scholarly journals Waiting for the next wave: trajectories, narratives and conveying the state of public sector reform

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evert Lindquist
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
The State ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
State Sector ◽  
Democratic Reform ◽  
New Public

With the adoption of the State Sector Act in 1988, the New Zealand public sector revolution was in full motion. The Act was one of many initiatives that provided a new framework for government and managing public services (Boston et al., 1996; Scott, 2001). New Zealand rapidly became the poster child for what became known as the New Public Management, and an archetype scrutinised around the world. The audacity and intellectual coherence of the New Zealand model became a standard against which the progress of other governments was judged. These reforms were part of  a larger social and economic transformation which led to dislocation and democratic reform. In the crucible of introducing and implementing these reforms, and in the inevitable re-adjustment phases, New Zealand gained a reputation for continuous reflection on its progress by its political leaders, government officials and a small band of impressive academics.

scholarly journals Quakes and aftershocks

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masashi Yui ◽  
Robert Gregory
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Structural Change ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Peak Period ◽  
State Sector ◽  
New Public ◽  
The Revolution

This article draws upon co-author Masashi Yui’s unique database on state sector organisational restructuring in New Zealand from 1960 to 2017. It shows that if the peak years of structural change, 1986–92 – the ‘revolution’ which saw New Zealand as a world leader in what became known as New Public Management – were seismic shocks, then they have been followed by an apparently endless number of aftershocks, which distinguish the post-peak period from the 25 years preceding it. The article speculates as to whether there could be links between the amount of organisational restructuring, unsatisfactory productivity rates in the New Zealand state sector, and the embedding of the ‘managerialist’ culture that was introduced by the ‘revolution’.

Explaining change in the Mexican public sector: the limits of New Public Management

2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermo M. Cejudo
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Economic Liberalization ◽  
Management Style ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Public ◽  
Mexican Government

The Mexican public sector has undergone significant transformations in recent decades. This article argues against the view that these changes are the result of New Public Management-style reforms. Even though the Mexican government has applied some of the tools associated with this paradigm, the essential NPM doctrines — granting more autonomy to public agencies and government officials, and using market mechanisms to promote competition in the public sector — have been absent from the agenda. The Mexican experience exposes two erroneous assumptions in the international debate about NPM: that there is a global trend of similar national reforms and that every change in the public sector is part of this new paradigm. Instead, the changes in the Mexican public sector are the result of incremental adjustments to two broader domestic processes: economic liberalization and political democratization — which have led to a smaller and relatively more accountable administration. Points for practitioners This article suggests that not all reforms are the result of New Public Management initiatives. It points towards alternative explanations for change in the Mexican public sector and identifies political democratization and economic liberalization as the main sources of change. This view challenges existing accounts of public sector change in developing countries and suggests a more complex process of reform. The main lesson for practitioners is that, when analysing reform experiences, they should look at the underlying causal processes rather than at the official rhetoric. Moreover, the article reminds practitioners that NPM is only one among several sources of doctrines for changing the public administration.

scholarly journals Contributions and challenges of ‘New Public Management’: New Zealand since 1984

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Whitcombe
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Rigorous Analysis ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Public ◽  
The World

When New Public Management (NPM) swept around the world in the 1980s the New Zealand public sector embraced its theories and embarked upon a rigorous reform process which brought both praise and some scepticism. New Zealand was seen at that time, by some observers, to be a ‘world leader’. However, in the years following the initial impact of NPM the euphoria has given way to a more rigorous analysis of the performance of the public sector and a re-examination of the functions and responsibilities of the public service.

scholarly journals Accounting models and devolution in the Italian public sector

2006 ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aldo Pavan ◽  
Elisabetta Reginato ◽  
Gianluca Mudu
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
The State ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Accounting Systems ◽  
General Terms ◽  
New Public ◽  
Toma De Decisiones

In the 1990s Italy started a public sector administrative reform process consistent, in general terms, with the New Public Management movement. In particular, changes have been introduced in the budgeting and accounting systems of the State, municipalities, health care bodies, etc. In the same years an institutional reform also started and a strong power devolution process began to be realised; a shift to a federal form of the State seems to be the goal. Stating form the challenges coming from the devolution process, the article questions 1) if it is possible to find some shared features in theh reformed accounting systems of the different public sector organisation categories, and to shape in this way on or more accounting Italian models, and 2) if these models have an information capacity adequate to sustain the information needs- in terms of accountability, government co-ordination and decision making- emerging from the devolution process. The information needs in a devolved environment are recognised; eleven budgeting and accounting systems are analysed and compared. The issue of the consistency level existing between accountign and institutional reforms is also discussed.<br /><br />En la Italia de los años 90, se inició un proceso de reforma administrativa del sector público en consonancia, en términos generales, con el movimineto New Public Management. En concreto, se han introducido modificaciones en los sistemas contables y presupuestarios del Estado, de las corporaciones locales y de las instituciones sanitarias. Durante el mismo periodo se empreendió una reforma de carácter constitucional cuyo objetivo último parecía ser la constitución de un estado federal. A partir de los desafíos que supone todo proceso de descentralización, el artículo abre dos interrogantes: 1) la posibilidad de encontrar rasgos comunes en los sitemas contables reformados de los distintos niveles organizativos del sector público, con el fin de confirmar uno o varios modelos contables italianos y, 2) apreciar si estos modelos tienen la capacidad adecuada de una información que satisfaga las necesidades informativas en lo que se refiere a credibilidad, coordinación gubernamental y toma de decisiones que resulten de ese proceso de descentralización. Se identifican las necesiddes de información que se suscitan en la descentralización y se analizan y comparan once sistemas presupuestarios y contables. Igualmente, se discute el aspecto del grado de coherencia entre las reformas constitucionales y contables

scholarly journals Intellectual Capital and Sustainable Economic Performance in the Public Sector: The Context of the New Public Management in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7885
Author(s):  
Kardina Kamaruddin ◽  
Indra Abeysekera
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Public ◽  
Operational Variables ◽  
Construct Dimensions

The New Public Management allows us to reflect upon whether intellectual capital helps public sector organisations meet their performance benchmarks. Sustainable economic performance gains importance from the public sector’s service ideal. Although there have been empirical endeavours using intellectual capital as operational variables, this study examines the theoretically informed relationship between the intellectual capital construct and its construct dimensions and the sustainable economic performance construct and its construct dimensions. The decision-making inputs of senior officials in the Malaysian public sector are vital for evaluating the relationship, as these officials are the individual strategists of the collective organisational strategy. The study conducted a survey that received 1092 usable responses and analysed them using the structural equation modelling research method. The findings showed a robust theoretical relationship between intellectual capital and sustainable economic performance. Furthermore, the study identified intellectual capital items that play a vital role in supporting public sector sustainable economic performance in Malaysia under New Public Management. The findings provide useful knowledge for public sector officials and policymakers, and for further research.

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