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Managing on the edges

Managing on the edges Managing in the public sector can be characterized as “managing on the edges”, between politics and administration and between administration and operations, as well as between external pressures and internal processes. Interestingly, this seems to come out most sharply, not in the upper offices of the capital, but down on the ground, where conflicting parties do direct battle with each other. But as these battles escalate, and enter the abstractions of administration as well as the peculiarities of politics, management gets caught in the middle. Describes three days in succession in the working lives of three managers of Parks Canada who sit in hierarchical order: a regional director, a park superintendent, and a park warden for the front country. Describes and compares their activities, in terms of a comprehensive model of the manager’s job, and concludes with a model of managing on the edges. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png International Journal of Public Sector Management Emerald Publishing

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References (11)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 MCB UP Ltd. All rights reserved.
ISSN
0951-3558
DOI
10.1108/09513559710166020
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Managing in the public sector can be characterized as “managing on the edges”, between politics and administration and between administration and operations, as well as between external pressures and internal processes. Interestingly, this seems to come out most sharply, not in the upper offices of the capital, but down on the ground, where conflicting parties do direct battle with each other. But as these battles escalate, and enter the abstractions of administration as well as the peculiarities of politics, management gets caught in the middle. Describes three days in succession in the working lives of three managers of Parks Canada who sit in hierarchical order: a regional director, a park superintendent, and a park warden for the front country. Describes and compares their activities, in terms of a comprehensive model of the manager’s job, and concludes with a model of managing on the edges.

Journal

International Journal of Public Sector ManagementEmerald Publishing

Published: Jun 1, 1997

Keywords: Canada; Job analysis; Management theory; Managers; Public administration; Public sector

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