedures to manage work and workers and its consequences. Since the 1980s and the introduction of new public management (NPM) — an approach to running public sector institutions in a more business-like way — various kinds of assessment have been introduced to measure and track performance. Usually, these measures are institutionalized through formalized assessment schemes designed to improve efficiency, productivity, and quality. An entire bureaucracy has developed to oversee this datafication, and the management of institutions has transformed to become more instrumental and technocratic, guided by metrics. Decisions concerning individual promotion, departmental staffing and budgets, and strategic investments are informed by KPIs and rankings. In places like the UK and Australia, management through metrics has become deeply ingrained into the working lives of academics and the management of institutions. While Ireland has managed to avoid the worst excesses of management through metrics, it has not been totally immune. KPIs are now a part of the management regime and are used to guide decision-making, but they are used alongside other forms of information rather than narrowly determining outcomes.

scholarly journals Comparing Employee Attitudes towards Individualism-Collectivism across Public and Private Sector Organizations

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-47
Author(s):  
Cho Tae Jun ◽  
Faerman Sue R.
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Employee Attitudes ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
Private Sector Organizations ◽  
Public And Private Sector

One hundred thirty on responses from public employees and 154 responses from private employees were analyzed to compare employee attitudes towards individualism-collectivism across public and private sector organizations. The present study provides knowledge to public management by showing that some organizational characteristics of public sector organizations (i.e., goal ambiguity, red tape, and public-service motivation) make the public-private distinction, whereas others do not. Additionally, we found that the distinction has been blurred as New Public Management (NPM) has been adopted recently in the public sector. Finally, we support the two-factor model of organizational collectivism and individualism, as well as report that organizational individualism differentiates public and private sector organizations. The theroretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

scholarly journals Metagoverning Collaborative Innovation in Governance Networks

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 826-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Sørensen ◽  
Jacob Torfing
Keyword(s):  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Democratic Legitimacy ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Public ◽  
Collaborative Innovation ◽  
Governance Networks ◽  
Public And Private Sector

Western liberal governments increasingly seek to improve the performance of the public sector by spurring innovation. New Public Management reforms from the 1980s onward viewed strategic entrepreneurial leadership and public–private competition as key drivers of public innovation. By contrast, the current wave of New Public Governance reforms perceives collaboration between relevant and affected actors from the public and private sector as the primary vehicle of public innovation, and tends to see governance networks as potential arenas for collaborative innovation. The new focus on collaborative innovation in networks poses a fundamental challenge for public managers, elected politicians, and others aiming to metagovern governance networks. Hence, we claim that a specific metagovernance strategy is needed when the purpose of governance networks is to stimulate efficiency, effectiveness, and democratic legitimacy through innovation rather than incremental improvements. The article aims to sketch out the contours of such a strategy by comparing it with more traditional metagovernance strategies. The argument is illustrated by an empirical analysis of an example of collaborative innovation in Danish elderly care.

Similarities and differences of human resource management in private and public sector organisations in the light of new public management in international comparison

2009 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Poór ◽  
Zs. Karoliny ◽  
B. Musztyné Bártfai ◽  
Zs. Pótó ◽  
F. Farkas
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
New Public ◽  
Detailed Statistical Analysis ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Public And Private Sector

This paper seeks to address the similarities and differences between HR practices and policies of private and public sector organisations by reporting the results of our analysis based on the CRANET database. In our paper detailed statistical analysis is made for the three geographical subsets (New Public Management Countries, Eastern Europe, and All Other Countries) of the CRANET Survey 2004–2005. In light of CRANET data we review whether public sector reforms driven by radical structural changes, privatisation of certain government functions, or adaptation of New Public Management technologies could have or could not have eliminated the most important distinguishing features of public and private sector organisations in the field of HRM.

Understanding Private and Public Partnerships

2018 ◽  
pp. 159-168
Author(s):  
Luke Strongman
Keyword(s):  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Second World War ◽  
World War ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Public ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Public And Private Partnerships ◽  
Second World

New public management organisations tend to import managerial processes and behaviour from the private sector, and have been doing so in the post-Keynsian era. Increasingly those economies that were nationalised for large collective rebuilding programs after the Second World War were being deregulated and new models of management based on private enterprise and monetary accountability became the norm. This chapter provides an overview and contextual commentary on the origins of the public and private, the current era of public management, describes the characteristics of public and private partnerships; the factors of partnership performance, the characteristics of success and limitations, and concludes with a contextual discussion of Public and Private Partnerships.

scholarly journals Drinking in Private: A Public Concern

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60
Author(s):  
Ryan McCarville
Keyword(s):  
Distribution System ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Indirect Costs ◽  
Market Mechanism ◽  
Best Interest ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Consumer Benefit ◽  
New Public ◽  
Fiscal Austerity

The privatization of the liquor distribution system in Alberta was undertaken by a Conservative government motivated by achieving fiscal austerity, along with greater consumer benefit, both in cost and selection. The privatization of this Crown corporation was rationalized as an action that, above all else, held the individual’s best interest in mind. I argue that, in fact, this decision created the opposite effect. By analyzing the neoliberal governing paradigm and the structures created with New Public Management (NPM), this paper will outline the forces driving privatization of Crown corporations. I will advocate for a return to a public system of distribution by classifying alcohol as a unique product in the consumer market. Finally, I will analyze the indirect costs associated with alcohol consumption by comparing public and private markets across Canada. Viewing alcohol distribution in a holistic lens will quell the notion that the market mechanism is capable of managing liquor distribution, and highlight the mischaracterizations and flaws in the Progressive Conservative government’s 1993 decision.

About New Public Management Practices in Russian Universities (on Results of Field Studies)

Upravlenie ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 61-67
Author(s):  
Ломовицкая ◽  
V. Lomovitskaya ◽  
Хватова ◽  
T. Khvatova ◽  
Душина ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
New Public ◽  
Control Department ◽  
And Control ◽  
Russian Universities

New public management practices in prestigious universities are researched in this paper. Based on the field study — higher-education teaching personnel (HETP) interrogation — problem areas related to university managerialism policy have been revealed. It has been shown, that the administrative machine and control department extension, as well as low level of professorship involvement in decision-making destroy the academic autonomy and create a latent conflict between managers and HETP.

The emergence of post-NPM initiatives: Integrated Impact Assessment as a hybrid decision-making tool

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Sebastien Marchand ◽  
Maude Brunet
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
National Level ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
New Public ◽  
Administrative Structures ◽  
Decision Making Tool ◽  
Integrated Impact Assessment

Despite the criticism levelled at it, New Public Management (NPM) seems to be enduring. Post-NPM initiatives remain relatively theoretical and are slow to take root at the heart of the governmental apparatus. Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA), a tool for decision-making at national level, seems to be providing new answers. IIA has developed from NPM regulatory relief initiatives, but its objectives and effects are more in line with post-NPM principles. This article aims to explore the concept of IIA, its development and the implications of its institutionalization. A comparative analysis of IIA practice is carried out for four approaches: three at the national level (France, United Kingdom and Switzerland) and one at the supranational level (European Commission). IIA appears as a hybrid NPM and post-NPM tool, the use of which allows the implementation of certain post-NPM principles. The article concludes on future avenues for research. Points for practitioners Administrations often have to deal with issues related to evidence-based decision-making, transparency and the proliferation of statutory sectoral impact assessments. In a context of limited resources, Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) can be an attractive solution. However, a careful analysis of its development makes it possible to better understand what its institutionalization actually implies. The practice of IIA makes it possible to systematize consultation with stakeholders, but varies according to the methods used and the administrative structures in place. IIA could serve as a decision-making tool that adds a public interest component and better reflect public values in a decision-making situation.

scholarly journals The compassionate organisation

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Poul Erik Flyvholm Jørgensen ◽  
Maria Isaksson
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test whether organisations in the public domain have embraced a corporate type of discourse, mirroring the private sector’s preferred orientation towards expertise, or whether they maintain their traditional discourse of goodwill towards the publics they serve. At a critical time for the public sector with inadequate funding and dominance of New Public Management approaches, will it be more motivated to portray itself as expert and efficient rather than altruistic? Design/methodology/approach – The paper applies a rhetorical framework to provide a detailed analysis of organisational value statements posted on the web sites of public and private organisations. The research considers the value priorities of 50 organisations in the UK and Scandinavia in order to gauge the extent of convergence between the two sectors’ preferred discourses. Findings – The research shows that the public sector sticks to its guns in maintaining a web-transmitted values discourse which forefronts goodwill towards its clients. It also shows that the public and private sectors take different approaches to goodwill. Originality/value – Strategists and communication specialists are encouraged to contemplate the extent to which their organisation’s projected web image equates their desired image to avoid alienating important public audiences and reinforce levels of trust. The current framework brings attention to the complex nature of goodwill and may be employed to better balance a discourse of organisational expertise against a discourse of goodwill in planning authentic value statements.

scholarly journals ADMINISTRACIÓN PÚBLICA Y REFORMAS JURÍDICAS: ¿HACIA DÓNDE VA LA BUROCRACIA? (PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LEGAL REFORMS: WHERE IS THE BUREAUCRACY GOING?)

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (16) ◽  
pp. 54-77
Author(s):  
Luis Fernando Villafuerte Valdés ◽  
Dulce Yaneth López Romero
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
The Public ◽  
Legal Reforms ◽  
New Public ◽  
Toma De Decisiones

Resumen: El objetivo del artículo es reflexionar teóricamente acerca de la transformación del modelo de administración pública en México, en el que se marca un retorno hacia la vieja burocracia tradicional. Primero, analizamos las principales teorías de la administración pública, tales como la burocracia tradicional, así como la nueva gestión pública. Luego hacemos referencia al neopopulismo y la reavivación de las prácticas de la burocracia tradicional. Concluimos que es fallida la involución en el modelo de administración pública toda vez que ya no contamos con la abundancia de recursos que se tenían en la década de los setentas, tales como el petróleo. También, es posible concluir que este retroceso en el modelo de administración pública no se apega estrictamente al modelo weberiano, toda vez que no hay cumplimiento de la racionalidad administrativa, sino que destacan el autoritarismo, la centralización en la toma de decisiones y el patrimonialismo.Abstrac: The objective of the article is to reflect theoretically about the transformation of the public administration model in Mexico, in which a clear return to the old model of traditional bureaucracy is visualized. First, we analyze the main theories of public administration, such as traditional bureaucracy and new public management. Then we refer to neopopulism and the revival of the practices of the old traditional bureaucracy. We conclude that the involution in the public administration model is failed since we no longer have the abundance of resources that existed in the seventies, such as Petroleum. Also, it is possible to conclude that this setback in the public administration model does not strictly adhere to the Weberian model, since there is no compliance with administrative rationality, highlighting authoritarianism, centralization in decision-making and patrimonialism.

scholarly journals Making Public Infrastructure Work: Multi-seat Majoritarian Elections as a new Institutional Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 244
Author(s):  
Reiner Eichenberger ◽  
Patricia Schafer ◽  
David Stadelmann
Keyword(s):  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Public Infrastructure ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
New Public ◽  
Wealth Of Nations ◽  
Proportional Elections ◽  
Tax Payers

The wealth of nations depends on the quality of their infrastructure. Often, however, infrastructure suffers from ineffective investments and poor maintenance. Proposed solutions, such as New Public Management or Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) tend to develop into Politicians-Private Partnerships as politicians collude with private firms to exploit present and future tax-payers. Therefore, it is necessary to give citizens better control over collective decision making. While there is a significant economic literature on empowering citizens via decentralization and direct democratic institutions, the role of electoral rules has thus far been rather neglected. An interesting case in point is Switzerland, which is well known for its high-quality infrastructure, extensive decentralization, and direct democracy. However, this paper argues that there is an additional and previously neglected institution that moves Swiss politicians away from client politics towards better serving public interest: Switzerland’s unique electoral institutions which effectively combine proportional elections with multi-seat majority elections. We explain how these institutions work, how they enhance the relationships between citizens and public and private entities, and we argue that they could be implemented in other countries.

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