Complexity and the Public Sector

Rezensionen / Stimmen

"Across the globe, it is widely assumed that management is natural and universal, serving everyone's interests equally. So it is refreshing to read a new book which challenges these assumptions in the context of public services, and which recognises the interests being served by the managerialist systems which now dominate many country's public sectors. Its international set of authors all hold senior positions and are trying to get things done, in spite of the ideological dominance of today's quasi-competition and league tables. Their work is complex, and any successes are often paradoxical, but their personal narratives in the book are all the more compelling for the challenges involved. Their stories represent vital reading for anyone who wants to make a similar difference when faced with the neoliberal modes of governance that have become so widely used in today's society."

Mark Learmonth, Professor Emeritus, Nottingham Trent University

"A refreshing perspective on managerialism and a highly recommended read. The book offers a unique window into senior practitioners' lived experiences of their management role within the public sector within the UK and internationally. A very useful resource for managers, consultants and academics faced with complexity and the dilemma of making sense of their role and the context they find themselves in."

Dr Julia Gale, Associate Dean (Special Projects), Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, a joint enterprise of Kingston University and St. George's, University of London

"Resonates absolutely with the reality and tumult of public sector leadership. The authors clearly describe the realities of improvement in the public sector, and help our understanding of the mismatch between overly simplistic rhetoric and the complex reality leaders and their teams experience."

Danny Mortimer, Chief Executive of NHS Employers, Deputy CEO of the NHS Confederation