The Idea of Management in Government: Evolution of the Concepts and Implications for Reform

Abstract

Debates about public-private similarity and dissimilarity go on due to “isomorphic mimicry” and unexpectedly lower results with management in government or public sector reforms. The fundamental concern about the government globally is how to make government work better for citizens more effectively, efficiently and economically while creating more value for the public. The core objective of this article is to develop a theoretical proposition of the “Management in Government” (MIG) discourse in a contemporary context by discussing its roots, evolution and convergence with modern management. To achieve this objective, we comprehensively followed and reviewed the literature focused on the emergence and evolution of “managerial effectiveness” and “operational efficiency” through historical analysis. This is important because the quality of reforms in government both in terms of design, implementation, and success, depends largely on this proposition and alignment. If reforms are to work, the theoretical foundation of management in government has to be based on the belief that “management in government” can be improved, despite debates around the concepts and constructs. Thus theoretically, it has become imperative that “management in government” is discussed as a functional discipline within management having customized the systems, processes, and mechanism, including people management.