Transcending New Public Management

'... authors use a broad "transformative" perspective to demonstrate both the significant effects that the reforms have had on public management and the ways in which they have been shaped by national administrative cultures and traditions and by political context. Anyone interested in understanding the tremendous impact that the market-inspired NPM reforms have had on public management, the problems and complex transformations associated with these reforms, and recent efforts to promote greater coherence and coordination in government, will find the book invaluable.' Joel Aberbach, Distinguished Professor, University College Los Angeles, USA '... an important contribution to the literature on administrative reform. It examines the consequences of New Public Management in a number of societies and the continuing reforms, especially those designed to improve coordination and coherence in the public sector. The transformative perspective that is central to the analysis, as well as the central role of comparative analysis distinguishes this manuscript from others and makes it essential reading for students of reform in the public sector.' B. Guy Peters, Maurice Falk Professor, University of Pittsburgh, USA