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Deconstructing NPM: Public Service Values in a Global Public Administration

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The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant

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Abstract

The shift away from traditional public sector values has been widely lamented, but the impetus for that shift has been given little attention. While the positive outcomes of the New Public Management (NPM) movement have been widely discussed, this values shift is one of its most woeful consequences. In deconstructing the NPM conceptual framework, the foundational impact of a global values revolution offers insight into the call for greater accountability and transparency, as well as responsive financial performance. The traditional conception of public sector values as a vocational calling of selflessness and patriarchy was proven archaic in an era promoting short-term results and a corporate-like model of governance. It is argued here that in the post-NPM environment, the romanticized model of public sector higher-order values has been replaced by the realistic implications of public-private partnerships as implemented across the globe, in conjunction with the near 100% cross-over employment of today’s US workforce. The implications for public service and the future of democratic leadership are discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USA

    Carole L. Jurkiewicz

  2. School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USA

    Edin Mujkic

Authors
  1. Carole L. Jurkiewicz
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  2. Edin Mujkic
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Correspondence to Carole L. Jurkiewicz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia

    Helen Sullivan

  2. UNSW Australia, Campbell, ACT, Australia

    Helen Dickinson

  3. College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Hayley Henderson

Section Editor information

  1. Brigham Young University, Provo, USA

    Eva Witesman

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Jurkiewicz, C.L., Mujkic, E. (2020). Deconstructing NPM: Public Service Values in a Global Public Administration. In: Sullivan, H., Dickinson, H., Henderson, H. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03008-7_80-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03008-7_80-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03008-7

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