Purpose – The aim of this study is to generate insights into whether market orientation – as defined by Kohli and Jaworski – is being practiced in the Ghanaian public sector. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a case‐study of a local government, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (the...

Public sector enterprises show distinct differences in structure, management philosophy, and perfomance when compared to private sector enterprises. This becomes more evident when one compares the performance of developed – versus developing‐country public enterprises. In particular, they...

Examines the relationships and problems that exist between the theory and practice of human resource development in the public sector. Aims at enhancing the capability of human resource management systems to adapt and respond proactively to a constantly changing environment in the 1990s and...

The debate on the public sector has been central in structural adjustment programmes applied in developing countries during recent years. The common grounds of the discussion have been the size of the public sector, its role and its efficiency in delivering services. The common criticisms of the...

Civil service reform in developing countries may be inhibited unless a more culturally appropriate concept of management is developed. An Institutional Development Framework (IDF) may assist in the identification of possible reform strategies. A strategy is defined by a series of inter‐linked...

The delivery of public services in developing countries is over‐centralised. One of the reasons for this is the presence of centralised decision‐making apparatus, which distances power from communities. The centralised decision making reduces accountability among public sector employees and...

During the 1990s the contract has become a key feature in the restructuring of the UK public sector. Currently available literature demonstrates an awareness that the implementation of contracting must entail new forms of management control and organizational structure which involve new patterns...

Contemporary debates over the future direction of retirement pensions policy have been dominated by a polemic over the scope of, and the future balance between, the respective roles of public and private sectors in the management and delivery of benefit “entitlements”. This debate has...

There is an international trend to contestability and marketisation in the delivery of public services. The underlying foundation of these trends is that competition results in improved outcomes such as greater efficiency, higher quality of service, a clearer focus on customers and better value...

This introduction seeks to locate the origins of the competency management in American and British management concerns with declining international competitiveness and the need for more efficient and effective managers. It examines the distinctive American and British approaches and identifies...