Paperback
Public Administration Reforms in Europe
The View from the Top
9781788117647 Edward Elgar Publishing
Based on a survey of more than 6700 top civil servants in 17 European countries, this book explores the impacts of New Public Management (NPM)-style reforms in Europe from a uniquely comparative perspective. It examines and analyses empirical findings regarding the dynamics, major trends and tools of administrative reforms, with special focus on the diversity of top executives’ perceptions about the effects of those reforms.
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Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
Based on a survey of more than 6700 top civil servants in 17 European countries, this book explores the impacts of New Public Management (NPM)-style reforms in Europe from a uniquely comparative perspective. It examines and analyses empirical findings regarding the dynamics, major trends and tools of administrative reforms, with special focus on the diversity of top executives’ perceptions about the effects of those reforms.
Resulting from research funded by the European Commission, this book is an ambitious, comprehensive portrait of public administration in the central European bureaucracies after more than three decades of NPM reforms and in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. The chapters present extensive data on single countries but invaluably take a comparative approach, presenting a broad, explorational perspective.
Public Administration Reforms in Europe is an indispensable resource for researchers, practitioners and students in a variety of social science areas, especially public administration, public policy and public management.
Resulting from research funded by the European Commission, this book is an ambitious, comprehensive portrait of public administration in the central European bureaucracies after more than three decades of NPM reforms and in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. The chapters present extensive data on single countries but invaluably take a comparative approach, presenting a broad, explorational perspective.
Public Administration Reforms in Europe is an indispensable resource for researchers, practitioners and students in a variety of social science areas, especially public administration, public policy and public management.
Critical Acclaim
‘The COCOPS Top Executive Survey in the European public sector shows how three major paradigms based on hierarchies, networks and markets dominate debates and perceptions of reforms in 17 European countries. This major comparative research demonstrates what is really happening, or not, and the effects on performance. Top civil servants will use this book to know what to do, or not, based on what works, or not.’
– Geert Bouckaert (KU Leuven), President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences
‘This is one of the few recent public administration texts to address the really big issues. The authors pose key questions and, with the help of a valuable new comparative database, offer carefully modulated answers. Some edited collections are disappointing, but this one is important, coherent and stimulating.’
– Christopher Pollitt, KU Leuven, Belgium
– Geert Bouckaert (KU Leuven), President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences
‘This is one of the few recent public administration texts to address the really big issues. The authors pose key questions and, with the help of a valuable new comparative database, offer carefully modulated answers. Some edited collections are disappointing, but this one is important, coherent and stimulating.’
– Christopher Pollitt, KU Leuven, Belgium
Contributors
Contributors: S. Ahlbäck Öberg, J. M. Alonso, R. Andrews, P. Bezes, R. Boyle, M.E. Cardim, J. Clifton, D. Díaz-Fuentes, J. Downe, N. Ejersbo, F. Ferrè, D. Galli, C. Greve, V. Guarneros-Meza, G. Hajnal, G. Hammerschmid, K. Huxley, G. Jeannot, S. Jilke, P. Lægreid, S. Leixnering, F. Longo, R.E. Meyer, L. Mota, V. Nakrošis, E. Ongaro, A. Oprisor, L. Pereira, T. Randma-Liiv, R. Rauleckas, L.H. Rykkja, K. Sarapuu, L. Šarkutė, R. Savi, A. Schikowitz, R. Šnapštienė, T. Steen, V. Štimac, S. Van de Walle, J. van der Voet, T. Virtanen, U. Weske, H. Wockelberg
Contents
Contents:
1. Introduction: Public Administration Reforms in Europe
Steven Van de Walle, Gerhard Hammerschmid, Rhys Andrews and Philippe Bezes
2. Comparative Research in Public Administration and the Contribution of the COCOPS Top Executive Survey
Steven Van de Walle, Gerhard Hammerschmid, Anca Oprisor and Vid Štimac
3. Understanding Elites: Values, Attitudes, Motivations and Role Perceptions of Top Public Sector Executives in Europe
Trui Steen and Ulrike Weske
PART I PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORMS IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE
4. Austria: Nothing is Different, but Everything’s Changed
Stephan Leixnering, Andrea Schikowitz and Renate E. Meyer
5. From Smooth NPMization to Structural Changes in France: Accelerated Reforms, Mixed Perceptions
Philippe Bezes and Gilles Jeannot
6. German Public Administration: Incremental Reform and a Difficult Terrain for Management Ideas and Instruments
Gerhard Hammerschmid and Anca Oprisor
7. Administrative Reforms in the Netherlands: Managerialism, Collaboration and Implications for Future Reform Capacity
Sebastian Jilke, Joris Van Der Voet and Steven Van De Walle
PART II PUBLIC ADMNISTRATION REFORMS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
8. Public Administration Reform in Estonia: The Abundance of Piecemeal Initiatives
Riin Savi and Tiina Randma-Liiv
9. New Wine in New Bottles? Assessing Hungary’s Post-2010 Public Administration Reforms
György Hajnal
10. The Impact of Public Administration Reforms in Lithuania: Systemic Managerial Changes and Persisting Organizational Differences
Rimantas Rauleckas, Vitalis Nakrošis, Rasa Šnapštienė and Ligita Šarkutė
PART III PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORMS IN NORTHERN EUROPE
11. Denmark: Towards the Neo-Weberian State in the Digital Era
Carsten Greve and Niels Ejersbo
12. Finland: Active Reformer Looking for More Centralisation and Horizontal Coordination
Turo Virtanen
13. Riding the Roller Coaster: Ireland’s Reform of the Public Service at a Time of Fiscal Crisis
Richard Boyle
14. Norway: Managerialism, Incrementalism and Collaboration
Per Lægreid and Lise H. Rykkja
15. Reinventing the Old Reform Agenda: Public Administrative Reform and Performance in Sweden
Helena Wockelberg and Shirin Ahlbäck Öberg
16. A Top-Down, Customer-Oriented Approach to Reform: Perceptions from UK Civil Servants
James Downe, Rhys Andrews and Valeria Guarneros-Meza
PART IV PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORMS IN SOUTHERN EUROPE
17. Italy: Set Along a Neo-Weberian Trajectory of Administrative Reform?
Edoardo Ongaro, Francesca Ferré, Davide Galli and Francesco Longo
18. Public Administration Reforms in Portugal: A Path Between Service Improvement and Cutback Measures
Luís Mota, Maria Engrácia Cardim and Luísa Pereira
19. The Slow Pace of Public Administration Reform in Spain
José M. Alonso, Judith Clifton and Daniel Díaz-Fuentes
PART V CHALLENGES AND OUTCOMES OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORMS ACROSS EUROPE
20. Mapping the Use of Public Management Tools in European Public Administration
Gilles Jeannot and Philippe Bezes
21. Managing the Public Sector Under Fiscal Stress
Tiina Randma-Liiv and Riin Savi
22. Coordination Challenges and Administrative Reforms
Per Lægreid, Tiina Randma-Liiv, Lise H. Rykkja and Külli Sarapuu
23. Public Administration Reforms and Outcomes Across Countries and Policy Areas
Katy Huxley, Rhys Andrews, Gerhard Hammerschmid and Steven Van De Walle
24. Conclusion: A Kaleidoscope of Administrative Reforms in Europe
Rhys Andrews, Philippe Bezes, Gerhard Hammerschmid and Steven Van De Walle
Index
1. Introduction: Public Administration Reforms in Europe
Steven Van de Walle, Gerhard Hammerschmid, Rhys Andrews and Philippe Bezes
2. Comparative Research in Public Administration and the Contribution of the COCOPS Top Executive Survey
Steven Van de Walle, Gerhard Hammerschmid, Anca Oprisor and Vid Štimac
3. Understanding Elites: Values, Attitudes, Motivations and Role Perceptions of Top Public Sector Executives in Europe
Trui Steen and Ulrike Weske
PART I PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORMS IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE
4. Austria: Nothing is Different, but Everything’s Changed
Stephan Leixnering, Andrea Schikowitz and Renate E. Meyer
5. From Smooth NPMization to Structural Changes in France: Accelerated Reforms, Mixed Perceptions
Philippe Bezes and Gilles Jeannot
6. German Public Administration: Incremental Reform and a Difficult Terrain for Management Ideas and Instruments
Gerhard Hammerschmid and Anca Oprisor
7. Administrative Reforms in the Netherlands: Managerialism, Collaboration and Implications for Future Reform Capacity
Sebastian Jilke, Joris Van Der Voet and Steven Van De Walle
PART II PUBLIC ADMNISTRATION REFORMS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
8. Public Administration Reform in Estonia: The Abundance of Piecemeal Initiatives
Riin Savi and Tiina Randma-Liiv
9. New Wine in New Bottles? Assessing Hungary’s Post-2010 Public Administration Reforms
György Hajnal
10. The Impact of Public Administration Reforms in Lithuania: Systemic Managerial Changes and Persisting Organizational Differences
Rimantas Rauleckas, Vitalis Nakrošis, Rasa Šnapštienė and Ligita Šarkutė
PART III PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORMS IN NORTHERN EUROPE
11. Denmark: Towards the Neo-Weberian State in the Digital Era
Carsten Greve and Niels Ejersbo
12. Finland: Active Reformer Looking for More Centralisation and Horizontal Coordination
Turo Virtanen
13. Riding the Roller Coaster: Ireland’s Reform of the Public Service at a Time of Fiscal Crisis
Richard Boyle
14. Norway: Managerialism, Incrementalism and Collaboration
Per Lægreid and Lise H. Rykkja
15. Reinventing the Old Reform Agenda: Public Administrative Reform and Performance in Sweden
Helena Wockelberg and Shirin Ahlbäck Öberg
16. A Top-Down, Customer-Oriented Approach to Reform: Perceptions from UK Civil Servants
James Downe, Rhys Andrews and Valeria Guarneros-Meza
PART IV PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORMS IN SOUTHERN EUROPE
17. Italy: Set Along a Neo-Weberian Trajectory of Administrative Reform?
Edoardo Ongaro, Francesca Ferré, Davide Galli and Francesco Longo
18. Public Administration Reforms in Portugal: A Path Between Service Improvement and Cutback Measures
Luís Mota, Maria Engrácia Cardim and Luísa Pereira
19. The Slow Pace of Public Administration Reform in Spain
José M. Alonso, Judith Clifton and Daniel Díaz-Fuentes
PART V CHALLENGES AND OUTCOMES OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORMS ACROSS EUROPE
20. Mapping the Use of Public Management Tools in European Public Administration
Gilles Jeannot and Philippe Bezes
21. Managing the Public Sector Under Fiscal Stress
Tiina Randma-Liiv and Riin Savi
22. Coordination Challenges and Administrative Reforms
Per Lægreid, Tiina Randma-Liiv, Lise H. Rykkja and Külli Sarapuu
23. Public Administration Reforms and Outcomes Across Countries and Policy Areas
Katy Huxley, Rhys Andrews, Gerhard Hammerschmid and Steven Van De Walle
24. Conclusion: A Kaleidoscope of Administrative Reforms in Europe
Rhys Andrews, Philippe Bezes, Gerhard Hammerschmid and Steven Van De Walle
Index
