Reluctant enablers Competition in local government in Ireland and the UKStephanie Snape; John Fenwick
1996 International Journal of Public Sector Management
doi: 10.1108/09513559610119519
During the last 15 years, local authorities in many OECD countries have been introducing competition for the provision of services, placing less emphasis on the direct provision of services and more on the strategic planning of service provision. Often this has involved encouraging both private firms and voluntary organizations to become providers of local government services. Analyses the emergence of enabling in two European countries, Ireland and the UK, and argues that local authorities in both countries are reluctant enablers. With reference to the UK, examines the implications of the CCT legislation, the key factor in the development of enabling and compares this to the emergence in Ireland of a trend towards contracting out.
Public and private organizations in Latin America: a comparison of reward preferencesMonteze M. Snyder; Joyce Osland
1996 International Journal of Public Sector Management
doi: 10.1108/09513559610119528
Compares Latin American graduate students in management with work experience in government and business. Explores similarities and differences in work‐related incentives between public and private sector groups. Finds that while administrative reforms in developing countries may assume differences in the importance of job security across the two sectors and neglect the possibility of a national or community service orientation, these assumptions are not supported by this study. Discovers that although the two groups showed no difference in the importance of salary, financial incentives related to performance were significantly more important to private sector respondents as a reason to stay in the sector. Finds differences between the groups on public service motivation, an issue not previously explored in this region. Claims these findings have important implications for Civil Service reform and development of incentive systems for privatization strategies.
Public sector reform and the long‐term public servantSusan Dann
1996 International Journal of Public Sector Management
doi: 10.1108/09513559610119537
Since the 1970s public services throughout the world have undergone significant reforms in terms of structure and personnel practices. In Australia these reforms have concentrated on the introduction of affirmative action and equal opportunity programmes, the revision of selection and promotion procedures to reinforce the merit principle and the opening up of positions in the public service to outside appointments. Examines how recent reforms in the Queensland public sector have impacted on long‐term public servants. Finds that the effects of the changes are being unevenly felt by different groups in the public service. Specifically, it appears that the processes are being more stringently applied to women than to men.
The public sector entrepreneur ‐ a definitionInger Boyett
1996 International Journal of Public Sector Management
doi: 10.1108/09513559610119546
Since the early 1980s there have been fundamental changes in the structure and management of the UK public sector, based on the introduction of quasi‐markets. The literature suggests that, for markets to operate at their maximum level of efficiency, there is an overwhelming need for entrepreneurial activity. Attempts through a synthesis of the published literature, surveys of educational and health managers and case examples, to determine whether a new strain of leadership ‐ the public sector entrepreneur ‐ is emerging to display many of the characteristics of their business counterparts.
Managing risk in public services A review of the international literatureJeremy Vincent
1996 International Journal of Public Sector Management
doi: 10.1108/09513559610119564
Claims that the small but steady growth in discussion in academic circles of aspects of risk taking and risk management, as they affect public services managers generally, which is observable in the UK, does not appear to be reflected so strongly in the wider international literature. Here, the direction of the debate and discussion turns much more on quasi‐constitutional issues and topics, such as “accountability” and “control”. As efforts grow to decentralize public services organizations and give public service managers more control over the day‐to‐day operational running of their organizations, a new term has entered the language of the debate ‐ that of “agility”. Suggests this appears to combine the skill of handling increased accountability for decision making with that of the upgrading of managers’ skills. Finds that risk is explored more widely in related texts, predominantly where a particular public service, such as the police, health or social services, is simultaneously viewed as a profession. Aims to explain why the international literature pointedly avoids much explicit discussion of risk, preferring to frame the issue within terms concerning levels of financial control and official accountability.
Executive pay, accountability, and Training and Enterprise CouncilsRoyce Turner
1996 International Journal of Public Sector Management
doi: 10.1108/09513559610119573
Examines accountability in training and enterprise councils and uses executive pay as an example of changing mechanisms and values. Discusses a number of issues crucial to public sector management: democracy in “quangoland”; public sector ethics; what constitutes a private, as opposed to a public, organization. Contributes to the debate on the wider reordering of the machinery of government: the emergence of “quangoland” and the implication of this for accountability and democracy. One of the central issues in this is the seeming confusion over lines of responsibility, and how responsibility is divided between agency executives and Ministers in Parliament. Draws a contrast between the determination of pay for executives in the newly “private sector” Training and Enterprise Councils and their predecessors and counterparts in nationalized industries and local government. Highlights many of the central debates in the vastly changed world of public sector management in Britain.