Comparative Public Management

de Kenneth J. Meier, Amanda Rutherford

The field of public management has become increasingly international, but research and policy recommendations that work for one country often do not work in another. Why, for example, is managerial networking important in the United States, moderately effective in the United Kingdom, and of little consequence in the Netherlands? Comparative Public Management argues that scholars must find a better way to account for political, environmental, and organizational contexts to build a more general model of public management. The volume editors propose a framework where context influences the types of managerial actions that can be used effectively in public organizations. After introducing the innovative framework, the book offers seven empirical chapters--cases from seven countries and a range of policy areas (health, education, taxation, and local governance)--showing how management affects performance in different contexts. Following these empirical tests, the book examines themes that emerge across cases and seeks to set an agenda for future research. This book will be the first to provide a comprehensive comparative assessment of the impact of management on organizational performance.