Introduction: Managing for public service performance: How people and values make a difference

Abstract

This chapter introduces the overall question that is central to this volume: How does management make a meaningful contribution to public service performance? A summary review of our knowledge of the concepts and relationships that feature in this overall question is provided. Describing the gaps in our knowledge, the chapter explains the approach taken by this volume in order to generate fresh insights. Thus, noting that what constitutes performance is dependent on the institutional context, the public values, and different stakeholders that emphasize some rather than other aspects of public service performance, the chapter introduces the institutional perspective. Signaling parallel lines of research with some centering management systems and others managers’ leadership, the chapter explains the multidisciplinary approach which combines the insights from public management, leadership, human resource management, and work and organization psychology to gain a better understanding of what managers do to impact performance. In addition, this multidisciplinary approach provides insight into how public employees’ attitudes and behaviors contribute to job and organization performance. The chapter concludes by presenting the conceptual model underlying the volume and explains the focus of the individual chapters and their contribution to answering the volume’s overall question.