Understanding and managing public organizations - Hal G. Rainey

This new edition of Hal G. Rainey's award–winning book Understanding and Managing Public Organizations (1991) provides a comprehensive, up–to–date analysis of research on public organizations and management, with new tables, figures, and other teaching toolds designed to make this book even more useful in graduate courses. Using nemerous real–life vignettes and examples, the book summarizes expert analysis on goals, power, effectiveness, motivation and work attitudes, decision making, and more. Drawing on a comprehensive review of current research about government organizations and managers––and about effective and ineffective practices in government––it offers specific suggestions for managing these challenges in today's public organizations.
The book has been updated to include coverage of recent trends and developoments such as total quality management, the National Performance Review, the reinventing government movement and other recent reform efforts, privatization, and managing for excellence. In addition, Rainey draws from major national surveys to reveal important new development in areas such as public service motivation and the structure of public agencies. This new edition of Understanding and Managing Public Organizations covers these topics and findings to make the book a more valuable reference for students, scholars, and managers alike.