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This book adopts a highly critical approach to the ways in which organisations have been analysed by orthodox theories and offers instead a perspective on elements of organisational behaviour including leadership and its failures, structures, cultures, bullying and the denial of individual voice, firmly rooted in the critical understanding of power and control. Professor Fenwick draws from international examples of practice and finds grounds for optimism in the distinctive positive values of the public sector organisation. This book is an invaluable source for those with an interest in organisational behaviour in the public sector, designed for many audiences including students embarking upon study of how such organisations work, researchers who wish to assess aspects of the topic in greater depth, or readers with a practical interest or involvement with the organisations in question.

In this article, the aim is to explore some of the key themes to emerge in the journal during the past two decades. Each selected theme will be reviewed in the light of issues raised in particular papers. The aim of this approach is, first, to facilitate reflection upon the contribution of the journal as its subject matter has moved from a concern with British public administration to something more international in its scope and, second, to encourage critical attention to the current state and future direction of the discipline of public administration itself. The identification of cross-cutting themes enables the reader to dig a little deeper and draw his/her own conclusions about where the journal has made its distinctive contribution.

In asking whether it is time to put the dream of elected mayors to bed, Alex Marshs thoughtful contribution hints at some textbook problems of public policy. What counts as evidence of policy success? What were the objectives of this innovation in the first place? Choosing an elected executive mayor by referendum has been available to the public in England and Wales for more than a decade. Since 2007 it has also been available through council resolution following 'consultation' rather than referendum. It continues to generate differing party attitudes locally but retains consistent cross-party support nationally. Yet even the most enthusiastic advocates of the elected mayoralty could hardly claim that it has been stunningly successful (Fenwick et al, 2006; Elcock and Fenwick, 2012). Adapted from the source document.