In this major new contribution to a rapidly expanding field, the authors offer an integrated analysis of the wave of management reforms which have swept through so many countries in the last twenty years. The reform trajectories of ten countries are compared, and key differences of approachdiscussed. Unlike some previous works, this volume affords balanced coverage to the New Public Management (NPM) and the non-NPM or reluctant NPM countries, since it covers Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK and the USA. Unusually, it alsoincludes a preliminary analysis of attempts to improve management within the European Commission. The complex and often-avoided question of the results of reform is tackled head-on. A general model of the process of reform is proposed in which key factors influencing the scope, speed, and depth of change are identified and related to structures and strategies. In the second half of the book the authorsDSboth well-known comparativistsDScritically dissect the claims of public sector transformations. They examine the ways in which rhetoric may diverge from practice and identify crucial, but often hidden, trade-offs and dilemmas.

The concluding chapter exploresdifferent perspectives on reformDSboth as strategic action and as muddling throughDSand offers an assessment of the state of knowledge about how to improve management in government. The book also includes a series of very useful Country Files providing essential data, indicators, and events for eachof the ten countries. This book is ideal for advanced courses and programmes on comparative public management.