`Raise[s] extremely important issues which make a useful contribution to a debate which has scarcely begun about the proper role of managers and management in public services.... The book locates the rise of management within a social and political context, a crucial and neglected issue. Further, it presents a welcome recognition of the compexity of managerialism.... A comprehensive and critical examination of managerialism. Like all good books, it stimulates, particularly when one does not agree, and some of the chapters deserve to be read and reread′ -<b><i> Local Government Studies</i></b>
In the transformation of the welfare state since the 1970s, management has been accorded a central role. New forms and ideas of management have had profound consequences for: the organization and delivery of public services; the political processes of policy formation; systems of accountability; and the experiences both of the recipients of services and of those working within public sector organizations.
Examining the significance of managerialism, this book offers a unique insight into the current shaping of social welfare.