Public Administration Reforms in Europe ─ The View from the Top

Edited by Gerhard Hammerschmid, Professor of Public and Financial Management, Hertie School of Governance, Germany, Steven Van de Walle, Professor of Public Administration, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Rhys Andrews, Professor in Public Management, Cardiff Business School, UK and Philippe Bezes, Research Professor, CNRS, Centre d’études européennes, Sciences Po, France

Based on a survey of more than 6,700 top civil servants in 17 European countries, this book explores the impacts of New Public Management (NPM)-style reforms in Europe from a uniquely comparative perspective. It examines and analyses empirical findings regarding the dynamics, major trends and tools of administrative reforms, with special focus on the diversity of top executives’ perceptions about the effects of those reforms.

Based on a survey of more than 6,700 top civil servants in 17 European countries, this book explores the impacts of New Public Management (NPM)-style reforms in Europe from a uniquely comparative perspective. It examines and analyses empirical findings regarding the dynamics, major trends and tools of administrative reforms, with special focus on the diversity of top executives’ perceptions about the effects of those reforms.

Resulting from research funded by the European Commission, this book is an ambitious, comprehensive portrait of public administration in the central European bureaucracies after more than three decades of NPM reforms and in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. The chapters present extensive data on single countries but invaluably take a comparative approach, presenting a broad, explorational perspective.

Public Administration Reforms in Europe is an indispensible resource for researchers, practitioners and students in a variety of social science areas, especially public administration, public policy and public management.