International Journal of Public Sector Management

Ricardo C. Gomes; Luciana de Oliveira Miranda Gomes

2009 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/09513550910934493

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to describe the arena in which managers of small size Brazilian municipalities make decisions as constrained by stakeholder influence. Design/methodology/approach – Four case studies were carried out with municipalities in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The investigation was carried out using grounded theory. Data were gathered through in‐depth interviews with managers and with the main stakeholders. Data were analysed using content analysis, supported by QSR N6 software. Findings – The contribution of this paper to theory is based on a description of the arena in which Brazilian municipal districts make decisions. In so doing, it endeavours to model this arena as comprised of five clusters of stakeholder concerns: limitation, collaboration, orientation, legitimacy, and inspection. The paper raises some issues that are helpful in explaining the relationship between stakeholder influences and public organisations. In other words, it helps to label stakeholder influences and to make stakeholder influence more manageable by public organisations at the local government level. In practical terms, the paper concludes that the number of stakeholders is less important than the sort of influence they are supposed to exert upon organisations. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this investigation relate to the features of the case study methods employed. The results show the particular situation of the State of Minas Gerais (at the southeast of Brazil) and represent the situation of small municipalities. Originality/value – There has been very little prior analysis of stakeholder influence focusing on local government. This investigation is the first with a specific focus on identifying the arena in which Brazilian municipalities make decisions and the relationship of those municipalities with stakeholders.

J. Gordon Murray

2009 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/09513550910934501

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that the fundamental difference between private and public procurement, that of politicians, has been largely overlooked in public procurement strategy and management research. It then aims to argue that existing public procurement research could be improved if greater attention were given to in research design to validity and the interface with politicians. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on a critical literature review of public procurement strategy and management literature, examining the methodologies used and roles of politicians. Findings – The findings suggest there is an in‐built bias through over reliance on procurement managers as the key respondents, tendency to focus on private sector procurement research attributes and questions, and a tendency to focus on operational as opposed to strategic public procurement decision making. Research limitations/implications – The research suggests a need for greater understanding of politicians' engagement in public procurement strategy and management and the need for greater triangulation in public procurement research. Originality/value – The paper highlights how public procurement strategy and management research can be improved to increase its validity. It explores the neglected area of the role of politicians in public procurement.

Karen Miller

2009 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/09513550910934510

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that managerialism, as applied to the public sector, contributes to a gendered organisational culture that disadvantages female career progression. Design/methodology/approach – The research was qualitative in approach and involved face‐to‐face interviews with male and female, clinical and non‐clinical managers ( n =31) in Scotland's health service. Findings – The main finding is that public sector managerialism, and consequent transactional and stereotypical masculine styles of management, inhibits female career progression. Practical implications – Managerialism as currently applied in the public sector creates certain inefficiencies by limiting the potential of women, which has implications for female career progression in the public sector, succession management and the sustainability of services. Originality/value – The paper adds to a growing body of evidence that stereotypical masculine styles of management create an organisational culture that affects female career progression. Furthermore, the paper will be of value in understanding the factors that impact on female career progression within the public sector, which is of importance given that the majority of public sector employees in the UK, particularly in the health sector, are female.

Lars Nordgren

2009 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/09513550910934529

Purpose – The “old” concept of productivity seems to be misleading in health care, because it does not involve the contribution of the patient in value creation. The purpose of this paper will therefore be to explore possibilities for developing service productivity in theory and practice. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is based on a discursive reading of authoritative texts, an understanding of how health care work is organised and of several examples illustrating value creation. A proposed theoretical frame draws on “value creation”, “match matching” and “agency”. Empirical material is used, as are an analysis of a service meeting in health care, official texts in a Swedish context and narratives written by “users” and professionals. Findings – The concept of service productivity in the context of health care encompasses values such as experienced health, quality of life, accessibility, trust, communication, avoidable suffering and avoidable deaths, and not only reduced costs, activities and outcomes. Research limitation/implications – There is a need for more research concerning matchmaking and support of the customer. An overall aim for the providers should be to match the value creation process of the customer (patient). Originality/value – This is a conceptual paper concerning value creation and service productivity in health care.

Louise Kloot

2009 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/09513550910934538

Purpose – New public management (NPM) techniques have been widely adopted in Australian public sector organisations. NPM stresses the concept of accountability, and the importance of reporting mechanisms. Government and semi‐government authorities provide annual reports, but the usefulness of these annual reports in assessing operational in addition to financial performance is open to question. This paper aims to ask what performance measures are important in the context of the provision of fire services. Design/methodology/approach – Using content analysis, this study analyses and evaluates publicly available annual reports of fire services to determine operational and financial performance in the Australian state of Victoria, which has three different fire service organisations. Findings – The study finds that annual reports are based on financial results, some basic performance measures and narrative describing some operational results. Stakeholders are well served by financial reports, but find difficulty in assessing operational performance trends and comparative operational performance of the three different organisations. Few operational indicators are published, despite prior problems in fire services that have lead to parliamentary enquiries. The lack of publicly available performance measures results in reduced levels of accountability to external stakeholders. Practical implications – The study indicates that the lack of useful performance measures impacts negatively on the demonstration of accountability to external stakeholders. Fire services management can use this information to improve their reporting and demonstration of accountability to external shareholders such as government and the community. Originality/value – The study extends the work of Carvalho et al. on the reporting practices and performance measures of Portuguese and British fire services and suggests a range of performance indicators that may be appropriate for fire services to enhance their accountability.

Manila Marcuccio; Ileana Steccolini

2009 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/09513550910934547

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the phenomenon of voluntary extended performance reporting (EPR) by Italian local authorities (LAs) by exploring the patterns of financial and non‐financial disclosure and the factors affecting those patterns. More specifically it aims to analyse hypotheses drawing from contingency and legitimacy approaches against the content of the reports and findings discussed consistently. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a content analysis conducted on all EPRs prepared by Italian LAs. The classification scheme is based on the literature on social and environmental disclosures content analysis and is specifically designed to investigate EPR practices by governmental entities. Findings – From the empirical analysis an extremely differentiated picture emerges. A common model of EPR does not exist; nevertheless EPR represents a significant effort by LAs in communicating performance to external stakeholders, with specific reference to the results achieved in social and economic development. Even if there is not a unique set of factors which can explain the differences in the reporting choices by Italian LAs, the analysis shows that the type of activities performed and the LAs' strategic priorities influence significantly the content of the reports. Originality/value – The paper focuses on an interesting phenomenon for Italian LAs, namely the shift from a reactive compliance of law‐driven managerial reform process to a proactive adoption of managerial practices. The paper explores the under‐investigated field of voluntary social reporting in LAs. It discusses the influence of a set of external and internal factors in shaping the patterns and contents of EPR disclosure in Italian LAs. If empirical findings confirm the explicit influence of only a limited set of factors, they provide a valuable insight into how LAs use (voluntary) EPR in order to legitimise strategic and management choices.