Public Management Principles Research Articles

Фактори активізації соціальних інвестицій бізнесу в Україні та Польщі

Introduction. Contemporary global challenges affect the development of business and the startup ecosystem around the world. In particular, the increase in geopolitical risks due to the full-scale war in Ukraine actualizes the issue of social investments of business. However, these processes have a different nature in different countries. For example, in Poland, social entrepreneurship is aimed at facilitating public access to social services, using new technologies and artificial intelligence for digitalization and increasing business competitiveness. An ecosystem of high-tech startups and social entrepreneurship is being formed at the state level. At the same time, in times of full-scale war in Ukraine, social investment of businesses has become especially important. A new approach to doing business is being formed, according to which startups develop not only new technologies but also support social and humanitarian initiatives. Problem Statement. Assessing the factors of social investment activation on the example of Ukrainian and Polish businesses. The purpose is to identify and evaluate the key factors influencing the development and efficiency of social investments in Polish and Ukrainian business. Methods. General scientific and special methods were used, in particular: scientific abstraction and epistemological (content) analysis, synthesis, induction and deduction, analogies and systematization, system-structural analysis, expert evaluation method, index method and grouping method. Results. The levels of manifestations and possibilities of activation of social investments at different levels, which is based on SDG standards (a combination of environmental, social and public management principles), which create the basis for sustainable development and growth in the world, have been studied. National economies and individual businesses incorporate ESG principles into their development strategies. Compliance with these principles is possible only if there is a sufficient amount of involved investments. The specifics of state policy in the context of the development of social investments, trends in the development of business and startups in Ukraine and Poland, and successful cases of the implementation of social business projects are analyzed. The conducted analysis made it possible to single out the factors of activation of social investments of business in both countries at the global, state and business levels. Conclusions. Today's challenges require a change in business priorities. Even high-tech startups are revising their development strategies in terms of social investments, activities in accordance with ESG principles. At the global level, factors for the activation of social business investments are common to Ukraine and Poland. At the state level, it is possible to distinguish common groups of factors of business activation in Ukraine and Poland, which have different manifestations for each of the countries. Business representatives demonstrate different approaches to social investments: Polish companies actively integrate corporate volunteering, educational and cultural projects into development strategies, while in Ukraine social entrepreneurship is associated with the need to restore social infrastructure, rehabilitation and integration of these groups into public life.

Navigating the integration of ChatGPT in UAE’s government sector: challenges and opportunities

PurposeThis research examines how responsible deployment of ChatGPT in the UAE’s government sector, guided by New Public Management principles, can enhance customer journeys by integrating services across government bodies. Through semi-structured interviews with UAE government officers, the study investigates this approach’s benefits, challenges, and applications for achieving efficient and integrated public service delivery.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts a qualitative approach, purposive sampling strategy, and semi-structured interviews to explore the subjective viewpoints of 20 high-level UAE government authorities. The thematic analysis uncovers ChatGPT’s benefits, challenges, and applications, aligning with New Public Management principles.FindingsThematic analysis reveals four themes: Benefits and Applications of ChatGPT, Challenges, Strategies to Overcome Challenges, and Steps for Customer Journey Enhancement through ChatGPT.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis is based on participant responses provided during the interviews, which may be subject to biases or incomplete information. Secondly, the study focuses solely on the provided applications and participant responses, limiting the generalizability of the conclusions to other contexts.Practical implicationsThe implementation of ChatGPT in the government sector has practical implications for transforming its operations and enhancing communication, efficiency, decision-making, and service offerings: citizen engagement, streamlined processes, and informed governance.Originality/valueThis study uniquely examines ChatGPT’s role in government, offering insights into communication, efficiency, decision-making, and service offerings. Identifying hurdles enriches understanding of ChatGPT’s practical integration in government.

Understanding the salary gap between academic faculty and top administrators: a New Public Management perspective

ABSTRACT Do university administrators receive significantly higher remuneration than faculty members? Can the adoption of New Public Management (NPM) principles in higher education governance contribute to a more equitable allocation of resources? This study aims to address these questions by examining a sample of Russian public universities from 2018–2021. The analysis focuses on the salary gap between university administrators, specifically rectors and vice-rectors, and faculty members. The study explores both institutional and leader-related factors that contribute to this salary gap. While NPM proposes the implementation of incentive contracts and control mechanisms to enhance organisational performance, the findings indicate that the salary gap is more pronounced in research-oriented universities. These results suggest that top-level managers are rewarded for the exceptional performance of faculty members, which contributes to an increasing income disparity that may adversely affect perceptions of fairness within higher education organisations.

ПУБЛІЧНЕ УПРАВЛІННЯ ІННОВАЦІЙНИМ РОЗВИТКОМ РЕГІОНАЛЬНОГО АПК В КОНТЕКСТІ СИСТЕМНОГО ПІДХОДУ

The article examines the theoretical principles of public management of agro-industrial complex innovative development according to systemic approach. The purpose of the work is to develop the conceptual principles of using a systemic approach in the implementation of measures of public management of the innovative development of the agricultural sector. To achieve the goal, general scientific methods of knowledge and processes have been used: methods of induction and deduction - to clarify the interrelationship of the processes of public management of the agricultural sector innovative development; methods of system analysis and generalization - for systematization of existing scientific approaches, used theoretical sources and scientific literature; structuring method - to single out individual factors influencing the innovative development of the regional agricultural sector; method of system analysis, method of abstraction and formalization - for the development of conceptual foundations of the public administration system; graphic method - for displaying the theoretical and methodological material of the research. The prospects and possibilities of innovative development of agro-industrial complex enterprises have been determined. The importance of improving the mechanisms of public management in the direction of innovative development of agro-industrial complex has been substantiated. The main directions of public management of the innovative development of the agro-industrial complex have been considered. The conceptual provisions of the public management system of the agro-industrial complex innovative development have been formed. The generalized model of public management of the agricultural sector of the region based on the hierarchical interaction of key components has been proposed. The essence, purpose and strategic aspect of the development of the system of public management of the innovative development of the agro-industrial complex have been defined. The characteristics of the system of public management of the innovative development of the agro-industrial complex have been offered. It has been substantiated the expediency of introducing the concept of public-private partnership into the process of public management of the innovative development of the agro-industrial complex, which involves covering not only research organizations and producers, but also all participants in the production and sales chains of the agrarian sector.

Institutional System of Public Administration in the Economic Sphere (Basic Concepts, Principles of Construction and Prospects for Reform)

The concepts of “institutional system of public management in the economic sphere”, “public power”, “economic management”, “principles of public economic management”, “subjects of public power vested with powers to manage the economy” have been studied. Definitions of relevant concepts are proposed.It is concluded that public power in the economic sphere can be exercised by authorities not only directly, but also through the delegation of certain powers to other entities not related to state authorities or local self-government.In modern Russian practice, power in the economic sphere can be delegated not only to state and local government agencies, but also to other bodies and organizations, as well as citizens.At the same time, today in Russia there are no general grounds, principles and procedures for vesting government authorities, other bodies and organizations, as well as individuals with certain powers in the economic sphere, established by regulatory legal acts.This legislative gap, in the author’s opinion, reduces the effectiveness of public administration, including control, in the economic sphere.To resolve this problem, the author proposes to consolidate a list of public powers related to public management of the economy by normative legal acts of appropriate legal force; general grounds, conditions and principles for the delegation of public powers in the sphere of economic management to organizations, associations of citizens and individual citizens; register of relevant entities.

New Public Management and Internationalization in Latin American Top-Tier Universities: A Multiple Case Study

The internationalization of universities has become increasingly important in recent decades. A dominant internationalization model, influenced by principles of new public management, has emerged. Latin American universities have undergone significant changes as a result of this trend. This paper takes inspiration from the sociology of translation to examine how leading Latin American institutions are addressing these challenges at both organizational and cultural levels. The findings indicate that cultural transformation is prevalent, strongly influenced by the Latin American tradition of extension. However, at the organizational level, imitation is more relevant, as evidenced by the adoption of new public management principles to devise strategies, plans, and programs that prioritize professionalization and the widespread use of indicators. This development gives rise to a distinct cultural internationalization model for Latin American universities.

Directions and Prospects for the Development of Public Governance

This article discusses issues and problems related to the modern development of public administration in the face of uncertainty and economic crisis, as well as a tense socio-political situation. The paper studies the main theoretical approaches of the authors to the concept of “public administration”, based on the evolution of the main concepts on thistopic. In addition, the article analyzes the directions of development of public administration in Russia. Attempts are being made to study further prospects for the development of public administration. The relevance of the topic of this article is explained by the fact that today the issues and problems related to the development of public administration in Russia have a strategic focus, since in the current conditions the management mechanisms of state and municipal authorities are ineffective and require serious changes. This also applies to the regulatory framework that regulates the activities of government bodies. It needs some changes and some additions. In addition, it is worth saying that modern society, being on the path of transformation, digitalization and active use of the Internet, have the opportunity to ask questions about government directly. Goal. Study of the main directions of public administration development in Russia and its further prospects. Tasks. In the course of the research, such tasks were solved as: studying the authors’ approaches to the concept of “public administration”, identifying the main features and directions of public administration development, identifying problems and prospects for the development of public administration, taking into account complex crisis and stressful conditions.Methodology. It includes theoretical methods, the method of analysis, the method of forecasting with regard to development prospects. Conclusions. In the conditions of the existing instability, crisis and a large number of sanctions, new approaches and methods to the development of public administration are required. This is due to the fact that the previously existing mechanisms of state and municipal authorities are not fully effective. Also, changes are required by the regulatory legislative frame-work, which regulates the principles of public power management at both the federal and municipal levels.

The civil service careers of university support staff and new public management: A qualitative study from Chile

New public management policies have been in effect in Chile since the 1980s, influencing the development of human resources policies and procedures, particularly within higher education institutions. While the impact of these policies on academic staff is evident, their implications for non-academic personnel who operate under the same regime as public servants remain unclear. This research aims to investigate the relationship between new public management principles and the career beliefs of non-academic personnel in Chile. Utilizing focus groups, this study analyzes the perceptions of career trajectories among the collaboration staff at the country's most prominent public university. Finally, the results are discussed.

Proadi-SUS: analysis of financial resources in the three-year periods 2009-2011, 2012-2014 and 2015-2017.

To characterize the tax exemption resources used in the Support Program for Institutional Development of the Unified Health System (Proadi-SUS) in the 3-year periods 2009-2011, 2012-2014, 2015-2017, considering the total volume of resources linked to the debate on tax expenditures on health and the constitution of a "new form of philanthropy" in the sector. To understand the philanthropic sector, tax expenditures between 2001 and 2017 were analyzed. To evaluate the resources used in the program, the values of projects and areas of activity were examined. A real increase in the values of general tax expenses and tax expenses referring to the philanthropic sector was found. There was also a real increase in the program's resources. A total of 407 projects were carried out, amounting to R$ 3.4 billion for the period. An analysis of the average value of the projects shows an increase in values for all hospitals included in the program, with the exception of one of the institutions. In the 2009-2011 and 2012-2014 periods, the area with the highest number of projects and the most resources was "Management techniques and operation in health services". In the 3-year period 2015-2017, however, the sector that received the most investments and the largest number of projects developed was "Human Resources Training". The program characterizes a different expression of the public-private partnership in the health sector linked to the principles of the new public management. As a development for future investigations, a qualitative characterization of the projects developed and the actions' impact on the public sector demands is necessary.

Fiscal decentralization in the nude: Discursive struggles and the stalling of its implementation in Jamaica

Despite an apparently promising start, the decentralization of property tax in Jamaica has never really progressed, nor yet been abandoned. Why is this? This paper adopts a discourse theory perspective to answer these questions. It primarily takes cues from a case study of the Portmore Municipality Council, which was tasked by Jamaica’s central government to implement fiscal decentralization. The initiative was intended to pave the way for further local government reforms in the country in line with new public management (NPM) principles, but something different happened. We conclude that several influential signifiers and signifieds were linked with fiscal decentralization. Mobilized in various politically motivated and overlapping discourses, these served different interests and attracted shifting groups of supporters and contenders, and gradually halted fiscal decentralization. The signifiers and signifieds pertained to NPM, participation, local and central government commitment, entrenchment,11This is the process of legally embedding local government into Jamaica’s constitution. Thereby, it is intended that local government becomes a permanent and protected feature within the Jamaican political landscape. councilors’ lack of skills, nepotism, corruption, and the need for a “fix” for decentralization to progress. They were part of a larger palette of discourses relating to central government power, globalization, and societal and economic progress. The discourses in question made it impossible to abandon fiscal decentralization entirely, because they continued to be in line with the Jamaican political elite’s professed take on NPM, and helped to attract IMF funding.

Управління фінансуванням державного бюджету в аспекті співпраці України з МВФ

Introduction. During the war, the tasks of implementing new approaches to managing operations involving the attraction and use of resources within the framework of state budget financing arose. At the same time, the risks of maintaining financial stability and debt sustainability intensified. The resolution of these issues became the subject of cooperation between the state administration bodies of Ukraine and the IMF. Problem Statement. The gaps between the growing expenses of the state budget and their revenue coverage have increased. The result was an increase in the burden on the financing of the state budget, which required making significant changes to the sources of attracting funds and the mechanisms for their implementation. Purpose. Conducting an analysis of changes in the management of the state budget financing of Ukraine during the war in the aspect of Ukraine's cooperation with the IMF. Methods. An analysis of state budget financing during the war and overcoming its consequences was carried out. The main tasks, sources and mechanisms of state budget financing are revealed. The problems of resource attraction from the domestic financial market, as well as financing from external sources, are highlighted. Results. At the initial stage of the war, budget expenditures were significantly increased and changes were made to their structure. At the same time, deficit indicators increased, and its coverage was provided by budget financing operations. Due to the high risks of increasing the non-debt resource (on the basis of privatization and active operations), there arose a need of increasing state borrowing. During the use of internal resources, monetary financing was allowed, which had a negative impact on the dynamics of macroeconomic indicators. External debt obligations are provided on preferential terms and have a long-term nature. The use of such financing made it possible to ensure macroeconomic and financial stability in Ukraine, but was accompanied by an increase in public debt indicators. It is noted that the allocation of domestic state borrowing needs to be reviewed, and external financial assistance is subject to changes in the direction of rationalization and replacement by internal financing. Conclusions. Measures developed within the framework of cooperation between Ukraine and the IMF allow to ensure budgetary capacity and debt sustainability. In order to strengthen them, it is proposed to increase the volume of non-debt resources for financing the budget, to replace monetary financing with non-state sources of its provision, to adopt programs for the gradual restoration of fiscal rules, as well as access to international capital markets, to make changes to the attraction of financial assistance (gradual replacement of it by other sources), adjusting the strategic principles of public debt management, taking into account the effects of the war and the needs of post-war recovery.

The Determination of State Budget Governance of Indonesian Public Higher Education Institutions Post COVID-19 Pandemic

The communication and information openness era, which has become increasingly massive after the COVID-19 Pandemic, has encouraged open relations between the community and state universities in education programs, especially budget management. This study aims to analyze the determination of state university budget management in terms of budget realization, the role of technology, and public information disclosure. This study raises the dimensions of the variable position of technology, perceptions of budget realization, public information disclosure, principles of general financial management, transparency, and accountability concerning managing state finances in universities. Convenience sampling became the technique chosen for sampling and was further analyzed with the SEM-PLS procedure through the SmartPLS application with 237 respondents. This study found the effect of budget realization and public information disclosure in fulfilling the principles of positive public financial management. However, this study does not support the role of technology in supporting the principles of public financial management. This study also notes the positive influence of public financial management principles on state universities' transparency and accountability. This study highlights the maximum future strengthening of higher education budget management with the organizational commitment of higher education institutions under the strict supervision of the government and the community indirectly. Technology does not support it, but it impacts the public in tracing information on Higher Education budget management according to the mandate of various parties, including the Indonesian Supreme Audit Institution.

Principles of State Administration for the Security and Protection of the Vital Interests of the People

Relevance. The systemic and legal problems of developing the unity of principles for managing the security and protection of the vital interests of the people are multifaceted, complex, and largely debatable. Both constitutional and administrative principles of security management, as well as their unity, primarily meet the interests of citizens and are aimed at ensuring the development of legal protection of life, rights and freedoms, since they prioritize in favor of a person. The unity of principles as scientific principles and the basic rules of behavior of subjects of management requires the development of security and the protection of the vital interests of the people, which is currently very important.The purpose. Establishing the content of the constitutional and administrative principles of state management of the security and protection of the vital interests of the people.Objectives: define regulatory legal acts containing the principles of public safety management; highlight the constitutional and administrative principles of state management of the security and protection of the vital interests of the people.Methodology. The study used a combination of methods, such as: a general scientific method for studying legal phenomena and processes, formal legal and formal logical methods.Results. In the course of the study, the constitutional and administrative principles of state management of the security and protection of the vital interests of the people were considered, as well as their unity, aimed at protecting the vital interests of a person, was studied.Conclusion. The unity of the principles of state management of the security and protection of the vital interests of the people gives a scientific idea of the procedure for generalizing and extending each principle to the activities of a state authority and local self-government, aimed at fulfilling the obligations of the state to create safe living conditions for its citizens, including their implementation. constitutional rights and freedoms.

The Relationship between Staff Training, Career Development, and Job Satisfaction for Public Universities in Mozambique

This study discusses the impact of staff training programs and career development policies on the employees’ ‘motivation and job satisfaction’ in the Public Universities of Mozambique. Institutions of higher learning are perpetually confronted by a need to train staff and develop careers of the same in the workplace. The Mozambican higher education subsector faces an unprecedented number of demands for educated labor. To support the government’s economic, social, and political policies under New Public Management principles, universities must embark upon prudent utilization of their scarce resources. The aim of this study is (a) to evaluate the impact of training programs and career development policies, (b) strategies on staff motivation and job satisfaction, and (c) investigate the relationship between staff training, career development, and job satisfaction variables. The methodology adopted includes a triangulation of the case study and survey research strategies. The research uses mixed methods approach. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions, and survey questionnaires. For analysis, data were analyzed using the thematic analysis technique as well as descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that there is a direct impact on staff training programs by career development policies and strategies on improving staff motivation and job satisfaction in the public universities in Mozambique. Findings reveal that staff motivation and job satisfaction remain a challenge in the higher education subsector in Mozambique. The academic staff members and university managers in particular are chiefly not satisfied with the inadequacy of professional skills due to ineffective training programs. Other findings attribute staff dissatisfaction and low motivation. To achieve the competitive advantage and obtain the best results, higher learning organizations must provide the means to upgrade their employees, which they can best do by organizing continuing training and development programs, as well as ensuring regular staff promotion at the workplace. Keywords: staff training, career development, motivation, public universities, higher education institutions. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.60.46

Las redes de trabajo en la acción pública. Tipología y caracterización a partir de quince programas públicos en Chile

As a result of a series of modernization processes, the Chilean State has implemented a group of management and governance mechanisms, among which public-private partnerships or alliances stand out. Inspired by efficiency-oriented approaches from New Public Management and democratic principles of New Governance, neither their socio-technical configuration nor their effects on the transformation of the work activity in public action have been explored. Based on the qualitative study of fifteen public programs operating through networks established by public-private partnerships (PPNetworks) in Chile, a typology and characterization of these networks is proposed. The results reveal four types of PPNetworks that organize the work activity in public action: networks for investment in public goods, networks for the delivery of social services, associative networks of public interest, and networks to subsidize projects. Each of these networks is organized based on a fundamental principle that establishes coordination mechanisms through a set of governance and management instruments, from which private state actors and citizens are called to action and positioned within the network. It is discussed how these networks attribute forms of involvement to the actors involved, thereby questioning them and shaping subjective dispositions in public work.

Higher Education in Italy

The key object of our critical analyses is the Italian higher education system, a set of 97 universities (69% state and 31% accredited non-state universities) and a few post-secondary vocational programmes. This system has historically been considered centralised and corporative. In this paper, we aim to both outline the main components of the system and critically debate major transformations that have led to a mix of autonomy and internal competition in the last thirty years. Given the elitist nature of its organisation in the past, Italian higher education is still based on a rigid separation between fields of study, making it less effective at promoting educational success (a shortcoming evidenced by high rates of university dropout) and deeply embedded corporative characteristics that are unable offset its structural underfunding. Recent reforms have profoundly redesigned the landscape according to New Public Management principles, promoted greater university autonomy, and fostered a quasi-market regulation approach based on quality assessment, performance-driven careers, and the quantitative evaluation of research. We present and discuss these topics, considering their impact on governance and management as well as on students, research activities, and the academic profession.

Lost in transformation: comparative analysis of healthcare provision dynamics within urban systems of European Russia and France

ABSTRACT Since the 1990s, many countries have implemented healthcare reforms underlined by New Public Management principles and technological transformations. Although studies have examined these reforms from different viewpoints, the spatial implications of healthcare reforms have received limited attention. Scholarship focused predominantly on regional variations of healthcare provision overlooking the sharp contrasts between cities where most healthcare facilities are de facto located. Addressing this research gap, we investigate the long-term dynamics of healthcare provision on the urban level, tracing the differences (if any) between cities of different sizes and administrative statuses. The study adopts a comparative approach. We draw our data from two countries: France and Russia (mainland France and European Russia). Findings indicate that, despite some variations, healthcare reforms in both countries follow similar paths, resulting in fewer hospital beds that have been partially replaced by places in day hospitals. At the same time, we also observe diverging country-specific trends in terms of redistribution of healthcare provision. In France, some cities completely lost their hospital equipment but those cities that remained equipped tend to a uniform distribution. In European Russia, on the contrary, all cities remain equipped but there is a drastic polarization depending on size and administrative status.

Development of public administration of the health care system and pharmacy in Ukraine

The study of public administration in the field of health care system of Ukraine is a very promising direction due to the problems of public administration in the field.
 Healthcare scientists, in particular pharmacy, have presented quite a few works where public administration of the medical industry is considered as a subject of research. There are no comprehensive studies on this topic that would take into account the current trends in its development.
 The purpose of the study is to highlight the essence of public administration, analyze its stages and the history of its emergence and further development in the field of health care of Ukraine. The object of the study is information from relevant legal acts regulating the basic principles of public health care management. The information sources were data from online resources about the formation of state policy in the field of protection in Ukraine, informational materials about the essence, theoretical, scientific and social basis of the emergence of public administration. Documentary, informative, empirical research methods (generalization, comparison), document study were used for the research.
 The theoretical, methodological and scientific and practical principles of public administration in health care of Ukraine are considered. Normative legal acts have been developed that regulate the basic principles of public administration in health care, determine the goals of public administration bodies and establish their legal status.
 It was determined that the need to improve the policy in the field of health care system, in accordance with modern needs, which is carried out by public administration bodies, is extremely relevant and important for Ukraine.
 To improve public administration in accordance with updated public expectations, modern training programs for health care workers in the post-graduate education system are needed, as well as the training of specialists at the second (master's) level of higher pharmaceutical education, in particular, the educational and professional program «Health Technology Assessment».

Establishing a Public Health Emergency Operations Center in an Outbreak-Prone Country: Lessons Learned in Uganda, January 2014 to December 2021.

Uganda is highly vulnerable to public health emergencies (PHEs) due to its geographic location next to the Congo Basin epidemic hot spot, placement within multiple epidemic belts, high population growth rates, and refugee influx. In view of this, Uganda's Ministry of Health established the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) in September 2013, as a central coordination unit for all PHEs in the country. Uganda followed the World Health Organization's framework to establish the PHEOC, including establishing a steering committee, acquiring legal authority, developing emergency response plans, and developing a concept of operations. The same framework governs the PHEOC's daily activities. Between January 2014 and December 2021, Uganda's PHEOC coordinated response to 271 PHEs, hosted 207 emergency coordination meetings, trained all core staff in public health emergency management principles, participated in 21 simulation exercises, coordinated Uganda's Global Health Security Agenda activities, established 6 subnational PHEOCs, and strengthened the capacity of 7 countries in public health emergency management. In this article, we discuss the following lessons learned: PHEOCs are key in PHE coordination and thus mitigate the associated adverse impacts; although the functions of a PHEOC may be legalized by the existence of a National Institute of Public Health, their establishment may precede formally securing the legal framework; staff may learn public health emergency management principles on the job; involvement of leaders and health partners is crucial to the success of a public health emergency management program; subnational PHEOCs are resourceful in mounting regional responses to PHEs; and service on the PHE Strategic Committee may be voluntary.

Opening the ‘black box’: Organisational Adaptation and Resistance to institutional isomorphism in a prime-led employment services programme

The UK’s Work Programme (2012-18) was a major employment services programme, inspired by new public management principles. A relatively small number of directly commissioned ‘prime providers’ were paid by the central Government largely according to the number of job-outcomes their service users achieved but were given a ‘black box’ to design their own services and subcontracting arrangements. Drawing on an empirical study of subcontracted service providers, and focusing on those from the third sector, the paper shows that within this prime-led commissioning model, subcontractors came under sustained pressure to adjust their operational practices. We draw on institutional isomorphism to show that isomorphic pressures were experienced because of both the design and implementation of the Work Programme. Although there were strong pressures pushing towards convergence, however, the different starting positions of subcontractors meant that these changes were not entirely deterministic and some attempts at resistance were observed amongst third sector providers. Their diverse institutional contexts, including positioning and wider interest in the field, shaped how they navigated and responded to isomorphic pressures, ultimately mitigating homogenisation. The paper contributes a more sophisticated understanding of the ways in which provider organisations experience, interpret and respond to structural pressures within an evolving quasi-market. The findings have implications for public service reform programmes featuring quasi-markets that are intended to encourage innovation and a diversity of provision, particularly when promoting mission-led, third sector organisations (TSOs).