Suchergebnisse

Abstract

This article draws on a case study of organizational change with the Queensland public sector to showcase the contribution participatory approaches to evaluation make to sustained change.
Key points outlined in the paper include: changes in human service organizations generally, and child welfare services in particular, have been proven to be difficult to achieve and sustain. Participatory processes including participatory evaluation are presented as key strategies to enhance the uptake of social and organizational change initiatives.
Parallels to continuous change models are found within policy formulation and evaluation theories. In particular, participative evaluation models share similarities to continuous change models through their reliance on self‐evaluation and self‐determination as means of promoting change.
A theoretical contribution to organizational change theories is made through the development of a change model that includes a participatory evaluation component as part of the equation for sustainable change. It is proposed that this model has a wider practical application.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The need to attract and retain a high calibre cadre of public servants today has resulted in a renaissance of interest in public service motivation (PSM) within public management literature. This article outlines a study of PSM with graduate employees within an Australian public sector. The study extends our understanding of PSM by adopting a longitudinal, mixed method design, including surveys and individual interviews, to consider the effects of socialisation on levels of PSM. Results show an organisation's mission and values do not affect individual PSM while work type and communication style is vital and organisational socialisation can provide a negative influence.

During the last two decades the public sector has come under increasing pressure to improve performance and demonstrate greater transparency and accountability. This pressure has resulted in public sector organisations facing shifts in ways of operating. Various corporate change strategies have been adopted by different public sector agencies, many of these cloning managerial practices from the private sector. These changes in public sector organisations have enormous significance for regional economic and social development. While there is a growing body of knowledge dealing with the management of corporate change there are still significant gaps in understanding the process. While there is much written on public versus private corporate change, there is little distinguishing between change in different types of public sector organisations. This paper analyses change management processes and seeks to determine whether a hybrid model of "new public management" delivers more favourable outcomes than a model focused on cost reduction and private sector prejudice for the bottom line.