Strategic Management and Public Service Performance

Abstract

Strategic management makes a difference to the performance of public organizations. This book demonstrates that the most appropriate response is 'it all depends': on which aspects of strategy content and processes are pursued together, and how these are combined with organizational structure and the technical and institutional environment. Strategic Management and Public Service Performance demonstrates that strategic management makes a difference to the performance of public organizations. In detail the authors show how all three of the major elements of strategic management matter for the effectiveness of public services: strategy content, formulation and implementation. Often, however, it is impossible to provide a straightforward answer to the question 'does strategic management matter?' Rather, as their evidence demonstrates, the most appropriate response to this question is 'it all depends' on which aspects of strategy content and processes are pursued together, and how these in turn are combined with organizational structure and the technical and institutional environment. Their findings suggest that managers need to pay attention to the connections between these contingencies to get the best out of whatever strategy their organization has adopted. The comprehensive treatment of strategy and performance makes this book ideal reading for those interested in questions of strategic management, performance and contingency theory.