Paradoxical Processes Impeding Public Management Reform Implementation: Perspectives of Management Consultants

Abstract

While the literature highlights the complexity of new public management (NPM) reform implementation, relatively little is known about these processes from the perspective of management consultants. Based on two complementary approaches, change management theory and paradox theory, this exploratory study seeks to understand the role of management consultants in identifying impediments to reform implementation and their potential contribution to addressing implementation challenges. In-depth interviews were conducted with external management consultants specializing in public management reform implementation in Israel. The findings expose the paradoxical nature of the cycles which emerge, as new practices of efficiency implemented under NPM generate counter-practices of deficiency. Management consultants assist public managers in acquiring leadership skills for managing paradoxes. The study may contribute to our understanding of why reforms often fail and how public managers can confront such challenges. Theoretical insights and practical implications are discussed.