introductory remarks

© Oxford University Press 2005. All rights reserved. This article gives an assessment of the major trends in the study of public management. It also briefly outlines the organization of the book. Section 1 orientates the reader by exploring basic frameworks, background, and key current controversies at a high level of generality. This is followed by Section 2 which explores alternative theoretical and disciplinary perspectives on public management. Section 3 covers a number of current public policy and management themes, albeit from a scholarly and social science-based point of view. Section 4 considers developments in particular functional areas, such as Human Resource Management. This is followed by Section 5 which explicitly considers the international and comparative dimensions of public management reforming. The book ends by considering emerging overall themes and outlines possible future directions.

Publication year:2012