Butler, Michael J. R. (Michael James Richard) (2000) The rise and rise of the new public management. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

Since the 1970s a variety of changes have taken place in public service organisation
and management. From the 1940s to the late 1970s the markets gave way to the state,
in the 1980s and early 1990s the state almost gave way to the markets and at the turn
of the century a Third Way is emerging characterised by public/private partnerships.
In response to the variety of changes that have taken place, Hood (1991) made one of
the first references to a new phrase, the 'New Public Management' (NPM), to label
the changes. The central theme of this research is to characterise, map and explain the
rise and rise of the NPM.
This research overcame the central problem of the NPM — its characterisation,
especially at the theoretical level of analysis. Different NPM typologies have arisen
in which different NPM types may have taken on a 'spurious concreteness'. By this it
is meant that scholars presuppose that the NPM exists and that their typologies have
real meaning and empirical significance. This research has followed Barberis' (1998)
advice and looked at the sharp end — the NPM in practice.
This was achieved by the selection of a triple methodology which was applied to
council housing management. The triple methodology refers to the selection of an
appropriate research method at three levels of change, the macro (environment), meso
(public service) and micro (organisation) levels. At the macro level the NPM and
CCT literatures were reviewed, at the meso level two mapping studies were carried
out and at the micro level case study work was conducted. CCT is linked to the NPM
because it is one type of welfare privatisation (Wilson and Doig, 1995).
Contained within the central theme of this research are five key issues: systematising
NPM understanding, linking NPM characterisation to mapping and explaining NPM
diffusion, improving understanding about quasi-market development, critically
evaluating the NPM's impact and testing generalisability. The five key issues are
significant because they conceptually, methodologically and empirically contribute to
the development of public management. There are wider methodological and
empirical contributions.
Systematising NPM understanding is achieved by reviewing the NPM literature to
conceptually classify existing NPM work. Linking NPM characterisation to mapping
and explaining NPM diffusion is achieved through the methodological innovation of
developing a NPM typology. The NPM typology is used to empirically reveal that
the NPM exists and to map and explain variation in its diffusion. Variation is
explained in terms of receptivity factors (Pettigrew, Ferlie and McKee, 1992).
Improving understanding about quasi-market development is achieved by updating
work on quasi-market emergence, the changing patterns of public service work and
the challenge to accountability. A quasi-market is still emerging. There are cost
reductions but at the price of worsening working conditions and the risk of reducing
quality of service. Although there is political control and accountability at the
organisation level, there is too much service user participation with too little effect.
This empirical work critically evaluated the NPM's impact. Generalisability is
evidenced by successfully applying the ideas generated in the NHS and education by
Ferlie, Ashburner, Fitzgerald and Pettigrew (1996) to local authority housing.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe) > JN101 Great Britain
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Public administration -- Great Britain, Public-private sector cooperation -- Great Britain
Official Date:	June 2000
Dates:	Date Event June 2000 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Warwick Business School
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Pettigrew, Andrew M. (Andrew Marshall), 1944- ; Ferlie, Ewan, 1956-
Sponsors:	Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC) ; Warwick Business School ; Warwick Business School. Centre for Creativity, Strategy and Change
Extent:	xi, 450 leaves
Language:	eng

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