Managing Public Services: Competition and Decentralization

Managing Public Services: Competition and Decentralization is intended for public sector managers to help them assess their situation and assist them to think creatively about different approaches for the future. The book begins on the general principle that business is good and bureaucracy is bad. This topic is followed by detailed studies of organizations, whether these are in a competitive environment, victims of market rhetoric, or in another competitive spectrum. Public sector managers are then encouraged to analyze their own organizations so appropriate actions can be applied into their situation. The extent to which competition is happening is explained, and if competition does not work well, then the concept of decentralization may be adopted. To what extent decentralization can then be used to increase the motivation and commitment of their employees is explained. The authors believe that new ways and methods of working will follow. But, any successes of these changes have to be measured by an important gauge: the impact upon the recipients of the new and improved services. In any undertaking, failures are bound to happen, and the authors suggest that public sector managers should be more tolerant. Finally, the book notes that to achieve delivery of quality service, whether these are for customers or clients, an important approach to managerial action is the design towards a good experience. Public administrators, heads and CEOs of public institutions and private firms, professors and students in public administration, policymakers, and sociologists will find this book valuable.

Norman Flynn was the Director of the Centre for Financial and Management Studies, SOAS, University of London. He was previously been Chair Professor of Public Sector Management at City University of Hong Kong and held academic posts at London School of Economics, London Business School and the University of Birmingham. He has written about public sector management in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia, public sector reform in developing countries and about the relationship between business government and society in Asia. Recent books include "Public Sector Reform: An Introduction (European Commission);" Public Sector Management (Sage, London); The Market and Social Policy in China "(edited with Linda Wong) "(Palgrave Macmillan)"; Miracle to Meltdown in Asia: Business, Government and Society (Oxford University Press) (last two both translated in Chinese)", and (with Franz Strehl) Public Sector Management in Europe (Pearson)". Further publications are listed on his website: www.normanflynn.me.uk He has training experience in Slovenia, China, Kenya, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Georgia, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Scotland.

Charles Hampden-Turner is Associate Fellow at the Institute of Marketing in the School of Engineering at the University of Cambridge and Visiting Professor at Nanyang Technological University. He is also co-founder and Director of Research and Development at the Trompenaars-Hampden-Turner Group, Amsterdam. Professor Hampden-Turner has been the recipient of many awards and is the author of eighteen books, including best-sellers such as Riding the Waves of Culture (1993) and The Seven Cultures of Capitalism (1993), both co-authored with Fons Trompenaars.