[Studyguide for Public Management and Performance: Research Directions by Walker, Richard, ISBN 9780521116633] (By: Cram101 Textbook Reviews) [published: March, 2011]

Public Services Touch The Majority Of People In Advanced And Developing Economies On A Daily Basis: Children Require Schooling, The Elderly Need Personal Care And Assistance, Rubbish Needs Collecting, Water Must Be Safe To Drink And The Streets Need Policing. In Short, There Is Practically No Area Of Our Lives That Isn't Touched In Some Way By Public Services. As Such, Knowledge About Strategies To Improve Their Performance Is Central To The Good Of Society. In This Book, A Group Of Leading Scholars Examine Some Of The Most Pressing Issues In Public Administration, Political Science And Public Policy By Undertaking A Systematic Review Of The Research Literature On Public Management And The Performance Of Public Agencies. It Is An Important Resource For Public Management Researchers, Policy-makers And Practitioners Who Wish To Understand The Current State Of The Field And The Challenges That Lie Ahead-- Introduction / Richard M. Walker, George A. Boyne And Gene A. Brewer -- Extending Goal Ambiguity Research In Government: From Organizational Goal Ambiguity To Program Goal Ambiguity / Hal G. Rainey And Chan Su Jung -- Budgets And Financial Management / Donald P. Moynihan And Matthew Andrews -- Organizational Structure And Public Service Performance / Rhys Andrews -- Red Tape: The Bane Of Public Organizations? / Gene A. Brewer And Richard M. Walker -- Managerial Networking, Managing The Environment, And Program Performance: A Summary Of Findings And An Agenda / Kenneth J. Meier And Laurence J. O'toole, Jr. -- Public Service Motivation And Performance / Gene A. Brewer -- Organizational Diversity And Public Service Performance / David W. Pitts -- Performance Management: Does It Work? / George A. Boyne -- Strategy: Which Strategic Stances Matter? / Richard M. Walker -- Methods / Alisa Hicklin -- Conclusion: Enriching The Field / George A. Boyne, Gene A. Brewer And Richard M. Walker. Edited By Richard M. Walker, George A. Boyne, Gene A. Brewer. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Figures......Page 9 Tables......Page 10 Contributors......Page 11 Introduction......Page 15 Impetus for the book......Page 17 On public service performance......Page 20 Judgements on organizational performance......Page 24 Management and public service performance research......Page 28 Regulation, markets and environments......Page 32 Goal ambiguity......Page 33 Resources......Page 34 Structure......Page 35 Red tape......Page 36 Networking......Page 37 Human resource management......Page 38 Performance management......Page 40 Strategy content......Page 41 Methods for investigating the management–performance hypotheses......Page 42 REFERENCES......Page 43 2 Extending goal ambiguity research in government: from organizational goal ambiguity to programme goal ambiguity......Page 48 Observations about the goals of public organizations......Page 49 Effects of goal ambiguity on organizations......Page 50 Research on goal ambiguity in government organizations......Page 51 Analysing organizational goal ambiguity......Page 52 Advancing analysis of the political environment, work characteristics and goals......Page 55 Analysing goal ambiguity in public programmes......Page 57 Defining programme goal ambiguity......Page 58 Analysing antecedents of federal programme goal ambiguity......Page 61 Encouraging results......Page 63 The next step: relating programme goal ambiguity to programme performance......Page 64 More encouraging results: relationships between programme goal ambiguity and performance......Page 65 Conclusion......Page 66 REFERENCES......Page 68 Introduction......Page 74 Defining PFM: issues for modelling......Page 75 What is PFM performance?......Page 78 The evolution of PFM performance......Page 80 Incentives......Page 81 Performance information......Page 83 Evidence on performance information and allocative efficiency......Page 85 Evidence on performance information and technical efficiency......Page 87 The role of politics......Page 89 Flexibility......Page 91 The enduring role of controls......Page 92 Contextual factors......Page 94 Conclusion......Page 97 REFERENCES......Page 98 Introduction......Page 103 What is organizational structure?......Page 104 Centralization......Page 106 Specialization......Page 107 Centralization......Page 108 Formalization......Page 109 Specialization......Page 110 Empirical studies and their characteristics......Page 111 Measuring structure......Page 113 Centralization......Page 114 Formalization......Page 115 Future research directions......Page 117 Conclusions......Page 119 REFERENCES......Page 120 Introduction......Page 124 Definitions, dimensions and measures......Page 125 The proposed ills of red tape......Page 129 Empirical evidence on red tape and performance......Page 131 Research agenda......Page 134 REFERENCES......Page 137 Introduction......Page 141 The base model......Page 144 Defining key terms......Page 146 Performance questions......Page 148 Measurement questions......Page 152 What we know: managing the environment......Page 154 An agenda for research......Page 158 REFERENCES......Page 162 7 Public service motivation and performance......Page 166 Origin and development of the PSM concept......Page 167 Theoretical and practical bases......Page 171 Empirical evidence......Page 173 Evidence on employee performance......Page 174 Evidence on organizational performance......Page 180 Implications and suggestions for future research......Page 182 Propositions for future research......Page 185 Conclusion......Page 187 REFERENCES......Page 189 Introduction......Page 192 Defining organizational diversity......Page 193 Measuring organizational diversity......Page 196 Frameworks for understanding organizational diversity and performance......Page 198 Social categorization and similarity/attraction theories......Page 199 Information and decision-making theory......Page 203 The business case for diversity......Page 204 A key contingency in the diversity–performance relationship: diversity management programmes and policies......Page 205 The evolution of empirical research on organizational diversity......Page 208 Future directions for research......Page 211 REFERENCES......Page 214 Introduction......Page 221 Theoretical effects of performance management......Page 223 Selecting indicators......Page 224 Setting targets......Page 226 Taking action......Page 228 Selecting indicators......Page 231 Setting targets......Page 233 Taking action......Page 236 Conclusion......Page 237 REFERENCES......Page 238 Introduction......Page 241 Public management models of strategy content......Page 243 The application of generic models of strategy content to public organizations......Page 245 Propositions in the literature on strategy content and performance......Page 247 Questions of measurement......Page 249 Independent effect studies......Page 254 Moderated models......Page 256 An agenda for research......Page 259 Concluding comment......Page 262 REFERENCES......Page 263 Introduction......Page 267 Endogeneity......Page 268 Non-linearity......Page 269 Hierarchical linear modelling......Page 270 Management at multiple levels......Page 271 Experimental methods......Page 273 Developing new datasets......Page 276 Old dogs, new tricks and little baby puppies......Page 277 Qualitative methods......Page 278 REFERENCES......Page 280 Introduction......Page 282 Public management and performance: from simplicity to sophistication......Page 283 Disaggregating the dimensions of management......Page 284 The performance kaleidoscope......Page 285 The impact of management: curves and tipping points......Page 286 Management: working alone or working on the chain gang?......Page 287 Broadening the theoretical base......Page 289 Strengthening methodology......Page 291 Concluding comment: prospects for progressing to ‘normal science’......Page 293 REFERENCES......Page 294 Index......Page 296 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Figures 9 Tables 10 Contributors 11 1 Introduction 15 Introduction 15 Impetus for the book 17 On public service performance 20 Judgements on organizational performance 24 Management and public service performance research 28 Regulation, markets and environments 32 Goal ambiguity 33 Resources 34 Internal organization 35 Structure 35 Red tape 36 External organization 37 Networking 37 Management 38 Human resource management 38 Performance management 40 Strategy content 41 Methods for investigating the management–performance hypotheses 42 REFERENCES 43 2 Extending goal ambiguity research in government: from organizational goal ambiguity to programme goal ambiguity 48 Observations about the goals of public organizations 49 Effects of goal ambiguity on organizations 50 Research on goal ambiguity in government organizations 51 Analysing organizational goal ambiguity 52 Advancing analysis of the political environment, work characteristics and goals 55 Analysing goal ambiguity in public programmes 57 Defining programme goal ambiguity 58 Analysing antecedents of federal programme goal ambiguity 61 Encouraging results 63 The next step: relating programme goal ambiguity to programme performance 64 More encouraging results: relationships between programme goal ambiguity and performance 65 Conclusion 66 REFERENCES 68 3 Budgets and financial management 74 Introduction 74 Defining PFM: issues for modelling 75 What is PFM performance? 78 The evolution of PFM performance 80 Incentives 81 Performance information 83 Evidence on performance information and allocative efficiency 85 Evidence on performance information and technical efficiency 87 The role of politics 89 Flexibility 91 The enduring role of controls 92 Contextual factors 94 Conclusion 97 REFERENCES 98 4 Organizational structure and public service performance 103 Introduction 103 Theories of structure 104 What is organizational structure? 104 Centralization 106 Formalization 107 Specialization 107 Hypothetical effects of structure on performance 108 Centralization 108 Formalization 109 Specialization 110 Empirical evidence on organizational structure and performance 111 Empirical studies and their characteristics 111 Measuring structure 113 Evidence from the studies 114 Centralization 114 Formalization 115 Specialization 117 Future research directions 117 Conclusions 119 REFERENCES 120 5 Red tape: the bane of public organizations? 124 Introduction 124 Red tape 125 Definitions, dimensions and measures 125 The proposed ills of red tape 129 Empirical evidence on red tape and performance 131 Research agenda 134 REFERENCES 137 6 Managerial networking, managing the environment, and programme performance: a summary of findings and an agenda 141 Introduction 141 The base model 144 Defining key terms 146 What do we know? Managerial networking M2 148 Performance questions 148 Measurement questions 152 What we know: managing the environment 154 An agenda for research 158 Conclusion 162 REFERENCES 162 7 Public service motivation and performance 166 Origin and development of the PSM concept 167 Theoretical and practical bases 171 Empirical evidence 173 Evidence on employee performance 174 Evidence on organizational performance 180 Implications and suggestions for future research 182 Propositions for future research 185 Conclusion 187 REFERENCES 189 8 Organizational diversity and public service performance 192 Introduction 192 Defining organizational diversity 193 Measuring organizational diversity 196 Frameworks for understanding organizational diversity and performance 198 Social categorization and similarity/attraction theories 199 Information and decision-making theory 203 The business case for diversity 204 A key contingency in the diversity–performance relationship: diversity management programmes and policies 205 The evolution of empirical research on organizational diversity 208 Future directions for research 211 REFERENCES 214 9 Performance management: does it work? 221 Introduction 221 Theoretical effects of performance management 223 Selecting indicators 224 Setting targets 226 Taking action 228 Evidence on the effects of performance management 231 Selecting indicators 231 Setting targets 233 Taking action 236 Conclusion 237 REFERENCES 238 10 Strategy: which strategic stances matter? 241 Introduction 241 Models of strategy content in public organizations 243 Public management models of strategy content 243 The application of generic models of strategy content to public organizations 245 Propositions in the literature on strategy content and performance 247 Questions of measurement 249 Empirical evidence 254 Data sources 254 Independent effect studies 254 Moderated models 256 Summary 259 An agenda for research 259 Concluding comment 262 REFERENCES 263 11 Methods 267 Introduction 267 Methodological issues in public management research 268 Endogeneity 268 Non-linearity 269 Independence of observations 270 Hierarchical linear modelling 270 Using HLM in our work on management and performance 271 Management at multiple levels 271 AP = AH 273 OP = AH + RD 273 Experimental methods 273 Developing new datasets 276 Old dogs, new tricks and little baby puppies 277 Qualitative methods 278 REFERENCES 280 12 Conclusion: enriching the field 282 Introduction 282 Public management and performance: from simplicity to sophistication 283 Disaggregating the dimensions of management 284 The performance kaleidoscope 285 The impact of management: curves and tipping points 286 Management: working alone or working on the chain gang? 287 Public management and performance: towards theoretical and methodological enrichment 289 Broadening the theoretical base 289 Strengthening methodology 291 Concluding comment: prospects for progressing to ‘normal science’ 293 REFERENCES 294 Index 296 Machine generated contents note: List of figures; List of tables; About the contributors; 1. Introduction Richard M. Walker, George A. Boyne and Gene A. Brewer; 2. Extending goal ambiguity research in government: from organizational goal ambiguity to program goal ambiguity Hal G. Rainey and Chan Su Jung; 3. Budgets and financial management Donald P. Moynihan and Matthew Andrews; 4. Organizational structure and public service performance Rhys Andrews; 5. Red tape: the bane of public organizations? Gene A. Brewer and Richard M. Walker; 6. Managerial networking, managing the environment, and program performance: a summary of findings and an agenda Kenneth J. Meier and Laurence J. O'Toole, Jr; 7. Public service motivation and performance Gene A. Brewer; 8. Organizational diversity and public service performance David W. Pitts; 9. Performance management: does it work? George A. Boyne; 10. Strategy: which strategic stances matter? Richard M. Walker; 11. Methods Alisa Hicklin; 12. Conclusion: enriching the field George A. Boyne, Gene A. Brewer and Richard M. Walker; Index. Public services touch the majority of people in advanced and developing economies on a daily basis: children require schooling, the elderly need personal care and assistance, rubbish needs collecting, water must be safe to drink and the streets need policing. In short, there is practically no area of our lives that isn't touched in some way by public services. As such, knowledge about strategies to improve their performance is central to the good of society. In this book, a group of leading scholars examine some of the most pressing issues in public administration, political science and public policy by undertaking a systematic review of the research literature on public management and the performance of public agencies. It is an important resource for public management researchers, policy-makers and practitioners who wish to understand the state of the field and the challenges that lie ahead (source : site de l'éditeur)