The Ashgate Research Companion to New Public Management

Professor Per Lægreid, Professor Tom Christensen

Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., Mar 28, 2013 - Political Science - 522 pages

This new in paperback edition provides a comprehensive, state-of-the art review of current research in the field of New Public Management (NPM) reform. Aimed primarily at a student readership with a special interest in contemporary public-sector reforms, The Ashgate Research Companion to New Public Management offers a refreshing and up-to-date analysis of key issues of modern administrative reforms.

Designed as a one-stop reference point and revision guide, this textbook comprises 29 chapters divided into six thematic sessions, each with chapters ranging across a variety of crucial topics in the field of New Public Management reforms and beyond.

The principal themes addressed are:
• Processes and driving forces. Basic theoretical foundations are discussed as well as the importance of institutional environments, copying, diffusion and translation of reform ideas and solutions among countries
• The question of convergence or divergence among countries. Four families of countries with different state traditions are examined: Anglo-Saxon countries, Scandinavia, Continental Europe and Asian countries.
• Developments in the 'soft' welfare sectors of hospital systems, universities and welfare administration, and the 'harder' sectors like regulation of utilities in areas such as telecommunications and energy.
• The effects and implications of NPM reforms, both the more direct and the narrower effects on efficiency and the broader impact on democracy, trust and public sector values.
• What new trends are occurring beyond the NMP movement, such as whole-of-government initiatives, Neo-Weberian models and New Public Governance as a new trend.

Covering not only the NPM movement in general but also the driving forces behind the reform and its various trajectories and special features, this important contribution is essential reading for students and anyone wanting to expand their knowledge of administrative reform.

Contents

• basic npm ideas and their Development: 17
• The politicalAdministrative Design of npm: 33
• The Relevance of culture for npm: 47
• A Revivalist movement: 65
• CoNvergeNCe aND DIvergeNCe aMoNg CouNtrIes: 81
• national: 97
• npm in scandinavia: 113
• npm in Asian countries: 131
• The challenges: 147
• npm network governance and the university as a changing: 161
• npm ideas and social welfare Administration: 177
• utility Regulation and npm: 193
• structural Devolution to Agencies: 209
• managing performance and Auditing performance: 223
• managerialism and models of management: 237
• privatization: 251
• A Transformative perspective on publicprivate partnerships: 265
• NPM and the Search for Efficiency: 281
• unions corporatist participation and npm: 295
• Restoring the public Trust through creating Distrust?: 309
• Regained Relevance of Public Values: 335
• serving the public? users consumers and the limits of npm: 349
• A need for some Theoretical coherence: 375
• NPM aND BeyoND: 391
• The Role of institutions in creating social Trust: 405
• References: 431
• Index: 495

About the author

Professor Tom Christensen, University of Oslo, Norway and Professor Per Lægreid, University of Bergen, Norway.

Tom Christensen, Per Lægreid, Jonathan Boston, Peter Aucoin, Koen Verhoest, Nils Brunsson, John Halligan, Walter J.M. Kickert, Hanne Foss Hansen, Anthony B.L. Cheung, Haldor Byrkjeflot, Ivar Bleiklie, Jürgen Enders, Benedetto Lepori, Christine Musselin, Ian Bartle, Oliver James, Sandra van Thiel, Vital Put, Geert Bouckaert, Martin Painter, Thomas Pallesen, Carsten Greve, Graeme Hodge, Rhys Andrews, Paul G. Roness, Steven Van de Walle, Martin Marcussen, Torben Beck Jørgensen, Lotte Bøgh Andersen, Janet Newman, B. Guy Peters, Robert Gregory, Jon Pierre, Bo Rothstein, Stephen P. Osborne.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Ashgate Research Companion to New Public Management
• Editors: Professor Per Lægreid, Professor Tom Christensen
• Edition: reprint, revised
• Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2013
• ISBN: 1409489094, 9781409489092
• Length: 522 pages
• Subjects: Political Science / General