<title>Abstract</title> Beginning with the example of the National Health Service, this article analyses the phenomenon of very rapid, repeated re-structuring in UK public services. It asks, first, how far the unceasing reorganizations in healthcare are a unique case; second, how such serial changes can be...

<title>Abstract</title> This article examines the phenomenon of ‘magic’ concepts -- those key terms which seem to be pervasive among both academics and practitioners. Within that category our focus is on ‘governance’, ‘accountability’ and ‘networks’. Our prime purpose is to map their meanings...

This paper compares five key UK public management reform white papers spread over a period of 41 years. It adopts a narrative approach to analyse the scope, dominant themes, proffered solutions, evidence base, key assumptions and style and presentation of these core documents. This longitudinal...

Both academics and practitioners have disagreed among themselves about whether and to what extent the developed world is witnessing a convergence in the forms of public management. Some of this disagreement may be attributed to the formidable empirical problems facing those who wish to make...