Change In Public Sector Research Articles

Security, Capacity and Post‐Market Reforms: Public Management Change in 2003

Public sector change in 2003 was a product of external demands and internal pressures for improvement. The specific areas addressed are responses to security threats in the international environment; strengthening internal capacity, particularly through whole‐of‐government approaches; and fine‐tuning the public management model in part through readjustments to the centre‐agency relationship and greater emphasis on horizontal structures and processes.This is the ninth year an administrative essay has been published in the journal since 1996. Earlier chronicles include: J. Stewart 55(1) 1996; S. Prasser 56(1) 1997; J. Homeshaw 57(3) 1998; J. Moon 58(2) 1999; J. Curtin 59(1) 2000; C. Broughton and J. Chalmers 60(1) 2001; N. Miragliotta 61(1) 2002; and J. Nettercote 62(1) 2003.In this issue two chronicles are published — the first, by John Halligan and Jill Adams, focuses on external security and internal capacity building. The second assessment by Scott Prasser takes a different view of compliant management, poor decisions and reactive change.

Regional Agreements and the World Trade Organization Negotiations

during the last decades has been the expansion of regional trading agreements (RTAs), particularly in the Western Hemisphere and Europe. In the Americas, total trade grew at an average of 10.2% per year between 1990 and 2000, more than double the rate of extrahemispheric trade (4.4%), and the intra-trade share jumped from 48% to 61% of the total (Inter-American Development Bank). This has been related to several reasons, such as the spread of democracy in Latin America, which opened new opportunities for dialogue and collaboration, and the important changes in trade, macroeconomic, public sector, and regulatory policies that further promoted the integration of those countries in the world economy. In particular, there were important reductions of trade barriers, which took place multilaterally (as a result of GATT/WTO negotiations), regionally (as a consequence of different trade agreements in the American continent, such as NAFTA and MERCOSUR), and unilaterally. Currently there are ongoing discussions, initiated in 1994, to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by 2005, as well as a host of other initiatives, including possible links between MERCOSUR and the European Union (EU), and the accession of Chile to NAFTA. On the other side of the Atlantic, the EU, itself the result of a wide-ranging process of economic and political integration, is pursuing the enlargement of the Union while, at the same time, negotiating and participating in several other trade agreements. Ten countries (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia) are likely to join the EU in 2004, whereas two other countries (Bulgaria and Romania) may join later in the decade. Trade agreements with these countries have been part of the Europe Agreements since 1992. In addition, the EU negotiated an FTA with South Africa in October 1999, signed the Cotonou Agreement (successor to previous Lom6 Conventions) with 77 African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries on June, 2000, and approved the Everything but Arms (EBA) Initiative on February 26, 2001. There are also other regi nal and bilateral trade agreements or initiatives with Turkey, Mexico, Mediterranean cou tries, Balkan countries, MERCOSUR, and others.

The impact on officials of public sector restructuring

There has been limited examination of the impact of public sector restructuring on affected officials. This paper seeks to address the imbalance. It discusses the case of the New Zealand Health Funding Authority, dissolved and merged in 2000 as part of a major health sector restructuring programme. The paper overviews literature on change management and organisational mergers, outlines New Zealand's succession of public health sector changes through the 1990s, and details the procedures involved in the health funding authority restructuring. The impact on senior health funding authority staff and their impressions of the change process studied through the lens of a survey conducted in August 2000 are discussed, along with lessons from the New Zealand case.

Norwegian local public finance in the 1930s and beyond

The evolution of the welfare state in the twentieth century has changed local public finance considerably. This article investigates determinants of local public spending in Norway since the 1930s with an emphasis on the fiscal year 1934-35. We document huge variation in local government spending in 1934-35. The disparities initiated several reforms in the 1930s with the aim of reducing the inequality. The changes in regional policy over time are illustrated by correlation coefficients between municipal spending and private income. The correlation is strongly positive in I934~35> but is reduced over time, and has been negative since the 1970s. We find that the variation in spending between local governments is reduced over time mainly for two reasons. First, while the elasticity of municipal spending with respect to private income is fairly constant over time, the variation in private income has become smaller. Second, grants from the central government have become a larger part of the local governments' budgets and are to an increasing degree used for redistributional purposes. The development of the Western welfare states during the twentieth century has involved a steady growth of public sector spending and changes in public sector institutions. In an international perspective, the Nordic countries have chosen to provide a large share of public services at the local government level.1 Thus, the economic history of the Nordic welfare states is closely related to the evolution of the local public sector. The driving forces 1 For Norway, the local government share of GDP expanded from about 5 per cent in the 1 900s to about 9 per cent in the 1930s and 17 per cent in the 1980s (Borge and Rattso 1999b). In terms of employment, the local governments employed about 8 per cent of the workforce and 55 per cent of public sector employees in the 1960s. In the 1980s, these shares had increased to about 18 and 70 per cent respectively (source: NOS National Accounts). For the Scandinavian countries in 1990, the local government spending share of general public sector spending was 60 per cent in Norway, 68 per cent in Denmark and Finland, and 71 per cent in Sweden (source: United Nations National Accounts Statistics, 1994).

Strategic ambiguity in communicating public sector change

This paper applies Eisenberg’s theory of strategic ambiguity to stakeholder relationship management during a period of significant change within a public sector organisation. Public sector organisations generally have a wider range of stakeholders than private sector organisations and must discharge their statutory responsibilities within the highly charged environment of the political arena. This paper will contend that communication professionals may deploy strategic ambiguity to manage the competing demands of public sector stakeholders and also to stimulate a diversity of actions and creative responses in the stakeholder community. The paper draws upon an extensive case study of the major science‐funding agency in New Zealand – the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST) – to illustrate the potential value of and identify some limits to the use of strategic ambiguity.

Public Sector Change in Australia: Are Managers' Ideals Being Realized?

Public sector organizations traditionally have been associated with the internal process (bureaucratic) model of organizational culture. Public choice and management theory have suggested that public sector managers can learn from the experience of private sector management, and need to change from the internal process model of organizational culture. Due to these influences on managers, the current research proposes that managers' perceptions of ideal organizational culture would no longer reflect the Internal process model. Public sector managers' perceptions of the current culture, as well as their perceptions of the ideal culture, were measured. A mail-out survey was conducted in the Queensland (a state of Australia) public sector. Responses to a competing values culture inventory were received from 222 managers. Results indicated that a reliance on the Internal process model persists, while managers had a desire for cultural models other than the internal process model, as hypothesized.

The Political Benefits of Corporatization and Privatization

In recent years Denmark has seen a huge corporatization and privatization program. As it is an unlikely reformer, the policy shift makes the country an interesting test case for the analysis of public sector changes. The paper argues that the Danish corporatization and privatization program fits into a general pattern. The program has been successfully implemented because it has allowed the governing coalition to reap important short-term political benefits without compromising a long-term quest for political control. However, these radical changes that together constitute a virtual wave of reforms have been initiated because politicians belonging to the governing coalition have come to the knowledge of new theoretic and empirical insights that open their eyes to short-term political benefits formerly unacknowledged.

Beyond Westminster: The New Machinery of Subnational Government: A Regional Future for the UK Civil Service? The Government Offices for the English Regions and the Civil Service in Scotland

The civil service role in the Westminster model is to inform and implement central government policy. The authors argue that extensive public sector reforms and changes in UK governance mean that the Westminster model no longer provides an adequate explanation of how government works. Thus the United Kingdom is now a ‘Disunited Kingdom’.

The Effect of Contracting-out Audits on Resource Allocation and Efficiency in Public Sector Audits

ABSTRACT: Significant changes in public sector have impacted on the operations ofgovernment audit offices in several countries, notably, Australia, New Zealand, Canada,United Kingdom and the United States. Government audit offices are required tooperate in a more contestable or market-like environment, where they are accountablefor an efficient and effective provision of public sector audit. The purpose of this studyis to compare the efficiency of in-house and contract-out arrangements to deliverfinancial audits in the public sector. This study examines the audit cost efficiency withinthe context of the current public sector arrangement at the state level in WesternAustralia (WA). The results for 178 public agencies in WA suggest that contract-outaudits are more costly than in-house audits but the result is conditional on agency type.Specifically, for statutory authority audits, the costs of contract-out audits are, onaverage, significantly higher than in-house audits. For hospital audits, there is nosignificant difference in audit costs between contract-out and in-house arrangements.Sensitivity analyses reveal that the supervision costs incurred by the Auditor-General tomonitor audit quality have a significant impact on the interpretation of the costefficiency results.

Researching Public Sector Change

This article highlights the importance of taking a gendered perspective for the understanding of new public manage-ment and the restructuring of public services. Significant changes havetaken place in the management structure and processes of public sector organizations throughout the decade, with work-forces being redefined and reconstitu-ted. Relatively little research work has examined the gendered implications of such change and the way in which pro-cesses of redefinition are negotiated, accepted or resisted by male and female professionals. A conceptual framework for future research is presented which is informed by three separate research literatures: the feminization thesis, developments in HRM and marketiza-tion and managerialism. The article con-cludes by emphasizing the importance of a more inclusive and gendered view of restructuring agendas. A theoretical framework is proposed that accommo-dates difference and agency in the restructuring process as a way forward in analysing public sector change.

RESEARCHING PUBLIC SECTOR CHANGE: The argument for a gender-inclusive framework

RESEARCHING PUBLIC SECTOR CHANGE: The argument for a gender-inclusive framework

The New Public Management in Australia

This article examines the reform initiatives of Australian national governments in the context of the New Public Management (NPM). Three obvious phases of development have been evident. The first phase occurred during the early period of Hawke’s Prime Ministership of the trade-union focused, Australian Labor Party Government (ALPG) which came to power in 1983. Hawke adopted a moderate version of the NPM and was corporatist in approach. The second phase, commencing a year or so later, was influenced by Treasurer (and later Prime Minister) Keating, of the same government, who took a more fundamental NPM line, especially in terms of economic reform and public sector change. The third phase from 1996, led by Prime Minister Howard of the current, conservative (in spite of its name) Liberal-National Party Coalition Government (LNPCG) is more obviously ideological in its commitment to the NPM. These phases and reference to specific reforms will be outlined in this article, as will the academic responses to the adoption of the NPM in Australia. The relationship between theory and praxis will also be considered..

Consulting to a “hurt” or “upset” organisation

This paper explores the emotional experience of working with an organisation which was “hurt” or “upset” by a major reorganisation. It is argued that the emotional aspects of being a consultant are under‐discussed, and that an acknowledgement of the emotional effects of clients’ and organisational members’ projections is necessary in order to understand better the role, contribution and values of consultancy. The analysis is based on a recent intervention in a UK public agency. The context for the consultancy is discussed with reference to public sector change, including the growth of managerialism. The objectives of the consultancy, and the methodologies used, are outlined. The resultant data collected by the consultancy team are presented. The data are then analysed, and the emotional and relational aspects of the intervention are explored prior to a discussion of the implications of the team’s learning for the practice of consutancy.

More Queensland Exceptionalism: Public Sector Industrial Relations from New Labor to the Old Coalition

Public sector change across Western economies produces broadly similar results for the state and for public employment relations. Yet local variations can matter, as governments choose how vigorously to pursue downsizing, constructing and decentralisation. As an example of such regional differences, this paper examines the form of public sector change introduced in Queensland under Labor and Coalition governments, and the implications of union strategy.

Implementing the Contract State

The term ‘contract state’ can capture three different types of contractual arrangements:*employment contracts*intra public sector service contracts (often used in the health and education fields)*public‐private service contracts or outsourcing.Victoria, since the election of the Kennett government in 1992, has engaged in all three, but in particular, public sector change has been characterised by significant outsourcing. This article outlines the extent of outsourcing in Victorian state and local government, the managerial challenges of a contract state, and the need for continuous reflection on, and improvement of, the reform process.

Balancing Acts — Wielding the Balance of Power

After discussing the nature of the balance of power following the March 1996 federal election, this article looks at potential methods of influence for parties (particularly the Australian Democrats) in a balance of power situation. Included are three case studies of major legislation. The results show levels of influence to be mixed depending on the nature of the legislation, and the Howard government to be a ‘mixed bag’ in its approach to parliamentary process and dealing with the Senate. The final stage of this article looks briefly across those case studies to make conclusions as to the motivation, intent and consequences of public sector changes which are occurring under the Howard government.

After the Reforms: Some Patterns of Attitudinal Change among Senior Public Servants in Canberra and Wellington

Major public sector changes in Australia and New Zealand over the past decade have produced significant shifts in the beliefs, training and outlook of public servants. Using data from surveys in 1986–87 and 1994–95, this article tracks key attitudinal changes. It finds more marked change in Wellington than in Canberra, perhaps reflecting the more radical public sector agenda on that side of the Tasman

Hong Kong: Administrative Reform and Recent Public Sector Changes — The Institutionalisation of New Values

Public sector management in Hong Kong is facing major challenges as the territory has undergone substantial changes in the past four decades. A small government, following a policy of nonintervention in a colonial setting, has resulted in a highly structured system whereby it is more convenient to plan and coordinate administrative activities. This centralised structure and the prevailing role culture have combined to facilitate the implementation and institutionalisation of changes in the public service. Considering the experience and activities of selected government departments, it appears that there is a move toward more accountability and a consumer‐oriented approach to public sector management in Hong Kong. The new initiatives appear to be consistent with the needs and mood of the society and seem likely to persist in the future, despite an element of uncertainty stemming from the reversal of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China.

Japan: The Prospects for Public Sector Change

There have been some public sector changes in Japan, especially since 1981. The changes have contributed to the country's outstanding economic development. Recent events, however, question whether these changes have been sufficient and whether the sector is meeting the needs of Japanese society today.Many of Japan's political, economic and social certainties disappeared in the 1990s including automatic economic growth and the 38 year reign of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party government. These developments and events such as the Kobe earthquake, the HIV blood contamination scandal and the collapse of financial institutions suggest that a more fundamental reform of the public sector is still required.

Public-Sector Change and Burnout: Phases as Antecedent, Limiting Condition, and Common Consequence

Public-Sector Change and Burnout: Phases as Antecedent, Limiting Condition, and Common Consequence