Public Management: Theories and Innovations

• Credit value: 30 credits at Level 7
• Convenor: Professor Deborah Mabbett
• Assessment: to be confirmed

This module explores the history, theory and problems of public management, covering past and present theoretical attempts to analyse the machinery of government and examining the sweeping reforms that have taken place in the UK.

Approaches to public administration have been revolutionised in recent decades as traditional theories have been challenged by new ideas about management. The course applies concepts drawn from politics, economics and organisational sociology to examine these new ideas. It assesses the relevance of private sector management principles to the public sector and discusses the evolving relationship between the public and private sectors in public administration. It also examines ideas about consumerism, democratisation and citizenship in the provision of public services.

By the end of this module, you will:

• understand the similarities and differences between public and private sector management
• be familiar with the main theoretical approaches to the study of public management and organisational behaviour, including their strengths and weaknesses
• have acquired detailed knowledge of the practice of the new public management and post-NPM reforms such as quasi-markets
• have a critical understanding of public management reform in the United Kingdom.