Public Management and Complexity Theory

That public services exhibit unpredictability, novelty and, on occasion, chaos, is an observation with which even a casual observer would agree. Existing theoretical frameworks in public management fail to address these features, relying more heavily on attempts to eliminate unpredictability through increased reliance on measurable performance objectives, improved financial and human resource management techniques, decentralisation of authority and accountability and resolving principal-agent behaviour pathologies. Essentially, these are all attempts to improve the 'steering' capacity of public sector managers and policy makers.By adopting a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) approach to public services, this book shifts the focus from developing steering techniques to identifying patterns of behaviour of the participants with the ultimate objective of increasing policy-makers' and practitioners' understanding of the factors that may enable more effective public service decision-making and provision. The authors apply a CAS framework to a series of case studies in public sector management to generate new insights into the issues, processes and participants in public service domains.

ISBN 041545753X   Pages 250 ISBN13 9780415457538 (What's this?)   Volumes 001 Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd   Weight (grammes) 482 Imprint Routledge   Published in London Format Hardback   Series title Routledge Critical Studies in Public Management Publication date 07 Mar 2009   Height (mm) 229 Library of Congress JF1351   Width (mm) 152 DEWEY 352.33   Academic level Postgraduate, Undergraduate DEWEY edition DC22

		List of Figures
		List of Tables
		List of Abbreviations and Acronyms
		Acknowledgements
		Introduction: The Case for CAS		1
1		Setting the Stage for a CAS Analysis		5
2		Urban Regeneration in Ireland		40
3		Healthcare Information Systems in Ireland		78
4		Advancing the Case for Complex Adaptive Systems in Public Administration		115
5		The Impact of Boundaries: Identity, Community and Place		134
6		Vision and the Dynamics of Change		148
7		The Role and Effect of the Private Sector		165
8		Core and Locale: The Tension Between the Governing Intent and the Implementing Outcome		185
9		In Conclusion		199
		Notes		209
		Bibliography		215
		Index		223

'In sum, the book is useful in teaching students about how to view real world problems with a CAS framework and shows that traditional bureaucratic approaches to accountability may frustrate flexible management of the CAS dynamics.'- Sungho Lee, Samsung Economic Research Institute

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